IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF DISINFECTING WATER CLOSETS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67 Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OF DISINFECTING WATER CLOSETS, a communication to me from abroad
by William M. Ernst of 422 West Twenty Second Street, New York City, United
States, Gentleman, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of this invention is to produce a new and improved way of
disinfecting the water and refuse passing through the bowls of water closets,
whereby the same shall be automatically disinfected.
The invention consists in placing between the water tank, or other source of
supply furnishing the water to the closets, an intermediate tank, through which
the water shall pass and in its passage be thoroughly mingled with any proper
disinfectant, which disinfectant is contained in a receptacle placed within such tank
provided with perforations or openings through which the water passes, and in its
passage mingles with the disinfectant contained in such receptacle.
In this way the water is mixed with the disinfectants and thoroughly impregnated
with the same before reaching the bowl of the closet and this without requiring
any assistance or aid from the person using the closet.
In the drawings Figure 1 represents the improvement connected with the
supply tank and bowl of a water closet. Figure 2 represents a sectional view
of the invention. Figure 3 represents a perspective view of the perforated
disinfecting receptacle.
A represents a supply pipe for conveying water from a tank O or other source
of water supply, B is a tank placed in any convenient manner between the
water supply tank and the bowl C of a water closet. This tank is provided
with a receptacle or inner chamber D which contains any proper and suitable
disinfectant K. The supply pipe A. connects such chamber D with the supply tank
containing water. The disinfectant is supplied to the chamber D through the
pipe E which is provided with a cap or cover F. The chamber D is solid part
way up the sides as b but above it is provided with the perforations or openings a
which allow free passage of the water into the chamber and free passage of the

page_text: water and disinfectant mingled therewith out of the said chamber. G is a
discharge pipe connecting the tank B with the bowl C of the water closet.
Through this pipe G the water after being thoroughly mixed with the disinfectant
passes to the bowl of the water closet. The pipe may be provided with a stop
cock H, which can be turned so as to cut off the supply of water from the supply
tank when it is desired to shut off the water, though when the flow of the water is
controlled by a valve or cock at the outlet of the tank O as is usually the case, the
cock H is unnecessary.
The invention is operated as follows:-The chamber D having first had placed
in it any suitable disinfectant as K by means of the removal of the cap F and its
introduction through the pipe E, the water is allowed to flow down through the
pipe A either by turning the cock H or by opening the outlet valve of the tank O.
The water passes into the chamber D and takes up a portion of the disinfectant K
in solution, and then passes out through the small perforations a a into the tank B
and flows to the bowl of the closet through the pipe G. The chamber D is not
provided with the perforations a a over its entire lateral surface-a certain space b
is left solid and in the receptacle thus formed a portion of water is always retained
after each such operation as above described. This water being in contact with the
disinfectant for the periods between the using of the closet becomes thoroughly
saturated with the disinfectant. When the water is again let in through the pipe A
the force of its descent carries out this saturated solution first, which is a great
advantage as the strongest solution is needed at the time of its first contact with
the matter to be disinfected. The perforations a a are purposely made small so
that the solid particles of the disinfectant may not be carried by the flow of the
water into the chamber B. The disinfectant is also preferably moulded in the
form of a cake or brick to accomplish this same purpose and to avoid too rapid
disintegration.
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
1. A tank intermediate the source of water supply and the bowl of a water
closet provided with an inner perforated receptacle containing disinfecting material
so arranged that the water passing from the source of supply to the bowl of the
water closet goes through said perforated receptacle and tank and becomes
thoroughly mixed with the disinfectant.
2. The combination with a reservoir and water closet of a disinfecting chamber
provided with a perforated receptacle for holding the disinfectant, and suitable
means for regulating the flow of water from said tank to said water closet through
said disinfecting chamber and perforated receptacle.
3. The combination of the tank B, with the disinfecting receptacle having
perforations a and solid sides b, and the pipe E and cap F, with the tank O,
pipe A, pipe G and water closet bowl C, as set forth.