US2160474A - Fountain - Google Patents

Description

May 30, 1939. B. JONES ET AL FOUNTAIN Filed May 15, 1937- WQ Q E W J W Jim "f U :1 J Ag INVENTORS BY ATTORNEYS Patented May 30, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOUNTAIN York Application May 15, 1937, Serial No. 142,726

2 Claims.

This invention relates to fountains and has for its object a fountain of a novel, unusual and attractive effect.

A fountain embodying the invention consists essentially of an erect hollow transparent member open at its top and closed at its bottom, together with means for filling the member with liquid such, for example, as water and causing the liquid to overflow at the top and fiow down over the exterior periphery of said member. In addition, means are provided for causing gas, such for example, as air, to bubble upwardly through the liquid in said member and escape from the open top thereof. Also, means are provided for projecting light upwardly through the transparent member, thus adapting the fountain for night operation. The device gives the impression of having the flow of liquid start from midair and the upwardly rising gas bubbles produce a very unusual and startling appearance. The unit above described may be operated individually or in combination with other similar units in any desired combination.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein the single figure is a vertical section through a fountain embodying the invention.

In a tank ll] of any suitable structure and configuration is arranged a frame ll resting on the bottom of the tank, this frame being open at its front and rear ends which are spaced from the tank wall in the same manner as are the side members of the frame. Within the frame [0 is arranged a box or other similar container l2 in the ceiling of which is provided a lens [3. Within the box I2 is suitably mounted an incandescent electric lamp l4, together with a reflector l5 for projecting light through the lens [3. Electric current is supplied to the lamp through a suitable conductor [6. The box [2 may be introduced into the frame or removed therefrom through its open ends.

A metal cylinder I! is mounted on the frame I l and is provided with an internal peripheral shoulder 18. A transparent tube H! of glass or other suitable material and open at both ends is supported by the shoulder [8. Suitable caulking material 20 is provided between the tube [8 and the cylinder I! to produce a liquid-tight joint. Pipes 22 and 23 lead to the cylinder l1 below the shoulder l8 and the pipe 23 extends into the cylinder to approximately the center thereof. A circular aperture is provided in the top of the frame H coaxial with the tube l9 and a transparent plate 24 mounted in a suitable support 25 is attached to the frame for closing the -aperture. The box I2 is arranged directly beneath the plate 24 so that light from the source I4 is directed upwardly through the tube [9.

In the operation of this fountain, water or other suitable liquid is supplied through the pipe 22 and discharged into the base of the tube I!) through which it flows upwardly and escapes over the top edge to flow downwardly over the outer surface of the tube in a thin stream. The liquid is collected in the tank I0 which is provided with spouts 26 to maintain the liquid level in the tank at approximately the top edge of the cylinder l1. Air or other suitable gas is supplied through the pipe 23 to the bottom of the tube l8 and bubbles upwardly therethrough to escape from the top end of the tube. The upward passage of the bubbles produces a very unusual attractive and startling eifect. For daytime use, the tube and its contents may or may not be illuminated but for night use, illumination is supplied by the light source l4 and an additional attractive effect is obtained by such illumination. A color filter frame 21 is slidably supported on the top of the box l2 so that filters 28 of different color may be used to effect different color illumination of the fountain.

Instead of utilizing a separate pipe to supply air to the bottom of the tube l9 water and air may be supplied through each of the pipes by providing each of them with an aspirator or the like so that the flow of water therethrough will draw in the air. Other changes may also be made in the arrangement above described, without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A fountain comprising a vertical transparent tube, a metal cylindrical support surrounding the lower end of said tube and having a shoulder upon which said lower end rests, a frame upon which said cylindrical support is mounted, said frame having a circular aperture coaxial with said tube, a transparent disk closing said aperture, a light source within said frame below said disk, and means for supplying liquid and gas through said cylindrical support below said shoulder.

2. A fountain according to claim 1 wherein a color filter is interposed between the light source and said transparent disk.

BASSETT JONES. J. SAMUEL HAMEL.

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