IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS AND GASES
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
LAMBERT, of the New Cut, Blackfriars, Brass Founder, and CHARLES WILLIAM
ROWLEY RICKARDS, of Charlotte Street, Blackfriars, Engineer, both in the
County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirtieth day of April,
in the ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Lambert and Charles William
Rowley Rickard, our exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority; that we, the said Thomas Lambert and
Charles William Rowley Rickards, our exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Thomas Lambert and Charles William Rowley
Rickards, our exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS AND GASES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that we, the said Thomas Lambert and
Charles William Rowley Rickards, should cause a particular description of
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under

page_text: the hand and seal of one of us, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Thomas Lambert and Charles William Rowley Rickards, do hereby declare
that the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which the same is
to be performed, are fully described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our Improvements in Cocks for Drawing off Liquids and Gases consist of
improvements in ball cocks, and in applying suitable surfaces of india rubber
strengthened by canvas or other suitable material to those description of cocks
where a flexible partition is employed, which is fixed at its edge or circum-
ference, such description of cocks having been heretofore manufactured under
a Patent granted to Elias Carter the Second day of June One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-five; and 'heretofore leather has been employed for such
flexible partitions; and also other improvements in constituting cocks suitable
when considerable pressure of fluid is to act on them.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a section of a ball cock constructed, having our improve-
ments applied thereto. Figure 2 shows the front of the barrel, having the
front cover (with the flexible partition) removed; and Figure 3 shows the front
view of the cock. a is the barrel of the cock, b is the cover, and c is the
flexible partition, which consists of canvass or other strong flexible material,
having two surfaces of caoutchouc or india rubber; and it is important to state
that as caoutchouc is liable to become hard when subjected to low temperatures
and be permanently injured when subjected to high temperatures, it is
necessary to employ such a preparation of caoutchouc as will not be acted on as
when in its natural state, for which reason we employ caoutchouc so acted on
chemically as to enable it to bear extremes of heat and cold without injury,
and for this purpose we prefer to use what is called vulcanized india rubber,
manufactured by Messieurs Mackintosh and Company, and which is well
known. The flexible partition 6 is fastened by screws at b¹, or by other conve-
nient means, so that the centre portion may be moved to and fro by the
spindle d when acted on by the lever e, on which the ball is fixed. Figure 4
shows the section, and Figure 5 an external view of another arrangement of
cock, in which the flexible partition c does not act as the stop valve, but acts as

page_text: a stuffing box to prevent the fluid passing through, there being a valve of any
suitable construction at f, which stops the passage of the barrel of the cock.
Figure 6 shows the section of a cock suitable for gas pipes, the flexible parti-
tion cacting as the valve to stop the passage of the barrel of the cock.
Figure 7 shows a plan of the same with the cover removed, and Figure 8 an
external view. Figures 9 and 10 show an external view and a section of
another arrangement of cock in which two flexible partitions are used, the
object being to use one of the partitions as a surface to be pressed on by the
liquid and aid in keeping the other flexible partition c closed, as a valve on the
seat g; and a greater or less pressure may be obtained on the partition c*, as
compared with that on the partition c, according as the area of c* is larger
than that of c. Or in place of having two flexible partition c*, c, we can use
a piston for the same purpose, as is shewn at Figures 11 and 12, where an
external view and a section of another ball cock is shown suitable for cases
where a great pressure of water may be constantly acting on the cock.
Figures 13 and 14 show an external view and a section of an arrangement of.
cock suitable for the boilers of kitchen ranges. This cock has also two parti-
tions cx, c, but in this case the partition c* is not for counteracting the pres-
sure of the fluid on the surface of c, it being intended simply to act as a
second valve, so that when hot water is drawn out at z, cold water may be
supplied into the boiler at y, y, through the pipe x. In all the cocks above
shewn the flexible partitions c, c*, are made with prepared india rubber having
a surface of canvass or other sufficiently strong flexible material; and although
we prefer such description of flexible material for all cases yet in making ball
cocks and pressure cocks according to the first and third parts of our Inven-
tion leather or other material might be used. And we would state that
although we have been particular in showing our improvements applied to
several arrangements of cocks yet we do not confine ourselves thereto so long
as flexible partitions c, c*, are applied to our Invention. And we would have
it understood that what we claim is,
-
First, the so arranging ball cocks that they may be made to work with
flexible partitions.
Secondly, we claim the application of flexible partitions c, cx (fixed at their
circumference or edge), composed of caoutchouc or india rubber suitably
prepared and strengthened with canvass or other strong flexible material, as
herein described.
Thirdly, we claim the constructing cocks when they are to be subjected to
considerable pressure of fluid with two surfaces c, cx, as described in respect
to Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12.

page_text: Fourthly, we claim the constructing cocks capable of admitting water or
other fluid into a boiler or other vessel at the same time that water or other
fluid is being withdrawn therefrom, when the inlet and outlet apertures of such
cocks are closed with suitable flexible partitions, as described in respect to
Figures 13 and 14.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lambert, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.