Year: 1887

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by LUCIAN BONAPARTE ROBB, of 1670, Eastern
Avenue, in the City of Cincinnati, in the County of Hamilton and State of
Ohio, United States of America, Druggist.]
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake and Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex 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 comprises a structure within which human excrements can be
economically and effectually disposed of without the annoyances incidental to the use
of water or earth closets, the preferred arrangement of said structure being, briefly,
as follows. An oven or drying receptacle is built in the lower part of the house,
and usually in the cellar, said oven being of such a capacity as to contain the
excrements that may accumulate during several months, or for a longer period of
time, if desired, the excrements being discharged into this receptacle through vertical
soil-pipes leading directly up into rooms or closets. The upper ends of these soil-
pipes are provided with seats to which ordinary lids are hinged, said lids being free
from valve operating devices or other complicated and expensive appliances, in order
that the simple opening of these hinged covers will afford a free and unobstructed
dropping of the excrements down said pipes and directly into the receptacle at the
bottom of the structure. Furthermore, the oven has a special shaft, the upper end
of which projects above the building, so as to secure the most complete ventilation,
this withdrawal of the foul air being rendered more thorough by connecting one or

page_text: more stove-pipes to said shaft, the kitchen stove-pipe being preferred, because of its
almost constant use.
Small lateral flues connect the soil-pipes with the ventilating-shaft, which flues inay
be provided with dampers or regulators, and when the oven is sufficiently filled with
excrements, these dampers are opened, and a fire is then built in said oven and is kept
up until its contents are dried or consumed, so as to be readily removed without
creating a nuisance, as hereinafter more fully described.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a vertical section through a house provided with my preferred
arrangement of dry-closets. Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sections of modifications of
my invention. Figure 4 is an enlarged section through the flue leading from the
upper soil-pipe into the ventilating shaft of the structure.
A represents the cellar, basement or other lower apartment of a house, and B, C. D
are upper rooms or closets of the same, said cellar having an oven E built in it, which
oven is usually of masonry. The exact capacity of this receptacle E, is immaterial,
but it is preferred to make it sufficiently large to contain all the excrements that
may accumulate for a number of months, or for a year or more, if desired. F is
a grating or perforated plate upon which the excrements are deposited, and beneath
this grating a bed of sand G, is placed to absorb the urine. e. e, are the fire doors of
the oven, and H, I, are soil-pipes leading from the latter up into the respective rooms
or closets B, C, D, the tops of said soil pipes having seats h, i, j covered with hinged
lids These soil pipes are preferably of brick, and have near their seats small
flues K, which allow all odors from said pipes to escape into the ventilating shaft L.
This shaft, like the soil-pipes, projects vertically from the top of the oven, and the
outlet of said shaft is a sufficient distance above or away from the house to render
the latter free from any offensive or injurious gases. This shaft
may constitute the
only ventilating appliance of the oven, the natural draft being depended on for
drawing off the odors, but I prefer using a forced draft, especially as it can be
maintained without adding to the regular running expense of the closet.
The
preferred method of producing this artificial or forced draft is by connecting the
pipe m, of a kitchen stove, or range M, with the shaft L. From the above description
it is apparent that whenever a person uses a closet in either of the rooms B, C or D,
the deposits drop directly down the respective soil-pipes H, I, J into the oven É
the excreta and paper fodging upon the grating F, while the urine runs freely
through the latter and is taken up by the bed of sand G, or other suitable
absorbent. It is also apparent that the shaft L is constantly and automatically
drawing off the foul odors and gases from the oven, and from any fecal matter that
may adhere to the soil-pipes, the latter being ventilated through the lateral flues K.
As a result of this thorough ventilation of the oven and its accessories, the house
is at all times odorless, and the expense and annoyances incidental to the use of
water or earth closets are obviated.
When the oven is about full, the doors e, e, are opened and a fire is then kindled
beneath the grating F, for the purpose of consuming the excrements and all paper
or other litter dropped therewith. The fire is kept up until these substances have
been dried or converted into a powdery mass that is perfectly odorless and can be
handled without defiling a 'person, and when this result has been obtained the fire
is put out, and the contents of the oven removed without creating a nuisance in the
house or neighbourhood. While the fire is in progress, the various passages H, I, J, K
and L serve as flues or chimneys for the oven, and, as a natural result, these
passages are cleaned of any deposits that may have accumulated therein.
The above is a description of my dry closet when it is built complete in a house
especially adapted for it, but as the closet must frequently be erected in old buildings,
some provision is necessary for ventilating the oven from an ordinary flue or chimney.
This communication of the oven with a flue may be accomplished in various ways,
one method being shown in Figure 2, where the receptacle E is built up close
against an old chinney L' and has a ventilating passage K leading into the latter.

page_text: Oven E, has a single soil-pipe N surmounted with a seat n and hinged lid n¹, a small
flue being employed to draw off the vapors from said pipe N. In some cases this
upper flue, may be the only ventilator for the oven, which latter has a series of fire-
doors e, at different elevations, but no grating, the excrements being deposited
directly upon the sand bed G.
When this oven is full, either or all the doors e are opened and the contents of
the receptacle are saturated with coal oil or other cheap burning fluid after which
act, the oil is ignited, and the excreta is consumed or dried, as previously
described. m is a stove pipe communicating with the flue or chimney L'. In some
cases it is impossible to build the oven directly against an old chimney, and in
this event, the expedient seen in Figure 3 may be adopted.
The oven H is somewhat remote from the chimney L³, but has a pipe K'
communicating therewith through which pipe the foul gases and vapors are being
constantly drawn off. This oven has a single soil-pipe O seat o and hinged lid or
cover o¹¹ is a small flue leading from the soil-pipe O to the chimney L which flue
may be concealed within the side walls or wainscot of the room, and in some cases it
may be the only ventilating passage for the receptacle E. Figure 4 shows one of the
lateral passages or flues K provided with a damper or regulator P, the diameter of
which is slightly less than the diameter of the flue in order that the latter may never
be entirely closed.
This damper is normally shut, as indicated by the dotted lines, but when the
contents of the oven are to be burnt, said damper is turned down to a horizonal
position to allow the fire and smoke to traverse said flue. Rin Figure 1 shows a slide
or damper at the lower end of shaft L which slide may be closed at all times, except
when fire is to be started in the oven and then it is opened. The dotted lines L" in
said illustration shew that the ventilating shaft may extend only from the longest soil-
pipe p thus dispensing with that portion of the shaft between the oven and the upper
Hoor of the house. The ventilation of this shaft L" may be effected by means of a
stove M¹ and pipe m¹ in the upper chamber D.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The combination, in a dry-closet, of a fire proof excreta-receptacle situated
at the base of the structure, a soil-pipe and ventilating-shaft communicating therewith,
a lateral-flue connecting the upper end of said pipe with said shaft, and means for
burning or drying the contents of said receptacle and causing the products of
combustion to traverse said pipe, flue and shaft, as herein described.
Second-The combination, in a dry-closet, of a fire-proof excreta-receptacle
situated at the base of the structure a series of independent soil-pipes and a ventilating
shaft communicating therewith the upper end of one soil-pipe being connected with
the adjacent soil-pipe by a lateral flue, and the highest soil-pipe having a lateral flue
that discharges into said ventilating shaft, and means being provided for drying or
burning the contents of said receptacle and causing the products of combustion to
traverse said pipe, flues and shaft, as herein described.
Third-The combination, in a dry closet, of a fire-proof excreta-receptacle situated
at the base of the structure, a soil-pipe and ventilating-shaft communicating therewith,
and a dampered lateral-flue that connects the upper end of said pipe with said shaft,
which damper can be opened to permit the products of combustion to traverse said
pipe, flue and shaft when said receptacle is fired, as herein described.
e,
Fourth-The combination, in a dry-closet, of a fire-proof excreta-receptacle E
soil pipes H, I, J, lateral-flues K ventilating-shaft L, and a smoke-pipe m communicating
with a cooking or heating apparatus M, and serving to create a forced draft within
said ventilating-shaft, said receptacle being provided with means for burning or
drying its contents, as herein described.
Fifth-The combination, in a dry closet, of a fire-proof excrete-receptacle situated

page_text: at the base of the structure, a soil-pipe and ventilating shaft communicating therewith,
a lateral flue connecting the upper end of said pipe with said shaft, means for drying
or burning the contents of said receptacle, and an absorbent bed at the bottom of the
latter as herein described.
Sixth-The combination, in a dry-closet, of a fire-proof excreta-receptacle situated
at the base of the structure a soil-pipe and ventilating-shaft communicating therewith,
a lateral flue connecting the upper end of said pipe with said shaft, means for burning
or drying the contents of said receptacle, and a smoke pipe leading into said
ventilating shaft for the purpose described.