Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 7.djvu/834

 TEDKBAIi BBPOBTEB. �The invention embodied in this claim is, in fact, a combi- iiation of a valve for a water-closet with a variable chamber, and with a cup-leather, in such manner that the valve is caused to close slowly, because the operation of the cup- leather, as a tight packing, prevents the passage of water, and is allowed to open rapidly, because the operation of the cup-leather as a valve permits the passage of water. The cup-leather thus acts in one direction as a valve, and in the opposite direction as a packing. The variable chamber or cavity or cylinder bas in it a piston with a cup-leather on it centrally, and is provided with a small aperture which per- mits the graduai escape of water from it. When the cavity is filled with water the valve is held on its seat by a spiral spring. When the valve stem is depressed, the valve ia opeued rapidly, because the cup-leather then acts as a valve and permits the water to pass freely outside of it. When the force which depressed the valve stem is removed, the spring acts to shut the valve, but shuts it slowly, because the cup-leather acts as a tight packing, being forced by the pressure of the water outwards against the wall of the cavity. Therefore the water can escape only slowly from the cavity through the said small aperture, and the valve cannot move faster to shut than it is allowed to move by the escape of the water through said small aperture. The defendants' water- closet has a contrivance, the mode of operation of which is substantially the same as that of Carr. It has a variable chamber, a cup-leather which acts in one direction as a pack- ing and in the opposite direction as a valve, and it has a small aperture in the variable chamber which permits a small flow of water theref rom while the valve is closing. The cup-leather controla the motion of the valve in closing grad. ually ; it moves freely in one direction and closes against the wall of the containing chamber in the other direction, and the leakage of water in said chamber allows the movement of the cup-leath'er. There is, clearly, an infringement of the third claim, unless the particular arrangement of the, aperture through which the water escapes from the variable chamber is an element of that claim. ��� �