US354701A - Tank-operating device for water-closets - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

P. HARVEY.

TANK OPERATING DEVICE EOE. WATER GLosETs.

No. 354,701. l Patented Deo. 21, 1886.

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PATRIGKYHARVEY, OF MILWAUKEE, VISCONSIN.

TANK-OPERATING DEVICE FOR WATER-CLOSETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,701, dated December 21, 1886.

Application filed May 2l, 1886. Serial No. 202,849. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, PATRICK HARVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the State of Wisconsin, have' invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tank-Operatin g Devices for Water-Closets, which are fully set forth in the following specication, reference being had to-the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, wherein- Figure l is a sectional front elevation of a tank service-box and valve-operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through m x, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar vertical section showing a modification of the means of adjusting theloatin theservice-boX. Fig. 4 is 'a detail of the means of such adjustment shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The purpose of this invention is to provide improved means for admitting and controlling the flow of water from a tank to the watercloset with which it is connected, to the end that the user may operate the mechanism to admit the water by an instantaneously cornpleted movement and without the necessity of holding the valve'or gate open in order to continue the flow of flushing-water, and that the mechanism shall be reversed and cause the iiow to cease after a predetermined interval or amount of flow, and that when the valve hasA once been opened it shall remain open until the predetermined flow has actually occured, even though at the time there was no water in the tank and no iiow occurred or could occur until water was subsequently supplied. rIhe desirability of such action is most obvious in cases where the tank is located in the upper partof abuilding which is supplied at low pressure, so that at times the use of water on the lower floors leaves nothing to supply the tanks, which nevertheless will eventually receive the supply at intervals when the use on the lower floors isintermitted. In such case at the time the closet is used the tank may be empty and incapable of affording the ilushing water to the bowl, and it is desirable that the user may be able to leave the mechanism in such condition that, without subsequent attention, whenever water comes to the tank the closet shall be properly flushed, and after proper flushing the water cut off automatically.

Similar letters indicate similar part-s in all the figures. A

A is the tank. B is the service-box. C is the pipe leading to the closet-bowl. f

The tank is supplied in the usual manner through the pipe D, controlled by the valve E, operated by the float F in the usual familiar manner. The partition a between the tank and the Servicebox being lower than the walls of the said chamber allows for overflow at b. The service-box vis supplied from the tank through the large aperture A', and the servicebox communication with the closet through the aperture B', leading into the pipe O, said aperture being much smaller than A. Bothr apertures A' and B are controlled by valves G and G2 on the hollow stem G, the valve G' ,seating below the aperture A', and the valve G2 seating above the aperture B', the former, therefore, moving upward and the latter moving downward t0 seat. fore, which opens one valve closes the other,

so that never are both closed at once, though both may be open at once. Toward the `upper end of the hollow stem G it has the aperture g, by which the water may overflow from the tank A directly through the stem G into the pipe C, and then to the closet-bowl, independently of the valves G and G2. The valvestem G is connected at the upper end to the lever H, which is pivoted on the tank A, and has at one end the weight H', and is connected at the other end to the pull-cord H2.

K is a bell-crank lever located in the serv- The movement,there ice-box and pivoted directly below the lever p H. Its vertical arm K' terminates in the catch-nose K1, vand the other arm, K2, is connected to the float K.

The operation of this device is as follows: When not in operation the valve G' is closed and the valve G2 is open, and the service-box B is therefore empty. When it is desired to put it into operation to flush the closet, the user will pull the cord LIZ-allowing the valvestem G to descend, opening the valve G' and closing the valve G2 and bringing the lever H against the inclined upper surface of the catchnose Kw, and thereby swinging the bell-crank lever K, lifting the arm K2 and the float K2",

and finally catching under the catch-nose and i the float lifted some distance olf the bottom of the service-box B. The water new flowing through the aperture A into the service-box B fills it up, until,by lifting the float to the position shown in Fig. 4, it rocks the bell-crank lever K back and releases the lever H from the catch-nose K1", and the weight H causes the lever H, rocking over its pivot, to lift the valves G and G2 until the aperture B is opened and the aperture A is closed, stopping the flow of water from the tank into the service-box and permitting the water which has accumulated in the latter to flow out through the pipe G to the closet-bowl.

Obviously the amount of water which will accumulate in the service-box before the lever H is released from the catch-nose K will depend upon the connection of the float K to the lever H, and for the purpose of adapting the quantity of water used to the necessities of the case the float is made adjustable in relation to the lever. Thismay be done in a great variety of ways. The 'simplest means is is shown in Fig. '2, the float being connected to the lever by a chain, K, which may be shortened or lengthened tofix the depth of water which shall accumulate before the float will exert a pulling force on the lever-arm K to disengage the catch-nose K10 from the lever` H. Another method is shown in Fig.4 3, the float merely being adjustable on the arm K2 toward and from the pivot of the lever, the pivot being so placed that the arm H? is hori: zontal when the float rests on the bottom of the service-box, so that the said adjustment does not affect the position of the lever when the service-box is empty; but the farther the fioat is from the pivot the farther must it be raised by the water, in order to rock the lever through the angle necessary to disengage the nose. I do not confine myself to anyone method or means of effecting this adjustment.

The overflow-aperture g is located at such height that when the valve-stem G is raised and the valve G closed it stands above the water-level (as determined by the adjustment ofthe float) and is below that level when the valve-stem G is dropped to open the valve G. It is thus made the means of furnishing the fore-wash for the closet, the water passing through the hollow stem G directly into the flushing-pipe Gand thence to the bowl, and continuing to-flow until the level of water in the tank has fallen below said aperture.

In connection with some forms of closets the valve G2 is not needed, and its presence is never essential to the operation of my device, because, the aperture A being so much larger than the aperture B, the service-box will fill, even though no valve is used to close the latter aperture.

If there is no water in the tank when the valve is opened by the user of the closet, the valve will remain open until the tank receives water and the same ows into the service-box, and the devices will then operate as described, furnishing the predetermined quantity of water to flush the bowl, the flow ceasing at such predetermined limit.

I claim- 1. In combination with the tank and service-box and the valve which controls communication between them, the lever which operates said. valve, and a second lever having a catch-nose, whereby it is operated by and engages the first lever, and a float in the service-box connected to and operating the second lever to disengage its catch-nose from the first lever, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the tank and service-box and the valve which controls and communicates between them, the lever which operates said valve, and a second lever having a catch-nose, whereby it is operated by and disengages the first lever, and a float in thewservice-box adjustably connected to and operating the second lever to disengage its catch-nose from the first lever, substantially as set forth. 4

3. In combination, the tank and servicebox, the valve between them,and the lever which operates it,thebellcrank lever K, having the catch-nose K1o on the upwardly-extended arm, and the float K", connected to the other arm, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the tank and service-box, the valve between them,and the lever which operates it, the bell-crank lever K, having the catch-nose K on the upwardly-extended arm, and the float K2", connected to the other arm by the chain K, adapted to be lengthened and shortened at will, substantially as set forth. l V

5. In combination with the tank and service-box and the flushing-pipe, the valve-stem G, having rigid with it thevalves G and G,

the lever which operates said stem to open the former and close the latter valve simultaneously, and a second lever having a catchnose, whereby it is Voperated by and engages the first lever, and a float in the service-box connected to and operating the second lever to disengage its catch-nose from the first 'lever, substantially as set forth.

- 6. In combination with the tank,servieebox,

'and flushing-pipe, the tubular valve-stem having its longitudinal duct communicating at the upper end with the tank and at the lower end with the flushing-pipe, and carrying the valve G2 above the said lower communication, seating downward to close communi cation between the service-box and the flushing-pipes, Whereby the said downward movement which seats 'the valve G2 seats the tubular stem through IIO IIS

service-box aud seating upward, and the 1at hand, in the presence of two witnesses, at Ghiter between the service-box and flushing-pipe,

and located above the said communication of the tubular stem with the flushing-pipe and 5 seating downward7 substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my cago, Illinois, this 12th day of May, 1886.

PATRICK HARVEY.

Attest:

W. J. HARVEY, CHAs. S. BURTON.

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