What Are Old Fashioned Toilets Called

Antiquarian & Historic Toilets
Brands, Manufacturers, Types & Sources

• Mail service a QUESTION or Annotate well-nigh early toilet designs, use, maintenance & repair

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We accept no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Antique & celebrated toilets:

This article describes early flush toilets such as the high-cistern flush toilet shown in our page elevation photo: this toilet is installed in the Samuel Morse abode in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Nosotros also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page height or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information yous need.

Early & Antique Affluent Toilets: loftier wall-mounted cisterns or flush tanks

Bedroom pots (dating from Roman times and Garderobes (5th to 15th century toilets that just dumped waste material to the outdoors) and privies and outhouses, toilet designs that date to the 1500s or earlier are omitted from this review of mod toilets.

See OUTHOUSES & LATRINES for examples of privies and outhouses, toilet designs that date to the 1500s or earlier

By the 1880's, in London Thomas Crapper & Co'due south sanitary specialties included the elastic valve water closet illustrated at left, and the toilet cistern "water waste material preventer" siphon toilet flush assembly design illustrated in the article to a higher place.

The elastic valve closet advertisement at left (photograph from a bath wallpaper reproduction) does not show the cistern or water reservoir tank.

Past 1890 the elastic valve cupboard had been sophisticated and simplified in appearance to announced with a toilet tank or cistern mounted still higher on the building wall as we illustrate in our historic photograph (below left).

Mounting the cistern high on the wall gave additional water pressure that helped flush the toilet bowl clean.

Above: photos of this J.A. Vogel flush toilet, provided past Mike, an InspectApedia.com reader and posted originally at TOILET TYPES, CONTROLS, PARTS, wait remarkably like the pre-1900 "Elastic Valve Toilet" described in our sketch at the start of this article.

Here is more description from Mike at Readers who know more than well-nigh this toilet are welcome to CONTACT us or to contact Mike shadycreekboers@aol.com

I cannot find any proper noun brand or digits other than the knob/valve has Rockford on information technology. The and here in fundamental Texas plant it in a barn that was said to be near 125 years old. It was stored in the barn.

He had merely bought the place. With the porcelain being only on top and inside, cipher ornate outside, I assumed it went into something similar to the hall tree wash basin.

Hopefully non in a hall but maybe a bathroom or cupboard, since it only rinses when seat it'south pressed, did it run water while using information technology or maybe had a solid lid that in one case yous done your business, shut lid and press to flush?

Moderator comment:

Your toilet or one quite similar is described in Vogel, Joseph A. "Flushing appliance for h2o-closets." U.S. Patent 801,754, issued October 10, 1905. As you afterwards noted, JA Vogel was a U.S. visitor in Wilmington, Delaware.

This is how we think this toilet worked: sitting on the wooden toilet seat (missing except for a woods fragment on the left side of the bracket in the first photo) bolted to the cast-iron one-half-round subclass lifted a cam that operated the flush valve that caused water to affluent the toilet bowl during or afterward apply.

Vogel'south patent descriptions explicate how the valve worked on these early affluent toilets and also cited a frost-proof blueprint for the toilet drain organisation.

Excerpting from Vogel'southward second patent disclosure - 1905.

In a flushing appliance, the combination of a bowl, a tank, a valve-casing ommunicating withthe basin and tank, a supply-pipage communicating with the valve-casing and provided with an inlet and bleed aperatures, a rod extending through said pipe and casing and conveying the inlet and flushing valves, the latter controlling the period of water between the

SUPPLY-piping and the tank and betwixt the tank and bowl, said rod beingness provided witha by-pass for the flow of entering water between the inlet to the pipe and the valve casing, a seat-chapeau, means operatd when the seat-lid is depressed to heighten the rod to open the inlet valve and close the affluent valve,

and a leap inside the valve-casing adapted to strength the rod downward to open the flush valve and shut the inlet valve and normally maintain said parts in such position. - Joseph A. Vogel

These antique toilet photos show a toilet fabricated of cast iron or of enameled steel with the remains of a flush valve much like that shown in the Elastic Valve Closet sketch on this page.

Subsequent toilet bowl designs take included many experiments & methods to improve toilet bowl cleaning, removal of solid waste material without clogging, and to reduce "marking" - fecal stains on the toilet bowl surface that otherwise require a toilet brush and frequent cleaning.

Joseph A. Vogel Toilet History

U.S. patents citing JA Vogel as Inventor or assigned by an inventor to Vogel give an early history of this toilet and its flush mechanism beginning in 1903.

• Pre-Vogel:
• Wellington, Darius, Improved Water Cupboard, United states of america Patent 233335, issued March 22, 1859, assigned to Charles A. Wellington.
• De-Marest, J., Valve for Water Closets, The states Patent 213324, issued 18 March 1879
• Douglas, J&Grand, Flushing-Tank for Water Closets, United states of america Patent 369842, issued September 13, 1887
• Hughes, S.E., H2o Closet, The states Patent 481,761, issued 30 August 1892
• Vogel, Joseph A. "Flushing appliance for water-closets." U.S. Patent 737,796, issued September 1, 1903.
• Vogel, Joseph A. "Flushing apparatus for h2o-closets." U.S. Patent 801,754, issued October ten, 1905.
• Vogel, Joseph A. "Flushing machinery." U.S. Patent i,249,258, issued December iv, 1917.
• Kirby, Howard M. "Flushing mechanism." U.S. Patent 1,253,982, issued January fifteen, 1918.
• Vogel, Joseph A., and Arthur J. Jennings. "Flushing mechanism." U.Southward. Patent 1,695,621, issued December xviii, 1928.
• Vogel, Joseph A. "Flushing apparatus for water closet systems." U.S. Patent 1,985,119, issued December xviii, 1934.
• Vogel, Joseph A. "Vacuum interruption device for h2o service systems." U.S. Patent ane,985,120, issued December xviii, 1934.
• Barnard, Jr Daniel P. "Flushing apparatus." U.S. Patent 2,116,258, issued May 3, 1938.

Siphon affluent valve toilet

An alternative to the tank ball and flapper valve toilet flush mechanism used in the U.Thousand. and in toilets in some other locales, toilet siphon flush valves are operated by a button that forces water up from the reservoir cistern (toilet tank) into the siphon that in turn sends water into the toilet bowl to consummate the flush.

Siphon flush valve controls on toilets eliminate the problem of running toilets caused by leakage at the tank ball or flapper valve.

As you can run across from our photo of an early toilet advertisement by Thomas Crapper & Cos. (from a wallpaper reproduction), the siphon affluent valve is non a new thought, and has long been sold as a method of preventing water wastage and running toilets.

Depending on where you alive, sources also refer to a toilet as a water cupboard, WC, or loo.

The list of synonyms for toilets is long and also includes crapper, can, head (probably the oldest term) and commode or as my dad chosen it, "pot" after the ancestor "chamber pot".

See MARINE TOILETS where we talk over special problems confronting the operation of toilets on boats, ships and submarines.

Thomas Crapper & Co. (London) called their scary-looking toilet contraption an "Rubberband Valve Closet" [Paradigm]

Early flush toilets like the toilet shown in our photo (left, Locust Grove, - Samuel Morse Estate, Poughkeepsie, NY)

and like this 1890 model [Epitome] used a high wall-mounted reservoir tank, typically wooden, to provide acceptable pressure and flow rate to make clean and empty the toilet basin.

The flush valve for the wooden wall-mounted reservoir tank for this toilet was operated by pulling a chain that operated the mechanism.

Pulling the chain ways flushing the toilet.

Below we illustrate a more than contemporary height-front-affluent high-mounted cistern type toilet. This toilet is installed in the restroom of the Brew Moon buffet in Amberley, on highway i between Christchurch and Akaroa, New Zealand.

The Brew Moon is a micro-brewery producing their own excellent beers whose sampling volition for at least some customers, makes working toilets an of import convenience.

At above right you tin see the performance of the affluent control mounted on the upper forepart centre of the Brew Moon toilet'due south cistern.

Below we illustrate the cistern fill valve in operation and the flush control valve components of this toilet. The toilet includes a separate overflow drain from the top of the cistern (blueish pointer, below right).

More about the operation of drains and vents on toilets of this type tin can be read

at LOW COST TOILETS

Triangle T 1940s Wall Cistern Toilet - Water Closet - Loo

Question: what's the make proper name of this toilet with a T enclosed in a Triangle?

This toilet is installed in a converted house that was originally an attached garage at a abode built in San Jose California in 1941.

Respond: Triangle T on Porcelain marks the identifying brand of this 1940s wall Affluent-Tank toilet

Certainly I've seen both new reproductions and antique wooden wall tank flush toilets selling for over $g. On your unit of measurement the hardware, piping, and other parts may need replacement or repair; you lot'll practise best finding a local heir-apparent so as to reduce shipping cost and hazard.

I've tried searching for this logo among toilets, bath fixtures, plumbing suppliers, and Google images, without success.

If you find any other identifying marks such as numbers or letters stamped in the cistern that'd be helpuful. If you do not object, I'll also discover a identify to post this to invite help from other readers - our default is to keep y'all anonymous unless you enquire otherwise.

Reader Question: Desperately Seeking Norris Toilet Parts

We take 2 of these, installed in 1983. A photo of our Mexican Sand (or Moroccan Sand) one is attached as well as a motion picture of the black i from your spider web page. I have been assuming that these are Kohlers, but Kohler says no. There is no Thou number in the ceramic of the tank.

The simply identifiers are the word Norris on one of the tank lids and the number 45. The manufacturing date, all the same, is quite articulate.

The hardware store invoice identifies them simply as 503, with no manufacturer.

Since the phrase "Or as our mom did in Boca Raton" was used in the description of the blackness toilet, I believe somebody at your terminate has had a distressingly shut encounter with this model.

Ours flush very well, merely require constant rebuilding of the affluent mechanism to fill and/or stop filling reliably.

The fact that I have been using Kohler parts all along might account for these constant problems. Thank you, - L.K. five/9/12

Respond: A Quick History of Norris Industries & Norris Toilets

The black toilet shown in our photograph was installed in a New York home - and was produced by Kohler industries. It does not appear to exist the aforementioned make as yours, since the tank on the black toilet in our earlier photo is rectangular, non curved such as the toilet tank shown in your photo (in a higher place).

But your message indicates that you saw "Norris" stamped inside one of the toilet lids. Almost certainly that indicates that your toilets were fabricated by Norris Industries.

Norris Toilets, as indicated by the make yous found in the toilet tank hat, were a five.0 gallon flush toilet (or other book), builder-grade, depression profile toilet design installed often in the 1970'due south and as late as 1991. Often you can also come across the toilet make on the bowl or base, behind the toilet seat hinge.

Watch for cracks in the porcelain in these units. Also meet Norris Thermador (NT) models. Norris toilets may exist marked as N, NI, NT, Norris, Norris Industries, or Norris Thermador.

The Norris Toilet Industries factory was located in City of Industry, California where product under the Norris label stopped when the company was bought by Mansfield Industries in 1991.

Mansfield Plumbing Products has been in business organisation since 1929 and continues to operate (equally a subsidiary of CORONA, a Colombian multinational ) in Big Prairie Ohio with a second plant in Henderson Texas. You might be able to obtain Norris-compatible parts from

Mansfield Plumbing Products LLC 150 E First Street, Perrysville, OH, 44864 Phone: 1-877-850-3060 Fax: 1-800-984-7802 Website: http://world wide web.mansfieldplumbing.com

or get correct to their parts supply contact information at

Vitreous China, Plastic Fittings and Parts. Phone: 1-877-850-3060 Fax: one-419-938-6234

Other toilet role sources: we used to drive around in a pickup truck on "make clean-upwards day" in our town, watching for people who were tossing out old toilets - collecting toilet lids for our renovation customers, as that's the part about often broken on porcelain toilets.

There are quite a few online vendors of toilet tank lids or other parts, including vendors selling colour-matched parts if your toilet is other than a white model. Just enquire for a brochure from the replacement toilet parts vendor and that volition become you quite close to the original unit that you accept.

The Corona Corporation was founded as Organizacion Corona in 1881 and is one of the oldest businesses in Colombia. The company, headquartered in Bogota, is a ceramics producer with operations in Colombia ( Cl. 99 #x - 08, Bogotá, Republic of colombia), Panama, United mexican states, the U.S. and Cathay. Corona has been owned by the Echavarria family since 1935.

British Toilets: Shires New Reverso Toilets - U.M. brands

Above, the Shires New Reverso toilet, installed at Brinstone Farm, Herefordshire, U.One thousand. This toilet was produced by Whieldon Sanitary Potteries. The cistern (toilet tank for yanks and Canadians) is probably newer than the toilet base of operations of this Shires New Reverso.

The toilet pan (toilet base for yanks & Canadians) is ceramic. Whieldon Sanitary Potteries (previously Winkle & Wood Colonial Pottery) who produced the toilet pan were, in the 1930'due south, located in Mount Pleasant, Staffordshire, England near Stoke-on-Trent.

This Shires Reverso toilet model dates from [about] the 1950's, the pan or base peradventure dating from the 1930's. Earlier installations of this Shires toilet placed the cistern higher on the wall and used a pull chain to flush the toilet.

The cistern for this Shires Reverso toilet is plastic.

Below we illustrate the brand marking for Shires New Reverso cisterns and toilet pans or bases.

Shires Bathrooms, a british manufacturer of the Shires toilet / toilet cistern models included

• Shires Motorcar
• Shires Duralite
• Shires Fineline
• Shires Lynx Toilets: 1960-1980 and Lawley Lynx
• Shires Panther
• Shires New Duranite
• Shires Puma
• Shires Reverso
• Shires Ruberwell
• Shires Uni-Lynx

Beneath: an image of the Whieldon Germ-free Potteries Ltd., Colonial Pottery factory in Staffordshire in the 1930's, excerpted from a larger prototype, original source:

britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw042661 Whieldon Sanitary Potteries, in one case and so large that the visitor had its own railway stop, was acquired by Doulton & Co., in 1937.

Doulton was bought by S. Pearson & Co. in 1971. Thomas Whieldon, was a British potter who is said to have been a mentor to Josiah Wedgwood.

Question:

(Aug 23, 2019) Colin harvey said:
Shires reverso. What'southward it worth ?

Answer:

Cheers for the Shires Reverso toilet value question, Colin.

I did some searching on Shires Reverso toilets and toilet parts for sale and found that it is rare to see an entire Shires Reverso toilet for sale. I think this is because rather than wishing to install an new "antique" Shires toilet, the principal market is for replacement parts for these loos.

Because the most-common function lost is the toilet cistern or tank lid that is dropped and damaged or broken, there is a market for Shires Reverso cistern lids. Prices ranged from nearly £29.00 to £50.00 with the most-mutual cistern lid eBay toll of £48.00

A Shires Reverso cistern might sell for £seventy.00 to £140.00 for a complete Shires Naiad cistern replica.

Chamber Pots, Close Stools, Commodes & Garderobes

This discussion got promoted to its ain page: ANTIQUE CHAMBER POTS & Close STOOLS

In the eighteenth century, indoor toilet needs were met in several ways.

The two basic forms seem to take been the chamber pot, made from either ceramic or metal, and used by itself, or the shut stool, a piece of furniture designed to concord a bedroom pot or pan. Eighteenth-century probate inventories are an excellent source for learning about these indelicate objects.

Question: can yous tell me annihilation virtually this wooden box blazon commode - toilet?

2019/06/20 Michael Myers said:

I'k looking for anything virtually this toilet , mmyers0013@gmail.com

Respond: "Shut Stool" wooden apparatus for using a chamber pot

Michael,

Your photo shows a wooden commode. If it's original and non a reproduction, it's probably from the 19th century.

Run into your question and a deatiled respond now found

at Antiquarian Sleeping room POTS & CLOSE STOOLS

Other reading reading suggestions are given but below.

Frost-Proof & Anti-Freezing Toilets

Question: I.X.50. Pump & Mfg. Co. H2o Cupboard / Toilet Seat history

[Click to enlarge any image]

2019/xi/13 Wes said:

The attached motion picture is of a VERY heavy weighted seat. The rigid iron bracket is affixed in such a way that the seat would have to be pulled down to sit on. Then, it would heighten from the counterweight when you got up. Any ideas as to how quondam, special usage etc? (says 1XL PHILA 12 on the fe) THANKS!!

Answer:

How interesting; This invention - self-lifting or counter-weighted toilet seats intended to meliorate sanitation take been effectually in North America since around 1913 (Waltensperger US Patent 79150413) and in that location was a flurry of such inventions in the U.S. from the late 1930s into the 1940s, but of course continuing to the present.

Let's do some enquiry for your specific counterweighted toilet seat mechanism (which is incomplete in your photograph). Look very closely all over the seat and whatsoever other parts you got with it to run into if in that location is a trademark or U.s. PATENT NO with some numbers and report that back here.

[Click to enlarge whatever prototype]

Here is an example, Porter'south patented "sterile Toilet" United states of america Pat No 2332111 from the year I was built-in, 1943.

Reader follow-up:

Thank yous very much for your response. I find this topic fascinating as to the evolution of toilets.

Subsequently your response, I checked, somewhat more closely than I would normally care to, for other markings. None establish. Still, I have since discovered that IXL is actually the trademark for a plumbing company in Philadelphia. I accept included hither:

(Found inside at p. 156: The " I X L " Anti-Freezing Closet Combination is guaranteed confronting freezing, if properly set. It consists of a low-down galvanized tank with lid; porcelain-lined oval-llusliing rim hopper; Iinislicd oak swinging-seat, with equalized weight, ...) a passage from a site advertizing an anti-freezing toilet with a seat quite similar to this one.

I have included another image (the bottom) of this seat. Again, I so give thanks you, and please enlighten me further if y'all can/will.

Moderator reply:

Thank you for the boosted photo and the identification of the seat as an IXL toilet seat.

I call up the anti-freezing feature of the IXL Closet would of course depended on designs other than the counter-weighted toilet seat and that the weights were either to brand a heavy oak toilet seat easy to elevator (to encourage those users who ought to raise the seat ...) or in some designs the counter-weights were to make a normally-raised toilet seat for sanitary reasons.

Gabbe's 1916 water closet valve patent was in fact assigned to IXL which gives us a bit more than of the history and dates involved.

Hither are some patents assigned to I X L and their dates

• Polzer, Fridolin. "Fluid-force per unit area tool." U.Southward. Patent 914,602, issued March 9, 1909. - assignee I X Fifty Mfg Co of New York.
• Levering, Henry West. "Means for endmost valves." U.S. Patent i,094,796, issued April 28, 1914.
• Gabell, Albert F. "Valve construction for water-cupboard apparatus." U.S. Patent 1,203,724, issued Nov 7, 1916. Assigned to the I X L Pump And Mfg Company
• Griffiths, William U. "Valve-operating means for flush tanks." U.S. Patent 1,520,863, issued Dec 30, 1924.

Tracing I.X.Fifty. history is a but of a muddle since at that place were I.X.L. companies identified as well in Atlanta - IXL Enterprises and IXL Holdings.

[Click to overstate whatever epitome]

And your discover most the I.X.50. Anti-Freezing Closet Combination (below) appeared in the 1911 Year Book of the ... Almanac Architectural Exhibition Held past the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Constitute of Architects and the T-square Club of Philadelphia, Book 17

There were a number of "anti-freezing" valve and toilet designs around the plough of the last century equally plumbing began to move inside from the hand-pump and outhouse and while cardinal heating was still limited and uneven in heat distribution in buildings.

Reader Q&A - as well see the FAQs serial linked-to below

Question: is this antique high-flush wall-tank toilet worth restoring for sale?

Constitute this in and one-time house.

...

Possessor said I could take it
Is it worth getting - past individual e-mail 2021/07/26

Moderator reply: prices for loftier wall-tank flush toilets tin can be over $1000 for new reproductions

Opinion: If the toilet and tank can be cleaned and made very presentable you can probably re-sell it equally an "antique high-tank toilet" online, e.1000. at eBay.

A new "antique" high-tank toilet sells by modern vendors for over $m. U.S.

Nevertheless I'yard hundred-to-one that many people who would pay $thousand for a toilet desire the particular model in your photo - requite the base type and issues around trap seal;

Farther: if yours is a metal toilet desperately rusted and pitted yous'll accept an expense to take it cleaned, smoothed, and re-painted.

Attach a photograph if yous find whatsoever make or logo marks on the toilet or information technology flush tank.

Tell me the Country/City where this toilet is located and the age of the building where it is installed.

See if you can find an antique toilet similar yours for sale online and await at that cost (not the loftier prices I cited) and compare that with the restoration price.

This is a fantastic website. I capeesh the lengths that you become through to stay united nations-bias. not a common trait these days, but very much needed. I do have a 1927 standard sanitary wall mount cast atomic number 26 / porcelain water tank, and a 1920 basin that i would like a value on, or put me in contact with someone that might exist able to help me . thank you

Pitiful, Nancy, but we exercise not buy nor sell annihilation. No products, no services.

InspectAPedia.com provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information. In gild to admittedly assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do non sell any products nor exercise nosotros have whatever business or fiscal relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business organisation nor fiscal connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website. We very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles.

Website content contributors, even if it's just a pocket-size correction, are cited, quoted, and linked-to from the appropriate additional web pages and articles - which benefits us both. Working together and exchanging data makes us better informed than any private can be working lonely.

A cursory summary about InspectAPedia.com tin can be read at https://inspectapedia.com/About_Us.htm

How much can u pay for my antiquarian toilet tank

Dale

Utilise the "add image" button to adhere photos of the toilet (ane paradigm per comment) and of any imprints, logos, etc. and I'll be glad to enquiry the device farther.

Former toilet cast atomic number 26 h2o runs when you set on it h2o valve beneath footing bleed valve so information technology doesn't freeze we used in exterior crapper want to know nigh what year it might be

Great question volition keep you posted hither and hope that someone has an answer for you. You might as well search to see if you lot can find some patent disclosures or similar documents that might have the dimensions.

Does anyone know if the Gerber Jefferson 1939 wall hung toilet have a 12" rough in or fourteen"?

...

Keep reading at Antique CHAMBER POTS & CLOSE STOOLS or select a topic from the closely-related manufactures below, or see the complete ARTICLE Alphabetize.

Or see Antiquarian FLUSH TOILET FAQs - questions & answers posted originally at this page

Or encounter

• AGE of a Building - visual and other clues determine edifice or building component historic period
• Antiquarian Bedchamber POTS & Shut STOOLS
• Antiquarian Affluent TOILETS
• Antiquarian LATRINE GOODRICH CASTLE
• Gimmicky TOILET DESIGNS
• LATRINE TYPES & CONSTRUCTION discusses modern latrine construction based on the U.S. Army field transmission dedicated to field sanitation
• Depression COST TOILETS for a description of the McSkimming Toilet
• OUTHOUSES & LATRINES discusses traditional outhouse construction and use
• TOILET TYPES, CONTROLS, PARTS - home

Suggested citation for this spider web folio

Antique Flush TOILETS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of edifice & ecology inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention communication.

Or encounter this

INDEX to RELATED Articles: ARTICLE Index to TOILET Data

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

...

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Try the search box just below, or if yous prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will reply promptly.

Search the InspectApedia website

Note: advent of your Comment beneath may be delayed: if your comment contains an epitome, spider web link, or text that looks to the software every bit if it might be a web link, your posting will appear afterwards it has been canonical by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.

Technical Reviewers & References

Click to Evidence or Hibernate Citations & References

Publisher InspectApedia.com - Daniel Friedman

Share this post