IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMODES
Year: 1885

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I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMODES and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This invention relates to commodes, but more particularly to that form of the
eame which has movable seat-arms, spaces at the sides of the seat for the passage
of said arms, and hinged bars moving with the seat-arms for closing up said spaces
when the seat-arms are raised.
The said invention has for its objects to provide a more economical and durable
construction of seat-arms and commode-lid; a rigid connection for the seat-arms,
cominode-lid, and space-closing-up bars; an automatically acting lock for holding
the seat-arms and the lid in their raised positions, which lock is manually
released; metal stops or corner pieces for limiting the upward movement of the
seat-arms and lid; an improved pot for the commode; and a drip-plate for the
under side of the seat of the commode, or for the pot therefor.
My invention accordingly consists in the novel construction, combination, and
arrangement of parts comprising a commode, as hereinafter described having
reference particularly to a commode-lid screwed or fastened to the seat-arms,
which in turn are secured to the hinged or inovable bars which fill up the spaces
at the sides of the seat; to a commode having a rounded rear top edge and a lid
which is not directly hinged or connected to the commode-body; to a sliding bar
having a reacting spring for automatically locking the seat-arins and lid in their
raised positions, which bar is manually moved to release said lock; to metal corner
brackets screwed to the commode for limiting the upward movement of the seat-
arms and lid; to a commode pot having an enlarged outwardly or flaring flanged
top provided with an inner lower or inside seating edge or seat for the pot lid;
and finally to a drip-plate for the pot or commode-seat-opening, which plate is
secured to the underside of said seat in front of its opening and depends into the
flanged top of the pot.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1, is a longitudinal vertical section of a commode embodying my improve-
ments and showing the commode-lid and seat-arms in their raised or opened
position.
Figure 2 is a like view showing the lid and scat-arms down or in their folded

page_text: Figure 3 is a perspective view of the metal corner piece for limiting the upward
movement of commode-lid or seat-arms.
Figure 4 is a like view of a metal drip-plate for the commode seat or pot.
Figure 5 is a plan of commode with lid and seat arms removed, the same being
partly broken away to expose the sliding, locking, or supporting bar for holding
the seat-arms in their raised position.
Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of the pot drawn to an enlarged scale, and
Figure 7, is a broken sectional plan, showing the front side of the commode, the
locking or sliding-bar, and the free or forward ends of bars supporting the seat-
arms.
A represents a commode-body, B its lid, and C the seat having an opening c and
hinged at c', c, to the back or rear side of the commode-body, as more plainly
shown in Figure 5.
C' are the seat-arms, D the spaces between the ends of seat C and sides a¹ of
commode-body, and E the movable bars for filling up the spaces D.
G is the pot having lid g and supported upon a shelf g' in substantially the usual
manner, H, H are the metal corners or stop-pieces, and I is the automatically
sliding bar.
The lid B is fastened only at b, b, to the seat-arms C, and the latter are in turn
screwed at e, e, to the filling up or movable bars E. The seat-arms C¹ may be
configured as shown, or otherwise, as desired.
The bars E are hinged at their rear ends e¹ to the body A by flap or butt
hinges e², as illustrated, but they may be otherwise hinged or pivotted at said ends
as desired.
The above described construction and connection for the lid B, seat-arms C¹, and
bars E provides an oscillating commode-lid B, which is not directly connected or
hinged to the commode-body; and also a rigid and durable connection between
said parts, whereby they all move together when raised or lowered.
To permit the oscillation or raising or lowering of the lid B, the rear upper
edge a of the back wall or side a¹ of the body A is rounded off or otherwise cut
away, as shown at a³.
To limit the upward movement of lid B or the bars E, metal stops H, screw
openings h, and recesses ¹ to fit the front corner posts of the commode-body, are
placed in the forward part of the spaces D, and these stops are suitably screwed to
said posts in such manner that the upper surfaces of the former are substantially
flush with those of the latter, see Figure 1.
These stops, being made of metal, are not liable to be broken off by the too
sudden or forcible impingement against them of the free ends of bars E when the
lid B is raised.
The sliding locking bar I may be made or configured as desired or as shown.
It is provided with a curved depending arm i in line with one of the bars E, or is
in the path of movement of the free or outer end of one of said bars, see Figure 7,
being normally maintained in such position by a retracting spring K secured at
one end to the bar I and at the other end to the shelf or support for bar I, so
that, when lid B and bars E are raised, the outer end of one of the latter will,
during such movement, impinge against arm i and move or slide bar I in the
direction of arrow a, Figure 7, to move its ends out of the way of the outer ends
of bars E to permit the ends of the latter to pass by the said bar I and impinge
against the stops H.
When the ends of bars E pass by those of the sliding bar I, the reaction of
spring K moves bar I in the direction the reverse of that indicated by arrow x, to
cause the ends of the latter to pass under the outer ends of bars E and lock or
support them and the lid B in their raised or open position, see Figure 1.
To withdraw such support, or to release said lock to effect a lowering of the
lid B and bars E, the bar I is manually moved in direction of said arrow by the
application of pressure to its handle or push-pin i¹, which may project through a
slot in the front wall of body A. From the foregoing it will be noted that one
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page_text: movement, viz: the locking movement, of the bar I is automatically provided for.
and that the other or releasing movement of the same is manually effected.
On the underside of seat C and immediately in front of its opening c is secured
a drip-plate L, which has upper sharp or bevelled edges and screw openings ¹, so
that, when this plate is screwed to seat C, the sharp edges will sink into or
embed themselves in the wood of seat C to form a perfect or water tight joint
between the drip-plate and seat.
The pot G is made with an enlarged mouth or has an outwardly flaring upper
edge g² into which depends the drip-plate L, as plainly shown in Figures 1 and 2;
and has an inside seat or edge g' for the pot-lid g, so that the latter is below and
out of the way of the drip-plate L.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
First. The combination, in a commode, of a body, a hinged seat with a slot or
space between each side of the seat and the side of the body, hinged or pivotted
bars adapted to close or fill up said spaces, side arms secured to said bars, and a
lid rigidly secured to said arms without being hinged directly to the body,
substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination, with a commode-body A having a rounded upper rear
edge or corner a³, a hinged seat C and side spaces D, of a lid B, arms C, and bars E
rigidly secured to each other and connected to said body by pivotal bearings, as
set forth.
Third. A box A having a movable lid which is secured to, and supported by,
side arms pivotted to said box, in combination with a locking bar I, substantially
as shown and described.
Fourth. The combination of a commode-body having a hinged seat and side
spaces D, and the pivotted bars E adapted to said spaces and baving brackets or
arms C¹ provided with ends b to which is secured lid B, substantially as, and for
the purpose, set forth.
Fifth. In combination with a commode, the metal brackets H, substantially as,
and for the purpose, set forth.
Sixth. In a commode, the combination with pivotted or movable bars E, of
sliding bars I having arms i and retracting spring K, as set forth.
Seventh. A commode-lid or seat-arm locking bar I having arm i, spring K, and
pusb-knob, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The pot G having an upper outwardly flaring end and an inside seat
for the pot-lid, substantially as shown and described.
Ninth. The combination, in a commode, of the hinged seat C having the drip-
plate L and a pot G having an upper outwardly flaring end with an inside seat for
its lid, as set forth.
Tenth. A commode having slots or spaces between its side walls and hinged
seat, and pivotted bars to close up said slots when the commode-lid is open, in
combination with the pot G having a flaring end g³ with an inside seat for its lid,
as set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.