US988076A - Faucet-operating device. - Google Patents

Description

P. A. & W. F. BRIGHT. FAUOET OPERATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1910.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

FRED A. BRIGHT AND WILLIAM F. BRIGHT, OF SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA.

FAUCET-OPERATING DEVICE.

Application filed May 31, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRED A. BRIGHT and VILLIAM F. BRIGHT, citizens of the United States, residing at Santa Cruz, in the county of Santa Cruz and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Faucet-Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a faucet controlling mechanism.

It consists in the combination of parts and in details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a view at right angles with Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a double washstand with supply pipes and pedals.

In places where public faucets are used, and more particularly in schools, they are of such character that they may remain open and are often left in that condition, and the water is wasted. To overcome this objection a class of faucets is employed in which the faucet must be held open while the water is running and will close instantly on the release of the faucet control. WVhile such faucets insure a saving of water, they are not convenient, because in public schools it is particularly desirable that children may obtain drinking water without the use of a cup which is common to a great many persons and liable to carry diseases, and also that they may wash their hands with running water. It is manifest that with the automatically closing faucet it is not possible to wash the hands and at the same time hold the faucet open.

It is the object of our invention to provide a means by which the faucet may be held open while the water is being used, and will automatically close as soon as the user leaves. For this purpose, we have shown the conducting supply pipe A provided with a faucet or valve inclosed, as at 2, and this valve is operated by means of compression arms or levers 3, which are normally separated by a spring or equivalent means so that the valve will remain closed.

In our invention we have shown a ring 4: fixed to the upper end of a stem or rod 5, this ring inclosing the convexly curved valve controlling arms 3 and having an interior diameter such that when the ring is pushed upwardly it will compress these arms and thus open the valve. When released, it will Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Serial No. 564,035.

drop to a point where the valve will be allowed to close automatically. In order to operate this mechanism without using the hands, and thus allow the user to wash the hands with the stream of running water delivered through the faucet, we have shown a lever-arm 6, to which the lower end of the rod is connected. This lever arm may 6X- tend through the wall 7, which will be at the front of the washstand position, and it is pivoted to a bracket or fixture, as shown at 8, which is conveniently located beneath the washstand. From this arm 6 a downwardly and forwardly extending portion 6 leads to a point conveniently located in front of the washstand. This arm may be sufficiently below the floor at this point to be out of the way, and the floor may be slotted or otherwise perforated to allow the arm to move freely. At the outer end of this arm 6 is an upwardly extending stem, having upon the upper end a plate or pedal 10, which is sufficiently above the floor level so that a person approaching to use the washstand can place the foot upon the pedal 10, depressing it and tilting the lever 6 about the fulcrum 8 so that through the rod 5 the ring 4 will be forced up and compress the faucet controlling arms 3 so as to open the faucet. Water will thus flow as long as the foot re mains upon the pedal 10, and when the user leaves the apparatus will return to its normal position, either by gravitation, if the arm 6 is sufficiently weighted, or by the aid of a spring.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. The combination with a faucet and the controlling arms thereof, of a fulcrumed foot lever and pedal, a rod connected with the opposite end of the lever from the pedal, and means carried by the said rod to engage the arms and open the faucet.

2. The combination with a cook or valve having compression actuating levers, of a ring through which said levers pass, a fulcrumed foot lever having a pedal at the outer end, and a link connecting the inner end ofv said lever with the ring.

3. The combination with a washing or drinking water-supply, of a compression faucet having convexly curved lever arms, a ring having a smaller interior diameter than the distance between said arms when the :l'aucet is closed, and a foot-lever and connecting link by which said ring is moved to compress the levers and open the faucet.

The combination With a normally closed faucet, of a drinking or Washwvater supply, said faucet having actuating levers, of a lever having a foot pedal adjacent to the Water discharge pipe, connections between the end of the last named lever and the faucet actuating levers, whereby the said actuating levers are operated by the depression of the foot pedal, said connections including a ring movably mounted on and adapted to compress said actuating levers, said foot pedal lever and actuating levers adapted to return to their normal positions.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRED A. BRIGHT. WILLIAM F. BRIGHT. Witnesses HARRIET Rossr, GEO. F. STANLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

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