IMPROVEMENTS IN DRINKING AND ORNAMENTAL FOUNTAINS, AND IN PILLAR AND OTHER GRAVITATION WELLS
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Patrick Mickel at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 27th September 1879.
PATRICK MICKEL, of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North Britain, Plumber,
and Brassfounder. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRINKING AND ORNAMENTAL FOUNTAINS,
AND IN PILLAR AND OTHER GRAVITATION WELLS."
This Invention, which relates to improvements in drinking fountains, and in
fountains employed for ornamental purposes, and also to improvements in pillar
and other public and private wells, through which, when desired, the water is
caused to flow by gravitation, has for its object to prevent the freezing of the
water in the fountain or well whereby the supply becomes stopped, and further to
prevent the continual running and waste of water from the delivery pipes or
nozzles of fountains or wells when it is desired that no water should pass
therethrough, and likewise in winter time to prevent an accumulation of ice
around the fountain or well; all of which frequently happens with fountains and
wells as ordinarely constructed.
The Invention consists in providing the fountain or well with two valves, one of
which is a delivery and the other an escapement valve. These valves are situated
in separate casings, or in separate compartments of one casing, connected together
by a pipe or passage; a branch from one side of the delivery valve casing com-
municates with the delivery pipe or passage of the well or fountain, whilst the
bottom or lower end of the said casing communicates with the main pipe or other
source of supply.
A
The bottom or lower end of the escapement valve casing communicates with the
drain or sewer. Each valve is provided with a spindle, and a lever is centred on
the delivery valve casing, to which lever the said spindles are attached in such a
manner that whilst one valve is open the other is firmly closed upon its seat.
weight is placed on or hung from the free end of the lever, which is also connected
to a vertical or inclined rod or its equivalent passing upwards through the pillar of
the well or fountain, and provided with a knob, handle, or key, or the equivalent
thereof at its upper end. When the said lever is raised by means of the rod the
delivery valve is lifted from its seat, and water is thereby allowed to pass through
71

page_text: the delivery pipe or passage of the well, and when, by releasing the vertical rod or
spindle, the lever is caused to fall by the weight on its end the said delivery
valve is closed and the escapement valve opened. The water standing in the
vertical pipe or passage of the well or fountain then passes off into the drain or
sewer through the said escapement valve, and thereby freezing of water in and
around the well is prevented.
The valve arrangement constituting this Invention is placed in a chamber or
casing at such a depth from the surface of the ground as to prevent freezing of the
valves on their seats, and this is or may be further insured or facilitated by filling
the said casing with sawdust or other equivalent material capable of assisting to
resist the penetrating action of frost.