IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVIES AND ASH-PITS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Turner, of Leeds, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
PRIVIES AND ASH-PITS."
Sealed the 27th November 1868, and dated the 11th June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Turner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th June 1868.
I, HENRY TURNER, of Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVIES AND ASH-PITS," to be as follows:-
My Invention is particularly applicable to the privies and ash-pits
of cottages, but may be applied in other situations.
The object of my Invention is to improve the sanitary condition of
dwelling-houses for the working classes, and to facilitate the removal
of the excreta and ashes separately.
In performing my Invention the fecal matter is collected in a cistern,
made by preference of glazed fire-clay or earthenware, and the urine is

page_text: conducted by spouts or otherwise into the space beneath the cistern,
into which space the ashes are also collected. One end of the cistern is
provided with a sliding clow or a plug, and the cisterns are placed so
much above the level of the street or road that the contents may be
drawn out by a scraper or otherwise when the clow or plug is open
and received in a suitable cart or vessel. The ash-pit is not required to
be emptied at the same time as the cistern, as the contents of the cistern
are kept separate from the contents of the ash-pit. The whole system
of privies and ash-pits are shut up by a large door, which is only
opened by the night-soil men when the cisterns or the ash-pits are to be
emptied. When the large door is open the cart or vessel to collect
the contents is backed in under the end of the cistern. A small door
in the large door gives access to the privies. The privies are ventilated
by flues carried from the back of the seat and taken up to the top of
the chimney or to any convenient part of the building.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
TURNER, of Leeds, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Turner, Her special license
that I, the said Henry Turner, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Turner, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVIES AND ASH-PITS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Turner, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands

page_text: and seals, 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 Henry Turner, 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 (that is to say) :-
My Invention is particularly applicable to the privies and ash-pits
of cottages, but may be applied in other situations.
The object of my Invention is to improve the sanitary condition of
dwelling-houses for the working classes, and to facilitate the removal of
the excreta and ashes separately..
In performing my Invention the fecal matter is collected in a cistern;.
made by preference of glazed fire-clay or earthenware, and the urine is
conducted by spouts or otherwise into the space beneath the cistern,
into which space the ashes are also collected. One end of the cistern is
provided with a sliding clow or a plug, and the cisterns are placed so
much above the level of the street or road that the contents may be
drawn out by a scraper or otherwise and collected in a suitable cart or
vessel. The ash-pit is not required to be emptied at the same time as.
the cistern, as the contents of the cistern are kept separate from the
contents of the ash-pit. The whole system of privies and ash-pits are
shut up by a large door which is only opened by the night-soil men
when the cisterns or the ash-pit are to be emptied. When the large
door is open the cart or vessel to collect the fecal matter is. backed in
under the end of the cistern. A small door in the large door gives:
access to the privies. The privies are ventilated by flues carried from
the back of the scat and taken up to the top of the chimney or to any
convenient part of the building.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation in section of my improved privies and ash-
pit; Figure 2 is a front view also partly in section, and Figure 3 a

page_text: plan of the same. In this Drawing I have shewn three privies with the
ash-pit combined, but I wish it to be distinctly understood that the
number of privies can be varied, and that they may be placed back
to back, or the arrangement can be otherwise modified according to the
locality in which they are required. In the elevation and plan the
lines a and b represent the back walls of two rows of cottages, between
which the privies are in this instance supposed to be erected, and which
are shut up or divided from the street by the folding doors c, shewn in
Figures 2 and 3. The privics marked d, d, d, are elevated above the
level of the street by the steps e, and they all open into the passage f
to which access is obtained through the small door c¹ in the folding
doors c.
Under the scats of the privies is the cistern g, which is made
by preference of glazed fire-clay or carthenware; the upper part of the
cistern is closed by the wood or other boxes h. The front end of the
cistern g is closed by the sliding clow or damper g, and to the back end
of the cistern is connected the ventilating flue i, which is carried upwards
to the top of the chimneys of the adjoining cottages or to any convenient
part of the building. The up-draught in the flue i produces a current
of air down the seats of the privies and so prevents the offensive smells
in the privies; but as a further guarantee against the offensive smells
I apply at the back of each privy a roller j containing disinfecting
powder or other disinfectant; the upper part of this roller is provided
with a lid through which the powder is supplied and is made of perforated
sheet metal. The roller j is supported on trunnions passing through
holes in the partitions of the boxes h, and every time the privy has been
used the box is shaken by the falling of the lid to cause a portion of
the disinfecting powder to drop into the cistern by the link k which is
jointed to a lever projecting from the hinge of the lid 7 and to the end
of the roller j. The lids are prevented from remaining open by the
blocks fixed to the back of the privy.
Figure 4 is a section through the cover 'shewing another mode of
applying the disinfectant, which may be in powder or fluid; Figure 5
is a plan of the same; and Figure 6 represents the cover when up.
The cover is provided with a box 8, the lower part of which is slanting
to faciltate the descent of the disinfectant as shewn in Figure 4; at
the end of the said incline is a grid or perforated plate s¹, and to the
end partition of the box is jointed the flap s², which hangs down when
the cover is closed, as shewn in Figure 4, but when the cover is up, as
shewn in Figure 6, the flap s falls over the grid s¹. Every time the

page_text: privy has been used and the cover falls down, a portion of the disin-
fecting powder or other disinfectant drops through the grid s¹ into the
cistern g. The rib 8' is to prevent the disinfecting powder coming on
the seat of the privy. The disinfectant is supplied to the box s through
the lid hinged to the cover l. I wish to observe that this mode of
applying the disinfectant may be used instead of or in combination with
the roller above described. Under the cistern g is the ash-pit m, which
extends from the folding doors c to the end of the last privy; the
ashes and refuse from the cottages may be thrown into this ash-pit
through the hole n made in the partition forming one side of the
passage for through the trunk o at the end of the passage f; the ashes
and other refuse thrown down this trunk are screened in falling into
the ash-pit by passing over the diagonal screen p, and in order to keep
the screened ashes dry I make the floor at the end of the ash-pit
rather higher than the other part of the floor, as shewn in Figure 1.
The screen p may be shaken occasionally by raising and lowering
one end, a chain p¹ connected to the lower end of the screen being
provided for that purpose, or the screen may be hinged at the lower
end and agitated at the upper end. When the privy is used the fecal
matter drops into the cistern g, but the urine is conveyed through
the pipe q into the ash-pit, or it may be conducted into a suitable
receptacle by spouts or tubes. The pipes a pass from the front of the
seat along the side of the cistern g and a small grid is placed on the
upper end of the pipes to prevent solid matter passing down. By
this means the fecal matter is kept dry and consequently in the most
convenient form for being removed; it is also in the best condition for
being made into or used as manure. When the cistern is emptied the
folding doors c must be opened to admit a cart or other vessel which
is backed under the end of the cistern, the wheels of the cart being
supported upon the plates projecting from each side of the ash-pit;
the clow or damper 9' is raised and the contents of the cistern are
scraped into the cart or vessel. The ashes can be removed at any
time independently of the cistern. When the rollers j require re-
plenishing with the disinfecting powder, the scavenger or night-soils
Iman must pass along the back of the privies and open the lids h¹ to
supply the powder or disinfectant to the rollers j.
From the foregoing description and Drawing it will be seen that
the fecal matter is kept separate from the urine, and that the cistern
in which the fecal matter is collected is hermetically closed excepting

page_text: at the seats of the privies and where the disinfecting powder is thrown
in, also that the privies are thoroughly ventilated and all offensive
smells removed, also that the urine is conveyed into the ashes or removed
separately, and that the ashes can be removed at any time indepen-
dently of the fecal matter.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Turner, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of December One thousand eight
. hundred and sixty-eight..
HENRY TURNER. (L.S.)