IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Owen Williams, of Stratford, in the County
of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER
CLOSETS."
Sealed the 12th July 1853, and dated the 2nd February 1853.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Owen Williams in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
OWEN WILLIAMS, of Stratford, in the County of Essex, send
grecting

page_text: Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Owen Williams, Her
special licence that I, the said Owen Williams, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Owen
Williams, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Owen Williams, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should parti-
cularly 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Owen Williams, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists in combining fire or heat with a water
closet in such manner that the soil may be burned or dryed up in
place of going away with any water used in the closet, as heretofore;
and in order. that my said Invention may be more fully under-
stood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the
means pursued by me.
DA

page_text: in such manner as to be caused to make a half revolution on its
axis after the closet has been used; c*, is another valve, which is
ordinarily kept shut when the closet is not being used, but is to be
opened by suitable mechanism, as is well understood, either by the
weight of the person sitting on the scat of the closet, or otherwise;
c, is an arm, and d, a connecting rod, by which motion is commu-
nicated to the axis of the valve cx, from the seat or otherwise. From
the axis of the valve cx, motion is communicated to the axis of the
valve b, by means of the endless chain e, and chain wheels f, f, so
that about a quarter of a revolution of the axis of the valve c*, will
give to the axis of the valve b, about half a revolution. By this
arrangement, the surface of the valve b, which is upward when the
closet is being used, will be downwards when the closet is out of
use. 9, is a flue or pipe leading to a chimney or otherwise into the
open air; and in order to ensure currents of air up such flue or
pipe a gas burner is constantly burning at ; but if there be a good
draft in that direction without the gas light, it may be dispensed
with; i, is a gas burner receiving air for combustion through the
apertures i, ix, which is the source of fire or heat I prefer to
employ in carrying out my Invention, tho' other means of ob-
taining the requisite fire or heat may be resorted to. This gas burner
is supplied with gas by the pipe j, on which is a cock k, the plug
of which is on the axis of the valve c*; hence when the closet is
being used and the valve c* up, the gas light will be reduced as
much as may be without actually putting it out; or a small sup-
plimentary burner may be constantly lighted near the burner i, and
then the gas may be shut off from the burner i, when the closet is
used by the act of moving the valve c*. l, is a vessel or boiler
having a chamber m, with a valve n, by which any water used to.
wash out the basin and also the urine will flow into the boiler, and
the steam raised by the heat of the burner acting on the boiler will
flow off by the pipe o, into the flue; p, is a pan supported near the
gas burner, by which any soil falling into such pan will be dryed up
or burned according to the extent of heat employed, and the heat
will also evaporate the fluids in the boiler q; r, are doors and

page_text: passages to admit of cleaning out the boiler and pan occasionally,
but the quantity of solid matter in the boiler and the quantity of
ash in the pan will be very small indeed. In using this apparatus
the gas burners or other means of heat will be kept constantly
burning as above explained; and when the closet is used, the valve
c, will be opened, which will bring up the surface of the valve b,
which is ordinarily downwards, and the soil, urine, or water, will
fall on to that surface of the valve b, and by reason of its inclined
pósition, of fluids will flow into the boiler; and when the valve c*,
is closed, the valve b, will revolve half round, and any soil and
matters will descend into the pan or adhere for a time, and the great
heat of the gas burner will quickly deprive the soil of moisture, and
the same will be quickly dried up and burned.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner of performing the saine, I would have it understood that I
make no claim to the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to
the forins or shapes, as the saine may be varied without departing
from my Invention; but what I claim is the arranging the parts
of a closet that the soil and matters may be dried up or burned by
heat suitably applied for that purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said Owen Williams, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
Witness,
W. TONGUE.
OWEN WILLIAMS. (L.S.)