CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMODES AND IN FIXED AND PORTABLE WATERCLOSETS
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
EVEREST, of Tunbridge, in the County of Kent, and GEORGE OSBORNE, of the
same Place, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventh day of December, in the
fourteenth year of Her reign, did give and grant unto us, the said John
Everest and George Osborne, our exors, adññors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said John
Everest and George Osborne, our exors, adññors, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said John Everest and George Osborne, our exors, adññors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMODES
AND IN FIXED AND PORTABLE WATERCLOSETS;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso requiring that we, the said John Everest and
George Osborne, shall particularly describe the nature of our said.Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, and cause the same to be enrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
John Everest and George Osborne, do hereby declare that 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 instrument in
writing, reference being had to the letters and figures therein contained, and
to the Drawings thereunto annexed, that is to say:-
Our Invention has reference, firstly, to the construction and arrangement of
certain portions of portable commodes, the novelty and advantages of which
comprising the said improvements are greater comfort and convenience,
elegance of form, increased facilities for removing the various parts requisite
for cleansing the same, the hermetically closing of such passages from which
any effluvium may arise, and the position and springing motion of the arms
or sides, forming a chair or seat.
Secondly, our improvements relate to fixed and portable waterclosets, and
consist in giving self-acting motion to certain mechanical contrivances to be
employed in working the valves or other arrangements in connexion with the
delivery pipes and flushing chamber, the said improvements being applicable
to any class or description of waterclosets requiring or otherwise employing
the same or similar mechanism herein-after more fully set forth and described.
We would here remark, before procceding to describe the leading features of
this our said Invention, that we are aware many contrivances for obtaining
similar results have been before resorted to and put in practice, such as giving
motion to valves and other apparatus directly by means of oscillating seat or
foot plates, or otherwise, the method of effecting which, although similar in
mechanical results, we conceive to be less simple, and suited for practical
purposes. It is our intention therefore to limit ourselves to the mechanical
disposition of the several working parts, by which are overcome numerous
disadvantages existing in those at present in use, and to the construction of
waterclosets, either fixed or portable, in such manner that the working parts
of the apparatus may be put in motion by the opening and raising of the lid
or cover, causing the parts immediately in connexion with the flushing
chamber and discharge passages to be gradually & readily operated upon
without any other exertion that that of merely lifting or raising the same.
And in order that the said improvements may be more readily understood,
we will now proceed to describe by the aid of the Drawings annexed and the
figures and letters therein marked, the object and advantages of this our said
Invention as follows:-
Sheet 1, Figure 1, is a front elevation of a portable commode, representing
an ottoman closed; Figure 2, a sectional front elevation shewing the cover

page_text: open; Figure 3, a vertical end view; Figure 4, transverse section; Figure 5,
plan or underneath view of stand; Figure 6, top view or plan of seat;
Figure 7, sectional plan view taken through the centre; Figures 8, 9, and 10
are plan, end, and side views of valve cover, separately shewn; Figure 11
being a sectional view of the same, intended to shew the opening valve placed
in an opposite direction. In each Figure the same letters of reference denote
similar corresponding parts. A is the body or case forming the stand; B,
rosette handles placed in the centre of each end; C, ottoman top or cover
with stuffed seat; D, arms or elbow sides, by which are united the different
conveniences of commode and night chair; E, E, slots or recesses into which
the arms shut when the top is closed. It is here necessary to remark that
the arms D, D, which are fixtures to the top or cover C have a slight
springing tendency in an outward direction towards the end F, so that when
the top cover C is completely upraised or thrown back to its proper bearing
the arms thus drawn out slightly change their position with reference to the
slot, into which they will not return till obliged so to do by the application of
slight lateral pressure. Metallic slips or fixing studs may be applied for the
better retention of the arms in their position. According to our Invention
the seat G is formed with a hollow concavity at top in the form of an oval;
better seen at Figure 6, such being the form we conceive preferable for
general purposes, although other shapes may be employed. The plan H is.
also of peculiar form, being long and narrow, and furnished with a valve
cover I, detached views of which are given at Figures 8, 9, and 10, surrounded
or coated on its edges with vulcanized india-rubber J, J, or other elastic
substance, and fitting so tightly to the sides of the pan as to prevent any '
effluvium or noxious exhalation escaping. For the removal of the lid it is
necessary slightly to raise the india-rubber flap, as represented at Figure 8
by means of the leather strap or band K and by the admission of air
equalising the pressure of the atmosphere.
Secondly, our improvements relate to fixed waterclosets, the novelty and
peculiarity of which will be readily understood from the following description
thereof.
Figure 1, Sheet 2, represents a sectional front elevation of a fixed water-
closet; Figure 2, transverse vertical section or side view; Figure 3, a plan
or horizontal view of same, shewing the cover removed; Figure 4, side
elevation of apparatus complete; and Figure 5, a front view of same.
A, A, Figure 1, is the flooring joist; B, B, wooden block or sole plate;
C, C, flushing chamber; D, D, delivery pipes; E, E, basin or pan;
F, F, elastic tubing, fitting into concentric groove at top of basin, for the

page_text: purpose of fitting closely the underneath portion of the seat; G, H, lever
drop; I, I, outside crank; J, J, crank pin; K, K, cup and balance valve;
L, L, valve shaft, one end of which is keyed to the crank I, I, into which the
drop or pin works, communicating motion thereto; M, M, tappet links,
working in bracket centres; O, N, friction roller joint; P, motion link;
Qlink fastening; R, closet lid or cover; S, supply water pipe; T, supply
chamber; U, circular drop valve; V, valve rods and lever; W, rope or
chain for giving motion to the drop valve U; X, reservoir or tank.
In concluding our description of the numerous parts enumerated under
the second head of these our improvements, we think it necessary, for the
better explanation of the mode of constructing and employing the same, to
give a general outline of the mode of working in all closets. Where water
is to be obtained, we prefer placing the tank or cistern considerably above all
other surface levels, which in all cases is most desirable. Immediately below
the tank or cistern, but in connexion with it, we place a small chamber or
receptacle T, the opening into which is closed by a valve U, so that when the
said valve is raised, and the small chamber filled with water from the large
tank or cistern, the contents of such chamber descend through the pipe F
into the bason or discharge pan, there remaining until discharged into the
flushing chamber, and conducted away. It may be here stated, that the
keeping of a supply of water in the pan, and preventing any noisome smell
arising therefrom, has been the subject of many contrivances. The improve-
ments classified under the second head of this Specification not only provide
a new and less objectionable method of obtaining the same advantages, but
effect a great saving of time and trouble.
Figure 4, Sheet 2, of the accompanying Drawings represents the differents
parts of the apparatus, with the lid open, in a state of rest, the position which
they assume when in motion being indicated by the dotted lines, such parts
being put in motion by the shutting down of the lid to which the link action
is attached. Thus, at each downward action of the lid, the water is discharged
from the pan, which is again refilled by the same operation.
Thirdly, our improvements consist in the constructing portable waterclosets
with the several mechanical arrangements lastly above described being adapted
thereto, the discharge or soil pipe being omitted or closed up.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed and carried into effect, we would have
it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise character thereof,
so far as regards. the details of each part represented in the Drawings here-
unto annexed, so long as the precise character thereof be retained; but we

page_text: declare that what we claim to be as new and of our said Invention is, firstly,
portable commodes, constructed and arranged as herein-before described and
set forth, in combination with a valve covered with india-rubber or other
elastic substance, in such manner as to admit of equalizing the atmospheric
pressure on each side, for the purpose of removing the valve.
Secondly, we claim the construction of fixed waterclosets for general use,
as above set forth and described, in which the raising of the lid or cover is
made to communicate motion to the valves and other working parts.
Thirdly, we claim the construction of portable waterclosets, as above
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Everest and George Osborne,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
day of
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
JOHN
GEORGE (L.s.)
(L.S.) EVEREST.
OBSORNE.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifth day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid John Everest and George Osborne
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand