IMPROVEMENTS IN EARTH CLOSETS AND COMMODES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Duncan, of Billericay, in the County of
Essex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EARTH
CLOSETS AND COMMODES."
Sealed the 19th March 1869, and dated the 28th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Duncan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 28th September 1868.
I, ROBERT DUNCAN, of Billericay, in the County of Essex, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN EARTH CLOSETS AND COMMODES," to be as follows:-
According to my improvements in earth closets and commodes I
provide the earth reservoir or hopper with trunnions at its upper part,
by which I suspend said hopper in bearings at the back part of the
casing above the level of the seat. This reservoir or hopper I further
provide with a double bottom, the one being placed a few inches above
the other, and the false bottom having a central aperture through which
the earth falls on to the lower bottom of the hopper forming a heap, the

page_text: flow of earth ceasing automatically when it rises to a level with the
aperture in the false bottom. An opening is also made in the front of
the hopper at the lower part below the false bottom and just below the
level of the seat, which opening I prefer to provide with a shoot for
guiding the earth downwards on to the soil. The reservoir or hopper
above mentioned is capable of swinging to and fro in the bearings above
mentioned and is furnished with a pull handle or knob in front of the
casing, by means of which the reservoir is pulled sharply forward against
the casing after using the closet, the concussion of the hopper striking
against the casing being sufficient to throw out and distribute the earth
contained in the space between the double bottom through the opening
and shoot before mentioned on to the soil below. I prefer to place the
pull handle by means of which the hopper is actuated so as to be behind
the seat cover when raised, rendering it necessary to close the latter
before the earth reservoir can be operated, thereby preventing the earth
from being accidentally thrown out over the surface of the seat.
A great advantage obtained by the adoption of these improvements
is, that the employment of sifted earth is rendered unnecessary, the
working parts not being liable to get out of order as heretofore should
any stones or other hard substances be mixed with the deodorizing earth.
The closet or commode may furthermore be kept in use for a considerable
time without emptying as the earth will be fairly distributed where
required until the closet is nearly filled.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Duncan in the Great Seal Patent Office :
on the 27th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
DUNCAN, of Billericay, in the County of Essex, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Har heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Duncan, Her special
licence that I, the said Robert Duncan, my executors, administrators,

page_text: and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Duncan, my executors,
administrators, and 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 EARTH CLOSETS AND COMMODES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Robert Duncan, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 Robert Duncan, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the two Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say)
According to my improvements in earth closets and commodes I
provide the earth reservoir or hopper with trunnions at its upper part
by which I suspend said hopper in bearings at the back part of the
casing above the level of the seat. This reservoir or hopper I further
provide with a double bottom, the one being placed a few inches above
the other, and the false bottom having a central aperture through which
the earth falls on to the lower bottom of the hopper forming a heap,
the flow of earth ceasing automatically when it rises to a level with
the aperture in the false bottom. An opening is also made in the
front of the hopper at the lower part below the false bottom and just
below the level of the seat, which opening I prefer to provide with
a shoot for guiding the earth downwards on to the soil. The reservoir
or hopper above mentioned is capable of swinging to and fro in the
bearings above mentioned and is furnished with a pull handle or knob
in front of the casing, by means of which the reservoir is pulled sharply
forward against the casing after using the closet or commode, the con-
cussion of the hopper striking against the casing being sufficient to
throw out and distribute the earth contained in the space between

page_text: the double bottom through the opening and shoot before mentioned
onto the soil below, I prefer to place the pull handle by means of which
the hopper is actuated so as to be behind the seat cover when raised;
rendering it necessary to close the latter before the earth reservoir can
be operated thereby preventing the earth from being accidentally thrown
out over the surface of the seat.
A great advantage obtained by the adoption of these improvements
is, that the employment of sifted earth is rendered unnecessary, the
working parts not being liable to get out of order as heretofore should
any stones or other hard substances be mixed with the deodorizing earth.
The closet or commode may furthermore be kept in use for a considerable
time without emptying as the earth will be fairly distributed where
required until the closet is nearly filled
рапуше
SHOWD
of a closet or commode constructed according to my Invention; and
Figure 2 a transverse section of the same taken in front of the hopper.
An
A is the earth reservoir or hopper suspended in bearings a at the upper
part of the casing, as seen. This hopper A. I provide with a double
bottom; the one 6 is placed a few inches above the other e and has an
aperture 6 through which the earth falls on to the lower bottom c
forming a heap, as seen, the flow of earth ceasing automatically when
it rises to a level with the aperture 6' in the false bottom b.
opening is made in the front of hopper A at the lower part below the
bottom b, which opening I prefer to provide with a shoot or mouth d
forming a part of bottom c for guiding the earth on to the soil. The
reservoir or hopper A is capable of swinging to and fro in its bearings a
and is provided with a pull handle e passing through the front of
the casing, by means of which (after the lid c has been closed) the
hopper A is pulled sharply forward against the casing after using the
closet or commode. The concussion of the hopper striking against
said casing throws out and distributes the earth contained in the
shoot d (that is, between the bottoms b and c) on to the soil below in
the regulated quantity, and the hopper at once returns to position by
its own gravity. At same time a fresh quantity of the deodorizing
matters falls through the aperture 6' in false bottom on to the bottom c
ju readiness for the next time the closet or commode is used.

page_text: Figures 3 and 4 show sectional views similar to those above described
of a modification of the foregoing apparatus. The same letters of
reference indicate similar parts in all the Figures.
A is the hopper oscillating in bearings a as before, and 6 the bottom
having an aperture 6¹ through which the earth falls into shoot d, which
in this case is hinged at f to the back of hopper A instead of being
fixed rigidly thereto as before. The hinged shoot d is further supported
and at the
by an upright rod or stem g jointed at one end to said shoot
other to a fixed bearing as shown. In this arrangement the apparatus
acts by concussion as before at same time that the discharge of the
earth from the hopper in regulated amounts is greatly facilitated, as
when the hopper A is brought forward by means of handle e to the
position shown in red lines the hinged shoot d is caused to assume
an inclined position, as seen, for directing the earth in a downward
direction. On releasing the pull handle the hopper at once returns
to position as before by reason of the position of its trunnions or
pivots.
Another modification is shown in Figures 5 and 6 in which the
hopper is operated through the medium of the seat cover C and a
spring instead of by means of a pull handle as before described. The
concussion of the hopper A against the casing when thrown forward
by the spring is sufficient to effect the distribution of the earth with-
out other aid. For this purpose I suspend the hopper A in bearings
a near the front of the said hopper so that its own gravity will assist
the spring in bringing it forward to produce the concussion required.
The apparatus as represented in Figure 5 is shown in position for use.
C is the seat cover as before. It is provided with a bracket-shaped
lever arm i at back curved up nearly at right angles to cover C as seen.
This lever is terminated by a friction roller j which on the cover C
being raised by the person about to use the apparatus bears against the
front of the hopper A, forcing it back to the line position shown, where
it is retained by a lever catch k acting on a stop k on the hopper.
On the cover C being closed after using the apparatus the catch k will
be raised by the part m projecting from the seat just before the latter is
quite closed, thereby allowing the hopper and shoot to be brought sharply
forward to the position shown in red by the action of the spring h and
the gravity of the hopper.

page_text: Other mechanical arrangements may also be adopted for producing
the action of the hopper by the aid of the seat, in the several Figures
is the receptacle for the excreta, and y the aperture closed by a hinged
lid or cover at which the earthy matters are introduced into the hopper;
this aperture may however be in some other convenient position.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would observe that I make no claim to the use
of any deodorizing agent in closets and commodes; but what I claim
as my Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
The improvements in earth closets and commodes as described in
which the hopper is made to act by concussion for producing the direct
discharge of the earthy matters contained, substantially in the manner
shown and for the purpose specified.
I also claim the several modifications of the apparatus herein shown
and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Duncan, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.