IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SANITARY PURPOSES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wheelhouse, of No. 27, Mary Street,
Strangeways, in the City of Manchester, Dyer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SANITARY PURPOSES."
Sealed the 22nd February 1867, and dated the 12th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wheelhouse at
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th September 1866.
I, THOMAS WHEELHOUSE, of No. 27, Mary Street, Strangeways, in the
City of Manchester, Dyer, do bereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SANITARY PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
The object of the first part of my Invention is to disinfect sewers, and it is
performed in the following manner: To the water main are connected
upright pipes at suitable distances apart, and in these pipes instead of
applying hydrants as usual I apply an ordinary stop-cock; a cistern is
placed around or near cach upright pipe; the upper surface of the cistern is
perforated or made with grids which are level with the road or street; the
cistern is partly filled with lime or other disinfectant, and at a certain dista ico

page_text: from the bottom of the cistern is a pipe in communication with the sewer.
When the stop-cock is opened the water flows into the cistern through the
perforations in the top, and when the cistern is partly filled the water
combined with the disinfectant flows into the sewer; by this arrangement the
sewer is disinfected and consequently the river into which it flows, and the
injury done to the pavement by the overflowing of the water is avoided. In
some cases the hydrants may be retained and a stop-cock applied in addition
to the hydrant, the object being to facilitate repairs.
The object of the second part of my Invention is to make the waste water
from public water taps available for flushing privies; to accomplish this I
place a cistern with a perforated top near each public water tap, and I convey
a pipe from near the bottom of the cistern to the under side of the seat of
the privy; by this arrangement the splashing of the water on the footpath
and road is avoided. Lime or other disinfectant may be put in the said
cistern.
The third part of my Invention consists in making ash-pits with a perforated
false bottom to allow the moisturo to run off into the main sewer, thus keeping
the cinders dry and facilitating their removal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Wheelhouse in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WHEELHOUSE, of No. 27, Mary Street, Strangeways, in the City of Manchester,
Dyer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Wheelhouse, Ier special license that I, the said Thomas
Wheelhouse, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Thomas Wheelhouse, my 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 APPARATUS FOR SANITARY PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Wheelhouse, my executors or

page_text: administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
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 I, the said Thomas Wheelhouse, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following,
statement (that is to say :)-
The nature of my Invention consists, first, in an improved apparatus for
and mode of disinfecting sewers and consequently the rivers into which the
sewers flow,
Secondly, in making the waste water from public water taps available for
flushing privics.
And, lastly, in an improved mode of constructing the ash-pits of privies.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings;
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figuro 1 is a section of my improved apparatus for disinfecting sewers;
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
b
a represents the water main, into which are fixed at suitable distances
apart the upright pipes b, which are provided with the stop-cock c, and tho
usual bydrants may be dispensed with; the pipe 6 passes through the cistern d,
the lid of which is perforated or made with longitudinal slots, as shown in
Figure 2 this lid is about level with the street or road, and one-balf of it
is connected by hinges to the other half to give access to the interior of the
cistern d, which is partly filled with lime or other disinfectant. At a certain
distance from the bottom of the cistern is an opening to receive the end of the
pipe which is in communication with the sewer g or with a drain connected
to the sewer. The upper end of the pipe fis about level with the upper
surface of the lid e, consequently when the stop-cock c is open the water
flows into the cistern d through the perforations in the lid e, and when the
cistern is partly filled the water combined with the disinfectant flows into the
drain or sewer, and by this means the sewer is disinfected and the river into
which it flows; the injury done to the pavement by the overflowing of the
water from the ordinary bydrants is also avoided. In some cases it may be
desirable to retain the ordinary bydrants, and to use them in combination with
the cistern d.

page_text: Figure 3 illustrates the second part of my Invention; in this view his an
ordinary public water tap or stand pipe, and d is a cistern with a perforated
top e placed below the road or footpath near the tap; f is the pipe to convey
the water to the under side of the seat of the privy to flush the excreta.
The cistern d may be supplied with lime or other disinfectant, as above
described.
k
Figure 4 represents a section of my improved ash-pit for privies; jis a
perforated false bottom under the seat to allow the moisture to run off; and
fis the end of the pipe, shewn in Figure 3, to convey water to the space
under the false bottom; is a diagonal partition to guide the ashes to the
under side of the seat of the privy, by which means the exccreta aro covered
every time any ashes are thrown into the ash-pit; the ashes and cinders
are thus kept dry, and they are therefore in a better condition for being
removed.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the means of
carrying the same into operation, I declare that I claim,-
First, the application of a cistern to the upright pipes of water mains either
with or without hydrants, and the mode described of disinfecting sewers or
drains, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
Secondly, I claim the apparatus shewn in Figure 3 for flushing and dis-
infecting privies.
And, lastly, the improved mode of constructing privies, as shown and
described in reference to Figure 4.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wheelhouse, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of March One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven.
THOMAS WHEELHOUSE
(L.S.)