IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR VALVES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Wallwork, of the City of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Ironfounder and Engineer, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR VALVES."
Sealed the 16th April 1869, and dated the 29th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Wallwork at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th October 1868.
1, HENRY WALLWORK, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Ironfounder and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
OR VALVES," to be as
The said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR VALVES,"
follows:
My-improvements relate principally to self-closing valves-or taps,
suitable more, particularly for water, beer, oil, and other liquids, and
consist in the construction and arrangement of the parts. The valve
is a lifting valve; the stem part which guides its movement is formed
with grooves or channels in the ordinary manner, or it is made tubular
and holes are formed in its upper part to allow the fluid to pass into

page_text: The
the hollow of the stem. The seating of the valve is flat, and the facing
of the valve (corresponding to the cone part of the ordinary valve)
is formed by a ring of india-rubber or other suitable material.
head of the valve is coned above the said india-rubber ring for a short
length, and then terminates in a cylindrical head, which is bored out
and lateral passages are made from the centre to the under side of the
head. Thus constructed the valve is partly an equilibrium valve in
its action, so that while little power is required to lift or open it under
great pressures, sufficient pressure is left upon the valve to render it
self-closing and without too suddenly stopping the flow of the liquid.
The valve is lifted to open it by the end of a lever handle acting against
the end of the stem of the valve, this lever handle passing through a
cylindrical plug fitting a hole formed in the body part of the tap; or it
may be actuated by a short shaft and two lever projections, one to act
on the stem the other as a handle.
In using my improved tap or valve the lever handle will have to be
held so as to keep the valve open as long as the fluid is required to
flow, as when the handle ceases to be held the valve is closed by its
own action. For ball valves the stem of the valve may be made to
come below the outflow orifice, and the ball lever may be connected
with it, the lever having its fulcrum on a projection from the body
of the tap, or the stem of the valve may be made to come against a
cross bar within a tubular part sliding upon the exterior of the body
part of the tap, the lever handle or ball lever being made to actuate
this tubular part to open the valve. The fluid may be brought to the
valve either axially or at one side, and the valve chest part of the tap
may be closed or covered by either a screw cap or plug.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Wallwork in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, IIENRY
WALLWORK, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Ironfounder and Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Iler reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Wallwork, Her special license
that I, the said Henry Wallwork, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as 1, the said Henry Wallwork, my executors,
administrators, 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
TAPS OR VALVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry Wallwork, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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 Oflice within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
l'atent.
IN
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Wallwork, 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 the accompanying Drawings (that is to
say):-
My improvements relate principally to self-closing valves or taps,
suitable more particularly for water, beer, oil, and other liquids, and
consist in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the parts.
The valve is a lifting valve and closes by the pressure of the liquid;
the stem part which guides its movement is formed with grooves or
channels in the ordinary manner, or it is made tubular, and holes are
formed laterally in its apper part to allow the fluid to pass into and
through the hollow stem. The seating of the valve is flat, and the
facing of the valve (corresponding to the cone part of the ordinary
valve) is formed by a ring of india-rubber, leather, or other suitable
inaterial. The head of the valve is coned. It is lifted when opened
by the end of a lever handle acting against the end of the stem of
the valve, this lever handle passing through a cylindrical or cone plug
fitting a hole fornied in the body part of the tap.
In using this improved tap or valve as above described the lever
handle will have to be held so as to keep the valve open so long as the

page_text: fluid is required to flow, as when the handle ceases to be held the
valve is closed by the pressure of the fluid. To prevent any damage
from the sudden shutting of the valve I combine, (and this forms
another part of my Invention, and may be used with all quick closing
valves) an air vessel having an india rubber or other suitable elastic
diaphragm at its upper end backed by an india-rubber or other spring,
and I arrange so that the orifice for the admission of the fluid to this
air chamber shall be smaller than the outlet orifice from the valve,
in proportion to the average pressure of the fluid for which the valve is
used greater the pressure and smaller the orifice in proportion.
Where a self-closing valve is not required I modify my improved
combination by actuating the lifting lever by a screw, or I dispense
with the lever and plug, and cause the cone end of a screw placed at a
right angle to the stem of the valve to act directly upon the end
thereof.
For self-acting or float valves a rod may be attached to the lever
handle, having a ball or piece of cork as a float, or the ball or cork may
be attached directly to the lever, bent or curved to the form required.
Fig. 1 is a side sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a front elevation with
the front cover (a) removed showing my improved self-closing tap or
valve, as a street "stand tap for supplying water to the public. is
the stand or frame; a is the pipe conveying water to the air chamber
(a); this pipe is provided with the usual stop tap (a), which may be of
any ordinary kind or like one of those to be herein-after described;
e is the handle for opening the valve, it passes through a slot in the
side of the stand (a), and a is the outflow orifice of the tap.
Above
The
Fig. 3 is a detached full size vertical section of the tap or valve and
air chamber combined. is the supply pipe screwed into the side of
the air chamber (a), the fluid passing through, the small passage (a)
and descending to the bottom of the chamber coming into it from two
lateral passages (a); a³ is an india-rubber diaphragm which is held
by and forms a packing for the lid (a) secured as shown.
the diaphragm (a) there is an india-rubber ball (a) as shown.
body (b) of the tap is screwed into a branch from the lower end of the
chamber (a). c is the valve; c', the india-rubber ring; d is a cylindrical
plug fitting into the hody of the tap; e, is the lever handle passing
through the plug (d) which lifts the stem of the valve (c) the end of
the stem passing through a slot in the end of the lever, as shown.

page_text: Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a tap or valve similar to that shown
in Fig. 3, except that the lever (e) is actuated by a screw () as
shown.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of another tap or valve actuated directly
by a screw (). The point of the screw is conical and acts upon the
The screw has an
cone formed end of the stem of the valve (c).
enlarged part (/) upon it like a piston, with a groove round it for
packing to fit the smooth cylindrical part in which it turns and slides.
There is a small screw (g) which acts as a stop to limit the extent of
movement in the cone ended screw ().
The taps or valves shown by Figs. 4 and 5 can be screwed into
branches or chambers of such form or arrangement as will be most
convenient for the place or position in which they are to be employed.
Fig. 6. illustrates the application of the tap shown in Fig. 3 as a
self-acting float tap. is a rod jointed to the lever (e) having a cork
float () attached, as shown.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
mode of carrying the same into effect, and claim as my Invention,―
Firstly. The combination and arrangement of the parts forming a
self-closing tap or valve, as herein-before described and shown in the
Drawings.
Secondly. The combination and arrangement of an air vessel having
an elastic diaphragm with a self-shutting or other quick closing tap
or valve, as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of the parts of a tap or
valye opened and closed by the action of a screw, as herein-before
described and illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Wallwork, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
HENRY WALLWORK. (L.S.)