IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NATURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF CLOSETS AND COMMODES FOR THE RECEPTION AND REMOVAL OF EXCREMENTITIOUS AND OTHER OFFENSIVE MATTER, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE FROM THENCE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to the Reverend Henry Moule, of Fordington, in the
County of Dorset, Clerk, and James Bannehr, of Exeter, Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NATURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF CLOSETS
AND COMMODES FOR THE RECEPTION AND REMOVAL OF EXCREMENTITIOUS AND
OTHER OFFENSIVE MATTER, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE FROM
THENCE."
Sealed the 23rd October 1860, and dated the 28th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Moule and James
Bannehr at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 28th May 1860.
We, the Reverend HENRY MOULE, of Fordington, in the County of Dorset;
Clerk, and James Bannehr, of Exeter, Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NATURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF
CLOSETS AND COMMODES FOR THE RECEPTION AND REMOVAL OF EXCREMENTITIOUS AND
OTHER OFFENSIVE MATTER, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE FROM THENCE,"
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to substitute a dry closet for a water eloset by
mixing or combining with excrementitious matter finely sifted or powdered
peat or earth, whether surface or subsoil. To use similar means in night
commodes, and we shall avail ourselves when necessary of the recent discovery

page_text: of the capability in such peat or earth for repeated use for such purpose on
repeated drying.
To accomplish this object we provided a vertical sided case of suitable
material, either square or round, or of other suitable shape, and either with or
without an earthenware pan. At the bottom of such case we either place a
sliding bottom of suitable material slightly on the incline, for the sake of the
immediate separation of the urine from the fæces, which bottom is moveable
either on wheels or in grooves, and is moved backwards and forwards by handle
and lever, the same action of which sets free the dried or powdered peat or earth
from the chamber which contains it, and by a fixed scraper such peat or earth,
and the solid excrement are made to fall into a drawer, chamber, or shaft
below, or we place at the bottom of the said case a flap of suitable material
to move by means of a binge or similar contrivance. We furnish such flap
with a channel at a lower level than its general surface by means of which the
urine may be separated from the foeces, and be made to flow away from the
fæces in order to its being made available for manufacture under Phillips and
Bannehr's Patent, dated 27th October 1859, (No. 2460,) or to its being
otherwise disposed of. We distribute on such flap or moveable bottom the
powder above alluded to by means of a cylinder or other mechanical contri-
vance in order that such powder may intervene between it and the soil deposited
upon it or cover it. We place a handle connected with suitable leverage to
act upon the flap or moveable bottom above alluded to, whereby such excre-.
mentitious matter, with its accompanying powder is deposited in a fitting
receptacle underneath. We place in such lower receptacle when required, a
mechanical mixing apparatus in order that the sifted powdered earth above
alluded to may be incorporated or combined with the excrementitious matter,
and so succcessively repeated a number of times.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Moule and James Bannehr in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, the
Reverend HENRY MOULE, of Fordington, in the County of Dorset, Clerk, and
JAMES BANNEHR, of Exeter, Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her

page_text: 0
the
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
said Henry Moule and James Bannehr, Her special licence that we, the said
Henry Moule and James Bannehr, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Henry Moule and James Bannehr, 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 THE NATURE AND CON-
STRUCTION OF CLOSETS AND COMMODES FOR THE RECEPTION AND REMOVAL OF EXCRE-
MENTITIOUS AND OTHER OFFENSIVE MATTER, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE
FROM THENCE," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Henry
Moule and James Bannehr, our executors 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 performed, and cause the
sanie 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 James Bannehr, on behalf of myself and
the said Henry Moule, 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:-
The first part of our Invention consists in applying dry and powdered
earths in closets and commodes suitably constructed, and in such manner that
the dry powdered earths may be distributed over a suitable surface within the
closet or commode ready to receive the fresh excrementitious matters when
the closet or commode is used, and also in such manner that the excrementitious
matters may be immediately covered or dusted over with such powdered and
dry earths.
And, secondly, our Invention consists in certain peculiar arrangements of
apparatus to be used in closets and commodes for employing dry powdered
earths as above described, and which arrangements of apparatus are also
applicable when using other deoderents, such as lime, peat, or other dry
vegetable matters in the state of powder, but we prefer in all cases to use
5 dry earths.
The materials used in carrying out the first part of our Invention for thus
deodorizing and mixing with the freshly deposited excrementitious matters are
clay in a dry (unburned or burned) state, and powdered, also loam or other
fresh earth dried and in a state of powder.

page_text: We would remark that we have found that earths of all kinds when in
a dry state are not only good deodorizing materials, but that when mixed with
the fresh excrementitious matters they produce the best manures, and they
are cheaper than chemical preparations, which have before been proposed
to be employed in like manner to that above described, and they are superior
to and cheaper than peat or lime, and we would state that we make no
claim to the use of quicklime, or to peat, or peat charcoal, the first part of our
Invention consisting as before stated in the application in closets or commodes
of clay, loam, and fresh earths generally combined or separate in a dry aud
powdered state.
We would remark that we have found that if clay, loam, and other earths
after they have been used in a state of powder to deodorize the excrementitious
matters in a closet or commode be again dried and reduced to powder they
may be again and again used, and the manures thus produced will be much
stronger.
To accomplish these objects most effectually in closets and commodes, we
provide a case with vertical sides of suitable material, either square or round, or
of other suitable shape.
Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawing annexed represent a vertical section and
plan of a closet or commode. At the bottom of the case a, a, there is a bottom
b, of suitable material slightly on the incline to facilitate the immediate
separation of the urine from the faces. The bottom 6 moves with an axis c,
which turns in suitable bearings at d, d. The bottom is actuated by raising
the handle e on the sliding bar f. on the lower end of which is formed a rack g
which takes into the teeth on the sector rack h fixed on the axis of the
bottom b, so that the bottom 6 will be caused to incline to such an extent that
the powder and the excrementitious matters therein will descend or slide off
the bottom. The bottom is brought back by means of a weight or spring, or
by the pressing down of the handle, and on arriving at its original position a
quantity of powdered material is distributed over the bottom by means of the
rotation of the feeder i at the bottom of the hopper j, such rotary feeder
being caused to rotate partly round (just as the bottom 6 comes to rest) by
means of the ratchet wheel and driver k, which are actuated by the arm on
the bar f, as is shewn in the Drawing.
Or in place of the apparatus shewn at Figures 1 and 2, we employ the
apparatus shewn at Figures 3 and 4 in which a sliding bottom b is used
which is fixed on an upright axis c, which receives motion from a crank
handle m above the seat of the closet or commode, and such axis e also gives
motion to a stirrer on an axis n by which the powdered material and the

page_text: In
excrementitious matters are mixed when they are below the bottom b. In
thus using a sliding bottom the lower edge of the case a acts as a scraper.
this arrangement provision is made as shewn in the Drawing for supplying
powdered material on to the bottom b, when it returns into position to be
again used, and provision may also be made for dusting the freshly deposited
excrementitious matters over with the powder before the bottom has been
moved to such an extent as to remove the matters off the bottom. In place
of the bottom being slid as above explained other arrangements may be applied
to enable the bottom to slide to and fro.
Figures 5 and 6 shew another arrangement of apparatus for a closet or
commode. The bottom b, which is suspended by straps o, o, and the lower
edge of the case a is formed to a curve corresponding with the radius of the
straps o. On the axis of one of the straps o is fixed a toothed sector, which
gears into the toothed rack p on the har q, to which the handler is affixed.
By raising the handler motion will be communicated to the bottom 6 which will
be caused to move from under the case a, the lower edge of the case a acting
as a scraper. Provision is made as shewn in the Drawing for applying the
powdered material on to the bottom.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, we would have it understood that we make no claim to any
of the mechanical parts separately; but what we claim is.-
First, the application of dry and powdered earths in closets and commodes
to the excrementitious matters deposited therein.
And, secondly, we claim the combinations of apparatus herein described for
applying dry and powdered matters to the excrementitious matters as they are
deposited in closets and commodes.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Bannehr, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
J. BANNEHR. (L.S.)