IMPROVEMENTS IN RECEPTACLES FOR HUMAN EXCREMENT AND IN THE MODE OF TREATING EXCREMENT
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RECEPTACLES FOR
HUMAN EXCREMENT AND IN THE MODE OF TREATING EXCREMENT." A com-
munication from abroad by James L. Roxburgh and Wilson Glover, both of
Charleston, State of South Carolina, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May 1880.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RECEPTACLES FOR HUMAN EXCREMENT AND IN THE MODE OF TREATING
EXCREMENT." A communication from abroad by James L. Roxburgh and Wilson
Glover, both of Charleston, State of South Carolina, United States of America.
The Invention relates to a sanitary surface closet which may serve as a substitute
for cess pools, privies, and dry wells; the same being a surface vanet, odorless, and
easily emptied by the pneumatic system into sealed barrels. The Invention
consists, first, of a closet formed of terra cotta, metal, or other suitable material, and
rendered non absorbent by a glazed or vitrified interior; second, of a closet vault
provided with an interior coating of stearic pitch or its chemical equivalent adapted
to resist the action of sulphuric acid; third, of a process for treating human
excrements with sulphuric acid; fourth, of a process for treating excrements first
with sulphuric acid, and secondly with chloride of lime. Referring to the Drawings,
Figure 1 is an exterior view of a closet provided with a vault representing the
Invention, and having one form of discharge connected therewith. Figure 2 is a
vertical sectional view of the closet representing the vault in side elevation with a
portion thereof broken away; said second Figure showing a different form of
discharge from that shown in the preceding Figure. The vault A is a cylinder
formed of terra cotta, metal, or other suitable material, and provided with a vitrified
or glazed interior, which renders it non absorbent. The vault may be provided
with different forms of discharge; thus, in Figure 1 a faucet a is connected with the
lower end of the vault; instead of this faucet any suituable color might be employed.
D

page_text: In Figure 2 a vent b is formed at one end on top of the vault for the hose of a suction
emptying apparatus. A removable cap c fits over the vent opening and commu-
nicates with a ventilating pipe d. The cylinder has no other openings than those
which communicate with the seats and the discharge. The interior of the cylinder
is formed so that it inclines towards the discharge end thereof, thereby adapting it
to be easily drained. The interior of this glazed vault is provided with a coating e
of stearic pitch; the latter is the pitchy residuum obtained in the distillation of fats
for the manufacture of stearic candles. A chemical equivalent of this pitch, and one
which may be substituted therefor by us, is a gum composed of caoutchouc and red
lead. Both this pitch and this gum will resist its chemical action of sulphuric acid.
The vault thus made is charged with powerful disinfectants and deodorizers. The
disinfectant is sulphuric acid, which the vitreous glazing of the vault perfectly
withstands. A sufficient amount of the acid (diluted) to keep the contents until
full is put into the vault after the latter is each time emptied. This acid treatment
prevents an unwholesome decomposition of the excrements, and holds fast its
nitrogenous matter. If, however, at any time a slight fatty odor should be
developed, this, though not unhealthful, may be entirely obviated by the daily
addition of a spoonful of chloride of lime. This causes the acid to give off chlorine,
which latter is an energetic disinfectant and deodorizer. The vault contents by the
use of this acid are always kept disintegrated and in a fluid state; consequently,
the vault can be emptied in a few minutes by the pneumatic system. The
foregoing description represents the best manner known to the inventors for
carrying out the Invention in sanitary surface closet, but I desire to be understood
that certain changes and modifications thereof may be made, provided the essential
principles of Invention set forth in the following claims are employed.
H. J. HADDAN. (L.S.)