IMPROVEMENTS IN EARTH CLOSETS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Paul May, trading as Caffall and Company, Earth
Closet Manufacturers, Queen's Road, Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EARTH CLOSETS."
Sealed the 9th June 1870, and dated the 10th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Paul May at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th March 1876.
THOMAS PAUL MAY, trading as Caffall and Company, Earth Closet Manufacturers,
Queen's Road, Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN EARTH
CLOSETS."
This Invention relates to improvements in earth closets, and consists in adapting
to each side of a false scat or cover a curved plato or bar, to the lower end of which
is a link or rod loosely attached to a sliding plate, upon which when the plate is slid
to the front portion of the closet a quantity of dry earth falls, the plate then serving
as a screen between the scat proper and the receptacle beneath.
The travel of the screen plate corresponds with the opening or top of the
receptacle, or a little more, so that when slid to the rear, which it can be by the
reverse action of the mechanism by the lowering of the cover, the pan or receptacle
is clear and exposed. This sliding back of the plate causes a lug to act upon a
balance lever, which is pivotted to a part of the frame, so that a forked leg of it
may be depressed, and force a scraper plate into contact with the slide or screen
plate, and thus remove the earth and soil from the surface. The lug on the forward
travel of the screen plate acts upon another leg of the balance lever, and cants the
forked end to raise the scraper clear of the plate, the preponderance of weight of the
additional leg of the lever maintaining the scraper blade above the screen, except
when otherwise acted upon. The sliding plate or screen is guided by side bars, and
the quantity of earth falling upon it is regulated as to the layer by an adjustable
plate fitted to the front of the shoot or hopper from which the earth falls. The
scraper plate has a tilting action in one direction to permit of the earth passing
under it, and becoming levelled, and a rigid action in the reverse direction to
enable it to act as a scraper.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Paul May in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th Sep-
tember 1870.
THOMAS PAUL MAY, trading as Caffall and Company, Earth Closet Manufacturers,
Queen's Road, Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN EARTHI
CLOSETS."
This Invention relates to improvements in earth-closets, and consists as repre-
sented in the annexed Drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3, in adapting to each side of a
false seat or cover A at the back a curved plate or bar B, to the lower end C of
which is a link or rod 1) loosely attached to a sliding plate E, upon which when
the plate E is slid to the front portion F of the closet a quantity of dry earth is
carried forward, and with the plate then serves as a screen between the seat proper
and the soil receptacle G, which is beneath.
The travel of the screen plate E corresponds with the opening or top of the
receptacle G, as in Figure 2, or a little more, so that when slid to the rear, as in
Figure 1, which it can be by the reverse action of the mechanism by the lowering
of the cover A the pan or receptacle G is clear and exposed. This sliding back of
the plate E causes a lug H to act upon one leg 1 of a double legged balance lever J,
which is pivoted to a part of the frame K, so that a forked leg L of it may be
depressed, and force a scraper plate M, shown more clearly in Figure 3, into contact
with the slide or screen plate E, and thus remove the earth and the soil from the
surface. The lug H on the forward travel of the screen plate E acts upon another
lug N of the balance lever J, and cants the forked end L; in order to raise the
scraper M clear of the plate E, the preponderance of weight of the first-mentioned
leg 1 of the lever J maintaining the scraper blade M above the screen E, except when
otherwise acted upon. The sliding plate or screen E is guided by side bars P, P,
and the quantity of earth falling upon it is regulated as to the layer by an adjustable
plate fitted to the front of the shoot or hopper R, into which the earth first falls
from the reservoir S. The scraper plate M has a tilting action in one direction to
permit of the earth passing under it, and the earth thereby becoming levelled on
the top; the rigid action of the plate, which sinks into the layer in the reverse
travel of the screen, causes the plate E to act as a scraper, and push or scrape the
earth and the soil, which are both upon the screen plate, into the receptacle, the
soil in the scraping operation becoming covered or coated with earth, which absorbs
the ammonia, and deodorizes and disinfects the soil before it is deposited in the
receptacle, a continued similar action going on while the soil is in it.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as the improvements in earth-closets,
the combination of parts forming the appliances for scraping the earth and soil from a
plate which is capable of sliding to the rear, all acting as and for the purposes
described, and substantially as shown in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Paul May, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of September, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six.
THOMAS PAUL MAY. (L.S.)