Improvements in Illuminated Fountains.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1899.
Complete Specification Left. 4th Apr., 1900-Accepted. 5th May, 1900
Date of Application, 4th July, 1899.
Complete Specification Left. 4th Apr., 1900-Accepted. 5th May, 1900
Improvements in Illuminated Fountains.
I, JOHN OWDEN O'BRIEN, M.I.Mech. E., of the Firm of W. P. Thompson & Co.,
of 6, Bank Street, Manchester, Liverpool, and London, in the Counties of Lan-
caster and Middlesex respectively, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows, and that it has been communicated to mo
from abroad by Henri Martin, of 19, Rue Clement-Marot, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer:-
The subject of this invention is an automatically revolving apparatus con-
cealed inside a casing supported in wrought iron work, a vase or the like, and
illuminating the water of a fountain as it rises into the air and descends again
into the vase with different colours following each other regularly and auto-
matically.
In the interior of a vase which is made of any shape to harmonise with the
general design of the fountain is placed a water tight chamber cylindrical or
prismatic as the case may be. In the top of this chamber is fixed a circular
piece of ordinary glass the diameter of which is determined by considerations
to be mentioned below, and at the bottom is a circular opening.
This chamber is held in place inside the vase by a series of supports which
determine the distance between its exterior and the inside of the vase. Across
the top of the vase and slightly above this chamber is fixed an annular tube
provided with a number of very fine nozzles or jets preferable of copper.
This annular tube is connected with the water main and when the tap con-
necting it is turned on the water passes through the holes or nozzles rising into
the air in a series of very fine jets falling again into the mouth of the vase and
escaping cascade fashion through an opening in the base.
In the water tight chamber is a fixed horizontal shaft the ends of, which can
be made square so that it will not rotate and are supported at either end by
blocks fixed to the sides of the chamber.
On this shaft rotated gently by friction is a sort of prismatic chamber pre-
ferably made of zinc, the form of which is a regular polygon with an even
number of sides (in practice it will be made hexagonal, octagonal or decagonal).
This second chamber is divided into two compartments of unequal size by a
transverse partition. The lateral sides of the larger compartment are formed
of zinc in which are made circular holes provided with coloured glasses of any
tint the only condition being that no diametrically opposed glasses shall be the
same colour.
The lateral faces of this prism are attached to one another by means of copper
half piping.
In the interior of this compartment are fixed two electric lamps supplied by
appropriate conductors and provided with suitable reflectors.
These lamps are placed in the axis of the vase in such a manner that the
upper lamp forms the apex of a cone having the circular water piping for base

page_text: and having the edges of the circular pieces of glass in the lateral sides of the
revolving chamber coincident with its sides so that the light coming from the
lamp embraces all the spray thrown up by the fountain.
The diameter of the glasses in the revolving chamber and that of the ring of
water pipe must be chosen so that none of the rays of light be stopped.
These lamps are fixed on the shaft above mentioned so that they cannot move.
The smaller compartment constitutes a sort of bucket wheel corresponding
with the prismatic lantern with the number of its buckets equal to those of the
sides of the lantern. These buckets are formed by an interior cylinder and
radial partitions provided with flanges at their extremities. At each angle of
the revolving polygon which forms the bucket wheel are fixed catches which
engage successively during the rotation of the wheel with a spring preferably of
whalebone to avoid rusting fixed to the lower part of one of the sides of the
fixed water tight chamber.
The wheel is caused to rotate by some of the water in falling passing through
a small jet fixed above the buckets of the wheel.
From the above description it will be easy to understand the working of the
invention. The prismatic lantern presents one of its glazed faces towards the
circular water piping, the lamps are lit and the water is turned on. The water
is thrown into the air, falls again into the vase, escapes at the base by the
opening where it is arranged to look like a cascade, and as the lamps are
respectively placed behind different coloured glasses the waterfall itself and the
outflow are coloured differently.
One part of the water which falls into the vase passes through the small jet
above the buckets to feed the bucket wheel falling into the bucket which corre-
sponds with the glass at the top of the lantern. When the weight of water it
contains is sufficient to overcome the resistance of the spring the lantern turns
till the next catch comes into contact with the spring. The lantern stops revolv-
ing and luminous rays of a different tint are thrown onto both the waterfall and
the outflow. The regular movement continues in this manner by the successive
filling of each of the buckets, so that when the fountain above is lit with one
colour by the upper glass the outflow below is tinted another by the lower glass.
It is possible at will to vary the number of changes of colour one at a time.
by modifying the flow of water through the feed jet of the buckets, also by
altering the strength of the spring. The flanges with which the buckets are
provided prevent the water emptying out too quickly during the rotation of the
apparatus so that there is no fear of the lantern coming to a standstill before
its partial rotation is finished or of reducing the minimum of time that it takes
to change the colours.
The apparatus thus constructed can be combined with all kinds of fountains,
vases, statues, flowers and the like. By using a number of the apparatus
together the colour effects are extremely varied and unexpected.
"
The right is reserved to modify the details of construction of the apparatus as
practical circumstances may require, for instance the lamps may be inclined to
the axis of the vase or in any other way, or the diameter of the prismatic lantern
may be diminished or the electric lamps may be replaced by acetylene. In a
word the right is reserved to make all modifications which may be necessary in
detail at the same time always keeping to the principles of this invention.
ated this 3rd day of July 1800

page_text: Improvements in Illuminated Fountains.
I, JOIN OWDEN O'BRIEN, M.I.Mech.E., of the Firm of W. P. Thompson & Co.,
of 6, Bank Street, Manchester, Liverpool and London, in the Counties of Lan-
caster and Middlesex respectively, Patent Agents (a communication to me by
Henri Martin, of 19, Rue Clement-Marot, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Engineer), do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what mannor
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
The subject of this invention is an automatically revolving apparatus concealed
inside a casing supported in wrought iron work, a vase or the like, and illuminat-
ing the water of a fountain as it rises into the air and descends again into the
vase with different colours following each other regularly and automatically.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the annexed drawings.
Fig. 1, is a transverse section through the centre of the apparatus:
Fig. 2, is a section on line 'C—1) Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a section on line A-B Fig. 1.
In the interior of a vase 1 which is made of any shape to harmonise, with
the general design of the fountain is placed a water tight chamber 2 cylindrical
or prismatic as the case may be. Tu the top of this chamber is fixed a circular
piece of ordinary glass 3 the diameter of which is determined by considerations
to be mentioned below, and at the bottom is a circular opening 4.
This chamber is held in place inside the vase by a series of supports 10 which
determine the distance between its exterior and the inside of the vase. Across
the top of the vase I and slightly above this chamber 2 is fixed an annular
tube 5 provided with a number of very fine nozzles 6 or jets preferably of copper.
This annular tube is connected with the water main and when the tap con-
necting it is turned on the water passes through the holes or nozzles rising into
the air in a series of very fine jets falling again into the mouth of the vase and
escaping cascade fashion through an opening 7 in the base.
In the water tight chamber 2 is a fixed horizontal shaft 8 the ends of which
can be made square so that it will not rotate and are supported at either end
by blocks 9 fixed to the sides of the chamber 2.
.
On this shaft rotated gently by friction is a sort of prismatic chamber 11
preferably made of zinc, the form of which is a regular polygon with an even
number of sides (in practice it will be made hexagonal, octagonal or decagonal).
This second chamber is divided into two compartments 12 and 13 of unequal
size by a transverse partition 14. The lateral sides of the larger compartment 12
are formed of zinc in which are made, circular holes provided with coloured
glasses 15 of any tint the only condition being that no diametrically opposed
glasses shall be the same colour.
The lateral faces of this prism are attached to one another by means of copper
half piping 16 as in Fig. 3.
In the interior of this compartment 12 are fixed two electric lamps 17 and 18
supplied by appropriate conductors 19 and provided with suitable reflectors. In
the example shown the back part of the lamp is covered with a sheet of brilliant
metal.
These lamps are placed in the axis of the vase in such a manner that the
upper lamp 17 forms the apex of a cone having the circular water piping for
base and when the lantern is in the position shown in the drawings having the
edges of the circular pieces of glass 15 in the lateral sides of the revolving

page_text: chamber coincident with its sides so that the light coming from the lamp
embraces all the spray thrown up by the fountain.
The diameter of the glasses 15 in the revolving chamber 5 and that of the
ring of water pipe must be chosen so that none of the rays of light be stopped.
These lamps are fixed on the shaft 8 so that they cannot move as in Fig. 3.
The smaller compartment 13' constitutes a sort of bucket wheel corresponding
with the prismatic lantern with the number of its buckets equal to those of the
sides of the lantern. These buckets are formed by an interior cylinder 20 and
radial partitions 21 provided with flanges 22 at their extremities. At each angle
of the revolving polygon which forms the bucket wheel are fixed catches 23 which
engage successively during the rotation of the wheel with a spring 24 preferably
of whalebone to avoid rusting fixed to the lower part of one of the sides of the
fixed water tight chamber.
The wheel is caused to rotate by some of the water in falling passing through
a small jet 25 fixed above the buckets of the wheel shown in 26 on Fig. 2.
:
From the above description it will be easy to understand the working of the
invention. The prismatic lantern being in the initial position as shown in the
drawings, the lamps are lit and the water is turned on. The water is thrown
into the air by the tube 6 falls again into the vase 1 escapes at the base by the
opening where it is arranged to look like a cascade, and as the two lamps 17
and 18 are respectively placed behind different coloured glasses the waterfall
itself and the out-flow are coloured differently.
One part. of the water which falls into the vase passes through the small
jet 25. When the weight of water it contains is sufficient to overcome the
resistance of the spring 24 the lantern turns, till the next catch comes into con-
fact with the spring. The lantern stops revolving and luminous rays of a
different tint are thrown on to both the waterfall and the outflow. The regular
movement continues in this manner by the successive filling of each of the
buckets, so that when the fountain above is lit with one colour by the upper
glass the outflow below is tinted another by the lower glass.
It is possible at will to vary the number of changes of colour one at a time
by modifying the flow of water through the feed jet 25 of the buckets, also by
altering the strength of the spring 24. The flanges 22 with which the buckets
are provided prevent the water emptying out too quickly during the rotation of
the apparatus so that there is no fear of the lantern coming to a stand-still
before its partial rotation is finished or of reducing the minimum of time that it
takes to change the colours.
The apparatus thus constructed can be combined with all kinds of fountains,
vases, statues, flowers and the like. By using a number of the apparatus
together the colour effects are extremely varied and unexpected.
The right is reserved to modify the details of construction of the apparatus
as practical circumstances may require, for instance the lamps may be inclined
to the axis of the vase as is shown in the drawings or in any other way, or the
diameter of the prismatic lantern may be diminished or the electric lamps may
he replaced by acetylene. In a word the right is reserved to make all modifica-
tions which may be necessary in detail at the same time always keeping to the
principles of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A device for successively and periodically illuminating in different tints
the upward jet of water in a fountain and the subsequent over-flow therefrom,
characterised by the use of an automatic device interposed between the jet of
water and the overflow, composed of a prismatic box having an even number of
faces each covered with a piece of coloured glass, revolving about a fixed axis
with an automatic movement and illuminated by fixed lights placed in its interior

page_text: enclosed in a fixed watertight casing, transparent ht its upper extremity and
open at its lower one.
2. The arrangement of a device giving to the lantern above described an auto-
matic revolving movement characterised by using a bucket wheel with divisions
equal to the number of faces of the lantern, combined with a spring arranged to
engage with projections placed at the angles of the revolving polygonal prism
of such resistance that when one of the buckets of the wheel is filled with water
derived from the fountain its weight will overcome it and so the lantern be
turned through an angle corresponding to one of its faces and is then arrested
as a result of the water being emptied from the bucket and by the spring again
coming in contact with the next projection.
Datad his Qul day of twvil 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool & London, Patent Agents.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool & London, Patent Agents.