IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING, DRYING, AND DEODORIZING HUMAN. EXCREMENT
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Taylor, of Romsey, in the County of Hants,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING,
DRYING, AND DEODORIZING HUMAN. EXCREMENT."
Sealed the 18th April 1867, and dated the 24th October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Taylor at the
-Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th October 1866.
I, FRANCIS, TAYLOR, of Romsey, in the County of Hants, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR RECEIVING, DRYING, AND DEODORIZING HUMAN EXCREMENT," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements on the apparatus for
receiving, drying, and deodorizing human excrement described in the Specifi-
cation of a Patent granted to me on the 9th day of April 1861, No. 876, and
of a Patent granted to me on the 22nd day of August 1864, No. 2072. For
this purpose I place under the pan of a privy seat a moveable floor, which is
moved when the lid of the seat is moved, so that the solid matter deposited
upon it, after the liquid has been allowed to run off, is scraped off and made
to fall on the revolving table below. Fastened to and under the moveable
floor of the pan are two scrapers acting at the same time with the moveable
floor, one in the centre not reaching closely down to the revolving table,-the
effect of which is to level and spread about the soft excrement and mix it with

page_text: any dry deodorizing powder I have caused to fall with it; and the other
scraper at the side to catch and shovel off from the revolving platform the
dried excrement when by the revolution of the platform it comes opposite to
this scraper. A box for containing ashes or powdered charcoal or soot is
applied by the side of the pan, by which I throw into or sift over (either
voluntarily .or involuntarily) the pan a small quantity of dry ashes, or char-
coal, or soot, to deodorise the excrement and the soiled sides of the pan. The
side scraper above mentioned partakes of the form of a shovel and a hoe
(thus
✓ ), so as to take up and push off the dried excrement from the
revolving platform, either into a receptacle provided in the house or through
an opening in the outer wall of the house, to fall down a shaft or shoot into a
bin placed for its reception, where the ashes of the house may also be
deposited. The top surface of the revolving platform should be made of iron
ör other metal, so that the heated air from a gas light or any lamp (or fire)
which may be burning in a room below may be safely admitted by a tube to
ascend into the commode or closet containing my Patent apparatus under the
revolving platform; this being of course for the purpose of assisting the drying
of the excrement. By the above improved arrangements I shall be able to
place upon any floor of a house a closet or commode quite smell-tight as to
the house, but communicating with the outer air, in which I propose by aid
of heated air obtained from the lamps and fires of the rooms below, and
admitted by a tube through the floor or wall, to dry the excrement and gather
it in an inodorous state, fit for agricultural and other purposes, or without
artificial heat by free ventilation through the outer wall of the house to dry
the excrement by natural evaporation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
TAYLOR, of Romsey, in the County of Hants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, 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

page_text: me, the said Francis Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said Francis
Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Francis Taylor, 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 RECEIVING, DRYING, AND DEODORIZING HUMAN.
EXCREMENT," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis
Taylor, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their bands 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 Francis Taylor, do hereby declare"
the nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements on the apparatus for re-
ceiving, drying, and deodorizing human excrement described in the Specifications
of a Patent granted to me on the 9th day of April 1861, No. 876, and of a
Patent granted to me on the 22nd day of August 1864, No. 2072. For this
purpose I place under the pan of a privy seat a moveable inclined floor, which
is moved when the lid of the seat is moved, so that the solid matter deposited
upon it, after the liquid has been allowed to run off, is scraped off and made
to fall on the revolving table below. Fastened to and under the moveable
floor of the pan are two scrapers acting at the same time with the moveable
floor, one in the centre not reaching closely down to the revolving table, the
effect of which is to level and spread about the soft excrement and mix it with
any dry deodorizing powder 1 have caused to fall with it, and push it to the
outside of the table, and the other scraper at the side to catch and shovel off
from the revolving platform the dried excrement when by the revolution of the
platform it comes opposite to the scraper. This revolution of the platform
and the movement of the second scraper I obtain also by a crank fixed to
the heel of the door. A box for containing ashes or powered charcoal or
soot is applied by the side of the pan, by which I throw int, or sift over
(either voluntarily or involuntarily) the pan a small quantity of dry ashes, or
charcoal, or scot, to deodorize the excrement and the soiled sides of the pan.

page_text: table and the scraper are worked by the door. This view shews the position
when the door is open. Figure 9 is a plan similar to Figure 8, showing the
position when the door is shut.
a is the lid of the seat, having along both its edges a strip of metal so
arranged as to act on the levers, and on its under side is an elastic ring of
india-rubber covered by baize; b are various levers worked by the lid of the
seat, some moving the sliding floor, others the ratchet for moving the table; .
c is the pan or hopper; d is the inclined sliding floor; e is the ash-box and
throwing shoot; f is the lever for throwing ashes from the ash-box e; g is a
scraper for pushing the excrement and ashes from the centre of the table
towards the edge; his a scraper for pushing the dried excrement off the table
either through an external wall or into a receptacle placed under the edge
of the table; i is the ratchet for moving the table; j is a spindle with two
cogged wheels for moving the table acted upon by the ratchet; k is the
revolving table with notches or cogs; lare the wheels for carrying the table;
mare tubes penetrating the external wall for the escape of guano, water, and
gases; n is a crank attached to the heel of the door, having two arms for the
ratchet and scraper; o is the water shoot for urine and slops; p is a lamp and
tube for allowing warm air to pass into the interior of the commode where
convenient.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Taylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
FRANCIS TAYLOR. (L.)