IMPROVEMENTS IN SLUICE VALVES FOR REGULATING AND INDICATING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO Cocks
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by François Rigollot at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
October 1872.
I, FRANÇOIS RIGOLLOT, of No. 58, Rue du l'aubourg du Temple, in
the City of Paris, a Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of
my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLUICE VALVES FOR REGULATING
AND INDICATING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE TO Cocks," to be as follows:
My Invention relates chiefly to a peculiar construction and arrange-
ment of rotatory sluice valve suitable for water and gas mains, and
for steam pipes, and is also partly applicable to cocks for water, gas,
steam, and other fluids.
The improved sluice valve consists of two metal diaphragms disposed
across the pipe or main, one of such diaphragms being fixed to or cast
in one with a section of the main or pipe, whilst the other turns on a
pin fixed to the centre of the fixed diaphragm. A series of teeth are

page_text: formed on the moveable diaphragm, into which gears a bevol pinion
inside the apparatus mounted on a short spindle which is rotated by a
worm and worm wheel from without, and thus imparts the rotatory
opening and closing movement to the moveable diaphragm. Each
diaphragm is equally divided into plain surfaces and openings of a
segmental form, which openings, when brought opposite to each other,
afford free passage for the fluid, but when the plain or solid parts are
made to coincide the valve is shut. The moveable diaphragm should
always be situate on that side of the fixed diaphragm which is next
the pressure, but when the fluid is to flow in opposite directions
alternately through the sluice valve then it is proposed to use two
moveable diaphragms placed one on each side of the fixed diaphragm,
but operated simultaneously by screw and worm gearing as above
described.
To reduce the friction and to avoid the formation of deposit upon the
rubbing surfaces, these consist solely of an annular rubbing surface round
each diaphragm, and a raised surface round the edges of the segmental
apertures, whereby the rubbing surface is reduced to a minimum and
is always protected from contact with the water or other fluid so long
as the valve remains either open or closed. These rubbing surfaces are
moreover faced with brass to still farther reduce the friction and wear,
and insure a perfectly tight closing of the valve. Stops are provided
on the worm wheel and on the diaphragms for limiting the rotation to
the amount which is necessary for fully opening or closing the valve,
and in order to indicate the exact amount of intermediate opening of
the valve the spindle of the bevel pinion may be made to turn a dial
carrying pointers which indicate on a divided scale the axact amount
of opening of the valve.
Metal guides, directing surfaces or prows, may in some cases be
attached to the solid portions of the diaphragms, for the purpose of
ensuring as much as possible the uniform flow of the fluid through
the openings.
The mode herein-before described of actuating the nioveable diu-
phragm of the sluice valve by means of a screw and worm wheel or
segment, may be applied also to the turning of the plugs of cocks,
which plugs may morcover be made hollow and be formed with

page_text: projecting rubbing surfaces corresponding to other round rubbing
surfaces in the body of the cock, disposed round the upper and lower
ends of the plug, and along each side of the opening therein, in lieu
of the entire surface of the plug forming a rubbing or bearing surface,
hence the friction in the improved cock is considerably reduced.