IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSET CISTERNS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS, PATENT to Thomas Hall, of 78 and 79, Bassinghall Street,
Leeds, in the County of York, Brass Founder, for the Invention
Sealed the 26th September 1871, and dated the 29th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th March 1871.
I, THOMAS HALL, of 78 and 79, Bassinghall Street, Leeds, in the
County of York, Brass Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSET CISTERNS," (to be as
:-
follows):-
This Invention relates to cisterns for supplying waterclosets with
water when required.
Heretofore such cisterns have been constructed with a valve to an
opening in the bottom part which is operated or opened and closed by
means of a wire or other means of communication with the closet seat

page_text: or a lever and handle, or a direct pull by the party using the said closet,
but in all cases where valves are used they are liable to get out of order,
or not at all times close the opening sufficiently, so that water has
escaped when it ought not to have donc, consequently there was waste
of water.
Now to remedy this I construct cisterns without valves, and instead
I divide the cistern by a water-tight partition not quite the full depth
of the cistern, and on the top edge of this partition I hinge a trough or
dish. This trough is arranged to lie in a horizontal position over one
of the compartments which is provided with an ordinary ball tap for
supplying the cistern with water in the usual manner, and a small hole
is made in the bottom of the trough so that water will pass through the
said hole and rise in the trough to the same level as the water in the
cistern. An outlet pipe is provided in the other compartment of the
cistern, to which the pipe to conduct water to a closet is to be connected.
A lever and wire, or cord, is attached to the trough or dish, and when
a discharge of water is required to the closet by actuating the communi-
cating wire or cord either directly by hand or by arrangement with
closet seat, or by a lever and handle as heretofore, the trough will be
tilted or tipped, and the water therein thrown over into the discharge
compartment, from whence it will pass to the closet, and the trough by
its own gravity will rectify itself and become refilled ready for the next
occasion required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Hall in the Great Seal Patent Office on 2
the 28th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HALL, of 78 and 79, Bassinghall Street, Leeds, in the County of York,
Brass Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Hall, Her special licence that
I, the said Thomas Hall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, 3

page_text: or such others as I, the said my 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 Islo
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSET CISTERNS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Hall, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 Thomas Hall, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that is
to say)
This Invention relates to cisterns for supplying waterclosets with
water when required.
Heretofore such cisterns have been constructed with a valve to an
opening in the bottom part which is operated or opened and closed by
means of a wire or other means of communication with the closet seat,
or a lever and handle, or a direct pull by the person using the said closet,
but in all cases where valves are used they are liable to get out of order,
or not at all times close the opening sufficiently, so that water has
escaped when it ought not to have done, consequently there was waste
of water.
Now to remedy this I construct cisterns without valves, and instead
I divide the cistern by a water-tight partition not quite the full depth
of the cistern, and on the top edge of this partition I hinge a trough or
dish. This trough or dish is arranged to be in a horizontal position
over one of the compartments which is provided with an ordinary ball
tap for supplying the cistern with water in the usual manner, and
a small hole is made in the bottom of the trough, so that water will
pass through the said hole and rise in the trough to the same level as
the water in the cistern. An outlet pipe is provided in the other
compartment of the cistern to which the pipe to conduct water to a

page_text: closet is to be connected. A lever wire or chain is attached to the
trough or dish and when a discharge of water is required to the closet
by actuating the communicating wire or chain either directly by hand
or by arrangement with closet seat, or by a lever and handle as hereto-
fore, the trough will be tilted or tipped and the water therein thrown t
over into the discharge compartment, from whence it will pass to the
closet, and the trough by its own gravity will rectify itself and become
refilled ready for the next occasion required.
Such being the nature and object of this my said Invention I will
now proceed to describe the same in detail; and in order that the 1
same may be clearly understood, I have hereunto annexed a Sheet
of Drawings, and have marked the same with figures and letters of
reference, the same letters referring to the same part in the various
views or figures.
At Fig. 1 is shewn an cud elevation of a cistern constructed and fitted 1
with appliances according to this Invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal
sectional clevation taken on the line A, B, of Fig. 3, which latter
Figure is a general plan view; at Fig. 4 is a cross sectional elevation
on line C, D, of Fig. 3.
I divide the cistern A by a water-tight partition B, the latter being 2
not quite the full depth of the cistern, and on or near the top edge of
the partition I hinge, as shewn at C, a trough or dish D. The latter
is arranged to lie in a horizontal position over the water compartment E,
which is provided with an ordinary ball tap E¹ for supplying the com-
partment E with water in the usual manner. A small hole G is made 2
in the bottom of the trough so that water will pass through the said
hole and risc in the trough or dish to the same level as the water in the
water compartiment E. An outlet pipe H is provided in connection
with the flushing compartment I and the pipe or means to be employed
for conducting water to the closet. A lever, wire, or chain J is attached 3
to the wheel K, the said wheel being secured to the hinge of the trough
or dish, and when a discharge of water is required to and for flushing
the closet by actuating the chain J, either directly by hand, or by
arrangement with closet seat, or by lever and handle, as heretofore the
trough will be tilted or tipped on its hinge (as shown by dotted lines), 3
and the water therein thrown over into the flushing compartment I,
from whence it will pass to the closet (L is a stop pin for preventing
the trough or dish being tilted over or beyond its centre), and the trough

page_text: by its own gravitation will rectify itself and become refilled ready for
use when next required.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of this my
said Invention, and shewn by Drawings how the same is to be performed
or carried into practical effect, I would have it understood that what
I claim as of my Invention is,—
Firstly. The partition B for dividing the water compartment E from
the closet supply or flushing compartment I, as fully described and
illustrated.
Secondly. The trough D as a means of conveying or causing water
to pass from the water compartment E to the closet supply or flushing
compartment I, as herein fully described and shewn in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hall, have hercunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
Wч. TASKER,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Bradford.
THOMAS HALL. (L.S.)