Who Invented Toilet? History, Where, When & Facts
In the ancient times there were no toilets. Some of the used the bush, others preferred the river banks and some dug holes. Sir John Harington invented the first modern flushable toilet in 1596. The first toilets were produced by the Greeks who constructed the palace in 1700. Reverend Henry Moule of Fordington invented the non flush toilet in 1859.
Toilet flusher was invented by Thomas Crapper. The toilet bowl was invented in 1907 by Thomas MacAvity Stewart. The first toilet seat was invented by Stanley J, Samuels in 1941. J.C. Thomasa invented the first model of the toilet seat cover in 1942. The modern toilet was first invented in 1596 by Sir John Harington. Samuel Prosser invented and also patented the plunger closet in 1777. Toilets are commonly made of ceramic (porcelain), concrete, plastic, or wood
Who Invented the Toilet?
Sir John Harington, an English courtier and the god son of Queen Elizabeth 1, in the year 1596 described the first modern flushable toilet. The toilet was two feet deep with an oval bowl that was waterproof with pitch, resin and wax that was fed by water from upstairs. It required 7.5 gallons of water to flush the toilet.
Alexander Cumming was granted the first patent for the flush toilet in the year 1775. He innovated an S shaped bowl that used a seal to prevent the sewer gas from entering the toilet. The Victorian plumber also improved the toilet by patenting the U-bend and floating bullock which are the key parts of the toilet.
Although the modern flush toilet was improved by different people, the only person that gets the credit of inventing the toilet is Elizabethan courtier Sir John Harington in 1596. The first toilet was known as water closet and it was initially installed in Richmond Palace. The device was however rejected by the public because it was expensive to use.
When were toilets invented?
The flush toilet was invented in the year 1596 though it was not wide spread until the year 1851. In the 11th century castle – building boom, chamber pots were supplemented with toilets that were for the first time integrated into architecture.
The first toilets was produced by the Greeks who constructed the palace in 1700 which had a large earthen pans that were connected to a flashing water supply BC and Scots in a Neolithic settlement dating back to 3000 BC.
Inn 1800 some people in English homes preferred using a waterless non-flush system known as “dry earth closet” Reverend Henry Moule of Fordington invented the non flush toilet in 1859. The toilets mechanical unit comprised of wooden seat, a separate container and a bucket, mixed dry earth with feces to produce compost that was returned to the soil.
This invention was for the first compositing toilet that is still used in at parks and alongside the roads especially in U.S.A. Canada, Sweden and Finland.
Brief Toilet History and facts
The toilet in ancient times was made of brick and wooden seats they had chutes that transported waste to the street drains. Early toilets in Crete, Egypt and Persia were used in 18th century BCE. Some toilets that were connected to a flush system were popular in Roman bathhouses. They were majorly positioned over sewers.
In the middle age many households referred to as garden robes had a hole on the floor above the pipe that carried waste for disposal. Workers cleaned the waste during the night and sold it as fertilizer. In 1800s, English homes favored using waterless system of dry earth closet that was invented in 1859 by Reverend Henry Moule of Fordington.
The toilet had a wooden seat, a bucket and separate container, mixed dry earth whose purpose was to produce composite that could be returned to the soil. It is one of the composite toilets that are used today in parks and along the road in Canada, UK, USA and Sweden.
The first design of the modern flush toilet was invented in 1596 by Sir John Harington known as Metamorphosis Ajax. In 1775 the first patent for practical flush toilet was issued. Alexander Cummings designed a modification of S-trap.
An S shaped trap prevented smelling odor from rising to the top. In 1851, an English Plumber named George Jennings installed the first public pay toilet at crystal palace in London Hyde Park. In 1850 most middle class homes in Britain had toilets. In the mid 19th century the water closets started to gain foothold among masses.
When and who invented flush toilet
The flush toilet was invented in 1596 by Sir John Harington, an English courtier and the godson of queen Elizabeth 1. The toilet was 2 foot deep oval bowl waterproofed with pitch, resin and wax that was fed by the water from upstairs cistern. It also had a flush valve which released water up to 7.5 gallons per flush.
Who invented the toilet flusher
The toilet flusher was invented by Thomas Crapper. In 1870 he opened the first bathroom showrooms. He was awarded 9 patents for improving toilet technology in the late 1800s for plumbing innovations during his life time three of the inventions included improvements to the flushing water closet.
Although he was not the original inventor he popularized the siphon system for emptying the tank replacing the earlier floating valve system that was leaking. Some of his designs were made by Thomas Twyford. Twyford built the first one piece ceramic toilet using the flush out siphon that was designed by J.G. Jennings.
Who invented the toilet bowl
The toilet bowl was invented in the year 1907 by Thomas MacAvity Stewart of Saint John, New Brunswick. He patented the vortex-flushing toilet bowl, which creates a self cleansing effect in the toilet. In the year 1910 the designs of the toilet started changing from the elevated water tank to modern toilet with a tank attached to the bowl.
In the middle Ages people used the chamber pots. A chamber pot is a metal or ceramic bowl that was mainly used for relieving oneself and later the contents disposed of. In 1911 Philip Haas of Dayton, Ohio also developed and received a flush rim toilet that had many jets of water from a ring pointing downwards towards perforations to thoroughly wash every section of the bowl.
In 1922 Cornelius J. Dykstra’s 1922 improved the toilet bowl by inventing a flap adapted to extend down to the toilet bowl and partially rest upon water in it to cause the entire cover to be passed out with flushing to keep the bowl clean.
Who invented the toilet seat
There was an invention of a hinged toilet seat that was a Victorian invention and it was closely associated with Thomas Crappers Company. In ancient days lime stone seats carved for posh Egyptians and Harappans who lived like 4500 years ago. These seats were placed on drainage gullies, which could be flushed with water. Poor people used wick stools that had a hole at the centre or squatted over ceramic pot.
Many people have improved the toilet seat but the person who invented the first toilet seat is Stanley J, Samuels. He invented the rubber toilet seat in 1941 and patented the earliest soft toilet seat in 1955. His patent appeared as something that was totally new. Thus credit goes to Samuel for the inception and David Harrison for the improvement of the seat.
In 1972 David Harrison invented the soft toilet seats and patented them in 1972. This was however not the first seat to be invented but an improvement of the invention by Stanley J. Samuel. It was improved in 1955, in 1979 a new model was made, in 1993 and 1994 it was improved to a fragrance-filled toilet seat and 2007 to a gel-filled toilet seat.
Who Invented Toilet Seat Covers?
J.C. Thomasa invented and patented the first model of the toilet seat cover in 1942. The seat covers comprise of a single sheet of paper of a size to cover the toilet seat and also placed in a way that it can be detached. It has a central portion that into the bowl to help in drawing the seat cover down the drain when the toilet is flashed.
They have light weight so that they are not easily flushed to clog the drain. The present invention of the seat covers provides a sanitary toilet seat that has an opening in the front portion. The upper part of the front portion carries adhesive bearing patch that cover the opening. It is also folded to extend from the front rear cover bisecting the opening.
Who invented the modern toilet
The modern toilet was first invented in 1596 by Sir John Harington an English courtier and the godson of Queen Elizabeth. He came up with the idea and also installed the first model of the modern flush toilet in the Palace of Queen Elizabeth.
He made a devise that was 2 foot deep and an oval bowl that was two feet deep, waterproofed with pitch, resin and wax and fed by water from upstairs. The pot required 7.5 gallons of water to flush the toilet.
Harington also described the first flush toilet as satirical pamphlet known as “a New Discourse on a state subject, called the Metamorphosis of Ajax. This toilet took several centuries and industrial revolution improvements to enable manufacturing and waste disposal for the flush toilet to catch on.
In the year 1858 the first flush toilet were installed in Christiania which is currently known as Oslo in Norway. The toilets referred to by the English term “water closet” because they were initially imported from Britain. Alexander Cummings, a watchmaker from Edinburgh took the initiative of patenting the first flush toilet design in 1775.
Cummings improved the initial invention of the toilet by Harington that had a straight pipe that allowed odors to flood back into the room. He added the S bend that retained water permanently in the toilet bowl thus preventing water from the sewer gases from seeping back to the lavatory.
The first modern pedestal ‘flush-down’ toilet was established by Fredrick Humpherson of the Beautfort works, chelae situated in England in 1885.
Who invented the toilet plunger
Samuel Prosser invented and also patented the plunger closet in 1777. He patented the hinge valve that is used in all toilets that prevents everything that goes down the toilet from coming back. He called it the plunger closet. The patent was successful and continued to be produced until mid 19th century.
Joseph Bramah advanced the idea in 1778 after discovering that most toilets in London Houses were prone to freezing. He designed an improvement that used a slide valve instead of a sealed flap to seal the bottom. The first American patent for a toilet, the plunger closet was granted in 1857.
What are modern toilets made of
Toilets are commonly made of ceramic (porcelain), concrete, plastic, or wood. Flush toilets are connected to a sewer system in urban areas and septic tanks in less developed areas. Dry toilets are connected to a removable container, composite chamber or other storage and treatment device.
Modern toilets are made of a tank coupled to the bowl. The design of the toilet started changing in 1910 from the elevated water tank into modern toilets coupled to the bowl. It has a flush rim toilet that depends on multiple jets of water from a ring with perforations pointing downwards to wash every portion of the bowl.
The water closet and flush mechanisms are improved as designed by Haas in 1924 to 1927. It has commode tank with two buttons and two flush volumes as a water saving measure which were developed by Caroma Duoset 1980 by Bruce Thompson.
Finally although many people later on made improvements on the modern flush toilet but credit goes to the first person who invented the toilet who is Sir John Harington.