CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HUMAN EXCREMENTS WHEREBY THEY ARE CONVERTED INTO AN INODOROUS, DRY, AND EASILY PORTABLE MANNER
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Wicke, of Bockenheim, Prussia, Sugar
Manufacturer, Julius Brönner, Manufacturer, Theodor Petersen,
Chemist, and Johann Georg Zehfuss, Professor, all of Frankfort-on-
the-Maine, in the Kingdom. of Prussia, for the Invention of
" CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HUMAN EXCREMENTS
WHEREBY THEY ARE CONVERTED INTO AN INODOROUS, DRY, AND EASILY PORTABLE
MANNER"
Sealed the 1st March 1870, and dated the 6th September 1869.
5
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Friedrich Wicke, Julius
Brönner, Theodor Petersen, and Johann Georg Zehfuss at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 6th
September 1869.
We, FRIEDRICH WICKE, of Bockenheim, Prussia, Sugar Manufacturer,
JULIUS BRÖNNER, Manufacturer, THEODOR PETERSEN, Chemist, and
JOHANN GEORG ZEHFUSS, Professor, all of Frankfort-on-the-Maine, in
the Kingdom of Prussia, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HUMAN EXCREMENTS

page_text: WHEREBY THEY ARE CONVERTED INTO AN INODOROUS, DRY, AND EASILY PORTABLE
MANURE," to be as follows:-
or in other
The object of our Invention is to convert human excrements into an
almost scentless, dry, easily transportable, guano-like mass while
preserving their full manuring value. We attain our object by con-
centrating and disinfecting the excrements in vacuo
apparatusses by means of hot products of combustion, which we lead
direct from the fire-places in which they are produced into the excre-
ments. We also thus mix with the mass such disinfecting substances
as may be requisite to its complete disinfection, calcined earth for
example. We make use of the products of combustion given off from
existing fire-places, for example those used for steam boilers or evaporat-
ing pans, and erect extra fire-places if the existing fire-places are not
sufficient. Thus every kind of fuel is applicable, but, coals, wood, or
charcoal will be most commonly used. We lead off the hot products of
combustion at a spot between the fire-places and the chimney.
We operate for example as follows:-We employ two superposed
closed evaporating pans in connection with each other. The upper
evaporating pan is in combination either with an air pump or with a
chimney or with an air pump discharging into a chimney to lead away
the non-condensed vapours. In the upper evaporating pan the fluid
excretas are mixed with the necessary disinfecting substances, and
concentrated by indirect employment of steam produced in a steam
boiler by aid of exterior heat or without such aid. We lead the hot
air from the fire-places by means of perforated pipes under and over the
surface of the excretas, these being in the upper pan. In the under
pan there is also a perforated pipe through which the hot air streams
forth. The concentrated excretas which fall out of the upper pan into
the under pan are there thoroughly dried by the hot air from the
fires.
The novelty of this Invention therefore consists in transforming
human excrements into an almost scentless, dry, easily transportable
guano-like mass with entire preservation of their manuring value by the
employment of hot products of combustion in vacuum or other appára-
tuses with addition of disinfecting substances, calcined earth for example,
as may be required.

page_text: The object of our Invention is to convert human excrements into an
almost scentless, dry, easily transportable guano-like mass while pre-
serving their full manuring value. We attain our object by concentrat-
ing and disinfecting the excrements in vacuo by means of steam and of
hot products of combustion, which we lead direct from the fire-places in
which they are produced into the excrements. We may also thus mix
with the mass disinfecting substances (calcined excrements or earth for
example) to further ensure its complete disinfection. We make use of
the products of combustion given off from existing fire-places, for
example those used for steam boilers or evaporating pans, and erect extra
fire-places if the existing fire-places are not sufficient. Thus every kind
of fuel is applicable to our purpose, but coal, wood, or charcoal will be
most commonly used. We lead off the hot products of combustion at
any convenient spot between the fire-places and the chimney.
We operate for example as follows:-We employ two superposed
closed evaporating pans in connection with each other. The upper
evaporating pan is in combination either with an air pump or with a
chimney or with an air pump discharging into a chimney to lead away
the non-condensed vapours. In the upper evaporating pan the fluid
excretas are, if necessary, mixed with disinfecting substances and concen-
trated by indirect employment of steam produced in a steam boiler by
aid of exterior heat or without such aid. We lead the hot air from the
fire-places by means of perforated pipes under and over the surface of
the excretas, these being in the upper pan. In the under pan there is
also a perforated pipe, through which the hot air streams forth. The
concentrated excretas which fall out of the upper pan into the under pan
are there thoroughly dried by the hot air from the fires. The two pans
may not only be placed the one over the other but also the one beside
the other.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, we desire it to be understood that
although we have found the arrangement of apparatus and method of
operating above described very suitable for effecting our object, yet we
do not confine ourselves thereto, but that while limiting ourselves to
effecting the concentration and disinfection of the excrements in vacuo
and not otherwise we reserve the right of adopting any method of
operating in vacuo which we may in practice find convenient, and that
we claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent, the concentration of human excrements in vacuo
and the passing of hot gases from fire-places through the excrements
with or without addition of disinfecting substances.
In witness whereof, we, the said Julius Brönner, Theodor Petersen,
and Johann Georg Zehfuss, have hereunto set our hands and
seals, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
(L.S.)
JULIUS BRÖNNER.
THEODOR PETERSEN. (L.S.)
DR. GEORG ZEH-FUSS. (LS.) -