IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH LAVATORIES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Shanks, of Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED
WITH LAVATORIES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Shanks at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th August 1881.
JOHN SHANKS, of Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH LAVATORIES."
This Invention relates to water supply, discharge, and other apparatus, of or
connected with lavatories, and comprises various improvements in details.
A lavatory as made with the improvements is very suitable and convenient for
the cabins or state rooms of ships, or for any place where it is an object to save
space. The lavatory is constructed to be fixed against a vertical wall or partition,
and is made with an upper vessel or cistern for clean water, and with a lower
vessel or receptacle for used water. The basin is hinged at a level between the
two water vessels, and so that when not in use it can be turned up against the
upper vessel. A part of the basin piece extends behind the axis on which it turns,
and has two passages formed in it, the lower one being wide and serving for the
passage of the used water down into the lower vessel when the basin is turned up,
whilst the upper passage is for the supply of clean water to the basin. The clean-
water vessel or cistern is made with a projecting discharge nozzle in its bottom,
which nozzle enters an entrance opening into the upper basin passage when the
basin is turned down and its back part thereby turned up. An internal valve
closes the said discharge nozzle, and is opened by a rod or wire passing up to a
handle above. The basin and its back part may be entirely of earthenware or
metal, or the basin proper may be of earthenware and be incased in a metal shell
or frame. In some cases all the parts of the lavatory may be fitted within an
external ornamental casing, or cupboard, or cabinet, fitted with a door or doors
arranged, so as by sliding or otherwise, to be quite out of the way when opened.

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Shanks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd February
1882.
JOHN SHANKS, of Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH LAVATORIES."
My said Invention relates to water supply, discharge, and other apparatus,
of or connected with lavatories, and comprises various improvements in details,
applicable to various kinds of lavatories, and, amongst others, in combination with
apparatus described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me and
dated 22 January 1879 (No. 265).
A lavatory as made with my present improvements is very suitable and
convenient for the cabins or state rooms of ships, or for any place] where it is
an object to save space. The lavatory is constructed to be fixed against a vertical
wall or partition, and is made with an upper vessel or cistern for clean water, and
with a lower vessel or receptacle for used water. The basin is hinged at a level
. between the two water vessels, and so that when not in use it can be turned up
against the upper vessel. Some of my present improvements are however also
applicable with the basin fixed, instead of being arranged to turn up. When the
basin is movable a part of the basin piece extends behind the axis on which it
turns, and has two passages formed in it, the lower one being wide and serving for
the passage of the used water down into the lower vessel when the basin is turned
up, whilst the upper passage is for the supply of clean water to the basin. In
some cases all the parts of the lavatory may be fitted with an external ornamental
casing, or cupboard, or cabinet, fitted with a door or doors, arranged so as by
sliding or otherwise to be quite out of the way when opened.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the same,
may be properly understood, I hereunto append two Sheets of explanatory Drawings
to be hereinafter referred to, and representing modifications of lavatories as made
with my improvements.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings are
a side
elevation, a plan, and a front elevation of one modification of my improved
lavatories as made with a turning-up basin, the basin being shown as turned up in
Figure 1, and as opened or turned down in Figures 2 and 3; Figure 4 on Sheet 2
-is a-vertical-section-corresponding_to_Figures 2 and 3, and Figure 5 is a vertical
section, showing a variation in a part of the basin piece; Figures 6 and 7 are a
vertical section and a plan of my improved lavatory as made with a fixed basin.
In these Figures the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
The lavatory represented in Figures 1 to 4 is constructed partly of sheet metal,
and so that it can be fixed against a vertical wall or partition 8 by means of lugs 9
formed on it for the purpose. The cistern 10 or vessel for clean water is of a
circular form in front elevation, agreeing with the form of the movable basin 11
when the latter is turned up.. The basin 11, which with its back part 12 may be
entirely of earthenwere or metal, is represented as consisting of an inner earthen-
ware basin or basin proper, encased in a metal shell, an arrangement which I
prefer; or the basin may consist of earthenware fixed in a metal frame which does
not entirely cover the under or outer side of it. The casing of the basin 11 is
hinged by means of lugs and a horizontal spindle 13 to a casting 14 fixed
immediately beneath the clean-water cistern 10, and the effect of the weight of
the basin 11 when turned down is partly opposed by a wire spring 15 (indicated
by dotted line in Figure 3), conveniently coiled upon the spindle 13, this spring

page_text: making it easy to turn up the basin. The turning down of the basin 11 is arrested and
limited by stop projections 16 formed on the basin casing, and small blocks of rubber
are fixed in these projections to act as buffers and diminish concussive action. The
receptacle 17 for used. water is placed beneath the intermediate casting 14, being
constructed with an inward lip at the sides of its upper edge to engage and slide
upon slightly projecting flanges formed at the bottoms of the sides of the inter-
mediato casting 14, the arrangement being such that the receptacle 17 can, by
means of a handle 18, be drawn away for the purpose of being emptied, whilst a
turn-sneb or movable fastening 19 is fitted to the intermediate casting 14 to secure
the receptacle 17 when in position.
The cistern 10 is filled through an opening in a top part 20, which is formed
with sockets or seats for holding a couple of glasses 21 and a drinking-water
bottle or carafe 22, the last mentioned when in position covering the cistern
inlet 23. The cistern 10 is fitted with a discharge nozzle 24 at its bottom, the
opening into which nozzle is closed by an internal plug valve 25, fitted with a
spherical rubber plug piece, and operated by means of a rod or wire 26 passing up
to a lever on a horizontal spindle 27 having an external handle. The valve 25 is
lifted to open it, and closes by its own weight. In the modification shown in
Figure 4 the part of the basin piece which extends behind the axis is. formed with
a lower wide passage 28 for the discharge of used water down through the
intermediate casting 14 into the receptacles 17 below, and with a small upper
passage 29 for conveying clean water into the basin 11, this upper, passage having
an entrance opening into which the discharge nozzle 24 of the cistern 10 enters
when the basin is turned down. In the variation of these parts, shown in Figure 5,
the discharge passage 28 of the basin 11 is a shallow uncovered channel, and the
discharge nozzle 24 of the cistern 10 is made to project sufficiently forward to throw
the water properly into the basin. A soap dish 30 is fixed in front of the bottom
of the cistern 10, being just over the nozzle 24 when this projects, as in Figure 5,
in which case a small drain hole may be formed from the soap dish into the nozzle
by being drilled through the holding screw. The casing of the basin 11 is fitted
with a knob or handle 31 for turning it up by, and with a catch 32, which
engages with a spring latch 33 above to hold the basin in the turned-up or closed
position.
In the modification shown in Figures 6 and 7, the basin 11 is a fixture, and its
metal casing is made in the same piece with the intermediate casting 14, or part
between the cistern 10 and receptacle 17. The fixing of the basin renders it
necessary to provide a discharge valve for it, and for this purpose a simple plug
valve 3+ is used, being adapted to a valve seat at the bottom of a passage 35
formed at the back of the basin 11. The basin discharges at the bottom of its
inner side, which is carried nearly vertically downwards, there being several small
discharge holes; and there are also overflow holes at a higher point, the overflow
taking place through a small hole formed down through the valve 34. This valve 34
is worked like the water supply valve 25, by a rod 36 passing up through a tube
fixed in the cistern 10 to a lever on a spindle 37 fitted with an external handle.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The arranging or combining together of the parts of lavatories, substantially
in the improved manner herein before described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of
the accompanying Drawings.
2. The arranging or combining together of the parts of lavatories, substantially¯
in the improved manner herein before described, with certain parts modified as
herein before described with referance to Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying
Drawings.
3. The mode herein before described of connecting the movable or turn-up basin

page_text: to the fixed parts, combined with the application of the spring to oppose part of the
weight of the basin.
4. The combination as herein before described of the clean-water cistern with its
discharge valve and parts for actuating the same.
5. The mode hereinbefore described of adapting a removable used-water receptacle
to the fixed parts of the lavatory.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Shanks, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN SHANKS. (L.S.)