A NEW OR IMPROVED COMBINED INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR RAPIDLY HEATING A SMALL QUANTITY OF WATER FOR SHAVING WHICH INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES 23 PROAL SP
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Herbert Williams of Birmingham in the County
of Warwick Merchant. for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED COMBINED
INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR RAPIDLY HEATING A SMALL QUANTITY OF
WATER FOR SHAVING WHICH INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE
APPLIED TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
23
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Herbert Williams
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th April 1883.
WILLIAM HERBERT WILLIAMS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Merchant "A. NEW OR IMPROVED COMBINED INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR
RAPIDLY HEATING A SMALL QUANTITY OF WATER FOR SHAVING WHICH INSTRUMENT
OR APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
33
It frequently happens and especially when travelling that a small quantity of
hot water for shaving cannot be obtained when wanted or can only be obtained
after the loss of much time.
My invention has for its object principally to make its possessor independent of
waiters or servants in the matter of shaving by enabling him in the course of a
few seconds to procure for himself a sufficient quantity of hot water for that
purpose.
My said invention consists of an instrument or apparatus the parts of which are
constructed and arranged in the following manner. The said apparatus consists
essentially of three parts namely a small cylindrical vessel or holder to contain
the water a small lamp capable of attachment to and removal from the vessel and
a cover for the said vessel the said cover also serving as a holder for supporting
the shaving brush in the axis of the water vessel or holder. The water vessel or
holder is made preferably of a thin metallic tube expanded or trumpet shaped at
top and having a partition or bottom at a short distance from its lower end. That

page_text: part of the tube below the partition or bottom of the water holder is pierced or
perforated with holes so as to permit of the free passage of air into and out of the
said part.
A small lamp for burning alcohol wood spirit or other combustible the body of
which has by preference a conical figure has a short cylindrical summit which fits
accurately in the lower or perforated end of the tube from which the water holder
is made. The cover consists of a light metallic disc having a rim which fits on the
open trumpet shaped mouth of the water holder. In the centre of this cover is a
hole through which part of the head of a shaving brush passes. The terminal part
of the head of the brush is screwed on the part passed through the cover and the
cover is thus permanently attached to the shaving brush.
The instrument or apparatus is used as follows the water holder is about half
filled with water and the cover fitted on the water holder. The shaving brush is
thereby immersed in the water the level of which is raised to nearly the top of
the water holder the brush being supported in the axis of the vessel. The lamp
properly trimmed is lighted and the water holder fixed over it by placing the
pierced part below the bottom of the water holder on the cylindrical summit of
the lamp. The lamp constitutes the foot of the apparatus. After a few seconds
the water is made boiling hot and the shaving brush charged with the hot water
is removed with the cover of the water holder. After the removal of the shaving
brush the razor may be immersed in the hot water.
My invention may be used for heating a small quantity of water or other liquid
or for volatilizing perfumes and generally for all purposes where it is required rapidly
to heat or volatilize water or other liquids.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Herbert Williams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th September 1883.
WILLIAM HERBERT WILLIAMS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Merchant. "A NEW OR IMPROVED COMBINED INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR
RAPIDLY HEATING A SMALL QUANTITY OF WATER FOR SHAVING, WHICH INSTRUMENT
OR APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES."
It frequently happens, especially when travelling, that a small quantity of
hot water for shaving cannot be obtained when wanted or can only be obtained
after the loss of much time.
My invention has for its object principally to make its possessor independent of
waiters or servants in the matter of shaving by enabling him in the course of a
few seconds to procure for himself a sufficient quantity of hot water for that
purpose.
My said invention consists of an instrument or apparatus the parts of which
are constructed and arranged in the following manner. The said apparatus
consists essentially of three parts, namely, a small cylindrical vessel or holder to
contain the water; a small lamp capable of attachment to and removal from the
vessel, and a cover for the said vessel, the said cover also serving as a holder for
supporting the shaving brush in the axis of the water vessel or holder. The water
vessel or holder is made preferably of a thin metallic tube expanded or trumpet
shaped at top and having a partition or bottom at a short distance from its lower
end. That part of the tube below the partition or bottom of the water holder is
pierced or perforated with holes so as to permit of the free passage of air into and
out of the said part
A small lamp for burning alcohol, wood spirit or other combustible, the body of
which has by preference a conical figure, has a short cylindrical summit which fits
accurately in the lower or perforated end of the tube from which the water holder
is made. The cover consists of a light metallic disc having a rim which fits on
the open trumpet shaped mouth of the water holder. In the centre of this cover
is a hole through which part of the head of a shaving brush passes. The terminal
part of the head of the brush is screwed on the part passed through the cover and
the cover is thus permanently attached to the shaving brush.
The instrument or apparatus is used as follows:-
The water holder is about three fourths filled with water and the cover fitted on
the water holder. The shaving brush is thereby immersed in the water the level
of which is raised to nearly the top of the water holder, the brush being supported
in the axis of the vessel. The lamp properly trimmed is lighted and the water
holder fixed over it by placing the pierced part below the bottom of the water
holder on the cylindrical summit of the lamp. The lamp constitutes the foot
of the apparatus. After a few seconds the water is made boiling hot and the
shaving brush charged with the hot water is removed with the cover of the water
holder.
After the removal of the shaving brush the razor may be immersed in the hot
water.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in elevation and Figure 2 in
vertical section my improved combined instrument or apparatus arranged for the

page_text: heating of the water in the vessel or holder and Figure 3 represents in elevation
the instrument or apparatus after the cover has been removed and the blade of the
razor immersed in the hot water in the vessel or holder; Figure 4 represents the
three parts of which the instrument or apparatus is composed detached for packing
or transit.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the drawing.
The
a is the small cylindrical vessel or holder to contain the water to be heated, the
said vessel having a trumpet shaped top; b is the lamp constituting the foot of
the apparatus, the said lamp being capable of ready attachment to and removal
from the vessel or holder a; c is the cover of the water vessel or holder a.
said cover c has on its upper side a handle c' and on its underside the shaving
brush d, the head of which is screwed upon the tube c³ carried by the handle o³,
the cover being gripped between the head of the brush and the shoulder on the
handle c, (see Figure 2). The cover c fits tightly upon the expanded top of the
water vessel or holder a and when fitted in its place besides closing the vessel also
supports the shaving brush & in the axis of the said vessel; c is the partition or
bottom of the water vessel a situated at a short distance above the lower end of
the said vessel. The lower part of the vessel or holder below the partition e.is
pierced or perforated with holes at ƒ so as to permit of the passage of air into the
said part for supporting the combustion of the flame of the lamp b and for the
escape of the hot air therefrom.
The reservoir of the lamp b is furnished with a shoulder 63 on which the bottom
of the water vessel a seats itself when the parts are arranged for use (see Figure 2)
and the burner of the lamp when the apparatus is not in use is closed by the cap g
so as to prevent the escape of the combustible held in the said lamp.
The parts,being arranged in the manner represented in Figures 1 and 2 and the
lamp blighted, the water in the vessel a is heated in a few seconds and the shaving
brush & charged with the hot water is removed with the cover c of the water
vessel as represented in Figure 3, when the razor may be immersed in the hot
water as represented in the said Figure 3. After the apparatus has been used the
parts are detached for packing as represented in Figure 4.
Where it is only required to charge the shaving brush with hot water this may
be effected very rapidly by putting a small quantity of water (say a dessert
spoonful) in the vessel a and lighting the lamp and placing the brush and cover as
represented in Figure 2; the water is rapidly volatilized and the steam condenses
in the brush charging it with water at boiling heat.
My invention may be used for heating a small quantity of water or other liquid
or for volatilizing perfumes and generally for other purposes where it is required
rapidly to heat or volatilize water or other liquid.
For volatilizing perfumes I prefer to use in place of the long cylindrical vessel a
the flat vessel represented in Figure 5 and marked h, the said flat vessel h being
covered by a perforated cover i through which the perfume may escape into the
atmosphere. The cylindrical lower part of the apparatus carrying the Hat vessel /
fits upon the lamp 6 in the manner before described with respect to a water
heater.
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
invention ;-
The new or improved combined instrument or apparatus for rapidly heating a
small quantity of water for shaving and for other like purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing; that is to say, an instru-
ment or apparatus for the purposes described consisting of a lamp supporting a
removeable vessel or holder to contain the water or liquid to be heated or volatilized,
combined, in case of a water heater or volatilizer for shaving, with a cover carrying

page_text: a shaving brush which is supported axially in the water vessel or holder substantially
as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof I the said William Herbert Williams have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty first day of September in the year of our Lord one
5 thousand eight hundred and eighty three.