IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING EXCREMENT FROM URINE AND WATER, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolphus Videky, of Islington, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING
EXCREMENT FROM URINE AND WATER, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
"-A communication from abroad by Hyppolite Mayrargues,
of Venice, Italy.
WITH.
Jealed the 28th November 1871, and dated the 2nd June 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolphus Videky at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd June 1871.
I, ADOLPHUS VIDEKY, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEPARATING EXCREMENT FROM URINE AND WATER, AND IN APPARATUS CON-
NECTED THEREWITH," (a communication to me from abroad by Hyppolite
Mayrargues, of Venice, Italy,) to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to divide excrement from urine and
water. For this purpose I employ a bent or undulating tube or tubes,
pipe or pipes, leading from the closet or privy, and having by preference
several bends in it.

page_text: The object of employing a bent tube or pipe to receive the excrement,
urine, and water is because liquids will travel over the surface thereof
and follow its course freely, but solids in passing along or falling
through it have impediments in the way by reason of the curved surface
or surfaces they are compelled to pass before passing through the pipe.
At or near one end of the bent tube I place a valve which is free to
open downwards on receiving a certain weight, but through which
liquids can pass when no weight is on the valve even when the valve
is closed. For this purpose there are indentations or apertures at or
near the edges of the valve, or the edges are serrated or notched or
bent, or the valve is curved so that liquid touching it has always a
tendency to run off between it and the walls of the pipe. A weighted
lever keeps the valve closed until there is sufficient weight on it to
counteract the balance when it opens, and the solid matter falls through
the valve, closing immediately afterwards by reason of the weighted
lever. Below the valve the passage is gradually enlarged, and the urine
or other liquid which uninterruptedly runs down the walls from the
bent tube above is collected therein, and is led off therefrom by pipes to
a receiver; below the valve there is another pipe, the diameter of which
should be very little more than the diameter of the valve, and this pipe
receives the solids directly from the valve above and conveys them to
any suitable receptacle. Thus the liquid matters, whether they be
water, urine, or a mixture thereof, first travel down the surface or
surfaces of the bent pipe, and after passing through or by the valve
they continue their course along the gradually enlarging surface below
into the enlarged chamber, and are thence conveyed away to suitable
receivers or are allowed to run away to drains or otherwise, as desired,
but the solid matter in its passage through the bent pipe coming in
contact with the curves or undulations its course is somewhat arrested
(by its natural tendency to adhere in some measure to the walls) until
it reaches the valve, which opening it falls straight into the receiver
below, or in other words, the liquid first goes into one receiver and the
solid follows into another receiver. The receiver being full of solid
matter is removed and closed hermetically by a lid, and its place is taken
by another empty receiver.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Adolphus Videky in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ADOLPHUS
VIDEKY, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Adolphus Videky, Her special licence
that I, the said Adolphus Videky, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Adolphus Videky, 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
SEPARATING EXCREMENT FROM URINE AND WATER, AND IN APPARATUS CON-
NECTED THEREWITHÈ,” (a communication to me from abroad by Hyppolite
Mayrargues, of Venice, Italy,) upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Adolphus Videky, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing, under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly 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 Adolphus Videky, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: pipe or pipes, leading from the closet or privy, and having by preference
several bends in it.
The object of employing a bent tube or pipe to receive the excrement,
urine, and water is because liquids will travel over the surface thereof and
follow its course freely, but solids in passing along or falling through it
have impediments in the way by reason of the curved surface or surfaces
they are compelled to pass before getting through the pipe. At or near
one end of the bent tube I place a valve which is free to open downwards
on receiving a certain weight, but through which liquids can pass when
no weight is on the valve, even when the valve is closed. For this
purpose there are indentations or apertures at or near the edges of the
valve, or the edges are serrated or notched or bent, or the valve is curved
so that liquid touching it has always a tendency to run off between it and
the walls of the pipe. A weighted lever keeps the valve closed until
there is sufficient weight on it to counteract the balance when it opens ]
and the solid matter falls through, the valve closing immediately after-
wards by reason of the weighted lever. Below the valve the passage is
gradually enlarged, and the urine or other liquid which uninterruptedly
runs down the walls from the bent tube above is collected therein, and
is led off therefrom by pipes to a receiver; below the valve there is ?
another pipe, the diameter of which should be very little more than the
diameter of the valve, and this pipe receives the solids directly from the
valve above and conveys them to any suitable receptacle.
The accompany Drawing illustrates the manner in which the Invention
may be carried into effect.
a is the tube leading from the closet, which may be bent more or
less as found most suitable, but it is essential that this tube a should
be curved or bent for the purposes of the Invention; b is the valve at
the lower end of the tube a; c is a weighted lever connected to and
supporting the valve b; e is another tube or hopper immediately below 3
the valve leading to a vessel f, which is placed below the tube e, but
which can be easily removed from that position when required; g is a
another valve similar to the valve b, but which is sometimes dispensed
with as the apparatus is effective without it, although in some cases
it is found advisable to use it, the valve b may also in some cases be a
dispensed with; h is the enlarged part below the valve b; i is the basin
or vessel for the reception of the liquid; and k is the pipe for carrying it
off to any desired place or receptacle.

page_text: The Invention is here shewn applied to a closet situated at one side of
the vessel or receptacle f, but it may, where found convenient, be placed
immediately above the same, the number of bends in the pipe a being
regulated by the distance of the closet from the receptacle.
The action is as follows:-The liquid matters from the closet, whether
they be water, urine, or a mixture thereof, are the first to travel down
the surface or surfaces of the bent pipe a, and after passing through or
by the valve 6 they continue their course along the gradually enlarging
surface below into the enlarged chamber i, and are thence conveyed
away by the pipe k to suitable receivers, or are allowed to run away to
drains or otherwise as desired; the solid matter in its passage through
the bent pipe a comes in contact with the curves or undulations, whereby
its course is somewhat arrested (by its natural tendency to adhere in
some measure to the walls) until it reaches the valve b, which when
sufficient load is upon it opens, and the solid matter falls straight
into the pipe e, and thence by the valve g to the receiver below, or
in other words the liquid first goes into one receiver and the solid
follows into another receiver. I prefer to make the pipes of cast iron,
because the urine in passing over the surface thereof glazes the same,
and so clears the way, as it were, for the solid matter which has to
follow, but of course the pipes may be made of other material, such
as earthenware. The receiver being full of solid matter is removed and
closed hermetically by a lid, and its place is taken by another empty

page_text: Second. The construction of the basin i in combination with the
hopper e, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adolphus Videky, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
EDWP. GRIFFIth Brewer,
89, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. VIDEKY. (L.S.)