CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO FIXED AND PORTABLE WATER-CLOSETS AND BEDS OR BEDSTEADS, A PART OR PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO RAISING AND FORCING WATER
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
FARMER, Upholder and Cabinet Maker, and JOSEPH PITT, Plumbers' Brass-
founder, both of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixth day of June, in the sixth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant us, the said Richard
Farmer and Joseph Pitt, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that we, the said Richard Farmer and Joseph Pitt, our exors,
admors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Richard Farmer and
Joseph Pitt, our exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein,
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO FIXED AND PORTABLE WATER-CLOSETS
AND BEDS OR BEDSTEADS, A PART OR PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO RAISING AND FORCING WATER;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, that we, the said Richard Farmer and Joseph Pitt, or one
of us, shall cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
annear

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the sai
Richard Farmer and Joseph Pitt, do hereby declare that the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof
reference being had to the Drawings .hereunto annexed, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon (that is to say):
Our improvements consist of, first, an improved stationary water-closet
secondly, of an improved portable water-closet; thirdly, of an improved rotary
pump, applicable to a portable water-closet, and to raising and forcing water
and liquids generally; fourthly, of an improved method of tightening the sacking
of beds.-
Our improved stationary water-closet is represented in Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 1 being a front view, and Figure 2 an end view of the same. Our
improvement. consists of a self-acting mechanism, by which the various parts
of the water-closet are operated on by the sliding of the cover or lid of the
said water-closet, instead of by a separate motion by means of a handle, as in
the common water-closet. a is the seat board, and 6 the basin; c is a lever,
by raising which the pan into which the soil falls is emptied; d is a slide
covering the seat board; an arm or lever e is attached to the under side of the
slide d. This arm or lever e has a joint at e¹, on which the lower part of the
lever turns. A stop or projection on the said joint prevents the said lever
from moving in a direction contrary to that indicated by the arrow, Figure 2.
f is a roller attached to the end of the lever e; g is a curved lever turning on
a joint in the support h; this support is fixed to the floor of the water-closet:
A chain or cord i is attached by one end to the curved lever g, and by the
other end to the lever c. A bell crank lever j is placed at the back of the
slide d, as shewn in the Drawing. A roller is attached to the top of the
vertical arm of this lever, and a wire or chain j', connected with the horizontal
arm, passes to the cistern, and operates on the valves therein, in the manner
herein-after described. The action of our improved stationary water-closet is
as follows: When about to be used, the slide d is pushed back by the pro-
jection d'; the slide strikes against the bell crank lever j and depresses it, so
that the vertical arm assumes a position nearly horizontal, and the horizontal
arm a position nearly vertical. The lever jis maintained in this position' till
the slide d is drawn back. By forcing back the slide d, the lever é attached to
the said slide is made to pass over the curved lever g; the lever e turning tipon
the joint e' passes over the curved lever g without moving the latter, and after
having so passed over the curved lever g, falls again into a vertical' position.
When the water-closet has been used the slide d is drawn again into the

page_text: "
position shewn in the Drawing. The lever e in passing over the curved
lever g depresses the said curved lever (for the lever e cannot turn upon its
joint e¹ in a direction contrary to that indicated by the arrow, Figure 2). The
curved lever g during its depression raises the lever c, and thereby empties the
pan containing, the soil. The depression of the curved lever g, and consequent
raising of the lever c, lasts only part of the time during which the slide d is
being brought again into the position in which it is shewn in the Drawing, for
when the lever e is brought over the concave end of the lever g (the position
in which it is shown in the Drawing), the lever g is raised again by the weight on
the lever C, and hence the pan containing the soil has been emptied and imme-
diately brought back again to its place. It has been herein-before explained that
as the slide d'is' pushed back the bell crank lever is depressed. The depression
of the said lever effects, through the wire or chain j', the opening of the valve,
which allows the water in the, cistern to run into and fill the measurer; and
when the slide d is returned to the position shewn in the Drawing the. bell
cránk lever is brought again to the position represented by a weight attached
to the said valve. The communication between the cistern and measurer
is thereby closed, and at the same time the communication between the
measurer and basin 6 is opened, and the water contained in the said measurer
emptied into the basin b. The arrangement of the said cistern and measurer,
and the valves connected therewith, being exactly similar to that used in the
common water-closet, and constituting no part of our Invention, we deem
description, unnecessary.
Figure 3 represents a side view of our portable water-closet; Figure 4
represents a vertical section of the same; Figure 5, a plan; and Figure 6, a
plan with the seat board removed. a is the basin, and b, a pan. into which
the soil falls from the basin, a. The pan 6 may be removed at the door c,
and emptied by the removal of its cover e. The case, of our improved
portable water-closet is divided into two parts x, a¹, by thepartition f at the
back of the basin a; the said basin a and pan b occupy the larger or front
part, and the cistern 9.and pump h the smaller or back part. The cistern
g is, made of lead or zinc, and is attached to the case of the water-closet
by screws, as seen at g', g'. The pump his fixed in the bottom of the
cistern g,. as seen in the Drawing. The pump h consists of a. cylinder,
closed at bottom, and furnished with a solid piston i (shewn in dotted lines);
a pipe proceeds from the bottom of the cylinder through the partition f to
tlie scatterer of the basin a; another pipe l, connected with the upper part
of the pump cylinder h, passes to the top of the cistern and opens into the air.
The piston rod m is connected, through the link n, with an arm or bracket o,

page_text: attached to the lid q of the water-closet. The piston rod n may be furnished
with a cross arm, working in grooves on the sides of the cistern, in order to
guide it and preserve its vertical position. This addition, however, is not
necessary, as I find the pump works well without such guide. The cylinder h
is perforated with holes p, p, immediately above the bottom of the cistern, and
the cover of the cylinder is also perforated with holes, as seen in Figure 6.
When the cistern g is filled with water and the lid q shut down the water-
closet is fit for use; its action is as follows:-When the lid q is shut down the
piston i of the pump is near the bottom of the cylinder h, and the said cylinder
is filled with water, which enters at the holes p, p; when the lid q is raised,
preparatory to using the water-closet, the piston i is raised to the top of the
cylinder, that is to say, its lower edge is above the holes p, p; the water which
filled the cylinder above the piston escapes during the rise of the said piston by
the holes p, p, and those in the cover of the cylinder. As the piston rises, the
cylinder h becomes filled with air, which enters by the pipej; as soon, however,
as the piston rises above the holes p, p, the water runs through the said holes
and fills the cylinder, the air contained therein passing out by the pipe 1; when
the water-closet has been used the lid q is shut down, the piston' i, during the
shutting of the lid descends to the bottom of the cylinder h, and in its descent
forces the water contained in the said cylinder through the pipe j into the
basin a, where it is spread by the scatterer k over the interior of the basin, and,
carrying with it any soil that may remain therein, falls into the pan b.
Instead of the pump represented in the Drawing, we sometimes use the
rotary pump, herein-after described. In that case the rotary pump is fixed to
the bottom of the cistern 9, and a rack, raised and lowered by the arm or
bracket o, gears into the teeth of a toothed wheel, placed on the axis of the said
rotary pump. The said toothed wheel is placed loosely on the axis of the said
rotary pump, and is connected or geared therewith by a pall on the axis and a
ratchet wheel on the toothed wheel, so that, as the lid of the portable water-
closet is shut down, the pall may gear into the ratchet wheel and carry round
the axis, and thereby raise the water to the basin, and when the lid q is raised
the pall may pass over the teeth of the ratchet, and fail to produce the rotation
of the axis of the pump.
Figure 7 represents an end view of our rotary pump; Figure 8 represents
the same in side view; Figure 9 represents a vertical section of the
same in a plane at right angles to the axis; and Figure 10 repre-
sents a vertical section of the same in a plane parallel to the axis.
a, a', is an elliptical chamber, the form of which is represented in the section
Figure 9. is a hollow axis, placed excentrically in the chamber a, a',

page_text: and in such a. position that every possible diameter of the elliptical chamber
drawn through the centre of the said axis shall be of the same length. c, c,
are circular flanges on the ends of the chamber a, a', and d, d, are caps, which
are attached to the said flanges by the screws e, e; these caps close the ends of
the chamber a, a¹; ff, are collars in the caps d, d, in which collars the axis b
works; g is the supply pipe, and h the pipe at which the liquid is delivered;
the pipe 9 communicates with the chamber a' by the opening g', and the pipe h
communicates with the chamber a by the opening h¹. b is a hollow axis,
situated in the chamber a', as herein-before explained, through slots or openings,
in which axis a diaphragm or plate i passes. This diaphragm or plate is of
such a size that it fits accurately yet easily in the chamber a, a¹; the edges
of this plate are rounded, as seen in the Drawing. A winch or handle is
attached to either end of the axis b, by which the said axis is turned. The
action of this pump is as follows:-By the rotation of the axis 6 the
diaphragm i is made to revolve in the chamber a, a¹; when the diaphragm i is
in the position indicated by the line x it divides the chamber a, a', into two
compartments, the upper one communicating with the pipe h and the lower
one with the pipe g. It will be observed, that as the diaphragm assumes in
succession the positions indicated by the lines x, x, x¹¹, the upper chamber a
diminishes in capacity and the lower one a¹ enlarges; and hence, if the
chambers a, a', be supposed to have been full of liquid, and the pipe g in
connection with a reservoir of any liquid, a quantity of such liquid, correspond-
ing to the diminished capacity of the upper compartment a, will have been
forced out of the pipe h, while a similar quantity of liquid will have ascended
the pipe g, by the exhaustion consequent upon the increased capacity of the
chamber a'. As the diaphragm i continues its rotation, its edges pass over the
openings g' and h', and the chamber a', which has been gradually enlarging,
becomes connected with the opening h', and begins to diminish in capacity,
while the chamber a, which has been gradually contracting, becomes connected
with the opening g', and begins to enlarge in capacity. It is evident that
if the axis b be turned in a direction contrary to that indicated by the arrow,
Figure 9, an effect contrary to that above described will be produced, that
is to say, the liquid to be transferred will enter at the pipe h and pass
out at the pipe g. When the pump is not required to have this power of
pumping in either direction, I place a valve in the supply pipe g, as shewn
in Figure 10; this valve prevents the return of the liquid when the pump is
not in use, which would otherwise take place when the pump has been much
worn.
Figure 11 represents our improved method of tightening the sacking of

page_text: beds. a is one of the bed posts, and.6 is the sacking on which the bed rests.
The side rail c, to which the sacking is attached, is of a cylindrical form,
and has affixed on one of its ends the circular plate d; this plate is
perforated with holes d', .and is furnished with a pin, which is in a line with
the axis of the said roller or side rail c, to. which the sacking is attached; the
said pin enters a hole in the bed post a, and serves as the axis on which the
roller or side rail e turns. The other end of the roller or side rail c is furnished
with a similar pin or axis, working in the bed post to which it is attached,
A hole is formed in the bed post at the same, distance from the axis of motion
as the holes d'; and of the same size as the said holes. In order to fix the
sacking b at any desired tightness, a pin or cotter is introduced through that
one of the holes d¹ which corresponds with the hole formed in the bedstead.
When it is desired to slacken the sacking, the pin or cotter must be removed,
and the roller or side rail c turned, so as to unroll the sacking; the pin or cotter
being again introduced in its place secures, the sacking. When it is desired to
tighten the sacking, the roller or side rail c must be turned so as to roll up the
sacking, and the pin or cotter introduced in its place.
Figure 12 represents in elevation, and Figure 13 in plan, an application of
the Invention last described to the fixing and adjusting of our improved rotary
pump. a is the cistern to which the pump is to be attached; b is the pump,
fixed on the pillar or pedestal c. This pillar has a broad flange.d at its bottom,
and under the said flange a dovetail or wedge-shaped shoulder e. f, f, are two
circular plates of. metal, turning on axes g, which axes are supported by and
work in the side of the reservoir a and the cross piece a¹. These circular
plates are perforated with holes x (shewn in dotted lines), and a hole y, y, is
formed in the side of the reservoir under each of the axles g, g, and at the
same distance from the said axles as the holes x in the circular plates f, f;
h, h, are two metal rods, one end of each of which is supported on the end of
the reservoir at i, by fitting loosely in holes made therein, the other. ends of
the said rods enter loosely the holes formed in the upper edge of the circular
plates f. In order to fix the pump 6 to the reservoir a, the flange d is laid on
the rods h, h, as shown in the Drawing, and moved along the said rods until
the pump has the position desired; the circular plates f, f, are then turned, so
as to cause the ends h', h', of the rods h, h, to approach nearer to each other,
and grasp the wedge-shaped shoulder or dovetail e under the flange ; pins or
cotters are then introduced into the holes y, y, in the side of the reservoir, so
as to secure the circular plates in their position...
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do

page_text: not claim exclusive right to the use of the several parts of our Invention,
separately considered; but we claim exclusive right to,-
First, the construction of a stationary water-closet, in which the various
moving parts are actuated by the sliding of a lid or cover over the seat board
of the said water-closet.
Secondly, the construction of a portable water-closet, in which a pump
(whether rotary or otherwise) is made to force a stream of water into the
basin by the shutting down of the lid or cover of the said portable water-
closet.
Thirdly, the construction of a rotary pump by the revolution of a plate or
diaphragm in an elliptical chamber, such plate or diaphragm being carried
round by the rotation of an axis situated eccentrically to the axis of the said
elliptical chamber.
Fourthly, the method of tightening the sacking of beds or bedsteads, herein-
before described, that is to say, by rolling up the said sacking on one of the
side rails of the said bedsteads and securing the same by pins or cotters; also
the application of the same method of fastening by pins or cotters to the
supporting or securing our improved rotary pump to a cistern or reservoir, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Farmer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
RICHARD (L.S.) FARMER.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of November,
5 in the year of our Lord 1843, the aforesaid Richard Farmer came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowleged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Second day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-three.