IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE WASH STANDS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PORTABLE WASH STANDS." A communication from abroad by Henry
Augustus Richardson, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 20th April 1877, and dated the 24th February 1877.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE WASH STANDS." A com-
munication from abroad by Henry Augustus Richardson, of the City, County, and
State of New York, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to furnish an improved portable wash stand simple
in construction, neat in appearance, and convenient in use, being so constructed that
the clean water can be readily put in and the dirty water taken out, and the various
parts cleaned.
The Invention consists in the siphon provided with the lugs, the pivoted cap
valve, the cross bar, the rods having their upper ends brought together, and a screw
thread cut upon them, the screw knob and the springs in combination with the
clean water tank, the chamber of the bowl, and the cap of the said chamber, in the
openings in the top of the clean water tank provided with ring flanges projecting up
into the top plate of the stand, in the combination of the hand screws and the lugs
with the opening through the clean water tank to support the bowl adjustably, in
the waste water tank provided with a ring flange around its opening, projecting
upward around the lower part of the bowl; in the waste water tank provided with
a stop-cock so constructed that its handle in connection with the door of the case
may serve as a guard to give notice when the said stop-cock has been left open, and
in the combination of the hinged supports with the case for supporting the waste
water tank detachably; in the combination of the bowl provided with the chamber
with the siphon and the water tank, and in the device in a portable reservoir wash
stand for raising and lowering the waste water vessel, consisting of the circular plate
[ Price Gd 1

page_text: provided with the flange and the guide sockets, the standards, the semi-ring base
bar, the pivoted rods, and the pivoted lever with each other as herein-after fully
described.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved
wash stand; Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same taken through
the line xx, Figure 4; Figure 3 is a vertical cross section of the same taken
through the line y-y, Figure 4; Figure 4 is a top view of the same, the top plate
being removed.
Figure 5 is a detail view of a part of the siphon partly in section, to show the
construction.
Figure 6 is a detail side view of the siphon.
Figure 7 is a detail section of the bowl showing a modification of the same.
Figure 8 is a vertical section showing a modified form of the stand.
Figure 9 is a detail side view of the stand for the waste water vessel; Figure 10
is a top view of the same; Figure 11 is a detail top view of the curved base bar of
the same.
Figure 12 is a side view of the device for raising and lowering the waste water
vessel.
In the Drawing A represents the case of the wash stand, the top plate B of which
may be marble, wood, or other suitable material. In the upper part of the case A
just below the top plate B is placed the clean water tank C, which is supported
upon cleats attached to the case A and has an opening through its middle part, or a
little at one side of its middle part, to receive the wash bowl D. The rim of the
wash bowl D rests upon hand screws E which pass up through lugs F formed
upon the tanks C at the upper part of the opening through it, so that by ad-
justing the said screws E the rim of the bowl D may be forced up snugly
against the under side of the top plate B. Upon one side of the bowl D is
formed a channel G to receive the outer or longer arm of the siphon H, the
other or shorter arm of which passes down into the tank C nearly to its
bottom. The siphon H is made in two parts connected by a rubber coupling
for convenience in removing the bowl. The end of the long arm of the siphon
His provided with a cap valve I which is pivoted at its centre to the centre
of a short cross bar J. To the ends of the cross bar J are attached the lower
ends of two rods K that pass up through lugs L formed upon or attached to the
opposite side of the arm of the siphon H. At the top or bend of the siphon H the
rods K are brought together to form a stem which passes up through the cap M of
the chamber G and has a screw thread cut upon it to receive the screw shank of
the knob N, so that the said knob can be detached when desired. The valve I is
held up to its seat by two spiral springs O placed upon the rods K, the lower ends
of which rest upon the upper lugs L and their upper ends rest against the bends of
the said rods K. With this construction when the knob N is pressed down the
valve I will be opened and the water from the tank C will flow into the bowl D.
The bowl D has an opening in its bottom closed with a plug P which opening may
be a simple hole as shown in Figures 2 and 3, or it may be a countersunk hole as
shown in Figure 7 so as to receive the flange of the plug P, so that the top of said
plug will not rise above the inner surface of the said bowl. The latter construction
adapts the bowl D to receive a perforated plate so that the said bowl may be used
as a urinal, in which case a pipe should be connected with the said hole leading to
the sewer or other suitable receptacle. In the case A below the bowl D is placed a
tank Q to receive the waste water from said bowl. Upon the top of tank Qaround
the opening that receives the bottom of the bowl D is formed a ring flange R which
projects upward to such a height around said bowl that should the bowl be used
without emptying the tank Q the waste water will flow back into the bowl so that
the tank Qcaunot overflow. The tank Q is provided with a stop-cock S upon the
lower part of its forward side for drawing off the waste water.
The stop-cock S is so formed that its handle will be erect when the stop-cock is
closed, and will project forward horizontally when the said stop-cock is open. This

page_text: construction prevents the door T of the case A from being closed when the stop-cock
is open and thus serves as a guard to prevent those using the wash stand from
allowing waste water to flow into the said tank Q when the stop-cock S is open.
The tank rests upon the upper ends of boards or frames U the lower ends of
which are hinged to the bottom of the case A so that the said tank can be con-
veniently removed and cleaned when desired. At one end of the case A and tank Q
are formed a series of small drawers V as shown in Figures I and 2.
In the upper side of the clean water tank C are formed openings which are pro-
vided with ring flanges W which project into corresponding holes in the top plate
B and which are closed with caps X. The flanges W thus keep the top plate B
from moving out of place. The caps X are made in the form of cups to receive
soap, tooth-brushes, etc. The holes in the top of the tank Care designed to serve
as inlets for pouring. in water, and are made so large that the hand can be con-
veniently passed through them for convenience in cleaning the said tank.
In the modification shown in Figure 8 the waste water tank is replaced by a
pail or cylindrical vessel A¹ of such a size as to receive the lower part of the bowl
D within it and of such a height as to prevent the possibility of an overflow in the
way herein-before described with reference to the flange R of the tank Q. The
vessel A¹ rests upon a circular plate B' which is provided with a flange C¹
around its rear side to serve as a stop to prevent said vessel A¹ from being
pushed too far back. To the opposite sides of the plate B¹ are attached two
guide sockets or sleeves D¹ to receive and slide upon two standards E¹ attached
to the end parts of a semi-ring bar F¹ which serves as a base for the stand, and
is attached to the bottom of the case A. To the semi-ring bar F¹ are pivoted
the lower ends of two short rods G¹ the one a little in front of the standards E'
and the other a little in the rear of the other standard E¹. The upper ends
of the rods G¹ are pivoted to the lever H³ upon the opposite sides of and
equally distant from its pivot. The lever H¹ is pivoted to the centre of the plate B¹
and one of the ends projects a little beyond the edges of the plate B¹ to serve as a
handle for operating the device. With this construction by turning the lever H¹ in
one direction the plate B¹ will be slid down upon the standards E¹ to allow the
vessel A¹ to be conveniently removed, and by turning the said lever H¹ in the other
direction. the plate B will be raised to its place.
Having thus described the Invention and the manner of performing the same,
I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First. The siphon H provided with lugs L, the pivoted cap valve I, the cross
bar J, the rods K, having their upper ends brought together and a screw thread cut
upon them, the screw knob N and the springs O in combination with the clean
water tank C, the chamber G of the bowl D, and the cap M of said chamber G,
substantially as herein shown and described.
Second. The openings in the top of the clean water tank C provided with ring
flanges projecting up into the top plate B, substantially as herein shown and
described.
Third. The combination of the hand screws E and lugs F with the opening in the
clean water tank C to support the bowl D adjustably, substantially as herein shown
and described.
Fourth. The waste water tank Q provided with a ring flange R around its
opening projecting upward around the lower part of the bowl D, substantially as
herein shown and described.
Fifth. The waste water tank Qprovided with a stop-cock S so constructed that
its handle in connection with the door T of the case A may serve as a guard to give
notice when the said stop-cock has been left open, substantially as herein shown
and described.
Sixth. The combination of the hinged support U with the case A for supporting
the waste water tank Q detachably, substantially as herein shown and described.
Seventh. The combination of the bowl D provided with the chamber G, with
the siphon H and the water tank C, substantially as herein shown and described.

page_text: Eighth. In a portable reservoir wash stand, the device for raising and lowering
the waste water vessel, consisting of the circular plate B¹ provided with the flange
C², and guide sockets, the standards, the semi-ring base bar, the pivoted rods and
the pivoted lever combined with each other, substantially as herein shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.