IMPROVEMENTS IN SANITARY ARRANGEMENTS TO BE SUBSTITUTED FOR WATERCLOSETS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Steel, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SANITARY
ARRANGEMENTS TO BE SUBSTITUTED FOR WATERCLOSETS."
Sealed the 9th July 1869, and dated the 13th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Steel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th January 1869.
I, JAMES STEEL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SABITARY ARRANGEMENTS TO BE SUBSTITUTED FOR WATERCLOSETS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improved sanitary arrangements to
be substituted for waterclosets, and one modification of such improved
arrangements is well adapted for houses constructed in flats or which
require closets for the different flats, whilst another modification is
suitable for self-contained or country houses.

page_text: In the modification for flats a space is enclosed by walls outside of
the staircase and is carried up the entire height of the building. This
space is partially boarded over, and a closet with seat is constructed at
each flat, but these are arranged so that the space below each seat
is perfectly clear down to the bottom. Thus the top closet will occupy
the whole horizontal area, the next below it will occupy that area
diminished by a shaft from the seat above, and the lower ones will occupy
spaces diminished by portions corresponding to the flats above. The
seats are to be provided with double covers, the larger ones which form
the actual seats being lifted for emptying ashes or other refuse; or the
ordinary seat may be formed with an aperture enlarged transversely for
the purpose. There are no pans or basins below the seats, but a clear
fall to the bottom of the space, which may be termed the manure bin,
and which is at the bottom, provided with close fitting doors for the
periodical removal of the manure, such manure being in a very con-
venient and valuable form, not being diluted with water, as in ordinary
waterclosets.
In the other modification the manure bin is constructed as a detached
erection connected with the main building by one or more bridges or
galleries, the closets when there are two or more, being arranged as in
the first modification, so that there is a clear fall below each.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Steel in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES 2
STEEL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Steel, Her
special licence that I, the said James Steel, my executors, adminis
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Steel,

page_text: "
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agre
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therrin 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 Inscution for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SANITARY ARRANGEMENTS TO BE SUBSTITUTED FOR WATER-
CLOSETS, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Steel, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands, and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 James Steel, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to bo performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to certain improved sanitary arrangements
to be substituted for waterclosets, and one modification of such iniproved
arrangements is well adapted for houses constructed in flats or which
require closets for the different flats, whilst another modification is
suitable for self-contained or country houses.
'And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood I have hereunto appended a Sheet
of explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to and representing
examples of my improved arrangements..
A modification suitable for flats and designed for about four dwellings
on each flat is shown in vertical section in Figures 1 and 2, and in.
horizontal section in Figure 3. The sections, Figures 1 and 2, are taken
as at the lines A-A and B-B respectively in Figure 3, and the section,
Figure 3, is taken as just below the ceiling of the bottom flat. In this
modification a space is enclosed by walls 1, 2, 3, outside of the stair-
case 4, and is carried up the entire height of the building or nearly so..
This space is partially boarded over, and a closet 5 with scat 6 is con-
structed at euch flat, but the several closets are arranged so that the
space below each seat is perfectly clear down to the bottom. Thus if

page_text: the space or shaft enclosed by the walls 1, 2, 8, were continued of the
same width up to the top, as might be done if preferred, then the top
closet would or might occupy the whole horizontal area, the next below
it would occupy that area diminished by a shaft 7 from the scat above,
and the lower ones would occupy spaces diminished by shafts 7, 8, or
7, 8, 9, corresponding to the number of shafts above. In the arrange-
mcnt shown in the Drawing however the space is not as wide at the top
as below, extensions being made at the bottom and next flat to take in
the closets of those flats without interfering with the shafts 7, 8, from
the closets above, so that a clear fall, which is the main object of my
Invention, is still secured, whilst unnecessary space at the higher flats
is dispensed with, and the expence of the structure reduced. The seats 6
are provided with double covers, the larger ones which form the actual
seats being lifted for emptying ashes or other refuse; or if preferred
the seats may be of the ordinary kind, but with the apertures enlarged
transversely. There are no pans or basins below the seats, but a clear
fall to the bottom 10 of the space, which may be termed the manure
bin. This bin is provided at or near the bottom with a close fitting
door 11 communicating with the outside of the building for the
periodical removal of the manure, which is in a very convenient and
valuable form, and not diluted with water, as in ordinary waterclosets.
In Figures 4 to 7 a modification is represented, which may be con-
veniently constructed for self-contained or country houses. Figure 4
is an elevation with the sanitary arrangements shown in vertical section,
whilst the erection containing these is shown in end elevation in
Figure 5. Figures 6 and 7 are horizontal sections taken as at the two
flats respectively. The sanitary erection 12 is represented as made of
iron, but it may of course be built of brick, stone, or wood; it is con-
nected with the main building by a gallery 13 communicating with the
upper flat, and where required there may be galleries or bridges com-
municating with higher flats. The erection 12 is however represented
as constructed for two closets 5 with their seats 6, the lower one being
raised somewhat above the ground level to allow space for the manure
bin 10. The seats of the closets are arranged like those of the first
modification, and so that there is a clear fall below each.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not

page_text: restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but
that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
the arranging of closets for two or more flats in one erection over: a
manure bin, and with a clear fall below each, substantially as hercin-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Steel, havo hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
'Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES STEEL. (L.S.)