AN IMPROVED PORTABLE DRY-EARTH OR CARBON CLOSET
Year: 1885

page_text: I, GEORGE HENRY ELLIS, of Heathfield Patent Carbon Works, near Newton
Abbot, South Devon, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for AN IMPROVED PORTABLE DRY-EARTH OR CARBON CLOSET, to be as
follows:-
I provide a square or oblong-shaped box which I mount upon rockers for a
purpose hereinafter set forth. At the front is an aperture, closed with a drop lid,
through which is passed a tub or pan intended to receive the soil and urine and
which rests upon bearers or a shelf-board. Underneath this is a second aperture
extending in a curved bottom line, corresponding to the rockers, to the back of
the closet. This aperture or channel is continued upward at the back of the closet,
behind the tub or pan, for some distance and there terminates in an open receiver :-
such aperture or channel being intended to receive a storage supply of dry-earth,
ashes or granulated carbon which is poured into the receiver and withdrawn, by a
shovel or other means, through its front aperture. Immediately over the receiver,
at the top and back of the closet, is a further chamber for the using supply of
dry-earth, ashes or carbon. This chamber slopes backward from the bottom to the
top at the front, and has an opening at the top to receive its supply.
The bottom of this chamber is made of a flat spring plate, placed at a convenient
slope or angle for delivering the charge of dry-earth, ashes or carbon. This plate
is secured at the back and can be depressed at the front after the manner of a lip.
The mode of actuating this plate is as follows:-the top or seat of the closet,
(having the usual aperture), jointed at the front and made capable of a slight
depressiou at the back, where it is supported by projecting arms upon (and near)
the loose end of the spring plate. When the closet is not in use, the spring plate
bears upon the bottom edge of a fixed plate placed transversely between the sides
of the closet. When a person uses the closet his weight upon the seat causes a
slight depression of the spring plate, so as to effect an opening between it and the
fixed transverse plate, and by an easy rocking movement of the closet, a discharge
of dry-earth (or other suitable material) is thoroughly distributed over the contents
of the tub or pan.
The amount of the discharge can be regulated at the pleasure of the user, and
the peculiarity of the method is that the soil and urine are covered and deodorized

page_text: before the occupant leaves the seat. When the seat is not occupied the spring
plate returns to its original position and any further discharge is arrested.
I provide a cover for the seat, jointed at the back, and when this is down &
person may seat himself upon the closet without the danger of wasting the
contents of the using supply chamber. When it is open the cover rests against
the sloping front of the using supply chamber, and it will fall down automatically
by the rocking movement imparted to the closet when a person leaves the seat.
The action of the closet is entirely automatic, and its essential feature is the
rocker principle, which ensures a complete distribution of the discharge of dry-
earth, ashes or carbon, over or upon the contents of the tub or pan.
Dated this fifteenth day of April 1885.

page_text: I GEORGE HENRY ELLIS, of the Heathfield Patent Carbon Works, near Newton
Abbot, in the county of Devon, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
•
This invention relates to the construction of an improved portable dry-earth, or
carbon closet.
In carrying out my invention, I provide a square or oblong shaped box, which
I mount upon rockers for a purpose hereinafter set forth. At the front is an
aperture closed with a drop lid, through which aperture is passed a tub or pan
intended to receive the soil and urine, and which rests upon bearers or a shelf-board.
A chamber or channel is provided which extends upwards at the back of the closet
behind the tub or pan for some distance, and forms an open box or receiver; the
said box or receiver is intended to receive a storage supply of dry-earth, ashes, or
granulated carbon, which is poured into the receiver, and withdrawn by a shovel
or other means or placed therein in packets through a door or aperture therein.
Immediately over the said box or receiver, at the top and back of the closet is a
further chamber for the supply of dry-earth, ashes, or carbon for immediate use.
This chamber slopes backwards, from the bottom to the top at the front, and has a
lid for closing an opening at the top to receive its supply. The bottom of this
chamber is made of a flat spring plate, placed at a convenient slope or angle for
delivering the charge of dry earth, ashes, or carbon. This plate is secured at the
back, and can be depressed at the front after the manner of a lip. The mode of
actuating this plate is as follows: The top or seat of the closet (having the usual
aperture) is jointed at the front and is made so that it can be slightly depressed at
the back, where it is supported by projecting arms upon the loose end of the
spring plate. When the closet is not in use, the spring plate bears upon the
bottom edge of a fixed plate placed transversely between the sides of the closet.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which figure 1, represents
a side elevation, figure 2, a plan and figure 3, a vertical longitudinal section of a
portable dry-earth or carbon closet constructel according to my invention the parts
being in the position they occupy when the closet is not in use; figure 4, is a
vertical transverse section on the line A, B, of figure 3; figure 5, is a longitudinal
section of part of the closet shewing the position of the parts when the closet is
in use.
Similar letters in all the figures represent similar parts.
a, is the box forming part of the apparatus and b, b, are the rockers on which it
is nounted; c, is the drop door or lid closing the aperture in the front of the box a;
d, is the tub or pan which is passed into and removed from the box a, through the
said aperture and which receives the soil and urine; e, is the shelf or board on
which the tub or pan d rests; f, is the chamber at the back of the closet serving to
receive a storage supply of ashes or granulated carbon preferably placed therein in
packets which can be taken out as they are required for use through the opening
closed by the door g; h, is the chamber situated immediately over the chamber or
receiver f, and at the top and back of the box a; into this chamber h, through the
opening at the top thereof, the supply of dry-earth, ashes, or carbon i, which is

page_text: required for immediate use is introduced; the front of the chamber h, is inclined
backwards from the bottom to the top, as shewn, so as to form a convenient back
rest to the closet; j, is the lid for closing the opening at the top of the chamber h;
, is the flat spring plate which forms the bottom of the chamber h, and which
slopes or inclines forward as shewn so as to enable the charge of dry-earth, ashes,
or carbon i, to leave the chamber h, when the closet is used as hereinafter described,
the plate, is fixed at 1, to the back of the chamber h, and the front end of the
plate is free and forms a kind of lip which can be depressed; m, is the top or seat
of the closet and n, is the usual aperture therein; the seat m, is hinged at o, to the
front of the box a, and its back end is free so that it can be slightly depressed
when pressure is put upon it by a person sitting on the seat; p, p, are the projecting
arins on the free end of the spring plate k, the said arms serving to support the
seat m, when the latter is not depressed; q, is the fixed plate placed transversely
between the sides of the closet at the bottom and front of the chamber h; upon the
bottom edge of the plate q, the spring plate k, bears when the closet is not in use;
the front end of the spring plate k, is provided with sides or guides so as to form a
shoot through which the dry-earth or carbon is discharged into the pan d; the
scat m, when depressed rests upon the upper edges of the box a; r, is the cover or
lid of the seat m, of the closet; 8, s, are handles by which the pan d is removed
from the box a; t, is an inclined flange or projection extending from the sides of
the box a, over the mouth of the pan d, to prevent the liquid, matter from entering
the box a.
The operation of the improved closet is as follows:-
The parts being in the position shewn in figures 1, 2, and 4, if a person uses the
closet, his weight bearing upon the seat m, will cause a slight depression of the
spring plate, so as to effect an opening between it and the fixed transverse plate q
as shewn in figure 5, when the dry-earth or carbon will be free to run out of the
chamber h, and by an easy rocking movement of the closet upon the rockers b, the
discharge of dry-earth, (or other suitable material) will be thoroughly distributed
over the surface of the contents of the tub or pan.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a portable dry-earth or carbon closet, the combination with a box or casing
for containing a removable tub or pan, of a hinged seat adapted to depress a spring
plate by the weight of a person sitting on the seat so as to open a chamber con-
taining a supply of dry-earth or the like whereby a quantity of the said earth is
discharged into the said tub or pan substantially as hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
2. In a portable dry-earth, or carbon closet the combination with an arrange-
ment such as is herein described for effecting an automatic discharge of dry earth
or the like, of rockers for causing a distribution of the said earth over the soil and
urine in the closet when the same is used substantially as hereinbefore described
and represented in the accompanying drawing.
3. The improved portable dry-earth or carbon closet herein before described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 14th day of October 1885