IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS, AND PREVENTING WASTE OF SAME."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morris, of the Kent Water Works, Deptford,
in the County of Kent, Civil Engineer, and Frederick Philip Preston, John
Theodore Prestige, and Edwin James Preston, trading under the Firm of
Josiah Stone & Co., of High Street, Deptford, in the County of Kent,
Engineers, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS,
AND PREVENTING WASTE OF SAME."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morris, Frederick
Philip Preston, John Theodore Prestige, and Edwin James Preston at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th November 1880.
WILLIAM MORRIS, of the Kent Water Works, Deptford, in the County of Kent,
Civil Engineer, and FREDERICK PHILIP PRESTON, JOHN THEODORE PRESTIGE, and
EDWIN JAMES PRESTON, trading under the Firm of Josiah Stone & Co., of High
Street, Deptford, in the County of Kent, Engineers. IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF WATER AND OTHER
LIQUIDS, AND PREVENTING WASTE OF SAME."
This Invention relates mainly to flushing cisterns which have to be emptied by
means of a syphon, the short leg of which dips into the cistern or receptacle holding
the amount of liquid, or nearly so, which is desired to be used at one operation or
flush; the long leg of the syphon we connect to an apparatus fitted with a piston or
plunger or diaphragm which is operated by handle or lever.
The piston may be fitted in a cylinder fixed under or above the seat of a water
closet and have an india rubber or other suitable valve or valves. The inlet from
the syphon may be at one end of the cylinder, and the outlet to the closet or other
part to be flushed at the other end, or both at one end or side; the piston may
be raised by means of a weight or a helical or spiral or other spring or other
approved method.
Where a hollow plunger is used the latter may be guided on a fixed rod, which
inside the plunger is provided with a helical or spiral spring resting on a disc on
.
A

page_text: the end of the rod; the spring serves to carry the weight of the plunger and to bring
it back into its normal position; a valve may be fitted to the delivery side where a
superior vacuum is wanted.
Sometimes we employ a cylinder fitted with a rotary piston on a spindle; the
piston may be made an easy fit or have a flexible packing. Or the cylinder may
be of a sector shape with oscillating piston; gearing may be used to work such
pistons quickly.
When using a diaphragm we prefer to arrange a valve on the outlet side and to
work the diaphragm rod by means of a lever having a counterweight, which brings
the diaphragm back, or a spring inside the casing may serve the same purpose, and
the diaphragm may be worked by an ordinary pull handle.
Instead of one diaphragm we may arrange two in one casing; the diaphragm at
the inlet side has an aperture which can be closed by a valve on the pulling rod,
which is fixed to and goes down through the other diaphragm; in the normal
position the valve is open. The outlet is between the two diaphragms, and both
the latter are supported by springs. On actuating the rod the valve is first closed,
then the two diaphragms are depressed, a partial vacuum being created in the
syphon; on letting go the rod the valve springs back with the lower diaphragm
and opens, the top diaphragm also returning to its normal position, when water
will flow through the upper diaphragm into the space between the two, and thence
to the outlet.
; a
When an after flush is required in connection with a syphon we may connect the
pulling rod or handle to the casing, which then slides on a piston on a tube helical
spring between the tube and the casing serves to bring the casing back, or it may
be a weight. To give the after flush we use a syphon pipe, one leg of which passes
up the interior of the tube and passes down into the outlet branch, which latter is
fitted with a valve opening outwards and held up by a spring.
Or we may use a trapping box arrangement to this work. For this purpose we
arrange a piston in a cylindrical trapping box part, holding about the desired
amount of after flush, and having a small hole below leading to the outlet. The
piston rod is a tube open below having a lateral opening higher up and passing out
through a stuffing box at top of outlet pipe; the hollow piston rod is closed at top.
The cylinder has a valve to the outlet. The outlet has a lateral descending branch.
When the handle is let go the piston rises, the air rushes in through the lateral
opening in the hollow piston rod, and the water runs out from the cylinder by the
small hole below, thus giving the after flush.
To use an oscillating piston we arrange it in a sector chamber, in the lower or
trapping box part of which there is a partition having a small aperture leading into
the outlet pipe. When the piston is pulled down the water is drawn over and the
syphon charged, and as the piston has a flexible packing or a by-pass, water can
pass by to the bottom or trapping box part before running over the partition, thus
keeping back some water for the after flush till the last, when it runs away by the
bottom aperture through the partition, the air being admitted through a pipe at the
top.
A suction or delivery valve or both may be applied to either of the foregoing
Arrangements.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Morris, Frederick Philip Preston, John Theodore Prestige,
and Edwin James Preston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th May
1881.
WILLIAM MORRIS, of the Kent Water Works, Deptford, in the County of Kent,
Civil Engineer, and FREDERICK PHILIP PRESTON, JOHN THEODORE PRESTIGE, and
EDWIN JAMES PRESTON, trading under the Firm of Josiah Stone & Co., of High
Street, Deptford, in the County of Kent, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF WATER AND OTHER
LIQUIDS, AND PREVENTING WASTE OF SAME."
This Invention relates mainly to flushing cisterns which have to be emptied by
means of a syphon, the short leg of which dips into the cistern or receptacle
holding the amount of liquid, or nearly so, which is desired to be used at one
operation or flush; the long leg of the syphon we connect to an apparatus fitted
with a piston or plunger or diaphragm which is operated by handle or lever.
The piston may be fitted in a cylinder fixed under or above the seat of a water
closet, and have an india rubber or other suitable valve or valves. The inlet from
the syphon may be at one end of the cylinder, and the outlet to the closet or other
part to be flushed at the other end, or both at one end or side; the piston may be
raised by means of a weight or a helical, or spiral, or other spring, or other approved
method.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a piston apparatus for this purpose, and Figure 2
shows it applied in connection with an ordinary closet and with a syphon, the
short leg of which dips into a cistern or receptacle holding the amount or nearly
the amount of liquid we wish to use at one operation or flush; to the other or long
leg of syphon we fit the cylinder apparatus or pump either under the closet seat
as shown in Figure 2, or down the long leg of syphon in the most convenient place.
The pump may be of any material suitable for same, and may be horizontal,
vertical, or fixed in any convenient position according to circumstances.
Referring to Figure 1, a is the cylinder, and b the piston, which has an india
rubber disc valve b' as shewn, or any other valve, such as a thin flat metal disc
free to rise and fall a short distance. It is shewn as worked by a lever g, but
may be worked direct, as in Figure 2 for instance, or from the closet-door or other
part. C is the piston rod; d, the inlet from the syphon, and e the outlet to the
closet. The supply cistern is by preference double with a ball cock compartment,
whereby the quantity supplied by each flush is rendered uniform.
Figure 3 shows an arrangement with single cistern.
In Figure 4 we shew a cylinder with a lever g, and in Figure 5 a weight and
a cord running over a pulley. These two apparatus are suitable for being fixed
above or below the closet seat. Instead of a fitting piston, as in the previous
examples, we have here shown a disc b on the end of the piston rod, and an india
rubber disc valve 6' thereon. The cylinder a is charged from the syphon pipe d
when the pull wire connected to g' on the lever g is pulled down, and the charge
runs down past the valve b' when the pull is let go, and the weight w causes the
piston rod to rise again into the position shown.
Figure 6 shews an arrangement of cylinder in which the inlet and outlet
openings d and e are at the same end with valve e¹ on the outlet.
Figure 7 shews a cylinder and piston apparatus, also suitable for being fixed
above or below the closet seat. The piston b, b', is in this case supported by a
spiral spring f as shewn.

page_text: Where a hollow plunger is used the latter may be guided on a fixed rod, which
inside the plunger is provided with a helical or spiral spring resting on a disc on
the end of the rod. The spring serves to carry the weight of the plunger and to
bring it back into its normal position. A valve may be fitted to the delivery side
where a superior vacuum is wanted.
Figure 8 shews an apparatus in which a plunger b is used instead of a piston,
and a helical spring f arranged inside the plunger. The valve e¹ which is fitted to
the delivery side is for the purpose of ensuring a better vacuum as required in
This valve may also be fitted to any of the other syphon exhausting
apparatus.
Sometimes we employ a cylinder fitted with a rotary piston on a spindle; the
piston may be made an easy fit or have a flexible packing.
some cases.
In Figure 9 we shew a cylinder a, which may be placed above or below the seat;
it is fitted with a rotary piston b for exhausting a syphon; d is the inlet therefrom,
and e the outlet to the closet. The piston may be made a loose fit, or with a flexible
packing b¹ as shewn. It may be worked, say, by spur gearing, so as to give it a
high speed.
Or the cylinder may be of a sector shape with oscillating piston; gearing may be
used to work such pistons quickly.
Figure 10 shews a sector cylinder a with close or loose fitting piston b; g is the
lever for giving it oscillating motion. The sector cylinder is charged from the
syphon pipe d when the lever g is depressed.
When using a diaphragm we prefer to arrange a valve on the outlet side, and to
work the diaphragm rod by means of a lever having a counterweight which brings
the diaphragm back, or a spring inside the casing may serve the same purpose, or
the diaphragm may be worked by an ordinary pull handle.
Figure 11 shows an apparatus with a diaphragm 6 in a casing a, having by
preference a valve e¹ on the outlet side e, as shown. The lever g is weighted so as
to return the diaphragm to its normal position.
Figure 12 shows a similar apparatus, in which, however, a spring h is used to
bring the diaphragmn back and an ordinary pull down handle g.
Instead of one diaphragm we may arrange two in one casing; the diaphragm
at the inlet side bas an aperture which can be closed by a valve on the pulling rod,
which is fixed to and goes down through the other diaphragm; in the normal
position the valve is open; the outlet is between the two diaphragms and both the
latter are supported by springs. On actuating the rod the valve is first closed,
then the two diaphragms are depressed, a partial vacuum being created in the
syphon; on letting go the rod the valve springs back with the lower diaphragm
and opens, the top diaphragm also returning to its normal position, when water
will flow through the upper diaphragm into the space between the two and thence
to the outlet.
In Figure 13 we show an arrangement of the double diaphragm, and with a
valve d¹ on the inlet side d from the syphon. The spring h tends to raise the
lower diaphragm b, and the spring h¹ the upper diaphragm b¹ to a certain distance.
On pulling down the rod or handle g the valve d¹ first closes; the two diaphragms
are thereupon depressed, a partial vacuum being thereby created in the syphon; on
letting go the handle g the valve is raised by the bottom spring h to the position
shown; both the diaphragms also return to the normal position shown, when water
can pass from the inlet d to the outlet e.
When an after flush is required in connection with a syphon we may connect the
pulling rod or handle to the casing, which then slides on a piston on a tube; a
helical spring between the tube and the casing serves to bring the casing back, or
it may be a weight. To give the after flush we use a syphon pipe, one leg of
which passes up the interior of the tube and passes down into the outlet
branch, which latter is fitted with a valve opening outwards and held up by a
spring.
Figure 14 shows an arrangement of this kind.

page_text: The casing a in this case slides on the piston b and is supported on a helical
spring h (or it may be by weights); d is the inlet from the syphon and e the outlet
to the closet fitted with a valve e¹, as shewn; 8 is a syphon pipe used for giving
the after flush. The action is as follows:-On pulling down the handle it draws
the outer cylinder a with it, producing a partial vacuum inside and drawing the
water over and discharging the main syphon from the cistern; the water runs now
until it fills the cylinder a and inside of piston b, and runs over the top, charging
the small syphon & and through the valve at e².
Or we may use an ordinary trapping box arrangement to the work, or for this
purpose we may arrange a piston in a cylindrical trapping box part, holding about
the desired amount of after flush and having a small hole below leading to the
outlet; the piston rod is a tube open below, having by preference a lateral opening
higher up and passing out through a stuffing box at top of outlet pipe; the hollow
piston rod is by preference closed at top. The cylinder has a valve to the outlet.
The outlet has a lateral descending branch. When the handle is let go the piston
rises, the air rushes in through the lateral opening, or it may be through a valve at
top in the hollow piston rod, and the water runs out from the cylinder by the small
hole below, thus giving the after flush.
Figure 15 shews an arrangement with after flush in connection with a trapping
box formed in one with it. a is the cylinder holding about the amount of the after
flush; b, the piston; n, an air pipe or sliding tube; d is the inlet from the syphon ;
e is the outlet valve; in pulling the lever and piston b downwards a partial
vacuum is formed and the syphon is charged and the cylinder a fills; the water
thus passes through opening o, which may be closed by a valve, down to the closet;
on the lever being let go, the piston d and air pipe n rise, the air rushes in
through the small hole n¹ in the air pipe n, and the water in the cylinder a
runs out through hole o of same, thus giving the after flush.
To use an oscillatory piston we arrange it in a sector chamber, in the lower or
trapping box part of which there is a partition having a small aperture leading
into the outlet pipe. When the piston is pulled down the water is drawn over
and the syphon charged, and as the piston has a flexible packing or a by-pass
water can pass by to the bottom or trapping box part before running over the
partition, thus keeping back some water for the after flush till the last, when it
runs away by the bottom aperture through the partition, the air being admitted
through a pipe at the top.
Figure 16 shews such an apparatus with after flush, the action of which is as
follows-a is the chamber; b, the piston; g, the lever; d, the inlet; and e, the
outlet. On pulling down the lever g, the piston b is brought down to the bottom
part of the chamber a, drawing the water over and charging the syphon, and then,
as the piston is flexible at the outer edge or side, the water can pass by to the
bottom part of chamber a, which forms a trapping box, before running over the
partition a', thus keeping back the amount of the after flush till the last, when it
then runs away through the small hole o at bottom of chamber, the air being
admitted through the pipe n, as shewn; the action is thus, it will be seen, precisely
the same as that described with reference to Figure 15, while the form of it is
somewhat similar.
A suction or delivery valve, or both, may be applied to any of the foregoing
arrangements.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this our Invention, and
modes in which the same is or may be carried into effect, we declare that we
claim,
Firstly. Supplying a closet or other appliance with a definite quantity of water
by means of a syphon, the long leg of which is in connection with an apparatus
for drawing such quantity therefrom by suction, substantially as set forth, and
for the purpose of producing a flushing or after flushing operation, or both.
Secondly. The combinations of parts forming the improved constructions of water

page_text: waste preventers having pistons or diaphragms, all substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morris, for myself and on behalf of the
said Frederick Philip Preston, John Theodore Prestige, and Edwin James
Preston, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentyeighth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.