IMPROVE- MENTS IN DRY CLOSETS AND-COMMODES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James King, James Maxwell King, and Thomas
Dundas Maxwell King, all of No. 5, Moscow Terrace, Victoria
Park, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DRY CLOSETS AND-COMMODES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James King, James
Maxwell King, and Thomas Dundas Maxwell King at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 11th
December 1872.
We, JAMES KING, JAMES MAXWELL KING, and THOMAS DUNDAS
MAXWELL KING, all of No. 5, Moscow Terrace, Victoria Park, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY CLOSETS AND COMMODES," to be as follows:
This Invention has for its object to provide a mechanical arrange-
ment for effecting unfailingly a discharge of a given quantity of carbon,
earth, ashes, or any other dry deodorising or disinfecting material into
dry closets and commodes, also to so construct the apparatus that if

page_text: necessary it can be used without discharging any deodorising or dis-
infecting material.
In constructing a dry closet or commode according to our Invention
we use a casing or framing of the usual size and form of wood, metal,
or any other suitable material in which casing or framing we hang an
oscillating hopper or reservoir as large as the space will allow at top and
tapered to a convenient size at bottom where the hopper is formed with
a scoop projecting forward from it. An opening is left in the front as
an outlet for the deodorising or disinfecting material to pass on to the
scoop. On the back of the casing or framing a steel spring is fixed
which acts upon the back of the hopper and presses it forward against
buffers of vulcanized india-rubber, cork, or other suitable material fixed
on the back of seat.
The closet or commode is furnished with a lifting lid of the usual size
and form, on the back edge of which is fixed a wiper which bears:
against the front of the hopper, this wiper we furnish with a wheel to
reduce friction..
When the lid is raised the lower part of the hopper is pressed back,
and is held in its backward position by a lever catch placed on the side
of casing or framing; this lever is of any convenient length, with its
forward end turned upwards to project above the upper side of the seat
under and close to the edge of the lifting lid. This is arranged when
the hopper is forced back by the action of the wiper, the other end of
the lever catches an arm or pin extending from the side of hopper, and
retains the hopper during the time that the lid is being closed until the
lid comes down on to and depresses the front end of the lever so dis-
engaging the catch. The hopper is then swung forward by the action
of the spring, and is by it thrown sharply forward against the buffers
on the back of the seat, whereby the dry deodorizing or disinfecting
material in the scoop is thrown into the pan or receptacle of the closet
or commode.
When it is desired. to close the lid of the closet or commode without
effecting any discharge of deodorizing or disinfecting material it is only
necessary to close the lid gently, at the same time pressing down the
forward end of the lever catch at the time of commencing to close

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said James King, James Maxwell King, and Thomas
Dundas Maxwell King, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
KING, JAMES MAXWELL KING, and THOMAS DUNDAS MAXWELL KING,
all of No. 5, Moscow Terrace, Victoria Park, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-two, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said James King, James
Maxwell King, and Thomas Dundas Maxwell King, Her special license
that we, the said James King, James Maxwell King, and Thomas
Dundas Maxwell King, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said James King, James Maxwell King, and
Thomas Dundas Maxwell King, our 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 DRY CLOSETS AND
COMMODES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
James King, James Maxwell King, and Thomas Dundas Maxwell
King, our exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of
one of us or them should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 we, the said James King, James Maxwell
King, and Thomas Dundas Maxwell King, do hereby declare the nature
of the 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 :—

page_text: This Invention has for its object to provide a mechanical arrange-
ment for effecting unfailingly a discharge of a given quantity of carbon,
earth, ashes, or any other dry deodorising or disinfecting material into
dry closets and commodes, also to so construct the apparatus that if
necessary it can be used without discharging any deodorising or dis-
infecting material.
In constructing a dry closet or commode according to our Invention
we use a casing or framing of the usual size and form of wood, metal,
or any other suitable material. In which casing or framing we hang an
oscillating hopper or reservoir as large as the space will allow at top,
and tapered to a convenient size at bottom, where the hopper is formed
with a scoop projecting forward from it. An opening is left in the front
as an outlet for the deodorising or disinfecting material to pass on to the
scoop. On the back of the casing or framing a steel spring is fixed
which acts upon the back of the hopper and presses it forward against 1
buffers of vulcanized india-rubber, cork, or other suitable material fixed
on the back of seat.
The closet or commode is furnished with a lifting lid of the usual size
and form. On the back edge of which is fixed a wiper which bears
against the front of the hopper, this wiper we furnish with a wheel to
reduce friction.
When the lid is raised the lower part of the hopper is pressed back,
and is held in its backward position by a lever catch placed on the side
of casing or framing; this lever is of any convenient length, with its
forward end turned upwards to project above the upper side of the seat
under and close to the edge of the lifting lid; this is arranged so that
when the hopper is forced back by the action of the wiper, the other
end of the lever catches an arm or pin extending from the side of hopper
and retains the hopper during the time that the lid is being closed until
the lid comes down on to and depresses the front end of the lever, so
disengaging the catch; the hopper is then swung forward by the action
of the spring, and is by it thrown sharply forward against the buffers on
the back of the seat, whereby the dry deodorising or disinfecting material
in the scoop is thrown into the pan or receptacle of the closet or
commode.
When it is desired to close the lid of the closet or commode without
affecting any discharge of deodorising or disinfecting material it is only

page_text: necessary to close the lid gently, at the same time pressing down the
forward end of the lever catch at the time of commencing to close
the lid.
The Drawings annexed shew a dry closet constructed as above:
described.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the closet shewing the lid partially
open; Figure 2 is a similar section with the lid closed. In these Figures
A is the lid of the closet, having a wiper B on its back edge furnished
with a wheel to bear against the front of the hopper or reservoir C
which contains the dry deodorising or disinfecting material. The hopper
swings upon pins O¹, and at the back of the hopper is the spring F to
throw forward its lower end; E is the lever catch turning on a pin at
one side of the casing, and D is an arm extending from the side of the
hopper so as to come directly under the catch end of the lever. When
the lid is raised the wiper B forces back the hopper against the resistance
of the spring F until the arm D upon the lower end of the hopper has
been carried back far enough to allow the catch E to drop into the
position shewn by Figure 1, the catch will then hold back the hopper
and prevent its being thrown forward by the spring. At the front end
of the lever E a point H stands up from it and projects through an
opening in the seat. Whilst the lid is being closed the hopper is
retained as before mentioned by the lever catch until when the lid is
almost closed a metal plate G upon the under side of the lid comes
down on to the point H and depresses it, so raising the catch end of the
lever E and releasing the hopper, which is then thrown quickly forward
by the spring F against buffers I which are fixed at the back of the seat ;
the shock thus produced throws the deodorising or disinfecting material
from the scoop J into the pail or receptacle K; L is a metal collar or
ring fixed to the under side of the seat as usual; M is a door at the
front of the casing of the closet to allow of the pail K being taken
away from time to time to be emptied.
As before stated the lid of the closet may if desired be closed without
effecting any discharge of deodorising or disinfecting material from the
hopper into the pail K; to do this all that is necessary is to press down
the point H at the time of commencing to close the lid, and to shut the
lid down gently.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner

page_text: of performing the same, we would have it understood that we claim as
our improvements in dry closets and commodes,-
1. The combined arrangement of dry closet or commode, substantially
as herein described.
2. The employment of a catch to retain the hopper or reservoir from 5
.being swung forward during the time the lid is being closed, which catch
at the completion of the closing of the lid is released and the hopper
thrown forward, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James King, James Maxwell
King, and Thomas Dundas Maxwell King, have hereunto set our 10
hands and seals, this Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
JAMES KING.
(L.S.)
JAMES M. KING.
(L.S.)
T. D. M. KING.
(L.S.)