IMPROVE- MENTS IN CLOSETS COMMODES AND URINALS
Year: 1885

page_text: COME LEIE
DILUIFICATION.
. I CHRISTOPHER COWNEY of N° 113. Coventry Road, Birmingham in the County
of Warwick, Draper do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CLOSETS COMMODES AND URINALS" and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My improvements have reference principally to closets in which the excreta are
received in a removeable sanitary pan placed beneath the seat of the closet but my
improvements may also be applied to other closets in which the excreta are
received in the well or chamber of the closet as in ordinary privies, and also to
commodes. Portions of my improvements are also applicable to urinals.
}
One part of my invention consists in opening and closing the aperture in the
seat of the closet or commode by a hemi-spherical cover or closer arranged on the
underside of the lower seat of the compound seat of the closet, the said hemi-
spherical cover or closer being automatically opened by the person sitting upon the
closet seat to permit the excreta to pass into the pan or chamber of the closet, and
closed when the weight is removed from the closet seat so as to conceal from view
the pan or receiving chamber and its contents. The said hemi-spherical cover or
closer is made in four pieces, two side fixed pieces and two middle jointed pieces,
the latter being so arranged that they are capable of passing simultaneously onto
the fixed side pieces to open the aperture in the seat and to pass off the said fixed
side pieces to close the said aperture as hereinafter particularly explained with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
}
When the cover or closer is in its shut position it constitutes a temporary
receptacle for urine as herein after described.
My invention consists further of lever mechanism for actuating the moveable
parts of the said cover or closer and also of mechanism for feeding and delivering
a measured quantity of disinfectant or other solid powdered matter onto the
contents of the sanitary pan or chamber as herein after particularly explained with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 represent front elevations with the front plate removed and
Figure 3 in plan, a closet constructed according to my invention the hemi-spherical
cover or closer in Figure 1 being shut and in Figures 2 and 3 open; Figure 4

page_text: represents a portion of Figure 2 in vertical section and Figures 5 and 6 represent
sections taken at right angles to the section Figure 4, the cover or closer being shut
in Figure 5 and open in Figure 6.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the drawings.
a, b is the double seat of the closet, the under seat b being fixed and the upper
seat a being hinged at its back c to the fixed under seat 6 (see Figures 5 and 6).
Each seat has in it the usual aperture or opening. The hemi-spherical cover or
closer is situated beneath the under seat b and surrounds the opening or aperture
in the said under seat: The four parts of which the cover or closer is composed
are marked respectively d, e and f, g; d, e being the fixed side parts and f, g the
middle jointed parts, the said middle jointed parts being capable of sliding upon or
over the fixed side parts. The said side parts d, e are fixed to the underside of the
seat b and the middle jointed parts f, 9 are fixed to the levers or arms h, h³ and i, 22
turning on the axes or centres k, l at front and back of the closet. The front
parts h³, 3 of the levers or arms cross one another and are extended upwards (see
Figures 1 and 2) and their front curved ends bear against the underside of the
hinged seat a. In the normal position of the closet the weight of the middle
jointed parts f, g of the hemi-spherical cover or closer causes the said parts f, g to
take the shut position represented in Figure 1; the front ends of the arms or levers
are thereby made to raise the upper seat a as hest seen in Figure 5. When the
seat a is sat upon its descent operates upon the arms or levers h, h²; i, 2 and
opens the hemi-spherical closer or cover as represented in Figures 2 and 4, the
middle jointed parts of the said closer sliding over the fixed side parts. As the
said middle parts f, g slide upon the fixed side parts d, e any deposit upon the said
parts is scraped therefrom. When the hemi-spherical closer or cover d, e; f, g is
shut or closed, it serves as a urinal, the urine running through the joints of the
closer into the sanitary pan m. A pipe z, the lower end of which opens under the
fixed seat 6 of the closet, conveys to a high level any offensive gases generated in
the closet. Each time the closet is used a measured quantity of disinfectant or
other powder or solid matter is automatically fed from a hopper into a receiver
and the said disinfectant or other matter scraped from the receiver onto the
excrementitious matter which has been deposited in the sanitary pan or chamber
of the closet.
The disinfectant or other powdered material is contained in the hopper n across
the delivery pipe n² of which is a division p open at one side. Under this division
an oscillating plate or regulator 9 works closely, the said plate or regulator being
fixed to and turning with the back centre or axis . When the said plate or
regulator is in the position Figure 2, that is, while the seat a is in its depressed
position and the closet is in use the open side of the division p is closed and no
disinfectant can pass from the hopper but when the seat a is raised the oscillating
plate or regulator q takes the position represented in Figure 1 and opens the
delivery pipe n². The said oscillating plate or regulator q thereby forms between
the division p of the hopper and the lower portion of the delivery pipe n³, a small
chamber which is filled with powder from the hopper n. This measured quantity
of powder is delivered to the receiver 8 when the closet is next used by the
oscillating plate or regulator q taking the position represented in Figure 2 thereby
permitting the powder to fall into the receivers as represented. The powder thus
deposited in the receiver s is scraped therefrom as the hemi-spherical cover or closer
is opened in the following manner.
8
On the axis of the levers h, i is a bevil toothed wheel t which gears with the
bevil toothed wheel u on the axis or spindle u²; x is a scraper having an angular
motion. One end of the said scraper x is fixed to the axis u' of the bevil wheel u
and the other end of the scraper turns on the pivot y (see Figure 3). When the
closet is not in use the scraper x occupies the position represented in Figure 5 and
when the closet seat is depressed a partial rotation is given to the said, scraper x

page_text: through the action of the bevil wheels t, u and the said scraper scatters the powder
which has been fed to the receiver 8 onto the matter deposited in the sanitary
pan m as will be understood by an examination of Figures 5 and 6.
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 of "Improvements in closets commodes and urinals "
First. A hemispherical cover or closer situated underneath and surrounding the
opening or aperture in the under seat of the compound seat of the closet or
commode, the said cover or closer consisting of two fixed side parts d, e and two
middle jointed parts f, g, the said parts f, g being capable of sliding upon and
passing from off the fixed side parts d, e for the purposes and substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The use of the said hemi-spherical cover or closer when shut or closed
as a urinal or receptacle for urine as hereinbefore described.
1
Thirdly. The combination with the hinged upper seat of the closet or commode,
of the lever mechanism herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings for automatically opening the hemi-spherical cover or closer when
pressure is put upon the said hinged seat on using the closet or commode.
Fourthly. The combination or arrangement of the parts of mechanism herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for automatically
feeding a measured quantity of a disinfectant or other solid powdered material to a
receiver.
Lastly. The combination or arrangement of the parts of mechanism herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for automatically
scraping the disinfectant or other powdered material from the receiver and
scattering it upon the excrementitious matter deposited in the sanitary pan or
chamber of the closet or commode.