Iм- PROVEMENTS IN WET AND DRY CLOSETS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Tylor, of No. 2, Newgate Street, in the
City of London, Brassfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Tylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th September 1870.
I, ALFRED TYLOR, of No. 2, Newgate Street, in the City of London,
Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN WET AND DRY CLOSETS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,"
to be as follows :-
The object of my Invention is to combine the advantages of the wet
and dry system of closets by the use of a moveable soil pipe so that the
cleanliness of the water system may be obtained while the excremen-
titious matter is preserved in a dry state and not deteriorated by contact
with a mass of water.

page_text: Water is economized by an improved cistern arrangement, or by a
self closing spring valve attached to the water supply, or by a metallic
diaphragm valve.
The apparatus consists of a closet pan, supported on a frame and placed
over the upper end of a short moveable soil pipe open at both ends and
larger than the opening in the pan, so suspended as to discharge the
excrementitious matter and urine. (valuable for manure) passing through
this moveable soil pipe into a detached or permanent receptacle below.
The receptacle may be lined or partially filled with disinfecting material,
and may have an overflow pipe dipping into the drain as a precaution
.against accident. When the closet is in use by means of a handle or the
"weight of the sitter acting upon a lever connected with a moveable
tubular pipe one end of the moveable soil pipe is depressed so that the
focal matter passes through it into the receptacle.
When this movement is reversed the same end of the soil pipe is
raised, and at the same time actuated with the water supply to the pan
so that when the water enters the pan the lower end of the moveable
soil pipe is turned into the mouth of the drain pipe outside the before-
mentioned receptacle, so that the cleansing water from the closet pan
passes into the drain. A separation is thus made between the greater
part of the valuable manure and greater part of the water which would
have diluted it and rendered it less valuable. A circular brush or scraper
or vessel in the shape of a segment of a circle is fixed on an axle at the
bottom of a box filled with sifted earth, cinders, or sand with a portion
of sulphate of iron, and which is situated at the back or side of the pan.
This brush is also synchronously actuated, so that the soil and urine
which has fallen into the receptacle is immediately covered by proper
materials for absorbing or fixing the nitrogenized matter. The moveable
tubular soil pipe should be actuated by means of a door seat or cover in
such a manner as to afford an open passage for soil passing through the
closet pan to the receptacle when the closet is in use, but if from any
reason the receptacle is not in readiness the soil pipe may be fixed so
that everything falling into the basin passes direct into the drain. One
waste preventing cistern is enabled to work several closets or discharge
pipes, the one entrance for the water to the cistern is closed by a ball
valve with ball rod and ball. The exit valve or valves having a chain
and a pull attached to another lever placed under the ball rod and
working on an axle into the cistern so that the ball valve cannot be

page_text: kept open when either of the exit valves are open. When the self-
closing valve is to be fixed below the valve is opened either by a lever
handle or disc, and a good coiled, hardened, tempered, electro-covered
steel spring brightened after being tempered so as to offer a smooth
surface before being electro-covered is enclosed in a box fixed to or above
the valve. A metallic flexible diaphragm valve may be used with or
without a spring for drawing water from cisterns. When the valve is
closed by a vertical screw spindle one end of the above spring is fixed in
a box, and the other to a nut through which the screwed spindle of the
valve works, so that the spring may have little or no vertical movement,
and is so placed as to prevent water escaping to the spring from the valve
by as complete separation as possible, which is effected either by providing
a chamber between the valve and the spring box through which water
leaking past the valve might escape below the spring or by attaching
a flexible metal or an indian-rubber diaphragm washer to the screw
spindle without a hole being made through the india-rubber, or where
a hole is employed by taking care that the junction with the metallic or
the india-rubber diaphragm is water-tight. The dry closet and cistern
and valve apparatus for drawing water from cisterns can be used
separately or in conjunction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Tylor in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
TYLOR, of No. 2, Newgate Street, in the City of London, Brassfounder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto the said Alfred Tylor, Her special licence, that I,
the said Alfred Tylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Alfred Tylor, 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

page_text: 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 WET AND DRY CLOSETS, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Alfred Tylor, 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 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 Alfred Tylor, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
The object of my Invention is to combine the advantages of the wet
and dry system of closets by the use of a moveable soil pipe so that the
cleanliness of the water system may be obtained while the excremen-
titious matter is preserved in a dry state and not deteriorated by contact
with a mass of water.
Water is economized by an improved cistern arrangement, or by a
self-closing spring valve attached to the water supply, or by a metallic
diaphragm valve.
The apparatus consists of a closet pan, supported on a frame and placed
over the upper end of a short moveable soil pipe open at both ends
and larger than the opening in the pan, so suspended as to discharge
the excrementitious matter and urine (valuable for manure) passing
through this moveable soil pipe into a detached or permanent receptacle
below. The receptacle may be lined or partially filled with disinfecting
material, and may have an overflow pipe dipping into the drain as a
precaution against accident. When the closet is in use by means of a
a handle or the weight of a sitter acting upon a lever connected with a
moveable tubular soil pipe, one end of the moveable soil pipe is depressed
so that the focal matter passes through it into the receptacle. When
this arrangement is reversed the same end of the soil pipe is raised and
at the same time actuated with the water supply to the pan so that
when the water enters the pan the lower end of the moveable soil pipe
is turned into the mouth of the drain pipe outside the before-mentioned

page_text: receptacle so that the cleansing water from the closet pan passes into
the drain. A separation is thus made between the greater part of the
water which would have diluted it and rendered it less valuable. A
circular brush or scraper or vessel in the shape of a segment of a circle
is fixed on an axle at the bottom of a box filled with sifted earth, cinders,
or sand, with a portion of sulphate of iron, and which is situated at the
back or side of the pan. This brush is also synchronously actuated so
that the soil and urine which has fallen into the receptacle is immediately
covered by proper materials for absorbing or fixing the nitrogenized
matter. The moveable tubular soil pipe should be actuated by means of
a door seat or cover in such a manner as to afford an open passage for
soil passing through the closet pan to the receptacle when the closct is
in use, but if from any reason the receptacle is not in readiness the soil
pipe may be fixed so that everything falling into the basin passes direct
into the drain. One waste preventing cistern is enabled to work several
closets or discharge pipes, the one entrance for the water to the cistern
is closed by a ball valve with ball rod and ball. The exit valve or
valves having a chain and a pull attached to another lever placed under
the ball rod, and working on an axle into the cistern, so that the ball
valve cannot be kept open when either of the exit valves are open.
When the self-closing valve is to be fixed below, the valve is opened
cither by a lever handle or disc and a good coiled, hardened, tempered,
electro-covered steel spring, brightened after being tempered so as to
offer a smooth surface before being clectro-covered, is enclosed in a box
fixed to or above the valve. A metallic flexible diaphragm valve may
be used with or without a spring for drawing water from cisterns.
When the valve is closed by a vertical screw spindle one end of the
above spring is fixed in the box and the other to a nut through which
the screwed spindle of the valve works so that the spring may have little
or no vertical movement, and is so placed as to prevent water escaping to
the spring from the valve by as complete separation as possible, which is
effected either by providing a chamber between the valve and the spring
box through which water leaking past the valve might escape below the
spring or by attaching a flexible metal or an india-rubber diaphragm
6 washer to the screw spindle without a hole being made through the
india-rubber, or where a hole is employed by taking care that the junction
with the metallic or the india-rubber diaphragm is water-tight. The
dry closet and cistern and valve apparatus for drawing water from
cisterns can be used separately or in conjunction.

page_text: Such being the nature of my Invention, I will now proceed to more
particularly describe the manner of performing the same, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings in all the Figures of which
corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of reference.
Figures 1 and 2 show the action of the waste preventing cistern fixed
over any seat action closet. The lever depressed by the weight of the
sitter raises the rod E and allows the valve A to close by its own weight,
and the cistern to fill through the ball valve c; when the weight of the
sitter is removed a weight on the lever & brings the seat S, S, into its former
position, lowers the rod E, and closes the ball valve c by means of the
lever B, and opens the valve A, the water then flows into the basin
below through the discharge pipe D', and the cistern remains empty until
the scat S, S, is again pressed.
Figures 3, 4, and_5,-are-Drawings of a water waste preventing
cistern F, F, which may be used as a substitute for R (Figure 6) under
certain circumstances. A wire is attached to a levere working on
the same spindle as the lever B. A chain connects the lever B, with
the valve A by means the valve A is opened. The lever B prevents the
ball rod from falling while the valve A is open, which is when the
lever B is pulled by the wire a. When the pressure on e is removed,
the valve A closes, the ball rod d also falls and enables the water to
come in at C and to fill the cistern. As soon as the cistern is full again
the float d closes the ball valve C. It is evident the two valves C and A
can never be open together. When water companies allow an overflow
pipe it can be applied as at D; D, is an overflow pipe communicating
with the discharge pipe D¹, so that should the valve C leak, the water
will enter the bottom of the pipe D, and pass out through the discharge
pipe D', although the valve A may be closed, this prevents any overflow
over the top of the cistern at F, F. The pipe D is bent like a similar
pipe in the ordinary gas-washing apparatus and prevents a circulation
of air through the cistern.
Figure 4 represents a transverse section of a cistern when two wires
and two discharge valves are employed, as shewn in Figure 11.
Figure 6 represents a front view of closet with moveable soil
pipe.
Figure 7 represents side view of same closet; A, basin of metal or
earthenware; B, moveable soil pipe open at both ends; C, trap com-
municating with drain pipe; h, h, india-rubber springs; D; pan for

page_text: receiving the excrement; I, I, I, levers worked by seat or hand;
M, lever for lifting moveable soil pipe attached at the one end to H, H;
R, supply valve for regulating supply of water; E, circular brush at
bottom of F; F, a box containing earth, sand, or disinfecting materials;
S, S, seat of closet; H, H, iron frame within which the basin A rests.
When the seat S, S, is depressed the lever K is lowered, and the move-
able soil pipe is placed in the position shewn with dotted lines by means
of the lever M. At the same time the levers I³, I, are brought into the
position shewn with dotted lines, this prevents the lever I being lifted
while the seat remains depressed. The weight of the person on the
seat S, S, being removed the seat S, S, is lifted by means of the
springs h, h, causing the bottom of moveable soil pipe B which is open at
both ends to enter the mouth of the trap C. By the same movement
the levers I, I, take their former position, the lever I can then be
lifted, which opens the valve R, the water then passes through the pipe f
into the basin and through the moveable soil pipe into the trap C reinsing
away any soil or other matter that may have adhered to the basin. The
lever and rack attached to M, causes the brush E to rotate and spread
the earth, or sand, or disinfecting material over the soil that has fallen
in the pan D, so not only to prevent smell, but to absorb and disinfect
the excrementitious matter. This plan can be used without any basin
or water apparatus. It is evident that the closet is out of use, as shewn
in Figure 6, as slops may be poured through the basin A, and will reach
the trap C without falling into the pan D. Thus a separation is made
of the water used for cleaning from the excrement and urine valuable
for manure, the cleansing water which would have injured the value
of the excrement and urine for manure is kept away and discharged into
the drain.
Figure 8 represents a self-closing spring valve E, which may be used
instead of R, Figure 6, to prevent waste of water or in the cistern
Figures 10 and 11; b, b, is a diaphragm of india-rubber or elastic metal
which is raised from the seat of the valve M, M, by means of the
screw d, working in a nut c. There are guides e, e, to keep d in its
proper position; C, C, is screwed into a, a, so that when a, a, is turned
by the hand, a vertical movement is communicated to the diaphragm b, b,
which raises, and the water flows from 9 through M, M, and out at h.
& Chandoned tamnound and canted to nuocant mund

page_text: screw a and closing the opening in the valve M, M; one end of the
coiled spring is attached to E, and the other end to a, a.
Figure 9 is a view of a similar valve but with a different outlet.
Figure 11 represents a similar cistern F, F, with two discharge
valves A, A, connected to lever B by chains. Lever B is worked
by wires attached to levers e, e, outside cistern F, F. Thus by pulling
the wire on one side of cistern you must raise the lever B and with
it the valve A, and by a similar action to lever E on the opposite side
of cistern, the lever B is raised at the other end, and with it the valve A¹.
A similar overflow can be fixed in Figure 11, as in Figure 3.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I desire to remark that I do not limit
or confine myself in the accompanying Drawings, as the same admits of
being modified without departing from the nature of my Invention, with
respect to which I claim as being new, the construction of waterclosets
for separating soil with a moveable soil pipe worked by seat or other
arrangement cistern apparatus for preventing waste of water with valves
and self-closing cocks, substantially as described for the purpose
aforesaid.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Tylor, have hereunto set 2
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.