IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUIDS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Boyell, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DANDO INTWA
Sealed the 5th May, 1874, and dated the 8th November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Boyell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th November 1873.
I, RICHARD BOYELL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF
LIQUIDS," to be as follows, that is to say :--
My Invention refers to improvements in self-closing cocks or taps for
regulating and controlling the flow of water or other liquids so as to
prevent waste.
I form the body of the cock or tap with a lubricating chamber to
receive an enlarged portion of a vertical or horizontal spindle, the lower

page_text: or enclosed end of which fits into a ground centre in the base or side of
the tap. The upper end of the spindle is exposed above the tap and has
a suitable handle attached thereto, a screwed cap being secured upon the
top of the lubricating chamber which is filled with grease or fat.
Upon the enlarged portion of the vertical or horizontal spindle are
formed two cams, and on the side of the lubricating chamber is a
projecting lug, the cams being situate one over and one under the lug
or on each side thereof when the tap is off; around the enlarged part of
the spindle I place one or more springs formed of a section or sections
of an open tube of metal, india-rubber, or other suitable material, the
open edges of which fit into the sides of the spindle, cams, and lug.
Upon the lower or enclosed end of the vertical or horizontal spindle
are two projections or keys, one on either side opposite the ingress
opening, which I form as a cup, and employ a loose ball made of india-
rubber, metal, or other suitable material as a valve, and into or on the
ingress end of the tap is screwed a nozzle for connection to the water
pipe, cistern, or other supply. The bib or spout of the cock or tap may
be of any convenient form.
The operation of the tap is thus:-The handle being turned in either
direction will cause one of the keys on the lower or enclosed end of the
spindle to come in contact and move from the ingress hole the loose ball
valve sufficiently to permit the water or other liquid to flow, at the
same time the spring will be held at tension or expanded by reason of
its one edge impinging against the lug on the lubricating chamber,
and the other edge being held by and moving with the cams on the
enlarged part of the spindle. To shut off the tap the handle must be
released when it will go back and with it the spindle, cams, and key to
their position of rest by reason of the tensile force of the spring, and the
valve will be closed by the continuous pressure of the liquid carrying the
ball valve into its seating in the ingress cup, the ingress hole being large
enough to admit a small portion of the ball to effect a tight joint; the
tap is thus self-closing and waste of the liquid is prevented as the tap
cannot be left running, the liquid only flowing when the handle is held
open.
Instead of employing a loose ball valve operated as described I some-
times use a vertical loose wormed plug carrying an ordinary flat valve

page_text: formed in the spindle and having a guide pin to prevent the plug from
turning but allowing of its rise and fall, and with it the valve by operating
the handle, which is self-acting, by means of the spring, cams, and lug,
before described.
By another arrangement I make a self-closing cock or tap by
dispensing with the lubricating chamber, spring, and cams, and form &
vertical or horizontal spindle to pass through the body of the tap, and
having four keys tapered at their ends for coming in contact with the
loose ball valve when the handle is turned in either direction to allow
the flow of the liquid, and upon releasing the handle the pressure of the
liquid will partly turn the spindle by striking the keys so as to disengage
the one key from the ball valve and will allow the valve to be driven
into its seating and close the tap.
I also form an improved ball cock for regulating the supply of water
or other liquids to cisterns and to prevent the overflow waste; to the
supply pipe is secured a cock consisting of an ingress end cupped to
receive a loose ball valve, a box or chamber is connected to or formed as
part of the cock having an outlet into the cistern, a lever carrying an
ordinary cistern ball being secured to the end or sides of the box which
is mounted upon the cistern, and a horizontal rod works through the box,
the ball lever being secured to such rod at one end, the other end touching
the ball valve, thus when the water is low the lever and cistern ball will
hang down, causing the rod to push from its seating the ball valve and
admitting the water through the open space around the valve, and as the
cistern fills the ball rising with the water will withdraw the rod from
the ball valve, which regaining its seating by the pressure of the water
will close the valve.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Eighth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Richard Boyell, Her special licence that
J, the said Richard Boyell, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Richard Boyell, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUIDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Richard Boyell, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Boyell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, and accompanying Drawing (that is to say) :-
My Invention refers to improvements in self-closing cocks or taps for
regulating and controlling the flow of water or other liquids so as to
prevent waste..
I form the body of the cock or tap with a lubricating chamber to
receive an enlarged portion of a vertical or horizontal spindle, the lower
or enclosed end of which fits into a centre or bearing in the base or side
of the tap. The upper end of the spindle projects above the tap and has
a suitable handle attached thereto, a screwed cap being secured upon
the top of the lubricating chamber which is filled with grease or fat.
are
Upon the enlarged portion of the vertical or horizontal spindle described
formed two cams, and on the side of the lubricating chamber is a pro-
jecting lug, the cams being situated one over and one under the lug or on
each side thereof when the tap is closed, and around the enlarged part of

page_text: the spindle I place one or more springs formed of a section or sections of
an open tube of metal, india-rubber, or other suitable material, the open
edges of which fit into the sides of the spindle, cams, and the fixed lug..
Upon the lower or enclosed end of the vertical or horizontal spindle
are projections or keys on either side opposite the ingress opening, which
opening I form as a cup to serve as the seat for a loose ball or valvė
made of india-rubber, metal, or other suitable material. Into or on the
ingress end of the tap is screwed a nozzle for connection to the water
pipe, cistern, or other supply. The bib or spout of the cock or tap may
be of any convenient form.
The operation of the tap is as follows:-The handle being turned in
either direction will cause one of the keys on the lower or enclosed end
of the spindle to come in contact with and move from the ingress hole
the loose ball or valve sufficiently to permit the water or other liquid to
flow, at the same time the spring will be held in tension or expanded by
reason of one of its edges impinging against the lug on the lubricating
chamber, and the other edge being held by and moving with the cams
on the enlarged part of the spindle. To shut off the tap the handle
must be released, when it will go back and with it the spindle, cams, and
key to their position of rest by reason of the elastic force of the spring,
and the valve will be closed by the continuous pressure of the liquid
carrying the ball valve into its seating on the ingress cup. The ingress
hole being large enough to admit a small portion of the ball so as to
make a tight joint; the tap is thus self-closing and waste of liquid is
prevented as the tap cannot be left running, the liquid only flowing
when the handle is held open.
Instead of employing a loose ball valve operated as described I some-
times use a vertical loose wormed (or screwed) plug, carrying an
ordinary flat valve working into a seating, the wormed plug fitting into
a female screw formed in the spindle and having a guide pin to prevent
the plug from turning, but allowing of its rise and fall, and with it the
valve by operating the handle, which is self-acting by means of the
spring, cams, and lug before described.
By another arrangement which I sometimes adopt I make the self-
closing cock or tap by dispensing with the lubricating chamber, spring,
and cams, and form a vertical or horizontal spindle to pass through the
body of the tap, and having four keys or projections tapered at their

page_text: ends, and arranged so as to come in contact with the loose ball valve
when the handle is turned in either direction to allow the flow of liquid.
Upon releasing the handle the pressure of the liquid will partly turn the
spindle by striking the keys so as to disengage the one key from the ball
valve, and will allow the ball to be driven into its seating and close
the tap.
I also form an improved ball tap or cock, for regulating the supply
of water or other liquids to cisterns and preventing the overflow waste.
To the supply pipe is secured a cock consisting of an ingress end cupped
to receive a loose ball valve in the way already described. A. box or
chamber is connected to or formed as part of the cock having an outlet
into the cistern, a lever carrying an ordinary cistern ball being secured
to the end or sides of the box which is mounted upon the cistern, and a
horizontal rod works through the box, the ball lever being secured to
such rod at the one end, the other end touching the ball valve, thus
when the water is low the lever and cistern ball will hang down causing
the rod to push from its seating the ball valve and admitting the water
through the open space around the valve, and as the cistern fills the
ball rising with the water will withdraw the rod from the ball valve,
which regaining its seating by the pressure of the water will close the
valve.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of my Invention.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a tap; a, being the body of the
tap; b, the ingress opening having a cupped seat c formed in it for the
ball valve d which is forced into the seat by the pressure of water
admitted to the tap through the supply pipe e (shewn disconnected);
f is the lubricating chamber containing the enlarged portion g of the
spindle h, the lower part of which carries projections or keys i, i, which
press the ball d from its seat when the spindle is turned; k, k³, are two
cams one above the other (shewn in plan at Figure 4) formed upon the
enlarged part 9 of the spindle, and is a corresponding lug formed upon
the inside of the lubricating chamber (shewn in plan at 1, Figure 2).
A spring o (shewn separately at Figure 3, and in dotted lines in Figure 2)
is fitted round the spindle g, its ends abutting against the cams k, k³, and
the lug. A cover m is fitted to the lubricating chamber f, and n is a
handle by which the tap is opened. Figure 5 shews a similar arrange-
ment of cams, lug, and spring, but the spindle g operates upon a flat
valve d, which is raised and lowered when the spindle is turned by

page_text: means of a screw cut upon its plug and working in the female screw
upon the spindle g.
Figures 6 and 7 shew a tap having my arrangement for moving the
ball valve d from its seat, but without the cams, lug, and spring, for
closing the tap when the handle is released. In this arrangement four
cams i, i, i, i, are shewn (in plan at Figure 7) either of which opens the
ball valve d when the handle is turned, and when the handle is released
the ball is forced between two of these cams by the water and shuts
the tap.
Figure 8 shews my arrangement of ball valve d and cams i, i, for
opening it applied to a self-regulating cistern tap. An ordinary lever
and ball (not shewn in the Drawing) is fitted to one end of the spindle
which carries the projections i, i, one of which lifts the ball valve d
from its seat when the lever falls, and allows it to return to its seat when
the lever rises.
Having now described my Invention and the manner in which it is to
be performed, I claim, the arrangement of spring, cams, and lug, upon
the spindles of self-closing cocks, substantially as and for the purpose
described and shewn in the Drawing; also the ball valve actuated by
keys or projections upon the spindle of self-closing cocks, substantially
as described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Boyell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
RICHARD BOYELL. (L.S.)