AN INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LIQUIDS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Bain, of Westbourne Park Road, Padding-
ton, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN INSTRUMENT
OR APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 1st February 1856, and dated the 20th August 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Bain at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
August 1855.
'I, ALEXANDER BAIN, of Westbourne Park Road, Paddington, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Ax
INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LIQUIDS" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a hollow vessel, formed of glass, porcelain, or
other suitable material, capable of containing liquid matter, having a flat
elongated mouth, into which is inserted an absorbent substance, such as felt,
through which the liquid passes, so as to admit of its being equally distributed
by the pressure of the absorbing substance, fixed in the mouth of the vessel
against the surface of the material, which is required to have a portion of the
liquid contained in the vessel distributed over the whole or any portion of its
surface. To refill the vessel when the liquid has been wholly used up, it is
only necessary to withdraw from the mouth of the vessel the absorbing sub-
stance, and dip the vessel mouth upwards in a quantity of the liquid intended

page_text: to be contained therein, or by the ordinary method of pouring into the mouth
of the vessel. Although a single piece of any absorbent substance will be
found to answer well when fixed in the mouth of the hollow vessel to deliver
the liquid equally over any surface, yet I prefer to place in the mouth of the
vessel a thin plate of metal, over which I first fold and attach thereto an
absorbent material, in order to give it more firmness, so that it can be inserted
into and withdrawn with greater facility from the mouth of the vessel and
without loss of shape.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Bain in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
BAIN, of Westbourn Park Road, Paddington, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alexander Bain, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander Bain, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Bain, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR
DISTRIBUTING LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alexander Bain, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Bain, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-

page_text: My Invention consists of a hollow vessel, formed of glass, porcelain, or other
suitable material, capable of containing liquid matter, having a flat elongated
mouth, into which is inserted an absorbent substance, through which the liquid
passes, so as to admit of its being equally distributed by the pressure or contact
of the absorbing substance, fixed in the mouth of the vessel against the surface
of the material; which is required to have a portion of the liquid contained in
the vessel distributed over the whole or any portion of its surface. To refill
the vessel when the liquid (say water) has been wholly used up, it is only
necessary to withdraw from the mouth of the vessel the absorbing substance,
and dip the vessel, mouth upwards, in a quantity of the liquid to be contained
therein; or it may be refilled by having the liquid poured into the mouth in
the usual way. Although a single pièce of any suitable absorbent substance,
such as felt or thick woven cloth, will be found to answer well when fixed in
the mouth of the hollow vessel to deliver the liquid equally over any surface,
yet in some cases' it may be preferable to place in the mouth of the vessel a
thin plate of metal or other hard substance, over which I first fold and attach
thereto the absorbent material, in order to give it more firmness, so that
it' can be inserted into or withdrawn with greater facility from the mouth of
the vessel.
....
When my instrument is used for damping the surface of paper which is to
receive adhesive-postage or other stamps, or the surface of linen or any other
material to receive adhesive labels, water is only required for the purpose;
but as one or more of my instruments can be used, placed side by side to
distributé éither a single color or several colors "at one "operation; so that the
edges of the color may be separated or softly blended together, it is only
necessary to place the instruments, within a suitable frame to hold them, as
shewn by the accompanying Drawing, where similar Figures, represent the
same parts throughout.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
***Figure 1 represents a plan view of the hollow round vessel, with its flat
elongated mouth for containing the liquid, whether water or color; Figure 2,
an edge view. of a portion of the said vessel, shewing the. flat end of the
elongated mouth; and Figure 3, a view of the mouth end of my instrument.
a is the hollow vessel; b, b, the mouth; c, the felt inserted therein.
Figures 4 and 5 shew a plan and a view at the mouth end of the hollow
vessel, the form of which is rather tapering from one end towards the flat
mouth. The sides of this vessel, which are parallel to the elongated mouth, are
flat, in order that the mouth of the vessel may lay horizontal when the instru-
ment is not in use.

page_text: Figures 6 and 7 represent another adaptation of my instrument, so as to
admit of its standing mouth upwards instead of laying horizontally. Figure 6
is an elevation of the vessel, and Figure 7 a plan view of the top or mouth
end. In this form of vessel it is necessary to lengthen the absorbing substance
to the depth shewn by the dotted lines d, d.
Figure 8 is a plan view of the piece of felt inserted into the hollow vessel;
Figure 9, a plan view of a metal plate intended to be covered with felt or
cloth; and Figure 10 is an edge view of the same covered with felt.
Figures 11 and 12 shew plan and mouth end views of three of my instru-
ments, combined and placed side by side within a suitable frame, in the manner
shewn, formed of wood or other material. These vessels may contain different
colored liquids, which may be distributed equally over a required surface. The
edges of the color may be either made to blend together or otherwise. When
the color is required to blend together, say, similar to the colors of the rainbow,
it is only necessary that the felt should be shaped as shewn at Figure 8, which
will bring the edges in contact. Although in these Figures I have shewn the
three instruments all of one size, yet the diameter of each vessel and its mouth
may be varied, according to any width of color intended to be distributed; or
the frames to hold the same may be differently arranged, or any desired number
of vessels may be used.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I beg to state that I rest my claim to
novelty in constructing the vessel for holding liquid with a flat elongated mouth,
suitable for receiving and readily withdrawing when required the absorbing
substance, in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Bain, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
ALEXANDER BAIN. (L.S.)