IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING, DRYING, AND DEODORIZING HUMAN EXCREMENT."
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Taylor, of Romsey, in the County of Пants,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING, DRYING,
AND DEODORIZING HUMAN EXCREMENT."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
August 1864:
J, FRANCIS TAYLOR, of Romscy, in the County of Hants, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING,
DRYING, AND DEODORIZING HUMAN EXCREMENT," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements on the apparatus for
receiving, drying, and deodorizing human excrement, described in the Speci-
fication of a Patent granted to me on the 9th day of April 1864, (No. 876.)
For this purpose I place above the notched revolving platform therein
described a ring of wood eight 'inches wide, or more, that is supported on iron
brackets. This ring table revolves with the lower one. The pan under the
privy seat fits on three of its sides nearly accurately down on to the surface of
the upper revolving table, the remaining side being open for the exit of the
excrement when the table revolves. The table is made to revolve by a lazy-

page_text: tong movement connected with the door of the privy, as in the apparatus
described in the Specification above mentioned, or by any other suitable
mechanism, such, for example, as a pulley or a cog moved by the lid of the
seat, or by the seat itself. The important point being that tho table should
be moved a fow inches after every time a deposit of excrement is made on it.
A scraper is arranged also to move across the upper table towards tho centro
every time the table moves by the same mechanism or otherwise for the
purpose of pushing off the half-dried excrement on to the lower platform
from the upper table before that part of the table reappears under the pan.
Under the upper table, for two or three feet below the privy seat, is hung in
a diagonal position a board called the water table, arranged so as to pass by
the iron brackets, and to catch all fluid droppings from both edges of the upper
table. The upper table is bevilled outwards so that the urine should run off.
By this arrangement the accumulation of dried excrement on the lower plat-
form is never moistened. The urine or slops are carried away into any
receptaclo or sewer. By this arrangement the solid excrement is dried in
threo or four weeks into an inodorous hard guano, without allowing any
putrefaction or the formation of maggots in it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
TAYLOR, of Romsey, in the County of Hants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Francis Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said Francis Taylor, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or' such others as I, tho said Francis
Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agreo with;
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
thorein 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 APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING,
DRYING, AND DEODORIZING HUMAN EXCREMENT," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Francis Taylor, my executors or administrators, by an

page_text: 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 Francis Taylor, do hereby declare the
nature of tho 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 thereof; that is to say:-.
This Invention has for its object improvements on the apparatus for
receiving, drying, and deodorizing human excrement, described in the Speci-
fication of a Patent-granted to me on the 9th day of April 1864, (No. 876.)
For this purpose I place above the notched revolving platform therein
described, a ring of wood eight inches wide or more that is supported on iron
brackets. This ring table revolves with the lower one. The pan under the
privy seat fits on three of its sides nearly accurately down on to the surface of
the upper revolving table, the remaining side being open for the exit of the
excrement when the table revolves. The table is made to revolve by a lazy-
tong movement connected with the door of the privy, as in the apparatus
described in the Specification above mentioned, or by any other suitable
mechanism, such, for example, as a pulley or a cog moved by the lid of the
seat, or by the seat itself; the important point being that the table should
bo moved a few inches after every timo a deposit of excrement is made on it.
A scraper is arranged also to move across the upper table towards the centre
every time the table moves by the same mechanism or otherwise, for the
purpose of pushing off the half-dried excrement on to the lower platform
from the upper table, before that part of the table reappears under the pan.
Under the upper table, for two or three feet below the privy seat, is hung in
a diagonal position a board called the water table, arranged so as to pass by
the iron brackets, and to catch all fluid dropping from both edges of the uppor
table. The upper table is bevilled outwards, so that the urine should run off.
By this arrangement the accumulation of dried excrement on the lower plat-
form is never moistened. The urine or slops are carried away into any
receptacle or sewer. By this arrangement the solid excrement is dried in
three or four weeks into an inodorous hard guano, without allowing any
putrefaction or the formation of maggots in it.
And in order that the Invention may be more fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figuro 1 is a plan with some of the parts broken away, and Figure 2 is a
vertical section of apparatus arranged according to my Invention.
a is the pan, the lower part of which, on threo of its sides, fits nearly
accurately down on to the surface of a revolving ring b, which may be of wood
or other suitable material; this ring 6 is supported by brackets &' carried by
a notched revolving platform c, of a similar character to that described in the
Specification of a previous Patent granted to me, and herein-before referred
to; this notched revolving platform c is supported upon the centre pivot c'
aided by rollers &c, which may be of glass, brass, or other suitable material.
When the privy is about to be used, the lid d, which is mounted on an axis d',
is turned into the position shown by dotted lines; this motion of the axis d'
by means of a hinged cog or tooth d³ mounted thercon, gives motion to tho
notched revolving platform c, and consequently to the revolving ring or plat-
form b, carried thereby in such manner that the excrement previously deposited
on the revolving ring 6 may be moved away a short distance from under the
pan a, and so on, until it comes against the scraper e, also mounted on the
axis d', which acts to push off the partially dried excroment from the upper
drying table or revolving ring b on to the lower drying platform c, by which
means the damp sides of the partially dried excrement are turned uppermost,
thereby facilitating the drying, and preventing putrefaction thereof.
b
It will be seen by referenco to the Drawings that the revolving ring or
table is inclined from its inner to its outer edge in such manner that any
urine or moisture deposited thereon may run off. f is a "water tablo" or
inclined board curved at its upper edge to allow the brackets &¹ to pass freely.
This inclined board or "water table" conducts away any slops or urino depo-
sited in the pan a in a direction away from the solid excrement on the table c,
and into any suitable receptacle or sewer, or it may be absorbed and deodorized
hy a heap of dry mould or other suitablo material, as shewn at g; a curtain
or board h acts to prevent any slops or urine splashing on to the solid excre-
mment on the tablo c. At each movement of the lid d the movements of the
parts are repeated as described. The excromont deposited on the table c is
intended to accumulate thereon, and to become further dried and deodorized,
and is removed therefrom from time to time, as required. Although I have
spoken of a hinged cog or tooth giving motion to the notched revolving
platformi c, other suitable means may be employed.
Figure 3 is a section, and Figuro 4, a plan scen from below, of so much of
a privy as will enable mic, to describe a modification of the arrangement pre-

page_text: viously described; similar parts are marked with similar letters of reference
to those employed in the previous Figures.
In this case a sliding floor or cover i fixed to the axle d', fits closely against
the bottom of the pan. A key facilitates adjustment of the sliding floor i
on the axle d'. When the lid d is in the position shewn in Figure 3, the
sliding floor closes the hole in the lower part of the pan a ready to receive
any excrement deposited in the pan, then, on closing the lid d, the sliding
floor is caused to assume the position shewn at Figure 5, during which
motion the solid excrement deposited thereon will be scraped off by the bottom
of the pan, and will fall on to the revolving ring b, and in the further move-
ments of the parts will be pushed off by the scraper e on to the table c, as
described with respect to Figures 1 and 2.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details herein shewn and described; but what I do claim is, the
combined arrangements of apparatus for receiving, drying, and deodorizing
human excrement, substantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whercof, I, the said Francis Taylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
FRANCIS TAYLUK. (LS.)