IMPROVE. MENTS IN PRIVIES AND COMMODES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Emile Giajola, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Lamp Maker, for the. Invention of "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN PRIVIES AND COMMODES."
Sealed the 7th August 1866, and dated the 9th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Emile Giajola at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his.. Petition, on the
9th February 1866..
I, CHARLES EMILE GIAJOLA, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Lamp Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRIVIES AND COMMODES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in privies
and commodes, the object of the said improvements being to prevent the
escape of any offensive odours from the privy or commode: Around the
opening in the seat of the privy or commode I make an annular trough, the
inner side of the said trough forming the conical side of the hole in the seat,
and the outer side of the trough extending under the seat around the hole
therein. A circular slot is made in the seat around the hole therein and
concentric therewith, the said slot opening into the annular trough.. I use
with the privy or commode made as described a cover somewhat larger than
the hole in the seat, and provided with a circular rim on its under side of
such a size that when the cover is placed over the hole in the seat the said
rim enters the slot around the said hole. The annular trough described is:

page_text: filled or nearly filled with water, and when the cover is placed over the hole
in the seat its circular rim dips into the water in the said trough and thereby
forms a water joint, which prevents the escape of offensive odours from the
privy or commode. In order to provide for the occasional emptying of the
trough I extend the annular trough outwards on one side or at the back of
the seat, the said extended part being open at top and provided with a hinged
cover. In the bottom of the said extended part is a hole, which may be
opened or closed at pleasure by means of a cork or other stopper, which I
prefer to connect to the seat by means of a chain or cord. When it is wished
to change the water in the annular trough it is only necessary to raise the
hinged lid of the extended part of the trough and remove the cork or stopper
from the whole, when the water runs out of the said trough. By closing
the hole with the cork and refilling the trough with water the closet or
commode is again ready for use. I prefer to make the annular trough and
the cover of the seat of enamelled iron, but I do not limit myself to the use
of any particular materials,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Emile Giajola in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
EMILE GIAJOLA, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Lamp Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Emile Giajola, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Emile
Giajola, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charles Emile Giajola, 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 "In,
PROVEMENTS IN PRIVIES AND COMMODES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Charles Emile Giajola, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: 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 Charles Emile Giajola, 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 :-
:
My Invention relates to waterclosets, and consists of the improvements as
generally described in my Provisional Specification dated 9th February 1866, :
which improvements I now more particularly describe, reference being made:
to the accompanying Drawing, which is intended to form part of this
Specification, and to which the following explanation applies.
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation shewing the improved apparatus in its
complete form; Fig. 2 is a plan at the line A, B, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side.
view of the soil pan lid; Fig. 4, a sectional plan at the line C, D, Fig. 1;
Fig. 5, a sectional elevation of the soil container cover; Fig. 6 is a plan view :
of the bellows detached.. The same parts of the apparatus are lettered with
similar reference letters, so that the following index applies to the whole.
a is a wood moveable seat made to rise and fall in the usual way, and
which I denominate the "upper seat;" 6 is an opening in the seat, which
may be closed by a loose lid when required; c is a metal fixed under seat;,
d, a soil pan attached to the under seat; e, a circular reservoir at the top of.
the soil pan; f, a cover formed with a dipping flange made to fit into the ;
reservoir e, which is intended to contain water, so that when the cover fis
placed in position here shewn it effectually prevents any gas or unpleasant:
effluvia escaping from the soil pan; this pan may be made of metal or any
other suitable material; g is the soil container; h is a reservoir formed on
the neck of the soil container by the outer flange h', also intended to hold
water, and into which water channel the flange h" of the soil pan dips when the
apparatus is in proper position; by this means all effluvia is prevented from
escaping except when the closet is in use; i, a loose lid made to fit the channel.
on the neck of the soil container when the latter is being removed; k, wheels
upon which the soil container is intended to travel into and out of its place
under the soil pan; l, a rising and falling platform upon which the soil
container rests; m, a screw for raising and lowering the platform; n, a fixed
block in which the rising and lowering screw works; n', a sleeper or foundation;

page_text: 9
o.is à cylindrical or other shaped blower or bellows, the lid o¹ of which is
weighted and raised by means of the lift rod p, at the top of which a folding
handle is fitted; the dotted lines shew it as raised; is the blower pipe,
into which disinfecting powder or liquid may be admitted;, the terminals
of the blower, in the sides 1, 1, of which openings are formed, through which
the air is blown into the lower part of the soil pan when in use; the current
of air being downwards, as shewn by the arrows, prevents any unpleasant
smell from rising; s is a valve opened by the rod t.
. The mode of using the closet is as follows:-The lid or upper seat a is
raised by hand, when the lid f in the under seat is removed and placed in the
recess f; the handle g of the blower draw rod is then pulled up and let fall,
and the upper seat again lowered, when the closet is ready for use. The
whole apparatus is closed by raising the upper seat and placing the cover ƒ in
its normal position. When the container is full it is lowered by the screw
m till the flange of the soil pan clears the channel h, when the lid, Fig. 5,
(which may be made to screw on when required) is dropt into the channel;
the container is then drawn away along the platform l, and taken away by
cart or otherwise emptied, and replaced. There is thus no saturation of the
soil with offensive.matter, and the house drains, sewers, or cesspool can be
kept much cleaner than when the soil is turned into them, while there is no
waste of manure, and great facility is afforded for its removal by cheap and
expeditious means, and such removal may be effected at any time of the day
without creating the usual nuisance when night soil is being removed. An
opening, closed by a suitable door at the side E or F or at the back, is
intended to be left for getting the container in and out. The size, form, and
arrangement of the detail parts may be modified as required.
I claim the apparatus as herein described, together with the said
modifications, as my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Emile Giajola, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
CHARLES EMILE GIAJOLA. (L.S.)