IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR VALVES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Harrison, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COCKS OR VALVES."
Sealed the 28th June 1867, and dated the 29th December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Harrison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
December 1866.
I, CHARLES HARRISON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR VALVES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to cocks or valves for regulating the transmission of
fluids, steam, air, and gases, and the object is to obtain a much greater area
of passage through the cocks or valves in proportion to their sizes and weights
of metal than in cocks or valves of any other construction. I make the plug
of each cock or valve hollow with a transverse bridge or stop in the middle,
and form screws at each extreme end of the plug for uniting it to the pipes of
supply and discharge. At each side of the bridge I make two apertures
opposite each other, and fit on the plug a barrel having two opposite chambers,
each opening over the bridge with their edges agreeing with the apertures in
the plug, and the barrel and chambers form part of a disc or handle wheel.
The pipes of supply and discharge are always open to the ends of the plug,

page_text: and when the barrel and wheel are in such a position that the chambers are
full open to the apertures there is a free passage through the cock or valve,
but when the barrel and wheel are turned so as to place the openings of the
chambers on the plain part of the plug the passage is entirely closed, and all
areas of passage between the full open and entirely closed are regulated by
turning the wheel and causing the openings of the chambers to be more or
less open to the apertures in the plug. Thus in this improved cock or valve
there are the open ends leading to and from the plug, and at each side of the
bridge two apertures open when required to the chambers, and as the
capacities of the chambers do not interfere with the areas of the apertures
the area of the passage through the cock or valve can be made equal to the
supply pipe, although the said cock or valve is comparatively small.
It will be seen that the cock or valve before described has only one way
adapted for ordinary use, but when two, three, or more ways are required
there must be a corresponding number of passages and apertures in the plug
and chambers connected with the barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Harrison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HARRISON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles
Harrison, Her special license that I, the said Charles Harrison, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Harrison, 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 IN COCKS OR VALVES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Harrison, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
Lands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the

page_text: 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 Charles Harrison, 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
thereof, reference being had to the figures on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon:-
This Invention relates to cocks or valves for regulating the transmission of
fluids, steam, air, and gases, and the object is to obtain a much greater area
of passage through the cocks or valves in proportion to their sizes and weights
of metal than in cocks or valves of the ordinary. construction. I make the
plug of each cock or valve hollow with a transverse bridge or stop in the
middle, and form screws when required at each extreme end of the plug for
uniting it to the pipes of supply and discharge. At each side of the bridge I
make two apertures opposite each other, and fit on the plug a barrel having
two opposite chambers, each opening over the bridge with their edges agreeing
with the apertures in the plug, and when required the barrel and chambers
are in connection with a disc or handle wheel. The pipes of supply and dis-
charge are always open to the ends of the plug, and when the barrel is in
such a position that the chambers are full open to the apertures there is a
free passage through the cock or valve, but when the barrel is turned so as to
place the openings of the chambers on the plain part of the plug between
the apertures the passage is entirely closed, and all areas of passage between
the full open and entirely closed are regulated by turning the barrel and
causing the chambers to be more or less open to the apertures in the plug.
In some cases I cause one of the chambers to communicate with a hollow
handle provided with a screw cap, so that when the cap is removed the hollow
handle can be connected to a union or pipe, and thus enable the cock or valve
to supply two different places at the same or different times.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figs. 1 and 2 are side and end
views, and Fig. 3 a section of one of my improved cocks or valves, in which the
barrel is in connection with a disc or handle wheel; Fig. 4 is a section, and
Fig. 5 an end view of a cock or valve without a disc or handle wheel; Fig. 6,
a top view of one of the plugs, and Fig. 7 a side view of a cock or valve with
a bandle pipe on one of its chambers.
a represents the plug of the cock or valve; b, the bridge or stop in the
middle of the plug; c, the apertures at each side of the bridge; d, the barrel
fitted on the plug, and e the chambers of the barrel.

page_text: In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the disc or handle wheel is marked f, and in Fig. 7
the handle pipe is shewn at g, and in the sections the course of the flows is
illustrated by the arrows.
It will be seen that in each of these improved cocks or valves there are
open ends leading to and from the plug, and at each side of the bridge two
apertures open, when required, to the chambers, and as the capacities of
the chambers do not interfere with the areas of the apertures the area of
passage through the cock or valve can be made equal to the area of the supply
pipe, although the said cock or valve is comparatively small.
In the cocks or valves before described there is but one way or passage
adapted for ordinary use, but when two, three, or more ways are required there
must be a corresponding number of passages and apertures in the plug and
chambers connected with the barrel.
It is evident that the tapers of the plugs may be placed either way, that is,
that the supply may enter at the large or small end of the taper, and also
that the flows or passages through the plug and chambers may be arranged
in a spiral direction similar to the twist of a rope.
These improved cocks or valves can be adapted for hydrants, steam whistles,
oil cups, and to all purposes where cocks are employed.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim the improvements in cocks or valves, as herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Harrison, have hereunto set my
- hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the within-named Charles
Harrison, in the presence of
G. SEPTIMUS HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
CHARLES HARRISON. (L.S.)