Water-Saver For Fountains.

Water-Saver For Fountains.

As a very handsome memorial fountain is about to be set up in City Hall park, Manhattan, New York, and as there is always an enormous amount of waste connected with such structures, any device that claims to be able to lessen that waste either in the case referred to or elsewhere should be investigated, and, if found to answer the purpose, adopted. One that seems to be likely to fulfil this object is that of Superintendent A. M. Reynolds, of the Essex County, N. J., park commission, which is dependent upon the action of an automatic valve fixed in the ground beside the iron fountain. Above the valve is a platform, upon which the drinker stands. As soon as his weight is placed upon this platform, the valve opens, and the water flows through the pipes and then bubbles up through the drinking cups. The platform is so carefully adjusted that the weight of a small child (even 25 lbs.) will cause it to act upon the automatic valve. As soon as the person has finished drinking, and has stepped off the platform, four springs upon which it rests raise the platform to its normal position, and thus the flow of water is shut off, because the valve closes automatically. The platform has between 34-in. and 1/4-in. “play,” up or down, and is so adjusted that, if a horse should accidentally step upon the platform, no damage could be done by the extra weight.

As a very handsome memorial fountain is about to be set up in City Hall park, Manhattan, New York, and as there is always an enormous amount of waste connected with such structures, any device that claims to be able to lessen that waste either in the case referred to or elsewhere should be investigated, and, if found to answer the purpose, adopted. One that seems to be likely to fulfil this object is that of Superintendent A. M. Reynolds, of the Essex County, N. J., park commission, which is dependent upon the action of an automatic valve fixed in the ground beside the iron fountain. Above the valve is a platform, upon which the drinker stands. As soon as his weight is placed upon this platform, the valve opens, and the water flows through the pipes and then bubbles up through the drinking cups. The platform is so carefully adjusted that the weight of a small child (even 25 lbs.) will cause it to act upon the automatic valve. As soon as the person has finished drinking, and has stepped off the platform, four springs upon which it rests raise the platform to its normal position, and thus the flow of water is shut off, because the valve closes automatically. The platform has between 34-in. and 1/4-in. “play,” up or down, and is so adjusted that, if a horse should accidentally step upon the platform, no damage could be done by the extra weight.