IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING AND UTILIZING FECAL MATTERS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Sigismund Schuman at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his' Petition, on the
3rd November 1808.
I, SIGISMUND SCHUMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING AND UTILIZING FECAL MATTERS, AND IN THE
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the treatment of fecal matter or human
excrement so that the solid parts are separated from the fluid in the
first instance, and not allowed to mix with each other in the sewers,
and it may be carried out either with the present system of waterclosets,
or by preference with the arrangement of closet which forms part of this
Invention.
For the purpose of avoiding confusion in explaining the modes in
which this Invention is carried into effect, the employment of it in
connection with the existing system of waterclosets is first described,
and afterwards the improved closet apparatus.
In carrying this Invention into operation with the existing system of
watercloset the pipe or shaft leading from the pan of the closet is con.

page_text: tracted at its lower end, and connected to a porous or perforated
receptable formed by preference of straw, basketwork, felted or other
similar substance knitted or woven, the lower part of which is in
communication with a lower receptacle or reservoir. As soon as the
focal matter and water are discharged from the closet these fall into
the porous or perforated receptacle, and the liquids, water and urine,
drain through into the receptacle below. The lower receptacle is con-
nected by a pipe with a large district reservoir, into which the urine,
water, and all matter mixed with the fluids are discharged, and in which
they are evaporated at the natural temperature or by artificial heat, and
the product separated from the refuse or water portions, or the liquid
portions may be pumped off into moveable tanks, and afterwards dis-
charged and disinfected; whilst the solid matter is retained in the
porous or-perforated receptacle, which is so fitted as to be capable of
easy removal and replacement by attendants provided for the purpose.
The solid matter when thus taken away is carried to a depot, where it is
desiccated and prepared for manurial purposes, and an economical mode
of desiccating it, which may be adopted, consists in collecting the waste
heat from gasworks, ironworks, or others in the locality, and then
applying it to the vessels by leading it thereto through flues or by other
means. A vessel or tank containing a disinfecting and deodorising fluid
is provided at the depot, and into this the porous or perforated recep-
tacles are placed after the solid matters have been discharged from
them, thus making them clean and ready for replacement under the
shaft of the closet when the vessel or receptacle last placed there is
removed. To prevent the escape of stench and foul gases from the
perforated or porous receptable, it is connected by a pipe which leads to
the top of any building in which the closet may be placed; in the upper
part of this pipe an Archimedian pump is placed connected to vanes,
which being driven by the wind, or by springs or weights puts the pump
in motion, and thus creates an upward draught in the pipe, drawing the
from the focal matter upwards; whilst in the upper
gases which
escape
part of this pipe provision is made for the reception of some disinfecting
agent, in contact with which the gases are caused to pass previous to
their escape into the surrounding atmosphere; or in place of getting
rid of the gases in this manner they may be consumed by being led
through a pipe to a fire-place and there burnt. To prevent any focal
matter, paper, or other substance from remaining during a long period
adhering to the shaft of the closet, a lining or second pipe of tarpaulin

page_text: or other material is employed, so that the solid and fluid matter passes
down the shaft without coming into positive contact with it, and in the
event of any matter adhering to the lining any injurious effect there-
from is obviated through the occasional removal of the lining.
The closet which forms part of this Invention is arranged or con-
structed in the manner now to be described, its object being to avoid as
much as possible the employment of water, at the same time that it is
effectually scaled against the emission of vapours or gases from the
receptacles or drains. The pan of the closet is connected with the
porous or perforated receptacle, herein-before described, by means of a
pipe or shaft in which a moveable leaf or lid is placed; this leaf or lid
is connected by a lever and connecting links to the lid or flap which
covers the seat of the closet, so that as the lid or flap is raised up by the
person about to use the closet the leaf or lid in the shaft is also raised,
rendering the communication from the pan to the porous or perforated
receptacle free and unobstructed. The seat of the closet is connected
by links to a moveable partition situated in the shaft, so that as a person
sits down upon the seat it is depressed, and at the same time raises the
partition, which is then caught by a retaining hook. The focal matter
excremented by the person using the closet drops on to the partition last
referred to, and remains there until the person using the closet rises up
therefrom, at which instant the seat is relieved of the pressure of the
body and rises to its original position. The lid is then shut down and
releases the catch which retains the partition in place; the partition in
the shaft falling at the same time into an upright position the focal
matter drops off into the porous or perforated receptacle. The partition
is made hollow to contain disinfecting matter, which is placed therein
when required. The lid of the seat is then shut down, and the lid on
the shaft thereby raised to its former position constituting an air-tight
division in the shaft, and preventing the gases from rising up. The air-
tight lid is formed hollow to receive some disinfecting or deodorizing
substance, and whilst the closet is being used the disinfecting and
deodorizing of the excrement may further be effected by allowing a
little disinfecting solution to run over the partition on which the focal
matter rests, but this is not essential.

page_text: This separate tank is covered with an air-tight lid, and contains a dis-
infectant mixed with the water which is admitted into the closet in
place of water only. The air-tight tank is also provided with a guage,
by which the quantity of liquid within it is ascertained in order that it
may be re-filled as required.