Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Disinfectant Tablets, Blocks, or the like for use in Water Closets, Urinals, Drains, and other Places or Articles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Ocf., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Jan., 1892-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1802
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Disinfectant
Tablets, Blocks, or the like for use in Water Closets, Urinals,
Drains, and other Places or Articles.
I, HENRY BELCHER THORNTON of 12 and 14 Paradise Street, Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture and employment of disinfectant tablets,
blocks or the like, such as are used for disinfecting water closets, urinals, drains
and other places or articles, the tablets, etcetera, being placed in such places or
articles that, when water or other liquid or fluid is passed over or through them, a
portion of the disinfectant will be carried off with the water or liquid.
In carrying out my invention, I take permanganate of potash, chlorinated lime
or other disinfectant and paraffin wax or other suitable fatty matter, and thoroughly
mix the two together under the application of gentle heat. I then allow such
mixture to stand and become cold, when it can be powilered down.
To this waxed or prepared disinfectant, I then further add and mix or incor-
porate more permanganate of potash, chlorinated lime or other disinfectant
(unwaxed) and also sulphate of calcium and asbestos, torn into strips or shreds, or
thread or fibrous material or pumice stone or charcoal or sand, such mixture is
then moistened with water or other suitable liquid, preferably hydrate of soda
solution, when it can be subsequently made into any desired shape or form, such as
a tablet, block, lozenge, cake or the like. I coat the outer portion of these cakes,
etcetera, with wax, except at a part or parts. by which the water or other liquid
can get at the body of the disinfectant block. These shapes, where the discharges
are frequent and of regular intervals, can be placed in the cistern or other
receptacle itself, but, where the discharges are irregular as is generally the case
with water closets, I place the shape in such a position that, at each emptying and
filling of the cistern, it shall come into contact with the water, but only at these
times.
This can be done in a variety of ways; for instance, the ball tap can be some-
what above the level of the water, and a basket or other device containing the
disinfectant block can be hung immediately below the cock. Thus, whenever the
water runs in, it will wash the shape and take off a portion of the chemical into
the water.
I have mentioned this way in which the disinfecting shape can be brought into
contact with the water or other liquid at each discharge, but it is obvious that,
once given the idea, other devices can be designed for this purpose.
Dated this 10th day of October 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Disinfectant
Tablets, Blocks, or the like for use in Water Closets, Urinals,
Drains, and other Places or Articles.
I, HENRY BELCHER THORNTON of 12 and 14 Paradise Street, Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster, Analytical Chemist, 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 the manufacture and employment of disinfectant tablets,
blocks or the like, such as are used for disinfecting water closets, urinals, drains
and other places or articles, the tablets, etcetera, being so placed in such places or
articles that, when water or other liquid or fluid is passed over or through them, a
portion of the disinfectant will be carried off with the water or liquid.
In carrying out the manufacture of disinfectant tablets, blocks or the like
according to my invention, the proportion or quantity of the materials or substances
employed, and hereinafter specified, may be varied, within reasonable limits as cir-
cumstances may suggest, without materially affecting the invention, but I prefer to
carry out the manufacture in the following way and I believe, from experience,
such will be found to produce the best results.
I take a sufficient quantity of permanganate of potash, or chlorinated lime, or
other disinfectant, the quantity of the disinfectant must in each case be determined
by the disinfecting strength it is desired the finished tablet, etcetera, should
ultimately have, and, to this disinfectant, 1 add preferably about 1 lb. of paraffin
wax or other suitable fatty matter, thoroughly mixing the two together by any
suitable means under the application of gentle heat, say about 85° C.
This mixture is then carefully comminuted or powdered down, being, if necessary,
previously allowed to stand so as to become cold, when it can be more readily
powdered down.
To this waxed or prepared disinfectant so powdered down I then further add and
mix or incorporate in any suitable way and at normal temperature the following:-
Permanganate of potash (unwaxed)
4 lbs.
-
-
This permanganate of potash must however be replaced by a disinfectant of the
same kind as the one which has been employed in the waxed or prepared
disinfectant; for instance if chlorinated lime has been employed in the waxed or
prepared disinfectant then the permanganate of potash will be here replaced by
chlorinated lime.
Sulphate of calcium
Asbestos
->
10 lbs.
1 lbs.
These three substances may be added all at once or one by one to the waxed or
previously prepared disinfectant, and the quantity of this waxed or previously
prepared disinfectant employed should be about + lb. when the unwaxed disinfectant,
sulphate of calcium and asbestos are added in the above proportions.
Instead however in the carrying out of my invention of adding as above described
the preparation of waxed or previously prepared disinfectant, powdered down as 4
above described, the disinfecting tablets may in some cases be composed of the
above three ingredients alone, namely permanganate of potash or other disinfectant,
sulphate of calcium and asbestos in approximately the proportions specified and
with or without the addition of paraffin wax to the disinfectant. When, however,
wax is employed in the manufacture of my disinfectant tablet, etcetera, such will be 4
found to last longer as it will dissolve away more slowly.
The asbestos should be torn into somewhat fine strips or shreds, whilst both it

page_text: and the sulphate of calcium may be replaced by other suitable substances; for
example, instead of asbestos, suitable fibrous material, such as cotton yarn, pumice
stone, cinders, or other substances having equivalent properties of absorption (and
not injuriously affecting the disinfectant) may be employed, and instead of sulphate
of calcium, any other suitable cement forming substance or mixture of substances
may be used.
The asbestos, or its equivalent, is used for the purpose of absorbing the water
which may pass over the finished tablet, block or the like, whilst the sulphate of
calcium, or its equivalent, is used for the purpose of binding together the component
parts of the tablet, block or the like; of course it will be understood that, when
substitutes for the asbestos and sulphate of calcium are made use of, care must be
exercised in their selection so that they will not re-act injuriously on the other
components of the tablet, block or the like.
When the foregoing mixture of waxed disinfectant, sulphate of calcium and
asbestos has been formed, it is then moistened with a suitable liquid preferably
hydrate of soda solution, so that it can be made or worked up, in any suitable
way, either by the hand alone or by aid of suitable machines, into any
desired shape or form, such as a tablet, block, lozenge, cake or the like. Soda
carbonate (about + lb.) and a sufficient quantity of dried salt may also be added in
the manufacture of the tablet, block, etcetera; the alkaline nature of the solution
from the block renders it more effective as a disinfectant, and thoroughly cleanses
the water closet pan and pipes.
When these tablets, blocks, lozenges, cakes or the like have been so formed, I
then in some cases (especially when no wax is used in the composition) coat their
outer portion with wax, except at a part or parts by which the water or liquid, to
which they will be exposed, can get at the body of the disinfectant tablet, block or
the like and so wash away a portion of the disinfectant, and for this purpose the
entire tablet, block, lozenge, cake or the like may be dipped in wax, and be
subsequently pierced, either in part or through and through, with one or more holes,
and so portions become exposed to the influence of the water or liquid. In other
cases, asbestos or other absorbent may be used as an outer coating instead of wax ;
owing to the absorbent nature of the asbestos when used as an outer covering, a
certain amount of the disinfectant is drawn out of the block and is absorbed by the
outer covering.
In carrying on the manufacture of these disinfectant tablets, blocks or the like,
care must be taken that whatever vessels or implements are employed must be of
such material or substance as not to act injuriously on the component parts of the
tablets, etcetera.
When the tablets, blocks or the like are in use where the discharges of water or
other liquid are frequent and of regular intervals, they can be placed in the cistern
or other receptacle containing the water or liquid, but where the discharges are
irregular, as is generally the case with water closets, I place them in such a position
that, at each emptying and filling of the cistern, they shall come into contact with
the water, but only at these times.
This can be done in a variety of ways; for instance, the ball tap can be some-
what above the level of the water, and a basket or other device containing the
disinfectant tablet, block or the like can be hung immediately below the cock.
Thus, whenever the water runs in, it will wash the tablet, block, or the like and
take off a portion of the chemical into the water.
I have mentioned this way in which the disinfecting tablet can be brought into
contact with the water or other liquid at each discharge, but it is obvious that,
once given the idea, other devices can be designed for this purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
ion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1 The imazawamanda

page_text: specified, consisting in forming a preparation of waxed disinfectant to which is
added further unwaxed disinfectant along with sulphate of calcium and asbestos, or
their equivalents, substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
2. In the preparation of a disinfectant tablet, block or the like, such as specified
in Claim 1, coating the outer portions of such with wax except at a part or parts
for the purposes herein before described.
3. The improvements in the application or employment of disinfectant tablets,
blocks or the like where such are subject to intermittent or irregular discharges of
water or other liquid, consisting in so applying or employing the same that in
general they are retained in practically a dry position but when the cistern or
other receptacle commences to fill in with the water or other liquid, the disinfectant
tablet, block or the like comes into the path of such and so a portion of the
disinfectant be washed into the water or other liquid.
Doted this lot day of January 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.