IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR COVERING WATER-CLOSET SEATS WHEN USING THE SAME
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR COVERING WATER-CLOSET SEATS WHEN
USING THE SAME." A communication from abroad by Michel Bonnefond,
of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th January 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR
COVERING WATER-CLOSET SEATS WHEN USING THE SAME.' [A communication
from abroad by Michel Bonnefond, of Paris, France.]
"
When a person has occasion to make use of a public water-closet, he generally
experiences more or less repugnance and apprehension by reason of the fact that he
is compelled to sit upon the same place which was probably a few minutes before
occupied by a stranger, and there is reason for apprehension, because such diseases
as are communicated by simple contact may be thus acquired.
My said Invention entirely remedies the inconvenience above mentioned, and
therefore prevents the serious consequences thereof.
The said Invention consists in providing a simple hygienic apparatus or appliance
which can be readily secured to the seat of a water closet upon which a person
desires to sit; this apparatus effects a double purpose, that is to say, it not only
prevents contact with the seat, but offers the additional advantage of protecting
the genital organs against contact with the basin of the closet.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a single sheet or piece of
india rubber, metallic foil, very thin wood, veneer, paper, woven fabric, or other
suitable material, of sufficient size for the seat to which it is to be applied. This
sheet or piece is cut out or perforated centrally by means of a punch or any suitable
instrument, and in such a manner that the cut out or perforated portion which
forms an open-work pattern has the same outline as the seat hole. The two
portions of the sheet or piece, that is to say, the portion outside and the portion
[Price 6d.1

page_text: inside the perforations are not completely severed by punching or cutting, but
small adherent strips are reserved which unite the said two portions of the sheet;
but when a person sits upon the seat covered by this hygienic device the said
small strips are broken or torn away and cannot be again cemented or stuck
together, and thus all the necessary security is ensured as the apparatus can thus
only serve once. When broken the strips no longer hold the central portion and
it falls, but is supported at the front for the reason that a part of the material is
left unperforated. This central portion therefore hangs inside the basin where
it protects the genital organs from coming into contact with the said basin. This
is a very great advantage, and is an essential feature of my Invention.
A part of the said apparatus or device extends downward at the front portion of
seat, and is retained there by an attaching device, so as to prevent displacement
when a person is in the act of sitting down. This device is preferably constructed as
follows, that is to say :-A longitudinal strip of wood or other suitable material is
attached to a support hinged to a piece secured to the front part of the case
enclosing the pan, and a spring of any kind is placed so as to press the strip upon
the sheet, and against a longitudinal piece screwed at the front part of the casing;
or I may construct the fastening device as follows:-A plate is attached to the front
of the casing by screws, and upon this plate is hinged another plate or a bar pro-
vided with a knob or button. The hinge has a spring so that the paper is supported
underneath the second plate or bar; or the attaching device may consist of an
india rubber piece which enters a recess provided in a plate or piece of wood,
leather, or other material. I may also use any other means for fixing the said
hygienic device, either by pasting it with glue wafers or the like, or by using small
fasteners, such as nails, screws, or similar devices.
t
As hereinbefore stated I may employ in the manufacture of my said hygienic
apparatus any suitable material, such as textile fabrics, india rubber, sheets of
metal-foil, very thin veneer-wood,, and even leaves of vegetables, but I find paper
very advantageous by reason of its low price.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th July 1881.
(
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR
COVERING WATER-CLOSET SEATS WHEN USING THE SAME." A communication
from abroad by Michel Bonnefond, of Paris, France.
The necessity for using a public water closet excites feelings of repugnance and
apprehension, arising from the idea of sitting on a place which has probably been
just previously occupied by a stranger, and there is reason for such apprehension,
because diseases capable of being communicated by simple contact may be thus
acquired.
The object of this Invention is to remedy these inconveniences and to prevent the
serious consequences thereof; and the said Invention consists essentially in the
application to the water-closet seat of a hygienic sheet of paper or other suitable
material, such as india rubber, metallic foil, textile fabric, and the like, which fulfils
a double purpose, that is to say, it not only prevents contact with the seat, but also
affords the advantage of protecting the genital organs against contact with the pan
or basin of the water closet.
My improved bygienic material may be made in single sheets, but I prefer to
employ a number of sheets so connected with each other as to form a continuous
band or roll held on the top board or seat of the water-closet. In either case the
sheet is cut out or perforated, as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn the arrangement of the devices
employed for maintaining the sheet of paper properly stretched on the seat, so that
the use of the said sheet is rendered simple and easy. In this Drawing,―
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of a water-closet provided with the
devices for containing and holding the sheets of the said hygienic paper, and
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 represents a portion of a continuous length of the hygienic material.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the box for the reception of a roll of the
said material.
Figure 5 is a plan of the said box when open.
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the same.
Figure 7 represents a key for opening the aforesaid box, to allow a sheet or
length of the hygienic material to be withdrawn therefrom.
Figure 8 is a sectional detail-view of a device for securing the sheet of paper in
position upon the seat.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a modification hereinafter described.
A represents the sheet of paper or other hygienic material, which is cut or
perforated to conform to the outline of the seat hole; the central part B of the said
sheet adheres to the outer part A when in its normal condition, and is connected to
the latter by small pieces or strips a, a, left between the perforations. When a
person sits down on the seat covered by this hygienic sheet, the said small
connecting pieces or strips a are broken or torn away, and the central part B drops,
but is supported at the front, for the reason that a part of the material between the
points x, x, is left unperforated. This central part B therefore hangs down inside
of the pan or basin, and protects the genital organs from coming in contact with
the said basin.
The edge of the portion of the sheet surrounding the part B is slit or divided to
form teeth, as shewn at b, b, so that when a person sits upon the hygienic sheet,

page_text: this portion of the same will come in contact with the edges of the opening in the
seat, and with the basin. By reference to Figure 3, it will be seen that the
connecting strips a between the sheet A and the central part B are shown as
broken, whilst in the sheets A' and A² the said strips are unbroken, and the part B
is shewn as adhering by its entire circumference to the said sheets. In Figure 9
the part B is shewn in dotted lines in the position it occupies when it has dropped
into the basin at the front part of the seat.
One form of device for attaching my improved hygienic sheets to the top of the
closet is constructed as follows, that is to say :-A longitudinal strip of wood or
other suitable material is attached to a support hinged to a piece secured to the
front part of the case enclosing the pan, and a suitable spring is placed so as to
press the strip upon the sheet, and against a longitudinal piece screwed at the front
part of the casing. Or I may attach a plate to the front of the casing by screws,
and upon this plate hinge another plate or bar provided with a knob or button.
The hinge has a spring, so that the paper is supported underneath the second
plate or bar. Or the attaching device may consist of an india rubber piece which
enters a recess provided in a plate or piece of wood, leather, or other material, but
I prefer to secure the sheets by the devices illustrated in the Drawing, and which
I will now proceed to describe.
On one side of the closet (see Figures 1 and 2) I provide a box C closed by a
lid D. This box serves for the reception of the hygienic sheets forming an endless
band E wound upon a shaft or axle c, guided in the vertical slots d, d, in the ends
of the said box. The roll of sheets rest on the bottom of the said box by reason
of its own weight, and the sheets A are delivered laterally through the slot eat the
lower part of the box. To diminish the friction the bottom of the box may be
scooped out (see Figures 4 and 6) in such a manner that the roller is supported
at its ends only, or the ends of the said roller may rest on small supports.
That side of the box through which the sheets A are delivered is interiorly
provided with a guillotine or drop-plate f, guided in suitable ways or slides g, 9;
a sp.ingh fixed at its centre to the box constantly tends to raise the said drop-
plate, which is made with a rabbetted edge i that corresponds to the edge at the
front of the box, so that when the said box is closed (see Figure 1) the paper is
folded or creased, and cannot slip so long as the said box remains closed. This
box is kept closed by the catch j, which enters a slot k in a spring l. For opening
the lid D I provide the key m (Figure 7); the hook or beard of this key is caused
to engage behind the spring to permit the same to be pulled, and the disengagement
of the catch j therefrom. This key remains in the possession of the attendant,
who is the only person that is permitted to draw out a sheet of the hygienic
material.
On the side of the top-board or seat of the closet opposite to the box is fixed
a strip or lath n, of wood or other material, upon which the end of the paper-
sheet A is placed, and held by the small bar or rod o hinged at p; the recess or
slot g in this bar exactly encloses the strip or lath n, and when forced down upon
the paper folds the same on several lines. The paper or other hygienic material
thus folded cannot slip and the sheet is perfectly secured. A small bolt r holds
the rod o down.
All of the sheets in the continuous band A are numbered, thereby affording
ready means for controlling the use thereof; they are separated from one another
by lines or rows of perforations 8, 8, (see Figure 3) which allow a sheet when used
to be easily detached. To ensure the sheet being accurately placed with relation
to the seat a mark may be made on the paper and brought in line with, say, a
small nail fixed in the top-board.
The key may, especially in private houses, be replaced by a button attached to
the lock-spring. Or I may dispense with the box and the roller may rest in two
small supports; the sheet would in such case be held at the two ends by hinged
strips or laths, such as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 8; or, as is shown in Figure 9,
the roll is arranged at the rear of the top board or seat, and is provided with a

page_text: ratchet and pawl, and the sheet will be held in front by a small bar or rod a or any
other suitable device.
When single sheets are used they can be held at the two ends by strips or laths
or in a frame, or they may be stuck fast at the four corners, or may be fixed in any
other suitable manner.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The adaptation to a water closet seat of a hygienic and protective sheet,
cut out or perforated according to the outline of the seat hole, so that the central
portion remains connected with the outer portion by small strips or pieces until a
person sits down thereon, and is then partially disconnected, so that it drops into
the pan or basin in the proper position to prevent the contact therewith of the
genital organs, substantially as above set forth.
Second. The arrangements or devices whereby the protective hygienic sheet in
the form of an endless band rolled or coiled on a roller is adapted for use in the
closet, as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. ROD. LAKE. (L.S.)