Improvements in Faucets for Flushing Tanks.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Faucets for Flushing Tanks.
I, ALEXANDER CLARKE, of 248, Smith Street, Borough of Brooklyn, City of
New York and State of New York, United States of America, Plumber, do here-
by declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The objects of this invention are to avoid noise produced by the flowage of
water through the passages of the faucet; to enable the faucet to be fastened
upon the upper edge of the flushing tank and the valve to be arranged upon
said faucet at as high an elevation in said tank as possible; to cause the water
to flow in a more direct course to the "hush" pipe; to provide a valve opera-
ting float which shall be cheap and easily constructed and into which weights,
such as sand, may be readily introduced for regulating the buoyancy; to obtain
a perfectly impervious joint where said float is attached to the rod connecting
it to the valve, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may
be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the parts.
In carrying out my invention, the body of the faucet is secured upon the upper
edge of the flushing tank, the horizontal tubular part of said body having
lateral integral ears extending oppositely from the lower side of the tube and
being perforated to receive screws driven into the edge of the tank, by means of
which the parts are firmly fastened in place. The end of the tubular part which
projects at the outside of the tank is enlarged and threaded to receive a coupling
sleeve by which the supply pipe is connected to the faucet.
The inner end of said tubular part is also enlarged, being provided with an
upwardly extending dome forming a chamber in which the valve head has a space
for play. Beneath said dome, the body of the faucet is open, the opening being
large to receive the upper end of a chambered valve carried and the horizontal
valve seat at said upper end. The side walls of the opening are threaded and the
carrier thus screwed into connection with the body casting, the joint between
being packed in any suitable manner.
At the top of the chambered carrier is formed the integral valve seat before
referred to, which is flat at its upper side to provide a suitable bearing for the
flexible valve, which is preferably of leather and secured flatwise upon said
seat by a screw or like fastening near one edge of the seat. Toward the opposite
edge of the seat, at a point beneath the valve lying flat thereon, the said seat is
perforated to form a flow passage from the chamber in the body to the chamber
within the carrier.
Below the valve seat, the carrier is provided with a lateral integral extension,
preferably projecting in the direction of the greater length of the flushing tank.
and being cored out to receive a short connecting rod which slides horizontally
back and forth therein, fitting the inner walls of said extension with sufficient
closeness to prevent material leakage. At its inner end. said connecting rod is
longitudinally recessed to receive the lower end of the valve rod. and transversely
recessed to receive lateral pintles at the opposite sides of said valve rod. the
transverse recesses opening upward to permit the pintles of the valve rod to be

page_text: dropped into position from above. From the connecting rod, the valve rod or
stem bends forward and upward and extends through the passage opening in
the valve seat and an opening in the valve, and at its upper end above said valve
is provided with a head, the base of which pressed down on the valve to close
the latter.
At its outer end, the connecting rod is recessed to receive the downwardly
extending arm of a bell crank lever which has fulcrumal bearings at the upper
outside part of the lateral extension containing said connecting rod. The second
arm of the bell crank lever projects in an approximately horizontal position
and receives the threaded end of the float rod; to the opposite end of which a
float or buoyant bulb is secured.
Said float rod, at its extremity opposite its connection with the bell crank
lever, is hooked, and back from said hooked extremity, the rod is threaded to
carry a perforated and similar threaded mouth piece or cap.
The buoyant bulb is cast of one integral piece of glass, with a neck and mouth,
the bulb as a whole somewhat resembling an ordinary globular flask. Through
the said neck is inserted the hooked end of the float rod, and the hook catches
upon an inside stay arranged across the inner end of the neck. Said stay is pre-
ferably a short piece of heavy wire bent into a U-shape at its middle part, the
U-shape bend serving to enter the neck and receive the hook, while the opposite
ends of the stay bear against the inside walls of the bulb back from the neck.
Upon the threaded portion of the float rod is arranged the mouth piece before
referred to, which is preferably of a cap-like form to fit over the end of the
neck and protect the same. By turning the said cap or mouth piece against
the end of the neck, the hooked end of the float rod being caught upon the stay
inside of the bulb, said bulb or float is held to the rod with great firmness,
as will be evident, and yet the parts can be disconnected with ease and quickness
to permit the introduction or removal of sand or other weighty matter to or from
the bulb. Suitable packing may be placed between the outer end of the neck
and the mouth piece to effect a joint through which water can not pass.
In the operation of my invention, as the water rises in the flushing tank, the
glass bulb is floated upward and its rod turns the crank lever on its fulcrum,
forcing the sliding connecting rod outward and the valve rod downward so as to
close the valve tight upon its scat, completely cutting off an inflow of water to
the tank.
It will be noted that the valve closes with the pressure of water entering from
the supply pipe and opens against such pressure, the water. thus serving in
maintaining a tight closure.
The valve carrier can be removed from the body of the faucet without dis-
arranging the operating parts or the connections with the tank and supply pipe,
thus facilitating and rendering comparatively easy the work of renewing the
valve and the like.
The lower end of the valve carrier is open and threaded to receive the upper
end of a "hush" pipe which is correspondingly threaded. Said hush pipe con-
ducts the water to the bottom of the tank and prevents a splashing of the falling
water as will be evident. By this construction, air will not enter the passages
and chambers of the device, nor produce the noise objected to.
I am aware that various modifications may be made in the construction of the
device without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and conse-
quently I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself by the positive expres-
sions above employed excepting as the state of the art may require.
Dated this Savanth low of October 1898

page_text: I, ALEXANDER CLARKE, of 248, Smith Street, in the City of Brooklyn and
State of New York, United States of America, Plumber, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained, in and by the following statement:-
The objects of this invention are to avoid noise produced by the flowage of
water through the passages of the faucet; to enable the faucet to be fastened
upon the upper edge of the flushing tank and the valve to be arranged upon
said faucet at as high an elevation in said tank as possible; to enable the water
to flow in a more direct course to the "hush" pipe; to provide a valve operating
float which shall be cheap and easily constructed and into which weights, such
as sand, may be readily introduced for regulating the buoyancy; to obtain a per-
fectly impervious joint where said float is attached to the rod connecting it to
the valve, and to secure other advantages and results in connection with the des-
cription of the working parts.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a sec-
tional view of the flushing tank, showing the arrangement of faucet and float
therein Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the faucet on line a, Figure 3;
Figure 3 is a plan of the same; and Figure 4 shows my improved float, partly
in central section.
In carrying out my invention, the body b, of the faucet is secured. upon the
upper edge of the flushing tank, «, the horizontal tubular part of said body
having lateral integral ears 62, 62, extending oppositely from the lower side of
the tube and being perforated to receive screws c, driven into the edge of the
tank, by means of which the parts are firmly fastened in place. The end of the
tubular part, which projects at the outside of the tank is enlarged, as at 63,
and threaded to receive a coupling sleeve d, by which the supply pipe e, is con-
nected to the faucet.
The inner end of said tubular part 61, is also enlarged, being provided with
an upwardly extending dome 64, forming a chamber in which the valve head
has a space for play. Beneath said dome, the body of the faucet is open, the
opening being large to receive the upper end of a chambered valve carrier f,
and the horizontal valve seat f', at said upper end. The side walls of the open-
ing are threaded and the carrier thus screwed into connection with the body
casting, the joint between being packed in any suitable manner, as, at h..
At the top of the chambered carrier f, is formed the integral valve seat.f¹,
hefore referred to,, which is flat at its upper side to provide a suitable bearing
for a flexible valve g, which is preferably of leather and secured flatwise upon
said seat by a screw i, or like fastening near one edge of the seat. Toward the
opposite edge of the seat, at a point beneath the valve lying flat thereon, the
said seat is perforated as at. j, to form a flow passage from the chamber in the
body to the chamber within the carrier.
Below the valve seat, the carrier is provided with a lateral integral.exten-
sion k, preferably projecting in the direction of the greater length of the flush-
ing tank, and being cored out to receive a short connecting rod or plunger 1.
which slides horizontally back and forth therein, fitting the inner walls of said
extension with sufficient closeness to prevent material leakage. At its inner
end, said connecting rod is longitudinally recessed as at o, to receive the lower

page_text: end of the valve rod m, and transversely recessed as at ¹, to receive lateral
pintles m¹, at the opposite sides of said valve rod m, the transverse recesses
opening upward to permit the pintles of the valve rod to be dropped into posi-
tion from above. From the connecting rod, the valve rod or stem bends forward
and upward and extends through the passage or opening j, in the valve seat
and an opening in the valve y, and at its upper end, above said valve, is pro-
vided with a head m2, the base of which presses down on the valve to close
the latter.
At its outer end, the connecting rod is recessed as at o², to receive the down-
wardly extending arm n¹, of a bell crank lever n, which has fulcrumal bearings
at the upper outside part of the lateral extension, containing said connecting
rod, l. The second arm n², of the bell crank lever n, projects in an approxi-
mately horizontal position and receives the threaded end of the float rod p, to
the opposite end of which a float or buoyant bulb r, is secured.
Said float rod 2, at its extremity opposite its connection with the bell crank
lever n, is hooked as at 23, and back from said hooked extremity, the rod is
threaded as at 23, to carry a perforated and similarly threaded mouth piece or
cap s.
The buoyant bulb r, is cast of one integral piece of glass, with a neck and
mouth, the bulb as a whole somewhat resembling an ordinary globular flask.
Through the said neck is inserted the hooked end of the float rod p, and the
hook catches upon an inside stay t, arranged across the inner end of the neck.
Said stay is preferably a short piece of heavy wire bent into a U-shape t¹, at
its middle part, the U-shape bend serving to enter the neck and receive the
hook, while the opposite ends 2, of the stay bear against the inside walls of the
bulb back from the neck.
Upon the threaded portion 23, of the float rod is arranged the mouth piece s,
before referred to, which is preferably of a cap-like form to fit over the end of
the neck and protect the same. By turning the said cap or mouth-piece_s,
against the end of the neck, the hooked end p², of the float rod being caught
upon the stay t, inside of the bulb, said bulb or float is held to the rod with
great firmness, as will be evident, and yet the parts can be disconnected with
ease and quickness to permit the introduction or removal of sand or other
weighty matter to or from the bulb. Suitable packing u, may be placed between
the outer end of the neck and the mouth piece to effect a joint through which
water can not pass.
•
In the operation of my invention, as the water rises in the flushing tank, a,
the glass bulb r, is floated upward and its rod turns the crank lever n, on its
fulcrum, forcing the sliding connecting rod 1, outward and the valve rod m,
downward so as to close the valve g, tight upon its seat, completely cutting off
an inflow of water to the tank.
It will be noted that the valve g, closes with the pressure of water entering
from the supply pipe e, and opens against such pressure, the water thus serving
in maintaining a tight closure.
The valve carrier f, can he removed from the body of the faucet without dis-
arranging the operating parts or the connections with the tank and supply pipe,
thus facilitating and rendering comparatively easy the work of renewing the
valve and the like.
"
The lower end of the valve carrier is open and threaded to receive the upper
end of a "hush pipe 7, which is correspondingly threaded. Said "hush"
pipe conducts the water to the bottom of the tank and prevents a splashing of
the falling water as will be evident. By this construction. air will not enter
the passages and chambers of the device, nor produce the noise objected to.
I am aware that various modifications may be made in the construction of the
device without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention and conse-
quently I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself by the positive expres-
sions above employed excepting as the state of the art may require.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a flushing tank faucet, the combination with a tubular portion having a
perforation formed perpendicularly in one side and at its upper end constructed
with a valve seat formed with a port eccentric to the axis of the tubular portion
and a flexible hinged valve closing down on said seat and perforated in coin-
cidence with the opening therein, of a valve stem having a head lying against
the upper surface of the valve and a rod extending down through said valve and
port and bent or curved to cause its lower end to lie at one side of the tubular
portion and said lower end being provided with opposite trunnions m², a plunger
or connecting rod fitted in the side opening of the tubular portion and sliding
therein and having its inner end longitudinally slotted to receive the lower end
of the valve stem and transversely recessed at each side of said slot to receive the
trunnions on the said valve stem end, and at its outer end being transversely
perforated, and a bell crank lever pivoted in bearings on the outside of the tubular
portion and having an outwardly projecting arm adapted to receive a float rod
and a downwardly extending arm lying at its lower end against the side of the
outer end of the plunger and having a pintle entering the perforation therein,
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a flushing tank, of a tubular faucet body arranged
transversely across the edge of the tank and having means for attachment there-
to, said body having its outer end projecting outside of the tank and provided
with means for coupling to a supply pipe, and having its inner end extending
into the tank and opening into a hemispherical dome-like chamber or enlarge-
ment projecting at its top above the tubular portion and having its base open
downwardly to receive a valve, substantially as set forth.
3. The improved float for flushing tank valves, comprising a hooked and
threaded connecting rod, a bulb, a stay inside of said bulb to receive the hooked
end of the connecting rod, and a threaded mouth piece arranged on said rod and
engaging the end of the neck, substantially as set forth.
4. The improved float for flushing tank valves, comprising a bulb having an
open neck, a bent stay arranged across the open mouth in said neck, a hooked
connecting rod, and a mouth piece bearing against the outer end of said neck,
substantially as set forth.
5. The improved float for flushing tank valves, comprising a bulb having an
open neck, a stay having its opposite ends bearing against the inside of said
bulb and between said ends having a U-shaped bend turned into the mouth of
said neck, a hooked rod catching the said stay at the U-shaped bend, and an
outside mouth piece holding the stay, rod and bulb in fixed relation, substan-
tially as set forth.
1
51
1000
ALEXANDER CLARKE,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
ALEXANDER CLARKE,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.