Improvements in Water Waste Preventers or Flushing Apparatus for Water Closets, Drains, and other Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Water Waste Preventers or Flushing Apparatus
for Water Closets, Drains, and other Purposes.
1. PERCY KNEE of 85 York Street in the City of Westminster Pattern Maker do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention I construct by preference in one casting an apparatus
which when placed in a cistern containing the requisite amount of water for the
desired flush shall act quickly and powerfully and be simple and cheap. It is by
preference fixed by a couple of screws over and slightly in a recessed part of the
cistern bottom so as to drain the cistern entirely at each flushing operation. The
apparatus consists mainly of a cylinder with an easy fitting piston the rod of which
is connected to the weighted lever to the end of which the pull chain or rod is
connected, and of a syphon communicating with the flushing pipe leading to the
closet, drain or other place to be flushed. The cylinder has a lower opening to the
cistern which opening is closed by a tolerably heavy slide or other valve actuated by
rod or chain from the aforesaid lever. The descending leg of the syphon in one form
of the apparatus is simply an upright pipe which is continued down into the
flushing pipe and is bellmouthed at the top. This syphon pipe is situated in a
cylinder or chamber contiguous to the aforesaid piston cylinder and communicating
The syphon
therewith by an opening at the bottom of the piston cylinder.
cylinder also by a lower aperture communicates with the cistern. The lever fulcrum
is on a bracket by preference cast on to the top of the apparatus and may for the sake
of easy working be formed with a circular enlargement working in a corresponding
pocket provided on the top of the piston rod so that the lever in its oscillation shall
sweep and work freely in the pocket part without imparting lateral strain to the
piston rod.
The action is as follows. On pulling the lever down the valve will be closed thus
closing communication between cylinder and cistern. The piston will at the same
time be depressed in the cylinder thus forcing the water therein out through the other
aperture and up between the outer wall of the piston cylinder and the outer wall of
the syphon cylinder or chamber and into the descending syphon leg thus starting

page_text: the syphon.
When the pull is let go the weighted end of the lever will descend, the
valve will be opened thus admitting water into the interior of the apparatus and
into the syphon the piston at the same time rising in its cylinder. The syphon will
now also be supplied by the aperture from the syphon cylinder to the cistern. This
will continue and with a quick and very powerful rush, by the double action described
until the cistern is emptied.
In a modified formi 1 provide the piston cylinder with a syphon by preference cast
in one with it and one leg of the syphon communicating directly with the lower
aperture of the cylinder the upper bend of the syphon pipe being carried up to the
top of the cistern and the descending leg being continued into the flushing pipe.
For flushing drains and larger apparatus, I provide the rod or chain for actuating
the lever with a lock for preventing tampering therewith.
Sometimes I connect the aforesaid lever with the ball cock for supplying the cistern,
so as to ensure the immediate action of the ball cock when the cistern has been
emptied.

page_text: for Water Closets, Drains, and other Purposes.
1, PERCY KNEE of 85 York Street in the City of Westminster Pattern Maker 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:
According to this invention I construct by preference in one casting an apparatus
which when placed in a cistern containing the requisite amount of water for the
desired flush shall act quickly and powerfully and be simple and cheap. It is by
preference fixed by a couple of screws over and slightly in a recessed part of the
cistern bottom so as to drain the cistern entirely at each flushing operation. The
apparatus consists mainly of a cylinder with an easy fitting piston the rod of which is
connected to the weighted lever to the end of which the pull chain or rod is connected,
and of a syphon communicating with the flushing pipe leading to the closet, drain
or other place to be flushed. The cylinder has a lower opening to the cistern which
opening is closed by preference by a self acting flap valve or it may be by a.
tolerably heavy slide or other valve actuated by rod or chain from the aforesaid
lever.
The descending leg of the syphon in one form of the apparatus shown in the
vertical section Figure 1 and plan section Figure 2 is simply an upright pipe A
which is continued down into the flushing pipe A' and is bellmouthed at the top..
This syphon pipe A is situated in a cylinder or chamber B contiguous to the piston
cylinder and communicating therewith by an opening at the bottom of the piston
cylinder C. The syphon cylinder B also by a lower aperture B' communicates with
the cistern D. The cylinder C has a lower opening to the cistern D which opening
is closed by the flap valve E. D' is a recessed lower part of the cistern D. The
piston F fits easily in the cylinder C. The cylinder B is so high that the pipe A
is about level with the top of the cistern D. The lever fulcrum is on a bracket G by
preference cast onto the top of the cylinder B, and the lever H may for the sake of
easy working be formed with a curved part working in a corresponding pocket I'
provided on the top of the piston rod I so that the lever H in its oscillation shall
sweep and work freely in the pocket part I without imparting lateral strain to the
piston rod 1. The latter has a crossbar K to each end of which is connected a wire K¹
that is hooked onto a crossbar L below the piston and to which the pull chain M. is
connected. The wires K¹ pass down through pockets formed at the sides of the
cistern. The cylinder B and C being cast in one are fixed to the bottom of the
cistern by means of the two pivoted hasps P.
The action is as follows. On pulling the lever H down by the pull chain M the
piston F will be depressed and the valve E will be closed thus closing communication
between cylinder and cistern D. The piston being depressed in the cylinder C

page_text: "
will force the water therein out through the aperture Cand up between the outer
wall of the piston cylinder.C and the outer wall of the syphon cylinder or chamber B
and into the descending syphon leg A thus starting the syphon. When the pull
is let go the weighted end of the lever H will descend and the valve E will be opened
thus admitting water into the interior of the apparatus and into the syphon, the
piston F at the same time rising in its cylinder C. The syphon will now also be supplied
by the aperture B₁ from the syphon cylinder B to the cistern D. This will continue
and with a quick and very powerful rush, by the double action described, until the
cistern is emptied.
In a modified form shewn in the sectional side view Figure 3 and plan section
Figure I provide the piston cylinder with a syphon A B by preference cast in
one with it and one leg B of the syphon communicating directly with the lower
aperture of the cylinder C the upper bend of the syphon pipe being carried up to
the top of the cistern D and the descending leg A being continued into the flushing
pipe A¹. The leg B is somewhat tapered or bellmouthed laterally as shewn in
Figure 4 at B so as to give free waterway below.
Figure 5 is a vertical section and Figure 6 a plan section of another modified
form of the arrangement just described. The "cylinder" C is made square with a square
piston and the syphon passages B and A are rectangular as shewn in Figure 6, the
descending one A tapering down narrower at the bottom where it terminates in the
small chamber A to. which the flushing pipe A¹ is fixed. The bracket G is fixed on
the cistern lid N which is slided in under a small ledge d cast on the cistern D, the
other end of the lid being fixed by a screw d'. The whole apparatus is cast in one
with the cistern.
For flushing drains and larger apparatus I provide the rod P or chain for
actuating the lever H with a lock O for preventing tampering therewith as shewn in
Figure 7.
Sometimes I connect the aforesaid lever H with the ball cock for supplying the
cistern so as to ensure the immediate action of the ball cock when the cistern has
been emptied.
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 :-
:-
First A flushing apparatus consisting of a piston fitted cylinder such as C which
by a lower opening communicates with a syphon such as B A and by another lower
opening with valve E communicates with the lower part of the cistern wherein the
apparatus is situated all constructed and operating, substantially as set forth.
Second-The construction of syphon flushing apparatus shewn on the drawings.
Dated this 8th day of February 1880
Dated this 8th day of February 1889
PERCY KNEE.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.