Improvements in Dry or Earth Closets.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left. 11th A r., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dry or Earth Closets.
I, GEORGE VIVIAN POORE, of 30 Wimpole Street, W., in the County of
London, Physician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for object to so construct & arrange the pans of dry or
earth closets that they shall be less liable to be soiled by use that the fæcal
matter shall after deposit be hidden from sight & that they shall generally present
a less objectionable appearance after use, than has heretofore been usual with
the pans of dry or earth closets, thereby rendering such closets more acceptable
than heretofore to persons of both sexes.
For this purpose the closet pan, which as usual is made of gradually decreasing
cross section toward its lower end is made considerably inclined to the vertical
at its front side, say at an angle of about 15° whilst its rear side is made vertical
or only slightly inclined to the vertical, say at an angle of about 5°. The lower
end of the pan is normally closed by a counterbalanced Alap or valve that may
advantageously be slightly inclined to the horizontal, and is so mounted and
arranged that it will automatically open and permit fæces falling thereon to pass
into a receptacle or vault below, after which it will return to its closed position,
and cut off direct communication between the pan & receptacle or vault.
To still further reduce the risk of soiling the back of the pan, the closet seat is.
arranged at a less height than usual above the floor say at a height of about
fifteen inches, and to the same end the back of the pan may advantageously be set
say about three inches behind the rear edge of the opening in the seat.
The pan, seat and floor of the closet may advantageously be arranged above a
brick vault, into which the lower end of the pan projects & which is provided at or
near the top with air bricks communicating with the outer air & at the bottom
with a concrete floor inclined towards an opening through which urine can at all
times drain away & be absorbed by earth arranged outside thereof & through
which the dry or semi-dry fæces, mixed with earth, can be withdrawn from time to
time, the whole forming a well ventilated receptacle from which all effluvia can
readily escape direct into the open air without liability of its passing upward
through the closet pan.
Dated this 11th day of July 1893.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dry or Earth Closets.
1, GEORGE VIVIAN POORE, of 30 Wimpole Street, W., in the County of
London, Physician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for object, to so construct and arrange the pans of dry
or earth closets that they shall be less liable to be soiled by use; that the fecal
matter shall after deposit be hidden from sight; and that they shall generally

page_text: present a less objectionable appearance after use, than has heretofore been usual
with the pans of dry or earth closets, thereby rendering such closets more
acceptable than heretofore to persons of both sexes.
For this purpose I construct and arrange the closet as I will now proceed to
describe referring to the accompanying drawings, in which, Fig. 1 shows in
vertical section a dry or earth closet constructed and arranged according to my
invention, and Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line a x Fig. 1.
The pan or basin 1, which as usual is made of gradually decreasing cross section
towards its lower end and of approximately truncated conical form, is made
considerably inclined to the vertical at its front side, say at an angle of about 15°,
whilst its rear side is made vertical or only slightly inclined to the vertical, say at
an angle of about 5° the inclination of the intermediate or side portions gradually
varying from that at the front to that at the rear. The lower end of the pan is
normally closed by a counter-balanced flap or valve 2, which may advantageously
be slightly inclined to the horizontal as shown, in which case the plane of the
lower end of the pan is similarly inclined so that the flap or valve will fit closely
against it. The flap or valve is so mounted and arranged that it will automatically
open and permit feces falling upon it to pass into a receptacle or vault below, after
which it will readily return to its closed position and cut off direct communication
between the pan and receptacle or vault. For this purpose the flap or valve 2,
which may be of enamelled sheet metal, is fixed to a spindle 3 provided with a
counterbalance weight 4 and mounted in slotted bearings 5 that are open at the top
so as to permit of the flap or valve being readily removed to permit of its being
cleaned when necessary. Also by this construction friction will be reduced to a
very small amount, thereby permitting the flap or valve to easily open and close.
To still further reduce the risk of soiling the back of the pan, the closet seat 6
is arranged at a less height above the floor 7 than usual, say at a height of about
fifteen inches, and to the same end, the back of the pan should be set back say
about three inches behind the rear edge 8ª of the opening 8 in the seat as shown.
The pan 1, seat 6, and floor 7 of the closet may advantageously be arranged
above a brick vault 9 into which the lower end of the pan projects, as shown in
vertical section in Fig. 3. This vault is provided at or near the top, and it may
be also at points lower down in its side walls, with air bricks 10 that serve to place
the interior of the vault in free communication with the external atmosphere.
At the bottom, the vault is provided with a hard impervious floor 11 of material
such as concrete inclined towards an opening 12 in one of the side walls through
which urine can at all times drain away and be absorbed by a heap of earth 13
arranged outside, and through which the dry or semi dry feces, mixed with earth,
can also be withdrawn from time to time, the said opening at other times being
preferably closed by wire netting 14 to prevent animals entering the vault.
the construction described a well ventilated receptacle is obtained from which all
effluvia can readily escape direct into the open air without liability of its passing
upward through the closet pan and wherein the drained feces left upon the
inclined floor is permitted to dry quickly without liability to putrefy and become
offensive.
By
The pan 1, which may be made of sheet metal enamelled on the inside, or of
other suitable material such as stoneware, and be provided at its upper end with a
flange 1 to permit of its ready attachment to the underside of the seat 6, may
conveniently have a diameter of about fourteen inches at the top and seven inches
at the bottom and be about twenty two inches in length, the lower end extending
say about eight inches through the roof of the receptacle or vault 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
claim is
1. In a dry or earth closet, the hereinabove described improved pan or basin 1
having its front side considerably inclined to the vertical, its rear side vertical or

page_text: nearly so and set a short distance behind the rear edge of the opening in the closet
seat, and its lower side normally closed by a pivotted flap or valve adapted when
feces fall thereon to open automatically and permit such feces to pass into a
receptacle below and then to automatically return to its normal and closed position,
the whole being arranged substantially as described and shown.
2. My improved dry or earth closet (with receptacle or vault) constructed and
arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings annexed.