IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lockhart White and Henry Henderson,
Plumbers, and James Couper, senior, Earthenware Manufacturer, all
of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS."
Scaled the 7th November 1854, and dated the 4th September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lockhart White,
Henry Henderson, and James Couper at the Office of tho Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th September 1854.
We, JOHN LOCKHART WHITE and HENRY HENDERSON, Plumbers, and
JAMES COUPER, senior, Earthenware Manufacturer, all of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Iuvention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS " to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in manufacturing the ordinary pans and valves
in water-closets of glass, instead of the materials commonly used for the
purpose.
The kind of glass which we prefer for the pans is that known by the
name of "opal," but they may also be made of other kinds of glass. After
the pans have been formed to the requisite shape they are placed in an
oven or kiln, and are afterwards cut or drilled, as may be required. The
ordinary hole or opening in the upper part of the pan is intended to be
cut by a small lathe with a hollow copper drill, oil and emery being also used.

page_text: For the valve at the lower part of the pan, we prefer making it somewhat
in the form of a convex glass lens, and fitting it to its position or seat by
grinding, so as to make a water-tight joint; or a piece of vulcanized india-
rubber or gutta percha may be adopted and applied to such position or seat
for the glass valve to fit against.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Lockhart White, Henry Henderson, and James Couper
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
LOCKHART WHITE and HENRY HENDERSON, Plumbers, and JAMES COUPER,
senior, Earthenware Manufacturer, all of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Lockhart White, Henry Henderson, and James Couper, Her
special licence that we, the said John Lockhart White, Henry Henderson,
and James Couper, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said John Lockhart White, Henry Henderson, and James Couper,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Lockhart White,
Henry Henderson, and James Couper, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Lockhart White, on behalf of
myself and of the said Henry Henderson and James Couper, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
:-
Our Invention of "Improvements in Water-Closets" consists in manu-
facturing the ordinary pans or basins and valves in water-closets of glass,
instead of the materials commonly used for the purpose.
The kind of glass which we prefer for the pans or basins is that known by
the name of "opal," but they may also be made of other kinds of glass.
After the pans or basins have been formed to the requisite shape they are
placed in an oven or kiln, and are afterwards cut or drilled, as may be required.
The ordinary hole or opening in the upper part of the pan or basin, through a
pipe inserted, in which the water is admitted from the cistern, is intended
to be cut by a small lathe with a hollow copper drill, oil and emery being also
used. For the valve at the lower part of the pan or basin, we prefer making
it somewhat in the form of a convex glass lens, and fitting it to its position or
seat by grinding, so as to make a water-tight joint; or a piece of vulcanized
india-rubber or gutta percha may be adapted and applied to such position or
seat for the glass valve to fit against.
In order, however, that our Invention may be fully understood, we will
proceed to describe the accompanying Drawing, representing the basin or pan,
through which the flushing of the closet takes place, and the valve at the lower
part of the same, with the mode of connecting the latter with the ordinary well-
known parts for working the same as required.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the water-closet; Fig. 2 a plan or horizontal
view of the valve, valve face, and guides; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of
the valve and guides. In all these Figures the same letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts. A is the pan or basin, with an opening at B, in
which is inserted the pipe C leading from the cistern, through which pipe
water is made to rush into the basin or pan A when required for flushing its
contents. D is the glass valve, which we call a lens valve, the face of which
is accurately ground to work over the glass seat E and within the guides F, F.
The valve D is worked by means of the rod G passing through the stuffing
box H, and acted upon by any convenient arrangement of leverage in the
ordinary manner. I is the ordinary overflow pipe.
It will be obvious, on reference to the Drawing, that when the valve D is
drawn by the rod, so as to bring the opening D* in the valve over the opening
Ein the seat, the contents of the basin or pan A may pass therefrom into
the pipe K, the outlet at the bottom of the basin or pan A being again closed
by the return of the valve D into the position shewn in the Drawing.

page_text: We would here remark that we have not thought it necessary to describe
any particular mechanism for working the valve D by acting upon the rod G,
nor for supplying water from the cistern to the basin or pan A, as it is not our
intention to confine ourselves to any particular mechanism for such purposes,
and because our Invention does not relate to such mechanism.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we would have it understood that we do not mean or
intend to confine ourselves to the precise forms and arrangements of the parts
represented and described; but what we claim as of our Invention is, tho
construction of water-closets wherein the basin or pan (as at A in the Drawing)
and the valve with its seat (as at D and E in the Drawing) are composed of
glass, as described, such valve, however, being constructed otherwise from that
represented and described, if preferred, provided always that the valve be of
glass, working on a glass seat, and combined with a basin or pan of glass, as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lockhart White, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the First day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
MURDOCH MCKENZIE,
Witness.
(L.s.) JOHN LOCKHART WHITE.