AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS ON A COCK OR TAP, APPLICABLE TO FLUIDS, LIQUIDS, AND GASES, AND FOR APPLYING THE SAID IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1831

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
BURTON COOPER, of Battersea Fields, in the County of Surrey, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighteenth day of May, in the first year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Burton Cooper, His especial licence, sole privilege, and authority, that
I, the said Robert Burton Cooper, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Robert Burton Cooper, my 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 mentioned, should, and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend within England, Wales, and the Town of Ber-
wick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS ON A
COCK OR TAP, APPLICABLE TO FLUIDS, LIQUIDS, AND GASES, AND FOR APPLYING THE
SAID IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Robert Burton Cooper,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His 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, I, tho said
Robert Burton Cooper, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is herein set forth and
explained, reference being made to the Drawing hereunto annexed, that is to
say:
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of an improved cock or tap, constructed
with a spherical or globular plug or valve, a spherical figure being found to
possess the peculiar advantage (when necurately ground into its seat) of fitting
truly in whatever position it may be turned, the curvature of every part of the
surface being similar and alike. The exact position of the spherical plug or
valve may be seen by the dotted line a, a; b represents a broad flanch united
to the barrel c, which may be screwed to any vessel containing either fluid or
gas, or it may be united to any pipo having a similar flanch, to which it may be
fixed by screws in the usual manner; d represents a forked lever or handle
made fast to the squared ends of two pivots or gudgeons e, e, united to the
spherical plug a, forming an axis for it to turn upon'; the ends of these pivots
or gudgeons pass through the spherical part of the barrel c, c, and when the
forked lever, or handle d. is attached thereto, the spherical plug may be turned
so as to close or open the cock at pleasure. Fig. 2 represents a vertical
section of Fig. 1 by a plane passing through the centre. In this Figure the
spherical plug or valve a, a, is represented as cut through the centre. The
cylindrical hole made through it for the passage of any fluid or gas is seen
atf, which exactly corresponds in diameter with the aperture or bore of the
barrel c, c; the two apertures being in this Figure in a line, the passage is of
course open for any liquid or fluid to pass through. Fig. 3 represents the
spherical plug a combined with the forked lever or handle d, detached and
placed in the position it assumes when the aperture f, through the barrel c.
Fig. 2, is closed by the plug a. In Figures 1 and 2, 9, 9, 9, 9, represent the
screws that pass through the two flanches of the barrel c, c, and their ends
being tapped receive on each a square headed nutt, by the action of which tho
two hemispherical portions of the barrel c, c, are brought in close contact with
the surface of the plug a. Fig. 4 represents another cock made upon the
same principle, but in this Figure only half a sphere a is used to form the
plug or valve, and this is fixed to an axis e, having a cross, arm or thumb
piece attached to it, by means of which the valve may be made to revolve and
open or shut the cock at pleasure. Fig. 5 represents a vertical section of
Fig. 4 by a vertical plano passing through the centre. The hemispherical
. valve a will be seen in its open state, the two portions of the barrel c, c,
being united by countersunk screws which pass through one flanch and enter

page_text: tapped holes made for them in the other, as shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 4,
and in section in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 represents the hemispherical valve or plug,
separated from the barrel, that side or portion which closes the aperture or
Fig. 7 represents the same valve or
shew the hole or aperture through
bore of the barrel being placed in front.
plug, turned one quarter round so as to
which any liquid or fluid may pass. This peculiar construction is suitable for
cocks of the smallest description, where the thumb-piece is found sufficiently
powerful to open and close them.
Fig. 8 represents a plan of a brass or iron cock of a similar description,
suitable for large water or gas pipes. This has a hemispherical valve, the axis
e having a squared end to receive a hollow square key, which may be turned
by a lever in the usual manner. The valve in this cock is made to work hori-
zontally, and when so placed in streets or highways it may be protected by a
plug in the usual manner. Fig. 9 represents a side elevation of the same cock.
Fig. 10 represents a vertical section by a plane passing through the centre.
Fig. 11 shews a side elevation of the hemispherical valve detached, the part
that closes the aperturo in the barrel being placed in front. Fig. 12 shews a
similar view of the same valve or plug, turned one quarter round so as to shew
the aperture through which any liquid or fluid may pass. When cocks of this
description are made of such size that the bore of the barrels exceed one inch
and in diameter, then the spherical or hemispherical plugs may be made
hollow, and a pipe may likewise be made to pass through each of them, which,
being soldered soundly at each end, will save a deal of metal, and yet be
equally effective. The openings in either the barrel or the cover, mado to
permit the squared axis to pass through and move therein, should be made to
fit as close as possible to keep out dirt or any injurious substance or material.
Spherical plugs or valves, when applied to cocks in the manner and way I
bave described, will, from their peculiar shape, be found to fit their seat more
accurately than any other figure hitherto adopted, it being a peculiar property
of tho sphere to fit in every part alike; and it will also be found to possess the
advantage of never becoming fixed or wedged fast, however hard it may
be pressed into its seat. When cocks of very large size are constructed, they
are frequently found to leak or be set fast by an inequality of expansion,
especially when heated liquids are retained by them, the large masses of metal
forming their plugs or valves requiring a considerable time to become of an
equal temperature with the parts that surround them; but this difficulty will
be easily avoided where the plugs or valves are made hollow, for by making a
hole through each axis, as shewn at e, e, in dotted lines, Fig. 3, so as to admit
the atmosphere to the internal part of the plug or valve, the evil effects before

page_text: named will be completely avoided. Cocks with spherical valves may be con-
structed of any suitable metal or material, and by the usual means adopted by
workers in metal, namely, by casting, turning, or filing, and grinding to
complete the fitting of the parts in the most accurate manner. They may also
be made of any dimension' that may be required for any particular purpose,
and the shape or form of the barrel and mouthpiece may also be varied at
pleasure, the spherical shape of the plug or valve being still retained.
Fig. 13 represents a vertical section of a porcelain or carthenware jar, with
a spherical cover or stopper of the same material fitted and ground into a seat
formed for it in the mouth of the jar. i, i, shews a section of a metal ring,
which is fitted to the upper part or neck of the jar, and it is then fixed by any
suitable coment. k represents a section of a metal lid fixed to the ring i by a
hinge or joint; this lid may be made to press firmly upon the porcelain cover
by means of the screw I, which passes through the lid and screws into a pro-
jecting piece formed for it on the ring i. The earthenware stopper or cover
may either be separated from the lid k, or it may be attached to it by any suit-
able cement; but if it is found desirable to fix it by cement to the lid, then the
joint or hinge should have a little freedom or play in order to let the cover or
stopper find its true bearing. Spherical covers of this description can be
applied to any suitable kind of earthen or porcelain jars, or other vessels,
in which either liquid or dry goods or materials are to be preserved either
from the admission of the atmosphere, or by preventing evaporation of their
volatile parts.
Fig. 14 represents a vertical section of a glass cruct, having a spherical
stopple m ground into its seat n, n, by the means usually adopted by glass
cutters. The seat is formed by first grinding it with a leaden sphere fixed on
a stout wire, and the spherical end of the stopplo is formed by grinding
in a hollow hemisphere of the same metal; and, lastly, they are finished by
grinding them together until a perfect fitting is obtained, a slight degreo
of freedom being left around the upper part of the stopple at o, o, so that
while the process of grinding is proceeding it may be moved universally to
produce the spherical curve and thereby a universal fitting. The stopples of
decanters or any other glass bottles or vessels may be ground and fitted in
the same manner, by which means they may be made to fit perfectly tight
without the possibility of being set fast, which so frequently happens when
conical stopples are used.
Fig. 15 represents a vertical section of a bottle suitable for holding ether,
ammonia, or any other volatile liquid; this has a glass stopper or cover m, m,
which, being ground spberically into its seat, is cemented to a screw lid o, o,

page_text: and this being screwed on a metallic ring i, i, surrounding the neck of the
bottle, will by such means be firmly pressed down upon its seat n, n, and
thereby prevent any escape of the contained liquid, however volatile the same
may be, without the possibility of wedging or being set fast, which so fre-
quently happens with stopples of the common shape. Fig. 16 shews a vertical
section of an ink bottle with a leaden or other metallic lid p, the lower part
of which is ground spherically and made to fit the seat n, n, formed for it on.
the upper and inner part of the neck of the bottle; such a lid and stopple will
more effectually prevent the evaporation of ink than any of the covers now in
use, and this stopple may likewise be made of glass cemented to a metallic
lid; or instead of cementing such stopples or covers to the various kinds of
lids, they may be retained by a metallic rim attached to or formed on the
lid p, Fig. 17, which being burnished or screwed over a projecting part of the
glass stopple m sufficient to retain it from dropping out, but yet loose enough
to take a fair bearing in its seat, by which means when the lid is screwed
down ink or any other fluid will be more securely retained than by any other
method hitherto adopted.
Fig. 17 represents a vertical section of such a method of retaining or fixing
a glass stopple to a lid, the burnished rim being seen inclosing each side of
the glass cover or stopple m.
Fig. 18 represents a vertical section of an ink bottle with a spherical
cover m which is made to turn round in an horizontal direction by applying
the forefinger and thumb to the glass studs q, q. r represents a hole in
the glass stopple or valve, which it will be seen coincides with a similar hole
formed through the top of the bottle, and in this state ink may be dipped from
the bottle by a pen; but when the cover is turned partly round the hole in the
top of the bottle will be more effectually and advantageously closed than by
any means now employed for that purpose, the spring bar and screw rim
usually applied being removed in order to shew the arrangement of this
description of cover more plainly.
In conclusion I shall here observe that cocks with spherical valves or plugs
may be made with more passages than one, provided the spaces between the
holes or openings are amply sufficient to close the aperture or openings made
in the barrel for the passage of any liquid fluid or gas; and I hereby declare
that my Invention consists,--
Firstly, in the application of valves or plugs to cocks or taps of a spherical
form, when used either as complete spheres or any suitable segment or portion
thereof, which being combined, and applied in the manner and way I have
described, will by the peculiar properties of the spherical form be found more