Improvements in Waterclosets and Water Supply Apparatus for the same, and like Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24 h Feb., 1894-Accepted, 28th Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Waterclosets and Water Supply Apparatus for
the same, and like Apparatus.
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 to improve the cleansing action of the water
used in waterclosets, and to avoid waste of water, by a combination of improved
constructive details which are simple and effective and operate with little noise.
In carrying out my invention in the case of a single watercloset the basin used
may be of an ordinary shape in plan with the discharge aperture at the middle of
the bottom or more or less to one or other side. The cleansing water is supplied
to a hollow rim whence it finds its way into the basin through two or three sets of
holes, the holes of one set being placed and shaped so as to direct part of the water
down the sides of the basin, and those of another set to throw water inwards from
the rim in a shower converging upon the middle of the basin, whilst portions of the
water passing round the two sides of the rim issue at a part diametrically opposite
to the water inlet into the rim. The two streams of water are prevented from
interfering with each other by a small partition dividing the two sides of a short
downwardly directed nozzle or discharge orifice, and the streams uniting on leaving
the orifice are guided down a groove formed in the inner side of the basin so as
to be concentrated towards the lower part thereof.
The water for flushing or cleansing the basin is supplied by a cistern which may
be at the usual height above the basin, my improvements are, however such as to
admit of the cistern being placed at a very small height above the basin whilst
obtaining a thoroughly effective flushing action. I employ a cistern with siphonal
delivering apparatus which may be of any suitable known construction; I however
prefer to make the short leg of the siphon of a cylindrical form with an enlarge-
ment at the upper part, the siphonal action being started by a disk which is drawn
by a rod up to the enlarged part where the water can pass its edge freely. The
downlet pipe or leg of the siphon is made with an enlargement which causes the
siphonal action to take place with certainty; and I have a similar enlargement
formed on the descending leg of the trap bend or siphon leading from the basin.
When large quantities of dirty water are emptied into an ordinary watercloset.
it happens that, either, all the water is siphoned out of the basin or some of the
dirty water is left therein. To remedy this I provide a separate compartment in
the water supply cistern and a separate siphon pipe therefrom, the latter being
arranged so that the suction due to the descent of the large quantity of dirty
water starts the siphons, with the result of causing an after flush of clean water to
enter the basin.
The float valve supplying the cistern is of a kind acting with much less noise
than ordinary float valves, the float lever being made with a small horn which acts
on the valve only when the lever is nearly at its highest position, the valve having
a comparatively large disk and closing on a port of larger area than that of the
supply pipe or of a contracted passage through which the water reaches the
valve, so that a very small opening of the valve suffices for a maximum discharge
of the water. The supply pipe is by preference provided with a separate stopcock
through which the water passes before reaching the float valve. When applying
my improvements to a connected series of waterclosets, according to one modifich-
tion, I have a trough constructed of a shape which in vertical cross section has

page_text: the bottom corners rounded and the back and front sides inclined backwards and
downwards. The compartments or single closets are separated by partitions,
which are continued, or separate partitions are fixed below the seats and reaching
at least to the normal level of the water in the trough. A single water supply
istern is provided for the series of closets or for each section of two or more of
them, the parts of or connected with such cistern being the same as what is herein-
before described for a single closet. The cistern may be made to operate by means
of a handle moved by an attendant, or by any suitable known automatic periodical
apparatus. From the cistern, main and branch pipes supply the several compart-
ments or single closets, there being in each sets of holes or orifices for directing
the water as hereinbefore described for single water closets. Or a shallow water
space may be formed along under the seats to receive the flushing water, the
bottom shell of such water space being made with suitable holes or orifices for
directing the water in each compartment and around each seat opening.
According to another modification a row of connected waterclosets is made to
comprise separate basins with flushing parts each as herein before described for
single watercloset, such row of basins being connected to a single trough or
discharge passage extending along the back of the row, and one cistern supplying
two or more of the closets, with or without separate siphonal deliveries for the
several closets.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of May 1893.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Waterclosets and Water Supply Apparatus for
the same, and like Apparatus.
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 to improve the cleansing action of the
water used in waterclosets, and to avoid waste of water, by a combination of
improved constructive details which are simple and effective and operate with little
noise.
In carrying out my invention in the case of a single watercloset the basin used
may be of an ordinary shape in plan. The cleansing water is supplied to a hollow
rim whence it finds its way round the two sides of the rim and issues at a part
diametrically opposite to the water inlet into the rim. A small partition divides
the discharge orifice and the two streams uniting on leaving the orifice are guided
down a groove in the inner side of the basin so as to be concentrated towards the
lower part thereof.
The water for flushing or cleansing the basin is supplied by a cistern with
siphonal delivering apparatus by preference such as is described in my Patent
Specifications No. 23413 of 1892, and No. 6097 of 1893.
When large quantities of dirty water are emptied into an ordinary watercloset it
happens that, either all the water is siphoned out of the basin or some of the dirty
water is left therein. To remedy this I provide a separate compartment in the
water supply cistern and a separate siphon pipe therefrom, arranged so that the
suction due to the descent of the large quantity of dirty water starts the added
siphon with the result of causing an after flush of clean water to enter the basin.
When applying my improvements to a connected series of waterclosets, according
to one modification, I have a trough constructed of a shape which in vertical cross
section has the bottom corners rounded and the back and front sides inclined

page_text: backwards and downwards. The compartments or single closets are separated by
partitions, which are continued, or separate partitions are fixed, below the seats aud
reach at least to the normal level of the water in the trough. A single water
supply cistern is provided for the series of closets or for each section of two or more
of them; and from the cistern main and branch pipes or a shallow water space
supply the several compartments there being in the branch pipes sets of holes for
directing the water in each compartment.
According to another modification a row of connected waterclosets is made to
comprise separate basins with flushing parts each as hereinbefore described for a
single watercloset, such row of basins being connected to a single trough or
discharge passage extending along the back of the row, and one cistern supplying
two or more of the closets, with or without separate siphonal deliveries for the
several closets.
Apparatus as made with my improvements is shown on an accompanying sheet of
explanatory drawings,
Figure, 1, thereof being a sectional plan and Figure, 2, a horizontal section of
my improved watercloset basin.
Figure, 3, is a vertical section (drawn to a smaller scale than Figures, 1, and, 2)
showing the watercloset basin together with a water-supply cistern.
Figure, 4, is a longitudinal vertical section, and Figure, 5, a transverse
vertical section showing my improvements as applied to a connected series of
waterclosets.
In these drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
The watercloset basin, A, shown in Figures, 1, 2, and, 3, of the drawings is of an
ordinary shape in plan with the discharge aperture, B, near the middle of the
bottom. The cleansing water is supplied, from a cistern, C, through a pipe, D, to
a hollow rim, E, and passing 1ound the two sides of the rim issues at a part, F,
diametrically opposite to the water inlet into the rim, E. The two streams of
water are prevented from interfering with each other by a small partition, G,
dividing the two sides of the short downwardly directed nozzle or delivery
orifice, F, and the two streams uniting on leaving the orifice, F, are guided down a
groove, H, formed in the inner side of the basin, A, so as to be concentrated
towards the discharge outlet, B, and so as to start the siphonal discharge action
through the trap bend, J. A portion of the cleansing water enters the basin, A,
through a row of small holes, K, in the hollow rim, E, these holes being placed and
shaped so as to direct the water down the sides of the basin.
provide a separate compartment, L, in the water supply cistern, C, and a
separate siphon pipe, M, leading therefrom, the bottom end of which pipe, M, is
connected to the top of the trap bend, J, and water passing over from the basin, A,
into the downlet leg of the trap bend produces a suction in the pipe, M, which
starts the siphon and the water descending by the pipe, M, being directed by
the bottom end of that pipe towards the basin, A, fills it up again to the proper
level.
\
When applying my improvements to a connected series of waterclosets according
to the modification shown in Figures, 4, and, 5, I have a trough constructed of a
shape which in vertical cross section has the bottom corners, N, rounded and the
back, P, and front sides, Q, inclined backwards and downwards. The compart-
ments or single closets are separated by partitions, R, which are continued below
the seats and reach at least to the normal level of the water in the trough.
single water supply cistern (not shown) is provided for the series of closets, A, and
may be made to operate by means of a handle moved by an attendant, or by any
suitable known automatic periodical apparatus. A main supply pipe, S, from the
cistern is made with an orifice, T, admitting water to the lower part of the trough,
and above is connected a branch pipe, U, extending along under the back parts of
the seats and made with holes, V, as shown, so that when the periodical flushing
takes place siphonage is started through the discharge trap bends, W, and is

page_text: assisted by a jet of water directed through a pipe, X, up the ascending leg of the
trap bend. The water entering through the orifice, T, sweeps through the trough
and thoroughly cleanses it; and the water which enters the branch pipe, U, finds
its way into the trough through the holes, V, which are placed and shaped so as to
direct part of the water down the sides of the trough, and part inwards in a
shower converging upon the middle of the trough. On the siphoning action
ceasing the trough is filled again with water from a branch pipe, and float
cock, Y.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a watercloset basin, arranging a hollow rim to lead a part of the flushing
water down a groove formed in the inner side of the basin and directed towards the
discharge outlet substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures, 1, 2, and, 3, of the accompanying drawings.
2. Providing a separate compartment in a water supply cistern and a separate
siphon pipe leading therefrom to the discharge trap bend of the watercloset basin
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described with reference to
Figure, 3, of the accompanying drawings.
3. Making a connected series of waterclosets with a trough of the form and with
other parts substantially as and for the purposes herein before described with
reference to Figures, 4, and, 5, of the accompanying drawings.
4. In a connected series of waterclosets, arranging in each compartment a
separate basin of the kind forming the subject of the first claim hereof, the several
basins, being connected to a single trough or discharge passage extending along the
back of the row substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Twenty-third day of February 1894.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.