IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT.
MARTINEAU, of Birmingham,. and BROOKE SMITH, of the same place, in the
County of Warwick, Cock Founders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Robert Martineau and Brooke' Smith, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that we, the said Robert Martineau and Brooke
Smith, our exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert
Martineau and Brooke Smith, our exors, adñors, or assigns, should at any.
time agree with, and no. others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use;
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that we, the said Robert
Martineau and Brooke Smith, or one of us, shall cause a particular descrip-
tion of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be inrolled in Her. said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being.
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Robert Martineau and Brooke Smith, do hereby declare that the nature
of our Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
are fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed and to the
figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say) :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents the external view of a cock constructed according to
our Invention. Figure 2 is the external view of another cock constructed
according to our Invention; and Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a cock
which represents the internal arrangement of the valve, its seat, and spindle,
both of Figure 1 and Figure 2; the improvements of combining the parts
of Figure 1 and of Figure 2 differing only as to the modes of arranging the
levers and springs to open and close the valve. And it may be desirable in
the outset to state that our Invention has for its object certain modes of
combining the parts of cocks for drawing off liquids, that they shall remain
more secure from leakage and more conveniently acted on than what are at
present constructed. And the Invention is strictly confined to such construc
tion of cocks as have valves which are moved in opposition to the pressure of
the liquid when the valve is opened to permit of the flow of liquid, conse-
quently, when the valve of the cock is closed the pressure of the fluid tends to
keep the cock watertight; and our improvements have for their object
convenient means for opening and closing the valves of such description of
cocks without having any spindles or other instruments working through
stuffing boxes in order to act on the valves of such descriptions of cocks,
consequently avoiding that tendency which has heretofore existed in most
cocks to leak at such stuffing boxes. a, a, is the barrel of the cock, the
construction of which will be readily understood.
valve chamber c. This cap or cover 6 may be affixed by a screw, as shewn in
the Drawing, by soldering or by other convenient means. d (Figure 3)
is the valve, and e its spindle. f is the seat of the valve; and it will be seen
that the seat f is a projecting ring of metal, which is truly turned and ground
on its surface and the upper edge rounded, as is shewn in the Drawing, which
is the mode of construction we prefer; but that arrangement of seat may be
varied. On the under surface of the valve is applied cork, leather, india
rubber, or other suitably soft material, in order that when the soft surface is
borne down on to the seat and pressed thereon by the pressure of the liquid
(in the cask or other vessels to which the cork is applied), it will tend to keep
the valve tight. And this will be still further ensured by the employment of
6 is the cap or cover to the

page_text: seat.
a suitable spring, acting on the instrument used for raising the valve from its
To the spindle e of the cock, Figure 1, is applied the projection 9 by a
screw or other convenient means; and to such projection ġ are affixed (or
form part thereof) the rods h, one on each side of the barrel of the cock,
there being guides i, i, formed on the barrel of the cock to retain the rods in
a correct position. On the upper ends of the rods h is affixed the cross bar j,
having a projection to which a lever handle k is attached by a pin joint.
This lever handle rests on the top of the cover of the valve chamber of the
cock. is a spring which is constantly pressing on the part g which works in
a slit m formed for the part g to slide in; and it will be seen that the spring
I has at all times a tendency to close the valve. And we would remark, that
although we prefer the description of spring shewn, we do not confine our-
selves thereto, as other constructions of spring will answer the purpose.
When it is desired to open the valve to draw off any liquid, the person
presses the outer end of the handle k downwards, which, raising the other end
of the handle, causes the part g to be raised in its slit, and consequently, the
valve will be raised off its seat, and will remain off its seat so long as the
handle is pressed on; but immediately the handle is released the pressure of the
liquid, aided by the spring and the weight of the parts, closes the valve, and
tends constantly to keep it closed. And it will readily be understood that in
place of the handle k a knob, ring, or other handle may be applied to the rods
h in order to raise the valve. The valve in Figure 2 is raised by means of a
lever g, g, moving on a fulcrum at g', as is shewn in the Drawing, and is pressed
down by means of a spring 7. In using a cock of this construction, the lever g,g,
is raised by the finger, and retained up so long as the flow is required; and
immediately on the lever g being released, the pressure of the liquid above the
valve and the spring will close the valve and retain it closed.
Figure 4 is a section, Figure 5 is part of a barrel, having suitable means
applied for locking the lever g. Figure 6 is a view of the lock cock with the
front cover removed. In these Figures the same letters of reference are
employed as in Figures 1, 2, and 3, for the same parts. n, n, is the case of
the lock. o is a spring catch which is at all times pressing towards the front,
and is turned up at its lower end-in order to sustain the end of the lever g, as
is shewn at Figure 6. Now it will be evident that so long as the parts remain
as shewn at Figure 6, any pressure upwards of the lever g cannot be effected,
and consequently, the valve will be closed till the spring o is forced from
under the other end of the lever g by the pressure of the key. The lever is
liberated from the catch and is allowed to be depressed by the wing or bit of the.
key as it is turned downwards, consequently, the other end of the lever with thei

page_text: valve is elevated, and so remains until,. by,a further progress in its revolution;
the key ceases to act on the lever, when the lever regains its original position:
And the key being withdrawn from the lock, the spring o.again advances;
and the catch.at its lower end prevents any action of the lever, thus forming a
secure lock cock. And there is to be a spring 1 to press on the lever 'g, as in-
the former, cases.
:
;
Figure 7 shews another arrangement for raising the valves of such descrip-
tion of cocks as are herein described, whether the valve be as shewn in this
Figure or be a conical metal valve. In this Figure 'the same letters indicate
similar parts wherever they occur, as have been before described. 9 is a
handle which is capable of being slided up and down in the slit but in the
lower part of the spout of the cock.. is a notch, there being a similar one in
the opposite side. The object of these notches is to support the handle 9
when the valve is open.. The lower part or edge of the spout of the cock is
inclined, in order that when, the valve is closed the handle g may be turned
out of the vertical slits and pass. along under the inclined surfaces, 'and' in
doing so strongly hold down the valve. Figure 7 represents 'a mode of
holding down the valve by means of a, spring s¹ in place; of the inclined
surfaces; in other respects the cock is similar to that in Figure 7.
Figure 8 shews: another, arrangement. of cocks constructed according to our
improvements, in which the valve is raised by a bent or cranked rod g which
passes down a tube t in the inside of the valve chamber of the cock, the
rod and tube descending below the bottom of the valve chamber, and con-
sequently out of the way of the liquid when the valve is shut, thus preventing.
a passage taking place. 9, g. shews the rod by which the valve is raised. To
this rod a handle or lever or other means may be attached to raise the same
together with the valve, and a spring may be applied to aid the weight of the
parts and the pressure of the fluid to keep the valve close, particularly where
the valves and seat are similar to those described at Figure 3. It will be
evident that a cock arranged according to this part of our Invention will not
be liable to leak, as the water or other liquid can only pass in one direction.
through the opening in the valve, and when that is closed all passage will be
stopped, the means of opening the valve being external of the valve chamber:
of the cock, consequently requiring no stuffing boxes; .and such is the case
in respect.to.the: cock previously described. .
Figure 9. shews another. arrangement of cock different in some degree
from that, of Figure 8, inasmuch as the tubet through which the rod g
moves passes through the valve chamber and through the valve itself," the
lower part forming part of the valve seat, and is formed into a rounded!

page_text: edge in like manner to the other or outer. seat of the valve. The valve.in
this case is shewn to be covered on the under side with leather or other
suitable soft material. The Drawing shews the parts and the modes of
combining the same by screws, at the same time the places of screwing, ,the parts
together may be varied, depending on the shape of the cock, made according
to any of the improved constructions above described. And other means. than
screws may be resorted to for fastening the parts together, but we prefer
screws wherever the parts may ever be required to be separated to cleanse or
repair the inside; but where no separation of particular parts can be required
after the cock is once made, then such parts may be soldered together.
Having thus explained the nature of our Invention, we would remark that
we lay no claim to any of the parts separately, nor do we confine ourselves to
making such cocks of brass or other metal, but intend to make them of any
suitable material, our Invention not relating to the external or internal
shapes, or to the materials of which cocks for drawing off liquids are made,
but to modes of combining and conveniently opening and closing such
valves of cocks as open in opposition to the pressure of the liquid, without
employing stuffing boxes for the passage of the spindles of the valves, but
acting on them by instruments out of the way of the pressure of the liquid,
and the levers, slides, springs, and valves may be varied provided the general
principle of the combination of the parts be retained. But what we claim as
our Invention is,-
'
First, the mode of combining valves (having on their under surfaces suitable
soft materials, such as cork, leather, india-rubber cloth (or such like sub-
stances,) in the valve chambers of cocks where the valves are open by
instruments or means out of the way of the pressure of the liquid, as above
described.
Secondly, the mode of opening and closing valves of cocks by means of
the parts g, h, l, in Figure 1, and g, 1, in Figures 2, 3, and 4.
Thirdly, the mode of opening and closing the valves of cocks by means of
handles g, combined with inclined surfaces s or with springs s¹, as described in
Figure 7 and Figure 7.
Fourthly, the mode of opening the valves of cocks by means of instruments
passing through tubes t through the valve chamber, as is shewn in Figures
8 & 9.
In witness whereof, the said Robert Martineau, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.
ROBERT (L.s.) MARTINEAU.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of Novem-
ber, in the year of our Lord 1838, the aforesaid Robert Martineau came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.