Should it be called a drinking fountain or a bubbler?
The Bubbler was developed in 1888 by the then-small Kohler Water Works (now Kohler Company) in Kohler, Wisconsin, which was already well-known for its faucet production. While Harlan Huckleby is credited with the actual design, it was Kohler that patented it and trademarked the name. The original Bubbler shot water one inch straight into the air, creating a bubbling texture, and the excess water ran back down over the sides of the nozzle. It was years before the bubbler adapted the arc projection, which allowed the drinker to partake more easily. The Bubbler concept took off and there were many copies. Since the name was trademarked, other companies named their fountains “The Gurgler” and “The Gusher”. In the end, the generic term “drinking fountain” became the standard term used in American English for a device that shoots water into the air for purpose of drinking. -WIK yo…
