MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SANATORY PRIVIES AND WATERCLOSETS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE AS A TAP FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS.
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lister, of Sheepbridge Ironworks, Chester-
field, in the County of Derby, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SANATORY PRIVIES AND WATERCLOSETS, PART
OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE AS A TAP FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lister at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
November 1859.
I, THOMAS LISTER, of Sheepbridge Ironworks, Chesterfield, in the County
of Derby, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SANATORY PRIVIES AND WATERCLOSETS.
PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE AS A TAP FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS,'
to be as follows:-
The chief object of this Invention is to convert common privies into water-
closets, and provide for the discharge of the excrement into a common sewer
or closed cesspool. The difficulties heretofore experienced in effecting this
object have arisen, in the first place, from the want of an efficient water
supply, and, in the second place, when the latter is provided, the great expense
consequent on applying the watercloset in general use.
To meet these difficulties I propose to utilize the waste water from domestic
or culinary uses, such as from the sink stone, droppings from the pump or
827

page_text: water cocks, causing the same to collect in the closet pan or brick vault with
which the closet is provided, without the aid of any apparatus further than a
trapped plug, and from time to time to flush the receptacle for the excrement.
Where, however, a more regular system of water supply is available, I propose
to employ the same as an auxiliary to or independent of the surface or waste
water supply. When using a pan as the temporary receptacle for the soil, I
make it of earthenware of a dish form, and with a lip for trapping the drain.
In rear of this lip the pan or receptacle takes the form of a bent tube, through
which the soil is discharged into a chamber in connection with the sewer, but
cut off therefrom (except at the time of flushing the pan) by means of a
hollow earthenware plug. This plug has a trapped head, and it is raised from
its conical seat (when required) either by a rock lever or or a chain or their
equivalent. The pan or vault is situate below the surface of the ground, when
the surface water is to be rendered available for flushing, the floor and seat of
the closet being proportionably placed to provide for this arrangement. The
water enters the pan or vault by a surface channel in connection with a trap,
made of earthenware by preference, and cemented to the pan or to plug
chamber when the latter is in rear of the pan.
When using water for flushing the closet drawn from a cistern or other
equivalent means of supply, I lead the water into a closed vessel situate in the
closet, and discharge it therefrom by the action of a draw rod, which may be
operated by the hand or foot of the person using the closet. This rod, which
passes through the lower end of the closed vessel, is fitted loosely with a conical
valve, which rests on an elastic bed of vulcanized rubber, and commands the
outlet passage, and to its upper end is jointed a rock lever for operating the
inlet valve, which is of a somewhat peculiar construction. This valve consists
of a tube closed at its upper end by an inverted cup, but furnished with lateral
openings. The valve is enclosed in a cylindrical box, between the head of
which and the cup a coiled spring is interposed to press the edge of the cup
down upon an elastic cushion of vulcanized rubber fitted in the bottom of the
box. The supply water entering this box finds no vent until the rock lever
before mentioned striking upon a pin projecting from the tube which carries
the cup lifts the cup off its seat. When, however, this movement is effected
by the depression of the valve rod, water will enter and partially fill the closed
vessel. The discharge of the water from this vessel for the purpose of rinsing
the closet pan or flushing the vault is effected immediately on the withdrawal
of the pressure used to drive the valve rod, a tendency being imparted to the
rod to rise and lift the discharge valve from its seat. The inverted cup valve
I propose also to apply for drawing off water and other fluids in substitution of

page_text: the ordinary tap, its special merit being that it is self-closing, and will dis-
charge only while being held open by the attendant. Thus the liability of an
overflow from inattention will by its use be effectually removed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Lister in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
LISTER, of Sheepbridge Ironworks, Chesterfield, in the County of Derby,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Lister, Her special license that I, the said Thomas
Lister, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Lister, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SANATORY PRIVIES AND WATER-
CLOSETS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE AS A TAP FOR DRAWING OFF
LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Lister,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Lister, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The chief object of this Invention is to remove the inconveniences attendant
on the use of common privies by converting them into waterclosets and pro-
viding for the discharge of the excrement into a common sewer or closed

page_text: cesspool. The difficulties heretofore experienced in effecting this object have
arisen in the first place from the want of an efficient water supply, and in the
second place (where that is provided) from the great expense consequent on
applying the watercloset apparatus in general use. To meet the first of these
difficulties, I propose to utilize the waste water of dwelling houses, whether
d rived from the sink stone or droppings from the pump or water cocks, by
collecting the same into the soil pan, or a brick vault with which the closet is
provided. The water, thus collected, I use for flushing the pan or vault from
time to time, as may be required without the aid of any apparatus further than
a trapped plug of simple construction. Where, however, a more regular
system of water supply is available, I propose to employ the same as an
auxiliary to or independent of the surface or waste water supply.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figures 1, 2, and 3 shew the simplest
arrangement which I propose to adopt for converting a common privy into a
watercloset, an earthenware pan and a plug of the same material, which opens
a way to a soil pipe, being applied at a suitable level below the seat for
collecting and discharging the waste water. Fig. 1 shews the pan or waste
water receptacle in plan view, as applied to a closet; Fig. 2 is a section of the
same, taken in the line 1, 2; and Fig. 3, a section in the line 3, 4 of Fig. 1.
u, a, is the pan or receptacle situate immediately below the seat. The bottom
of the pan inclines to and terminates in a bent pipe a', which communicates
with the soil pipe leading to the sewer or closed tank provided to receive the
fluid and solid matters discharged from the closet. In the upper end of the
pipe a³, a cone seat is formed to receive an earthenware plug c, to which is
attached a rod d, which terminates in a handle on a level with the seat b. The
pan (see Fig. 3) is provided with a trap partition a², which divides it into two
compartments that maybe termed thereceiving and discharging compartments,
it being in this latter that the plug is mounted. For admitting water to the
pan, a trap e is provided, which by preference I mould separate from the pan,
and connect thereto by cement. This trap I connect with a surface or other
drain, and cover its mouth with a suitable grating. The waste water flowing
along the drain will thus pass through the trap into the pan and accumulate
therein. When it is thought desirable to discharge the contents of the
the plug c is raised by the rod d, and on this being effected the plug is to be
allowed to drop into its place.
pan,
Figures 4 and 5 shew in sectional elevation, and Fig. 6 in plan view,
another arrangement of closet, in which a regular system of water supply is
applied in addition to the surface drainage. In this arrangement a is the pan,
which forms the temporary receptacle for the soil, made in earthenware of a

page_text: dish form, and with a lip a¹ for trapping the drain. In rear of this lip, the
pan or receptacle takes the form of a bent tube a², through which the soil
s discharged into a chamber 6 in connection with the sewer, but cut off
therefrom (except at the time of flushing the pan) by means of a hollow
earthenware plug c. This plug has a trapped head, which allows of the
discharge of any excess of water that may accumulate in the closet, and it
is raised from its conical seat (when required) either by a chain d, or its
equivalent. When the surface water is to be rendered available for flushing,
as in the arrangement first described, the pan or vault is set below the sur-
face of the ground, the floor and seat of the closet being placed at a suitable
level to provide for this arrangement. The waste water enters the pan by
a surface channel in connection with a trap e, made of earthenware by
preference, and cemented to the pan, or it may be made to enter the plug
chamber when the latter is in rear of the pau.
When using water for flushing the closet, drawn from a cistern or other
equivalent means of supply, I lead the water into a closed vessel
situate
in any convenient part of the closet above the level of the pan, and discharge
it therefrom by the action of a draw rod, which may be operated by the
hand or foot of the person using the closet.
Fig. 7 represents in section and on an enlarged scale the vesself and its
internal fittings. g is the draw rod which passes through the lower end of the
closed vessel, and is fitted loosely with a conical valve h; this valve rests on
an elastic bed of vulcanized rubber, and commands the outlet passage and
discharge pipe i. To the upper end of the rod y is jointed a rock lever g* for
operating the inlet valve, which is of a somewhat peculiar construction. This
valve consists of a tube k closed at its upper end by an inverted cup l, but
furnished with lateral openings at that part. The valve is enclosed in a
cylindrical box m fitted in the top of the vessel f, and through a gland in the
bottom of this box the tube k works, a packing ring of india-rubber being
applied thereto to ensure a proper fit.
Between the head of this box m and
the
e cup a coiled spring is interposed, to press the edge of the cup down upon
an elastic cushion of vulcanized rubber fitted in the bottom of the box. The
supply water enters this box from a branch pipe m, but finds no vent until
the rock lever g* striking upon a pin projecting from the tube k causes that
tube to lift the cup off its seat. When this movement is effected by the
depression of the valve rod g, water will enter and partially fill the vessel f.
The discharge of the water from this vessel for the purpose of rinsing the
closet pan or flushing the vault, is effected immediately on the withdrawal of
the pressure used to draw down the valve rod, a tendency being imparted to

page_text: the rod to rise and lift the discharge valve from its seat, by means of a
weighted chain which passes over a suspended pulley, and is connected to
a rock lever n, to which the valve rod is jointed, and which also carries a
footstep o for operating the lever.
I would remark that the inverted cup valve I propose also to apply for
drawing off water and other fluids in substitution of the ordinary tap, its
special merit being that it is self-closing, and will discharge only while being
held open by the attendant. Thus the liability of an overflow from inatten-
tion will by its use be effectually removed.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in
the Construction of Sanatory Privies and Waterclosets, part of which Im-
provements is applicable as a Tap for Drawing off Liquids," and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
I claim,--
First, the means herein-before described for effecting the innocuous collec-
tion and discharge of excrementitious matters, as herein-before described.
And, secondly, the construction of self-closing valve or tap above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lister, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
THOMAS LISTER. (L.S.)