US2136489A - Combined seat and automatic closure for dry closets - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 15, 1938 w. A. CAMPBELL ET AL 2,135,489

COMBINED SEAT AND AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR DRY CLOSETS Filed Dec. 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l W/L L MN A. C AMPBELL R BERT GI VE/VS NOV. 15, W38 W. A. CAMPBELL ET AL.

COMBINED SEAT AND AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR DRY CLOSETS Filed Dec. 6, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M4 (/4174. CAMPBEL L ROBE/7T awe/vs Patented Nov. 15, 1938 PATENT OFFICE COMBINED SEAT AND AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR DRY CLOSETS William A. Campbell and Robert Givens, Carbondale, Ill.

Application December 6, 1937, Serial No. 178,300

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements providing for sanitation in dry closets or out-houses commonly used in small towns, suburbs of cities and in the country .where there are no water 5 systems.

More particularly, the invention is directed to an improved construction for a combined seat and automatic closure for dry closets embodying simple, inexpensive means maintaining the opening in the dry closet when not in use normally closed to effectively prevent the escape of unpleasant odors and fumes and also to exclude flies and other germ carrying insects from the human excreta to minimize the possibility of the spread of disease through contamination of food and drinking supplies.

It is a well known fact that flies and other insects will not be attracted to or breed in refuse to which light is not accessible and for this reason a cover or lid is usually provided for closing the closet opening. However, it is a general tendency of many persons after having used the closet to neglect to drop the cover or lideven though one is provided and this necessarily results in the emanation of unpleasant odors and fumes in addition to inviting the spread of disease by flies, gnats and other insects.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide in a dry closet or commode an automatic closure disposed normally in closed position underlying the opening in the closet yet capable of being readily moved to and maintained in open position in the use of the commode.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined seat and closure for a dry closet opening in which the closure is automatically operable under the influence of the movement of the seat whereby when the seat is in a usable position the closure is moved from its normally closed to an open position.

A further object is to provide in such a dry closet construction means for automatically and quickly restoring the closure to its normally closed relation at any time the seat is unoccupied or not disposed in operative position in the use of the closet.

A more specific object is to provide an attachment for any outside or sanitary pit toilet comprising a combined seat and closure device in which the closure is automatically actuated under the influence of the movement of the seat in conjunction with spring means providing a substantially toggle action automatically. urging the closure to its normally closed position.

A further object is to provide in such an attachment, means which may be actuated as by the foot of the user to move the closure from its normally closed relation to permit use of the closet in the ordinary or any other desired manner.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the same, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved combined seat and automatic closure, the seat being shown in the position in which the closet is usable; I

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the improved toilet seat and closure, parts being shown broken away to illustrate the closed position of the closure;

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the installation represented in Figure 2 showing the closure in its normal closed position overlying the opening in the dry closet and with the seat disposed in raised, inoperative position;

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the seat in the position in which the closet is made usable whereby the closure is disposed in open relation incident to the movement of the seat to operative position; and,

Figure 5 is a section taken along line 55 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows showing in detail the construction of the combined seat and automatic closure.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanyin'g drawings, A designates generally the side-walls of a receptacle disposed over a sanitary pit or refuse vault, as is common in structures of this character. The said side-walls of the receptacle may be constructed of concrete, as shown, and otherwise so designed to serve as a seat riser projecting a suitable height above the closet floor.

A casing I0 embodying a top H and depending flanges l2 snugly fits over the upper end portion of the receptacle and embraces the side walls A thereof. The forward portion of the casing top H is provided with a main opening l3 preferably of the configuration indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, and the rear portion of the top is provided with a second opening [4 in communication with a ventilating shaft I5 having a screen I6 suitably disposed in its passage to prevent the entrance of insects and foreign matter into the dry closet yet allowing ready access of air and otherwise creating a draft facilitating escape of odors and fumes into the atmosphere.

The improved combined seat and automatic closure for the dry closet comprises a pair of members independently mounted on opposite sides of the casing top H in proximity to the opening |3 therein. As best seen in Figures 2-4 inclusive, the seat member 20 having an ovalshaped opening 2| is mounted as by hinges 22 for pivotal movement at the outer side of casing top H while the closure member 23 is pivotally sus-. pended in any suitable manner from the inner side of the casing top for swinging movement in the interior of the receptacle. An expedient arrangement for pivotally suspending the closure 23 may embody a cross-piece 24 attached to the underface of the casing top and provided with hinges 25 secured adjacent to one edge of the closure.

Since it is desired that the movement of the closure be influenced by the movement of the seat, there is employed for this purpose a crank or lever 30 extending through the opening |3 and having one of its ends pivotally connected as by hinges 3| to the closure member 23 and its other end fixedly secured at 32, Figures 3 and 4, to the underside of the seat member 20 by fastenings 33, Figure 5. This arrangement of the crank is such as to insure that the seat member be maintained normally in raised position, Figure 4, and suitably spaced from the closure 23 disposed in normal closed relation overlying the opening l3 in the casing top. A contractile coil spring 35 also extending through opening i3 is connected to the seat member as by means of an ear 34, preferably provided on the crank 30, and to the closure member at 36 in any suitable manner. The said spring 35 is of such strength as to readily overcome the combined weight of the seat and closure member in the operative position of the seat shown in Figure 4, and accordingly acts to urge said members toward each other to the normal spacing permitted by the crank 30. Thus, this novel arrangement in which the retracting spring is connected directly to the seat and closure, in conjunction with the crank 30, provides for a substantial spring toggle action which, in the event the closet is unoccupied or in which there is otherwise no force exerted on the seat, automatically causes the seat to be disposed in raised inoperative position with the closure 23 positively maintained in normal closed relation overlying the opening |3 in the top of the casing substantially as illustrated in Figure 3. A buffer such as a rubber strip 31, or the like, may be employed around the opening l3 on the underface of the casing top to cushion the force of the retractive spring movement of the closure to its normal closed relation and otherwise shut off odors and fumes from the receptacle and thereby cause the same to be more properly discharged into the atmosphere through the vent |5.

As best seen in Figure 2, a novel foot treadle arrangement is provided for actuating the seat and closure in making the closet ready for use in the ordinary or any other manner, as, for example, an act of micturition by a male user while. standing whereupon it is most desirable that the closure be capable of being actuated to open position by means other than lowering of the seat member under the weight of the user when occupied. As shown in Figure 2, this treadle arrangement preferably comprises a lever 4| including a pedal 40 pivotally mounted in any suitable manner to the receptacle A as at 42.

A chain 43 or mechanically equivalent connecting rod attached to the lever 4| at 44 is connected to the seat 20 by a strap 45 secured to the underside of the seat by fastenings 46, Figure 5. It will therefore be seen that by this arrangement it is only necessary that the pedal 40 of the lever 4|, Figure 2, be depressed by the foot F, of the user whereupon the closet is made ready for use by the resultant movement of the seat from the raised position shown in dotted lines, to the lowered position represented in full lines, which movement necessarily causes the closure member 23 to be actuated from its normal closed relation to open inoperative position by the crank 3|! substantially in the manner described above.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, it will be understood from the foregoing description that the improved automatic closure of the present invention, when it is desired the closet be made ready for use, is operated under the influence of the movement of the seat 2| from its normal raised position shown in Figure 3 to the operative position illustrated in Figure 4. Thus, in one manner of use when the seat is occupied, the weight of the user moves the seat to operative position and the force thus supplied to the crank 30 necessarily causes the closure 23 to move on its pivot 25 to the open position represented in Figure 4, and accordingly, as long as the seat is held down the closure is retained in open position and the commode is made usable. When the seat is no longer occupied, the spring 35, which has been tensioned by the movement of the seat and closure from the positions shown in Figure 3 to those shown in Figure 4, acts to pull the seat and closure toward each other and through crank 30 effects a substantial spring toggle action therebetween causing the seat to rise to raised position and automatically and quickly retracting the closure 23 to its normal closed position overlying the opening |3. In this relation the rubber strip 31 or the like serves as a buffer and otherwise seals the opening to prevent the escape of fumes and gases from the receptacle. Thus, under the influence of the spring 35 effecting a quick, positive retraction of the closure 23, the opening l3 of the casing is automatically closed and sealed immediately after use of the closet thereby overcoming a general tendency of many persons to neglect to use an ordinary cover when one is provided and also preventing articles carelessly dropped from falling into the receptacle when the seat is uncovered possibly resulting in loss of valuables.

Referring to Figure 2 it will be understood that when it is desired to employ the commode in another manner, as, for example, when a male user desired to micturate while standing, it is only necessary that the treadle 40 of the lever 4| be depressed whereupon the seat 20 is lowered through chain 43 and strap 45 from its raised position, represented in dotted lines, to the full line position in which the closure is moved by crank 3|] from its normal closed relation overlying the opening l3 to a suitable. open position whereby the closet is made ready for use. Of course, when the foot of the user is removed from the treadle after desired use of the closet, the spring 35, by means of its spring toggle connection to the seat and closure in conjunction with crank 3|), is effective to quickly raise the seat and automatically retract the closure to its normal closed relation substantially in the. manner described above.

While this invention has been described in detail with specific examples, such examples are illustrative only since other embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the teachings or essential characteristics thereof. The foregoing description is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative only and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims in which the intent is to set forth all the novelty over the prior art structures.

Having fully described the invention, what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dry closet, a casing having an opening in its top, a seat member pivotally mounted on said top and disposed in normally raised inoperative relation thereto, a closure for the opening in said top, said closure being pivotally mounted for swinging movement in the interior of said casing and disposed in normally closed relation overlying said opening, a spring for urging said closure member to normal closed relation, and a crank connected to said seat and closure whereby upon movement of the seat member to operative position in the use of the closet said closure is swung under force of said crank to open position, said spring with said crank effecting a substantial toggle action between said seat and closure from operative position for automatically moving said seat to its normally raised relation and said closure to its normally closed position overlying the opening in the top of the casing.

2. In a dry closet, a casing having an opening in its top, a seat member mounted on. said top in normally raised inoperative relation thereto, a closure for the opening in said top, said closure being pivotally suspended for movement in the interior of said casing and disposed normally in closed relation overlying said opening, a crank connected to said seat and closure, a spring urging said seat and closure toward each other in a substantial toggle action and thereby urging said closure to its normal closed position, and foot treadle means for moving said closure to open position, said foot treadle means comprising a lever connected to the seat whereby upon movement of the seat member toward operative position under force of said foot treadle in making the closet ready for use, said closure is actuated through the said crank to open position.

3. In a dry closet, a casing having an opening in. its top, a seat member pivotally mounted on said top and disposed in normally raised relation thereto, a closure for the opening in said top, said closure being pivotally mounted for swinging movement in the interior of said casing and disposed in normally closed relation overlying said opening, a crank extending through the opening in said top secured to said seat and pivotally connected to the closure, and a spring also extending through the opening in the top connected to said seat and closure for urging said closure 7 member to normal closed relation, whereby upon movement of the seat member to operative position in the use of the closet, said closure is swung under force of said crank to open position, said spring acting to urge said seat and closure toward each other and in, conjunction with said crank having a substantial toggle action therebetween from operative position for automatically moving said seat to its normally raised relation and said closure to its normally closed position overlying the opening in the top of the casing.

4. In a dry closet, a casing having an opening in its top, a seat member pivotally mounted on said top and disposed in normally raised relation thereto, a closure for the opening in said top, said closure being pivotally mounted for swinging movement in the interior of said casing and disposed in normally closed relation overlying said opening, a crank'extending through the opening in said top secured to said seat and pivotally connected to the closure, and a spring also extending through the opening in the top connected to said seat and closure for urging said closure member to normal closed relation, and foot operated means for moving said closure to open position comprising a lever connected to the seat whereby upon movement of the seat member to operative position in the use of the closet said closure is swung under force of said crank to open position, said spring acting to urge said seat and closure toward each other and in conjunction with said crank efiecting a substantial toggle action between said seat and closure from operative position to automatically move said seat to its normally raised relation and said closure to its normally closed position overlying the opening in the top of the casing.

WILLIAM A. CAMPBELL. ROBERT GIVENS.

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