IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVIES AND DRY CLOSETS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Conyers Morrell, Civil Engineer, of Ley-
land, near Preston, in the County of Lancaster, and Jonas Proctor,
Civil Engineer, of Chorley New Road, Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF PRIVIES AND DRY CLOSETS."
Sealed the 25th February 1873, and dated the 23rd December 1872.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Conyers Morrell
and Jonas Proctor at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 23rd December 1872.
We, JAMES CONYERS MORRELL, Civil Engineer, of Leyland, near
Preston, in the County of Lancaster, and JONAS PROCTOR, Civil Engineer,
of Chorley New Road, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF PRIVIES AND DRY CLOSETS," to be as follows: :―
The object of this Invention is the improvement of the construction
of privies, and of what are known as "dry closets," but more especially
dry ash closets as distinct from "water closets."
"
The improvement applies especially to the vessel or receptacle intended

page_text: with any suitable dry absorbant, and deodorant, this being by preference
the ash dust sifted from cinders by an ash screener worked in combina-
tion with this improved receptacle.
The common modes hitherto adopted have been,-
1st. A structure of bricks and other materials forming a receptacle in
the shape of a large open pit, partly under and partly behind the scat.
From the absorbant and porous character of these materials of structure,
they have become saturated with the liquid foeces, and through such
saturation and porosity the subsoil surrounding becomes surcharged with
such liquid feces.
2nd. A moveable box or soil pan placed below the seat, which becomes
equally a source of danger if its removal at the proper time is neglected,
or, as is frequently the case, the pan or box (being necessarily of a limited
capacity for the purpose of locomotion) it is not large enough to meet
the requirements of a large house or a numerous family during the
period which clapses between the intervals of emptying.
3rd. As an improvement upon these a small cemented vault below the
seat built of brick and cement has been designed, and is used with many
of Morrell's Patent ash screening closets. This, however, requires great
care in its construction, both as regards the material and its form.
For closets not known as 66
dry closets" tanks have been made of iron
and of carthenware, which have had an aperture at their lowest level to
admit of the swilling out the contents with a body of water.
'
The object of this Invention is to provide a means of retaining in a
perfectly water-tight vessel, with no such opening at the lower level,
all the focal refuse of the closet in such a form that it may be absorbed
by the deodorant referred to, and become of such a consistency as to be
easily removed with a spade, shovel, or other suitable tool by hand, and
thus by this means overcome the difficulty experienced by sanitary
authorities in rendering the accumulation of fæces and house refuse
comparatively inoffensive and innocuous, without injuriously affecting
the fertilizing properties of the manure thus made during its retention.
The nature of the improvement consists in the construction of a recep-
tacle of such a form and of such material that it may form part of the
structure of the closet. Thus, the seat riser or urine conductor is formed
by the front side of the receptacle; the back or inner wall of the closet,

page_text: by the opposite or back side of the receptacle; the two other sides or
ends supporting or forming part of the side walls of the closet. The
portion referred to as the "opposite or back side" of the receptacle is
notched at its upper edge, or sloped off, or has an aperture formed in the
solid to admit of a shoot or trough which conveys the ash dust or other
deodorising and absorbing material from the chamber containing such
material, which is fixed at the rear of the closet. This notching, slope,
or aperture may, however, be made in one end of the receptacle, forming
a support to or part of the side wall of the closet to admit of the recep-
tion of the deodorising and absorbing material through the side wall,
though this will rarely be found either desirable or expedient.
An opening for emptying the contents of the receptacle is made at
least six inches above the lower level of the receptacle, so that the
excrementitious liquid matter cannot flow out below that level, but is
retained for absorption by the absorbant named. This opening for
emptying the contents is protected by a door fixed in the side wall, and
(unless otherwise absolutely necessary) is accessible only from the street,
and may be under the exclusive control of the emptying authority.
The receptacle may be constructed as to be applicable to existing
single closets as well as in the construction of new erections, or may be
elongated to accommodate a number.
The material of which the receptacle is composed is vitrified or glazed
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Conyers Morrell and Jonas Proctor in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
CONYERS MORRELL, of Leyland, near Preston, in the County of Lan-
caster, Civil Engineer, and JONAS PROCTOR, of Chorley New Road,
Bolton, in the said County, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
year of

page_text: Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said James Conyers Morrell and Jonas Proctor,
Her special license that we, the said James Conyers Morrell and
Jonas Proctor, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said James Conyers Morrell and Jonas Proctor,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVIES AND DRY CLOSETS,"
upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said James Conyers
Morrell and Jonas Proctor, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 Jonas Proctor, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
66
"
The object of this Invention is the improvement of the construction of
privies, and of what are known as "dry closets," but more especially
'dry ash closets as distinct from "water closets." The improvement
applies especially to the vessel or receptacle intended to receive the
fœces or soil of the closet commonly known as night soil with any
suitable dry absorbant and deodorant, this being by preference the ash
dust sifted from cinders by an ash screener worked in combination with
this improved receptacle.
The common modes hitherto adopted have been-
First. A structure of bricks and other materials forming a receptacle
in the shape of a large open pit partly under and partly behind the
seat; from the absorbant and porous character of these materials of
structure they have become saturated with the liquid fæces, and through
such saturation and porosity the subsoil surrounding becomes surcharged
with such liquid fœces.

page_text: Second. A moveable box or soil pan placed below the seat, which
becomes equally a source of danger if its removal at the proper time is
neglected, or as is frequently the case, the pan or box (being necessarily
of a limited capacity for the purpose of locomotion) it is not large
enough to meet the requirements of a large house or a numerous family
during the period which clapses between the intervals of emptying.
Third. As an improvement upon these a small cemented vault below
the seat built of brick has been designed, and is used with many of
Morrell's Patent ash screening closets. This however requires great
care in its construction both as regards the material and its form.
For closets not known as "dry closets" tanks have been made of iron
and of earthenware which have had an aperture at their lowest level to
admit of the swilling out the contents with a body of water.
The object of this Invention is to provide a means of retaining in a
perfectly water-tight vessel, with no such opening at the lower level, all
the focal refuse of the closet in such a form that it may be absorbed
by the deodorant referred to, and become of such a consistency as to be
easily removed with a spade, shovel, or other suitable tool by hand, and
thus by this means overcome the difficulty experienced by sanitary
authorities in rendering the accumulation of foeces and house refuse
comparatively inoffensive and innocuous, without injuriously affecting
the fertilizing properties of the manure thus made during its retention.
•
Fig. 1 shews a plan of the recess and arch having an aperture c;
Figs. 2 and 3 respectively shew longitudinal and transverse sections of
Fig. 1: Fig. 4 shows a plan of the receptacle notched at its upper
edge d; Figs. 5 and 6 show respectively longitudinal and transverse
sections of Fig. 4.
The nature of the improvement consists in the construction of a
receptacle of such a form and of such material that it may form part of
the structure of the closet, thus the seat riser or urine conductor (a) is
formed by the front side of the receptacle, the back or inner wall of the
closet by the opposite or back side of the receptacle (b), the two other
sides or ends (c) supporting or forming part of the side walls of the
closet. The portion referred to as the "opposite or back sido"
of the receptacle is notched at its upper edge (a), or sloped off, or has
an aperture (e) formed in the solid to admit of a shoot or trough,
which conveys the ash, dust, or other deodorizing and absorbing

page_text: material from the chamber containing such material, which is fixed at
the rear of the closet. This notching, slope, or aperture may however
be made in one end of the receptacle forming a support to or part of the
side wall of the closet, to admit of the reception of the deodorizing and
absorbing material through the side wall, though this will rarely be
found either desirable or expedient. An opening (f) for emptying the
contents of the receptacle is made at least six inches above the lower
level of the reptacle, so that the excrementitious liquid matter cannot
flow out below that level, but is retained for absorption by the absorbent
named. This opening for emptying the contents is protected by a
door (g) fixed in the side wall, and (unless otherwise absolutely
necessary) is accessible only from the street, and may be under the
exclusive control of the emptying authority. The receptacle may be
constructed as to be applicable to existing single closets as well as in
the construction of new erections, or may be elongated to accommodate
a number. The material of which the receptacle is composed is
vitrified or glazed earthenware, cement, concrete, or other suitable
material.
Having stated the nature of our Invention, what we claim as
especially new therein is,―
First. The construction of a water-tight receptacle of such material
and of such a form that it may form a portion of the structure of the
privy building.
Second. The construction of a water-tight receptacle for the retention
of the liquid feces by making the aperture for emptying above the
lower level of the receptacle.
Third. The construction of a water-tight receptacle with an aperture
at the back or end for the introduction of a trough or shoot for
the conveying or conducting of a deodorant or absorbent.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jonas. Proctor, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
TONAS PROCTOR