IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVIES AND WATERCLOSETS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Mountain Fowler, of Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVIES AND WATERCLOSETS."
6
· IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVIES AND WATERCLOSETS.”
Sealed the 11th September 1874, and dated the 2nd July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Mountain
Fowler at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 2nd July 1874.
I, ALFRED MOUNTAIN FOWLER, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVIES AND WATERCLOSETS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists principally in so constructing the privy or
watercloset that it may be connected with the ordinary waste or refuse
water pipes in such a manner that it will become a self-acting or self-
flushing watercloset without the aid of valves or other mechanism, and
without any special water service other than the ordinary refuse of
waste water from sink pipes, down spouts, house vessels, or other similar
waste waters.

page_text: For this purpose I construct the privy as follows:-Fitting imme-
diately below the aperture of the seat I place a pan of glazed carthen-
ware or other suitable material of a cylindrical or other convenient
section, and of a rather larger diameter than that of the aperture itself.
This pan is made of a sufficient depth that its lower extremity reaches at
least six inches below the level of the floor, where it terminates in a
syphon trapped basin either formed of one piece with the cylindrical part
of the pan joined thereto in a water-tight manner by means of a socket
joint or otherwise. The syphon pipe of this basin is connected by a
socket or other pipes direct to the ordinary sewer pipe. The basin
immediately below the pan is constructed with an eye, to which is fitted
a drain pipe leading at a slight inclination from an ordinary dished grid
or grating in the surface of the yard or ground outside the house or
building to which the privy is attached. This drain pipe is also provided
with a syphon trap, and the sink pipes of the house are to be so arranged
that they shall discharge their flow immediately above the dished grid or
grating before named, which must also be so placed in the yard or other-
wise as to be conveniently accessible for the emptying thereinto of house.
vessels and utensils. By constructing the privy and its adjuncts in this
manner, and connecting it with the waste water pipes in the way herein-
before described, I am enabled to convert an ordinary outside privy into
a self-flushing watercloset without the aid of any valve or other
mechanism, and without the use of any water service other than the
passage of the waste or refuse water of the house or other building along
the drain pipes hitherto employed solely for the purpose of conveying or
expelling the said waste or refuse water from the premises.
It will be evident that waterclosets may also be made self-flushing on
this principle, and their mechanism and special water service be thus

page_text: Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof :-
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing is a plan view or horizontal section
showing my Invention as applied to two contiguous houses; Fig. 2 is a
vertical section taken through about the line A, A, in Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 is a similar section taken through about the line B, B, in Fig. 1.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
I construct the privy a, a, as follows:-Fitting immediately below
the aperture of the seat b, b, I place a pan c, c, of glazed carthenware or
other suitable material of a cylindrical or other convenient section, and
of a rather larger diameter than that of the aperture itself. This pan c, c,
is made of a sufficient depth that its lower extremity reaches at least six
inches below the level of the floor, where it terminates in a syphon-
tapped basin d, d, either formed of one picce with the cylindrical part c, c,
of the pan, or joined thereto in a water-tight manner by means of a
socket joint or otherwise. The syphon pipe of this basin is connected
by socket or other pipes e, e, direct to the ordinary sewer pipe f,f. The
basin d, d, immediately below the pan is constructed with an eye, to
which is fitted a drain pipe g, g, leading at a slight inclination from an
ordinary dished grid or grating h, h, in the surface of the yard or ground
outside the house or building to which the privy is attached. This drain
pipe is also provided with a syphon trap, and the sink pipe i, i, of the
house is so arranged that it shall discharge its flow immediately above
the dished grid or grating before named, which must also be so placed
in the yard or otherwise as to be conveniently accessible for the emptying
thercinto of house vessels and utensils. The down spout k, k, from the
roof and the overflow pipe from the cistern, if any, are also so arranged
as to discharge their waste water above this grid. By constructing the
privy and its adjuncts in this manner and connecting it with the waste
water pipes in the way herein-before described I am enabled to convert
an ordinary outside privy into a self-flushing watercloset without the
aid of any valve or other mechanism, and without the use of any water
service other than the passage of the waste or refuse water of the house
or other building along the drain pipes hitherto employed solely for the
purpose of conveying or expelling the said waste or refuse water from
the premises.

page_text: It will be evident that waterclosets may be made self-flushing on this
principle, and their mechanism and special water service be thus dispensed
with.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as
my Invention, the construction and arrangement of privies and water-
closets substantially as herein-before described and exhibited on the
Drawings annexed, whereby I am enabled to make such privies and
waterclosets self-flushing, and to dispense with any special water service
or mechanism therefor.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Mountain Fowler, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Thirtieth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
ALF. M. FOWLER. (L.S.)