IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOSETS OR PRIVIES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Taylor, of Romsey, in the County of Soutli
ampton, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOSETS OR PRIVIES."
Sealed the 12th March 1858, and dated the 21st December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
December 1857.
I, FRANCIS TAYLOR, of Romsey, in the County of Southampton, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOSETS OR PRIVIES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in those kinds of closets
where the soil is dried by heat, instead of passing away into the drains. For
this purpose I employ a receptacle, into which the soil from the closet falls,
on the top of which receptacle there are two valves, connected together
at right angles to each other, and these valves are connected to the lid of the
closet, so that one valve closes the receptacle when the lid is open, and
the other when the lid is closed. Underneath the bottom of this receptacle
there is a gas burner to dry the soil, or the receptacle may be heated by other
means; and at the top of the receptacle there is a pipe to convey away
the vapour. The valve which closes the receptacle when the lid is shut
is rendered perfectly air-tight by the valve fitting into a groove in which water

page_text: or mercury is placed. The receptacle can be removed from time to time and
omptied, and the contents may be employed in the manufacture of manure or
charcoal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
TAYLOR, of Romsey, in the County of Southampton, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Francis Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said Francis
Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho
said Francis Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agreo with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 " IMPROVEMENTS IN
CLOSETS OR PRIVIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Francis Taylor, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner tho
samo was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Offico within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Taylor, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in those kinds of closets
where the soil is dried by heat, instead of passing away into the drains. For
this purpose I employ a receptacle, into which the soil from the closet falls;
on the top of which receptacle there are two valves, connected together
at right angles to each other, and these valves are connected to the lid of tho
closet, so that one valve closes the receptacle when the lid is open, and

page_text: means;
and at the top of the receptacle there is a pipe to convey away
the vapour. The valve which closes the receptacle when the lid is shut
is rendered perfectly air-tight by the valve fitting into a groove in which water
or mercury is placed. The receptacle can be removed from time to time and
emptied, and the contents may be employed in the manufacture of manure or
charcoal.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a closet constructed according to my
Invention, shewing the position of the different parts when the lid is closed.
Figure 2 is another vertical section shewing the position of the parts when
the lid is open. a, a, is the moveable receptacle, constructed of wrought iron
or copper, which receives the soil from the closet. This receptacle is
sup-
ported by cross bars b, b, which aro supported by four rods c, c, two on each
side of the receptacle; d, d, are screw nuts screwed on the ends of the rods c,
to screw the receptacle against the bottom of a fixed frame, constructed of cast
iron or other suitable material, there being a groove in the bottom of the
frame e, lined with vulcanized india-rubber or other suitable material, against
which the edge of the receptacle is held by the screws, so as to form an
air-tight joint. To the bottom of the fixed frame e is hinged the lid or valve f
of wrought iron, and to the top of the fixed frame is hinged the lid or valve g,
which is of cast iron. The valves ƒ and g are connected together at right
angles to each other by means of the links h, one on each side of the valves;
and the top of the valve g is connected by the rope I to the lid k of the closet,
so that the valve f closes the receptacle when the lid is open, and the valve g
closes the receptacle when the lid is closed. is a counterbalance weight
attached by a cord which passes over a pulley to the lid of the closet, which
facilitates the opening of the lid, and secures the closing of the receptacle a by
the valve when the lid is open. Underneath the bottom of the receptacle a
thero is a gas burner m, which may be kept burning constantly or periodically
to dry the soil, or the receptacle may be heated by other means. n is a pipe
for conveying away the products of distillation, and around the sides of
the receptacle there is a gutter o, which conveys the condensed products into
the pipe n. The valve g, when the lid is shut, closes the receptacle a perfectly
air-tight by reason of the edges of the valve 9 being formed with a projecting

page_text: rim, which fits into a groove on the top of the fixed frame c, which groove is
filled with water or mercury; or the valve may be caused to close the
receptacle perfectly air-tight by any other suitable means. By unscrewing
the screw nuts d, d, the receptacle may be removed from time to time and
emptied, and the contents may be employed in the manufacture of manure or
charcoal.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Taylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One tliousand eight hundred and fifty-eight..
Witness,
ROBERT JOSEPII JEWELL,
of Romiscy.
FRANCIS TAYLOR. (L.S.)