An Improved Sluice or Machine for Washing and Cleansing Bed- pans or other Receptacles for Hospital or Private Use.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Sluice or Machine for Washing and Cleansing Bed-
pans or other Receptacles for Hospital or Private Use.
I, THOMAS KIRKLAND, of 17 Victoria Street, in the County of London, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declaro the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus more particularly adapted for
washing out faecal & other matter from bed pans as used in hospitals and
elsewhere.
The main object of my invention is the construction of an apparatus which,
whilst being very simple shall do this automatically, efficiently, and without any
nuisance, such as smell or splashing to the attendant whose duty it is to perform
this work.
My improved apparatus consists substantially of a basin of the shape of the
surface of an inverted frustrum of a cone, the bottom of which is continued as n
pipe of the same diameter as where the cone is cut through nearest its apex and
which pipe is either fitted with a flange for connecting to a syphon or other drain
trap, or, is itself formed into one.
On one side of this conical basin an opening is made and an approximately
rectangular basin is attached thereto, the two parts as described forming one
watertight basin.
This approximately rectangular basin is made with well rounded corners and the
bottom of it sloping towards and joining the conical part at or about where the
cone becomes a cylindrical pipe so that any water may run away freely down
the pipe; the top of this basin being in the same plane as the top of the conical
basin.
The object aimed at in making it this shape is that any sized bed pan boing
turned over and placed in it will approximately fit as regards the circular part,
the handle finding its own position in the rectangular portion, which rectangular
portion must be of sufficient size to allow of a person's band whilst grasping the
handle being placed therein.
At the point of juncture between the cone nud the rectangular portion with the
pipe a flushing rim is attached outside with holes pierced through and pointing
inwards and upwards, which holes may extend all round, but preferably only at
the juncture of the rectangular portion with the cone and on both sides thereof
to points extending across a diameter of the pipe at right angles to a line drawn
from the centre of the pipe and the middle of the rectangular portion-the other
half of the pipe having no holes.
The object of this is to direct the flush of water into the bod pan when turned
over but awny from the handle and so prevent any blocking up thereof. At the
bottom point of this flushing rim a hole must be made to allow of the water
remaining in this rim, draining away and its place being taken by air, so that if a
syphon waste preventer be used to produce the flush there shall be no impediment
to the syphonic action.
For this flush, a water supply, eithor hot or cold or both must be connected and
it may be supplied either direct from a tank placed at a sufficient height above it
and using a tap or valve for turning it off or on, or in connection with a syphon or
other waste preventer.

page_text: As the object of this shape is to keep the bed pan after being turned over and
during the time of its being cleansed in a certain position, a bar may be placed
across the rectangular portion to support the handle or the axis of the conical
basin may itself be vertical or inclined from the vertical so as to effect this
object.
This sluice may be made of any suitable material but perhaps preferably in
copper or tinned copper, the top of it being enlarged so as to form a sink to catch
any splashes or droppings and draining into the basin, and the back may be raised
so us to form a convenient stay for attaching either hot or cold water taps or both
which would point into the basin and be used for washing urine bottles, porringers
or for other purposes.
Around the top & inside the whole sluice a flushing rim, actuated by a separate
water supply either may or may not be used depending on the varied requirements.
This nice may be made self-supporting for securing to a floor or wall or may
be carried on beams or girders etc. as may be found convenient.
Dated this 28th day of February 1895.
THOMAS KIRKLAND,
17 Victoria Street, Westminster, London, S. W.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Sluice or Machine for Washing and Cleansing Bed-
pans or other Receptacles for Hospital or Private Use.
I, THOMAS KIRKLAND, of 17 Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of
London, Civil Engineer, 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 :—
My invention relates to a machine or apparatus which is more particularly
adapted for removing frecal and other matter from bed-paus used in hospitals and
elsewhere. By slightly modifying my apparatus it can be also employed for
cleansing buckets or pails and their lids or covers, when the latter are provided
therewith.
The main object of my invention is to so devise the aforesaid apparatus that it
shall be extremely simple in construction, and porform its cleansing operations
efficiently without causing objectionable odours, and without splashing or otherwise
rendering the operation offensive to the attendant whose duty it is to cleanse these
utensils.
My apparatus consists substantially of a conical or funnel-like basin baving a
lateral recess or lateral recesses formed therein aud provided with an annular or
other flushing chamber surrounding or partially surrounding the lower end or neck of
the basin. The flushing chamber is in communication with the basin by means of
a series of holes through which the water or other liquid employed in the cleansing
operation passes from the flushing chamber to the basin.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect 1 will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a transverse section on the line 1. 1. illustrating
one form that iny apparatus may take when intended for cleansing bed-pans.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the flushing chamber taken ou the line 2. 2.
of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a plan, Figure 5 a vertical central section and Figure 6 another
vertical central section, taken at right angles to the preceding figure, showing a
modification of my apparatus whereby it is rendered suitable for use in cleansing
pails and similar utensils.

page_text: Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 3, A is the funnel-like basin, which
is formed or provided with a lateral recess B having well rounded corners and an
inclined bottom 6 descending towards the discharge outlet a. C is the annular
flushing chamber which is formed integrally with the basin A. and provided with
an opening to which a pipe c is connected for supplying water to the flushing
chamber. is the series of holes through which the water passes from the
flushing chamber to the basin. It will be seen on reference to Figure 1 that
these holes are directed upwardly and inwardly with respect to the basin and that
they oxtend only partially around the neok of tho said basin at that part where
the lower portion of the lateral recess B meets the basin,
When a bed-pau is to be cleansed the attendant lifts it by its handle and inserta
it into the apparatus with the handle projecting into the aforesaid recess B. This
recess is of sufficient size to admit the hand of the attendant as well as the handle
of the bed-pan, so that the attendant can conveniently invert the bed-pan to empty
out its contents. The bed-pan, while in this inverted position, is allowed to rest
upon the conical sides of the basin A and the flushing operation is then permitted
to take place. Owing to the arrangement of the aforesaid holes c* in the manner
above stated, the flush of water is directed into the bed-pan towards the side
opposite to the handle, so that the fæcal inatter is not ejected through the handle
and consequently does not tend to block it up. By reason of the conical sides of
the basin A it will be readily seen that bed-pans of different sizes can be treated
in my apparatus. In order to further support the bed-pan in proper position
during the flushing oporation the lateral recess B, may be provided with a
transverse bar or other support for the handle of the bed-pan to rest upon. Or
instead of this transverse bar, the vertical axis of the basin may be inclined
whoreby the body of the bed-pan is supported at an inclination so that its handle
projects slightly upwards.
Either hot or cold water, or both, can be used for the flushing operation and may
be supplied from an elevated tank, a suitable tap or valve being provided for
controlling the supply to the apparatus. Or the water may be supplied to the
apparatus from a syphon water-waste preventer in which case the flushing chamber
is provided with an aperture communicating with the discharge outlet a of the
basin, whereby the water can drain away from the flushing chamber after each
flushing operation and be replaced by air, so that there may be no impediment to
the syphonic action.
The apparatus shewn in Figures 1 to 3 is adapted to fit into a recess and is
furnished with a slab D which serves as a sink to catch and convey to the basin A
any liquid splashing from the apparatus or dropping from the bed-pans during
their insertion into and removal from the apparatus. If desired the slab D may
be formed with a raised back portion to support hot and cold water taps over the
basin A. These taps could then be used for washing out urine bottles, porringers
and like ressols or may be used for other purposes. The slab D can also be
provided with a flushing rim at d for enabling water to flow over the slab and
cleanse it.
The apparatus may be made in a suitable form to be supported from a wall or
upon the floor, or be mounted on beams as may be found most convenient.
E is a syphon trap interposed between the basin A and the drain pipe.
Referring now to the modified construction of the apparatus shewn by Figures 4
to 6, A is the funnel-like basin; a tho discharge outlet therefrom leading to the
pipe a which may be provided with a syphon trap as in the previous construction;
and C is the aunular flushing chamber surrounding the neck of the basin.
In this construction of the apparatus the basin A is formed with two lateral
recesses B which are situated one opposite the other. These recesses receive the
handle-tabs or other attachments on the bucket or pail when the lattor is inserted
mouth downwards into the basin, thus preventing the said attachments from
interfering with the perpendicular position that the bucket or pail assumes when
its rim rests upon the inner sides of the basin A. Two series of flushing holes o

page_text: are provided and are arranged on opposite sides of the basin in the apaces existing
between, the two lateral recesses B. The basin is provided with a ledge D which
may extend partially or completely around the said basin so as to serve the same
purpose as the slab D.referred to in connection with Figure 1. This ledge may
also be cleansed by water coming from. a flushing rim similar to the flushing rim d
already mentioned.
In Figure 61 have shewn the apparatus provided with a hinged lid F which is
connected by a cord passing over a pulley, to a counter-balance weight, so that the
said lid can be easily raised and lowered. The underside of this lid is furnished
with a hook e which, in the cleansing of a bucket or pail having a loose cover,
serves to receive the aforesaid cover. By then turning down the lid F into its
closed position it brings the pail-cover into the basin A and when the flushing
operation takes place the said pail-cover becomes thoroughly cleansed.
In dealing with buckets or pails having hinged covers or lids, the shape of the
basin A is somewhat modified to permit of the bucket and its lid being inserted
into the basin and then occupying a proper position to ensure that the flush of
water will simultaneously act upon them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invcution and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. An apparatus for cleansing bed-pans or other receptacles, comprising a
funnel-shaped basin having a recess or recesses in its sides and an anuular or
similar flushing chamber near its neck substantially as described.
2. The apparatus for cleansing.bed-pans substantially as described with reference
to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The modified construction of the apparatus whereby
is rendered suitable
for cleansing buckets and pails, substantially as described with reference to
Figures 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated thie 94th day of October 1805
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.