fountain Feeders, Applicable for Feeding Oil to Lamps, and for other similar Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: fountain Feeders, Applicable for Feeding Oil to Lamps, and
for other similar Purposes.
I, FREDERICK HENRY SMITH, of Harefield, Winchmore Hill, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleınan do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
**IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING LIQUIDS KNOWN AS BIRD-FOUNTAIN
FEEDERS, APPLICABLE FOR FEEDING OIL TO LAMPS, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES" to be as follows:-
It is well known that apparatus for feeding liquids constructed on the principle
of the ordinary bird fountain is extremely useful for many purposes but it is incon-
venient in practice because it is necessary to turn the "fountain" bodily into a
certain position when it is required to fill it with liquid. In some cases this is
exceedingly objectionable as for instance in the case of an oil lamp; and the object
of my present invention is to provide a means of filling the "fountain" while still
standing in its normal position, and without allowing the liquid to overflow from
the lip of the "fountain" while the filling operation is being performed.
In order to effect this object I form the "fountain". with a suitable opening at
its upper part through which it may be charged with liquid. This opening is
closed airtight when the apparatus is in use, by any suitable cover so arranged,
adapted and combined with an automatically acting stop valve or cock in connec-
tion with the outlet for liquid from the "fountain" that whenever the said cover is
removed to allow the "fountain" to be filled, the said removal of the cover shall
cause or allow the said stop valve or cock to close and to prevent the escape of
liquid from the "fountain" until the cover is replaced and the stop valve or cock
is thereby opened. The connection between the cover and the valve or cock may
consist of any suitable mechanical devices arranged so that the removal or opening
of the cover shall either act positively to close the valve or cock or negatively to
allow it to be closed by a spring or weight and so that the replacing or closing of
the cover shall either act positively to open the valve or cock, or negatively to
allow it to be opened by a spring or weight.
In some cases, as for instance when the apparatus is applied for feeding the
burner or burners of an oil lamp, I provide a supplementary chamber underneath
the "fountain" in such manner that the valve or cock shall regulate the admis-
sion of liquid into such lower chamber for the supply of any required number of

page_text: burners, thus rendering unnecessary a cock or valve for each separate burner.
I also provide a dish or save-all round the lip of the "fountain" outlet (which in
that case forms the burner of the lamp) for the purpose of receiving and catching
any liquid which may escape therefrom during the short period occupied by
removing or opening, or replacing or closing, the cover, and I sometimes connect
the said dish or save-all by a suitable pipe or passage with a reservoir for receiving
an accumulation of liquid so escaping into the dish or save-all.
Apparatus of this kind furnished with my said improvements is applicable to a
great variety of purposes, for example, for filling a number of vessels to a certain
level automatically, as in the case of a number of beer barrels filled from one vat
or a number of baths from one cistern, without fear of the liquid overflowing, as
the further flow of liquid is stopped as soon as the required level is reached.
also applicable to sanitary flushing apparatuses and other purposes.
It is

page_text: improvements in apparatus for Feeding Liquids known as Bird-
fountain Feeders, Applicable for Feeding Oil to Lamps, and
for other similar Purposes.
I, FREDERICK HENRY SMITH of "Harefield," Winchmore Hill, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
sheet of Drawings and to the letters and Figures marked thereon:―
It is well known that apparatus for feeding liquids, constructed on the principle
of the ordinary bird-fountain, is extremely useful for many purposes, but it is incon-
venient in practice because it is necessary to turn the "fountain or cistern bodily
into a certain position when it is required to fill it with liquid. In some cases, this
is exceedingly objectionable, as for instance in the case of an oil lamp; and the
object of my present invention is to provide a means of filling the "fountain "
while still standing in its normal position, and without allowing the liquid to
overflow from the lip or cup of the "fountain" while the filling operation is being
performed.
"
In order to effect this object, I employ the arrangements illustrated in the
Drawings hereto annexed in which Figure represents a half elevation and half
vertical section of an oil lamp constructed with my improvements applied thereto.
I form the "fountain" or cistern A (see Figure 1) with a suitable opening at its
upper part through which it may be charged with liquid. This opening is closed
airtight, when the apparatus is in use, by any suitable cover C so arranged,
adapted and combined with an automatically acting stop valve or cock D in con-
nection with the outlet E for liquid from the fountain," that whenever the said
cover is removed to allow the fountain to be filled, the said removal of the cover
shall cause or allow the said stop valve D to close and to prevent the escape of
liquid from the "fountain" until the cover is replaced and the stop valve or cock D
is thereby opened. The connection between the cover C and the valve D may
consist of any suitable mechanical devices arranged so that the removal or opening
of the cover C shall either act positively to close the valve or cock, or negatively
to allow it to be closed by a spring or weight, and so that the replacing or closing
of the cover shall either act positively to open the valve or cock, or negatively to
allow it to be opened by a spring or weight. In Figure 1 this connection consists
of a spindle or stem F connected to, or formed with, the valve D; when the
cover C is screwed into the opening so as to make an airtight joint round the said
opening by means of the elastic washer G, its lower end comes against the upper
eud of the spindle or stem F and presses it downwards so as to open the valve D
as shown and allow of the passage of liquid through the pipe H to the bird-
fountain cup I; and when the cover C is unscrewed for the purpose of allowing
more liquid to be placed in the "fountain" A, the spring J pushes up the valve D
so as to close the communication between the fountain" A and the cup I until
the cover C is again screwed into its place in the opening. Figure 2 shows how the
connection between the cover C and the valve D may be arranged so that both the
opening and closing of the cover C act respectively to shut and open the valve
positively. In this case, the cover C is hinged to the "
"
fountain at C, and has
2
--

page_text: connected to it one end of a spring K the other end of which is connected to the
spindle F of the valve D. It will be obvious that when the cover C is opened by
turning it on its hinge at C, the valve D is drawn up to its seat by the spring K
acting on the spindle F, and that when the cover is closed by turning on its
hinge at C, the valve D is pushed away from its seat by the said cover pressing on
the end of the spindle F. The spring L is adapted to act on the squared end of
the hinged part of the cover so as to either keep the said cover C in its closed
position with the valve D open, as shown in the Figure, or to hold the cover open
with the valve D closed. The cover C may be made to close airtight round the
opening by means of an elastic washer G as in the case illustrated in Figure 1.
In some cases, as for instance when the apparatus is applied for feeding the
burner or burners of an oil lamp, I provide a supplementary chamber M, sec
Figure 1, underneath the "fountain," in such manner that the valve or cock D
shall regulate the admission of liquid into such lower chamber for the supply of
any required number of burners (two only are shown in the Figure, but it is
obvious that any required number may be arranged to radiate from the chamber M)
I also
thus rendering unnecessary a cock or valve for each separate burner.
provide a dish or save-all N round the "fountain" outlet or cup I (which either
forins the burner, or has the burner secured thereto, as shown in Figure 1) for the
purpose of receiving and catching any liquid which may escape therefrom through
the overflow holes V during the short period occupied by removing or opening, or
replacing or closing the cover, and I sometimes connect the said dish or save-all by
a suitable pipe or passage O with a reservoir P for receiving any liquid so escaping
into the dish or save-all and overflowing therefrom through holes in its side or
bottom into the funnel O¹ of the said pipe O. This reservoir P may also form the
stand and base of the lamp as shown, and it may be arranged to unscrew from the
upper part as at Q for convenience of emptying it when required. The "fountain
with the burners may be detached from the stand by unscrewing the union nut R,
and the valve D can then be got at for repairs or cleaning by removing the screw
plug S.
"
Apparatus of this kind, furnished with my above described automatic valve
arrangement, is applicable to a great variety of purposes, for example for filling a
number of vessels to a certain level automatically as in the case of a number of
beer barrels filled from one vat, or a number of baths from one cistern, without
fear of the liquid overflowing as the further flow of liquid is stopped as soon as the
required level is reached. It is also applicable to sanitary flushing apparatuses
and other purposes..
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
"
"
In apparatus for feeding liquids known as bird-fountain feeders, the use of a
stop valve or cock in the outlet of the " fountain or cistern, such valve or cock
being so connected to, or combined with, the cover closing the upper opening of
the "fountain or cistern that the opening and closing of the said cover causes or
allows the valve or cock to close and open the outlet of the fountain or cistern
substantially as herein before described, and illustrated in the Drawings hereto
annexed, and for the purpose specified.
2000