Improvements in connection with the Opening and Olosing of Draw Off and other Cooks, Taps, Valves and Analogous Appliances.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 5th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with the Opening and Olosing of Draw
Off and other Cooks, Taps, Valves and Analogous Appliances.
I, FREDERIC HUGHES, of 20, Paget Road, West Dulwich, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
My invention relates to improvements in connection with the opening and
closing of draw off and other cocks, taps and analogous appliances such as those
for permitting & interrupting the flow of semi-fluid materials, and the object
is to provide means for simultaneously opening and closing a number of such
articles. The invention is more particularly intended for use in connection with
the filling of a number of bottles jars and other receptacles at one and the same
time from one or more holders of the fluid or semi-fluid to be drawn off and is
applicable whether the fluid passes at once into the bottle or the like or into a
measuring vessel and thence into the jar or whatever is to receive it. In carrying
my invention into effect I proceed in or in about the following manner. I pro-
vide a series of horizontal levers corresponding in number with the number of
cocks or valves to be operated and these levers I support in such manner that their
ends can be moved up and down on a pivotting point situated at the centre of or
elsewhere in their length. These levers are at one end connected to a bar by
which they can be simultaneously raised or lowered. The other end of each lever
is pivotted to the upper end of a rod, chain or other contrivance and the lower
ends of these rods or equivalents are connected with the valves or the like to be
opened or closed. The cocks may if desired be inserted in a pipe connected with
the containing vessel. By raising and lowering the connecting bar already men-
tioned the various cocks or valves may be simultaneously opened or closed. The
connecting bar may be kept in its raised position by a book or other suitable
means and the closing of the valves or the like may be facilitated by springs with-
in the valves or elsewhere placed or by any other means. When it is desired to
measure the fluid before it passes into the bottle or other receptacle the outlet
from the cock or like is connected with such measuring vessel which may be in
the form of a funnel and a valve in such measure may be opened or closed by
rods, chains or other contrivances operated by the connecting har above mentioned.
The opening or closing of the valve of the measuring vessel takes place simul-
taneously with the closing or opening of the draw off cocks or valves in more
or less immediate connection with the vessel containing the liquid to be bottled.
Thus the opening or closing of the draw off cocks is made to alternate with the
closing or opening of the valve of the measuring vessel, by raising or lowering
the connecting bar already referred to.
Flexible tubes may he provided in connection with the measuring vessels or
the draw off cocks to facilitate the passing of the liquid into the bottles or the
like. If desired several measuring vessels with the arrangements for operating
the valves may be on a portable stand for easy conveyance from one place to
another. The invention is applicable to water-cisterns and to other uses than that
of bottling.
Dated this 6th day of January 1899.

page_text: Improvements in connection with the Opening and Olosing of Draw
Off and other Cooks, Taps, Valves and Analogous Appliances.
I, FREDERIC HUGHES, of 20, Paget Road, West Dulwich, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement;
-
My invention relates to improvements in connection with the opening and clos-
ing of draw off and other cocks taps valves and analogous appliances, and the
object is to provide means for simultaneously opening and closing a number of
such articles. The invention is more particularly but not exclusively intended
for use in connection with the filling of a number of bottles, jars and other recep-
tacles at one and the same time from one or more holders of the fluid or semi-
fluid to be drawn off and is applicable whether the fluid passes at once into the
bottle or the like or into a measuring vessel and thence into the jar or whatever
else is to receive it. In carrying my invention into practice I proceed in or in
about the following manner making reference to the accompanying drawing in
which Fig. 1 is a part sectional side view of a complete two funnel apparatus
(the second funnel being behind the one shown) and Fig. 2 a part sectional front
view of a detail of the arrangement for opening and closing the cocks for regula-
ting the supply of the fluid to the funnels. It is not proposed however to confine
the invention to two measuring funnels only as the invention may be used for
operating together that or any other kind or number of measures, funnels or other
vessels.
Referring now to the said drawings a are suitable legs or supports to the upper
ends of which are attached frames or rings b to carry the funnels c (of which only
one appears in the drawing, the other being alongside it). At the base of each
funnel is a valve box having a valve e resting in a suitable seating which
divides the box into an upper inlet portion and a lower outlet portion. Across
the top of the valve box d is a bridge f and above that a bridle g. Through the
bridge and bridle is free to slide the lower part of a valve spindle ha spiral
spring encircling the spindle h, and one end of the spring is in contact with the
under side of the bridge f and the other end with the upper side of the valve e..
The upper part of the spindle h is connected by a link or chain j with the hori-
zontal lever one end of which is pivotted to the ear 7 attached to the upper of
the rings or frames b. The other end of the lever is connected with the similar
lever of the adjoining measuring funnel by a handle m. Round the handle m is
looped the upper end of the rod n, the lower end being loosely linked to one end
of a lever o pivotted at p to the hanger or hangers 7 attached to the lower of the
frames or rings 6 and situated between the two funnels. At the opposite end of
the lever o is the toothed quadrant r gearing into a toothed wheels on an axle t
the ends of which have square holes to fit over the squared ends of the plugs u
of the taps and cocks by which can be regulated the flow of liquid through the
pipe w connecting the valve box-d and the tubular receptacle which directly or
indirectly receives the fluid from the main receptacle and distributes it by the
pipes w to the various funnels c. To the axle t is attached one end of a rod y
having on it the adjustable weight 2. A nozzle A is provided on the lower side
of the valve casing d and to this may be attached the flexible pipe or tube B
having a terminal pipe C for insertion into the jar or bottle to be filled. A
ring D is provided by which B and C can be hung up on the peg E when out of
use. The action of the arrangement is as follows assuming the funnel valves to be

page_text: shut as shown in the drawing at which time (that is when the handle m is at its
lowest position) I so arrange that the cocks are open. The respective parts
being in these positions the fluid flows into the valve box d and rises to the
required height in the funnel and when it reaches that height the handle m is
raised whereupon the valve c will be opened and the cocks v shut by the action of
the rod n, the lever o the quadrant r and the wheels on the axle t. The fluid will
thereupon flow out of the nozzle A and thence through pipe B into the jar or
bottle to be filled.
As a modification the valve spindle may be passed out through the bottom of
the box d instead of through the top as shown in the drawing and he opened and
closed by a similar arrangement of levers and other parts provided below the
funnel instead of in the position shown.
When it is not required to measure the fluid on its way to the bottle or other
receptacle the arrangements for measuring may be omitted.
The arrangement shown in the drawing is a portable one for two funnels which
can be easily moved from place to place, but it can be so constructed as to deal
with more than two funnels and be a more or less rigid and permanent character.
I do not confine myself to the precise shapes and relative proportions shown
in the drawings as considerable variation is possible without departure from the
essential features of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination in proximity to one another of two or more portably or
otherwise suitably supported graduated or other funnels or measuring vessels,
with means whereby the said funnels or vessels can be simultaneously filled and
simultaneously emptied by the raising or lowering of a handle substantially as
described in the above specification and exemplified in the accompanying drawings.
2. For use in combinations such as are the subject matter of the preceding
Claim 1 funnels each having a valve-box and valve, and taps, cocks or equivalents
adjoining, the admission of the fluid being controlled by the said taps, cocks or
equivalents openable and closeable by a spur wheel in gear with a toothed quadrant
at one end of a pivotted lever which can be raised or lowered as and when re-
quired, the exit of the fluid being controlled by the said valve, the upper end of
the spindle of which is pivotally attached to a lever pivotted to one side of and
extending across the mouth of the said funnel and having its free end connected
with the similar levers of an adjacent funnel or of adjacent funnels by means of a
handle from which depend rods, the lower ends of which are pivotted to the free
ends of the lever carrying the toothed quadrant, a flexible tube and suitable ter-
mination being provided for conveying the fluid to the jar bottle or like which
is required to be filled, the whole substantially as described or exemplified by the
accompanying drawings.
3. As a modification of the apparatus claimed in above Claims 1 and 2, the
omission of the measuring funnel or vessel or funnels or vessels, substantially
as described.
4. As a modification of the apparatus claimed in above Claims 1, 2 and 3, opera-
ting the valves and cocks from below the measuring vessel or supply pipe instead
of from above substantially as described in the above specification.
Dated this 21st day of September 1899.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, E.C., Agents.