IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO WATERCLOSETS AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN TAPS OR COCKS FOR DRAWING OPP LIQUIDS
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
GEORGE UNDERHAY, of Wells Street, Gray's Inn Road, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eighth day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the fifteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Frederick George Underhay, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Frederick
George Underhay, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I,. the
said Frederick George Underhay, my exors, admors, 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, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE
SUPPLY OF WATER TO WATERCLOSETS AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN TAPS OR
COCKS FOR DRAWING OPP LIQUIDS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso that I, the said Frederick George Underhay, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited.

page_text: Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Frederick George Underhay, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon; that is to say:-
My Invention consists,--
First, of improvements in regulating the supply of water to waterclosets and
to wash-hand basins.
Secondly, my Invention consists of improvements in the construction of taps
or cocks for drawing off liquids. And,
Thirdly, my Invention consists of improvements in ball or float cocks.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and the figures and letters marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation of a watercloset having part of my
improvements applied thereto. The watercloset is of an ordinary construc-
tion. a is a lever by which the valve of the supply cock or tap (which may
be of any suitable construction) is opened when the handle b is raised, the
lever a being lifted by the projection c on the rod d (to which the handle 6 is
attached) coming under the front end of the lever a, and the handle b, with its
rod d, are drawn down by the weight e as soon as the handle 6 is let go; but
the lever a will be retarded in its descent by means of apparatus, which I will
now describe. f is a cylinder containing water. g is a piston which admits
of the water flowing slowly between it and the cylinder, and there is a valve
opening downwards against the spring h, such valve consisting of a disc
which covers several openings in the piston. When the piston is raised by
the handle 6 the water will open the valve and flow freely through the holes;
but in descending the valve will be closed, and the water will then only be
able to flow between the piston and the cylinder, and the speed of such flow
will depend on the space left between the piston and the cylinder. By this
arrangement it will be evident that on raising the handle b the piston will
up with comparative ease in consequence of the water flowing freely through
the holes or openings in the piston; but on the handle 6 being released, the
lever a will, by reason of the weight i, descend slowly, and the time of the
pass
9

page_text: actual descent will be regulated by the passage of the water, and this will
depend on the space between the piston and cylinder, as before mentioned,
and according as it is desired that more or less water shall flow into the
basin of the watercloset. In place of the vessel containing water other
fluids may be used, but I believe water or air to be the best, and I have
at Figure 2 shewn the section of an apparatus where air is used. In this case
I believe it to be better to employ a flexible bag, though a cylinder and
piston may be used. In this arrangement j is a flexible bag of india rubber,
cloth, or other suitable material. k is a valve opening inwards, and is a
small opening. In using this apparatus it would be attached to the lever a,
and the bag will be extended on raising the lever a, and so soon as the handle
is released the weight will depress the upper part of the bag, the air will rush
through the small hole, the size of which regulating the time of descent.
The flexible bag is protected by its being within a box of wood, as shown.
Figure 3 shews two views of a like arrangement of apparatus applied to a
wash-hand basin, the nature of which will be readily traced on examining the
Drawing.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention. Figure 4 shews a
section of a cock or tap. a is the barrel, the construction of which will
readily be understood, and the form may be varied, the peculiarity consisting
of the arrangement of two valves on a cylinder or tube b, which at its lower
end has a spindle b¹ fixed to it by means of an arch c, and there is a spindle
fixed to the upper part of the tube or cylinder by an arch d, and the valves
and tube or spindle may be raised and lowered by the means shown in the
Drawing or otherwise The valves e, f, may be in equilibrium, or they may
be made in such manner that a somewhat greater pressure may take place
on the one than the other. g, g, are the seats of the valves. The arrows
show the direction in which the fluid flows. Figure 5 shews a section of
another arrangement of cock or tap, the valves being arranged to be opened
by lever and ball, but they may be opened and closed by other means.
The peculiarity of these two constructions consists of the mode of com-
bining the two valves with the tube or cylinder, and with the arrangement
of the seats g, g.
Figures 6 and 7 shew two arrangements of ball, valve, or float cocks;
and Figures 8 and 9 shew two other arrangements of ball cocks or
valves. The ball cocks, Figures 6 and 7, are similar in construction, except
that one opens with and the other against the flow of the water. These
valves are in a state of equilibrium by reason of the flexible parts a, a,
affixed to the valve spindles b, b, the valves c, c, being affixed to those spindles.

page_text: The valves are opened and closed by the levers d, d, to which a ball or float.
is affixed. The water floats in the direction indicated by the arrows. The
peculiarity of these two ball or float cocks consists of the mode of combining.
the valves c, c, the flexible parts a, a, and the levers d, d. The ball cocks or
valves shewn at Figures 8 and 9 are smaller in construction, except that
one opens with and the other against the flow of the water. a, a, in each is.
a flexible tube of vulcanized india rubber fixed to the valve spindle 6, and
also to the top cover e, so as to render those parts fluid-tight, the part 1 of
the valve spindle acting to obtain a counter-pressure to the valve c, as will
readily be understood on examining the Drawing. d is the lever for the ball
or float. g, g, are the valve seats. The peculiarity of these ball cocks or
valves consist of the mode of combining the parts a, b, b³, and g.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First, the mode of regulating the supply of water to waterclosets and wash-
hand basins.
Secondly, I claim the mode of combining the parts of cocks or taps described
in respect to Figures 4 and 5. And,
Thirdly, I claim the mode of combining the parts of ball or float cocks or
valves, described in respect to Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick George Underhay, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of September, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.

page_text: Front View of wash hand Basin S, with
Patent Regulators AA, and valves H.H.V.
for hot, cold, and waste water, E. weight.
Side View,
Hsupply valve Uwaste water valve T, overflow pipe,
upon lifting the slotted handle K, the valve Hand
Regulator A, are also raised, and upon letting the handle
fall, the valve and regulator begin to close, the time
elapsing depending upon the size of the orifice D,
so that any required quantity of water can be
supplied to the basin by one movement of the handle.