IMPROVEMENTS IN WASH STANDS
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Thorburn at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th October 1876.
WILLIAM THORBURN, of Newton Stewart, in the County of Wigton, North Britain,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WASH STANDS."
This Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of wash stands
specially adapted for use in rural districts, villages, towns, or in ships where there
is no regular or public water supply, whereby these stands are made to possess some
of the advantages common to those used where such regular water supply exists.
With the ordinary construction of wash stand it is common to fill the basin with
water from a cwer or other vessel, and to let it run off' below into another vessel,
which in turn generally requires to be emptied after each use of the basin, and
the object of part of the present improvements is to remedy these inconveniences,
and it consists in constructing the wash stand with a raised back, preferably
extending the whole length of the top of the stand, and made hollow or box shaped
to hold a considerable supply of water, which may be poured in through a raised
lid or through a trumpet mouthed or filler tube as desired. The water is drawn off
from this water compartment into the wash basin as required by a tap or valve
which is preferred to be countersunk into the woodwork to allow the lid (herein-
after referred to) of the wash stand proper to be raised or opened up to rest against
the front of the water compartment. The wash stand is also constructed with a
water receptacle at the back below the level of the basin, into which the used water
from the basin is allowed to flow through an ordinary pipe connection. This lower
receptacle may run the whole length of the back of the stand and be portable, so as
to be withdrawn from the end thereof, or it may be shorter and be withdrawn from
the front, and in either case it would be enclosed by wood panelling, and with
a door through which it may be withdrawn for emptying and replacement when
required.
The upper water receptable is preferably closed in with woodwork either in the
form of panelling or fretwork, so as to give the stand an ornamental appearance
when the lid is closed down, the basin being sunk sufficiently for that purpose.
The hinged lid of the wash stand is preferred to be of polished woodwork on its
upper surface, but one feature of novelty of the present Invention consists in fitting
the under surface of this lid with a plate of silvered glass, which suits for a mirror
or dressing glass when the lid is open up against the front of the upper water com-
partment; thus this piece of furniture may be used as a wash stand and dressing
Price 2d1

page_text: table combined, and may be fitted with one or more drawers at each side of the
basin to hold toilet requisites.
The whole back of the body part or water containing receptacles may be sunk
flush or nearly so into the wall or partition of the room in which it is placed, so as
to occupy little space, and it is to be understood that the upper water receptacle
may be supplied by a pipe from any convenient water tank, say, outside the house,
and the outflow of used water may be through a pipe to any convenient drain or
other outlet.