Improvements in Earth Closets.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 1st Mar., 1894-Accepted. 7th Apr., 1894
Improvements in Earth Closets.
I, FRIDERICH WILHELM RIMA, of Hemelingen, near Bremen, in the Empire
of Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
My invention relates to earth closets in which the material to be strewn is
contained in the lid or cover of the closet, the object being mainly to prevent the
aggregation of the said material in the chamber of the lid or cover.
In carrying out my invention I construct the sides of the chamber containing
the material to be strewn of elastic material so that when the said chamber is
moved, that is to say, when the lid is opened or closed upon its hinges the sides will
vibrate and break up the contained material.
An inclined shoot is arranged in the interior of the said chamber communicating
with the chamber by means of an opening through which a portion of the material,
when the lid is opened enters the shoot which conveys it to the closet when the lid
is closed. The amount of the material discharged is always the same but may be
regulated by varying the size of the opening.
In some cases I employ a valve adapted to leave the opening free when the lid
is open, and to cover when the lid is closed, and also a slide operated by a lever
which closes the mouth of the shoot when the lid is open, and leaves it free when
the lid is closed for the purpose of preventing the ascent of vapours from the
closet and consequent dampness of the material to be strewn.
Dated the 8th day of June 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Earth Closets.
I, FRIDERICH WILHELM RIMA, of Hemelingen, near Bremen, in the Empire
of Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention relates to earth closets in which the material to be strewn is
contained in the lid or cover of the closet, the object being mainly to prevent the
aggregation of the said material in the chamber of the lid or cover.
Shaking mechanisms of various kinds have been heretofore devised for this
purpose, but they have for the most part been found too complex and unpractical,
since every form of mechanism, when applied to closets, has to perform its functions
under unfavourable conditions, and is also continually exposed to moist vapours,
which cause corrosion in a very short time.
In carrying out my invention I avoid the use of moving mechanical parts for
effecting the shaking by constructing the sides of the chamber containing the
material to be strewn of elastic or flexible material so that when the said chamber
is moved, that is to say, when the lid of the closet is opened or closed upon its
hinges the sides will vibrate and shake and break up the contained material.

page_text: In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a horizontal section of an earth closet constructed according to my
invention, and,
Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sections of the same.
Figures 4 and 5 are vertical sections illustrating a modification.
The cover of the closet is formed of a chest a made of elastic material, which is
closed above by a sliding lid. The chest a serves to receive the material to be
strewn and is provided with pivots c turning in brackets fixed to the closet-seat.
The chest a is provided with an oblique partition d furnished with an opening e,
near the lid b, a similar partition being placed parallel with the partition d so as to
form a shoot or channel f the mouth of which is situated at g. When the lid is
opened, the material to be strewn issues through the opening e into the channel f
and takes up about the position indicated in Figure 2. If the lid be now inclined,
the portion of the material to be strewn contained in the chest a separates from
the portion contained in the groove f and as the lid is still further inclined, the
material contained in f slides through into the closet. The quantity strewn will
be constant, since the same quantity of the material to be strewn will always be
admitted into the channel f, the amount depending upon the size of the opening e,
and being regulated as desired by varying the area of the opening e by suitable
means.
The walls of the chest a are as hereinbefore stated composed of. elastic material,
and are so thin that they are set in strong vibration by the movements of the
chest a, whereby the material to be strewn is thoroughly shaken up.
The arrangement here shewn which is characterized by the absence of moving
mechanical parts is only given by way of example as other arrangements of the
elastic or flexible walls can obviously be employed.
In this method of construction, the vapours ascending from the closet can pass
without obstruction into the interior of the chest and render the material to be
strewn moist, thus causing the latter to becoine aggregated into lumps, and
rendering its distribution difficult, or altogether preventing it.
In order to avoid this I employ the arrangement shewn in Figures 4 and 5.
This consists of a valve p which closes the opening e when the closet lid is lowered,
this valve being so suspended that when the lid is opened the valve by virtue of
its own weight takes up such a position that the opening e is free and that when
the lid is closed, it lies over the opening and closes it. Therefore when the closet-
lid is closed, no vapours can obtain access to the chamber containing the material
to be strewn. In order to prevent the entrance of vapours to the chamber when
the closet-lid is open, a slide, r operated by a lever g is provided which slide covers
the opening g when the closet-lid is open and leaves it free when the lid is closed.
Thus by these two provisions the entrance of vapours in any position of the lid is
prevented.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An earth closet lid or cover containing material to be strewn in which the
sides of the chamber holding the said material are elastic or flexible, so that when
the said chamber is moved, that is to say, when the lid is opened or closed upon its
hinges the sides will vibrate and break up the contained material, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. An earth closet lid or cover constituting a strewing apparatus having an
oblique partition provided with an opening which when the lid is closed is at the
top and when the lid is open is at the bottom of such partition, the latter being
parallel with a second partition and forming therewith an oblique shoot or channel
so that when the lid is open a portion of the material to be strewn passes into the
shoot or channel, which when the lid is being closed conducts the separated portion

page_text: of the material into the closet, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing.
3. An earth closet lid or cover constituting a strewing apparatus having an
oblique partition provided with an opening which when the lid is closed is at the
top and when the lid is open is at the bottom of such partition the latter being
parallel with a second partition and forming therewith an oblique shoot or channel
so that when the lid is open a portion of the material to be strewn passes into the
shoot or channel which conducts the separated portion of the material into the
closet, the quality of material strewn at each operation being regulated by varying
the size of the hereinbefore described opening, substantially as set forth.
4. An earth closet lid or cover constituting a strewing apparatus having elastic
or flexible sides and an oblique partition provided with an opening which when the
lid is closed is at the top and when the lid is open is at the bottom of such partition
the latter being parallel with a second partition and forming therewith an oblique
shoot or channel so that when the lid is open a portion of the material to be strewn
passes into the shoot or channel, which conducts the separated portion of the
material into the closet when the lid is closed, substantially as set forth.
5. In an earth closet lid or cover constituting a strewing apparatus the
arrangement of valve which leaves the opening in the partition free when the lid
is open and covers it when the lid is shut, and slide operated by a lever which slide
closes the mouth of the delivery shoot or channel when the lid is open and leaves
it free when the lid is closed for the purpose of preventing the entrance of vapours
arising from the closet and the strewing material from becoming damp, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying
drawing.
6. An earth closet lid or cover constituting a strewing apparatus or box having
elastic or flexible sides, an oblique partition with an opening therein and a hinged
valve which leaves the opening free when the lid is open or raised and closes it
when the lid is shut, also a shoot channel leading from the said opening and having
a delivery mouth capable of being closed when the lid is open by a slider operated
by a lever whilst, when the lid is shut or being put down the slide uncovers the
mouth of the channel for the purpose described and substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawing.
7. The improved earth closets herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
Dated the 1st day of March 1801
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.