Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1898
CARBO DUNAFIDE, UL OU, via degi zingari, Koine, in the
Kingdom of Italy, Engineer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Paten Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
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 has for its object an improved automatic funnel which is shown
as an example in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical
section, Figure 2 a plan view, Figures 3 and 4 detail views.
This funnel is composed of
u) a hemispherical basin U into which the liquid is to be poured, and in the
bottom of which there is an annular hole C ;
b) a straight hollow cylinder 1 soldered to the lower part of the
vessel U;
e) a piece E forming a kind of tapering ring soldered at top of the cylinder I,
the edge of said ring being of smaller section and remaining perpendicular to
the axis of the cylinder I and free in the interior of the latter.
6 holes M are
made round the cylinder beneath the part E:
d) a regular hollow parallelopipedou H of very light metal (thin tinned iron or
aluminium) which is actually a float. It has adhering to its square upper end a
small rubber disc or ring G and is inserted with this end up in the cylinder I.
The lateral edges of the float rub with slight friction against the inner surface of
the cylinder I;
e) a bracket S in the form of a reversed U soldered by its two feet to the bottom
of the hemispherical basin U. This bracket S has two cross bars A and N having
each a hole in their centres, the said holes being of equal diameter and correspond-
ing one with another and also with the hole C;
f) a ring V soldered on a spindle K having a small circular plate L somewhat
larger than the hole C on which plate L there is a small indiarubber disc D;
g) a sieve or wire netting disc B at the bottom of the vessel U and which serves
to retain impurities;
h) two holes O formed diametrically opposite one another in the lower part of
the part I through which holes a small metal cross bar or cotton thread is placed
to arrest the fall of the float.
The material preferably employed in the construction of the funnel is tinned iron
but of course it may be varied to suit industrial or economic exigencies. This
automatic funnel has for its principal object to arrest the inflow of liquid into
receptacles, at a given height even if the receptacles be formed of opaque material
which would prevent the rise of the liquid being seen.

page_text: The advantages of this improved funnel are as follows:-
Overflowing and partial dispersion of the liquid is avoided, thus preventing the
table cloth or the like from being soiled, and also effecting economy in time and
liquid. Similar receptacles can all be filled to the same height. The funnel can be left
alone when at work. If the funnel be inserted in a bottle and the internal passages C
& F be open, the liquid will flow freely to the bottom and when the level of the
liquid rises to the orifice F it will stand at the same level in the neck of the bottle.
If the pouring of liquid be continued into the funnel the bottle would necessarily
overflow as often happens by mischance with ordinary funnels. In order to entirely
avoid this drawback a means of interception must be placed below the orifice F
having an opposing force equivalent to the weight of a column of liquid which has
for its base the surface created by the edge F and for height the distance existing
between this surface and the upper edge of the funnel. The float E by reason of
being submerged moves from below upwards with a force equivalent to the weight
of a volume of liquid equal to the volume of the float less the weight of the float
itself.
If therefore the construction of the float be such that its buoyant force is superior
to the pressure of the column of liquid in the basin, the rubber surface of the float
will press on the edge F and close it hermetically with a pressure due to the
difference of these two forces, thus preventing any further descent of the liquid and
this is what happens in this case. If there be in the funnel a surplus of liquid
the latter would continue to flow when the funnel is removed from the receptacle
unless the ring V be grasped. This action of grasping or pulling the ring V causes
the ring C to be hermetically closed, thus stopping the passage of the liquid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The improvement in funnels which consists in providing same with a float
adapted to rise and automatically stop the flow of liquid when a given level
has been reached in the vessel being filled, substantially as hereinbefore set
forth.
2. In a funnel, the means for stopping the flow of liquid therefrom and enabling
the funnel to be removed whilst still containing liquid, comprising a bracket such
as S and a vertical spindle such as K mounted in said bracket and carrying at its
lower end a disc adapted to close the funnel orifice, substantially as herein before
described.
3. The general construction and combination of parts taken as a whole forming
the improved funnel substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
Dated this 17th day of September 1898.