IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OFF WATER
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick George Underhay, of 13, Wells Street,
Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
117
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick George Under-
hay at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th April 1856.
I, FREDERICK GEORGE UNDERHAY, of 13, Wells Street, Gray's Inn Road, in.
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OFF WATER," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for drawing.
off water. For these purposes, when constructing sluice cocks, in order to
facilitate the application and removal of the bushings or wearing surfaces, the-
bushes of gun metal or of other suitable metal are formed into rings, and are
fixed to ring plates, each of which has a rib formed on the other side to that
on which the bushing is fixed, the object of which is, that a ring or washer of.
vulcanized india-rubber, gutta percha, or suitable matter may be introduced
between it and the face in the slide box of the sluice box. The slide is formed
with corresponding bushings or flat rings of gun or other suitable metal. And
in order to fix the face plates with their bushings correctly in the box of the
sluice cock, the two face plates with the flexible washers and the slide are

page_text: introduced into the slide box of the sluice cock, by which the face plates and
their bushings will be correctly guaged, and they are then fixed in their
positions by wedges or other suitable instruments in such manner as to
prevent the face plates coming towards each other when the slide of the
sluice cock is moved out from the face plates. Or, in place of using the
washers, as above described, the face plates having been correctly placed, as
above explained, they are held apart by rods, and lead or soft metal is run in
between the face plates and surfaces of the slide box of the sluice cock.
In arranging fixed stand pipes in order that the valves may be acted on
readily to admit of drawing off water whilst the valves are open, and yet
insure the closing of the valves when the valves are no longer kept open by
the persons drawing off water, the apparatus of a stand pipe is arranged in the
following manner :-The stand pipes have in each case a valve opening with
the pressure of the water, and it is closed by the gravitation of a weight,
according to the extent of pressure of the water on the valve. The stand pipe
is enclosed on all sides so as to prevent any person getting to the interior
except by removing or opening part of the casing. The outlet spout comes
through the casing, and such is the case with the axis by which the valve is
acted on when required. On the end of this axis is,fixed a handle; the valve
spindle is attached to a weighted lever, and an arm on the axis is connected
to the lever and weight. Hence, when water is to be drawn off the handle is
to be depressed, which by the leverage will readily open the valve and raise
the weight, and when the handle is released the descent of the weight will
close the valve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick George Underhay in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th October 1856.
TO ALL, TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
GEORGE UNDERHAY, of 13, Wells Street, Gray's Inn Road, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April,; in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in: thennineteenth year. of Her+reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant,unto.me,. the said
Frederick George Underhay,, Her special licence, that I, the said Frederick
George Underhay, my executors, administrators, and assigns,. or. such others
as I, the said Frederick George Underhay, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
át 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
"INPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OPP WATER," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Frederick George Underhay, 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 Frederick George Underhay, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for drawing
off water. For these purposes, when constructing sluice cocks, in order to
facilitate the application and removal of the bushings or wearing surfaces, the
bushes of gun metal or of other suitable metal are formed into rings, and are
fixed to ring plates, each of which has a rib formed on the other side to that
on which the bushing is fixed, tho object of which is, that a ring or washer
of vulcanized india-rubber, gutta percha, or other suitable matter may be
introduced between it and the face in the slide box of the sluice box. The
slide is formed with corresponding bushings or flat rings of gun or other
suitablé metal, and in order to fix the face plates with their bushings correctly
in the box of the sluice cock the two face plates with the flexible washers and
the slide are introduced into the slide box of the sluice cock, by which the
face plates and their bushings will be correctly guaged, and they are then
fixed in their positions by wedges or other suitable instruments in such
manner as to prevent the face plates coming towards each other when the
slide of the sluice cock is moved out from the face plates. Or, in place of
using the washers, as above described, the face plates having been correctly
placed, as above explained, they are held apart by rods, and lead or soft nietal
is run in between the face plates and surfaces of the slide box of the sluice
cock.
In arranging fixed stand pipes in order that the valves may be acted on
readily to admit of drawing off water whilst the valves are open, and yet
insure the closing of the valves when the valves are no longer kept open

page_text: by the persons drawing off water, the apparatus of a stand pipe is arranged
in the following manner: The stand pipes have in each case a valve
opening with the pressure of the water, and it is closed by the gravitation
of a weight, according to the extent of pressure of the water on the
valve. The stand pipe is enclosed on all sides, so as to prevent any
person getting to the interior except by removing or opening part of the
casing. The outlet spout comes through the casing, and such is the case
with the axis by which the valve is acted on when required. On the end of
this axis is fixed a handle; the valve spindle is attached to a weighted lever,.
and an arm on the axis is connected to the lever and weight. Hence, when
water is to be drawn off, the handle is to be depressed, which, by the leverage,
will readily open the valve and raise the weight, and when the handle is
released the descent of the weight will close the valve..
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of a sluice cock constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 2 shows a horizontal section of the same. Figure 3
shows an inside view of one of the ring plates separately; Figure 4,
section of the slide.; and Figure 5 shows two views of one of the wedges
which are introduced between the two ring plates to keep them in position
when the slide is lifted out of position. a, a, is the main casting or barrel
of the sluice cock, the nature of which is clearly shown in the Drawing,
which, however, does not materially differ from others heretofore made; b, b,
is the slide, the construction of which is very similar to what has heretofore
been produced; c, c, are what I call the two ring plates, and it is the con-
struction and mode of applying these in sluice cocks which constitutes the
peculiarity of my Invention. On the inner faces of these plates the wearing
surfaces or rings c³, c', of gun metal or other suitable material are formed or
fixed. c, c, are ring projections on the outer surfaces of these plates; c, c,
and d, d, are rings or packings of vulcanized india-rubber, gutta percha, or
other suitable material; e, e, are two wedges, which are somewhat less in
width than the combined width of the slide 6 with its rings or wearing sur-
faces b¹, b¹, of gun metal or other suitable material, and the rings or wearing
surfaces c¹ on the plates c. The packing rings of vulcanized india-rubber d, d,
constantly press the two ring plates c, c, towards the slide, and therefore keep
the rubbing or wearing surfaces or rings c¹, c', and 6, 6, truly together, the
two wedges e, e, not preventing the two plates c approaching the slide 6. By

page_text: this combination or arrangement the wearing surfaces or bushes can readily
be removed and replaced. f is the screw nut attached to the slide b, and by
which, the male screw g, the slide is raised and lowered; h is the cover or
case into which the slide passes; when raised, it is fixed to the barrel a of the
cock by means of screws and nuts i, i. The upper part of the stem of the
screw g passes through the stuffing box j, and the collar or projection g' on
the upper part of the screw is retained securely in position by the plate k,
screwed to the upper part of the case or cover h of the slide.
I will now describe another part of my Invention. Figure 6 shows a fixed
stand pipe, having apparatus applied thereto according to my Invention.
Figure 7 shows a vertical section on a larger scale, and Figure 8 a horizontal
section. a is the supply valve, on the upper part of which is formed a suit-
able valve seat; b is a lever, having its fulcrum at c. The lever 6 passes
through the upper end of the valve spindle d, and its end passes into a slot
in the stem attached to the weight a. The valve is shown to be raised, and
the exterior lever handle e shown to be depressed. The lever handle e is
fixed to one end of the axis f, and the upper end of the weight x is attached
to an arm fixed on the socket of the axis f. Hence, when axis f is turned, it
being fixed to the socket f', the socket turns with it, and the socket is pre-
vented turning too far by an arm thereon being stopped by a fixed stop f;
consequently, when the lever handle e is depressed the weight and the valve
spindle d will be raised so long as the handle e is kept depressed, but so soon
as the handle e is released the weight will descend and close the valve.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,―
First, the mode herein described of applying the wearing surfaces of sluice
cocks.
And, secondly, I claim the combination of parts berein described in
Figures 6, 7, and 8 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick George Underhay, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
F. G. UNDERHAY. (L.B.)