AN IMPROVED COMBINED ARTICLE OF FURNITURE FOR USE AS A NIGHT COMMODE AND CUPBOARD
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Watson Randall, of Chatham, in the County of
Kent, Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED
COMBINED ARTICLE OF FURNITURE FOR USE AS A NIGHT COMMODE AND
CUPBOARD."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Watson Randall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February 1882.
JAMES WATSON RANDALL, of Chatham in the County of Kent Cabinet Maker
and Upholsterer. "AN IMPROVED COMBINED ARTICLE OF FURNITURE FOR USE
AS A NIGHT-COMMODE AND CUPBOARD."
My Invention relates to an improved article of bed-room furniture designed to be
used as an ordinary pedestal-cupboard for containing chamber utensils or urinals,
and as a night closet or commode. Heretofore the cupboard and the commode have
always constituted separate and distinct articles of furniture, and my Invention
consists essentially in providing such a construction that one article may be used
for either or both with great facility. The said article is exceedingly convenient
in use, can be made at considerably less cost than is possible when separate articles
have to be provided, and obviates the objection which many persons have to
ordinary commodes by reason of their appearance, as my improved article of
furniture has more the appearance of a pedestal-cupboard than of a commode.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I make a box or cupboard the upper
part or top of which reaches to a convenient height to enable a person to sit thereon,
such for instance as the height of an ordinary chair-seat. The said cupboard or
box is divided longitudinally by a partition, thus providing two compartments viz.,
an upper and a lower one. The upper compartment is designed to receive a pan of
earthenware or other material which is placed immediately beneath a circular or
otherwise shaped aperture in the wood above it. A lid is hinged to the box, and
when closed, completely covers the top of the box and consequently the aperture
and pan.
A door is also provided in front which is hinged to one side and affords
means of access to the interior for inserting or removing the pan and any other

page_text: article or articles. The lower compartment is designed to receive one or more
chamber utensils or urinals. The latter when required to be used may be taken
from the compartment and placed within the aperture at the top of the box where
it is entirely supported, and when done with, it may be readily removed to the
compartment designed to hold it. It will thus be seen that this combined article
of furniture is exceedingly convenient for use either by males or females and it will
be readily understood that it is specially advantageous for the latter.
In some cases I provido a second lid, that is to say, the upper part with the
aperture therein is hinged instead of being fixed in order that the pan or cover
may be inserted and removed at the top instead of in front and the second lid
covers the one with the aperture and in some cases I insert two horizontal par-
titions in the box or cupboard so as to provide a small central chamber which is
designed to receive the pan-cover when the pan is required to be used.
My said improved combined article of furniture may be made square, round, or
of any other desirable shape, and may be ornamented by fluting or in any other
manner. It may be made of any suitable wood or of metal, and of different
dimensions provided that the essential feature as to height be observed. The top
or outer cover may be ornamented in various manners to suit different tastes and
may be covered with carpet or provided with a stuffed cushion to serve as an
ordinary seat.
The partition or partitions aforesaid may be either fixed or movable to suit
different sizes of the articles to be received within the compartment, and if the
article is not required to be used as a commode it will conveniently hold a toilet-
pail instead of the pan. Suitable handles or fittings may be attached in convenient
positions for facilitating lifting when required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Watson Randall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th August 1882.
JAMES WATSON RANDALL, of Chatham, in the County of Kent, Cabinet Maker
and Upholsterer. "AN IMPROVED COMBINED ARTICLE OF FURNITURE FOR USE
AS A NIGHT COMMODE AND CUPBOARD."
My Invention relates to an improved article of bed-room furniture designed to
be used as an ordinary pedestal-cupboard for containing chamber-utensils or
urinals, and as a night closet or cominode. Heretofore the cupboard and the
commode have always constituted separate and distinct articles of furniture, and
my Invention consists essentially in providing such a construction that one article
may be used for either, or both, with great facility. The said article is exceedingly
convenient in use, can be made at considerably less cost than is possible when
separate articles have to be provided, and obviates the objection which many
persons have to ordinary commodes by reason of their appearance, as my improved
article of furniture has more the appearance of a pedestal-cupboard than of a
commode.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved combined article of
furniture.
Figure 2 shows the same closed, and
Figure 3, 4, and 5 represent modifications of the same.
A
In carrying the said Invention into practice I make a box or cupboard a the
upper part or top of which reaches to a convenient height to enable a person to
sit thereon, such for instance, as the height of an ordinary chair-seat. The said
cupboard or box is divided by a horizontal partition b into two compartments c, d.
The upper compartiment c is designed to receive a pan e, of earthenware or other
material, which is placed immediately beneath a circular or otherwise shaped
aperture fin the wood above it. A lid g is hinged to the box a and, when closed,
completely covers the top of the box and consequently the aperture and pan.
door is also provided in front which is hinged to one side of the box and affords
access to the interior thereof for inserting or removing the pan e and any other
article or articles. The lower compartment d is designed to receive one or more
chamber utensils or urinals. The latter when required to be used may, if desired,
be taken from the compartment & and placed within or below the aperture fat
the top of the box as shown in Figure 4, where it is entirely supported, and when
done with, it may be readily removed to the compartment designed to hold it. It
will thus be seen that this combined article of furniture isexceedingly convenient
for use either by males or females and it will be readily understood that it is
specially advantageous for the latter.
In some cases I provide a second lid as shewn in Figure 5, that is to say, the
upper part with the aperture f therein, is hinged instead of being fixed, in order
that the pan e or its cover may be inserted and removed at the top instead of in
front and the second lid covers the one with the aperture; and in some cases I
construct the box a with a second horizontal partition i, as shown in Figure 3, so
as to provide a small central chamber which is designed to receive the pan-cover
when the pan is required to be used.
The pedestal cupboard can, if desired, be combined with a bidet instead of with
a night commode, by altering the aperture at the top to the shape of the pan.
My said improved combined article of furniture may be made square, round or of

page_text: any other desirable shape, and may be ornamented by fluting or in any other
manner. It inay be made of any suitable wood or of metal and of different
dimensions provided that the essential feature as to height be observed. The top
or outer cover may be ornamented in various manners to suit different tastes and
may be covered with carpet or provided with a stuffed cushion to serve as an
ordinary seat.
The partition or partitions aforesaid may be either fixed or movable to suit
different sizes of the articles to be received within the compartment, and if the
article is not required to be used as a commode it will conveniently hold a toilet
pail instead of the pan. Suitable handles or fittings may be attached in convenient
positions for facilitating lifting when required.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I wish it understood that I claim,
The improved combined articlo of furniture for use as a night commode and as a
pedestal-cupboard constructed substantially as above set forth.
In witness whereof I the said James Watson Randall have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Eleventh day of August in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
JAMES WATSON RANDALL.
(L.S.)