Improvements in Lavatories and Sinks for Hospital, Surgical, Photographic, and other Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lavatories and Sinks for Hospital, Surgical,
Photographic, and other Purposes.
I, THOMAS WILLIAM TWYFORD, of Cliffe Vale Pottery, Hanley, in the County of
Stafford, Manufacturing Sanitary Potter, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to lavatories or lavatory ranges and sinks for use in
hospital operating theatres and wards, and by photographers, doctors, dentists,
chemists and others, and has to control the water supply and standing waste with-
out having to bring the hands into contact with any parts or fittings of the lavatory
or sink.
In anticeptic surgery it is essential that no parts of the hands of an operator
should come in contact with any metallic surface, or with any surface which may
have been contaminated in any way by a previous user of a sink, which precaution
is also a preventative of contagion. With regard to chemists, photographers and
dentists, my improved lavatory or sink admits of their hands being otherwise
employed during the time that water is being turned on or off or the standing
waste operation.
According to my improvements, the supply of both hot and cold water and the
opening of the waste pipe is performed by the feet, although the standing waste
may be opened by the hands.
In carrying out my invention in connection with a lavatory, one or more basins
surrounded by slabs are supported by brackets or feet, and located at the back of
euch basin is a mixing chamber in which the water supply pipe or pipes terminate
whilst its front walls are pierced with holes wherethrough hot, cold or mixed water
flows to the basin. Situated within a niche-like recess formed at the back of the
basin is a standing waste operated either by the foot from a distance, or by hand.
The valves or cocks of the hot and cold water supply are each operated by the foot
though the medium of spring cocks or valves of a mushroom or other well known
type located or fitted within and standing above the surface of a plate fitted in the
floor of the apartment and in front of the lavatory or sink. Thus the standing
waste consists of an upright and open bottomed cylinder, working in a frame and
having its end formed as a valve which takes a bearing on a seating provided in
the discharge or waste pipe, whilst its upper part is pierced with overflow holes.
Now that part of the cylinder immediately below the head is fitted with opposite
studs which work upon inclined planes or part helices formed upon the inside walls
of a sleeve or neck of the frame. Communicating with the standing waste is a
lifting rod connecting with a lever or levers operated by the foot treads, the depres-
sion of which causes the standing waste to be lifted bodily when it is required to
empty the basin.
To raise the standing waste by hand, simply rotate the same, when the pegs
travel up the inclined planes in the neck of the frame and the valve end is lifted
from its seating

page_text: When released, or the foot is taken off the tread the cylinder returns to its
seating by its own weight.
The hot and cold water supplies are each provided with separate valves having
conical or other heads arranged to be operated through the medium of rods or links
whose motion is taken from off the levers or equivalents connected to the foot treads
or studs, which are arranged at a sufficient distance from one another as to admit
of them being operated independently, but yet are within convenient reach of the
foot.
THOMAS WILLIAM TWYFORD.
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Lavatories and Sinks for Hospital, Surgical,
Photographic, and other Purposes.
I, THOMAS WILLIAM TWYFORD of Cliffe Vale Pottery, Hanley, in the County of 1
Stafford, Manufacturing Sanitary Potter, 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:-
This invention relates to lavatories or lavatory ranges and sinks for use in
hospital operating theatres and wards, and by photographers, doctors, dentists,
chemists and others, and has for its object, to control the water supply and stand-
ing waste without having to bring the hands into contact with any parts or fittings
of the lavatory or sink.
In anticeptic surgery it is essential that of the hands of an operator should not
come in contact with any metalic surface, or with any surface which may have
been contaminated in any way by a previous user of a sink, which precaution is
also a preventative of contagion. With regard to chemists, photographers and
dentists, my improved lavatory or sink admits of their hands being otherwise
employed during the time that water is being turned on or off or the standing
waste operated.
According to my improvements, the supply of both hot and cold water and the
opening of the waste pipe or the operation of the standing waste, is performed by
the feet, although the standing waste is so arranged that it may be opened by the
hands.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents, in front elevation, with part
in section, a two-basin surgical or hospital lavatory provided with foot-operated
mechanism for controlling the hot and cold water supplies and raising the stand-
ang waste, the several parts being arranged and combined according to my
invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the lavatory upon the dotted line,
Figure 1.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
The said lavatory consists of a pair of basins a¹, a2, surrounded by slabs a³,
and supported by brackets or feet a4, and located at the back of each basin is water
delivery tap or nozzle b, having a pipe b', in which both the hot and cold water
supply pipes 62, 63, terminate. The said water supplies are independently con-
trolled so that either hot or cold water alone, or mixed hot and cold water may be
allowed to flow through the tap into the basin at the will of the user.
Situated within a niche-like recess a³, formed at the back of the basin is a stand-

page_text: ng waste c, capable of being operated either by the foot from a distance or by
hand. The valves or cocks 6, 65, of the hot and cold water supplies (which cocks
or valves may be of the mushroom or other well-known type) are each operated by
the foot through the medium of pedals or treads 66, located or fitted within and
standing above the top plate d', of a casing d, fitted or let in the floor of the apart-
ment and in front of the lavatory or sink. The return or closing movement of
the valves after being opened by the depression of the treads by the foot, is effected
by a spring 69, located between the top of the valve casing and a collar, on the
stem 68. The standing waste c, consists of an upright and open bottomed cylin-
der c', having its lower end 2, provided with a coned collar, which takes a bearing
on a correspondingly coned seating e', provided in the mouth and fitting e², of the
discharge or waste pipe e, thus constituting a valve, whilst water-escape holes c,
are provided below the said collar, so that on the said waste being raised off its seat-
ing, the holes c', are brought above the level of the bottom of the basin and water
escapes through them down the discharge pipe to the drain. Communicating with
the standing waste is a lifting rod f, working through a gland e³, in the discharge
trap, jointed at its lower end f', to a lever f, operated by an independent foot
tread f³, conveniently located between and in the same casing as the treads which
control the water supply, so that the depression of the said tread f³, causes the
standing waste to be lifted bodily off its seating when it is required to empty the
basin.
The standing waste may also be so arranged that it may be lifted by hand
independent of the foot-operated lifting rod, which gives the double advantage that
it may, when occasion requires, be removed altogether from the lavatory and also
admits of the thorough cleansing of the same.
The basin slab may be provided, at one side and towards the back, with a supple-
mentary anticeptic basin g, wherein anticeptic fluid may be placed to enable en
operator or other person to readily disinfect his hands or instruments. A water-
supply tap h, may be placed conveniently above this basin, which has a plug and
waste passage g2, leading into the larger basin a', whilst a soap-dish i, may be
made on the other side of the slab.
I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise arrangements
of the water delivery pipes and supply pipes and the valves for controlling same,
the standing waste and its lifting rod and other features of the invention as herein
described, as any suitable form of valve may be employed, and instead of being
directly operated by the treads as shown, they may be opened and closed by an
arrangement of rods or links taking their motion from levers having treads upon
them, said treads being so arranged with regard to one another and the waste-
lifting tread, that they each admit of being operated independently but yet are
within convenient reach of the foot. The return movement of the valves may also
be effected by counterpoise weights. The other details of the arrangement may
also be varied without departing from the nature of my invention.
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:-
First: In lavatories or sinks for hospital, surgical photographic or other pur-
poses, opening the water delivery taps by spring-returned or counterpoised treads
operated directly by the feet and located at the front of the lavatory or sink and
preferably about on the ground level whereby the hands of a person using the sink
are prevented from coming in contact with any metallic or other surface, substan-
tially as described and set forth.
Secondly: In lavatories or sinks for hospital and other purposes, lifting or
operating the standing waste by treads operated directly by the feet and located at
the front of the lavatory or sink, preferably about on the ground level, substan-
(tially as and for the purpose described and set forth.
Thirdly-In surgical or other sinks or lavatories, the combination with hot and

page_text: cold water supply pipes leading into a common delivery pipe or mixing chamber,
whereby hot and cold water may be mixed in approximate proportions before enter-
ing the basin, of valves opened by spring-returned or counterpoised treads,
substantially as and for the purpose described and set forth.
Fourthly: The improvements in surgical and other lavatories, and the general
arrangement and combination of the foot-operated water-supply valves and .ste-
lifting mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and set
forth.
Dated th: 041 1T1 100%
THOMAS WILLIAM TWYFORD,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.