US107178A - Improvement in water-closet - Google Patents

Description

JOHN KEANE, OFNEW YORK, N. Y,

Letters Patent N 107,178, dated September. 6, 1870.

{MPROVEMENT IN WATER-CLOSET.

The Schedule'referred to in' these Letters Patent and making peut of the same I, JOHN KEANE, ofthe city, county, and State of New York, have made certain Improvements iu Automatic Water-Closets, of which l give the t'ollowing description, illustrated by a drawing, and by letters and ligures referred to .in these specifications.

lhe nature and objects of my invention are in the construction and combination of the actuating apparatus, to compact it so that it will occupy less space than heretofore, to make the automatic action more positive and reliable, and to prevent the liability of the water running to waste from the clogging up or obstruction ofthe device which controls its flow, and at the same time to have` the closet so constructed with all its parts together that it requires only ordinary mechanical skillto put it up aud keep it in running order.

The class of water-closets for which the apparatus of my present invention is intended is that wherein the weight of the occupant upon a hinged seat puts certain ot' its parts in that position, that the rising thereli'om will enable the other portions to complete the requisite movements to cleanse the closet, and be vrestored to the several positions which its levers,

weights, and valves require, to make it ready for the next occupant; and all this without taxing the memory, skill, or manual labor ot' the former one; cleansing the soil-pan when in the best position tobe freed from its foulness, and continuing the flow ofthe riusing water for a definite time aiter ihe occupant has risen from the seat, and thus, not only insuring very thorough cleanliness, but the closing ofthe orifice by the water, and preventing the escape of any etlluvia.

The means by which l eifect these resultswill be best explained by a Description of thc Drau-tn g.

Figure l shows my invention in side views perspective.

A A is a cast-iron hopper and stand, of which the base B forms a part.

c is a tiange projecting from the rim of the hopper. Other projections or bosses are lcast upon the hopper at propel' points, for attaching the moving parts of t-he apparatus.

C is a stiff iron rod passing this flange c andthe boss or projection K, the upper end ot' the rod titting into a socket or other convenient attachment fastened to the u nder side ofthe ordinary hinged water-closet seat, the lower end terminating in a piece of bronze or other metal, I), carrying the bolt or pin that slides in the slot a ofthe weighted llever E E, this latter piroted atb.

The rod (l has fastened upon it, and made adjust-l able by means ot' a set-screw, the square collar F, one

side of which is beveled, as shown by the dotted'lnes l l.

The soil-pan, which is of the ordinary construction, v

(not shown in the drawing,) is pivoted at d, and is moved by the action of the short slotted lever G, a piu or holt, e, attached to the lever H H, being the means of producing this movement.

The level' H H moves upon the center j, vand upon its long arm is casta small trame, which carries a beveled headed locking-bolt, I, this being thrown tin-ward by the spiral spring g.

lhe oiiice and operation of this bolt I will be ex plaiued further on.

The short arm of the lever H H is attached by joint to the plunger or short rod h, this fitting with some free play into a socket-shaped piston-rod t', shown also in section in fig. 2, this rod actuating the interior lnechanism of the globe-valve or water-way, and the retardilig-cylinder, which I proceed to describe iu detail. This part ot' the apparatus is seen in external form in iig. l.

J is the retarding-cylinder, whose office is to con trol the flow of the water, and prevent shocks and concussions in thel moving parts connected therewith.

'r is a two-way globe-valve, secured upon the top ofthe retardiiig-cylinder.

S is anletal cap-attachment to the globevalve,

through the center of which the socket pistou-rod tmoves. v

W W show the inlet and outlet-pipes attached to the globe-valve, but represented as brokenoi, because they may be connected wit-h the hopper and the main supply-pipe at any convenient points.

'l' he retarding-cylinder and valve are secured to the base B B at such distance t'rom the hopper as will al low the'lever E E to more without interference. lhe center ot' it, ot' course, must be placed under the p'unger, which is jointed. to the short ann ot' lever H Figure 2 will be used to explain thedetails andoperation ot this part of my invention, the details being shown mostly in section.

J J is the retarding-cylinder.

V V, the two-way globe-valve for the water, and secured int-othe upper end ot' the retarding cylinder.

L is the valve which closes the water-way.

M is the piston of the retarding-cylinder, made tight two cup-shaped leather disks .or packiugs attached to the piston-head, with the cups in opposite directions.

N N is the pistou-rod, which operates both the piston M and the valve L, and is terminated nih a conical head, O. v 5

P is an elastic rubber diaphragm, interposed between the conical head O and the rounded end of the socket piston-roll i, and secured iii place by compression between the caps s and the end of' t-lie globevalve screw.`

The use of' this diaphragm is to prevent leakage of' -water through the orifice iii cap s through which the hollow pistou-rod 'i moves.

1n is a spiral spring, abutting at its lower end against the nietal collar R, which, it ivill be seen, lits closelyinto an enlargement ofthe cylinder J.

rIlii'ough the center of' this collar, with a tight fit, the piston-rod N N moves.

rlhc upper end of the spiral spring in hears against the under side ofthe valve L.

Ihe lower portion of' the cyliiiderJ is filled with mercury, Q. 1

A small hole is drilled through thc piston-rod from beneath, leading into a larger one liuade from the upper side oitlie pistou,.shown in thc dark lilies 2 2, the small hole being about oneNone-hundredth of' au inch in diameter.

'lhc operation of the apparatus is as follows:

As seen iii tie. 1the parts are all in proper position for the occupancy ofthe closet.

0n sitting down upon the hinged seat, the rod C is thrust downward, -moving the weighted level E lil upwardl at its weighted end.

Moving with the rod, the. collar I" thrusts back the spriiig-bolti till it locks upon Vthe upper face of the collar. Now, on rising from the seat, the weighled ,lever l] eirries up thcl lever H by incausof' the spring bolt and collar, at the same time turning down the. soil-pali through the intervention of the bolt or pin iii H. working in the slot in the lever G.

During these motions, which are gradual, (owing to the action of' llie retardiiig devicr,) the short arm of' lever fl presses down the plunger-h; this acting, by means ofthe socketpistoii-,rod i`,upo,n the rod N N, opens` thc water-valve I., and presses the piston M iipoli the mercury; this, slo'wly percolating through 'the orifice 2 2, allows the water to be gradually turned oii aiul shut off, and continuing the flow l'or a definite period after the soil-pali has been returned to its place, which sdoiie when the spring-bolt slips from the ci 1.ar ili the upward motion of' the rod C; the objcct of this after-flow being to make a water-joint, to prevent the escape of effluvia. f

The tiliie during which these operations are colit-iiiued depends on the size of' the orifice 2 2, through which, the mercury is transferred troni the under to thc upper side. ofthe piston M, tlioilgli this` iiiay alsobe modified by llie position of the weight upon the level' E E After the tripping of' the spring bolt from the collar, the fall of' the lever l-Ldraws up the plunger from the socket piston-rod; this leaves the spiral spring to carry np the piston-rod N N close to the valve L, while the mercury is, through the orilice 2 2, trailsfci red again to the hot-toni of the cylinder. While the water is flowing through the globe, leakage through the cap s s is prevented by means ofthe rubber diaphragiu I. l

I aiu aware that automatic water-closets have been iliade before, and that rctaijdiiig devices have been known, as inthe invention of' J. Downs, patented in England many years since, in which a fly-wheel and pinion-rack was used to iiiakc the action of' the pai-ts gradual; but this was both complex and uncertain; and I have also received Letters Patent for inventions having the saine objects in view, as in No. 8l,i5l, April 2l), 186%)aiul No. 90,453, May. 25, 1869, but the devices therein described had defects which my pri-sent invention obviates For instance, iii my previous inventions, the retardiug-chaiiiber or cylinder has been separate and detached from the water-valve instead of' being connected; again, the ietarding medium which I formerly used was oil, glycerinc, or water.

I found by experience that oil would become gumniy after a little time, and, its being lighter than water, prevents its useiii a cylinder connected witha water-valve, as it would float olil in a lwaste-pipe.

Glycerine, being soluble, is subject to the. saule objection; and water would soon become so filled with sediment that the retarding-cylindei' would be inoperative, and I have found, in many years experience in the manufacture and putting up ot' water-closets, that whatever obstructs or deranges the flow and sluittiiig ofthe water with certainty is the great cause of trouble in all inventions that I have ever met with or made myself.

Agaiinthe retardng-eylilider in my former inventions was made with a side duct, regulated by a cock,

and I have found that giimining oil, viscid glyceriiie,

or water charged with sediment, would clog this duct so as to require frequent cleaning out.

vThe advantages which I elaini for my present invention lover my own or the devicesof' others are. these i li`irstly, itis more compact, allowing the operating parts to occupy less space;

Secondly, a shorter travers for the-hinged seat, because the locking bolt and collar will allow them to engage with less motion than in the gravity eat-cli Ihavc t lieietofiire used;

Thirdly, the spring-bolt or collar is more positive and reliable than the slide aiid catch above alluded ti and Fourtlily, the substituting of mercury for the retardiiig medium allows the water-way or valve to be constructed and operated in coiiiiectioli with thererardiug-cylindcr, for the vreason that, heilig of' great specific gravit-y, it will not float off' with tliewater, noi' become deteriorated by it; again, while it has a sufficient solidify of body to clear from the orifice any obstructions that may Agather there, its particles are so mobile that it docsnot obstruetthc working ofthe piston, and the. right rate ofl flow heilig once established, this is liever changed by its becoming viscidor ginnuiy.

l would here remark that all the parts of' thc retardiiig-cyliiuler and its details, as the piston, collar, spiral springs, and piston-rod, should be made of'iron aiul steel, or some metal which does not readily amalgaiiiate with mercury.

l am aware that lnercury has been lused as a packing ill gaspi pc joints, and also in the pump-valves of some. kinds of' philosophical instruments. Therefore, while I do not claim broadly an automatic watercloset, noi' broadly a. istartling-cylinder for regulating the flow ofthe water, nor of' mercury, as applicable to gas-joints and pump-valves,

W hat I do claim-as ilove] and useful, and desire to secure' by Letters Patent, is-

l. Ilie inclined-faced adjustable collar F andthe spring-bolt I, iii their combination with and relation` to each other.

2. These, iu their combinations with and relationsto the rod and the levers E G H.

3. All these, in their combinations with and rela,- tious to the rctarding-cylinder J, the globe or wat-crway V, and the operating parts thereof.

4. A water-closet apparatus, consisting of afbowl, levers E Aand II, and aretarding-valve, adjustable collai', and spring-bolt, constructed substantially as described, aiid iii which mercury is applied as ai'etai'dini:r medium, as and for the purposes set forth,

JOHN KEANE.

Viitiiesses:

J AMES BELL, WILLIAM Bonner.

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