Improvements in Dry Closets in which Heat is employed to Desiccate the Soil.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 7th July, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dry Closets in which Heat is employed to
Desiccate the Soil.
I ROBERT COOKE SAYER of 11 Clyde Road, Redland, Bristol, Civil 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 :-
The object is to deal with human excrement and their smells in a reducer, so
that the liquid is lead away and filtered, before going to the drains and the solids
are evaporated, the water from condensation joining the liquid, and the residue is
reduced to dust by heat until a draft of air can transport it to a catchment vessel
for extraction, and its residual gases are sent through a filter to the atmosphere.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
The usual riser, seat and cover of water closets at present in use are attached
together and hinge upon bearings and the former rests upon a spring.
A box is conveniently placed below the seat having a concave channelled top
for directing the water only, to a pipe, and thence to a filter, and the drains: the
top has also a trap door, that when the cover is raised is opened inwards by
means of toothed quadrants, through which the solids fall upon an inclined tray
or shelf, and gravitate in a zig-zag way to any number of similar trays, and
ultimately to an open box or tray which is connected with a pipe in which a draft
of air is created.
When the weight of the body is placed upon the seat, the riser is depressed
against the spring and closes a tap in a pipe conveying heat, or gas or fuel for
generating it and opens another tap that by an independent lever actuates a
bellows, which when the body is removed, prevents a spring from closing it except
gradually; but the first tap is again opened by the spring returning the riser:
thus when in use, the heat is shut off, but after use is admitted.
Above the top tray the entrance to an auxiliary draft pipe is fixed, to draw off
smells and heat of fresh excreta: and a burner sets fire to paper used.
The heat acts upon all sides of the excreta as it traverses the trays, and
evaporates it, the vapour being condensed upon the top and sides of the box and
carried off by a pipe to that for the liquid the dust and heat are drawn away
through sieves by the draft pipe, is trapped, and extracted as required, and the
residual vapour passes through a filter to the atmosphere.
The box is suspended and balanced upon bearings and retained in position by a
spring, so that the weight of a small amount of excreta shall throw it over the
balance and open the second trap, and thus turn on the heat.

page_text: F represents the box, which is suspended by the spindle F B, or elsewhere, upon
bearings FZ, being nearly balanced by their position, or the weights K, and
retained as shown by the spring L. The spindle FB carries the toothed
quadrant FC, the trap door F A to which it is keyed, the stirrup lever FD that
assists in raising and tightening up the trap F A, and by its projection FE, opens
the tap GD, fixed in the auxiliary draft pipe G, through the double lever GA, GB,
that centres upon the spindle of the tap GD: the pipe G is suspended from the
spindle F B by the tie G E, carries the cone G C, and is supported by the draft
pipe H that is carried by the nail H A.
The top of the box F is concave in form,, has channels F F and F G, which
direct the liquid to and down the pipe J: the box F is fitted with diagonal trays
or shelves F F F leading into one another, and to the receptacle FG that has its
side turned over the entrance to the draft pipe H, which is further protected by
the sieves H B and HC: the sides of the box Fare lined with a non-conductor of
heat, with a small space between.
:
Two taps O and P regulate the gas supply from the pipe Q: O is closed by the
rod OA and lever O B when the riser C falls, and opens when C is raised by
spring E P is opened as the riser C falls, by the bend OC of the rod OA, and
actuates the lever PA, which through links PB thrusts the piston RA of the
bellows cylinder R to the other end of its stroke, opening the valve RB, which
again closes, and allows the tap P to be closed gradually by the spring RC.
When the box F moves over on its centre FB against spring L the bell crank S
is actuated, which by the links SA draws up the lever PA and opens the tap P
which is again similarly retained by the bellows R until the spring L. returns the
box F.
The pipe T conducts the water of condensation from evaporation of solids to
the receptacle JA which receives the liquids from pipe J in all its positious which
with the slops from hopper U is carried to a filter by the pipe J B. N are two gas
jets always kept lit and M two gas burners lit up by them.
The working is as follows,
The cover A is raised, this by the quadrants A B and FC draws the trap FA
to its dotted position, and the stirrup FD by its horn F E thrusts over the
levers GB and G A to their dotted position and opens the tap GD: the weight
of the body upon seat B which hinges at DA causes the riser C, to compress
the spring E, and falls closing the tap O by the rod OA, and cuts off the gas:
and by the bend OC of the rod OA acting upon lever PA, opens the tap P, and
thrusts in the piston RA of the bellows R by the links P B.
The liquids are diverted to a filter and drains, by the channels F F and F G
and pipes J and J B.
The solids pass through the trap opening, alights upon the top tray FFF,
the smell and heat passing away through the cone G C and pipes G and H.
Upon the weight being removed from the seat B, B and the riser C are raised
by spring E, which opens tap O at once, and the spring RC closes the tap P
gradually by the action of the bellows R, so that the burners M are lit up by the
jets of gas N.
The cover A is closed, thus the stirrup F D is returned by the quadrants A B
and FG, meets the lever GA, throws it over, and closes the tap GD, and thrusts
home the trap F A.
The rising vapour from the solids is diverted by the top of the box F to its sides
and within the non-conducting lining, and condensed and passes through pipe T to
pipe J B, down which the liquids pass with the slops from the hopper U to a
filter.
As the solids gravitate from one tray F F F to another it is acted upon by the
heat on all sides until by the time it reaches the open box F G, it is dust, which is
drawn away with the heat through the sieves HC and H B, down the pipe H.
The openings Y and X give air for combustion, and smell from the pipe JB is
drawn into the box F through Y.

page_text: Should the bellows R not give sufficient time for the reduction of the solids..
their weight throws over, or keeps over the box F on its bearings FZ against the
spring L, which by the bell crank S and links SA opens the tap P and actuates
the bellows, and the tap O being open, the burners M are lit by the jets N,.
until the weight of the solids is sufficiently reduced for the spring L to return
the box F, which leaves the tap P to be closed by the bellows R, whatever
its position, through the slot in the links S A.
Other sources of heat act in the same manner.
"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
"
1st. For a box having its top so formed in a channelled and concave form,
with a trap door capable of being opened by toothed quadrants, when the cover
of a seat, placed above is raised, and tightly closed when the cover is, that the
liquid part of human excrement gravitates down the concave part and channels,
through a pipe and hopper to a filter and the drains the solids fall through
the trap opening and alights upon a diagonal tray, the smell and heat is drawn off
through an auxiliary draft pipe: the solids gravitate in a zig-zag manner to any
number of such trays until complete evaporation has taken place by means of
heat supplied to the box; the vapour is condensed by the top or sides or both
being lined with a non-conductor of heat, and the water passes down the pipe
for the liquid part: and, the residue is reduced to dust, and drawn off through
sieves by a draft in a pipe, to a catchment vessel from which it may be taken
and utilised, while the residual vapour passes through a filter and thence to the
atmosphere substantially as described.
:
2nd. For passing the heat to the box, or gas or fuel for generating the heat,
through two taps or valves regulated by the rising or falling of its seat, cover,
and riser, which rest upon bearings and a spring so that the weight of a
body upon the seat closes one tap and opens another: and when the weight is
removed it opens the first and gradually closes the second by a spring acting
against the action of a bellows; thus the heat is turned on only when the seat
is not in use substantially as described.
3rd. For balancing the box which receives the excreta, so that a slight tension
only is put upon its retaining spring, and when a small amount of excreta is.
received the balance is thrown over and the motion of the box upon its bearings,.
actuates, by a bell-crank and links, the tap or valve admitting heat, or gas or
fuel for generating the heat, into the box, and so that the tap or valve is not again
closed until the return of the box on its bearings by the spring, after the reduction
of the excrement substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of March 1894.
ROBERT COOKE SAYER.