Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus.
I, JOHN MCCOOL, of 27 Hyde Vale, Greenwich, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for disinfecting or deodorising water-closets,
urinals, hospital wards and other places where it is required to sweeten the air or to
remove bad smells.
The said improvements consist of the following arrangements :—
A vessel or reservoir of any required size and of suitable shape is provided to
contain the disinfecting or deodorising fluid and is fixed in any suitable position
with reference to the water-closet, urinal or other point where the disinfecting fluid
is to be delivered. Within the aforesaid reservoir is placed a measuring chamber
adapted to contain the quantity of disinfecting fluid to be discharged at each
operation of the apparatus. This measuring chamber is furnished with a small
hole or holes provided or not with a valve or valves through which the disinfecting
fluid finds its way slowly from the aforesaid reservoir into the said measuring
chamber. Two pipes rise from this measuring chamber, one of them passes over
the edge or through the side or top of the reservoir and terminates with an open
end at the closet-pan, urinal or other point where the disinfecting fluid is to be
discharged; the other pipe is connected to an air pump, bellows, indiarubber ball,
or other means of producing compressed air, placed in any convenient position and
provided with a lever or other suitable actuating means which may be so connected
with the handle of the closet or urinal for example that when the said handle has been
pulled up and the flush of water has passed to the pan, the depression of the handle
operates the pump or other air compressing instrument, forcing air under pressure
through the one pipe into the measuring chamber in the reservoir, and thereby
forcing the disinfecting fluid out of the measuring chamber up the other pipe and
discharging the measured quantity of disinfecting fluid into the closet pan after but
not before the flush has been delivered, so that the said disinfecting fluid remains in
the closet pan or urinal until the next operation of the flushing handlc.
If preferred the air compressing device may be operated by a foot plate or
grating or by a hand lever or otherwise, and in some cases instead of the fluid being
forced out of the measuring chamber by compressed air, it may be drawn out
therefrom by suction or exhaustion.
Instead of the discharge of the disinfecting fluid from the measuring chamber
being effected by means of a pneumatic apparatus, it may be effected by connecting
one of the two pipes from the measuring chamber to the water service or flushing
pipe, the passage of the flushing water down the said flushing pipe producing a
sucking action which draws the fluid out of the measuring chamber, the upper
end of the other pipe being left open to the atmosphere to co-operate with the
aforesaid sucking action and to break the syphon action when the measuring
chamber has been emptied.
According to another arrangement applicable to flushing cisterns for example,
a vessel or reservoir is provided which is immersed in the water of the cistern.
This vessel or reservoir contains a measuring chamber and is provided with an
opening of a size to admit of inserting and removing the measuring chamber
through it for the purpose of repair or cleansing. This opening is normally
closed by a suitable cover.
The aforesaid vessel or reservoir is filled with crystals
of any suitable disinfectant such as permanganate of soda or potash for example.
The measuring chamber is pierced with one or more small holes and is provided
with a pipe or pipes through which water can pass from the flushing cistern

page_text: into the measuring chamber. The action of this arrangement is as follows:
Water passes from the flushing cistern into the measuring chamber, thence
through the small holes into the reservoir containing the crystals of disinfectant.
This water dissolves a portion of the said crystals, and when the flushing cistern
is put into action and the water in it is drawn off, the water in the measuring
chamber, which has become charged more or less with the disinfectant during
the previous operation, flows out and passes away to the closet or other place
with the last part of the flushing water that issues from the flushing cistern.
Instead of the last above described reservoir and measuring chamber being
placed in a flushing cistern they may be placed on a bracket or otherwise fixed,
the pipes coming from the measuring chamber being extended to and connected
with the flushing water service pipe, one connection being somewhat higher than
the other. Some of the water passing down the said service pipe finds its way
into the aforesaid measuring chamber and reservoir through the connecting pipes,
and when the last part of the flushing water passing down the flushing pipe has
passed the upper connection it exerts a sucking action on the lower connection and
draws the water impregnated with the disinfectant out of the measuring chamber
and deposits it in the closet pan, urinal or other desired place.
The measuring chamber with its pipes are constructed so that they can be readily
taken out of the reservoir for cleansing or repair.
Another part of the invention applicable to the disinfection or deodorising of
hospital wards, rooms and so forth, consists of a screen of cloth or other suitable
material kept saturated with disinfecting or deodorising fluid and adapted to be
moved about into any required position on castors or otherwise. This screen is
formed of a vertical frame of piping having a trough or receiver at the lower end
the upper and horizontal pipe is perforated with a number of fine holes. A small
pump is fixed on some convenient part of the screen or base and is adapted to draw
disinfecting or deodorising fluid from the trough or receiver below, and force it up
into the abovementioned perforated pipe. Near the top of the frame are fixed
brackets which carry rods over and under which the aforesaid cloth is passed, and
from which it descends and passes under a rod at the bottom of the frame by which
it is held in a more or less stretched condition. The disinfecting or deodorising
fluid falls from the perforated pipe on to the said cloth, thoroughly wetting the
same, and any superfluous fluid runs off into the trough or receiver below, from
whence it is raised from time to time, as required, by the aforesaid pump into the
perforated pipe from which it returns to the cloth. Similar apparatus may be
applied to the walls of the wards or rooms instead of being made movable as above
described.
Dated this 8th day of October 1892.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus.
!, JOHN MCCOOL of 27 Hyde Vale, Greenwich, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, 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, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of
drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
In the said drawings
Figure 1 is an elevation showing one of my improved disinfecting apparatuses
applied to a water closet, Figure 2 a modification of same, Figure 3 a section of a
flushing cistern with such an annaratus fitted in it.

page_text: Figure 4 an elevation of one of the disinfecting apparatuses shown to a larger
scale than in Figures 1, 2 and 3,
.
Figure 5 shows the internal parts of the apparatus seen in Figure 4 removed
from the outer casing, and
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively an elevation and vertical cross section of an
apparatus for disinfecting or deodorizing hospital wards, rooms, and so forth.
A vessel or reservoir A of any required size and of suitable shape is provided to
contain the disinfecting or deodorizing fluid, and is fixed in any suitable position
with reference to the water closet B, urinal or other point where the disinfecting
fluid is to be delivered. Within the aforesaid reservoir A is placed a measuring
chamber C adapted to contain the quantity of disinfecting fluid to be discharged at
each operation of the apparatus. This measuring chamber is furnished with a small
hole or holes or with a short tube D perforated with one or more holes through
which the disinfecting fluid finds its way more or less slowly from the aforesaid
reservoir A into the said measuring chamber C. Two pipes E and F rise from
this measuring chamber, one of them E dips down to near the bottom of the
measuring chamber C, and passes out through the top A' or other suitable part of
the reservoir A. The other pipe F opens at one end into the upper part of the
measuring chamber C and also passes out through the top A' or other suitable part
of the reservoir A. In the arrangement shown in Figure 1 the ipe E terminates
with an open end at the closet basin B, urinal or other point where the disinfecting
fluid is to be discharged; and the pipe F is connected at the other end with an air
pump G, a bellows, a hollow indiarubber ball or other means of producing com-
pressed air placed in any convenient position, and provided with suitable actuating
means such as a lever H for example. This lever H may be so connected with the
handle I of the closet or urinal that when the said handle has been pulled up and
the flush of water has passed to the basin B the depression of the handle causes the
piston of the pump G or other air compressing instrument, to deliver air under
pressure, through the pipe F, into the measuring chamber C in the reservoir A;
thereby forcing the disinfecting fluid which has percolated into the measuring
chamber C out of such measuring chamber, into the pipe E, thus discharging the
measured quantity of disinfecting fluid into the closet pan after, but not before,
the flush has been delivered; so that the said disinfecting fluid remains in the closet
pan or urinal until the next operation of the flushing handle.
If preferred, the air compressing device may be operated by a foot plate or
grating, or by a hand lever or otherwise, and in some cases, instead of the fluid
being forced out of the measuring chamber by compressed air, it may be drawn out
therefrom by suction or exhaustion; for example, instead of the discharge of the
disinfecting fluid from the measuring chamber C being effected by means of a
pneumatic apparatus it may be effected by connecting the pipe E from the
measuring chamber to the water service or flushing pipe J, as shown in Figure 2,
the passage of the flushing water down the said flushing pipe producing a sucking
action which draws the fluid out of the measuring chamber C, the upper end of the
pipe F being carried up outside the reservoir A. as shown in dotted lines and left
open to the atmosphere to co-operate with the aforesaid sucking action to break the
syphon action when the measuring chamber has been emptied.
Or instead of the pipe F being left open as above described it may be connected
with the flushing water service pipe J at a higher level than the connection of the
pipe E therewith as shown in Figure 2, the end of the said pipe F being carried to
project into the pipe J and to be open at the top so that some of the water passing
down the pipe J finds its way through the pipe into the measuring chamber C
and reservoir A, and when the last part of the flushing water passing down the
flushing pipe J has passed the upper pipe F it exerts a sucking action on the lower
pipe E and draws the water which has become impregnated with disinfectant salt
placed in the reservoir A, out of the measuring chamber C and deposits it in the
closet pan, urinal or other desired place.
According to another arrangement applicable to flushing cisterns, for example,

page_text: and shown in Figure 3, the reservoir A with its measuring chamber C and pipes E
and F are placed in the cistern K so as to be immersed in the water therein. The
reservoir A is filled in the space outside the measuring chamber C with crystals of
any suitable disinfectant such as permanganate of soda or potash for example. The
pipe E passes at one end to near the bottom of the measuring chamber C and is
bent into the form of a syphon, the longer leg of which opens into the lower part of
the cistern K. The pipe F opens into the upper part of the measuring chamber C
and is also bent into the form of a syphon, the longer leg of which opens into the
lower part of the cistern K, but at a somewhat higher level than the longer leg of
the syphon pipe E. Both these syphons rise at their upper end above the level
of the water in the cistern K.
The action of this arrangement is as follows:-
Assuming that by previous operations of the flushing cistern the reservoir A and
measuring chamber have become charged with water from the cistern K and that
this water has become impregnated with disinfecting material from the crystals in
the said reservoir, on opening the flushing valve L the water flows from the
cistern K through it to the flushing pipe, and as the level of this water falls, the
syphon E is brought into action and draws the impregnated liquid out of
the chamber C into the cistern K, front whence it flows to the closet or other place
with the last part of the flushing water that issues from the flushing cistern. The
withdrawal of the liquid from the chamber C produces a partial vacuum therein
which draws in water from the cistern K through the pipe F to take the place of
that drawn off by the pipe E. The water drawn into the measuring chamber
gradually becomes mixed through the small holes in D with that in the reservoir A
which is impregnated with the disinfecting material contained therein; and is drawn
off through the pipe E at the next operation of the flushing cistern.
Instead of placing the reservoir A and its contained measuring chamber C within
the cistern K, they may be placed ontside the same with the lower ends of the
pipes E and F immersed in the water in the cistern.
As shown in Figures 4 and 5 the reservoir A is preferably provided with an
opening of a size to admit of inserting and removing the measuring chamber C
through it for the purpose of repair or cleansing. This opening is normally closed
by a cover A which may be screwed or otherwise secured in place. The pipes E
and Fare preferably passed through and secured to this cover A' and the latter
may be provided with an opening through which the disinfecting fluid or crystals
may be placed in the reservoir, and this opening may be closed with a suitable
cover or stopper A³.
Another part of the invention, applicable to the disinfection or deodorizing of
hospital wards, rooms and so forth, is shewn in Figures 6 and 7, and consists of a
screen of cloth or other suitable material kept saturated with disinfecting or
deodorizing fluid, and adapted to be moved about into any required position on
castors or otherwise.
This screen is formed of a vertical frame M M' of piping having a trough or
receiver N at the lower end, the upper and horizontal pipe M' is perforated with a
number of fine holes. A small pump P is fixed on some convenient part of the
screen or base and is adapted to draw disinfecting or deodorizing fluid from the
trough or receiver N and force it up into the abovementioned perforated pipe.
Near the top of the frame M are fixed brackets Q which carry rods or rollers R,
over and under which the aforesaid cloth S is passed, and from which it descends
and passes under one or more rods or rollers T at the bottom of the frame, by
which rod or rods, roller or rollers it is held in a more or less stretched condition.
The disinfecting or deodorizing fluid falls from the perforated pipe on to the cloth S
thoroughly wetting the same and any superfluous fluid runs off into the trough or
receiver Ñ below, from whence it is raised from time to time, as required, by the
aforesaid pump P into the perforated pipe from which it returns to the cloth S.
Similar apparatus may be applied to the walls of the wards or rooms, instead of
being made movable as above described.

page_text: Similar letters of reference relate to like parts in all the figures of the
drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. The improved disinfecting apparatus consisting of a reservoir A, a
measuring chamber C communicating with the said reservoir by one or more small
holes, and pipes E F, arranged and combined substantially as described with
reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.
Second. The combination and use of the improved disinfecting apparatus shown
in Figures 4 and 5 with a pump or other air compressing appliance, substantially as
described, and illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.
Third. The combination and use of the improved disinfecting apparatus shown in
Figures 4 and 5, with the flushing water service pipe of a closet, urinal or other
similar appliance, substantially as described, and illustrated in Figure 2 of the
drawings.
Fourth. The combination and use of the improved disinfecting apparatus shown
in Figures 4 and 5, with a flushing cistern substantially as described, and illustrated
in Figure 3 of the drawings.
Fifth. The disinfecting screen consisting of a frame of piping M M', the upper
or horizontal part M' of which is perforated with holes, the trough or receiver N,
the rods or rollers R and T, the cloth S and the pump P, combined and arranged
substantially as described with reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings.
Deted this 8th
1002
8th day of August 190
J. MCCOOL,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.