IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WASH-BASINS AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING HOT AND COLD WATER TO THE SAME, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO RATHS AND OTHER SIMILAR RECEPTACLES"
Year: 1867

page_text: Lancaster, Brassfounder. for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF WASH-BASINS AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING HOT AND
COLD WATER TO THE SAME, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO RATHS AND OTHER SIMILAR RECEPTACLES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Roberi Harlow at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition. on the
21st January 1867.
I. ROBERT HARLOW. of Heaton Norris, in the County of Lancaster. Brass-
founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WASH-BASINS AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING HOT
AND COLD WATER TO THE SAME, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO BATHS AND OTHER SIMILAR RECEPTACLES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly. to improvements in the construction of
earthenware wash-basins, and consists in having the supply pipe constructed
of earthenware to project into the basin near its top surface at right angles
to the rim sufficiently far to allow of a wide mouthed passage to be constructed
underneath and partially round it. which passage forms the overflow for
the basin, being connected to a separate pipe on the outside of the basin at
Price S 1

page_text: right angles to the supply pipe; the nose of the supply pipe being inclined
into the basin may be constructed exteriorily in the form of a leaf or figure
head so that the supply and waste openings may be entirely hidden from view.
The hoitom of such basin may be pierced with fine holes, which serve the
purpose of a grid and open into a funnel-shaped cavity on the outside of the
basin. which is also constructed of earthenware and forms the waste pipe.
Secondly, this Invention relates to the construction of apparatus for
supplying hot and cold water to baths, wash-stands, or wash-basins, and consists
of a cylindrical chamber divided into two compartments, one of which is
connected with the supply pipe, and is provided with two openings on the
side fitted with valves which open respectively into the hot and cold water
pipes, such valves being kept closed by spiral springs or by the pressure
of the water at their backs and being provided with projections into the body
of the compartment into which they open; the other compartment of the
cylindrical chamber is connected with the waste pipe and has a similar
opening on its side also provided with a similar valve which leads to the
waste pipe of the bath, wash-stand, or basin to which it may be attached.
The top or end of such cylindrical chamber is provided with a stuffing box
through which passes a rod which is continued through both compartments
and has cams set upon its length ai different angles so as to impinge upon
the valves according as it may be required to have the hot or cold water or
the waste pipe open. which operation is effected by a lever or knob attached
at the extreme end of such rod to enable it to be turned and regulated by a
dial plate and index finger.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent. filed
by the said Robert Harlow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, ROBERT
HARLOW, of Heaton Norris, in the County of Lancaster. Brassfounder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Robert Harlow. Her special license that I, the said Robert. Harlow,
my executors, administrators. and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert

page_text: Harlow, 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 lawinlly 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF WASH-BASINS AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING HOT AND COLD WATER TO THE
SAME, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Harlow
my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Robert Harlow, 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:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in the construction of
earthenware wash-basins, and consists in having the supply pipe constructed
of earthenware to project into the basin near its top surface at right angles
to the rim sufliciently far to allow of a wide mouthed passage to be constructed
partially round it, which passage forms the overflow for the basin, being
connected to a separate pipe on the outside of the basin at right angles to
the supply pipe, the nose of the supply pipe being inclined into the basin
may be constructed exteriorly in the form of a leaf or figure head, so that
the supply and waste openings may be entirely hidden from view. The
bottom of such basin may be pierced with fine holes which serve the purpose of
a grid and open into a funnel-shaped cavity on the outside of the basin, which
is also constructed of earthenware and forms the waste pipe.
Secondly, this Invention relates to the construction of apparatus for supplying
hot and cold water to baths, wash-stands, or wash-basins, and consists of a
cylindrical chamber divided into two compartments, one of which is connected
with the supply pipe, and is provided with two openings on the side fitted
with valves which open respectively into the hot and cold water pipes, such
valves being kept closed by spiral springs or by the pressure of the water at
their backs, and being provided with projections into the body of the com-
partment into which they open, the other compartment of the cylindrical
chamber is connected with the waste pipe, and has a similar opening on its
side also provided with a similar valve which leads to the waste pipe of the
bath, washi-stand, or basins to which it may be attached.
The top or end

page_text: of such cylindrical chamber is provided with a stufling box, through which
passes a rod which is continued through both compartments, and has cams
set upon its length at different angles so as to impinge upon the valves
according as it may be required to have the hot or cold water or the waste
pipe open, which operation is effected by a lever or knob attached at the
extreme end of such rod to enable it to be turned and regulated by a dial
plate and index finger.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood
I have hereunto annexed a Drawing illustrative of my improvements in
earthenware wash-basins, baths, and other receptacles, and three modifications
of my improvements in apparatus for supplying hot and cold water to baths,
wash-stands, wash-basins, and other receptacles, and for withdrawing the
contents of such receptacles. Like letters and figures being used to denote
similar parts.
Fig. 1 is a front exterior view (shewn broken to illustrate a front view of
the inlet and overflow for water), Fig. 2 a side sectional view of a wash-
basin with my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 3 is a front view in
section; and Fig. 4 a side exterior view of one modification of my improve-
ments in apparatus for supplying hot and cold water to baths, wash-basins or
other receptacles, and for withdrawing the contents of such receptacles;
Fig. is a rear view, partly in section; and Fig. 6 a side view also partly
in section of another modification of my improvements in apparatus for the
same purpose; Fig. 7 is an exterior plan; Fig. 8 a side sectional view;
and Fig. 9 is an internal view of another modification of my improvements in
apparatus for the same purpose; Fig. 10 is a plan view of a dial plate and
dial finger, a side view of which may be seen in either of the modifications of
improvements in valves; Fig. 11 is a side view, and Fig. 12 a rear or back
view of one of the valves used in the modification illustrated by Figs. 3, 4, 5,
and 6, which is illustrated separately to shew its construction and form more
perfectly.
In Figs. 1 and 2, A represents an earthenware basin; B, a design for hiding
the openings for the inlet and overflow pipes. which may assume the form
of a leaf, figure head, or any other suitable design that will hide the mouths
of the inlet and overflow pipes; C is the supply pipe, and D the overflow
pipe illustrated in Fig. 2, which overflow pipe communicates with a cavity E
surrounding the supply pipe, the entrance from the basin being situated
at F, whilst the outlet from such cavity into the overflow pipe D partially
surrounds the supply pipe C at the top side, and is illustrated at G; H is the
grid which consists of fine holes constructed through the earthenware, and

page_text: which open into the funnel-shaped mouth of the waste pipe I. The complete
basin illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 may be constructed of earthenware, so that
no metallic fittings are exposed to the action of the water. It will be readily
understood that the same arrangement of the inlet and overflow pipes and
also of the grid are equally applicable to baths and other receptacles for water
when constructed of earthenware.
In Figs. 3 and 4. J represents the body of the apparatus having two
openings at opposite sides which communicate respectively with the hot and
cold water pipes, K being the tail pipe to which the hot water pipe is
connected, and L the tail pipe to which the cold water pipe may be connected.
M is a valve fitted into the hot water opening, and N is a similar valve
fitted into the opening leading to the cold water pipe, such valves being
constructed with a perforated diaphragm O against which the pressure of the
water impinges to keep them closed, and which may be assisted, if deemed
necessary by a spiral or other suitable spring placed so as to press against the
back of the diaphragm; such valves are constructed with a trigonal-webbed
tail piece P, which projects into the body of the apparatus, as illustrated:
Q is the waste valve which closes by its own weight, and is seated upon the
top of the tail piece R, to which the waste pipe is jointed; S is a tail piece
to which the supply pipe C of the wash-basin illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2
is connected, and T is a tail piece of a union joint to which the waste pipe 1 of
Figs. 1 and 2 may be connected; U is a vertical spindle passing down the
interior of the apparatus, which is kept water-tight by means of a stufling
box, metallic bush, and packing, which spindle is provided with a projecting
cam or eccentric V, which actuates the hot and cold water valves M and N,
and the waste valve Q is linked to the bottom extremity of such spindle by
a loose swivel joint to allow of the valve accommodating itself to its seating
in the tail piece R. The spindle may be turned or actuated by means of a
knob or lever W to open or close the valves, and its position will be indicated
upon the dial plate X (shewn in plan in Fig. 10) by the index finger Y.
In Fig. 3 the waste and hot water valves are shewn closed and the cold water
valve N is open, the spindle U being in the right position, with the cam
or eccentric pointing in the direction of such open valve. The waste valve
is actuated by means of an inclined plane or wedge piece Z situated upon
the bush of the dial plate, which coming in contact with a projection on the
under surface of the spindle lever W when in the right position causes such
spindle to rise and thus open the waste valve, as illustrated in Fig. 4.
In Figs. 5 and 6 the hot and cold water valves are of the same shape and
construction as those used in the modification illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4,

page_text: and they are actuated by the horizontal spindle 4, which is similarly mounted
to the spindle U (Figs. 3 and 4). but the cam or eccentric for actuating the
hot and cold water valves is situated at the extreme end of the spindle, and is
provided on its face with a pin c, which works like a crank or eccentric for
the purpose of opening the waste valve d, which is linked to the pin c by the
connecting rod e; j is the tail piece to which the supply to the basin is con-
nected; g. the tail piece to which the waste from the basin is connected, and
is the tail piece to which the main waste pipe is jointed; i is the dial
plate; J, the actuating lever, and the index finger, illustrated in plan, in
Fig. 10, being the same as those used for Figs. 3 and 4.
In Figs. 7, 8, and 9, is the hot-water connection, and m the cold-water
connection to the body of the apparatus, each of which connections is provided
with a vertical valve n; o is the tail piece of the waste pipe fitted with a
waste valve p, which is guided by a trigonal-webbed guide piece q; r is the
tail piece to which the waste from the basin or other receptacle is jointed,
and & is the connection for the supply to the basin or other receptacle. The
valves in this modification are actuated by turning the spindle t, provided
with a radial arm a, which as it revolves comes in contact with the projecting
ends of the valves or with the guide piece of the waste valve, and thus opens
them; the said radial arm may be constructed with a bowl or wheel at its
extremity to impinge upon the projecting ends of the valves, and thus sweeten
the action.
In Fig. 8 the radial arm is shewn with the valve resting upon it in an open
position; the opening of the valves in this modification are regulated by the
dial plate and index finger w.
It will be readily apparent in all the foregoing modifications that the tail
piece to which the supply pipe to the basin or other receptacle is jointed may
be dispensed with, and that the hot and cold water may be introduced into the
basin or other receptacle through the waste pipe.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my
said Invention, together with the best methods with which I am acquainted
for carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise details, relative proportions,
or dimensions, as the same may be considerably varied without departing from
the Invention, nor do I claim the parts of the apparatus, herein-before
described, separately; but what I do claim is,-
Firstly, the construction of earthenware wash-basins, baths, and other
receptacles with the supply and overflow pipes hidden from view and the grid
formed, as herein-before described and illustrated.

page_text: Secondly, the construction, combination, and arrangements of the valves.
spindles, and other parts of the modifications of apparatus for supplying hot
and cold water to baths, wash-stands, and other receptacles, and for withdrawing
the contents of such receptacles, as herein-before described and illustrated, or
any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I. the said Robert Harlow. have hereunto set my
hand and aflixed my seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ROBERT HARLOW. (L.s.)