Improvements in Water Closets and Water-supply Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water Closets and Water-supply Apparatus
therefor.
I, JOHN SHANKS, of Tubal Works, Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows, that is to say:-
My said invention comprises various improvements in water closets and water-
supply apparatus therefor, some of the improvements being applicable to single
closets, or to connected sets of separate-basin closets, and others to the same or
similar closets and to trough closets.
In carrying out my invention I make the top edge or rim of the basin with
the middle of the front projecting forward, and with the sides shaped with shallow
downward concavities; and have the seat made of thin metal and shaped to pro-
ject within the basin rim, the metal being externally coated with vulcanite or
other suitable non-metallic material. The seat is hinged to one or two eye bolts
fixed in a flange or projecting part formed on the back of the basin. This form
of basin and seat is such as to favor a better position of a person using the closet
than that taken with an ordinary closet; and the thinness of the seat and conse-
quent lowered position tends to secure cleanliness. The basin is, further, made
with the interior of the front and sides inclined to a small extent so as to narrow
the lower part of the space, but the back is inclined so that its lower part recedes
a little backwards. The discharge outlet is at the back of the bottom; and the
hollow rim through which the flushing water enters the basin is made with slits
or small holes along its bottom for the issue of water to wash the internal surfaces
of the basin, whilst a second series of holes are formed through a higher part of
the rim these latter holes being shaped to direct jets of water towards the discharge
outlet, one of the holes at the front and another at the back being made larger than
the others to give issue to larger streams of water. The basin rim is made in
shape approximately triangular in section, the inner side inclining towards the
side of the basin immediately below the inner edge of the top surface of the rim.
I combine a number of the closet basins in a series with a pipe under them
having at one end or at the middle of it a siphon bend connected to a discharge
pipe and arranged to act siphonically for emptying all the basins and bottom
pipe, this siphon discharge, combined with flushing being made to act periodically
by means of any suitable known automatic apparatus, or by an appliance worked
by hand. For filling up the basins and bottom pipe after a discharge I provide
in connection with the bottom pipe a small separate cistern with a ball float
supply valve, the cistern being placed so that the level up to which it fills is the
same as that up to which the basins are to be filled. In order that the depth of
this cistern may not be greater than is otherwise necessary, I arrange the ball
float valve so as to work satisfactorily with a comparatively small up and down
movement of the float. The valve piece is a plug closing up against the water-
supply pressure and is acted on by an eccentric or cam-shaped enlargement on a
017

page_text: lever centered below the plug. Instead of this lever being part of the float lever
I have it connected to the float lever which is separately centered either by a link
or by a fork and tongue or by toothed sectors so that the angular movements
of the cam lever is increased relatively to that of the float lever.
The float-cistern arrangement for filling up is applicable to trough or other
closets discharging siphonically. The ball float valve mechanism is applicable to
various kinds of cisterns for supplying water-closets. When such cisterns are
made with siphon discharge apparatus I prevent or very much diminish an
objectionable noise produced with ordinary siphonic discharge apparatus by having
connected to the top of the siphon a small pipe extending downwards and formed
with a short upward bend or equivalent at its lower end. This small pipe is
arranged to admit air from the cistern a little before the level of the water gets
down to the bottom of the short leg; and air thus enters quietly and prevents
the siphonic action from terminating with a violent and noisy inrush of air.
Dated this Eighteenth day of November 1897.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water Closets and Water supply Apparatus
therefor.
I, JOHN SHANKS, of Tubal Works, Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, that is to say:―
My said invention comprises various improvements in water-closets and water-
supply apparatus therefor, some of the improvements being applicable to single
closets, or to connected sets of separate basin closets, and others to the same or
similar closets and to trough closets.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append three sheets of explanatory draw-
ings to be hereinafter referred to in describing my improvements. In these
drawings the same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the same or
like parts wherever they are repeated.
As shown in plan and vertical section in Figures, 1, and 2, I make the top edge
or rim, A, of the basin, Al, with the middle, M, of the front projecting forward
and with the sides shaped with shallow downward concavities and have the seat
made of thin metal, B, which is externally coated on both surfaces with vul-
canite, B1, or other suitable non-metallic material. To facilitate and render
more secure the adhesion of the vulcanite, B1, to the metal, B, the latter is per-
forated with a number of small holes so that the vulcanite, B 1, will unite through
these perforations as shown at, B2, in Figure, 2. In Figure, I, the vulcanite is
supposed to be removed from the upper surface of the metal, B, to show the holes
filled with vulcanite. The seat, B, B1, is shaped so as to approximately fit the
top of the basin rim, A, the outer edge, B3, being, by preference, turned down
over the edge of the basin rim, A; or this turned down part may be dispensed
with. The seat is also shaped so as to extend within the basin rim, A, to about the
level, more or less, indicated at, B4. The seat, B, B1, is hinged to two eye
bolts, C, fixed to a projecting part, C1, formed on the back of the basin, A 1,
Or the improved seat may simply be placed in position on the basin rim, Á, the
improved construction preventing the possibility of displacement when the water

page_text: closet is being used. This form of basin, A 1, and seat, B, B1, is such as to
favor a better position of a person using the closet than that taken with an
ordinary closet; and the thinness of the seat and consequent lowered position
tends to secure cleanliness.
The improved form of water closet seat, B, B1, may be shaped to fit the top
of any basin rim whatever the external contour of the rim may happen to be;
and in Figures, 3, 4, and 5, which are a plan and two vertical sections it is shown
as applied to a water closet having a rim, A, not made with concave depressions
at the sides. The basin, A 1, is, in this modification, made with the interior of
the front, A 2, and sides, A 3, inclined to a small extent so as to narrow the lower
part of the space, but the back, A 4, is inclined so that its lower part recedes a
little backwards. The discharge outlet, A 5, is at the back of the bottom; and
the hollow rim, A, through which the flushing water enters the basin, A 1, is
made with slits, A 6, or it might be small holes, along its bottom for the issue of
water to wash the internal surfaces of the basin, whilst a second series of holes, A 7,
are formed through a higher part of the rim, A, these latter holes being shaped
to direct jets of water towards the discharge outlet, A5, one, A8, of the holes at
the front and another, A 9, at the back being made larger than the others to give
issue to larger streams of water. The basin rim, A, is made in shape approxi-
mately triangular in section, the inner side inclining towards the side of the
basin immediately below the inner edge of the top surface of the rim. The shape
of the basin and the flushing arrangement of this modification may be applied
to a water closet having a rim of the shape of that in the first modification herein-
before described.
I combine a number of closet basins of any suitable known form, (two being
shown by way of example in plan and sectional elevation in Figures, 6, and 7)
with a pipe, D, under them having at one end, (or at the middle of it) a siphon
bend, 11, connected to a discharge pipe, D2, and arranged to act siphonally for
emptying all the basins, A 1, and bottom pipe, D, this siphon discharge, com-
bined with flushing, being made to act periodically by means of any suitable
known automatic apparatus, or by an appliance worked by hand. For filling up
the basins, A 1, and bottom pipe, 1), after a discharge I provide in connection
with the bottom pipe a small separate cistern, E, with a ball float supply valve, E 1,
the cistern being placed so that the level up to which it fills is the same as that
up to which the basins, A 1, are to be filled. In order that the depth of this
cistern, E, may not be greater than is otherwise necessary, I arrange the ball float
valve, E1, so as to work satisfactorily with a comparatively small up and down
movement of the float. Two modifications of this improved form of ball float
valve, E1, are shown in Figures, 8, and 9. The valve piece is a plug, F,
(Figure, 9) closing up against the water supply pressure and is acted on by an
eccentric or cam shaped enlargement, F 1, on a lever, F2, centered below the
plug, F. Instead of this lever, F2, being part of the float lever, G, I have it
connected to the float lever, which is separately centered on a bracket, G 1, either,
as shown in Figure, 8, by an extension of the float lever, forming a short
arm, G2, a pin fixed in the end of which works in a slot in the cam lever, F2,
or as shown in Figure, 9, by making the extension, G2, of the float lever, G,
forked to act on the end of the cam lever, F2; or the cam lever may be connected
to the float lever by toothed sectors. By any of these means the angular move-
ment of the cam lever, F2, is increased relatively to that of the float lever, G.
In Figure, 8, the parts are shown as when the valve is closed the dotted lines
showing the position assumed by the parts when the valve is open. Figure, 9,
shows the valve open, the dotted lines showing the position of the parts when
the valve is shut.
The float-cistern arrangement for filling up is applicable to trough or other
closets discharging siphonally. The ball float valve mechanism is applicable to
various kinds of cisterns for supplying water closets.
When cisterns are made with siphon discharge apparatus I prevent or very much

page_text: diminish an objectionable noise produced with ordinary siphonic discharge
apparatus by having, as shown in Figure 10, (which is a vertical section) con-
nected to the top of the siphon, H, a small pipe, H 1, extending downwards and
formed with a short upward bend, H2, at its lower end. This small pipe, H 1,
admits air from the cistern, J, a little before the level of the water gets down to
the bottom of the siphon, H; and air thus enters quietly and prevents the
siphonic action from terminating with a violent and noisy inrush of air.
Figures, 11, and 12, show two constructions which may be substituted for the
short upward bend (H2). In Figure, 11, the upward bend, H2 terminates in
an enlargement, H3, made with a small hole, H 4, in its upper surface; and in
Figure, 12, the end of the small pipe, H 1, is enclosed in an outer casing, K, also
having a small hole, H4, in its upper end. The hole, H4, may be fitted with a
small adjustable valve for accurately regulating the ingress of air.
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. Forming seats for waterclosets of thin metal shaped to approximately fit the
top rim of the basin and also extend within the rim, the metal being perforated
with a number of small holes and externally coated with vulcanite or other suit-
able non-metallic material substantially as and for the purposes herein before
described.
2. In a watercloset making the top edge or rim of the basin with the middle
of the front projecting forward, and with the sides of the rim shaped with shallow
downward concavities substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described
with reference to Figures, 1, and 2, of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a watercloset making the interior of the front and sides of the basin
inclined and the back slightly receding backwards and forming slits or holes
along the bottom of the hollow rim along with a second series of holes through
a higher part of the rim, all in combination and substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described with reference to Figures, 3, 4, and 5, of the
accompanying drawings.
4. In connection with a series of waterclosets or a trough closet having a dis-
charge pipe underneath providing in connection with this pipe a cistern with a
ball Hoat supply valve substantially as and for the purpose herein before described
with reference to Figures, 6, and 7, of the accompanying drawings.
5. Actuating the ball float supply valve of a cistern, by an eccentric or cam-
shaped enlargement on a lever connected to the float lever in a manner to receive
increased movement therefrom substantially as and for the purpose herein before
described with reference to Figures, 8, and 9, of the accompanying drawings.
6. In a cistern having siphon discharge apparatus connecting to the siphon a
small pipe formed at its lower end with a short upward bend with or without an
enlargement thereon substantially as and for the purpose herein before described
with reference to Figures, 10, 11, and 12, of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Seventeenth day of August 1898.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.