IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTION OF EARTH CLOSETS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN DUNNELL GARRETT of Southwold in the County of Suffolk, Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTION OF EARTH CLOSETS to be as follows:-
THE
The object of this invention is so to improve the construction of Earth Closet
apparatus, as to provide for the instant removal of a charged pan or receptacle and
its replacement by an empty receptacle.
To this end I mount a pair of pans or receptacles upon a rotating frame. which
at a half turn will change the position of the two receptacles making one take the
place of the other. When the apparatus is fitted to a closet on the ground floor
I effect this shifting of the earth closet pans by the use of a horizontal frame, but
when the closet is on say the first it is more convenient to employ a vertical
frame.
•
;
The horizontal arrangement is carried by a vertical shaft to which is attached a
hollow partition forming a portion of the back or side of the closet and capable of.
swivelling.to present either face to the closet, the vertical shaft forming its pivot
support. The closet is fitted with a seat as usual and under this seat the pans are
brought alternately. To provide for this movement a horizontal gap is made in
the partition on a level with the upper part of the seat. The pans are hung on the
frame by trunnions and a means is provided (preferably a worm and worm wheel)
for tipping them in either direction from time to time so as slightly to shift their
position either backwards or forwards with respect to the seat. They may also be
shifted slightly to the right or left by the shaft which carries them having a slight
axial motion independently of the hollow partition. This partition it will be
understood will fit a corresponding opening in the wall, and it may be fixed by
bolts which are accessible only from a closet at the back of the partition, where it
is intended to empty the charged pans. At the back of the seat immediately
below a hopper fixed to the partition I mount a feed roller which forms virtually
the bottom of the hopper and is intended to supply earth to the pan as the closet is
used. The roller may be turned by the movement of the seat cover, or by a pull
-handle as thought most convenient.. To turn the frame which carries the pans it
will only be necessary to withdraw the locking bolts and swing it round by hand.
When it has made a half turn the bolts may be forced home, when the apparatus
will be retained in a fixed position.. The partition is fitted on both sides with an

page_text: earth hopper, and receptacles are made at the sides of the pans for boxes containing
dry earth. From these boxes the hopper in use may be charged as required and
when the earth is spent the empty pan with its filled boxes may be brought round
into position. Thus the attendant on the closet may charge the earth receptacles
and remove the deposit, without disarranging or interfering with the use of the
closet.
In adapting the vertical rotating frame I use a horizontal axle which forms the
pivot for a piece of flooring that moves with it and the frame like the partition of
the horizontal arrangement. In this case the pan trunnions turn' in bearings and
the pans are tipped as before by worm gearing.
I JOHN DUNNELL GARRETT of Southwold in the County of Suffolk, Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF EARTH CLOSETS and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"
The main object of this Invention is so to improve the construction of Earth
Closet apparatus as to provide for the facile removal of a charged pan or receptacle
and its replacement by an empty receptacle.
To this end I mount a pair of pans or receptacles upon the opposite sides of
a rotating hollow partition which at a half turn will change the position of the two
receptacles making one take the place of the other.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shown three arrangements of my
Invention which arrangements are specially designed for different circumstances.
Sheet I of the Drawings represents in several views an arrangement of earth
closet specially applicable to ground floors or where an ante-room or lobby acces-
'sible from the adjoining yard or garden abuts upon the closet in which the
apparatus is fitted.
Fig: 1 is a transverse section of the apparatus taken through the centre line of
the rotating partition.
Fig 2 is a front view partly in section with the closet, seat removed, and
Fig 3 is a partial plan view of the same, one of the receptacles being removed
to simplify the drawing.
In these Figures A is a hollow partition mounted in a rectangular frame B
which is set in an opening made in the closet wall: The opening in this frame is
completely closed by the partition the height and breadth of which corresponds
with the elevation of the closet seat.. The frame B is made. preferably of wood
with a central longitudinal groove in the inner faces of its horizontal side, and of.
two parallel longitudinal grooves in its vertical sides. At the middle of this frame
recesses are made to receive two shoes C of hard wood or gun-metal which form
socket bearings for the trunnions of the partition A, and are held in place by

page_text: screw bolts. This arrangement of shoe bearings affords a means of taking out and
replacing the partition in the opening whenever necessary by allowing of the
partition being turned at right angles to the wall and then tilted -into the dotted
position of Fig : 1.
These trunnions which may be of wood, form the terminations of a longitudinally
slotted vertical bar a.which serves as a central stay for the hollow partition. This
partition is built up of horizontal and vertical pieces of stout wood a between
which are inserted filling pieces a³ a, and they are covered in on their opposite
sides to form a flush partition with match boards or equivalent material. The
partition is thus made hollow to check the passage of sound and it also facilitates,
the application of an arrangement of locking apparatus which forms the subject
of an application for a Patent filed on the 30th day of May 1884, No 8434, and
intended to prevent draughts through the crevices around the partition. D D are
two pairs of bracket castings which are bolted to the partition A, and are provided.
with slotted bearings to receive the trunnions of the receptacles E E, which are
suspended between and are free to rock in their bracket supports.-The front edge.
of these receptacles rises a little above the hinder part and the receptacles are
otherwise so formed that when charged with soil the tendency will be for their
front etiges to retain this raised position. F is the closet seat which is so arranged
as just to clear the partition A, and allow of its turning freely within the enclosed
space of the seat for the purpose of bringing the receptacles alternately within the
closet seat. The seat is hinged as heretofore, and when in use it will press upon
the front edge of the pan beneath it, and thereby tip it slightly forward as shown.
in dotted lines in Fig: 1. The effect of this will be to throw forward the earthi
in the pan and thereby cover the last discharge of excrement. On either side of
the brackets D are fitted shelves G for receiving storage boxes for the earth or,
equivalent deodorizing material, which is deposited from time to time by hand,
into the hopper H fitted to the wall of the closet. This hopper may be of any
approved construction with a delivery for discharging the earth or other deodorizing
material into the pan, a spout from the hopper leading down below the seat to the
receptacle E. The partition A may be unlocked from either side of the wall, and
this I prefer when using the, locking apparatus to be presently described. To
facilitate the removal of the receptacles when charged with excrement I provide
a truck of peculiar construction as illustrated at Figures 4 and 5 Sheet II of the
drawings.
II are two side bars terminating in handles and I' is a cross bar constituting:
also a dead axle for a pair of travelling wheels 12. ii is a pair of metal cheeks.
slotted to form bearings for a pair of trunnions with which the receptacles are.
fitted. These trunnions are shown at i, Figures 1 and 2, which stand out a little,
in advance of the trunnions by which the receptacles are suspended in the
brackets D. To remove a charged receptacle which is for that purpose brought
round to the position of E* in Fig: 1, it is only necessary to run the truck in
a tipped position under the receptacle and to bring its slotted cheeks i under the
trunnions . By depressing the elevated handles of the truck the receptacle E
will be lifted off the brackets and be transferred to the truck as indicated by the
dotted lines in Fig: 4. By running the loaded truck over a trench as indicated at
Fig 5 the contents of the receptacle may be discharged into the trench by simply.
tipping the receptacle forward as represented at Fig: 4.
The partition A may be furnished with sliding bolts of the ordinary construction
for securing it in position, but I prefer as already remarked to employ an arrange-
ment which not only locks the partition, but serves to exclude the draught. The,
horizontal and vertical filling pieces a³ and a of the hollow partition A are shown
as fitted with sliding bars K K which work in longitudinal slots made to receive
them, and in planes corresponding to the planes of the grooves in the horizontal,
bars of the frame B, and of one of the two grooves in the vertical bars of those,
frames, as shown in the sectional plan Fig: 3. Projecting inwards from these bars:
are short guide rods which pass through guides carried by the partition. The

page_text: .
vertical slotted shaft a of the partition carries bearings for a cross state
which a grooved pulley is keyed within the slotted shaft.
Connected to the grooved pulley by cross pins are four link rods k¹, which
severally connect with their respective bars K K₁ at a central point, and are
intended to simultaneously thrust out the locking bars K K¹, into the slots in the
frame B, or withdraw them therefrom, if desired. An arm 3 keyed to the cross
shaft K is connected by a coiled spring to some fixed point within the hollow
partition, and it is by the pulling of this spring that a tendency is given to the
locking bars of the partition to interlock with the frame B and thereby close all
openings for draught around the partition. The transverse shaft K2 is fitted at its
opposite ends with a hand lever K³ the raising of which will draw in the locking
bars and thereby allow the partition to be turned in its bearings.
In some cases I propose to apply the above. described apparatus, slightly
modified, to an apartment having an ante-room adjoining or it may be a passage.
In this case instead of a closet seat of the ordinary construction I provide on one
side of the rotating partition a commode in the form, say, of an arm chair with an
enclosure below the seat for containing the receptacle.-In place of duplicated
swinging receptacles-I employ but one ordinary pan. This arrangement -is'
illustrated in cross section at Fig 6 Sheet II. In this example the rotating or
swivelling partition A constructed and fitted as above described, is made
sufficiently high to carry a hopper if thought desirable. Instead however of a
hopper, boxes for the deodorant may be carried by shelves on either side of the
pan, and the material may be applied to the pan as required by means of a scoop.
The Chair seat, when the commode is not required for use, may be removed
from the chamber by simply giving the partition a half turn. This provides for
the pan or receptacle E being charged with deodorizing material and discharged.
outside the Chamber without discomfort to the invalid.
In Sheet III of the drawings I have shewn an arrangement of my invention in
which a horizontal instead of a vertical partition is used. This modification is
intended specially for closets which are situated either on the first floor or some
distance above the ground.
Fig 7 is a front view partly in section of this modified arrangement.
Fig 8 a transverse section of the same.
Fig 9 a detached view shewing the means for tipping the receptacles..
A is the horizontal partition carried by a cruciform frame B, which is mounted on
a cross shaft C having its bearings on a rafter secured to the wall of the closet, and
on a longitudinal beam C¹ supported from the fixed floor of the closet An opening
is cut in this floor corresponding in size with the partition A to allow of that
partition turning over and presenting either side uppermost as desired, Below the
floor the opening is surrounded by a skirting to the depth of the partition which
for convenience is sunk a sufficient depth below the floor to allow of its turning on
its axis below and clear of the fixed seat D. One pair of the arms of the cruciform
frame serves to carry the partition and between the other arms the receptacles E
are mounted on trunnions as before. The shaft C is, in this case, rotated by means
of a worm wheel c, and worm c¹ the worm being actuated by a key or winch
handle, passed downwards through the floor as shewn at Fig: 7. To ensure a proper
amount of movement for replacing one receptacle for the other the shaft C is fitted
with a notched collar c², into the notch of which a weighted pawl takes when the
notch and pawl are brought into coincidence A rod c³ fitted with a button stands
up through the floor, and by its depression the pawl is raised clear of the notched
collar to allow of the rotation of the shaft.
By increasing the breadth of this notch provision is made for moving the shaft
This will shift
slightly in either direction, while locked by means of the worm c.
the position of the receptacle under the seat and thereby facilitate the loading up
of the same. F is the hopper for delivering the deodorant to the receptacles. This
hopper is fixed to the wall of the closet and will be operated as usual. To provide
for the tipping of the receptacles a worm wheel e, is keyed to one of the trunnions

page_text: of the receptacles, and a worm e¹, capable of being thrown in-and out of gear with
the wheel c, is pivotted to the frame B for the purpose of turning the wheel in
either direction and thus rocking the receptacle forwards or backwards as desired.
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 The arrangement of earth closet apparatus capable of being rotated on a
central pivot or shaft, as described with reference to Sheet, I of the Drawings, for
the purpose of replacing a filled with an empty receptacle.
2nd The arrangement of earth closet apparatus fitted to a partition pivotted to a
vertical frame, in the manner and for the purpose described with reference to
Sheet II of the drawings.
3rd The modified revolving carth closet apparatus constructed as described with
reference to Sheet III of the drawings.
4th In earth closet apparatus having one or more hanging receptacles for the
excrement, the means described for shifting the position of the receptacles, so as to
ensure the covering of the excrement by the deodorant delivered to the receptacle,
and the proper packing of the contents in the receptacle.
Dated this 15th day of December 1884.
NEWTON & SON,
• Agents for the Applicant..