provements in or connected with Plugs or Stoppers for Wash Hand Basins or the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd May, 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in or connected with Plugs or Stoppers for Wash
Hand Basins or the like.
We, THOMAS DODD & GEORGE OULTON both of 8 Stanley Street, Liverpool.
in the County of Lancaster, Brassfounders, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to plugs or stoppers for wash hand basins or the like, and
has for its object to provide a plug or stopper which can be easily adjusted to suit
any size of opening for which it is intended and perfectly maintained in such state.
At the present time the plugs or stoppers becoming worn down or out of order do
not fit accurately into the opening of the basin or the like which is objectionable,
by the use of this invention such an objection is avoided.
According to this invention, we make the body of the plug or stopper of a
yielding material or substance, such as indiarubber, and adapt two small rigid
plates (hereinafter called the upper plate and the lower plate) to the upper and
lower surfaces respectively of such material or substance, in such manner that the
yielding substance can be easily expanded between the upper plate and the lower
plate, and, when the plug has thereby assumed an accurate fit for the opening or
orifice for which it is intended, the parts can be easily manipulated to retain the
plug at such proper size.
The upper plate aforesaid may be provided on its upper side with an eyelet and
ring, like in ordinary plugs, to which the chain for retaining the plug is fastened,
and on its other side it is provided with a hollow shank, screw threaded on both its
exterior and interior, but the interior screw threads are, for the purpose hereinafter
mentioned, of a different pitch to the exterior ones.
The lower plate is also provided on one side with a hollow shank, the interior
only of which is screw threaded, the interior diameter of such shank with its screw
threads being such that this shank (with its plate) can be screwed on to the
exterior of the shank of the other plate, thereby forming, as it were, one central
pin with a plate at each end, between which plates and on which pin the yielding
material or substance, forming the body of the plug, is fitted.
It will be observed, that, to adjust the plug to the requisite size, it will be only
necessary to screw down, in any convenient way, the shanks on one another, the
plates thereupon approaching towards each other will expand the body of the plug
or stopper; when such has been sufficiently expanded to the proper size to fit the
intended opening, we take a small set or similar screw, having a head, the thread of
which corresponds to the thread which is on the interior of the shank of the upper
plate, and, by screwing this small screw from the outside and through the lower
plate tight down into the interior of the shank of the upper plate, its head will
rest tightly in or on the lower plate, thereby holding the two plates (and with them
the expanded plug) locked tightly, and so preventing them from becoming
unscrewed apart until the small screw be first undone.
While we prefer to make use of the differences in the pitches of the screw
threads as the means for perfectly maintaining the plug or stopper in its adjusted
state, it will be obvious that such means may be varied without considerably
departing from the spirit of this invention, for instance, the screw threads, instead
f. being made of a different pitch, could be made right and left handed.
1
1
"
1001
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: 2. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming the
improved plug for wash hand basins or the like substantially as set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.