IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUND FAUCETS
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Bristow Hunt at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
August 1873. A communication from abroad by William
Stivers Bate, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
-
I, BRISTOW HUNT, of Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUND FAUCETS," (a communication to
me from abroad by William Stivers Bate, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States of America) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in improvements in compound faucets,
whereby two different liquids or a mixture of both may be directed into
either of two distinct discharge pipes or nozzles.
A faucet of this kind adapted especially for bath room use, and
intended to take the place of several faucets, commonly required to
regulate the supply of hot and cold water for the tub and shower bath, is
constructed as follows:-' -The plug of the faucet is adapted to a vertical
opening of corresponding shape in a casing in which it is retained in the

page_text: present instance by a nozzle screwing on the end of the plug, a
suitable packing intervening between the nozzle and the casing to
prevent leakage. The plug may however be retained in position by an
ordinary nut, and the nozzle form a part of the casing. To the casing
of the faucet are attached the cold and hot water supply pipes,
communicating through passages in the casing, and through a port in
the plug with the interior of the same and with the nozzle. In the
surface of the plug is a recess, which at times forms a communication
between the cold or hot water pipes, or both, and a pipe communicating
with the shower bath apparatus.
On turning the plug, say to the left, the port in the plug will be first
brought opposite the cold water pipe, the water from which will pass
through the port and nozzle into the bath tub. By continuing to turn
the plug in the same direction, the port will be brought opposite both
supply pipes, when a mixture of hot and cold water, which may be
graduated as desired by the adjustment of the plug, will be caused to
flow through the nozzle into the tub.
A further movement of the plug in the same direction will cut off the
cold water, and permit hot water only from the hot water pipe to flow
from the nozzle.
A portion of the full circumferential surface of the plug, cuts off the
whole supply of both and cold water to the nozzle when brought
opposite the supply pipes, but when the plug has been further moved in
the same direction as before, the recess in the plug is first brought
opposite the cold water pipe, then opposite both supply, pipes, and finally
opposite the hot water pipe only; a supply of cold water or of mixed
cold and hot water, or hot water alone being thus directed to the
shower bath pipe as desired, through the channel formed by the said
recess.
The faucet is closed and the supply cut off from both the nozzle and
shower bath pipe, when another portion of the full circumferential
surface of the plug is opposite the supply pipes, and when the parts are
in this position, a groove in the plug is brought opposite the shower bath
pipe and conveys the waste from the same into a central opening of the
valve, whence it is discharged through the nozzle.
.
..I combine with the faucet an indicator, which consists simply of a
pointer on the plug or on its stem, and which in connection with radial

page_text: marks on the top of the casing indicates the position of the port recess
or groove, and determines the temperature of the water discharged from
the nozzle or shower bath pipe.
The compound faucet may be used for various purposes, and in some
cases where but one discharge pipe or nozzle is required the port in the
plug and nozzle may be dispensed with, and the supply pipes combined
with the recess in the plug and shower bath pipe only.
A compound faucet adapted more particularly for wash stands is
provided with a fixed stem, the upper portion of which consists of a plug
to which is adapted an enlargement which can be turned on the stationary
plug to any desired point. There are three passages in the stem and
plug, the first communicating with the hot water pipe, the second with
the cold water pipe, and the third with a branch to which is attached
one end of a hose, the other end of which has a nose through a number
of perforations in which water can be projected for shampooing
purposes.
When the spout has its orifice brought directly in front of the hot and
cold water passages water flows from both through the spout into the
wash stand basin. On turning the spout a short distance, say to the left,
hot water alone escapes into the basin, and on turning the spout in a
contrary direction to a limited extent, cold water only passes into and
through the spout. On turning the spout to another position, an internal
recess in the enlargement of the spout, which embraces the plug, forms
a communication between the port of the cold water apparatus, and the
port communicating with the shampooing apparatus, and by turning the
spout a little further in the same direction, the recess communicates with
both hot and cold water passages and transmits a mixture of the two
graduated in temperature, as circumstances may suggest to the
shampooing device. But on turning the spout to another position all
communication between it and the passages in the stem of the faucet is
cut off.