Untitled record

Application filed May 29,1896. Serial No. 593,616. (No model,)

To all whom it may concern.·

Be it known that I, Emil Schoyen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mankato, in the county of Blue Earth and State of Min5 nesota, have invented a new and useful Fountain, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of fountains which depends for their action upon the compression of air in a reservoir by the ento trance of water into a relatively lower reservoir.from a basin or fount located above the first-mentioned reservoir, the compression of the air in the last-mentioned reservoir serving to expel the water therefrom, which is 15 delivered in a jet or spray and received into the said basin or fount, the reservoirs being connected and invertible, so that the full and the empty one can be made to change places, thereby keeping the fountain in operation, 2o the only attention necessary being to turn or invert the reservoirs, which can be effected in a moment’s time.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a fountain of the character aforesaid, and 25 known as “Hero’s fountain,” which will be of unique appearance and especially designed to be used as an aquarium, thereby keeping the water in circulation and preventing its stagnating, and which will be simple in the 30 arrangement of its parts, obviate choking of the water and air passages, and provide a stand for flowers and plants, so that the latter may receive the benefit of the jet or spray of water, the device in its entirety being com35 pact and easily manipulated and requiring but little attention to keep it in operation.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the 40 following description.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the 45 advantages thereof, and to a f ull'disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the invention in operation. Fig. 2 is a detail sec- 50 tion showing the various currents of water and air when the fountain is in operation. 1

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the reservoirs inverted.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated 55 in the several views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference-characters.

The stand for supporting the operating parts may be of suitable design, and comprises legs 1 and a flanged top 2, the latter 60 receiving the basin or fount 3, which contains the supply of water or fluid essential to the operation of the device and is of less area than the top. This basin or fount may have any desired outline and configuration and 65 may be either of glass, metal, or other material, glass being preferred when the device is to be used as an aquarium.

The top 2 has a marginal portion projecting beyond the sides of the basin or fount, and 70 this marginal portion is upturned at its outer edge, forming a guard to retain in place flower-pots or other articles placed thereon, and in the event of water spilling over the basin this marginal portion will catch the 75 same and prevent it falling upon the floor and injuring the carpet or other covering. A tubular portion 4 is centrally disposed with respect to the fount or basin and rises from the bottom thereof a short distance and is in- 80 tended to prevent the entrance therein of sand, pebbles, food, and other matter generally employed in connection with aquariums, and also to prevent fish from approaching too close to the fountain mechanism. 85

A plug 5 is horizontally disposed and is provided at its ends with tubular extensions 6, which are supported by cross-pieces having connection with the legs of the stand, so as to support the plug 5 in a horizontal position. 90 An oblique passage 7 is formed in the plug 5, about midway of its ends, and longitudinal passages 8 extend inward from the ends of the plug and communicate with the tubular extensions 6 and lead through opposite sides 95 of the plug adjacent to the oblique passage 7, as shown at 9 and 10. This plug is relatively fixed, and a sleeve 11 is mounted thereon so as to turn and is provided at diametrically opposite points with extensions 12, in which 1 or are formed corresponding passages 13 and 14, the upper passage 13 communicating with

587,404 the upper end of the passage 7 and the relatively lower passage 14 communicating with the lower end of the said passage 7 in either position of the reservoirs. Similar reservoirs 5 15 and 1G have connection with the outer ends of the extensions 12, and each is provided with a pipe 17, which extends from the inner end of the reservoir to within a short distance of the outer end and which are adapted io to be alternately brought into communication with the passages 7 and 9, according to the relative position of the reservoirs, as is obvious from Figs. 2 and 3. The plug 5 is tapering and the bore of the sleeve 11 is of a 15 corresponding taper, so as to preserve and maintain a close lit between these parts and provide for taking up Avear within certain limits.

A collar 18 is secured by means of a bind20 ing-screw 19 to the tubular extension 6, adjacent to the smaller end of the ping, and is adapted to retain the sleeve 11 in workingposition upon the plug. A pipe 20 connects the lower end of the tubular extension 4 with 25 a tubular extension 6, and a pipe 21 has communication with the other tubular extension G and passes through the part 4 and extends a short distance above the fount or basin, so as to project the water in a spray or jet, the 30 latter falling back and being received into the basin or fount in the usual way.

The operation of the invention can be readily understood from the drawings by one conversant with this character of fountain, 35 and, as shown in Fig. 2, the relatively lower reservoir 1G is full of water or fluid and the upper reservoir 15 is empty and filled with air, and upon reversing the position of the reservoirs, as shown in Fig. 3, the operation 40 will be as follows: The water from the basin or fount will flow into the reservoir 15 through the pipe 20, passages 8, 9, and 13, and pipe 17, and the air displaced from the reservoir 15 will pass into the upper or outer portion of^- the reservoir 1G through the passages 14, 45 7, and 13, and the pipe 17, and will exert a pressure upon the water in the said reservoir 16 and force the same through the passages 14, 10, and 8, and the pipe 21, and from.the latter in a jet or spray which will fall into 50 the fount or basin. This operation is repeated each time the reservoirs are inverted. A catch 22, secured to a cross-piece connecting adjacent legs of the stand, is adapted to engage with a notched lug or stop 23 on the 55 side of the reservoirs and hold the latter in the required position.