IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY OR EARTH CLOSETS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Versmann Ph:D. Consulting Chemist of New
Charlton in the County of Kent but now temporarily of Oldenburg in the
Grand Duchy of Oldenburg for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY OR
EARTH CLOSETS A communication by Heinrich Kleucker of Brunswick
Corman
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Versmann at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th May 1882.
FREDERICK VERSMANN Ph.D. Consulting Chemist, of New Charlton in the
County of Kent, but now temporarily of Oldenburg in the Grand Duchy of
Oldenburg IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY OR EARTH CLOSETS [A communication by
Heinrich Kleucker of Brunswick Germany.]
"
The Invention has reference to closets in which dry earth or other suitable
material is employed for the purpose of deodorizing the excreta and it relates
more particularly to constructing closets so that powder such as the coarse powder
of moss peat (obtained in the manner described in a Provisional Specification
lodged by me on the 2nd June 1881 No. 2439) can be used therein with
advantage.
In dry closets as ordinarily constructed the earth or other material is passed
from a supply box into the pan or receptacle for the excreta by self acting
mechanical arrangements, but it has been found that where such light material as
moss peat powder is employed it is liable to become caked or clogged in the supply
box so that it is not properly delivered to the pan or receptacle for the excreta
Now this invention consists in fitting dry closets with arrangements which shall
ensure the delivery of a definite quantity of moss peat powder or other material
every time the closet is used.
At the lower part of the supply box I place a horizontal trough or hollow
cylinder with about one third of its circumference removed. On the axis of this
trough or cylinder is an arm which is acted upon by the fork of a lever connected
with the seat of the closet in such manner that when the seat is closed the open
part of the trough or cylinder is downwards and when the seat is raised the said
.

page_text: open part is upwards. Therefore when a person enters the closet and lifts the seat
the open part of the trough becomes filled with the moss peat powder or other
material and when he closes the seat before leaving the closet the trough is
reversed and its contents fall upon a shoot which conducts them into the pan or
receptacle.
The turning or partial rotation of the trough or cylinder ought to stir the
whole mass of the material in the supply box and cause it to slip downwards, but
if the material becomes caked or clogged it is left standing above the trough.
To obviate this I employ a stirrer or rake which I construct and actuate as
follows:-
It is composed of one, two or more rods in the supply box and having arms or
teeth projecting therefrom. These rods are connected by a bar and a crank
outside the supply box to the axis of the trough or cylinder so that as this trough
moves on its axis the motion is transmitted to the stirrer. When the lid of the
closet is raised and the trough thereby caused to make a half revolution the stirrer
is pushed down, its rods moving slightly out of the perpendicular. A quantity of
the powder or material is thus pushed into the trough. And when the lid is
closed and the trough makes another half revolution the rods are pushed up
through the material and loosen it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick Versmann in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th November 1882.
FREDERICK VERSMANN Ph:D. Consulting Chemist of New Charlton in the
County of Kent, but now temporarily of Oldenburg in the Grand Duchy of
Oldenburg "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY OR EARTH CLOSETS (A communication
from abroad by Heinrich Kleucker of Brunswick Germany)
"
The Invention has reference to closets in which dry earth or other suitable
material is employed for the purpose of deodorizing the excreta and it relates more
particularly to constructing closets so that powder such as the coarse powder of
moss peat (obtained in the manner described in the Specification of former Letters
Patent granted to me and dated the 2nd June 1881 No. 2439) can be used therein
with advantage.
In dry closets as ordinarily constructed the earth or other material is passed
from a supply box into the pan or receptacle for the excreta by self acting
mechanical arrangements, but it has been found that where such light material as
moss peat powder is employed it is liable to become caked or clogged in the supply
box so that it is not properly delivered to the pan or receptacle for the excreta.
Now this invention consists in fitting dry closets with arrangements which shall
ensure the delivery of a definite quantity of moss peat powder or other material
every time the closet is used.
The improved closet is represented in the annexed drawings. Figure 1 is a side
view partly in section with the lid of the seat closed and Figure 2 a similar view
with the lid raised; Figure 3 is a section of the supply box and closet through the
line y y of Figure 5; Figure 4 is a front elevation shewing the stirrer or rake
hereinafter described, the supply box being in section; Figure 5 is a horizontal
section through the line x x of Figure 1; Figure 6 a plan on a larger scale of the
horizontal trough hereinafter described. Figures 7 and 8 represent a modified
form of the connections between the lid of the seat and the horizontal trough.
At the lower part of the supply box A. I place a horizontal trough or hollow
cylinder B with about one third of its circumference removed as is seen in the
figures. On the axis of this trough or cylinder is an arm D which is acted upon
by the fork C of a lever connected with the seat E of the closet in such manner
that when the seat is closed the open part of the trough or cylinder is downwards
as seen in Figure 1 and when the seat is raised the said open part is upwards as
seen in Figures 2 and 3. Therefore when a person enters the closet and lifts the
seat the open part of the trough becomes filled with the moss peat powder or other
material and when he closes the seat before leaving the closet the trough is
reversed and its contents fall upon a shoot L which conducts them into the pan or
receptacle N.
The turning or partial rotation of the trough or cylinder ought to stir the whole
mass of the material in the supply box and cause it to slip downwards, but if the
material becomes caked or clogged it is left standing above the trough. To obviato
this, I employ a stirrer or rake which I construct and actuate as follows:-
It is composed of rods F F (of which there may be one two or more) in the
supply box A and having arms or teeth G projecting therefrom. These rods are
connected by a bar I and by a crank H and rod K outside the supply box to the
axis of the trough or cylinder B so that as this trough moves on its axis the motion
is transmitted to the stirrer F. When the lid of the closet is raised and the
trough B thereby caused to make a half revolution the stirrer F is pushed down,

page_text: its rods moving slightly out of the perpendicular. A quantity of the powder or
material is thus pushed into the trough. And when the lid is closed and the
trough makes another half revolution the rods are pushed up through the material
and loosen it
Having now described the nature of the said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that I claim :-
First. Constructing dry or earth closets with a trough or hollow cylinder at the
bottom of the supply box, this trough or cylinder being made to turn on its axis
in such manner that it will receive a definite quantity of the peat powder or other
deodorizing material and deliver the same at the proper time, substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to the annexed drawings.
Second, The combination with a trough or hollow cylinder, acting in the
manner referred to in the first claim, of a stirrer or rake in the supply box working
in connection with the trough or cylinder substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the annexed drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Frederick Versmann have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fifteenth day of November One thousand eight hundred
and eighty two.
FREDERICK VERSMANN. (L.S.)