IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO WATERCLOSETS AND COMMODE PANS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents.
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO WATERCLOSETS
AND COMMODE PANS."-A communication from abroad by Ernest Mangeon,
of Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 29th June 1866, and dated the 15th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th January 1866.
T. HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO WATERCLOSETS
AND COMMODE PANS," to be as follows:-
The objects of this, Invention are, firstly, to hermetically seal the cover of
the pan in order to prevent the escape of effluvia; secondly, to construct the
pan in such a manner that the solid matters will not adhere to it as is the
case in the ordinary plan, and which necessitates a great flow of water to clean
it; and, thirdly, an improved construction of moveable valve to close the
bottom of the pan, and which is worked by levers attached to the cover.
The first. part of the Invention consists in forming an annular gutter or
channel round the top edge of the pan, which channel is filled with water.
[Price 8d.]

page_text: One edge of the gutter is higher than the other so as to prevent the water
from running over. Sometimes instead of water the gutter may be provided
with strips of india-rubber or caoutchouc. To the under side of the cover of
the pan, which may be made of metal if desired, a circular ring of metal is
attached, or it may be cast in one piece with the lid. The lower edge of this
ring projects a short distance into the water or presses against the caoutchouc
contained in the gutter, and by this means hermetically closes the pan.
The second part of the Invention consists in forming the walls or sides of
the pan in the form of a cylinder instead of as an inverted cone as heretofore.
The third part of the Invention consists of a disc valve the size of the pan,
mounted on a rock shaft secured in bearings attached to the lower extremity
of the pan. and to which shaft is attached a slotted lever which is worked by
a pin on the end of a sliding bar connected to the under side of the cover by
means of a connecting rod, so that when the cover is raised the valve will
close, and when it is shut down the valve will open, or it may be arranged to
work vice versa. Instead of this arrangement a counterbalance weight may
be used to restore the valve to its normal position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I. HENRY
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane. in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me.
the said Henry Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Henry Edward Newton, 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 APPLICABLE TO WATERCLOSETS AND COMMODE PANS," being a
communication to me from abroad by Ernest Mangeon, of Boulevard

page_text: Beaumarchais, Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 YF, that 1, the said Henry Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement. reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
Many apparatus have been contrived for the purpose of rendering water-
closets inodorous, none of which have hitherto been attended with satisfactory
results, especially where they are intended to accommodate great numbers of
persons, such as in barracks, hospitals, prisons, workshops, railway stations,
and such like places. This failure has occurred from the fact that the only
plan adopted has been the closing of the opening of the pan. According to
this idea, in order to confine as much as possible the extent of the closing
aperture and the volume of water generally employed for sealing the aperture,
or to diminish the diameter of the stoppers by means of which the lower
opening of the pan is sometimes closed, this latter has been made in the
form of an inverted cone. This arrangement is attended with the serious
inconvenience of arresting in their fall the solid matters upon inclined surfaces.
where they adhere more or less, and necessitate at each operation the use of
large quantities of water, either to wash the fecal matters away or to form an
hydraulic joint when the pans are provided with a rocking bottom.
Now, the Inventor of the present improvements looks upon the closing
of the direct orifices of the pans as a secondary consideration, and effects the
intended object by surrounding the seat or portion occupied by the person
when sitting down with a continuous hermetic joint at the upper part of its
circumference, thus enclosing the pan (and the parts contiguous thereto) in the
limits within which the matters, whether solid or liquid, can be projected.
By this means not only are the fecal matters arrested, but also any others
which might adhere to the interior of the space above mentioned. In order
to do away as much as possible with any obstacle which might stop the
descent of the solid matters the sides of the pan are made vertical instead of
inclined, as usual. With regard to the urine it is arrested by the front pro-
jection, set in such a manner that it prevents splashing and forces the liquid

page_text: to flow down inclines into the receptacle below. The hermetical closing of the
exterior perimeter of the apparatus may be effected by any known means, but
more particularly by means of water contained in a channel or gutter at the
upper part of such perimeter, in which dip the vertical rims of a lid or cover
above. By this means the water need only to be very seldom changed, and only
when it is charged with foreign matters or gives out a bad smell itself from the
absorption of gases. The small quantity of water necessary for keeping up this
hydraulic joint during a long period of time may be readily ascertained. Or
instead of water mercury or fine sand may be employed, more especially in
time of frost, when the water would be liable to become frozen and couse-
quently useless; or india-rubber bands or tubes might be employed as the
closing medium. By this means a perfectly air-tight pan is obtained, whereby
smell is avoided and the necessity for using so much water to wash away the
matters is avoided, the product being by this means much richer as a manure.
It will be seen, therefore, that the main feature of the Invention consists in
surrounding all those parts of the pan whence smell is capable of issuing with
a hermetically closing joint.
Having thus set forth the general principle of the Invention. I will now
proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, in which similar letters of reference are marked upon
corresponding parts.
Fig. 1(Sheet I.) is a vertical section, taken in the line A, B, of Fig. 4, of a
watercloset pan and its accessories constructed according to this Invention
(called Turkish), and provided with a valve operated by the cover; Fig. 2. is
a vertical section of the same apparatus taken in the line C, D, of the same
Figure in a line perpendicular to the preceding section; Fig. 3 is a horizontal
section in the line E, F, of Fig. 1, shewing the escape orifice closed by the
valve and the drum which unites the seat with the escape pipe; Fig. 4 is a
plan view of the apparatus shewing the cover raised; Fig. 5 is a section iaken
in the line G, H, of Fig. 4, shewing the form of the front side of the seat;
Fig. 6 (Sheet II.) is a vertical section taken in the line J, K, of Fig. 7) of a
(Turkish) watercloset, in which the foot rests are placed outside the seat and
without any valve or trap; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same apparatus with
the cover raised; Fig. 8 is a vertical section in the line L, M, of Fig. 9, of a
seat with a moveable pan; Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of the same taken in
the line N, O, of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a vertical section drawn to a scale of
rd the real size of a water joint for a commode furnished with its india-
rubber packing; Fig. 11 is a vertical section of the same apparatus at the
moment when the cover is being raised; Fig. 12 (Sheet III.) is a vertical

page_text: section in the line P, Q, of Fig. 14, of a commode having a valve worked by
a counterweight; Fig. 13 is a vertical section of the same taken in the line
R, S, of the same Figure; Fig. 14 is a plan view; Fig. 15 shows a joint for
a commode, in which an india-rubber pipe is employed instead of water;
Fig. 16 shews a means of employing a single india-rubber packing for
forming the joint, instead of having a gutter as before; Fig. 17 is a vertical
section in the line T, U, of Fig. 18, of an india-rubber pan provided with
its hermetically closed cover; Fig. 18 is a plan view of the same.
The Invention, although considered more especially applicable to public
places, which being frequented by a large number of persons are from that
cause not kept so clean, such, for instance, as the Turkish ones, which will be
first described, is also equally applicable to all kinds of closets or commodes.
whether public or private.
The Figures in Sheet 1. of the Drawings represent the Invention applied to
what are called Turkish closets. It is shewn as provided with a vessel under-
neath the pan for conducting the matters into the escape pipe; but as these
closets are usually upon the ground floor, the pan is placed close to the cess-
pool, and thus this conducting tube is dispensed with. The pan may be made
of enamelled cast iron, earthenware, or porcelain, or other suitable material; it
is of a rectangular form and about 0 50 in size in every direction. This
apparatus is represented in plan view, and in vertical and horizontal sections
at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, Sheet I.; it projects from the ground about
0.20. The urine is arrested as already stated by the sides A, which are
provided in front with a concave protuberance, which is so curved as to avoid
any sharp projections, either outside or against the person sitting on the pan,
the urine will return to the exit orifice C, flowing along inclines on the bottom
B, and the solid matters will fall into the orifice C, the sides of which are
vertical in order to prevent the solid matters from sticking to them. Foot
rests are provided near the soil pipe to determine the proper position of the
feet, and the sides which surround the seat are so arranged as to limit the
position of the body without causing it any uneasiness, and so that the solid
matters cannot fall outside the exit orifice. In order to prevent any emana-
tions from below while the person is on the seat, the exit orifice C carries at its
lower part a valve E, having vertical flanges and moveable upon two pins F.
This valve is kept closed by any suitable means; this is represented as being
effected by the closing of the lid. By this arrangement the valve will be
closed when the cover is raised, and the person will be protected from the
smell of the soil below. On the lid being closed the valve or trap will be
opened in order to allow the matters to escape, but this cover being hermetically

page_text: Closed no sien can escape to the apartment. Ine vertical sides A OI the
pan are provided at their upper part, which is horizontal and continuous with
a gutter G about 0 03 in diameter, and which may contain a liquid such as
water or mercury, or fine sand, or any other body which will form a hermetically
closed joint. This gutter is placed at a suflicient distance from the ground to
avoid the entrance therein of any extraneous matters while the closet is being
swept out, or at any other times. The inner side of this gutter is (as will be
seen on referring to the Drawing) lower than the outer edge, so that the
liquid poured into it may not flow over on the outside, but that any overflow
may take place inside and consequently pass through the orifice, this arrange-
ment much facilitates the cleaning of the gutter. The cover D (which we
will suppose to be made entirely of metal, although it may be of wood having
zinc or other metallic fittings, see Figs. 1 and 2, shuts down over the whole
apparatus, and has a rim or flange, which on the cover being shut down dips
to a certain depth into the liquid in the gutter G, and consequently produces an
air-tight joint. It has been stated that the pan is closed at its lower part by a
valve or trap, which might be of any convenient form, but a special arrangement
is represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, Sheet I. of the Drawings. The trap E is
mounted on a rocking arm at F, and as it is at its hinder part that it receives
most of the matters to be emptied the balance is given to that side, which is
caused to descend when the trap rocks on its fulcrum. It may be added that
the air-tight closing of this trap is facilitated by its slightly rounded form, by
which means the small quantity of urine which it will always retain will be
sufficient to form an hydraulic joint. In this case the urine remains at the
front part of the trap which rises on its being opened in a channel near the
exit opening, into which the turned down edges of that part of the trap dip.
whilst at its hinder part the urine is retained by the turned up edges of that
part of the trap which descends on its being opened, and in which the lower
part of the exit opening dips when the trap is closed. Or the trap might be
kept closed by means of a counterweight, which should give way under the
weight of any superincumbent matter and open the trap, this arrangement
(represented at Figures 12, 13, and 14, Sheet III.,) will be hereafter more
fully described.
The pan is mounted upon a drum or cylinder H of cast iron
which is intermediate between the pan and the escape pipe. When the
apparatus is provided with a trap this "drum" is made sufficiently large to
admit of it.
Figures 6 and 7, Sheet II., represent an apparatus of the same kind as the
preceding, in which the foot rests are represented as situate outside the seat.
which allows of the dimensions being reduced without altering the effect.

page_text: what has been said with respect to the first apparatus may also apply to this
arrangement.
It will be seen on referring to Figure 7 that the form of the pan is such that
it will not incommode the person seated upon it. The protuberance in front
between the two foot rests is intended to catch the urine and convey it down
to the exit orifice; it is partially covered and rounded in the form of a hood.
The hydraulic gutter surrounds the seat on a level all round, whilst the upper
part of the pan has various clevations and depressions, the latter being for the
purpose of securing an easy seat, and the former serving to limit the position
of the body with respect to the exit orifice when the person is seated with his
feet on the foot rests, and also to prevent the urine from being projected
outside the seat. In this case the cover is rounded like a tortoiseshell in
order that the lower edges may dip into the hydraulic joint, and also to admit
of its enclosing the raised portions of the pan.
In public waterclosets, such as those of barracks, prisons, schools, or
railway stations, in which no reliance is to be placed upon the care of the
persons who make use of them, it is advisable to reduce as much as possible
all necessity for attention. To this end an apparatus has been contrived in
which not only the seat and the pan, but even the door of the closet act
together, so that it is sufficient to open and close the door of the closet, in
order to set the apparatus ready for use. For this purpose the door of the
closet is connected with the lid of the seat by any arrangement for trans-
mitting motion, such as cords and pullies or rods and levers suitably arranged.
On pushing open the door and causing it to describe a quarter of a circle, and
holding it in that position by means of a catch, it will easily be understood
that the lid can be raised, and at the same time the trap which closes the exit
orifice acted upon. Suppose now a double or second door hinged upon the axis
of rotation of the first one in such manner that the second can only open at
a right angle, the result will be that when the first is open inside the closet
the second will be closed, when on the contrary the person inside the closet
wishes to leave it, on unfastening the catch and pushing the second door the
first one will again close and be arrested at the jamb of that door by another
catch or the bolt of a lock, the closet will then be closed, and the second door
which by remaining open caused circulation (of air) outside the closet, may
be applied against the first, the hinging of these doors being arranged so
that this movement shall be allowed, although they can only open at right
angles. If further precautions are required to prevent the closets ever being
open, this may be effected by means of the appliances used with ordinary
self-closing doors.

page_text: Figures 12, 13, 14, Sheet III., represent an application of this invention
to raised seats, more particularly applicable to commodes for private apartments.
It will be seen that these are constructed upon the same principle as those above
described. They may be provided with a trap or not, and the cover forms a
joint outside the seat. The cover is also provided with a tongue or rib J of zinc
or other metal, which is made to dip into the channel G, for which purpose it
passes through a slot N in the seat.
Figures 12 and 13 shew an arrangement of valve E, which may be actuated
by a counterweight I, by which it is allowed to open in order to empty itself,
and always brings it back to a horizontal position so as to close it, which
becomes perfectly tight and forms an hydraulic joint when a supply of urine
arrives, which will take place either before or at the same time as the supply
of solid matters. It will be observed that the tongue or rib on the cover
which has dipped into the trough or channel G on being closed would on the
cover being again raised let fall some drops of water upon the seat. This has
been obviated by various means; for instance, above the trough G (see Fig. 10,
Sheet II.), are adapted two small bands of caoutchouc between which the
tongue or rib is forced, so that on raising the lid these bands on assuming the
position shewn at Fig. 11 will wipe the rib or tongue dry, and thus free it
from any drops of water which might have fallen from it on to the seat. The
same result may be obtained with closets where great care is required by sub-
stituting for the water mercury which would not adhere to the rib, which in
this case would be made of iron or other metal not attackable by mercury.
In this case also the bands of india-rubber would be useless. When using
mercury the trough may of course be made much smaller to avoid expense;
and even supposing the mercury to be more expensive than water or other
fluid, it would not like water require frequent renewal.
Fig. 15, Sheet III., shews another arrangement of air-tight joint, in which
instead of liquid in the gutter or trough an india-rubber tube is employed,
which by its resistance to the downward pressure of the rib will form a perfect
joint. I would here observe that the opening in the seat is smaller than the
pan, and that it covers the hermetic trough to prevent the entrance therein of
any extraneous matters. It is of an elongated form, so as to prevent any
matters either solid or liquid from being thrown upwards out of the pan.
Figures 8 and 9, Sheet II., represent the preceding apparatus, in which
the escape pipe is replaced by a removable vessel, which may be withdrawn
through a door provided in front for that purpose and emptied when necessary.
This vessel P is provided with a trough for the reception of water, and when
it is again placed upon the board Q, where it is held in place by means of the

page_text: supports R, it is raised to the required height by any suitable arrangement of
levers. An arrangement is shewn at Figures 8 and 9 for effecting this object.
The vessel being thus raised the tongue or rib S of the pan will enter the
groove U at the top of the moveable vessel, and as this groove is full of water
a perfect water joint is introduced. In Turkish commodes, in which the
person squats down, a removable vessel may also be employed, and in this
case the apparatus must either be raised upon the box of the height of such
vessel and effect its removal, as in the foregoing case, or if the apparatus be
set down on the ground an excavation or recess must be provided for its
reception, and the apparatus may be caused to swing back on hinges, or lift
off when the removal of the vessel is necessary.
Figures 17 and 18, Sheet III., represent a vessel intended for the use of
prisoners or dangerous lunatics who are prohibited from having at their
command any metallic article however small, for fear they should make use of
them either for the purpose of attacking their keepers or committing suicide.
This vessel should be made of gutta percha or any other vegetable snbstance
which is not affected by prolonged contact with human excrements; it is
rounded at its upper edge or rim, and is of an oblong form to avoid the
projection over it outside of any solid or liquid matters when the person is
seated upon it. It is provided with a handle also of gutta percha. The
closing of this vessel is effected by means of a cover composed of a sheet of
gutia percha cut out to the shape of the outer rim of the vessel. This sheet
is wholly or partially covered with vulcanized india-rubber, which projects
beyond the edge of the lid, and by taking on to the rim of the vessel will by
its elasticity form an air-tight joint.
I would here observe that I do not confine myself to the form or arrange-
ment of valve or trap above shewn and described, as they may be variously
modified according to circumstances; for instance, it may consist of a simple
plate of metal, and be mounted on a pivot underneath, so as to open and shut
horizontally. A doctor or scraper should be so applied that the trap may in
turning on its pivot be cleansed of any impurities that may adhere to it. By
disposing this plate in a proper position the escape orifice will be kept con-
stantly closed, whether the cover be opened or closed, so that in either position
no communication exists between the cesspool and the closet. A counter-
weight also may be adapted to this trap, which acts upon it through its axis
of rotation, and the action of which consists in constantly pressing the trap
against the lower sides of the pan, so as to prevent the passage of gases arising
from the soil beneath, and to render this closing more perfect the metal valve
may be covered with caoutchouc.

page_text: To facilitate the working of the apparatus, to which motion is transmitted
by the cover of the pan, the pivot on which the disc turns is adjusted in a
groove, which allows it to have a vertical motion to a certain extent, so that
on closing the lid the disc shall be first lowered a certain distance and then
by turning on its axis shall pass under the scraper, which cleans it; it is then
again raised by the action of the counterweight, and recloses the opening in
the pan.
It will be understood that all this apparatus must be enclosed in
the "drum" or cylinder intermediate between the pan and exit orifice.
In order to form an inodorous urinal it is only necessary to mount at any
suitable elevation the apparatus shewn at Figures 8 and 9, Sheet II., or to make
the vessel P higher. In both cases the pan T may be made of a semicircular
form, which is more convenient for the purpose for which it is intended, and
at the same time instead of leaving it open it may be funnel-shaped at its lower
extremity, which may be bent up in the form of a syphon; by this means the
urine is collected below, and an air-tight joint is formed. When the apparatus
is intended to lead direct to a cesspool it is sufficient to prolong sufficiently
the pipe of the funnel (retaining, however, its syphon form) and do away with
the lower vessel.
In public urinals the lid is to be opened automatically by the opening of the
door, as above described for waterclosets. I also propose to place a urinal of
this kind in the waterclosets, so that both covers shall open simultaneously on
the door of the closet being opened.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent as aforesaid, and having explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by
Letters Patent as aforesaid the mode or modes herein set forth for con-
structing and arranging waterclosets and commode pans for the purpose of
preventing the emanation therefrom of bad smells.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
H. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)