New or Improved Ball-cock or Automatic Valve for Cisterns, Flush Tanks or other Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 26th July, 1900-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Ball-cock or Automatic Valve for Cisterns, Flush
Tanks or other Purposes.
1, FREDERICK JAMES BRAZIER, of 56, Seven Sisters Road, Holloway, London,
N., Registered Master Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
This invention consists of a new or improved ball-cock or automatic valve for
cisterns flush tanks or other purposes as follows:-
..
According to the present invention the end of the water (or other liquid)
supply pipe at or near the outlet therefrom is arranged vertically and upon this
vertical portion any suitable ball" or float is arranged in suchwise as to be
adapted to freely slide vertically and be guided thereon; or if desired separate
vertical supports may be provided on which said "ball" or float may be adapted
to slide in a suitable position proximate to the downwardly opening outlet from
the liquid supply pipe; but for the sake of example I will describe the arrange-
ment with the ball" sliding on the vertical portion of a water supply pipe.
To the said ball or float is secured by downwardly projecting arms or other
suitable means a horizontal cross-bar or cross-head which extend through slots
in the side of a vertically disposed tube which latter is arranged concentric with
and on the same vertical axial line as the outlet from the water supply pipe.
This said slotted tube is carried by or secured to the water supply pipe by an open-
work cap or frame the latter being so arranged as to permit the water flowing
from the supply pipe (when the latter is open") to pass freely through said
cap into the cistern or reservoir or flush tank etc.; the upper part of said cap or
frame advantageously serving as a rest or stop which limits the vertical descent
of the aforesaid "ball" or float.
Within this said tube is vertically guided a vertical hollow valve spindle on the
upper end of which is arranged the valve advantageously a disc or ring (pro-
vided with suitable washer or packing
on the
upper face thereof if desired) which
is adapted to close the outlet from the water pipe when raised vertically against
said outlet.
In order to bring said valve into equilibrium or nearly so (that is to compensate
for the downward pressure thereon exerted by the water in the supply pipe) I
provide a disc or flange or cup with suitable packing at or near the lower end of
said hollow valve spindle which valve spindle terminates within the aforesaid
vertically mounted tube which latter is closed at its lower end by a removable cap
or other suitable means so that when the valve is closed upon the supply pipe
the pressure of the water in the supply pipe can pass down through said hollow
valve spindle and thus exert upward pressure on the underside of the piston like
disc or flange etc. at the lower end of the valve spindle as aforesaid and thus
bringing the valve into equilibrium or thereabouts.
I find it advantageous however to have the upward pressure thus exerted on
the valve rather less than the downward pressure thereon; and for this purpose
I construct the parts accordingly; so that when the water in the cistern flush

page_text: tank etc. has fallen and allows the descent of the ball or float then the weight of
the latter will serve to force down the hollow valve spindle to which it is con-
nected by means of the aforesaid horizontal cross-bar or cross-head or by any other
suitable means and thus open the supply pipe and then as the water rises same
will lift said ball or float and thereby again force the valve against the mouth of
the supply pipe and thereby again stop further flow of water."
Instead of the ball or float being rigidly connected to the vertical valve spindle
as aforesaid same may be connected to the valve spindle or the valve itself in any
other suitable manner or the ball or float may be arranged to lift the aforesaid
vaive through the medium of any suitable intermediate mechanism for instance
by means of a set of lever arms fulcrummed or mounted on fixed supports the
said ball being connected to said levers and the latter arranged to act in such wise
as to force the valve upwards when the ball is caused to rise by flotation; either
with or if desired-without the valve being brought into equilibrium or there-
abouts in the aforesaid manner or in any other desired and suitable manner.
This arrangement of ball-cock or automatic supply and cut off valve is simple
in its construction and operation, and has many advantages in use as by this
arrangement after the cistern has been filled then when water is drawn therefrom
thereupon the supply which will now be automatically admitted by the invention
will enter under the water and thus avoid the noise of the incoming water as in
the old form of ball-cock in which the ball is carried on a pivoted arm or lever.
A further advantage is that this ball-cock being very compact can be employed
in very small cisterns or tanks such as flush tanks etc.
I may arrange or mount the ball or float in or upon or between guides or guide-
ways in any suitable manner; and as a modification I may if desired place the
ball or float below the valve (instead of above it as aforesaid) in which case the
ball or float will rise and fall perpendicularly as before only it will push up
the valve to close the supply instead of pulling it up to close the supply as in the
first described arrangement.
1000
No text detected.
New or Improved Ball-cock or Automatic Valve for Cisterns, Flush
Tanks or other Purposes.
I, FREDERICK JAMES BRAZIER, of 56, Seven Sisters Road, Holloway, London,
N., Registered Master Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists of a new or improved ball-cock or automatic valve for
cisterns flush tanks or other purposes:-
And in order that my present invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to fully describe same with reference to the
drawings hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a ball-cock or automatic valve
according to my present invention-showing the valve "open."
Fig. 2 is a similar view-showing the valve "closed."

page_text: Fig. 3 18 underside plan view.
A is short straight pipe which is screwed as shown (or otherwise suitably
attached) to any suitable fixed water supply pipe in suchwise that said short
pipe A is held fixed in a vertical position.
"
B is float or
ball" adapted to slide freely up and down upon the fixed vertical
pipe A by means of a vertical tube or passage fixed or formed (advantageously
centrally) through said "ball
or float.
رو
B B are lugs on the float to which are pivoted the links C C which latter in
turn are jointed to the levers D D¹ respectively the lever D being pivoted at E and
the lever Di pivoted at E' to the lugs FF formed or carried on the valve chamber
or casing G the upper part of which is formed as a collar G¹ which is internally
screw-threaded and into and through which passes the screwed lower end A' of
the aforesaid water supply pipe A the lowermost end of which latter therefore is
located within the said valve chamber G as shown in Figs. 1 and 2-the collar G¹
further serving the purpose of a stop or rest to limit the vertical descent of the
aforesaid ball or float B as shown in Fig. 1.
His cylindrical sleeve or guide which is supported concentrically within the
casing G by means of the arms or supports H¹.
I is circular valve adapted to vertically slide freely within said sleeve or guide
ring H the upper surface of said valve being advantageously provided with a
seating J of india rubber, leather, or other suitable material while the underside
of said valve I has a downwardly projecting stem or part K transversely slotted
(i.e. provided with two transverse slots) through which are passed the inner ends
of the levers D and D¹ respectively (see Fig. 3) the vertical movement of the
valve I being thus controlled by the movement of the levers DD'.
M is annular space between the sleeve H and the exterior casing G through
which the water issuing from the end A¹ of the pipe A can freely pass and thence
escapes (through the passages N Fig. 3 on either side of the arms or supports H¹)
into the cistern or other receptacle for the water.
The operation is as follows:-
The ball or float B will by its own weight descend until it comes to rest against
the shoulder G¹, in which position the valve I (as shown in Fig. 1) is opened, and
the water can flow freely into the cistern or other receptacle. As the float is
lifted by the rising water it will pull up the levers D D¹ with it and thereby
strongly force the valve I against the bottom end A¹ of the pipe A so as to cut
off further supply of water until the descent of the water in the cistern or other
receptacle, allows the "ball" B to again descend and thereby open the valve.
Instead of or in addition to arranging the ball or float to slide on the straight
vertical end part of the water supply pipe A as illustrated I may arrange or mount
the ball or float in or upon or between guides or guide-ways in any suitable
manner and as a modification I may if desired place the ball or float below the
valve (instead of above it as aforesaid) in which case the ball or float will rise
and fall perpendicularly as before-only it will push up the valve to close the
supply of water instead of pulling it up to close the supply as in the first described
arrangement.
The arrangement of ball-cock or automatic water supply and cut-off valve as
illustrated in the drawings has many advantages and is simple in construction
and operation; and when the cistern has been once filled it then admits the fur-
ther water supply to enter under the water and thus avoids the noise of the in-
coming water as in the old form of ball-cock in which the ball is carried on a
pivoted arm or lever. A further advantage is that this ball-cock being very com-
pact can be employed in very small cisterns or tanks such as flush tanks for lava-
tories etc.; while on the other hand it is also very suitable for automatically con-
trolling large water supplies such as waterworks reservoirs etc.
Although my invention may be carried out as aforesaid i.e. without bringing
the valve into equilibrium yet I may so arrange and construct the valve as to
bring same into equilibrium or thereabouts if desired-for instance as illustrated

page_text: in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings hereunto annexed; Fig. 4 being a vertical sec-
tional view (similar to Fig. 1) and Fig. 5 being a cross sectional view on line
5-5 Fig. 4 looking down in the direction of the arrow 4.
In this arrangement the circular valve I slides in the sleeve H supported
within the casing G as in the first described arrangement but in the modified
arrangement shown in Figs. 4 and 5 said valve is prolonged and has a clear
passage from end to end through the centre thereof and the lower end of said
valve I is provided with a leather cup or other suitable packing P adapted to make
a water-tight joint within the lower part of the cylindrical casing Q in which
latter said lower end of the valve I and its packing or cup P fits as a piston in a
cylinder.
Qi is removable cap on the bottom end of said valve casing Q.
Thus it will be seen that the full pressure of water coming through the water
supply pipe A will act against the lower end of the valve I as well as the upper
end thereof and consequently bring said valve into equilibrium.
The said valve I is held in position and raised or lowered by means of the
levers D D as before described; the said levers D D¹ being connected to said
equilibrium valve I in any suitable manner for instance as shown in the drawings
wherein said levers lie in slots or recesses or insets I* formed on the exterior of
the valve stem as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination in a ball-cock or automatic valve for controlling water
supply of a ball or float arranged and mounted on a vertical guide or guides
(and adapted to rise and fall vertically thereon) and levers for operating the
valve and means to connect said levers to said ball or float substantially as and
for the purposes described.
2. In a ball-cock or automatic valve for controlling water supply-the com-
bination with the water supply pipe having a straight end-part vertically dis-
posed, of a ball or float adapted to have the said end part of the water supply pipe
passed vertically and centrally therethrough in suchwise as to permit the said
ball or float to vertically and freely slide on said supply pipe end, and means con-
nected with said ball or float to thereby shut off or open the water supply as the
ball or float rises or falls, substantially as and for the purposes herein before
described.
3. In a ball-cock or automatic valve for controlling water supply the com-
bination with the water supply pipe having a straight end-part vertically dis-
posed, of a ball or float adapted to have the said end-part of the water supply pipe
passed vertically and centrally therethrough in suchwise as to permit the said
ball or float to vertically and freely slide on said supply pipe end levers for opera-
ting the valve and means to connect said ball or float to operate said levers to
thereby shut off or open the water supply as the ball or float rises or falls, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
4. A ball-cock or automatic valve for controlling water supply having the
water supply pipe terminating in a straight vertically disposed end-part A in
combination and acting in conjunction with a ball or float B arranged to freely
slide vertically on such vertical end-part of the water supply pipe A a valve
casing G carried on the lower end of said supply pipe A and forming a stop to
limit the descent of said ball or float, a vertically acting valve I arranged in said
valve casing and adapted to close the end A¹ of said water supply pipe located
within said valve casing, levers D D' pivoted to said valve casing and adapted to
control said valve I by passing through a stem K on said valve, and links C C¹
connecting said levers D D₁ to said ball or float B by the rise and fall of which
latter the valve I is thereby operated, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described and as illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: 6. The improved construction of ball-cocks or automatic valves for cisterns
flush-tanks or other purposes combined and arranged to act substantially as and
for the purposes herein before described.
Dated this 26th day of July 1900
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.