Chambers, and the like.
Year: 1887

page_text: Chambers, and the like.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. 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 :-
This invention relates to that class of gas-tight covers for wash-basins, closets,
chambers and the like, for sealing the vessels to prevent the escape of noxious and
poisonous gases into the bed chamber and other apartments of the house.
In view of the many kinds of diseases of a low type, such as fevers and malaria,
that have been contracted in sleeping apartments, having stationary wash-stands, the
object of the present invention is more especially to provide an improved cover that
can be quickly and easily adjusted to any of the ordinary sized basins of washstands
so located and connected with the main sewer in the street as to furnish an air tight
trap rendering the escape of gas into the house impossible until the cover is removed
and it consists in the construction hereinafter described.
Referring to the drawings:-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the underside of
this improved cover ready for use.
Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line c. c. of Fig. 1 showing the cover
right side up and the parts in position to be expanded.
Fig. 3, is a. perspective view of the underside of a cover in which I use a double
cam and two adjusting bars.
Fig. 4, is an enlarged detail view of the double acting cam in solid lines when the
arms are contracted, and in dotted lines when they are expanded.
Fig. 5, is a part sectional view of the cam, showing its connection with the
adjacent parts.
Fig. 6, is a plan view of the underside of the cover broken away showing a modified
form with a quadruple cam and the necessary adjusting arms.
Like letters of reference refer to corresponding parts in each figure of the drawing.
A represents the cover composed of any desired kind of sheet-metal as copper,
brass, white metal or other material adapted for the purpose, of a size sufficient to
cover the largest ordinary wash-basin, having Trim B extending downward from its
underside to fit within the basin, said rim being within the circumference of a
horizontal flange adapted to rest upon the top or edge of the basin.

page_text: The central portion of the cover is stamped or spun up to form a cone C upon its
upper side, and on the underside of the cone there is a bottom D which extends over
the entire underside of the cover, within the rim B, on substantially the same plane
with the flange A.
The bottom D is re-enforced or spun up at d to give it additional strength for the
attachment of other parts, and to form a recess or chamber under its central portion
for the operation of a cam lever.
Within the center and secured to the underside of the top of the cone C, and to the
bottom D, there is a tube E in which is placed a piston rod F that extends downwards
through the bottom and upwards above the top of the cone, where it is provided with
a handle f.
Within the tube E there is a packing e of rubber, felt or other soft elastic material
to prevent the escape of gas through the opening around the piston rod.
Below the bottom D on the rod F there is a sleeve or washer c and beneath the
washer, there is a cam G secured to the lower end of the piston rod having a recess g
in its lower side, guarded by a flange H around the edge of the cam which is serrated
on its periphery for the purpose of holding the cam in any desired position in which
may be placed.
it
To the underside of the re-enforced portion d of the bottom and at one side of the edge
of the cam, there is secured a double loop-support I that extends from one side to the
other, which is bent at i to reach below the plane of the lower surface of the cam G.
On each side of the center of the loop-support there are journaled guide rollers J
that extend upwards from the support and between, which there is an adjusting bar K
that extends over the underside of the cam and slides in a mortise in the lower end of
a post L secured to the bottom D.
On the upper side of the adjusting bar K where it rests on the flange H, of the
cam near the loop-support, there are journaled rollers k, one of which moves within
the recess g and the other upon the serrated periphery of the cam.
The outer end of the adjusting bar K has a double head, in which is pivoted bar
arms M that gradually diverge from each other as they distance from the bar, and
pass through long slots b in the rim on the underside of the cover, and are pivotally
connected to slotted lugs n near the free ends of an adjustable band N on the outside
of the rim.
Between the bar arms there is a post O secured to the slide of the slotted rim B in
which is pivoted spreader arms m that are pivoted at their opposite ends to the bar-
arms at about midway their length.
As the cam G is turned around by means of the bandle fits flange H moves
between the rollers ke forcing the adjustable bar outward against the bar arms which
are gradually separated at their outer ends by the spreader arms m, carrying with
them the adjustable band N, which is forced out from the circumference of the rim.
Around the band N there is placed an elastic gasket or ring P of rubber, felt,
cork, papier-mache or other suitable material adapted to be expanded on the band as
it is enlarged or forced outward, until it comes in contact and forms an air tight joint.
with the sides of the basin or vessel in which it is placed.
The post L has a spring ? coiled around its body which has curved arms Q laterally
extended outward to the rim and passing through the ends of slotted guides w which
are secured to the adjustable band N outside, and pass through slots in the rim, for
the purpose of producing traction of the band to draw it back to its seat against the
rim when the cam is reversed and the extended band on the opposite side is drawn
back by the arms M.
If desired a double cam G may be used as shown in Fig. 3, and 4, having separate
adjusting bars K working through loop-supports I opposite to each other and attached
to the adjustable band N by arms M, and the curved spring arms Q may be attached
to posts ŕ on cross bars R extending between the ends of the loop-supports on each
side, and be fastened to the adjustable band in the same manner and for the purpose
as herein before described.
A quadruple cam G may be used also as shown in Fig. 3, in which case there are

page_text: four adjusting-bars K which are operated on different quarters of the adjustable
band N at the same time.
In this construction the double loop-support is made to form a rectangular frame
which is secured to the bottom, and in the middle portion of each side, there are
journaled guide rollers J between which the bars K are supported and operated by
means of the cam working on the rollers k forcing the bars outward upon the arms Mas
herein before described which expand or contract the adjustable band N, as desired at
all required points, rendering the spring arms Q unnecessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In combination with a gas-trap cover having an adjustable band outside the
rim, of a cam on the underside of the cover attached to adjusting bars connected with
said band, as set forth.
2. In combination with a cover having an adjustable band outside the rim, of a
cam on the underside of the cover attached to adjusting bars, in loop-supports,
connected with said band, as set forth.
3. In combination with a cover having an adjustable band outside the rim, of a
cam on the underside of the cover attached to two or more adjusting bars, working
through loop-supports and connected with and expanding said band in different
directions at the same time, as set forth.
4. A gas-trap cover having a piston rod therein secured to a recessed cam on the
underside, of the cover, said cam being attached to adjusting bars by rollers for
expanding a band outside the rim, as set forth.
5. A cover with a reenforced bottom within its rim having loop-supports secured
thereto for carrying adjusting bars for expanding a band outside the rim, as set forth.
6. A cover having double loop-supports secured to the reenforce of the bottom, with
rollers on each side of the center between the bars of support, to guide an adjusting
bar, for expanding and contracting a band outside the rim, as set forth.
7. In combination with a conical cover having a tube under the cone containing
a packing with a piston rod therein of a reenforced bottom on substantially the same
plane as the flange outside the rim, said bottom having a recess or chamber within
the reenforce for a cam attached to the lower end of the piston rod, as set forth.
8. In combination with a conical cover having a piston rod passing through a tube
therein, of a cam recessed on its underside, and having a flange at its edge, serrated
on its periphery, attached to the lower end of the rod, said cam being connected with
an adjusting bar for expanding a band outside the rim, as set forth.
9. In combination with a cover having a recessed cam on its underside provided
with a flange at its edge, serrated on its periphery, of an adjusting bar having rollers
near its end, one working in the recess and the other against the serrated edge of
the flange in expanding and contracting an adjustable band outside the rim, as
set forth.
10. In combination with a gas-trap cover having a cone with a tube therein pro-
vided with a packing and a piston rod for expanding a band outside the rim, of a
cam recessed on its underside and secured to the rod underneath the bottom, and to
adjusting bars by rollers journaled thereon, said bars having loop-supports with rollers
therein on each side of the bars, as and for the purpose set forth.