Page 215 - Inventions - A Visual Encyclopedia (DK - Smithsonian)

◀ HIGH FLUSH
This 1912 toilet has a raised
cistern—gravity helped to increase HOW A TOILET WORKS
the speed and power of the flush.
When you push the handle, it opens the flush valve,
letting water from the tank flow into the bowl. Water
Water flushed from the
cistern down the pipe and waste are then sucked out of the bowl down the
into the toilet. siphon and away to the sewer. A U-bend traps water
in the bottom of the bowl, stopping smells from the
sewer escaping back into the toilet.
PORCELAIN TOILET
A major breakthrough in toilet Water tank 3. Filler valve opens
to refill the tank
technology was the one-piece Handle when the water
ceramic toilet, designed by the 1. Water flushes into has been flushed.
British pottery manufacturer the bowl through 4. When a filler float AT HOME
Thomas Twyford in the 1880s. holes in the rim. reaches the top, the
Where previous models had tank stops filling.
been enclosed within wooden
boxes, this new model, like Bowl Flush valve
the ornate example on the left, 2. Flushed waste passes
was free-standing, making it to the siphon and then
easier to clean. travels to the main sewer.

TOILET PAPER
The Chinese were probably the first people to
use toilet paper in around the 6th century. In the
West, its invention is credited to the American inventor
Joseph Gayetty, in 1857, although toilet paper on a
roll was invented in 1890 by brothers Clarence
and E. Irvin Scott. It was not a success
until the 20th century because people
were embarrassed to buy it.

Nozzle shoots out
warm water at the
touch of a button.
The hinged wooden seat
could be raised or The seat temperature
lowered over the toilet. can be controlled
by the user.

SUPER TOILETS
Since the 1970s, Japan has specialized
in creating technologically advanced
toilets. These usually have additional
features, such as seat warmers, automatic
lids, deodorizers, and even speakers
for playing music—all managed by a
control panel. The high-tech toilets are
sometimes known as “washlets,” after
one of the most popular Japanese brands.

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