Improvements in Siphons for Periodical Flushing Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Siphons for Periodical Flushing Purposes.
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 has for its object by improved construction to obtain siphonal
apparatus without valves or other moving parts, which will give flushing actions
at regular intervals depending on the rate at which water is supplied to the
cistern or vessel to which the siphonal apparatus is fitted.
My improvements are applied to a four-legged submerged siphon constructed
in any convenient known way as for example, with a central fourth leg or up-
wardly projecting downlet pipe, within three concentric cylindrical shells, the one
nearest the central pipe and the outermost one being fixed to a cover and extend-
ing down therefrom to within a short distance of the bottom of the cistern, whilst
between these the third shell extends upwards from the bottom of the cistern to
within a short distance of the cover. When the cistern fills which it does up to
a level quite above the siphon air is by the water confined in the space between
the two depending shells fixed to the siphon cover.
In one modification of my improved apparatus the top of the space in which
air is confined is made to communicate with the top of a tube which extends down
nearly to the bottom of the outermost siphon shell, its bottom end being closed
excepting a small perforation formed in the bottom. Within this tube a pipe
dipping down to within a short distance of the bottom extends through the top
and continues in a curved form to the centre of the siphon cover just over the
central downlet pipe. The pipe just referred to has within it a small tube which
may be of glass or metal and a bore of about one quarter of an inch. This small
innermost tube dips a little lower than the pipe in which it is placed at its enter-
ing end, and its other end extends some distance down the central downlet pipe.
The perforation in the bottom of the outer added tube must be slightly less than
the bore of the small innermost tube. The top water level of the cistern is
arranged to be just below the highest part of what is herein before referred to as
a pipe; and the action of the apparatus is such that this level does not vary, or
in other words .that the quantity of water discharged at each action is always the
same. When the cistern fills up to the level indicated the water siphons over
through the small inner tube (owing, it is believed, to capillary or surface action)
and drawing air out of the confined-air space starts the main siphonal action.
In a second modification the confined-air space is connected to a small upper
siphon connected by a U-bend or equivalent part to a second small siphon the
long leg of which is connected to the central space or discharge leg of the main
siphon. The parts are proportioned so that after each flushing discharge enough
water is left in the U-bend or equivalent to form a seal. As the cistern slowly

page_text: fills no discharge takes place until the water rises high enough to start the upper
siphons, and the action of these starts the main siphon.
Doted this Thirst day of T1807
Improvements in Siphons for Periodical Flushing Purposes.
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
ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say:-
My said invention has for its object by improved construction to obtain siphonal
apparatus without valves or other moving parts which will give flushing actions
at regular intervals depending on the rate at which water is supplied to the cistern
or vessel to which the siphonal apparatus is fitted.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and showing my improvements in siplions.
Figure 1, of the accompanying drawings is a vertical section of one modification
of my improved siphonal apparatus as applied to a cistern or like vessel,
Figure 2, is a vertical section of a second modification of the apparatus, and
Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, are vertical sections showing further variations in the
form of the apparatus. In these drawings the same reference letters are used to
mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
My improvements are applied to a four-legged submerged siphon, A, con-
structed in any convenient known way, as for example with a central fourth leg
or upwardly projecting downlet pipe, B, within three concentric cylindrical
shells, C, D, and E, the one C, nearest the central pipe and the outermost one, E,
being fixed to a cover, F, and extending down therefrom to within a short dis-
tance of the bottom of the cistern, G, on which the outermost one, E, rests by
fect, whilst between these the third shell, D, extends upwards from the bottom
of the cistern, to within a short distance of the cover. When the cistern, G,
fills, which it does up to a level quite above the siphon air is by the water con-
fined and compressed in the space between the two depending shells, C, and E,
fixed to the siphon cover, F.
In one modification of my improved apparatus as shown in Figure 1, the top
of the space in which air is confined is made to communicate by a passage, H,
with the top of a tube or vessel, J, formed in a piece with or it might be fixed to
the outermost shell, E, towards the bottom of which it extends, its bottom end
being closed excepting a small perforation, K, formed in the bottom. Within
this tube, J, a pipe, L, dipping down to within a short distance of the bottom
extends through the top, and continues in a curved form to the centre of the
siphon cover, F, just over the central downlet pipe, B. The pipe, L, has within
it a small tube, M, which may be of glass or metal, and has a bore of about one
quarter of an inch. This small innermost tube, M; dips a little lower than the
pipe, L, in which it is placed, at its entering end, and its other end extends some
distance down the central downlet pipe, B. The perforation, K, in the bottom
of the outer added tube, J, must be slightly less than the bore of the small inner-
most tube, M. The top water level of the cistern, G, is arranged to be just below
the highest part of the tube, M; and the action of the apparatus is such that this

page_text: level does not vary, or in other words that the quantity of water discharged at
each action is always the same. When the cistern, G, fills up to the level indica-
ted the water siphons over through the small inner tube, M (owing it is believed
to capillary or surface action) and drawing air out of the confined-air space starts
the main siphonal action.
In a second modification (Figure 2) a U-shaped siphonal apparatus, A, is
shown, and the confined-air space communicates with a small upper siphon, N,
connected by a U-bend or equivalent part to a second small siphon, P, the long
leg of which is connected to the discharge leg or downlet pipe, B, of the main
siphon, A. A small perforation, K, is formed in the bottom of the bend of the
small siphon, P, of a size slightly less than the bore of the siphon. As the
cistern, G, slowly fills no discharge takes place until the water rises high enough
to start the upper siphons, P, and N, and the action of these draws the air out of
the confined-air space and starts the main siphon, A.
In the variation of the apparatus shown in Figure 3, the two small upper
siphons, N, and P, are placed above the confined-air space and enough water is
always left in the U-bend part after each flushing discharge to form a scal, and
to start a siphonal action. When the water has risen high enough in the cistern, G,
the pressure of air in the confined-air space acts on the water in the U-bend
part and starts the upper siphons; N, and P, and the action of these draws the air
out of the confined-air space and starts the main siphon, A. In Figures 4,
and 5, instead of the U-bend part, an equivalent part in the shape of a trough, Q,
is formed for holding the sealing water which is used to start the upper siphons, N,
and P. In Figure 6, the apparatus is shown reduced practically to its simplest
form, the confined-air space communicating with a small siphon, P, connected
to the trough, Q, and discharging into the downlet pipe, B, of the main siphon, A.
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. Improved siphonal apparatus comprising a four-legged or submerged siphon,
the confined-air space of which communicates with an added tube or vessel closed
at its lowermost part, excepting a small perforation, and having within, or partly
within it, a pipe communicating with the siphon above its downlet leg, this pipe
also having within or partly within it a small tube communicating with the down-
let leg of the siphon, and with the added tube or vessel, the parts being combined,
arranged, and operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore de-
scribed and shown.
2. Improved siphonal apparatus comprising a four-legged or submerged siphon,
the confined-air space of which communicates with a small upper siphon con-
nected to a second small siphon discharging into the downlet pipe of the main
siphon, the parts being combined, arranged, and operating substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and shown.
3. The modification of the siphonal apparatus shown in Figure 6, of the accom-
panying drawings and herein before described.
Deted this First dow of April 1898'
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.