Improvements in the Construction of Automatic Fountains.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 12th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892;
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Automatic Fountains.
1, THOMAS BATTY of Balmoral Villas, Colchester Congregational Minister do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An improved method of constructing automatic fountains worked by atmospheric
pressure & my object is to provide a more simple and effective series of ornamental
fountains which can be most easily put in action & recharged without the use of
pumps, valves artificial weights or any process of blowing or forcing air into them.
I construct a reversible table fountain of two vessels of equal capacity for air &
water, connected together by a central tube.. On being inverted the water passes
which presses
from the upper to the lower vessel and forces the air into the upper,
on the surface of the water with so much power that it drives it through a small
jet tube into the fountain bowl & thence returns by another tube into the lower
vessel.
In this operation of changing vessels the compressed air throws up a perpendicular
jet of water about half the height of the connected vessels, for oue or two hours.
The process of recharging is effected by simply reversing the position of the air &
water vessels. This may be done in two different ways, by a single or double
movement as will be seen by the drawings.
The first and simplest way requires no taps. The lower vessel containing the
water has no jet bowl, and on being placed for one minute in an upright position
uppermost all the water flows immediately into the other vessel, and on again being
reversed so as to place the jet bowl uppermost it throws up a jet of water half the
height of the two connected vessels. To prevent any waste of water on being
inverted the jet howl has a top cover sloping to a central hole similar to the top
of an ordinary spittoon.
The second way accomplishes the work of recharging at one movement. Each
of the vessels has a jet-bowl attached to it, and whenever the lower vessel is filled
with water the fountain is inverted, so that the vessel filled with water is brought
into the uppermost position and at once the fountain begins to play & continues to
do so until all the water has returned to the lower vessel which is then reversed
again as often as the fountain is required to act.
In this second method of recharging a double tap is required in each fountain-
bowl which at one movement turns off the air tube & the jet tube as will be seen
from the drawings.
For small table fountains made of glass or other materials no frame or stand is
required, but for larger fountains standing on the floor a frame is made in which
the vessels swing on a pivot fixed about the middle of the central tube. When
only one jet-bowl is used a chess-table or ornamental vase is placed on the opposite
vessel & the inverted fountain used as an occasional table.
In the construction of an aquarium fountain I adopt a similar method. The jet-
bowl is replaced by a large glass vase suitable for gold fish &c. mounted on a frame
stand & the air & water vessels swing beneath it on a pivot in which a double tap
is placed for opening & shutting the air & water tubes which are arranged outside
the vessels & pass from the tap-pivot upward to the aquarium vase. The peculiarity
of this tap & frame will be seen from the drawings.
In constructing a pedestal fountain worked in the same manner by atmospheric
pressure I form two cylinders easily sliding into cach other. The inner one is
divided into 2 equal chambers for air & water. When filled with water the inner
cylinder is lifted up and the air admitted to fill the lower chamber, through a tube
| having a tap near the jet. On turning the tap the air is shut in the lower chamber

page_text: and on being pressed down again into position the water in the outer cylinder forces
the air from the lower into the upper chamber which presses on the surface of the
water & drives it through the jet tube so as to give a fountain for about 3 hours &
about one third the height of the pedestal.
•
In addition to these I construct a dressing-table fountain which is arranged to
give two jets, one on each side of a bevelled mirror & placed at the height of an
ordinary dressing table. Instead of a round cylinder a deep rectangular vessel is
fixed under the table and into it slides another vessel divided into two equal
chambers. On lifting up the inner vessel, air is admitted to the lower chamber
through a tap near the top which on being closed prevents its escape. The enclosed
air makes the inner vessel to float on the water in the outer vessel and to stand
about 18 inches above it. The water contained in the higher chamber then passes
through flexible tubes to the fountain jets which are placed on small bracket arms
on either side of the outer vessel & reflected in the mirror.
Dated this 19th do- of T-l- 1001
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Automatic Fountains.
1, THOMAS BATTY, of Balmoral Villas, Colchester in the County of Essex
Congregational Minister 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 :-
Improvements in the construction of automatic fountains worked by atmospheric
pressure and my object is to produce a series of ornamental fountains very simple
in construction and which can easily be put in action and recharged without the use
of any pumps, valves & artificial weights or blowing and forcing air into them.
I construct a reversible fountain Fig. 1. of two vessels A. A. & B. B. of equal
capacity, for air & water connected together by a central tube C. C. When water is
poured in to the bowl G. it descends by the tube E. into the lower vessel 13 driving the
air out by the tube H into the vessel A & which escapes by the tube D. The position
of the vessels A & B is now inverted. The uplifted vessel B discharges its water
in one minute to the lower vessel A. by the wide tube C. When the vessels are
again inverted and the jet-bowl is uppermost as shown in Fig. 1. a fountain is
produced.
The water passing from the jet-bowl G. by the down tube E forces the air into
the upper vessel A. which presses with so much force on the surface W. L. as to drive
it through the tube D in a continuous stream F. and it falls into the jet bowl &
descends to the lower vessel B by the tube E.
In this operation of changing vessels the compressed air throws up a perpendicular
jet of water for one or two hours.
The process of recharging is effected by reversing the vertical position of the air
& water vessels A. & B. This may be done in two different ways as shown in the
drawings No. 1. and No. 2.
The first & simplest way requires no taps. The lower vessel B in Fig. 1. which
has no jet-bowl is placed vertically uppermost and all the water in it will pass
immediately into the vessel opposite through the wide tube C. C. Air is admitted
to B. by the open tube E and the air in Å. A. is expelled through the tube D.
which is never closed. When again reversed & the jet-bowl brought uppermost, a
stream of water F is thrown up half the height of the connected vessels until all the
air in B. is driven into the upper vessel A. In order to retain a little head of
water in the jet bowl a curved edge is made as shown at G. G, or a cover like that
of a spittoon is placed over it. A tap may be placed on the jet D. and the spoonful
of water it contains directed under this cover G. so as to prevent any waste when
the vessels are inverted.

page_text: The second method of recharging is shown in Fig. 2, where it is effected by a
single movement. Each of the vessels A. B. has a jet-bowl attached and the
fountain will play from either end. Whenever the upper vessel is exhausted it is
inverted and the other end brought into action. This process requires in each
vessel A & B a double tap which at one movement turns off the jet tube J. the
down pipe F and the air tube H. as shown in the section: Fig. 2.
When one of the 2 vessels A. B. which are of equal capacity is filled with water
& placed uppermost, the tap allows the water in the jet bowl E. to flow through the
plug at F. into the lower vessel B. The descending column of water forces the air
out of B. through the tube G. and it passes by an opening H into the upper vessel A.
The pressure of this air on the surface of the water W. L. forces it through the jet
tube J. in a continuous stream for one or two hours. The double tap shown in
section Fig. 2. when closed not only shuts off the jet tube & down flow but it opens
at the same moment the air tube G. into the lower vessel B. The plug placed in
each tap is shown at D¹ Fig. 2. and is made to lift out when required to empty the
fountain. The frame-stand I. K. is optional and may be applied to both the single
fountain Fig. 1 and to the double fountain Fig. 2.
When made as a table ornament in glass china or other material no frame is
required as the fountain will stand firmly on either end. When made to stand on
the floor with one jet bowl a frame I. K. is used as shown in Fig. 1. and a chess
board M. or ornamental top is fixed to the vessel B. and the fountain inverted serves
the purpose of an occasional table.
In the construction of an aquarium fountain (Fig. 5) I adopt a similar automatic
arrangement. Instead of the shallow bowl a large glass vase K. K. suitable for
goldfish &c. is used, & mounted on a strong frame stand. The air & water.
vessels A. B. swing beneath the vase on a pivot D. D. in which a double tap is
placed for the air & water tubes E. H. which are arranged outside the water vessels
& pass upward to support the aquarium vase. The peculiarity of this tap is shewn
in the drawing Fig. 5. The plug of the tap D. is slotted so as to admit the water
descending from the vase K. by the tube E. into the lower vessel B. through the
tube F. which is screwed into the barrel of the tap. This descending column of
water forces the air out of B into the upper vessel A through another slot in the
plug D cut obliquely G & the air then presses on the surface of the water in A &
forces it through the tap D up the tube H. H. which is connected with the jet-
tube J. from which a continuous stream issues until all the water in A. is exhausted.
The vessels A. B are then inverted by swinging them on the plug D. and the same
action takes place as before, the water level in the vase K. remaining always the
same. The ornamental ends of the plug D. D. are easily unscrewed whenever it is
required to empty the vase K. A fine strainer is placed over the mouth of the
tube E. to prevent any particles of matter passing into the tap or jet tube. Instead
of the aquarium vase a shallow dish or tray may be used & growing plants or cut
flowers arranged around the fountain jet.
In constructing a pedestal fountain Fig. 3. worked by atmospheric pressure I
form two cylinders A. A. B. B¹ sliding into each other. The inner cylinder is
divided into two compartments at D. one for air & the other for water. In the
upper half of the cylinder B are fixed two tubes which pass upward to the surface
of the water in the outer cylinder A. One of these forms the jet tube F. and the
other an air tube E. which has a tap C attached to it. When filled with water the
inner cylinder is lifted up by taking hold of the tubes E. F. and air is admitted to
the lower chamber of B thro' the open tap C. While elevated to the position
shown by the dotted lines the tap C is closed & on being pressed down again it is
fastened by a catch H. The water in the outer cylinder A forces the air from the
lower chamber B' which is open at the bottom into the upper half B through the
tube E. G. which presses on the surface of the water W. L. & forces it through
the jet tube F. so as to give a fountain about one third of the height of the pedestal
for two or three hours.
In addition to these I construct an automatic fountain suitable for a dressing

page_text: table Fig. 4 which is arranged to give two jets one on each side of a bevelled mirror.
Instead of a round cylinder a rectangular or other shaped vessel A. A. is fixed in
or under a table & into it slides another vessel divided into two equal chambers B. B'.
In the upper half B. two tubes are placed one for admitting air through the tap D.
and the other for admitting water through the tap M. which is shown in section M.
When both these taps are open the whole of B. B' sinks in the direction of the
dotted lines. The tap M. is then closed & the inner vessel B. B' is drawn up until
the compartment B is filled with air. The tap D. is then closed-and the
vessel B. B' rests or floats on the water in A as shown in the drawing Fig. 4. and a
fountain produced in two jets which rise above the level of the water in B. & fall
into the two glass bowls H. H. The air in B' which is open at the bottom is forced
through the open tube E into the upper chamber B & presses on the surface of the
water so as to drive it down the flexible tubes F. G. which are connected with the
jet tubes in H. H. Around each of the small tubes J. J. an outer tube is placed
When the air in 1¹
by which the waste water returns into the larger vessel A. A.
has all passed into the upper chamber B the fountain ceases & has to be recharged.
This is done by opening the tap D which allows the air to escape and the tap M
which admits the water into B. and the whole inner vessel B. Bi sinks to the bottom
of the outer vessel A. A. The tap M is then closed by turning the handle at L.
and the chamber B. B' is again lifted into the position shown in the drawing Fig. 4.
and the tap D is turned off. The fountain will then play as before for two or three
hours. The inner vessel B' will stand about 18 inches above the outer vessel A. A
and is covered with silvered glass to serve the purpose of an ordinary mirror and
the fountain jets J. J. are reflected in its bevelled sides.
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 construction of an automatic reversible fountain worked by atmospheric
pressure consisting only of two vessels connected together by a central tube, one of
which has a jet-bowl attached to it, and which is recharged by twice reversing the
vertical position of the two connected vessels, as substantially described herein and
set forth in the accompanying drawings Fig. 1.
2. The construction of a double automatic fountain having two jet-howls attached
to two vessels of equal capacity connected together by a central tube, giving a
perpendicular jet of water from either end, and recharged at one movement by
reversing the vertical position of the two connected vessels, as substantially
described herein & set forth in the drawings No. 2.
3. The construction of a pedestal fountain worked by atmospheric pressure
consisting of two cylinders sliding into each other & recharged by once lifting &
depressing the inner cylinder as substantially set forth in the accompanying drawing
Fig. 3.
4. The construction of an automatic fountain on an ornamental pillar or dressing
table with two or more jets consisting of two vessels sliding into each other & worked
by combining gravity & atmospheric pressure as substantially described herein &
set forth in Fig. 4.
5. The construction of a self-acting aquarium fountain consisting of two vessels
easily inverted on a tap-plug placed in the centre of a frame stand as substantially
described & set forth in the accompanying drawing Fig. 5.
THOS. BATTY,
Applicant.