Covered Eyewash Fountain

Abstract

An eyewash fountain especially useful in industrial and laboratory environments to provide a water discharge suitable for flushing irritants from the eyes of a workman. The fountain includes a bowl having a chamber provided with at least one nozzle therein through which an eye-bathing flow of water can be discharged for so flushing the eyes of a workman. A cover ordinarily closes the chamber and overlies such nozzle, and a valve connected in the water supply line controls the flow of water to the nozzle. Operating mechanism interconnecting the valve and cover move the same concurrently upon manual manipulation of a lever provided for this purpose so that when the valve is closed, the cover is in its chamber-covering position and when the valve is open the cover is in its chamber-uncovering position.

Description

This invention relates to water fountains and the like, and more particularly to an eyewash fountain equipped with a nozzle through which an eye-bathing flow of water can be discharged for the purpose of flushing irritants from the eyes of a workman.

Eyewash fountains are well known in many environments and find frequent application in industry and in laboratories where irritants are likely to enter the eyes and are most advantageously flushed therefrom quickly using large amounts of fresh water. An object, among others, of the present invention is to provide an improved eyewash fountain of such type.

Another object of the invention is in the provision of an improved eyewash fountain of the character described, that has a cover that is normally closed so as to protect the fountain and nozzle or nozzles therewithin from atmospheric contamination, and which cover is quickly and easily opened so as to afford access to any such nozzle and the water discharged therefrom.

Still another object of the invention is that of providing an improved fountain as described, in which the cover is associated with a control valve through which the supply of water to the nozzle is regulated, and in which a single operating mechanism is effective to open the cover concurrently with opening of the control valve and vice versa.

A further object is to provide a cover-equipped eyewash fountain having a valve for controlling the supply of water to discharge nozzle, and in which operating mechanism interconnects the cover and valve so as to move the same concurrently between the closed position of the valve and chamber-covering position of the cover, and open position of the valve and chamber-uncovering position of the cover; the relationship being such that the magnitude of any water discharged from the nozzle is directly related to the extent to which the cover is opened.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention, especially as concerns particular features and details thereof, will become apparent as the specification develops.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a broken perspective view of an eyewash fountain embodying the invention showing the cover in its open position;

FIG. 2 is a front view in elevation of the fountain with the cover thereof closed;

FIG. 3 is a side view in elevation also illustrating the cover closed; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, broken side view in elevation showing the cover in a partially open position.

The covered eyewash fountain illustrated in the drawing is designated in its entirety with the numeral 10, and it includes a bowl 11 and a cover 12. The bowl 11 and cover 12 are quite similar and are substantially identical both structurally and dimensionally, and each is concave so as to respectively define chambers 14 and 15 therewithin. The bowl 11 and cover 12 are adapted to engage each other along the perimetric edges 16 and 18 thereof so as to close the composite chamber defined by the individual chambers or chamber portions 14 and 15, as shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The bowl 11 is provided within the chamber 14 thereof with outlet openings 19 to waste which can communicate with a fitting 20 connected to the bowl along the underside thereof, and which empties into a waste conduit 21. Also located within the chamber 14 are a pair of nozzles 22 and 24 respectively connected through branch conduits 25 and 26 and a coupling 28 to a water supply conduit 29. If desired, the supply conduit 29 may extend through the fitting 20 (as shown) which generally improves the appearance of the fountain. There is evidently no communication between the supply conduit 29 and the interior of the fitting 20 and waste conduit 21, and a seal 30 is used to prevent the escape of waste water from about the location of penetration of the fitting 20 by the supply conduit 29.

The nozzles 22 and 24 are inclined inwardly and upwardly so as to provide a water discharge suitable for bathing or flooding the eyes with a relatively large volume of low-velocity water so as to wash irritants from the eyes without injuring the same. As respects the present invention, such nozzles 22 and 24 may be conventional and, by way of example, can take the form of the spray nozzle disclosed in my copending patent application, Ser. No. 808,843, filed March 20, 1969, and entitled "Spray Nozzle for an Eyewash Fountain."

The supply conduit 29 extend radially outwardly from the fitting 20 to about the sidewalls of the bowl 11 and cover 12, and its direction is changed at such location by an elbow 31. Adjacent the elbow 31 the supply conduit 29 is provided with a valve 32 operative to control the flow of water through the supply conduit by being selectively movable between closed and open positions. Any conventional valve may be used along the supply line 29 to perform such control function, and the valve shown has a stem 34 by means of which the valve is moved between the closed and open positions thereof.

Operating mechanism is provided for moving the valve 32 between its closed and open positions and for interconnecting such valve with the cover 12 so as to move the cover between its chamber-covering and chamber-uncovering positions concurrently with manipulation of the valve. Such mechanism includes a manually operable lever 35 constrained upon the valve stem 34 so as to prevent relative angular displacements therebetween. In the form shown, the lever 35 is hand-operated and to facilitate such operation thereof, it is equipped with an enlarged handhold 36 which may have operating indicia thereon as shown in the drawing.

Also mounted on the valve stem 34 so as to prevent relative rotation therebetween is a crank arm 38 which has a generally normal disposition relative to the lever 35. Since both the lever 35 and crank arm 38 are constrained upon the valve stem 34, so that no relative angular displacements can occur, the lever and crank arm effectively define a bellcrank; and they may be constrained upon the stem 34 in any suitable manner as, for example, by means of the nut 29 shown that threadedly engages the stem 34.

The crank arm 38 adjacent the end thereof remote from the valve stem 34 is pivotally connected to one end of a link 40 which, at its other end, is provided with an elongated slot 41 slidably receiving a pin 42 therein. The pin 42 extends outwardly from a bracket 44 riveted or otherwise fixedly secured to the cover 12. The crank arm 38 and link 40 are operative to displace the cover 12 between the chamber-covering and chamber-uncovering positions thereof respectively shown in FIGS. 2 and 1, and such displacements of the cover 12 are angular or pivotal in character and occur about a hinge pin 45 by means of which the hinge sections 46 and 48 of hinge structure interconnecting the bowl 11 and cover 12 are pivotally or hingedly related. The hinge sections 46 and 48 may be respectively secured to the bowl 11 and cover 12 by any suitable means, and in the particular structure being considered, the section 46 is affixed to the bowl 11 by a band or strap 49 circumjacent the bowl and clamping the hinge section thereto, and the section 48 is spotwelded to the cover 12.

In use of the fountain 10, the bowl 11 thereof will be positioned at an appropriate location which, advantageously, can be along a vertical wall. As a part of such installation, the supply conduit 29 is necessarily connected with a source of water, and the conduit 21 is connected to waste. The cover 12 is hingedly connected with the bowl 11 by interengaging the hinge sections 46 and 48 through the pin 45. The control valve 32 is adjusted so that no water flows to the nozzles 22 and 24 when the cover 12 is in the closed position thereof shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and at this time it is advantageous to have the handhold 36 of the lever 35 oriented in an upwardly extending position, as shown in each of these Figures.

In order to open the cover 12 and initiate discharge of water from the nozzles 22 and 24, the lever 35 is simply displaced rearwardly (i.e., in a clockwise direction as viewed FIGS. 3 and 4) by pushing against the handhold 36. As the lever 35 is displaced in such direction, the valve 32 is progressively opened to a greater extent, as is the cover 12. Evidently then, the magnitude of the water discharged from the nozzles 22 and 24 is directly related to the extent to which the cover 12 is open. It will be apparent that the precise ratio between the volumetric discharge of water from the nozzles and the extent to which the cover 12 is open is dependent upon the operating mechanism and, in particular, the throw of the crank arm 38 in its association with the link 40. Accordingly, such relationship between the water discharge and extent to which the cover is opened can be selected as desired.

Analogously, the extent to which the cover 12 can be opened can be selected in relation to the weight thereof and inhibition to movement exhibited by the valve 32 and its stem 34 so as to determine whether the cover 12 will tend to return automatically to its closed position upon release of the handhold 36 or whether it will tend to remain open until manually closed by displacement of the lever 35 in the opposite direction. It will be appreciated that the lever 35 could be arranged with a foot control so that the fountain could be operated without use of the hands should this be desired. The elongated slot 41 and pin 42 slidable therealong eliminates the requirement for exact adjustment between the position of the valve 32 and cover 12, permitting the cover to close completely while affording additional movement for the lever 35 and valve 32 following such closure.

The cover 12 in being normally closed protects the chamber and nozzles 22 and 24 from contamination when the fountain is not is use. Nevertheless, the fountain can be placed in use quickly and easily with one simple movement of the lever 35 so that personnel whose eyes may have been irritated or contaminated with fumes, liquid and gaseous fluids, or solid particles can gain immediate relief and protection with such one movement of the lever. The cover 12 also serves as a shield to protect any juxtaposed wall from splashing and, as indicated hereinbefore, since the extent to which the cover is opened is directly related to the volumetric discharge of water from nozzles 22 and 24, the greater the requirement for splash protection (large-volume water discharge) the greater the protection afforded against splashing because of the cover being opened to a greater extent.

While in the foregoing specification an embodiment of the invention has been set forth in considerable detail for purposes of making a complete disclosure thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes may be made in such details without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. An eyewash fountain or the like, comprising a bowl defining a chamber having a nozzle therein through which an eye-bathing flow of water can be discharged and having also an outlet for waste, a supply conduit connected with said nozzle and having a valve therealong provided with an operating stem selectively movable between valve-closed and valve-open positions to enable said valve to control the flow of water to said nozzle, a closure cover supported for movement relative to said bowl between chamber-covering and chamber-uncovering positions and being substantially coextensive in area with said bowl and perimetrically engageable therewith in its chamber-covering position to completely close said chamber and cover said nozzle therein, and operating mechanism interconnecting said valve stem and cover so as to move the same concurrently between such closed, chamber-covering and open, chamber-uncovering positions and including a manually operable lever connected directly with said stem for manipulating said valve and equipped with a handhold for convenient hand operation.

2. The fountain of claim 1 and further comprising hinge structure interconnecting said bowl and cover for angular displacements of the latter between such chamber-covering and chamber-uncovering positions, said cover in the latter position thereof being disposed adjacent the rear of said bowl and extending upwardly therefrom at an angular disposition with respect thereto to confine rearward water splash to said bowl.

3. The fountain of claim 2 in which said bowl and cover are generally similar both structurally and dimensionally each being concave and defining a chamber therein, said bowl and cover being respectively equipped with substantially continuous perimetric edges engageable with each other in essentially uninterrupted relation throughout their entire extents to inhibit ingress of contaminants into said chamber.

4. The fountain of claim 3 in which a pair of nozzles are provided within the aforesaid chamber each connected with said supply conduit.