CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DRINKING FOUNTAINS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Jenkinson, of the City of Manchester,
Cotton Spinner, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DRINKING
FOUNTAINS."
Sealed the 27th March 1863, and dated the 15th October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Jenkinsön
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the
15th October 1862.
i
1.
I, JOHN HENRY JENKINSON, of the City of Manchester, Cotton Spinner, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRINKING FOUNTAINS," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to economise water and to prevent the spilling
of the water on the footpaths adjoining public drinking fountains. The main
feature of novelty consists in causing the water to be drawn into the mouth of
the drinker by suction.
My improved drinking fountains consist of a vessel in the form of a large
shell or other convenient form, covered or partly covered with ornamental iron
or other work, in which are one or more glass or other tubes; these tubes
project sufficiently for the person who wishes to drink to apply his mouth to
them and to draw up the water. Or the tubes may be kept clean by allowing

page_text: water to percolate through perforations in a tube surrounding the mouth-piece.
The suction tube may also be in communication with a vessel attached to a
balanced lever or rod connected to a valve in a cistern, so that when the water
has been drawn out of the vessel a fresh supply is admitted from the
cistern.
A modification of my Invention consists in suspending or connecting the
drinking tubes or spouts to a tap, so that when the tube or spout is taken into
the mouth the tap is partly turned to allow the water to flow, and when
the person who has been drinking lets go of the tube or spout, the tap is
closed by the tube or spout regaining its original position, thus shutting off the
water and preventing waste.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Jenkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JENKINSON, of the City of Manchester, Cotton Spinner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Henry Jenkinson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Jenkinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Henry Jenkinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DRINKING FOUNTAINS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Henry Jenkinson, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Jenkinson, do hereby
declare the nature.of.my said Invention, and in what manner the same is:
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the.
following statement (that is to say) :—
The nature of my Invention consists in applying tubes to drinking fountains
through which the water is drawn into the mouth of the drinker by suction,
thus economising the water and preventing the spilling thereof on the adjoining
footpaths.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried.
into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Draw-
ings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon..
Figure 1 is an elevation, Figure 2 an edge view, and Figure 3 a plan,
representing a public drinking fountain constructed according to my improve-
ments.
a is a vessel in the form of a large shell or of any other convenient form,
made of cast iron or other suitable material; this vessel is secured to the wall
plate b, to the back of which is fixed the cistern c; the pipe d near the bottom
of the cistern supplies water to the tubes e, e, made by preference of glass or
porcelain, and from which the water is drawn into the mouth of the drinker
by suction. The water in the cistern c is supplied by the pipe f and tap 9, the
plug of which is furnished with a float lever h to maintain the water at the
proper level in the cistern. The upper ends of the tubes e, e, are a little below
the level of the water in the cistern, so that the water is at all times flowing
over the top of the tubes to keep them clean. The overflow is carried off by
the pipe, which is in communication with a drain; and the interior of the
vessel a is covered or partly covered with ornamental iron or other work, as
shewn by the leaves in Figure 3.
.
Figure 4 represents a mode of applying my improvements to a drinking
fountain of the ordinary construction. The vessel ; receives the water from
j
the ordinary supply pipe k, and to the lower part of the vessel j is attached a
pipe for conveying the water to the tube e, similar to those shewn in
Figure 1.
A modification of my Invention consists in suspending or connecting the
drinking tubes or spouts to a tap, so that when the tube or spout is taken into
the mouth, the tap is partly turned to allow the water to flow, and when the
person who has been drinking lets go of the tube or spout, the tap is closed.by
the tube or spout regaining its original position, thus shutting off the water
and preventing waste.
'

page_text: From the foregoing description and Drawings it will be seen that the water
is economised, the spilling on the footpaths prevented, and the cups or cans
usually required are dispensed with.
In witness whereof, I, the said John. Henry Jenkinson, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of 5
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN HENRY JENKINSON. (L.S.)