Year: 1895

page_text: I JOHN HOLMES BLAKESLEY Civil Engineer of 39 Victoria Street Westminster
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Whereas most valves which close automatically by the water pressure behind them,
do so with such suddenness that the abruptly checked momentum of the water behind
causes a shock which is deleterious to both tap & supply pipe, the object of the
present invention is to make the closure, and consequent stoppage of the flow of
water, gradual.
This is accomplished by making the pressure of the water partially balance the
valve, so that this latter shall fall upon its seat as slowly as is desired, and also
by so tapering the aperture of escape of the water, as to diminish the flow gradually
during the closing of the valve, & so avoid the shock attending sudden closure.
The accompanying drawing shows one device by which these objects may be
accomplished, but the actual form of the tap may be varied in many ways preserving
the same principles, & therefore falling within the scope of this invention.
In the drawing, Fig. 1. represents the tap when pressed open. a is the valve,
consisting of a cylindrical barrel with a conical portion attached. The sloping sides
of the conical part form the facing of the valve, which, shutting down on a similar
seat 6 turned on the interior of the casing, cuts the water supply wholly off. In the
present instance, the cylindrical part has a large excavation c from the underside, & a
small slot d through part of its length on the upper side.
Fig. 2. is the valve looked at from below, & Fig. 3. a section thro' the middle of
its cylindrical portion.
When the valve is open as in Fig. 1. the main body of the water passes from the
supply pipe e by the underside of the valve, into & out of the large excavation, &
thro' the discharge pipe f. A portion however goes thro' the small upper slot e, &
fills the chamber g beyond the valve.
Now when the pressure is taken off the button so as to allow the valves to close, the
excess of pressure on the side towards the main begins to move the valve to its seat,
and the first thing that happens is the covering of the end of the small slot by the
casing. The only escape for the water in the chamber g is now round the sides of
the valve cylinder; & by making the fit of the cylinder into the casing close enough,
this escape may be made as slow as desired. In the meantime the end of the large
excavation & through which the water is discharged from the supply pipe, is also
becoming more & more covered by the casing, so that by making the pointed end of
this excavation sharp enough, the escape of water from the service pipe may be
reduced as gradually as desired, & brought to any degree of diminution at any point
before the actual closure of the valve on its seat; thus absolutely avoiding shock
to the service pipe, by the sudden stoppage of the current.
In the Fig. 1. the tap is opened by direct pressure on the button at the end of the
rod h, but this may be accomplished by a screw or lever, or other device, wh may
also hold the valve open until it is desired to release it.
Dated this 21st day of December 1895

page_text: I JOHN HOLMES BLAKESLEY 39 Victoria Street Westminster Civil Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In the drawing which accompanied the Provisional Specification, a is the valve,
consisting of a cylindrical barrel with a conical portion attached. The sloping sides
of the conical portion form the facing of the valve, which shutting down on a similar
seat turned on the interior of the casing, cuts the water wholly off. In the present
instance the cylindrical part has a large excavation e from the under side, and a small
slot d along part of its length on the upper side. Fig. 2 is the valve looked at from
below, and Fig. 3 a section through the middle of its cylindrical portion.
e,
and
When the valve is open as in Fig. 1, the main body of water passes from the supply
pipe e by the underside of the valve, into and out of the large excavation cand through
the discharge pipe f. A portion however goes through the small
upper slot
fills the chamber g beyond the valve.
Now when the pressure is taken off the button, so as to allow the valve to close,
the first thing that happens is the covering up of the end of the small slot by
the casing.
The only escape for the fluid in the cavity 9 is now round the sides
of the valve cylinder; and by making the fit of this cylinder into the casing close
enough, this escape may be made as slow as desired. In the mean time the end of
the large excavation c, through which the water passes from the supply pipe, is
also becoming more and more covered by the casing; so that by making the pointed
end as shown in the drawing, sharp enough, the escape of water from the service
pipe may be reduced as gradually as desired, and brought to any degree of diminution
at any point before the actual closure of the valve on its seat; thus absolutely
avoiding shock to the service pipe by the sudden stoppage of the current.
In the drawing the tap is opened by direct pressure on the button at the outside
end of the rod h, but this may be accomplished by a screw or lever or other device,
which may also hold the tap open until it is desired to release it.
I am aware that another Patent No. 8196 of 1888 admits fluid to the back of the
valve so as partially to balance it, and I will here point out the distinctive difference
between that principle and this. In that the fluid is admitted into the cavity behind
the valve by a tube bored longitudinally through the axis of the valve, so that this
cavity and the service pipe are in continual connection, and unless the end of the
valve fits accurately into the sides of this cavity, there is always a leak, and moreover,
the pressure of fluid being always the same in the cavity as in the service pipe, any
faulty packing where the valve spindle or push passes through to the outside, must
also produce a leak.
By the covering up however of the slot through which the water passes to the cavity,
1 destroy the connection between the cavity and service pipe; and though the fluid
in the cavity is supposed to pass away round the sides of the barrel, and a certain
amount may leak through around the spindle h, this leakage only goes on while the
tap is being used; and, provided the bevelled face is ground to fit accurately to its
seat, there will be no leak whatever when the tap is closed.
The drawing shows one device by which the desired objects may be attained, but is
only given as illustration; and the actual form of the tap may be varied in many
ways preserving the same principles, and therefore within the scope of this
invention.

page_text: Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. In taps the partial balancing of the valve by the introduction of the escaping
fluid behind it, so as to make the valve close slowly.
2. In taps, the shutting off of the direct connection between the fluid on the front
and back of the valve during the closing of the valve, so that the balancing fluid
cannot find its way back to the end of the valve towards the service pipe.
3. The shutting off of the fluid in the service pipe during the closing of the valve,
from the opposite end of the valve, so that the pressure on this opposite end is reduced
to outside pressure when the valve is closed, substantially for the purpose and in the
manner herein set forth.
4. In taps, the tapering of the aperture through which the fluid escapes, so as to
regulate the diminution of flow, substantially for the purpose and in the manner
herein set forth.
5. In taps, the combination of a partially balanced valve with a tapered aperture
of escape, substantially for the purpose and in the manner herein set forth.
Dated this 18th day of September 1896.
JOHN H. BLAKESLEY.