Improvements in Baths and Water Distributing Fittings therefor, the said Fittings being also Applicable to Wash Hand Basins and the like.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1886
Complete Left, 7th Feb., 1887
Complete Accepted, 5th May, 1887
Improvements in Baths and Water Distributing Fittings therefor,
the said Fittings being also Applicable to Wash Hand Basins
and the like.
I, JOHN MCLEOWNAN MCMURTRIE of 99 Portugal Street, Glasgow in the County
of Lanark Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in baths and in fittings for controlling and
distributing the supply of water thereto the said fittings being also applicable to wash
hand basins lavatories and the like, and the invention which has mainly for its object
to dispense with the use of separate cocks or valves and operating handles or levers,
for regulating the supply of hot and cold water to the various discharge orifices is
especially applicable in connection with baths having shower, douche, spray, wave or
similar attachments.
The improved water distributing apparatus consists of a shallow box or chamber
which in general may be adapted to replace the usual plate or fitting carrying the
tap levers or handles, and to which are connected the hot and cold water or other
inlets. These inlets communicate by passages with a centrally or otherwise situated
chamber serving as the distributing chamber and which is of hollow cylindrical or
conical formation and adapted to receive a hollow plug or key which acts as the
distributing valve. The water from the inlets has access to the interior of the plug
or key through orifices formed in the top or bottom, and the water passes therefrom
through a single orifice formed in the side of the hollow plug, when such orifice, on
the turning round of the plug. comes opposite any one of a series of discharge
branches with which the distributing chamber is provided. These branches lead to
the several points of discharge such as the douche, shower, spray, or other attachments
above referred to, the number of discharge orifices in the distributing chamber
corresponding to that of the attachments for the supply of water to the bath or basin.
These orifices in the distributing chamber are so situated around the casing that the
orifice in the hollow plug opens to one discharge branch at a time and preferably so

page_text: that at no position does the plug prevent the discharge of water which, to avoid wasto
and the risk of the flow of the cold water under high pressure hack through the hot
water inlet, is closed off by taps or valves with which each inlet is provided. In
general the bath or other fitting above described will be provided with three
controlling valve handles or levers, one for the cold water inlet, one for the hot inlet,
and one operating the hollow plug or key to distribute the hot or cold water or both
to the several points of discharge and a fourth may be added to let off the waste
water. The hollow plug or key and the inlet valves may cach be operated by a
spindle passing through a stuffing box in the plate cover in the ordinary way, but to
avoid the use of stuffing boxes I prefer to form upon each valve spindle a conical
shoulder which is ground to form a valve and is adapted to fit water tight a conical
seat formed in a cap or cover screwed into the outer plate of the fitting. The inlet
supply branches and the distributing chamber may be made separately and joined
together by pipes but I prefer to make the inlets, the distributing chamber and the
discharge branches in one piece as above described a covering plate being added or
the upper face of the fitting serving as a cover plate.
In adapting the improved fittings to baths I prefer to attach the same directly to
the metal of the bath, or of a canopy or cover which I fix over one end of the bath,
on the said canopy or cover 1 fix the pipes for distributing the water to the various
parts of the bath and in some cases I form recesses around the interior of it and
the interior or exterior of the walls in custing or forming the same and thereinto f
fit some of the distributing pipes which are led directly along such recesses from the
distributing apparatus attached to the cover or canopy to the several points of
discharge.
T
T
1000

page_text: Improvements in Baths and Water Distributing Fittings therefor,
the said Fittings being also Applicable to Wash-hand Basins
and the like.
1. JOHN MCLEOWNAN MCMURTRIE, of 99 Portugal Street, Glasgow in the County
of Lanark, Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in baths and in fittings for controlling and
distributing the supply of water thereto the said fittings being also applicable to
wash-hand basins, lavatories and the like, and the invention which has mainly for its
object to dispense with the use of separate cocks or valves, and operating handles or
levers, for regulating the supply of hot and cold water to the various discharge
orifices is especially applicable in connection with baths having shower, douche,
spray, wave or similar attachments.
As represented in vertical section at figure 1 and in plan at figure 2, of the annexed
drawings the improved water distributing apparatus consists of a shallow box or
chamber A, which in general may be adapted to replace the usual plate or fitting
carrying the tap levers or handles, and to which are connected the hot and cold
water or other inlets. These inlets B and C, communicate by passages with a
centrally or otherwise situated chamber D, serving as the distributing chamber and
which is of hollow cylindrical or conical formation and adapted to receive a hollow
plug or key E, which acts as the distributing valve. The water from the inlets B, C,
has access to the interior of the plug or key through orifices formed in the bottom of
the chamber A, (or it might be in the top) and the water passes therefrom through a
single orifice e formed in the side of the bellow plug E, when such orifice, on the
turning round of the plug, comes opposite any one of a series of discharge
branches F, F, F, with which the distributing chamber D, is provided. These
branches lead to the several points of discharge such as the douche, shower, spray or
other attachments above referred to, the number of discharge orifices/, /^,ƒ², in the
distributing chamber corresponding to that of the branches F, F1, F2, and the
attachments for the supply of water to the bath or basin. These orifices, ff, in
the distributing chambers are so situated around the casing D, that the orifice e in the
hollow plug E, opens to one discharge branch at a time and preferably so that at no
position does the plug prevent the discharge of water. To avoid waste and the risk
of the flow of the cold water under high pressure back through the hot water inlet
the inlets may be closed off by taps or valves G and H, with which each inlet B and
C is provided. In general the bath or other fitting above described will be provided
with three controlling valve handles or levers, one for the cold water inlet B,
one H' for the hot inlet C, and one I, operating the hollow plug or key E, to distribute
the hot or cold water or both to the several points of discharge, and a fourth may be

page_text: added to let off the waste water. The hollow plug or key and the inlet valves may
each be operated by a spindle passing through a stuffing box in the plate cover A', in
the ordinary way, but to avoid the use of stuffing boxes I prefer to form upon each
valve spindle a conical shoulder (marked on the respective spindles g, h, i) which is
ground to form a valve and is adapted to fit water tight a conical seat formed in a cap
or cover g, h, i, screwed into the outer plate A¹ of the fitting. The inlet supply
branches B, C, and the distributing chamber D, may be made separately and joined
together by pipes but I prefer to make the inlets, the distributing chamber and the
discharge branches in one piece as above described a covering plate being added or
the upper face of the fitting serving as a cover plate. In some cases as when for
example it is desired to supply water simultaneously to two or more attachments a
corresponding number of orifices e may be formed in the plug E. at suitable points.
In adapting the improved fittings to baths as indicated at figure 3 of the drawings
I prefer to attach the same directly to the metal of the bath J, or of a canopy or
cover K, which I fix over one end of the bath. On the said canopy or cover I fix the
pipes for distributing the water to the various parts of the bath, and in some cases I
form recesses around the interior of it, and up the interior or exterior of the walls
in casting or forming the same, and thereinto I fit some of the distributing pipes P,
which are led directly along such recesses from the distributing apparatus attached to
the cover or canopy to the several points of discharge.
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 :-
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved water distributing apparatus
for baths and the like substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1,
and 2 of the annexed drawings.
2. In water distributing apparatus of the kind herein described, the combination
with a vessel or chamber having inlets controlled by valves of a distributing chamber
having connected to it a series of discharge branches and a plug or key or its
equivalent, controlling the outflow of water to said branches substantially as
described.
3. In a bath having a hood or canopy the arrangement of water distributing
apparatus hereinbefore described, with reference to figure 3 of the annexed drawings.
Dated this Fifth day of February 1887.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.