A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OR COMBINATION OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE BETTER SECURING AND COLLECTING OF NIGHT SOIL OR TOWN MANURE, AND RENDERING IT MORE
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Samuel Dawes, of Smethwick House, near
Birmingham, Gentleman, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
METHOD OR COMBINATION OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE BETTER SECURING AND
COLLECTING OF NIGHT SOIL OR TOWN MANURE, AND RENDERING IT MORE
Sealed the 22nd August 1859, and dated the 14th March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Samuel Dawes at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th March 1859.
I, JOHN SAMUEL DAWES, of Smethwick House, near Birmingham, Gentle-
man, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IN-
PROVED METHOD OR COMBINATION OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE BETTER SECURING AND
COLLECTING OF NIGHT SOIL OR TOWN MANURE, AND RENDERING IT MORE VALUABLE
FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My new or improved method of securing and collecting night soil consists
mainly, as follows, that is to say, by constructing the privy buildings in two
compartments under one roof, and at a greater elevation by a few feet than
hitherto, so that all the refuse deposited therein may be collected in a box or
carriage on low wheels. The said box or carriage when full can be removed
at any time of the day, and without nuisance by having a close fitting lid

page_text: temporarily placed over it; and as the situation of these receptacles should in
all cases where possible be fixed at a somewhat higher level than the street,
they may be drawn away with great facility by the scavengers, and placed
upon a low-bodied cart or waggon made for the purpose of receiving them.
The boxes may thus be conveyed to a convenient depôt outside the town, a due
supply of empty manure chests being provided. My further improvement
consists in having a large iron or strong wire screen similar to those used for
screening coal slack placed at a high angle above the manure box, so that on
the ashes from the house fires being thrown upon it, all the fine alkaline
particles will pass through together with as much of the small cinders or coke
as will absorb the whole of the offensive gases, thus adding to the quantity and
usefulness of the manure. The large cinders pass off at the other side of the
screen to be reburned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Samuel Dawes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SAMUEL DAWES, of Smethwick House, near Birmingham, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Lettors
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Samuel Dawes, Her special licence that I, the
said John Samuel Dawes, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Samuel Dawes, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OR COMBINATION OF
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE BETTER SECURING AND 'COLLECTING OF NIGHT'SOIL OR TOWN
MANURE, AND RENDERING IT MORE VALUABLE FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Samuel Dawes, 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

page_text: the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is 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 John Samuel Dawes, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
My new or improved method of securing and collecting night soil or town
manure consists essentially as follows, that is to say, by so constructing the
privy buildings or closets that the whole of the solid and liquid excreta pro-
duced.
1.may with facility be collected and removed free from that admixture
of water and rubbish which have hitherto washed away or otherwise in great
part destroyed the agricultural value of these matters. In addition to this, by
deodourizing the same, I do away with the unsightly and destructive nuisance
of the present method of removing night soil.
The manner in which these improvements are carried out will be best
understood by reference to the accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section a privy building constructed accord-
ing to my Invention. The said building is by preference constructed in two
compartments a and b, under one roof, and at a greater elevation than usual
with such buildings, so as to allow of a manure chest or small waggon c being
placed in the, compartment b, on the ground level, as it will usually be found
desirable so to place it. The manure is received in the chest or waggon c
through the steeply inclined channel d. Over this manure chest or receptacle c
an iron or strong wire screen e is placed in a slanting direction, so that when
the ashes from the house fires are thrown upon it, all the fine alkaline
particles contained therein will pass through together with as much of the
fine cinder or coke as may be found sufficiently to absorb the offensive gases
evolved from the manure, thus adding greatly to the value and usefulness of
the said manure. The larger gleeds of the ashes pass off at the lower end of
the screen e to be reburned. The manure chest or receptacle c is represented
separately in side clevation in Figure 2, the said chest being about three fect
in length, about two feet high, and the same in width, and supported on
wheels. A farmer's harvest waggon with two horses will readily remove six
of the manure chests. c. The screen e is represented separately in Figure 3;
the said screen is about two feet in breadth at top, tapering to a foot at the
lower end. The apertures of the said screen are about three-eighths of an
inch, but will require to be larger or smaller to suit the requirements of the

page_text: locality where it is used. The said screen e may either bo moveable or fixed,
or placed lengthwise or crosswise over the chest c. Each plan is found to
answer in practice. The channel d, down which the manure passes to the
chest c, is represented separately in Figure 4. The said channel d, which is
inclined at about the angle represented in Figure 1, is from ten to twelve
inches broad, open towards the chest c, and formed of smooth slate or other
suitable material. h is an archway under the steps; the said arch is closed'
at one end; in the said arch all broken crocks, bottles, and such rubbish may
be thrown. The end of the lower portion of the compartment 6 is closed by
a door opposite the chest or waggon c, and a smaller doorway is placed imme-
diately over it, through which doorway the urinals are daily emptied into the
manure chest c. On removing the manure chest c, it should be covered with
a close fitting lid temporarily placed thereon and resting on the ledger,
Figure 4:
It may here be observed that in applying these improvements to privy
closets in upper rooms, although the sifted ashes may still be used, care must
be taken that the manure chest, cover, and lid over the channel be fitted air-
tight, and it may be convenient on all these occasions by means of a tap to
use a certain quantity of solution of chlorido of lime or other well-known
disinfectant, which will add its full cost to the value of the manure.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I by no means
confine myself to the particular details, sizes, or arrangements herein described
and represented, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of my Invention; for example, the manure chest or waggon may be placed
immediately under the seat i, the fine ashes being still passed into the same;
or the manure chest c may be much larger in size than represented when
circumstances will permit, so that it may be drawn away at once to its
destination.
It is obvious that these improvements can only be extensively and properly
carried out under legal enactments and the strict supervision of the police;
but if generally adopted will not only add immensely to the wealth of the
country, but effectually check one of the most active agents in generating
disease.
I claim as my Invention the new or improved method or combination of
arrangements for the better securing and collecting of night soil or town
manure and rendering it more valuable for agricultural purposes, herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, so
constructing the privy buildings or closets that the excreta may be collected

page_text: in moveable receptacles without nuisance or any admixture of water or
rubbish, and sufficiently deodourizing the same by mixing with it the fine
ashes and cinders produced in the house fires or by other disinfecting agents.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Samuel Dawes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN SAMUEL DAWES. (L.S.)