AN IMPROVEMEN? IN WATER AND OTHER CLOSET SEATS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wright, of St. Martin's, Stamford, in the
County of Northampton, for the Invention of “AN IMPROVEMEN?
IN WATER AND OTHER CLOSET SEATS."
Sealed the 30th May 1871, and dated the 8th December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wright at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th December 1870.
I, JOHN WRIGHT, of St. Martin's, Stamford, in the County of
Northampton, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN WATER AND OTHER CLOSET SEATS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved arrangement of closet seat
applicable to privies, water and earth closets, for enabling an air-tight
closure of the closet to be made after use, so as to prevent the escape of
effluvia therefrom, whereby a great sanitary improvement is effected.
In carrying out my Invention I close the aperture in the closet seat
by means of a water joint, for which purpose I form a channel or groɔve

page_text: around the aperture, in (what is at present used as) the seat, which
channel I fill with water; I provide the aperture with a removable hand
cover of corresponding form, and having a circular rim or flange at the
under edge, which when the cover is applied dips down into the water
and effects an air-tight closure precisely as by the "bell" of an ordinary |
stench trap.
According to my Invention I provide what is now used as the seat
lid or cover with an aperture precisoly like the usual aperturo in a
closet seat, and coinciding in size and position with that before mentioned.
This lid is hinged as usual, and in my improved arrangement it serves as
a cover for the surface of the seat and the water channel therein, and
is the surface upon which the person using the closet sits. When the
privy or closet is about to be used the small hand cover is first removed
and the seat laid down, the aperture therein coinciding as before stated
with the aperture around which the water channel is formed, the 1
surface of the hinged cover being the seat proper. A plug is provided
for running off the water in the channel when necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Wright in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WRIGHT, of St. Martin's, Stamford, in the County of Northampton, send
greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by, Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the a
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give
and grant unto me, the said John Wright, Her special licence that I, the
said John Wright, my, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Wright, my executors, administrators, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN WATER AND OTHER
.

page_text: CLOSET SEATS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Wright, my executors. or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 Scal 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 Wright, 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 Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters and Figures marked
thereon (that is to say).:-
My Invention relates to an improved arrangement of closet seat
applicable to privies, water and earth-closets, for enabling an air-tight
closure of the closet to be made after use, so as to prevent the escape of
effluvia therefrom, whereby a great sanitary improvement is effected.
In carrying out my Invention I close the aperture in the closet seat
by means of a water joint, for which purpose I form a channel or groove
around the aperture in (what is at present used as) the scat, which
channel I fill with water. I provide the aperture with a removable hand
cover of corresponding form and having a circular rim or flange at the
under edge, which when the cover is applied dips down into the water
'and effects an air-tight closure precisely as by the "bell" of an ordinary
stench trap.
According to my Invention I provide what is now used as the seat
lid or cover with an aperture precisely like the usual. aperture, in a.
closet seat, and coinciding in size and position with that before-mentioned.
This lid is hinged as usual, and in my improved arrangement it serves
as a cover for the surface of the seat and the water channel therein, and
is the surface upon which the person using the closet sits. When the
privy or closet is about to be used the small hand cover is first removed
and the seat laid down, the aperture therein coinciding as before stated
with the aperture around which the water channel is formed, the surface
of the hinged cover.being the scat proper. A plug is provided for
running off the water in the channel when necessary.

page_text: Figure 1 shows a sectional view of my improved construction of
closet seat with the seat down and the hand cover removed as for use,
and Figure 2 a similar section with the seat up and the hand cover
replaced after use for shutting back the effluvia.
A, A, indicate a portion of the seat framing over a privy vault or
water or earth closet, on which is fitted a top plate B, having a groove
or channel C for containing water (or sand) formed therein around,
the central aperture D. The plate B is shown separately in plan at
Figure 3, and section at Figure 4 on line 1, 2, 3, Figure 3. The rim C¹
of channel C may be sunk somewhat below the surface of the plate B
to allow of the removable hand cover E, Figure 5, fitting flush with the
surface of plate B as shown. This hand cover has a rim or flange-F
around its edge which dips into the water channel C and forms an air-
tight joint so as to effectually prevent the. escape of any effluvia from
the vault. The water contained in channel C'may be run off from time
to time at an aperture G formed through the plate B and leading into
the privy or closet, said aperture being closed by a plug H, Figure 4.
Above this plate B at its back part is hinged the scat flap I in the
position usually occupied by the seat lid and provided with a central
aperture K, which flap forms the surface to be sat upon and covers both
the plate B and water channel C. Thus in order to use the closet it is
simply necessary to remove the hand cover E, Figure 2, and shut down
the flap I as seen in Figure 1. make the plate B of metal cast with
the groove or channel C as shown, or plate B may be of wood with
metal lining to the water channel C. The cover E may be in sheet
metal with the flange F soldered air tight, or the flange only may be of
metal secured. to a wooden top by screws as shown. As above mentioned
sand may be used to form the air-tight joint, but I prefer water.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
'
1st. Constructing a privy or closet seat with a top plate B provided
with a channel C to form an air-tight closure with the flanged cover E
as described in combination with the seat surface or flap I arranged å
substantially as herein-before specified and shown in the Drawings.

page_text: 2ndly. I claim providing the water channel C with an outlet G for the
water as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wright, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.