Alexander Cumming | |
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| Born | 1731/2 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | 8 March 1814 (aged 82) Pentonville, England |
| Citizenship | British |
| Known for | Watchmaker Clockmaker First patent for a flush toilet (S-trap) Church organ designer Inventor of the first accurate Barograph Inventor of the microtome |
Alexander Cumming FRSE (sometimes referred to as Alexander Cummings; 1733 – 8 March 1814)[1] was a Scottish watchmaker and instrument inventor, who was the first to patent a design of the flush toilet in 1775, which had been pioneered by Sir John Harington, but without solving the problem of foul smells. As well as improving the flush mechanism, Cummings included an S-trap (or bend) to retain water permanently within the waste pipe, thus preventing sewer gases from entering buildings.[2][3] Most modern flush toilets still include a similar trap.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "From Charles Mackintosh's waterproof to Dolly the sheep: 43 innovations Scotland has given the world". The independent. 30 December 2016. Archived from the original on 30 December 2016.
- ^ "The Development of the Flushing Toilet – Detailed Chronology 1596 onwards". Stoke-on-Trent, UK: Twyfords Bathrooms. Retrieved 25 May 2015.