Improved Apparatus for Facilitating the Delivery of Milk or other Liquids.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1893-Accepted, 15th July, 1893
Improved Apparatus for Facilitating the Delivery of Milk or
other Liquids.
I WILLIAM HENRY DOUGLAS of No. 6 Fleeson Grove, Ackers Street, Oxford
Road Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Artist, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates principally to improved apparatus for facilitating the
delivery of milk at dwelling houses, the object of the invention being to allow the
milkman to deliver the required quantity of milk into a can or vessel placed inside
the closed door of the house, without any necessity for knocking, ringing, or
otherwise summoning the servant or other person in charge, whereby the time
necessary for the delivery of the required quantity of milk to a given number of
houses is very considerably reduced and both time and labor economized.
It will be evident that the same invention is also equally applicable for the
delivery of beer or other liquids.
For the purposes of my invention I provide a tin can or vessel of a sufficient
capacity to contain the largest amount of milk ordinarily required to be delivered
at one time. This can or vessel is provided with a removable lid and also at or
near the top with a flat shallow spout of more than sufficient length to pass through
an opening made or provided for that purpose in the door so that the front part of
the spout, which is open at the top and closed at the end, may project such a
distance beyond the outside of the door as will enable the milkman to pour the
milk into the spout from the outside and thereby into the can or vessel inside
the door.
To the outside of the door I affix permanently a box covering the projecting end
of the spout and provided with a sloping lid having a spring lock. The milkman is
provided with a key for opening the same and on raising the lid the open part of
the spout will be uncovered and he can then pour in the required quantity of milk
and close the lid.
The lid shuts dust and air tight and no unauthorized person can obtain access
thereto. I prefer in cases where more than one apparatus is applied to the same door
to mark the lids conspicuously with the words "Milk" and "Beer" &c. respectively
so as to avoid mistakes.
The outer end of the spout should fit closely in the box so as to avoid the chance
of spilling the milk or other liquid between the two, and as the spout is permanently
affixed to the can, or vessel, when the latter is withdrawn from the door inside and
the contents emptied the can and spout can be washed and dried before replacing
them in the door. The can or vessel may be secured in place by a hook, button,
or other contrivance.
FA 1 1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Facilitating the Delivery of Milk or
other Liquids.
I WILLIAM HENRY DOUGLAS of No. 6 Fleeson Grove Ackers Street Oxford
Road Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Artist, 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 principally to improved apparatus for facilitating the
delivery of milk at dwelling houses, the object of the invention being to allow the
milkman to deliver the required quantity of milk into a can or vessel placed inside
the closed door of the house, without any necessity for knocking, ringing or
otherwise summoning the servant or other person in charge, whereby the time
necessary for delivering the required quantity of milk to a given number of houses
is very considerably reduced, and both time and labor economized.
It will be evident that the same invention is also equally applicable for the
delivery of beer or other liquids.
The nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed
or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the
annexed sheet of drawings and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the drawing is a vertical section, Fig. 2 an outside elevation and
Fig. 3 a horizontal section of a portion of a door a, with my invention shown as
applied thereto.
For the purposes of my invention I provide a tin can or vessel b of a sufficient
capacity to contain the largest amount of milk ordinarily required to be delivered
at one time. This can or vessel is provided with a removable lid c and also at or
near the top with a flat shallow spout d of more than sufficient length to pass
through an opening made or provided for that purpose in the door-a so that the
front part dx of the spout, which is open at the top, and closed at the end, may
project such a distance beyond the outside of the door a (see Fig. 1) as will enable
the milkman to pour the milk into the spout d from the outside and thereby into
the can or vessel b inside the door.
To the outside of the door a 1 affix permanently a box e covering the projecting
end dx of the spout and provided with a sloping lid f having a spring lock. The
milkman is provided with a key for opening the same and on raising the lid f the
open part d* of the spout will be uncovered and he can then pour in the required
quantity of milk and close the lid.
The lid shuts dust and air tight and no unauthorized person can obtain access
thereto. I prefer in cases where more than one apparatus is applied to the same
door to mark the lids conspicuously with the words "Milk' and "Beer" &c.
respectively so as to avoid mistakes.
The outer end of the spout d should fit closely in the box e so as to avoid the
chance of spilling the milk or other liquid between the two, and as the spout_is
permanently affixed to the can, or vessel 6 when the latter is withdrawn from the
door inside and the contents emptied, the can and spout can be washed and dried
before replacing them in the door. The can or vessel may be secured in place by
a wire loop 6x or by a hook, button, or other contrivance.
As a modification of the above I sometimes make the can or vessel 6 and spout d
in two parts as shown at Figs. 4 and 5 whereby I am enabled to dispense with the
projecting box e outside the door and to substitute therefor. a flat plate g (see
Fig. 4). The spout d instead of being attached to, or formed of one piece with the
can or vessel b is separate therefrom. It is made open at the top on the outside,
and open at the bottom on the inside as seen at Fig. 4 and slides between two
flanges at the top of the inside of the can 6 (see Fig. 5).
The milkman first unlocks the plate g and turns it down on its hinge and then

page_text: draws out the slide d as shown by dotted lines at Fig. 4. He can then pour the milk in
by the upper opening, push in the sliding spout d, and close the plate with the
spring lock. A stop i prevents the sliding spout e from being drawn out too far,
but it can easily be taken out from the inside for washing &c. when the can or
vessel a has been removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
The improved apparatus for facilitating the delivery of milk or other liquids,
consisting of the combination of a can or vessel inside the door, with a spout
passing through an aperture in the same, the outer orifice of which is closed against
unauthorized use by a lid plate or door closing with a spring lock or other suitable
device substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings
annexed.
Dated this 10th day of Inne 1893
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.