IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING EARTH AND WATER CLOSETS
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN DONKIN of Trinity Chambers Bournemouth in the County of Hants do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING
EARTH AND WATER CLOSETS and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
10
A glazed earthenware basin or a basin of any other suitable material
marked "A" on the Drawings is so divided as to form a urinal marked "C" on
the Drawings in front, the larger part of the basin in the rear receiving the
excrement which falls into the hinged pan marked "B" on the Drawing figured 1
immediately underneath in the usual way but charged with earth instead of water.
This upper basin is either fixed on the top of or made in one piece with a container
or receiver of the same material marked on the Drawing figured 1 underneath
into which the soil falls when the pan is opened. The pan being opened by means
of the handle marked "E" and the soil is thus conveyed down a soil pipe into a
dry ash or earth bin or receptacle placed to receive it. The pan marked "B" 18
supplied with earth by means of the pipe at the back marked "F." on the Drawing
figured 1 communicating with an earth ash or cinder box above.
This pipe is provided with a valve at the bottom marked "G" on the Drawings.
The earth valve is worked in the first instance by wheel I (on the Drawings).
This valve and. wheel I are annexed to the spindle which runs through the centre
of the valve and is carried outside the service pipe marked "F" as shewn by the
Drawing figured 2 and the end of the spindle is attached to the weight
marked "M" on the Drawings.
The spindle is made of iron or brass or other suitable material. Wheel I is.
provided with two indents or cogs marked K 1 and 2 on the Drawing figured. I.
The cranks H 1 and 2 as shewn on Drawing 1 act in and upon these indents
alternately by the pressure or rising of the seat as more particularly shewn
hereafter. These cranks are either hinged directly to the underside of the seat
itself or to the bottom of a rod the top of which is placed immediately under the
seat and passes through a guide plate furnished with a spring for the purpose of
supplying the power for raising the seat the requisite height, this action is shewn
upon the Drawings figured 4. These cranks are held in position by a spring or
rubber band as shown on this Drawing.
'

page_text: "
The seat letter "L" on the Drawing is hinged in front to the riser and rests at
the back upon a spring of sufficient height to keep the seat when not in use in an
upward sloping position towards the back and the seat in combination with the
action of the cranks when either pressed down or in its upward motion when the
weight on the spring is released causes the valve to open in the manner shewn as
follows that is to say-When the seat is not in use the end of the crank or more
strictly speaking the crank itself H 1 is in the indent or cog K1 and the crank H 2
is resting on the circumference of the wheel I and the valve is closed as shewn in
each of the Drawings and when the closet is in use the seat descends upon and
presses down the cranks H 1 and 2 and the crank H1 immediately acts upon and
presses round the wheel I a quarter revolution and opens the valve while the other
crank remains upon the outer circumference of the wheel I and a charge of earth is
precipitated into the earth pan 'B." When the quarter revolution has been
reached the crank H 1 is released from the indent K 1 and the valve assumes its
original position of being closed by the action of the balance weight marked "M"
and no more earth can pass through the pipe. By this time the second crank H2
comes into position and catches and passes into the other indent or cog marked K 2
in the wheel I. When the weight on the seat is released the seat rises by force of
the spring and the cranks rise to their original position and the action of the wheel
is reversed it again performing a quarter revolution and the crank H. 2 being
released from the indent or cog K 2 assumes its former position as before described
by means of the balance weight M. While performing this second quarter
revolution a supply of earth is precipitated into pan B and falls upon the
excrement and thus the excrement both falls upon and is covered with earth by
the automatic action of the seat and on the handle marked "E" being raised is
conveyed away as before described through a soil pipe to a receptacle outside the
house provided for the purpose. The action of the handle "E" on being raised in
the usual way not only cleans the earth pan "B" but also at the same time raises
the water valve marked N on the Drawings figured 1 and 3 and flushes the urinal
marked C on the Drawings which is trapped in the usual manner.
This operation is shewn by the Drawing figured 1 and the urine is conveyed
away into the drain or sewer while the solid matter is kept separate and passed
into the receptacle before mentioned and which receptacle is intended to be and
can be placed outside the house at any depth below the line of the bottom of the
closet. Amongst other advantages to be obtained from the above contrivances
is the advantage of being able to have these closets fixed in the house while the
excrement is conveyed away to the receptacle placed outside the house and the
combined use of water and earth one flushing the urinal and clearing away the
urine into the drain and sewer and the other acting upon the excrement both the
urine and the excrement being kept separate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare what
I claim is
1 The contrivance of supplying the closet with earth by the earth valve by
means of the combined arrangements of the different parts specified above namely,
by the automatic action of the seat being hinged in front and acting upon the
cranks and their action upon the wheel and valve as described and the closing of
the valve when required by the balance weight the means and contrivances by
which these different parts so act being herein before fully described.
2nd The contrivance of the cranks acting together upon and working the valve
as described.
3rd The separate use of water and earth combined in one apparatus, the water
flushing and clearing away the urine into a drain or sewer and the earth acting
upon the excrement and being carried away and kept separate from the urine and
the water.

page_text: 4th The combined arrangements by which my third claim is effected namely, by
the working of the valve as described and by the action of the water supply as
shewn on Drawing 1 also combined with the action of the handle E when raised by
which the pan and urinal is cleared as fully described above.
Dated this Second day of February One thousand eight hundred and eighty
G. F. HUDSON MATTHEWS & Co.,
32, Queen Victoria Street, London,
Solicitors and Agents for John Donkin.