IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS to be as follows
Year: 1885

page_text: We, HENRY BYLES, of Killinghall Road, Eccleshill in the County of York,
Bachelor of Medicine and THEOPHILUS HANSON, of 9, Intake Road, Undercliffe
in the County of York, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to certain improvements in closets or "privies" used for
focal matter whereby the solid excreta are separated from the liquids. The
combination of liquids and solids, by rendering the proper drainage of such
receptacles difficult, if not impossible, is the chief source of mischief, from a
sanitary point of view, and is inseparable from the ordinary privy system.
We accomplish our object in the following manner. To the pan of the closet we
secure a hinged bottom with grids or openings upon which the solids fall and rest,
while the liquids pass through into a drain directly underneath the bottom of the
pan.
When the closet has been used and it is desired to remove the solid excreta
from the bottom of the pan a handle is pulled up in the ordinary way as in the
case of a water closet. This handle is attached to and actuates a lever centred on
a bracket secured to the pan or in some other convenient position. One end of
this lever is bent upwards and has attached to it a scraper which rests upon the
aforesaid grid. The act of pulling up the handle allows the hinged grid or bottom
of the pan to fall or open and at the same time pushes the scraper forward over the
surface of the grid or bottom, thus forcing the solid matter forward into a receptacle
provided for it.
Upon the handle being released a balance weight secured on the aforesaid lever
causes the scraper to return to its original position and closes the hinged bottom
or grid.

page_text: Improvements in Water Closets..
We, HENRY BYLES, of Killinghall Road, Eccleshill, in the County of York,
Bachelor of Medicine, and THEOPHILUS HANSON of 9 Intake Road, Undercliffe,
in the County of York, Mechanic, 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:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in closets or privies used for
foecal matter, whereby the solid excreta are separated from the liquids. The
combination of the liquids and solids, by rendering the proper drainage of such
receptacles difficult, if not impossible, is the chief source of mischief from a
sanitary point of view, and is inseparable from the ordinary privy system.
The invention consists in placing at the bottom of the pan, a plate having a
number of slits or openings, after the manner of a grid, which allow the liquid
excreta to pass into a drain, while the solids remain upon the surface of the grid,
and are removed therefrom by means of a scraper which is actuated by pulling up
a handle as in the case of an ordinary water closet. This handle is connected to
bell crank levers, and to a shaft passing beneath the grid, the shaft being attached
to the before mentioned scraper; and the said handle is also connected to a door,
which is moved simultaneously with the scraper and allows the solid excreta to pass
into a receptacle; the liquid running through the slits into the drain: the door,
while preventing the fluid entering the receptacle for the reception of the solid
excreta also prevents any smell returning therefrom.
In order that our invention may be more fully understood, we append a sheet of
drawings in which Fig. 1 represents a front view of our improved closet, the seat
and other wood casement being removed, Fig. 2 a side elevation of the same, Fig. 3
a plan of the grid at the bottom of the pan, shewing the openings or slits and
scraper; and Figs. 4 and 5 are sections through lines a. b. and a. d. in Fig. 3.
The letter A indicates the framework for supporting the pan B of our improved
. closet, and C the bottom plate of the same formed with openings D, through which
the liquid excreta pass and are carried away by the pipe P to a drain or other
receptacle. The solid excreta left upon the grid plate C are removed by the
scraper F, which is caused to slide across the said grid by the pulling up of
handle G, which is attached to the cross bar H connecting together the arms J of
bell crank levers placed at each side of the framework. To each of the other
I arms J of the said levers, is attached a connecting link K, each of which is
coupled to the scraper shaft L which passes beneath the grid plate C, through the
projections M of the scraper F; these projections passing through the openings D
of the said grid and forming part of the curved scraper F.
At the side of the pan B, we pivot a swinging door N, placed in front of an
opening through the framework A. The door is connected by rod N¹ to the cross
bar H, so that when the handle G is raised for removing the excreta from the
surface of the grid; the door N is opened simultaneously with the sliding of the
scraper, to allow the removal of the solid excreta from the surface or slits of
the grid into a suitable receptacle; the scraper F being curved, travels from the

page_text: position shewn by the drawings to the curved end of the grid plate C, thereby
clearing away from the surface and slits, all solid matter into the receptacle.
By separating the liquid from the solids, we obviate the usual fermentation of
the excreta which takes place when they are combined, and thereby reduce the
disagreeable smells that arise from privies of the ordinary construction.
By releasing the handle G, the weight of the same along with the bell crank
levers at each side of the pan B and door N, cause the scraper F to return back to
its original position for use, and by placing a conical pipe P under the grid plate
as shewn, water may be poured into the pan B, for cleansing the same, which will
run away into the drain through the slots D in the grid plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
-
A closet pan combined with a grid plate C, scraper F, and conical pipe P, the
scraper being operated by a handle substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described.
The combination of the scraner F and grid plate C for the purnose described.