Improvements in and Connected with Lavatories or Washhand Basins.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 25th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887.
Improvements in and Connected with Lavatories or Washhand
Basins.
I, JOHN SHANKS, of Tubal Foundry, Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve the form or construction of
lavatories or washhand basins and also to improve the mode of making and combining
certain parts of or connected with such basins.
In carrying out my Invention I make the basin with its deepest part near the front
or with the front part as deep or nearly so as any other part so that a person washing
his hands does not require to stretch or lean over so far as when the deepest part is at
the middle or nearer the back. The contour of the top of the basin or its shape as
viewed in plan may be of any convenient form, but the discharge outlet which must
of course be at the deepest part may in some modifications be midway between the
middle and front or nearer the front. The basin with its top may be made of any
suitable material but is by preference of porcelain, and delivery nozzles for hot and
cold water are formed in the same piece with the top and with parts enclosing or
covering the tap bodies or brasswork.
The discharge or waste outlet may be fitted with a common lifting plug or it may
communicate with a standpipe at the back of the basin with the discharge valve fitted
therein; and the standpipe and bottom communicating passage may be formed in the
same piece as the basin, or in a separate piece, the discharge outlet being, in the latter
case, made with a nozzle beneath the basin to which a branch pipe, formed in the
same casting or piece with the standpipe at the back, is secured by a rod fixed by a
screw nut at the front end.
When the front part is at its middle made not much if anything deeper I make the
bottom with its lateral parts inclined down to a middle part extending more or less
across the middle from front to back, and 1 place a single discharge outlet at any
desired part of the deeper middle part or 1 form a series of small outlets along such
middle part.
Dated this Twenty sixth day of November 1886
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Connected with Lavatories or Washhand
Basins.
I, JOHN SHANKS, of Tubal Foundry Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Sanitary Engineer 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve the form or construction of
lavatories or washhand basins; and also to improve the mode of making and
combining certain parts of or connected with such basins.
In carrying out iny Invention I make the basin with its deepest part near the front,
or with the front part as deep or nearly so as any other part, so that a person washing
his hands does not require to stretch or lean over so far as when the deepest part is at
the middle or near the back.
I also adopt other improvements which with those hereinbefore referred to are
shown on two accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings, in all the figures of
which the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever
they are repeated.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the accompanying drawings is a perspective view of a
lavatory as made with one modification of my improvements; and figures, 2, and 3,
are longitudinal vertical and transverse vertical sections of the basin. The contour of
the basin, 15, or its shape as viewed in plan, may be of any convenient form, I have
however shown it as made with the back and front straight and the ends elliptical,
this form being not only pleasing to the eye but economical as regards the space
occupied and the quantity of water required to fill it whilst affording ample and
convenient capacity for washing the hands. This basin, 15, is deeper near the front
than at any other part, excepting a narrow middle smoothly rounded channel, 16,
leading to the discharge outlet, 17, which in this modification is placed at the back,
this being, all things considered, the best place for the outlet in most cases. The form
of the bottom of the basin, 15, will be easily understood on comparing figures, 2, and 3.
The lateral parts of the bottom of the basin are inclined downwards towards the
channel or depression, 16, across the middle, so that whilst there is greater depth from
right to left near the front the inclination of the bottom surfaces provides for the
complete emptying of the basin, the water draining from the sides to the middle
channel, 16, and along that channel to the outlet, 17. The discharge valve, 18, shown
in figure, 3, is a tubular plug acting as an overflow outlet, and is raised by means of a
handle, 19 any other suitable arrangement of discharge or waste valve may however
be employed.
Figure, 4, is a transverse vertical section of a basin, 15, as fitted with a common
plug discharge or waste valve, 20, to be lifted by means of a chain, the upper end of
which is conveniently attached to a plug, 21, screwed or otherwise fixed in the top of

page_text: the overflow passage, 22. The overflow passage, 22, is in this modification formed in
the material of the basin at its back, and it is shaped so as to pass into the discharge
outlet and pipe without any abrupt bend or angle. On removing the plug, 21, the
overflow passage, 22, can be easily cleaned without requiring to open any other part
of the lavatory fixings. The valve seat of the discharge or waste plug, 20, is at the
bottom of a recess or curved indentation formed in the back of the basin; and the
chain, lying in the recess and the plug, 20, are not in the way of the hands when
washing. Figure, 5, is a perspective view of a. modification of my improved lavatories
having the basin made as shown in figure, t.
Figures, 6, and 7, are transverse vertical sections showing further modifications of
the basin, 15, the bottom being made nearly flat so that the basin is near the front as
deep or nearly so as at any other part. In the modification shown in figure, 7, a
channel, 23, is formed across from front to back beneath the actual bottom of the
basin, the water finding its way into this channel through a row of holes in the basin
bottom. The discharge pipe, 24, may be connected to the middle of the channel, 23,
as shown or to any other part of it.
The basin, 15, with its top, 25, may he made of any suitable material but is by
preference of porcelain, and delivery nozzles, 26, for hot and cold water are formed in
the same piece with the top, 25, and with parts enclosing or covering the tap bodies,
or brasswork. In some cases I make separate hot and cold water nozzles, 26, as
shown in figures, 4, to 10; and in other cases I form in the material of the basin, 15,
and top, 25, passages leading from the hot and cold water valves to a single nozzle, 27,
as shown in figures, 1, 2, 3.
Figure, 8, is a perspective view of my improved basin and top as made to fix in the
corner of a room and in this case there are formed all in the same piece with the
basin, 15, and top, 25, vertical flanges, 28, to protect the wall from splashes.
When the lavatory is designed for ships' use I make the basin with a curled rim, 30,
as shown in plan in figure, 9, and in vertical section in figure, 10.
Whilst adopting
this well known form of rim I form the basin and parts connected with it otherwise
according to my present Invention.
The discharge or waste outlet of any of my improved lavatories may be fitted with
a common lifting plug as shown in figures, 4, and 5, or it may communicate with a
stand pipe, 29, at the back of the basin, 15, with the discharge valve, 18, fitted
therein; and the stand pipe, 29, and bottom communicating passage, 24, may be
formed in the same piece as the basin, as shown in figures, 3, 6, and 10, or in a
separate piece as shown in figure, 7.
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-Making a lavatory basin of the form shown in figures, 1, 2, and 3, of the
accompanying drawings, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2-Making a lavatory basin of the form shown in figures, 4, and 5, of the
accompanying drawings, substantially as herein before described.
3-Making a lavatory basin, with the top and water supply nozzle or nozzles in one
piece substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown in the accompanying
drawings.
4-Making my improved lavatory basin with either of the modifications of the
middle bottom part shown in figures, 6, and 7, of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twenix-fourth day of Aurust 1387
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.