AN IMPROVED FOUNTAIN
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN HENRY FAY of 14 Anton Street Amhurst Road Hackney in the county
of Middlesex Draughtsman do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
AN IMPROVED FOUNTAIN, to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to produce a fountain that shall be very simple
and extremely effective and in and for which no pump or other separate apparatus
shall be required to raise the water into the reservoir from which the fountain is
supplied which operation is according to this my invention performed by the
fountain itself. This fountain can be made of any desired size and be used for any
purposes but it is extremely suitable for use as a portable fountain for tables or
conservatories or other places.
To carry out this object I construct a cylindrical or other chamber which is
supported horizontally in the middle of its length by pivots borne on and in
bearings in any suitable frame. On one side the pivot consists of a plug preferably
slightly tapered which can revolve in an outer casing tightly fitting the same
which casing is secured on the frame. In the cylindrical or other chamber is a
piston or weighted disc which exactly fits the said chamber but can move length-
wise in the same. In any suitable position above the chamber is an open reservoir
or basin for the water and a pipe leads from the bottom of this reservoir to the
casing of the aforesaid plug pivot to which casing it is secured. A passage is made
through the plug in such a manner that when the chamber is in a vertical position
this passage communicates at one end with the aforesaid pipe while on the other
end of the passage is secured another pipe that passes up the side of the chamber
and enters the same at its upper end. A similar pipe leaves the lower end of the.
chamber connected to another corresponding passage through the plug and the end
of this second passage through the plug communicates with another pipe secured
to the casing of the said plug which pipe passes up and terminates with the usual
or other nozzle or jet which causes the required stream or streams of water and
constitutes the fountain and this termination of the pipe is so placed that the said
stream or streams of water fall into the reservoir or basin aforesaid.
The action of this fountain is as follows. The reservoir or basin and the chamber
being so duly filled with water as is required and the said chamber being in a
vertical position the weighted piston slowly descends forcing the water from the

page_text: lower part of the chamber up through the pipe thence through the passage in the
plug and thus causing the fountain to play through the nozzle or jet at the end of
the pipe as aforesaid while at. the same time the water of the fountain falls into
the reservoir or basin and is drawn in through the first beforementioned pipes and
passage to the upper part of the chamber above the piston. This action proceeds
until the piston has reached the bottom or thereabouts of the chamber when the
said chamber is made to revolve through a semicircle or is reversed upside down
when the action aforesaid again commences and proceeds until the piston has again
reached the bottom or thereabouts of the chamber and so on.
It is obvious that I can also use two or more reservoirs or basins connected
together and so placed that the water flows from the basin or basins into which the
fountain or fountains play to the basin or basins which feed the chamber.
I can also use the plug pivot with its outer casing as aforesaid on both sides of
the chamber duplicating the aforesaid arrangement of pipes and passages so that
two or more fountains may be maintained by one and the same chamber.

page_text: I JOHN HENRY FAY of 14 Anton Street Amhurst Road Hackney in the county
of Middlesex Draughtsman do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to produce and provide for use a fountain that
shall be very simple in construction and extremely effective in operation and in and
for which no pump or other. separate apparatus shall be required to raise the water
into the reservoir from which the fountain is supplied for according to this my
invention no clevated or overhead reservoir is needed and the pressure necessary
for forcing the water up from the reservoir and causing the fountain to play is
generated or produced in and by the apparatus itself. This my improved fountain
can be made of any desired size and can be used for any purposes but it is
extremely suitable for use as a portable fountain for tables or conservatories or
other places.
In order the more clearly to explain my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed I have shewn in the accompanying drawing a vertical section of
a very convenient suitable and compact form of this my fountain when made and
fitted for use as a portable or table fountain and I will proceed to describe my
invention with reference thereto.
Any suitable frame stand or casing A is made for the fountain and on and by the
horizontal bearings B therein I support the cylindrical chamber C by the pivots D
secured on the sides of the said chamber C in the middle of its length. On one
side the pivot D' consists of a plug preferably somewhat tapered which can revolve
or turn in an outer cap or casing E tightly fitting the same which cap E is secured
on the frame A and forms or constitutes the required bearing B or a part of the
same. In the chamber C is a piston or disc F duly weighted which transversely or
horizontally exactly fits the said chamber C but can move lengthwise or vertically
therein, Above the chamber C and supported by the frame A is an open reservoir
or basin G for the water or other liquid and a passage H leads from the bottom of
the basin G preferably to a small intermediate chainber K from which chamber K
a pipe L is led to and through the cap E of the plug pivot D¹ to which cap E the
said pipe L is secured on the top or upper side thereof. Two similar and corre-
sponding passages M and N are made on opposite sides of the plug pivot D¹ in such
a manner that when the chamber is in a vertical position as shewn in the
drawing one end of the passage M is in communication with or is opposite to the
open end of the aforesaid pipe L while on the other end of the said passage M and
clear of the cap E is secured the pipe P that passes up the side of the chamber C
and enters the saine at or near its upper end. A similar or corresponding pipe R
issues from the lower end of the chamber C and passing up the side thereof is
secured on the corresponding end of the passage N in the plug pivot D' and the
other end of the said passage N is in communication with or is opposite to the
open end of the pipe T which passes through and is secured to the cap E on

page_text: the bottom or lower side thereof in a position exactly opposite to that in which the
pipe L herein before described passes through and is secured to the said cap E.
This pipe T is then led preferably through the aforesaid small intermediate
chamber K up through the passage H terminating with any usual or convenient
nozzle or jet V preferably at or about the centre of the basin G so that the stream
or streams of water that issue through the said nozzle V and constitutes or con-
stitute the fountain shall fall into the said basin G. A handle or lever W is fitted
to the pivot D in any convenient manner.
The method of using and the action of this fountain is as follows. The basin G
the chambers K and C and all the aforesaid connecting and communicating passages
and pipes being duly filled with water or other liquid and the said chamber C being
in a vertical position as shewn in the drawing the weighted piston F slowly
descends forcing the water from the lower part of the chamber Cup through the
pipe R thence through the passage N in the plug pivot D and finally through the
pipe T thus causing the fountain to play through the nozzle V as is required. The
water or other liquid of the fountain falls as aforesaid into the basin G and as
the piston F descends as hereinbefore described in the chamber C the vacuum created
therein by this motion draws the water from the said basin G through the passage H
into the chamber K and thence through the pipe L and the passage M in the plug
pivot D' and finally up through the pipe P into the upper part of the said chamber C
above the said piston F. This action continues until the said piston F has reached
the bottom or thereabouts of the chamber C when the said chamber C is caused by
the handle W to revolve through a semicircle or that is to say reversed upside down
when the action hereinbefore described again commences but with the pipe T in
communication with the passage M and the pipe L in communication with the
passage N and this action continues until the piston F has again reached the
bottom or thereabouts of the said chamber C and so on and in this manner as
aforesaid this my improved fountain can be kept playing for any length of time
as may be desired.
As is sufficiently obvious the weighted piston or disc aforesaid is the actuating
cause of the playing of the fountain as herein before described it is therefore
desirable that the weight thereon should be duly proportioned to the work that has
to be done. The weight will vary according to the size of the apparatus the
dimensions of the pipes and the height to which the water or liquid is required or
desired to be forced but I may say that when the apparatus is constructed as shewn
in the drawing and when the cylindrical chamber is one foot long by four inches
diameter and when the nozzle or jet of the fountain is six inches or thereabouts
above the said cylindrical chamber I have found that a piston weighing five
pounds gives very good results provides and causes to play a very portable and
useful apparatus and produces an extremely good effect in the jet or coluinn of
water that is thrown up.
I have hereinbefore described and have shewn in the drawing one method in
and by which the fountain is to be kept in action but it is obvious that I do
not limit myself thereto. For instance any suitable clockwork or other motor or
power may be used to cause the cylindrical chamber to be reversed as and when
required.
I can also use two or more reservoirs or basins with any suitable number of jets
which reservoirs or basins would be connected together and so placed that the
water or liquid would flow from the basins into which the fountains play into the
intermediate chamber which feeds the revolving cylindrical chamber or in all cases
the intermediate chamber may be dispensed with and the water caused to flow
directly from the fountain basin or basins to the revolving cylindrical chamber.
I can also fit the plug pivot with its cap herein before described on both sides of
the cylindrical chamber duplicating the aforesaid arrangement of pipes and passages
so that in this manner also two or more fountains may be maintained by one and
the same chamber.

page_text: I have thus described and have shewn in the drawing an extremely convenient
suitable and compact and yet highly effective form of this my improved fountain
but I would have it clearly understood and indeed it is sufficiently obvious that
I do not limit myself to the shape or style of the apparatus or of the several parts
thereof as so described and shewn or to the methods and details of construction
and arrangement of the same for all the several parts of the apparatus may be so
fitted and constructed and may be placed in such relative positions as may be
desirable or convenient or suitable in each particular case. For instance the
revolving cylindrical chamber may be placed apart from the fountain basin and jet
and either above or on a level with or in any position below the same being
connected thereto by pipes as herein before described the only limits needing to be
recognized being in the event of the chamber placed above the fountain basin that
the same be not placed so high that the vacuum created as aforesaid in the upper
part of the chamber by the descent of the piston therein shall not suffice to draw
the water from the said basin into the said chamber and in the event of the
chamber placed on a level with or below the fountain basin that the piston be
weighted sufficiently to overcome the friction produced by the passage of the water
through the long connecting pipes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is
1. The combination of the revolving cylindrical chamber C the weighted piston F
the pivots D in one or both of which are the passages M and N the fountain
basin or basins G with the jet or jets V and the connecting pipes L P R and T
the whole being combined and operating substantially as hereinbefore described
and set forth.
2. The fountain substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in the
accompanying drawing.