IMPROVEMENTS IN SANITARY UTENSILS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ISAAC GREENBURY, of 6 Arcade in the City and County of Edinburgh
Jeweller, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SANITARY UTENSILS," to be as follows :-
This Invention has for its object to sanitise or destroy the septic or other noxious
germs of the solids or liquids excreted from the human body, just after they have
been passed into the several utensils or receptacles, such as chamber pots, night
stools, bed pans, urinals, bed-room slop jars, and removing cans or other such
vessels, used for their reception and removal from domestic houses, hotels, institu-
tions, hospitals, and other buildings, and more conveniently, immediately, and
completely than has been possible heretofore, and before any insanitary or evil
effects can follow:
The nature and novelty of the Invention consist in forming an annular hollow
ring chamber round under the upper rim of the said utensils, as under the ordinary
outer broad rim of chamber pots, or where more convenient under the inside of such
rims, as in some forms of bed-pans or urinals and bed-room slop-jars or night
stools; or where there is no convenient place at the top rim in these vessels,
a special chamber may be formed at one side also near the top, or otherwise in the
loose lid of these utensils (where these were used) such as in chamber pots, night
stools, slop jars and removing cans or pails, and preferably formed in one with and
of the same material as the vessels or lids whether in porcelaine or metal. These
special chambers being (by these improvements) formed near the top of the utensils
for containing any of the well known antiseptic, sanitas or deodorizing liquids or
fluids such as detergents of carbolic acid, Condy's fluid, camphor, ammonia, peroxide
of hydrogen and other highly oxidising and encalyptus substances. These liquids
would be filled into the chamber (from time to time as they became used up) by
a screwed orifice and stopper with liquid-tight india-rubber washer or other
equivalent stopper, and a very small hole or holes would be formed at the lower
part of said chamber for a small discharge of the antiseptic liquid to enter the
vessel after each time it was in use, by the person pushing a small spring finger
knob and valve (preferably mounted in centre of stopper or other convenient part
of chamber) which would let sufficient air for a moment into the upper part of the

page_text: chamber at each action, as to allow of the small discharge of the liquid from the
small holes below as before stated to disinfect or deodorise the toxical putrescent
or noxious matters placed in the utensil or vessel.
These improvements do not interfere with, but allow of the several vessels being
emptied and cleaned all as usual.
Improvements in Sanitary Utensils.
I, ISAAC GREENBURY, of 6 Arcade, in the city and county of Edinburgh,
Jeweller, 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 has for its object to sanitise or destroy the septic or other noxious
germs of the solid or liquid human excrement, by the prompt use of antiseptic
liquids just after being passed into the several various utensils or vessels generally
used for their reception and removal in domestic houses, hotels, hospitals, and other
institutions and places. The invention has special reference to improvements in
the construction of said receptacles and vessels, such as wash-basins, chamber pots,
night-stools, bed-pans, urinals, bedroom slop jars, and removing cans or other such
like vessels; all for the carrying out of the said purpose more conveniently,
immediately, and completely than has been heretofore possible, and before any.
insanitary or evil effects can follow :-
Referring to the accompanying sheet of Drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation
partly in section of a wash-basin A, constructed according to one modification of
my improvements for carrying out the purposes of the invention. Figures 2 and 3
are sectional elevations of a chamber-pot B, the latter, with a closing lid C, showing
two different modifications of my improvements as applied thereto, and Figure 4 is
an enlarged section of the lid C; similar to that shown in figure 3. Figure 5 is a
sectional elevation of a night-stool showing my improvements applied to the
basin B, but these might be applied to the lid (as shown in Figure 4) instead,
when the basin B is fitted with one.
Figures 6 and 7 are sectional elevations respectively of a bed-room slop-jar B",
and a removing can B³ showing my improvements as applied under the rim B and
within the lid C respectively of these vessels, analogous to that shown in Figures 2
and 3. Figures 8 and 9 are elevations partly in section of a round and slipper bed-
pan respectively, showing two modes of applying my improvements to such vessels.

page_text: Figure 10 is, a section of an improved modification of stopper D with admission'
valve, shown detached to a large scale, as used for, and only seen to a small scale
in the other illustrations of my improvements, and Figure 11 is a perspective view,
showing the mode of filling the antiseptic liquids used through a plug hole O into
the chambers of the vessels by a filler, when the plug P is removed for that
purpose.
The nature and novelty of my invention consist in forming a new or improved
annular hollow ring chamber a (for containing and supplying the antiseptic liquids)
round under the upper rim A¹ of the wash-basin A Figure 1, or other utensils; as
shown at a under the ordinary outer broad rim B¹ of chamber pots B, as shown in
Figure 2, or night-stools as shown in Figure 5; or when preferred under the inside
of such rims, or where more convenient, as in some forms of urinals and bed-pans,.
these chambers may be formed quite inside under these top rims B₁ as seen at b, in
Figure 8. When it is not convenient to have this improved close chamber a b
round under the top rim B¹ of these vessels, a special or close pocket chamber may
be formed at one side or end also near the top, as shown at 6 in the slipper bed-
pan B Figure 9. When these and such utensils or vessels are fitted with lids C on
top, as in Figures 3, 4 and 7, this improved close liquid chamber would preferably
be formed as shown at c in these lids C. But where preferred these liquid chambers
may be formed under the top rims B' as shown at 6 in the slop-jar Figure 6; or
otherwise on the inside of the rim B' as shown dotted at 6' in the slop removing
can Figure 7; although it is in this case preferred to have the liquid chamber c
formed in the lid C, analogous to that shown in Figures 3 and 4, with the plug D
of the valve injecting apparatus shown in Figure 10, to form the handle of
the lid.
These new or improved close chambers a, b, and c would preferably be formed of
the same material as and in one piece with the vessels, or the lid A, B, C,
respectively, whether made in earthenware or metal. These close liquid chambers
are by these improvements formed in the lids, or near the top of the several utensils
for containing any of the well-known antiseptic sanitas or deodorising liquids or
fluids, such as detergents of carbolic acid, Condy's fluid, camphor, ammonia,
peroxide of hydrogen, and other highly oxidising and antiseptic substances.
These liquids would be filled into the chambers (from time to time as they became
used up) by a screwed or other convenient orifice O in the upper part of the wall
of these chambers a, b, and c of the vessels, fitted with a stopper P, and liquid-
tight india-rubber washer, as shown at Figure 11, or. other equivalent stopper for 1
filling in the liquid by. A very small hole, or holes, at a', would be formed at the
lower part of said chambers a, b, c, respectively, for a small discharge of the anti-
septic liquid to enter the vessels A, B, after each time they were used.
Referring to Figure 10, the improved valve apparatus for injecting the disin-
fecting fluid in small quantities or jets from the chambers into the vessels as stated,
consists of a plug D carrying the whole, formed to screw into a hole D' formed in
the upper wall A¹, B¹ of the liquid chambers, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 5, 6, 8
and 9; or it may be in the handles of the lids C, when these are used, as shown in
Figures 3 and 4. When the hollow receptacle is made for metal utensils it can be
made to screw on and off so that the rubber ball can be fixed on the top of suction
tube. Each hole D has a hollow spherical receptacle above to contain and protect
a small collapsible india-rubber ball or pump & secured on the top of the plug D,
which may be made to protect the ball when desired as shown in Figures 7 and 10.
The inner end of the plug D has screwed or secured to it the suction and discharge
tubes E and F, with a small inlet valve e, and it may be a discharge one f in the
chamber d, at the top of these tubes, connected with. the interior of the ball
pump d; and which tubes would be inserted into the liquid chambers a, b, c, as
shown in the respective Figures 1 to 9, with the inlet orifices e¹ of the tube E
immersed in the liquid; and having a small "rose" f¹ screwed from the inside of
the vessel into the discharge tube F, all so that when the ball d, is pressed down
by the finger of the operator it would press all air and liquid out of the ball and

page_text: chamber d, d, and when the finger is removed, the ball d would by its own
elasticity rise and lift the valve e, and draw the liquid up into the chamber and
discharge it through the tube F and rose f¹ in a spray into the vessel for as many
times as desired or considered necessary to disinfect or deodorise the toxical
putrescent or noxious germs or matters placed in the utensils or vessels.
The improvements do not interfere with the proper ordinary use of the several
vessels, but allow of their being freely emptied and cleaned all as usual.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is
The constructing of the receptacles or utensils used for human excrement with
liquid chambers having means for the small discharge as required, all substantially
in the improved manner and for the sanitary purposes herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.