Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Offensive and Infected Matters.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Offensive and
Infected Matters.
I, JAMES BINGHAM ALLIOTT, of 57 Gracechurch Street, London E.C.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for the treatment with
steam of the refuse matter from infectious and other hospitals and especially for
the treatment of excrementitious matter, washings, bath water and other material
which cannot conveniently be burnt, but apparatus according to my invention may
be constructed in suitable form for treating other refuse or infectious matter of a
similar kind from whatever source it comes.
In my improved apparatus a receiving vessel in which materials requiring
treatment can be retained as long as circumstances may render necessary or con-
venient has arranged below it a vessel adapted to be heated either by a steam
jacket a steam coil or by blowing steam into it through an open pipe reaching to or
near to the bottom, which is made of such a shape that the whole of the contents
of the vessel can run out through a discharge opening arranged in the bottom and
which discharge opening may be closed by a cock or valve in the pipe below the
vessel or by a valve within the vessel itself. The opening into the just described
vessel is at its upper part and is closed either by a cock or valve outside or
preferably by a valve within the vessel itself; and both inlet and outlet cocks or
valves are of such form and construction that they are not liable to become
inoperative through the collection of solid material upon them.
The vessel is provided also with an air pipe which can be closed by means of a
suitable cock or valve. I prefer to carry this air pipe under or immediately over
a boiler or other fire or otherwise to discharge the polluted air from the pipe
amongst products of combustion having a sufficiently high temperature to ensure
its being burned or highly heated and purified before it enters the general
atmosphere.
The receiving vessel first above mentioned I in some cases make a part of the
drain pipe connected with one or more water closets which may be of any con-
venient construction. Preferably however I make these water closets and their
drain pipes of iron or other metal, and arrange them in such a way that the basin
or pan of each closet can be closed by a steam tight lid. A steam inlet is or
may be so arranged that the drain pipe and the closet or closets can from time to
time be disinfected under a pressure of steam.
Both drains and closets are provided with air pipes capable of being closed when
necessary and conducting away the foul air by preference so as to be rendered
harmless in the manner herein before mentioned.
The materials whilst in the secondly mentioned vessel are heated until they are
thoroughly disinfected and afterwards are discharged by gravity or otherwise into
a cooler. If it is desirable to discharge the contents of the said vessel at a higher
level, the vessel may be used as a montejus, a pressure of steam within it forcing
its contents through the discharge pipe.
The cooler into or through which the treated matter discharged from the vessel
is passed may be of any convenient type; in it such matter may be cooled in any
well known or suitable way, as for instance by the circulation of cooling water

page_text: through pipes with which the treated matter is in contact or by the addition of a
sufficient quantity of cold water.
After cooling the treated matter may pass into ordinary drains or upon the land,
or be allowed to subside after which the liquid may be run off into drains or upon
the land and the more solid or semi-solid matter may be put into an incinerator and
burned.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1894.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Offensive and
Infected Matters.
I, JAMES BINGHAM ALLIOTT, of 57 Gracechurch Street, London, E.C.
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 has reference to improvements in apparatus for the treatment with
steam of the refuse matter from infectious and other hospitals and especially for the
treatment of excrementitious matter, washings, bath water and other material
which cannot conveniently be burnt, but apparatus according to my invention may
be constructed in suitable form for treating other refuse or infectious matter of a
similar kind from whatever source it comes.
In my improved apparatus a receiving vessel in which materials requiring
treatment can be retained as long as circumstances may render necessary or con-
venient has arranged below it a vessel adapted to be heated either by a steam
jacket a steam coil, or by blowing steam into it through an open pipe reaching to
or near to the bottom, which is made of such a shape that the whole of the contents
of the vessel can run out through a discharge opening arranged in the bottom and
which discharge opening may be closed by a cock or valve in the pipe below the
vessel or by a valve within the vessel itself. The opening into the just described
vessel is at its upper part and is closed either by a cock or valve outside or
preferably by a valve within the vessel itself; and both inlet and outlet cocks or
valves are of such form and construction that they are not liable to become
inoperative through the collection of solid material upon them.
The vessel provided also with an air pipe which can be closed by means of a
suitable cock or valve. I prefer to carry this air pipe under or immediately over
a boiler or other fire or otherwise to discharge the polluted air from the pipe
amongst products of combustion having a sufficiently high temperature to ensure
its being burned or highly heated and purified before it enters the general
atmosphere.
The receiving vessel first above mentioned I in some cases make a part of the
drain pipe connected with one or more water closets which may be of any con-
venient construction. Preferably however I make these water closets and their
drain pipes of iron or other metal, and arrange them in such a way that the basin
or pan of each closet can be closed by a steam tight lid. A steam inlet is or may
be so arranged that the drain pipe and the closet or closets can from time to time
be disinfected under a pressure of steam.
Both drains and closets are provided with air pipes capable of being closed when
necessary and conducting away the foul air by preference so as to be rendered
harmless in the manner herein before mentioned."

page_text: The materials whilst in the secondly mentioned vessel are heated until they are
thoroughly disinfected and afterwards are discharged by gravity or otherwise into
a cooler. If it is desirable to discharge the contents of the said vessel at a higher
level, the vessel may be used as a montejus, a pressure of steam within it forcing its
contents through the discharge pipe.
The cooler into or through which the heated matter discharged from the vessel
is passed may be of any convenient type; in it such matter may be cooled in any
well known or suitable way, as for instance by the circulation of cooling water
through pipes with which the treated matter is in contact or by the addition of a
sufficient quantity of cold water.
After cooling, the treated matter may pass into ordinary drains or upon the
land, or be allowed to subside, after which the liquid may be run off into drains or
upon the land and the more solid or semi-solid matter may be put into an incinerator
and burned.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying illustrative drawings is a central vertical section,
partly in elevation, of a water closet provided with disinfecting apparatus according.
to this invention and suitable for use in infectious and other hospitals.
A is the basin or pan of a closet, which in this case forms the receiving vessel ;
and B is the lower vessel for disinfecting the excrementitious matter discharged
into it from the vessel A. The vessel B is provided with a steam jacket D adapted
to be supplied through a pipe E with steam, the discharge taking place through
the pipe D2 and any water of condensation being allowed to escape through the
pipe D¹. F is the discharge opening of the vessel B and is normally closed by a
ball valve G arranged to be opened by means of a bandle H, chains I, J, and
levers K, L, fixed on a shaft M, the lever L being outside the vessel B. The
outlet opening N of the vessel A is normally closed by a valve O on a lever arm
fixed on a shaft on which outside the vessel B there is an arm carrying a counter-
weight P; the valve O can be opened by means of a handle Q through a chain
and a quadrant or lever arm on a shaft as indicated in the drawing. R is a pipe
for carrying away the polluted air and gases from the vessel B to a boiler or other
fire and is provided with a valve or cock arranged to be operated by a hand
wheel S. T is a hinged lid which (the seat being first removed) can be shut down
so as to close the vessel A steam tight, the lid being secured by means of clamps U.
The flushing water pipe V may be connected at W to the steam pipe E to enable
the vessel A to be disinfected from time to time under a pressure of steam, a
suitable cock being provided to shut off the steam supply. Y is a valve in the
water supply pipe to prevent steam passing into the water supply.
Figs. 2 and shew elevations (partly in vertical section) at right angles to one
another of an arrangement in which a single disinfecting vessel is made to serve
for two or more water closets. The basins or pans A of these closets are connected
to a common drain pipe A', communicating with vessel B; and the appurtenances
of A and B are similar to those described with reference to Fig. 1. X is an air
pipe similar to the pipe R (Fig. 1) ventilating the drain pipe A' and preventing
foul air from the vessel B from passing through the trap of the water closet when
the valve O is open.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus of the kind referred to for the treatment with steam of refuse
matter, comprising a receiving vessel or vessels in which materials requiring
treatment can be retained as long as circumstances may render necessary or con-
venient and in a lower position a disinfecting vessel with means for establishing
and closing communication between it and the receiving vessel or vessels, such
disinfecting vessel being adapted to be heated by steam sufficiently to disinfect
refuse matter within it and made of such a shape that its contents can run out
through a discharge opening which can be closed by a suitable valve.

page_text: 2. My improved apparatus substantially as described with reference to Fig. 1 of
the drawings for the purpose mentioned.
3. My improved apparatus substantially as described with reference to Figs. 2
and 3 of the drawings for the purpose mentioned.
Dated this 24th day of December 1894.
JAMES B. ALLIOTT.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.