Improvements in Privies, or Dry Closets.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Privies, or Dry Closets.
I, ALFRED Fox, of Collingwood Street, in the City and County of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide privies or dry closets, for tenemented
or cheaply rented houses which will obviate the objections, from a sanitary point
of view, of the common forms of such conveniences now in use. The combined ash
receptacle and privy is a very general form consisting of a tub which is emptied
by the night-soil man early each morning by being drawn out through a door in
the back wall and replaced in position for the day's service. This form of dry
closet is not objectionable when properly used but, in cases where it is common to
a great number of tenants, careless of sanitary conditions, instead of being only
a receptacle for dry ashes, and excrement, dirty water, and all sorts of other
liquids are emptied into the tub until it overflows, carrying with it excrement,
which is left to accumulate from day to day, as it is not the duty of the night men
to do more than empty the tub, and a filthy state of things is the result.
According to my invention I propose to provide a privy, or dry closet, which
cannot be rendered insanitary by the neglect of tenants using it, whilst I keep in
view the need of simplicity and reasonable cheapness of construction.
I propose to abolish the moveable tub entirely and instead to construct against
the back street wall a brick chamber, lined with cement, the top of which is closed
by two hinged lids or covers the under one of which forms the privy seat and the
upper one the closet cover when not in use, and, when both covers are turned back
on their hinges the whole, or nearly the whole, of the brick chamber is accessible
for the discharge into it of ashes or any other house refuse such as dirty water
or other liquid. The bottom of the chamber is so formed as to dip toward a
point where is inserted a grate over a cavity below which is connected by a branch
to the sewer in back street and I propose, where necessary, to "trap" this
communication between the cavity and the sewer.
The chamber receives from time to time deposits of ashes or other refuse,
excrement and house slops or other liquid until it is necessary to empty it (say
once or twice in a week) which is effected by the scavengers inserting their shovels
through the door at back, the ashes and excrement being mixed together perfectly
free from the liquid refuse which has drained off through the "trapped" cavity
into the sewer the grate having prevented any solid matter passing through. The
cemented interior surface of the chamber prevents any leakage of liquid through
the brickwork.
Thus it will be seen that no matter. what quantity of slops or liquid may go into
the chamber it will immediately filter through the solid contents and drain out
through the bottom into the sewer leaving the ashes, refuse or excrement free
from liquid and therefore in the most suitable condition for manure.
It is the experience of all sanitary inspectors that water closets in tenemented
property are abused, get out of order and, besides causing a great waste of water,
become a nuisance. Earth closets are similarly abused by having slops discharged
into them till they overflow and the tub system, as previously stated, is abused by
improper use as a receptacle for slops for which it was never intended but the
alternative is the emptying of slops, often mixed with excrement into the sink or,
if the latter is choked, as is frequently the case, into the tub or, when that is
overflowing, into the back street. In certain cases of better class houses my

page_text: invention may be carried out in a more finished form giving to the privy or dry
closet the external appearance of a water closet by having a pan fitted to shut out
the sight of the excrement and ashes already deposited and means may be adopted
for flushing this pan by a rush of water which will afterwards filter through the
ashes and drain out with any other slops through the cavity into the sewer.
Dated this 25th day of October 1893.
T. J. DANSON,
By L. W., per F. B.
Improvements in Privies, or Dry Closets.
I, ALFRED Fox of Collingwood Street, in the City and County of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Merchant, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide privies or dry closets, for tenemented or
cheaply rented houses which will obviate the objections, from a sanitary point of
view, of the common forms of such conveniences now in use. The combined ash
receptacle and privy is a very general form consisting of a tub which is emptied by
the night soil men early each morning by being drawn out through a door in the
back wall and replaced in position for the day's service. This form of dry closet
is not objectionable when properly used, but, in cases where it is common to a
great number of tenants, careless of sanitary conditions, instead of being only a
receptacle for dry ashes, and excrement, dirty water, and all sorts of other liquids
are emptied into the tub until it overflows, carrying with it excrement to be left to
to do more
accumulate from day to day, as it is not the duty of the "night men
than empty the tub, and a filthy state of things is the result.
According to my invention I propose to provide a privy, or dry closet, which
cannot be rendered insanitary by the neglect of tenants using it whilst I keep in
view the need of simplicity and reasonable cheapness of construction.
propose to abolish the moveable tub entirely and instead to construct against
the back street wall a brick chamber lined with cement the top of which is closed
by two hinged lids or covers the under one of which forms the privy seat and the
upper one the closet cover when not in use, and, when both covers are turned back
on their hinges the whole, or nearly the whole, of the brick chamber is accessible
for the discharge into it of ashes or any other house refuse such as dirty water or
other liquid. The bottom of the chamber is so formed as to dip toward a point
where is inserted a grate over a cavity below which is connected by a branch to the
sewer in back street and I propose, where necessary, to trap this communication
between the cavity and the sewer.
The chamber receives from time to time deposits of ashes or other refuse,
excrement and house slops, or other liquid, until it is necessary to empty it, say
once or twice in a week, which is effected by the scavengers inserting their shovels
through the door at back, the ashes and excrement being mixed together perfectly
free from the liquid refuse which has drained off through the "trapped" cavity
into the sewer the grate having prevented any solid matter passing through. The
cemented interior surface of the chamber prevents any leakage of liquid through
the brickwork.
Thus it will be seen that no matter what quantity of slops or liquid may go into
the chamber it will immediately filter through the solid contents and drain out
through the bottom into the sewer leaving the ashes, refuse, or excrement free from
liquid and therefore in the most suitable condition for manure.
It is the experience of all sanitary inspectors that water closets in tenemented
property are abused, get out of order and, besides causing a great waste of water,

page_text: improper use as a receptacle for slops for which it was never intended but the
alternative is the emptying of slops, often mixed with excrement into the sink or,
if the latter is choked as is frequently the case, into the tub or, when that is
overflowing, into the back street.
In certain cases of better class houses my invention may be carried out in a more
finished form giving to the privy or dry closet the external appearance of a water
closet by having a pan fitted to shut out the sight of the excrement and ashes
already deposited and means may be adopted for flushing this pan by a rush of
water which will afterwards filter through the ashes and drain out with any other
slops through the cavity into the sewer.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
On the drawing herewith I have shewn (to approximately 12th scale) my
invention in one form in which I propose to apply it.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, Fig. 2 a sectional plan, and Fig. 3 a modification
of a portion of Fig. 1 shewing an additional grate fitted."
66
A. is the brick chamber, lined with cement, the bottom of which dips towards the
grate B, placed over the cavity C, in connection with the shaft D, from the street
gulley E into the main sewer by the sanitary pipe G, which forms an ordinary
water-trap," but I may in some cases, use other means of "trapping" the sewer
gases. As a preventative of ashes or other solid matter choking the cavity C, and
trapped pipe G, communicating with the sewer, I may fit a tray T under the
grate B, which will be lifted out with it and periodically cleaned. The chamber A
is accessible from the back by the door F for clearing out at proper times by the
scavengers. I propose to flush the chamber A at proper intervals after the
scavengers have cleared it out, by a stream of water applied from the house yard,
either by a hose or by pipes H, leading from the water service in back yard to a
tap K and a rose L directed so as to thoroughly wash it out and at the same time
to clear the water trap in the pipe G from any deposit or sediment from the liquid
passing through it to the sewer.
I propose to construct the brickwork of the back wall so as to form ventilating
shafts V. V₁ by which any foul air will escape considerably above the level of the
back street.
Fig. 3 shews the back portion of Fig. 1 with an additional grate B₁ to prevent
any ashes or solid matter passing on to the grate B, as a further protection which
may be adopted if necessary. This grate is pivotted at P, and swings by a
balanced tail out of the way when the scavengers' shovel is pushed in as shewn by
dotted lines, falling into position again when the chamber A is cleared by the
scavenger pushing back the balance weight W.
Such a privy or dry closet as shewn on the drawing, which is to scale of one inch
per foot, will suffice for a number of tenants for about a week's service, but in
special cases of large tenements with a common back yard two or more closets may
be built forming a range.
In my Provisional Specification herein before recited I say that the invention may
be carried out for better class houses to resemble a water-closet externally, but I
have not shewn this modified form as it is specially to tenemented property that 1
consider it adapted for the reasons already set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improvements in privies or dry closets consisting of a chamber, lined with
cement, the bottom of which slopes to a trapped cavity connected with the sewer and
covered with a grate to allow liquid matter to pass through, but exclude any solid

page_text: matter, and with an additional grate fitted where necessary, with or without special
water service for periodically flushing the chamber, and sewer gas trap, and with
means of ventilating and carrying off foul air from the chamber, constructed
substantially as shewn and described and with the objects herein before stated.
Dated this 25th day of July 1894.
T. J. DANSON, F. Inst. P.A.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Agent for Applicant,
c/o W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.