IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER TAPS, WHICH TAPS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Everett Austin Snuggs, of 26, Sheet Street, Windsor,
for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER TAPS, WHICH TAPS ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 22nd April 1879, and dated the 25th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Everett Austin Snuggs at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th October 1878.
EVERETT AUSTIN SNUGGS, of 26, Sheet Street, Windsor. IMPROVEMENTS IN
WATER TAPS, WHICH TAPS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
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One part of my present Invention consists of the substitution of a quick-cut
screw working in a suitable movable cap for raising and depressing the plug in
place of the lever arrangement described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 2959, granted to me on the 12th October 1869.
Another feature of my present improved arrangement consists in substituting a
plug or central shaft which revolves within a brass cylinder, around which suitable
leathern discs are placed instead of the solid plug and shaft described in the before-
mentioned Letters Patent, and when desirable in place of the discs therein men-
tioned use a packing of white flax or other suitable material wound round the
cylinder in a similar way as ordinary cotton is wound upon a reel. I dress the
leathern discs with oil and saturate the flax with a dressing of white wax. and
tallow, after which I dress both of them with French chalk.
My improved tap may be made either in the form of a bib, stop, ball, or lavatory
tap, as required, and from the total absence of all leakage and its lasting properties
it is particularly adapted for use as a steam, gas, or spirit tap, or for any other.
purpose where such qualities are essential requisites.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Everett Austin Snuggs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd April 1879.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
EVERETT AUSTIN SNUGGS, of 26, Sheet Street, Windsor.
WATER TAPS, WHICH TAPS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
- This Invention relates to improvements in water taps, which taps are also
applicable to other purposes.
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me on the 12th day of October
-1869, and-numbered-2959,-I-have-described-certain-improvements in cocks, taps, and
valves. Now my present Invention relates more particularly to certain modifications
of the improvements therein described and illustrated whereby such improved taps
may be used with still greater advantage, not only as ordinary water taps, but also
as steam, gas, or spirit taps, as their lasting and wearing properties are very great, and
from their peculiar and improved construction there is a total absence of all leakage.
The principle of my present Invention consists in my employing an elastic plug
working against a rigid barrel, which, as presently mentioned. is neither influenced
by heat or frost, and which feature of novelty renders my improved tap far more
advantageous and durable than any other tap at present in use, as by so doing I
avoid all injurious friction, while, as is well known, in the ordinary screw-down tap
the india-rubber which is generally employed is invariably cut to pieces by the con-
tinuous friction. Such plug covers the port perfectly, and is worked up and down
the barrel of the tap by means of a screw, as hereafter described.
One feature of my present improvements consists in substituting a quick set screw
working in a suitable movable cap for raising and depressing the plug in place of
the lever described in the Specification of my said former Patent, while another
feature of such improvements consists in substituting for the solid plug and shaft,
also therein described, a plug and central shaft which revolves or rises and falls
within a brass cylinder, around which I place, when the tap is to be used as a cold
water tap, leather discs dressed with oil and French chalk in order to resist the
action of the water and to diminish friction, at the same time that it renders it im-
pervious to the action of the frost.
Or instead of such leather discs, when the tap is to be employed as a hot-water
tap. I preferably use a packing of white flax, which I wind round the cylinder in a
similar way as cotton is wound upon a reel, and then in order to render such packing
waterproof and decrease friction I first saturate the flax with white wax and tallow
and then dress the same with French chalk. One great advantage of this flax plug
is that it is not influenced by the action of the heat.
My present improvements may be applied to either bib, stop, ball, or lavatory
taps. as also to steam, gas, or spirit taps, as already mentioned.
And in order that my said Invention may be better understood and more readily
carried into effect. I will now, with the aid of the accompanying Drawings, whereon
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, proceed more particularly
to describe and ascertain the same.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3 of such Drawings I have illustrated the application of my
present improvements to that class of tap known as a bib cock, Figure 1 being a
view in sectional elevation, Figure 2 a plan view, also in section, and Figure 3, an
external view in side elevation of the same. The circular lines in Figure 1 marked B
simply indicate the size of the tube as drawn.
In applying my improvements to this class of tap I make the same with a screw
bottom in which an aperture h¹ is formed. through which the water compressed
by the plug is forced, and passes out at the bib c. a is the quick cut screw; m, the
movable cap; and f, the leather discs or packing of flax.
In Figure 4 of the accompanying Drawings I have illustrated in sectional elevation
the application of my present improvements to a ball tap, which is furnished with a

page_text: square head i fitted on a very quick screw a which is actuated by the rising and
falling of the ball, and thus closes or opens the waterway c by the drawing back-
wards and forwards of the plug d. In this Figure the letters and figure f, h, h¹,
indicate corresponding parts to those shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 5 of such Drawings shews a view in sectional elevation of a lever ball
cock wherein the quick cut screw is dispensed with, the plug d being worked up
and down by a purchase e from a lug g cast on the barrel n. I would here observe
that the form of this tap may be varied, as circumstances may require, without
departing from the principle of my Invention.
In applying my improvements to a stop tap it is simply an application of the
first description.
In Figures 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying Drawings I have shewn the applica-
tion of my Invention to a lavatory tap. Figure 6 is a view in section; Figure 7. a
view in front elevation; and Figure 8, a side view of the same. Such tap is of the
same form as the bib cock, save that in place of the screw a it has a fall-down lever h
working in two lugs k¹ cast upon the barrel n. To the back of such lever k is
attached a quadrant 1, which passes through the cap m of the barrel, and is con-
nected with the plug d. Inside the barrel of the tap, between such plug and tap. I
place a spiral or other suitable spring o through which the quadrant also passes,
so that when the lever is depressed the plug d is raised and the spring o is
compressed, while upon releasing such lever the spring expands and forces the plug
downwards and. back into position, thus closing the tap and preventing all possi-
bility of any waste of water occurring from the tap being left open. In all the
above applications of my Invention my improved plug will be of the same con-
struction.
I would here observe that my improved plug may also be adapted for use for
street hydrants, such modifications of form being made therein as circumstances may
require.
Another portion of my present Invention relates to an improved boss or socket
piece, illustrated in the accompanying Drawings at Figures 9, 10, and 11. Figure 9
being an external view of the same in side elevation; Figure 10, a plan view of the
same in section, and Figure 11 an end view thereof. This improved boss or socket
piece is particularly applicable to taps for boilers and other similar purposes, as by
its use the immense difficulty hitherto experienced in removing boiler taps after
long use is totally obviated. As will be seen by Figure 9 the shank of the boss or
socket piece is made in the ordinary way, with a screw thread thereon on which a
back nut is placed, and screwed up when inserted in the boiler. At a convenient
distance from the end which projects outwards beyond the boiler I form a shoulder
or collar p similar to that now formed on the tap itself, and such shoulder or collar,
when the boss or socket piece is screwed into the boiler, butts up against the
external surface of the boiler; I also form a small shoulder piece at the base of the
tap, so that when screwed into the socket piece it butts close against the same and
forms a continuous tube. On the interior of that portion of the boss or socket piece
marked q which projects beyond the shoulder p a female screw thread is formed, as
seen in Figure 10 of the Drawings, into which a corresponding male thread formed
on the base of the tap takes, as also shewn in the same Figure. By this simple but
ingenious arrangement I am thus enabled to readily remove a tap for repair or any
other purpose from the outside of the boiler or other vessel and dispense with all
necessity for disturbing the back nut placed inside the boiler as has hitherto
been necessary, and which is an operation frequently involving much time and
labour.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion of Improvements in Water Taps, which Taps are also Applicable to other
Purposes," and the manner of carrying the same into operation, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-before set
forth, as the same may be varied without departing from the principle of my

page_text: Invention. What I claim and desire to secure by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
1°. The constructing a tap-suitable-for-use either as a hot or cold water tap, or as
a steam, gas, or spirit tap. wherein an elastic plug works against a rigid barrel, thus
avoiding all injurious friction and rendering the tap impervious to the effects of
heat or cold, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before set
forth and illustrated.
2° The application of my improved elastic plug-to-street- hydrants, with such
modifications of form therein as circumstances may require.
3°. The manufacture and use of the improved boss or socket piece, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes herein-before-set forth-and-described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Everett Austin Snuggs, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
EVERETT AUSTIN SNUGGS. (L.S.)