N, TESLA

FOUNTAIN,
APPLICATION FILED 00T, 28, 2.913.
3,76. Patented Oct, 3, 1914,
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 N, ESA,
FOUNTAIN,
APPLICATION FILED 00T, 28, 1913,
1,113,716. Patented 0ct, 13, 1914,
2 SEETS-SHEET 2.

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 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
NK, TESLA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.
EUNAN.
1,113,716. Specification of Letters 3?atent.
Sategated (ct, i3, 1914.
Application filed October 28, i913, Serial No. 79,713.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, NIKoLATESLA, a citi which ispropelling
known shown indevice;
this instance
but it as thebe best
will un
Zen of the United States, residing at New derstood that other means may be employed.
5 York, borough of Manhattan, county, and A motor 10 is suitably mounted so as to
State of New York, have invented certain transmit through wheel 11, by friction or
new and useful improvements in Fountains, otherwise, power to the pulley or wheel 7.
of which
exact the following is a full, clear, and
description. Opelings 4 may be covered with removable
It hasandbeenaquarian
customarydisplays,
heretoforeto inproject
foun strainers and receptacles may be provided
tains forithcleaning
convenient connections, respectively,
iG
sports, jets, or sprays of water from suitable and renewing the liquid. It is 8 s
fixtures, chiefly for decorative and beautify thought unnecessary
ments in the drawing. to show these attach
ing purposes. Invariably, the quantity of
the issuing fluid was small and the pleasing The operation will be readily understood.
5
impression on the eye was solely the result Receptacle i being filled to the proper level
of the more or less artistic arrangement of with water or other fuid, and the power
the streamlets and ornaments employed. turned on, the propeller blades 9 are set in
rotation and the fluid, drawn through the
The pl’esent invention is a departure from openings 4, is lifted to the horizontal flared
20 such practice in that it relies principally
on the fascinating spectacle of a large mass form out top of conduit 3 until it over?iows in the
of fittid in notion and the display of seep of a bircular cascade.
ingly great power. Incidentaly.it permits In order to prevent the wetting of the
the realization of beautiful and striking bearings ceptacle
of shaft 5, the central hub 2 of re
1 is made to project above conduit
25 views through illumination and the dispo 3. The latter is funnel shaped for reasons
sition of voluminous cascades which, more of .

over, inlay be applied to useful, purposes in economy, and also for the purpose of re
ways not practicable with the old and fa ducing the speed and securing a smooth and
miliar devices. These objects are accom little even overflow. As the lift is inconsiderable.
plished by the displacement of a great vol power is needed to keep in motion a
S8).
ume of fluid with a relatively small expendi great volume of water and the impression
ture of energy in the production and mainte produced on the observer is very striking.
nance of a veritable waterfall as distin energy, With the view of still further economizing
guished from a mere spout, jet or spray. the bottom of receptacle 1 may be
85 be carried out by apparatus of widely varied in Fig.2 soindicated
The underlying idea of the invention can shaped as by the dotted lines 12,
design, but in the present instance the sim intake of the propeller. the velocity at the
as to increase
plest forms, of which I am aware, are shown ableTo with convey an idea of the results obtain
a smail apparatus, properly de
as embodiments of the principle involved. signed, it may be stated that by applying
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is
40 a top plan and Fig. 2 a vertical central sec only 1/25 of a horse-power to the shaft and
tional view of an appliance which I have assuming a lift of eighteen inches, more 9 5.
devised for the purpose. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 than one hundred gallons per minute may
. f :. - - -

illustrate ettresponding views of a similar be propelled, the depth of the fluid passing
device of much simpler construction. over the flared top of conduit 3, one foot, in
Referring to the first. 1 represents a re the diameter, being nearly one-half inch. As iO3
ceptacle of any suitable material, as metal, circulation is extremely rapid the total
glass, porcelain, marble, cement or, other quantity of liquid required is comparatively
compound, with a central hub 2 and a coni smail. About one tenth of that delivered per
cal
50 vided conduit 3, flared out at the top and pro cascademinute will be. generally, sufficient. Such a
with openings 4 at the bottom. In pearancepresents a singularly attractive ap
and this feature may be still fur
the hub 2 is inserted a shaft 5 rotatably sup
ported on ball bearings 6 and carrying at ther enhanced by artistic grouping of plants
its lower end a friction pulley or gear wheel or other objects around it, in which case
. s

55 7. To the upper end of the shaft is fastened view. the whole contrivance may be hidden from
aalloy,
casting S, preferably of some non-corrosive Particularly beautiful displays, how
with blades 9 constituting a screw ever, are obtainable by illumination which
may be carried out in many ways, To
 se 1,118,716 W \

heighten the effect, a colored, opalescent or ric capacity were used to raise the water to
phosphorescent fluid may be employed. an appreciable height which involved the
Sterilizing, aromatic or radio-active liquids expenditure of considerable energy, while
may also be used, when so desired. The the spectacle offered to the eye was uninter 65
usual fountains are objectionable in many esting. In no instance, to my knowledge,
places on account of the facility they afford has a great mass of fluid been propelled by
for the breeding of insects. The apparatus the use of only such power as is required to
described not only makes this impossible lift it from its normal level through a
but is a very efficient trap. Unlike the old relatively short space to that from which
10 devices in which only a very small volume it overflows and descends as a cascade, nor
of water is set in motion, such a waterfall is have devices especially adapted for the pur
pose been employed.
isinghighly effective in cooling the surround
atmosphere. To still improve this ac What I claim is:
1.
tion the free end 13 of the rotating shaft unobstructed An artificial fountain consisting of an 75
5 may be utilized to carry any kind of fan. conduit having an elevated
The water may, of course, be artificially overflow and adapted to be set in a body of
water, and a propelling device for main
cooled.
The device described may be modified in taining a rapid circulation of the water 80
many ways and also considerably simplified. through the conduit.
2. An artificial fountain comprising in
20 For example, the propeller may be fixed di
rectly to the shaft of the motor and the combination an unobstructed conduit having
latter supported conveniently from above an elevated overflow and adapted to be set
in a bodyforofmaintaining
fluid, a propeller within the
when many of the parts illustrated in Fig. 1 conduit a rapid circulation 85
and Fig.2 may be dispensed with. In fact, of the fluid through the same, and a motor
25 receptacle 1 itself may be replaced by an
independent tank or basin so that the entire for3. driving the propeller.
apparatus will only consist of a funnel scribed, comprising infountain
The artificial herein de
shaped conduit, motor and propeller as a ceptacle, a central hollowcombination conduit
a re 90
with an
unit. Such a construction is shown in Fig.
30 3 and Fig. 4 in which 3 is a conical vessel elevated overflow placed therein, a propeller
provided with intake openings 4 and rest within the
the conduit, and a motor for driving
propeller, so as to maintain a rapid cir
ing on a substantial base. A motor 14, car culation of fluid through the conduit.
rying on a strong shaft 5 a propeller 9, is 4. The artificial herein de 95
fixed to supports 15 which extend from the scribed, comprising infountain combination, a re
35 inner side of conduit 3 and may be integral
ceptacle, a conduit with
with the same. Obviously, to insure per set therein, a central hub extending u elevated overflow
fect working the weight of the moving parts through the conduit, a rotary shaft extend
and axial reaction of the propeller should
be taken up or balanced as by a thrust bear ing by
the rethrough, and a propeller carried 00
the shaft for maintaining a rapid circu
40 ing 16, or other means.
Apparatus of this description is especially lation of fluid through the conduit.
intended for use in open basins or reservoirs 5. An artificial fountain comprising in
in which it may be placed and put in action combination with an unobstructed passage 05
at short notice. When it is desired to pro from the normal to the elevated fluid levels,
45 duce large and permanent waterfalls the of a propeller for maintaining a rapid cir
conduit 3 may be formed by masonry. of culation of the fluid through such passage
and producing thereby a cascade with the
appropriate archit tural design.
The invention has an unlimited field of expenditure of little energy.
use in private dwellings, hotels, theaters, funnel 6. An artificial 'fountain comprising a
50 concert halls, hospitals, aquaria and, par shaped conduit adapted to be set in
ticularly, in squares, gardens and parks in the a body of fluid, and having openings near
which it may be carried out on a large scale within lower end, and a propeller supported
so as to afford a magnificent spectacle far operationthetoconduit and adapted when in
maintain a rapid circulation 5.
more captivating and stimulating to the of water through the same.
55 in public than the insignificant displays now In testimony whereof I affix my signature.
use.
I am well aware that artificial water falls in the -
presence of two subscribing witnesses.
NIKOLATESLA.
have heretofore been exhibited and that foun Witnesses:
tains in which the same water is circulated -
60 are old and well known. But in all such M. LAwsoN DYAR,
cases independent pumps of Small volumet WM. BoHLEBER.