IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE AND OTHER COM- MODES.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert May Caffall, of Alton, in the County of
Hants, and of No. 75, Fleet Street, in the City of London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE AND OTHER COM-
MODES.
"
Sealed the 18th September 1874, and dated the 20th March 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert May Caffall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th March 1874.
I, ROBERT MAY CAFFALL, of Alton, in the County of Hants, and of
No. 75, Fleet Street, in the City of London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE AND
OTHER COMMODES," to be as follows:-
:―
This Invention relates to special constructions of portable and other
commodes in which the contents are hermetically enclosed when the lid
is closed without reference to the position of the commode, or the
tumbling about it may receive on board ship, for which it is particularly
intended.

page_text: The exterior of square or other convenient shape has a removable
vessel contained within it. This container is open at the upper part, and
its edges are borne upon by a movable cover if necessary, the central
portion of which cover is carried down a suitable distance into the con-
tainer, where two of its sides are rounded or troughed, the ends being
carried down a sufficient distance to support a semi-cylindrical vessel or
pan free to turn over between the sides.
The axle or one of the pins upon which this pan turns is connected to
the lid by a lever or gearing, the opening of which will cause the pan to
turn proper way upwards; but on the lid being shut down the pan is
turned bottom upwards to discharge its contents into the container
beneath. Above the cover before spoken of is a movable scat for per-
mitting the cover to be removed and also the container to be emptied
when necessary.
The cover is cushioned at the part where it bears upon the container,
and the rotating pan bears close against the walls of the troughed
portions of the cover, so that the contents are hermetically closed and
all escape of effluvia is prevented, particularly when the lid is shut
down and fastened, it also bearing upon a cushion fitted upon the top
édges of the box.
It is proposed to pour a small quantity of disinfecting fluid into the
pan before each use, but this is not essential.
The commode can be arranged in an ordinary closet casing in or to
which a supply of water with or without a disinfectant can be kept and
permitted to flow in given quantities to the pan; whenever the scat is
lifted the pan can also be fitted over an outlet or drain, so that when
it is turned over the contents can be discharged.
7
For hospital and house use I arrange my tumbling pan directly over
the container, which can be drawn out from the front or other convenient.
part of the casing, the lift of the lid turning the pan and operating the
water valve.
9

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert May Caffall in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th September 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MAY CAFFALL, of Alton, in the County of Hants, and of No. 75, Fleet
Street, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert May Caffall, Her special
licence that I, the said Robert May Caffall, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert May
Caffall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there.
after 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 "IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE AND OTHER COMMODES," upon thọ
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert May Caffall, my exc.
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 montlis next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE; that I, the said Robert May Caffall, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to special construction of portable and other
commodes in which the contents are hermetically enclosed when the lid
is closed without reference to the position of the commode, or the
tumbling about it may receive on board ship, for which it is particularly
intended.

page_text: '
The exterior casing A of square or other convenient shape, as in
Figures 1, 2, and 3, has a removable vessel B contained within it. This
container B is open at the upper part, and its edges are borne upon by a
removable cover C, Figure 4, if necessary, the central portion D of which
cover is carried down a suitable distance into the container B, where two
of its sides are rounded or troughed as at E, the ends F, F, being carried
down a sufficient distance to support a semi-cylindrical vessel or pan G;
Figure 5, free to turn over between the sides E, E, by an appliance
worked by the hand from the side of the casing or from the seat, such
appliance conforming preferably to that shown in Figure 8.
The axle or one of the pins upon which this pan turns is preferably
connected to the lid H, as shown by a lever I and link J attached to it,
the opening of which lid H will cause the pan G to turn proper way
upwards as in Figure 1, but on the lid H being shut down as in
Figure 3, the pan G is turned bottom upwards to discharge its contents 1
into the container B beneath. Above the cover C before spoken of is a
movable seat K for permitting the cover C to be removed, and also the
container B to be emptied when necessary.
The cover C is cushioned at the part a, a, where it bears upon the
container B, and the rotatory pan bears close against the walls of the 1
troughed portions of the cover, so that the contents are hermetically
closed, and all escape of effluvia is prevented, particularly when the lid
His shut down and fastened, it also bearing upon a cushion 6 fitted upon
the top edges of the box or casing A.
It is proposed to pour a small quantity of disinfecting fluid into the
pan before each use, but this is not essential.
The commode can be arranged in an ordinary closet casing in or to
which a supply of water with or without a disinfectant can be kept and
permitted to flow in given quantities to the pan when the lid is lifted,
the pan can also be fitted over an outlet or drain, so that when it is
turned over the contents can be discharged direct to be washed away.
For hospital and house use I arrange my tumbling pan G directly
over the container, which can be drawn out from the front as in
Figure 6 or other convenient part of the casing, the lift of the lid turning
the pan and operating the water valve.

page_text: This Figure 6 represents in sectional view an apparatus (commode) in
or to which an intermittent supply or a given quantity of water (with a
disinfectant mixed with it or not) can be permitted to flow from a
reservoir L through a pipe c, and a tap.d to fill a supplementary tank or
vessel M, the tap being under the operation of a lever or rod e, which
takes its motion up and down from the rock lever I and link J attached
to the lid H, as described, with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3. The
lever or rode has a couple of curved slots f, g, as in Figure 7 in it, the
upper one of which has the plug extension passed into it, so that
when the lever is raised up or pushed down a pin upon the rod e rides
in a slot in the flat portion of key h of the tap, and causes the plug to
turn and shut off the supply of water from the reservoir L to the tank M,
or vice versa, according to its arrangement.
The lower slot g is arranged to act in a similar manner through its
pin upon the key i of the tumbling pan G to turn it over or back again
into the necessary position in conjunction with the opening or closing of
the tap plug for the fixed quantity of water to run into the pan G from
the tank M.
The diagrams, Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11, show the lower slot or the
upper slot, as the case may be, in the rod or lever e, with the different
positions occupied by the pin of the lever in the slot of the key for the
up and the down stroke and the intermediate portion of a stroke. The
dotted line crossing Figures 9, 10, and 11 represent the axial line of
the fixed centre of the tap plug or of the pan axle, as will be under-
stood.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
Invention, the special construction of portable and other commodes in
which a receiving pan is caused to oscillate or tumble over under the
action of a lid or cover to discharge its contents, and to remain in that
position until brought back again by the opening or lifting of the lid or
cover as described and shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
Secondly. I claim fitting a tumbling pan in a portable or other com-
mode, and in combination with such tumbling pan appliances through
or by which a supply of liquid can be permitted to flow from a reservoir

page_text: and be shut off by the closing and the opening of the lid as described
and shown with reference to Figure 6 of the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert May Caffall, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of September One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.