IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS, LAVATORIES, DUST BINS, AND PUBLIC AND. DOMESTIC CON- VENIENCES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Macfarlane, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WATER CLOSETS, LAVATORIES, DUST BINS, AND PUBLIC AND. DOMESTIC CON-
VENIENCES."
Sealed the 7th July 1854, and dated the 1st May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Macfarlane at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st May 1854.
I, WALTER MACFARLANE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS, LAVATORIES, DUST BINS, AND PUBLIC AND
DOMESTIC CONVENIENCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates in some respects to modifications of water closet
apparatus, for which Mr. Macfarlane has already obtained a grant of British
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-two. In arranging conveniences of public use, as for
markets and factories, a single independant structure is made to comprehend
a complete suite, including water closets, baths, lavatories, urinals, and dust,
bins, and a fresh water supply for drinking. The building is preferred to be
octagonal in plan, being composed of cast-iron pillars, panelled between with
slightly relieved iron plates, and supporting an entablature and roof, surmounted
by an ornamentally panelled water cistern bearing terminal fountains. Admis-

page_text: sion to the interior is gained by one or more entrance doors, the enclosed
space having a pillar in the centre to carry arched girders for the roof. Under
one modification four of the sides of_the_octagon-are-occupied-by-twelve-water
closets, three in each side, each closet having a door for admission from the
central area. The closets are all made on the general principle of those
described under Mr. Macfarlane's existing Patent, wholly or nearly so of cast
iron. The openings in the seats are oblong, rounded at the front side, and
extending back along the whole depth or projection of the seat to the panelling
or external wall, and a spitting recess or grating is in the floor in front of each
seat. Above each door is a vibrating tablet with the word "engaged" upon
it. This tablet is in connection with the foot-board of the closet, so that the
weight of the user, pressing upon the foot-board, causes a lever movement to
shift the tablet and convey the necessary indication. The tablet assumes a
horizontal position, so as to display no notice on the removal of the weight.
The supply of water to the closet tank is capable of regulation by a screw
adjustment upon the lever connection; and by a slight modification, suitable for
localities where the water supply is limited, the discharging handle of the closet
tank is set directly upon the bell cap piece, and when this handle is pulled up,
the ball float is simultaneously lifted, so as to shut off the water supply to the
tank until the contained matter is discharged. Dust bins, or general recep-
tacles may be fitted up in the octagonal building at the otherwise unoccupied
angles. These bins are of cast iron, open at the top and rounded at the front,
with a front vertical door hinged at the bottom, so as to turn upwards and
facilitate cleansing out. Opposite to the water closets are two sets of three
urinals, quite open to the interior of the building, each set 'occupying a side of
the octagon; these two sides also contain two sets of four lavatories, open-to
the outside of the building. The lavatories are circular cast-iron dishes with
supply and discharge cocks. The remaining two sides of the structure are
taken up by the entrances, at one of which is a drinking stop-cock, the pipe of
which is made as an ornamental lever, balanced by a weight, so as to remain
shut until lifted by the drinker. When applied in flats or stories of a building,
all the discharge pipes are connected together, so that one movement of a
handle will enable the attendant to clear out a whole range; similarly, all the
individual supply tanks. may be furnished with water from one water closet,
fitted with water supply gearing on the principle of gravitation. Where water
closet conveniences have to be carried about, provision is made for the pre-
vention of accidental spilling from the basins or depositories by forming an
internal ledge round them. The same contrivance is applicable for ship-board
apparatus, where tho motion of the vessel has to be guarded against. The'

page_text: seats of the closets are made with front projections rounded off, so as to act as
guides for each individual seat where divisional partitions are not employed.
The closet seats are of cast iron, with a surface cover or coat of wood. In
fitting up the improved urinals it is preferred to form the recesses like niches
for statues, rounded and sloped off forward at the top. All the urinals are
trapped, a hinged grating being provided for lifting up, so as to enable the
attendant to get below and clear out chance deposits. In the combined suite
one angle is occupied by a hose pipe and jet and cleansing apparatus for
cleaning out the building; watering troughs for cattle and general purposes
are also incorporated in the combined suite, the gearing being precisely the
same as that appertaining to the water closets.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Walter Macfarlane in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 31st October 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
MACFARLANE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent; bearing date the First day of May, in the year of. our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said. Walter Macfarlane, Her special license that I, the said Walter
Macfarlane, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Walter Macfarlane, my executors, administrators, or 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 WATER CLOSETS, LAVATORIES, DUST BINS, AND PUBLIC AND
DOMESTIC CONVENIENCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Walter Macfarlane, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Walter Macfarlane, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:-
:
My said Invention relates in some respects to modifications of water closet
apparatus, for which I have already obtained a grant of British Letters Patent,
bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-two. In arranging conveniences for public use, as for streets, markets,
and factories, a single independent structure is made to comprehend a complete
suit, including water, closets, lavatories, urinals, dust bins,. and a fresh, water
supply for drinking. The building is preferred to be octagonal in plan, being
composed of cast-iron pillars, panelled between with slightly relieved orna-
mental iron plates, fitting into grooves, and supporting an entablature and roof,
surmounted by an ornamentally panelled water cistern bearing terminal
fountains. Admission to the interior is gained by one or more entrance doors,
the enclosed space having a pillar in the centre to carry arched girders for the
roof. Under one modification, four of the sides of the octagon are occupied by
twelve water closets, three in each side, each closet having a door for admis-
sion from the central area. The closets are all made on the general principle
of those described under my carlier Patent, wholly or nearly so of cast iron:
The seats are of cast iron, with a surface cover or coat of wood, and are made
with front projections, rounded. off, so as to act as guides for each individual
where partitions are not employed. The openings in the scats are oblong,
rounded at the front side, and extending back along the whole depth or projec-
tion of the scat to the panelling or external wall; and a spilling recess or
grating is in the floor in front of each seat, which also receives the surface
water used in cleaning. Above cach door is a vibrating tablet with the word
“engaged upon it. This tablet is in connection with the foot-board of the closet,
so that the weight of the user, pressing upon the foot-board, causes a lever
movement to shift the tablet and convey the necessary indication. The tablet
assumes a horizontal position, so as to display no notice on the removal of the
weight. The supply of water to the closet tank is capable of regulation by a
screw adjustment upon the lever connection; and by a slight modification,
suitable for localities were the water supply is limited, or where the soil is
wanted as free of water as possible, the discharging handle of the closet. tank
is set directly upon the bell cap piece, and when this handle is pulled up, the
ball float is simultaneously lifted, so as to shut off the water supply to the tank
until the contained matter is discharged, which may be facilitated by means of

page_text: a scraper.
When applied in flats or stories of a building, all the discharge
pipes and levers are connected together, so that one movement of a handle on
the ground floor or in any other convenient position will enable the attendant
to clear out the whole without going into the. flat in which the closets are
situated. This arrangement for effecting simultaneous discharge may also
be applied to a series of dust bins, arranged in the several flats of a building
in the same way as the water closets. When there are more than one closet
in a flat only one of them requires water supply gearing, the others being
supplied from it by gravitation. When water-closet conveniences have to be-
carried about, as in railways, streets, exhibitions, &c., provision is made for the
accidental spilling from the basins or depositories by forming an internal ledge
round them. The same contrivance is applicable for ship-board apparatus, where
the motion of the vessel has to be guarded against. Opposite to the water
closets are two sets of three urinals quite open to the interior of the building,
each set occupying a side of the octagon. All the urinals are trapped, to pre-
vent the ingress of effluvia from the general sewerage, a hinged grating being
also provided for lifting up, so as to enable the attendant to get below and clear
out chance deposits. These two sides also contain two sets of four lavatories, "
open to the outside, of the building; these lavatories are circular cast-iron
dishes, with supply and discharge apparatus, like that employed for the water
closets. The remaining two sides of the structure are taken up by the
entrances, at one of which is a drinking stop-cock, the pipe of which is made
as an ornamental lever, balanced by a weight, so as to remain shut until. lifted
by the drinker. Dust bins or general receptacles may be fitted up at the
otherwise unoccupied angles. These bins are of cast iron, having a front
verticle receiving door hinged at the top, and a front vertical discharge door
hinged at the top, so as to turn upwards and facilitate cleaning out. In the
combined suit, one angle is occupied by a hose pipe and jet and cleansing
apparatus for cleaning out the building; water troughs for cattle and general.
purposes are also incorporated in the combined suite, the gearing being pre-
cisely the same as that appertaining to the water closets.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several explanatory Figures on the two Sheets of
Drawings hereunto attached. Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings is a front
elevation of an erection, as constructed according to my Invention, for public
purposes, and comprehending a series of water closets, lavatories, dust bins, and
other conveniences; Figure 2 on the same Sheet of Drawings is a sectional
plan of the same; and Figure 3 on Sheet 2 of the Drawings is a vertical
section taken through the centre of the erection, these two last Figures:

page_text: exmibiting the internal arrangements. The binding is this stance octa-
gonal in plan, being composed of cast-iron pillars A, panelled between with iron
plates B, ornamented slightly in relief, and each fitting into
grooves, and sup
porting an entablature C, and roof D, surmounted by an ornamentally panelled
water cistern E, furnished with a central fountain F, and minor circumferential
fountains G. The cistern E and the several conveniences in the edifice are
supplied with water from the street inain, a communication with which is
obtained through the hollow central pillar H; this pillar also serving to bear up
the inner ends of the arched girders I, which support the roof. Admission to
the interior is gained by two entrance doors J.. Four of the sides of the
octagon are each occupied by three water closets, making twelve in all, each
closet having a door K for admission from the central area. The openings Lin
the seats of the water closets are oblong, rounded at the front side, and extending
back along the whole depth or projection of the seat to the panelling or external
wall B, and a spitting recess or grating M is in the floor in front of each seat.
Above each door is a vibrating, tablet N, with the word "engaged "upon it.
This tablet is in connection with the foot-board of the closet, so that the weight
of the user, pressing on the foot-board, causes a lever movement to shift the
tablet, so as to convey the necessary indication. The tablet assumes the hori-
zontal position, so as to display no notice on the exit of the user, or removal
of the weight from the foot-board. Dust bins or general receptacles O are.
fitted up in the building at the otherwise unoccupied angles, and these bins are.
of cast iron, like the rest of the structure. Opposite the water closets are two
sets of, three urinals P, quite open to the interior of the building, each set
occupying a side of the octagon. The urinals are all trapped, a hinged grating
being provided for lifting up; so as to enable the attendant to reach below and
clear out chance deposits; these two sides also contain each four lavatories.Q
open to the, outside of the building. These lavatories are circular cast-iron;
basins, with supply and discharge pipes.. The remaining, two sides of the
octagon, are taken up by the two entrances J, and at an angle adjacent to each
entrance is a drinking stop-cock R, the pipe of which is made as an orna
mental lever, balanced by a weight, so as to remain shut until lifted by the
drinker. A basin T and discharge pipe is fitted up below the drinking stop-
cock or mouth-piece, to receive and carry off any casual waste. One of the
angles of the octagon is set apart for containing a hose pipe S, furnished with
a jet piece and cleansing apparatus, for cleaning out the building. It is to be.
understood that the general arrangement of public conveniences herein-before
.described may be very considerably modified, to suit particular localities and
requirements; thus, for example, the dust bins may consist of detached erec-

page_text: tions apart from the main building, or the main building may be. raised upon
a species of half flat, in which the dust bins may be fitted up, and which may
also comprehend arrangements for removing the deposits from the water closets
in covered carts or otherwise; again, instead of arranging the several conve-
niences together in a single building, any one or more of them may be erected
separately in a detached position.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or...may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general arrangement and construction of water closets, lavatories,
dust bins, and public and domestic conveniences, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of constructing the seats of public and domestic
water closets of cast iron, with a surface covering of wood, and with an oblong
opening extending to the back, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use in water closets of a self-shifting tablet, to
indicate externally when the closet is occupied, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of connecting the gearing of two or more water
closets or other conveniences, for the purpose of simultaneously discharging
the same, by means of a lever which can be worked outside or at a distance
from the conveniences themselves, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the system or mode of causing one set of water supply gearing to act
for two or more distinct water closets, or other conveniences requiring water,
as herein-before described.
Sixth, the system or mode of trapping the discharge ducts of urinals, and
providing a hinged grating for clearing out matters casually deposited in the
trap details, as herein-before described.
Seventh, the application and use of cast-iron dust bins, with separate
receiving and discharge doors, as herein-before described.
Eighth, the application and use for water troughs and lavatories of supply
and discharge apparatus, similar to that described under my former Patent, as
applied to water closets.
Ninth, the application and use of a drinking mouth-piece connected to a
water supply pipe, and so weighted, as when left to itself to hang down and
shut off the supply, which otherwise freely issues when the mouth-piece is

page_text: lifted up by the drinker, a basin and discharge pipe being provided to receive
and carry off any casual waste, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Macfarlane, have hereunto-set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
WALTER MCFARLANE. (L.S.)