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The Toilet

Yes...those tales you've heard are true. The toilet was first
patented in England in 1775, invented by one Thomas Crapper,
but the extraordinary automatic device called the flush toilet
has been around for a long time. Leonardo Da Vinci in the
1400's designed one that worked, at least on paper, and Queen
Elizabeth I reputably had one in her palace in Richmond in
1556, complete with flushing and overflow pipes, a bowl valve
and a drain trap. In all versions, ancient and modern, the
working principle is the same.

Tripping a single lever (the handle) sets in motion a series
of actions. The trip handle lifts the seal, usually a rubber
flapper, allowing water to flow into the bowl. When the tank
is nearly empty, the flap falls back in place over the water
outlet. A floating ball falls with the water level, opening
the water supply inlet valve just as the outlet is being
closed. Water flows through the bowl refill tube into the
overflow pip...