IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS, COCKS, OR FAUCETS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Macarthy, late of 83, Cleremont Avenue, Brook-
lyn, New York, in the United States of America, but at present residing
at 32, Argyle Street, King's Cross, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS, COCKS, OR FAUCETS."-A communi-
cation from abroad by John Broughton, residing at Chicago, Illinois, in
the United States of America.
Sealed the 31st May 1864, and dated the 19th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Macarthy at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
December 1863.
I, JOHN MACARTHY, late of 83, Cleremont Avenue, Brooklyn, New York,
in the United States of America, but at present residing at 32, Argyle
Street, King's Cross, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS, COCKS, OR FAUCETS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of taps,
cocks, or faucets, by which they are simplified in construction and reduced in
cost, the passage through such taps, cocks, or faucets being securely closed
and readily opened, the arrangement of the parts also affording great facility
for examination or repair. For this purpose a cylindrical chamber or casing.
is arranged in combination with the inlet and outlet passages, and within this
chamber a, cylindrical chamber, plug, or rotating valve is arranged to revolve,

page_text: or partially revolve. The cylindrical chamber or casing is formed with a perfo-
rated bed plate or seating, extending across the outlet (or it may be the inlet)
passage, this perforated plate or seating has openings or passages which corre
spond with similar openings or passages formed in one end (or if desired in
both ends) of the cylindrical chamber, plug, or rotating valve, an elastic ring
or washer with corresponding openings being interposed between the rotating
valve and the perforated plate or valve seating. An elastic ring or washer is
also placed over the other end of the cylindrical chamber, plug, or rotating
valve, upon which a metal disc or pressing plate is placed (and arranged so as
not to revolve), the plate being pressed down by a screw cap, which acts to
compress the elastic washers at each end of the cylindrical plug or rotating
valve, thus forming perfectly tight joints between the parts so packed. The
ends of the cylindrical plug or rotating valve are turned smooth so as to revolve
freely against the elastic washers, which are prevented from rotating by the
rough or uneven surface of the fixed parts against which they are pressed by
the screw cap, which can be readily adjusted so as to increase or lessen the
friction upon the rotating valve, to cause it to be moved with more or less free-
dom as may be required. When the rotating valve is of cylindrical form from
end to end, it may be actuated to open and close the inlet and outlet passages
by means of a lever screwed or otherwise fixed to it, and moving to and fro
in a slotted opening in the outer cylindrical casing, the inlet passage being at
one end of the rotating cylindrical chamber or valve, but the actuating lever
may, if desired, be the outlet pipe or passage, the inlet passage into the
rotating chamber being opened and closed by the valvular arrangement of the
end (or ends) of the revolving chamber as before described. The rotating
valve may consist of one or two discs or circular plates, with suitable openings
or passages, and mounted upon a spindle, the outer surfaces of the discs or
plates being packed with elastic rings or discs in a cylindrical chamber, and
having a screw-compressing cap arranged in the manner previously described,
this arrangement of rotating valve being actuated by a stem and lever passing.
through the outer casing or screw cap. By constructing taps, cocks, or faucets
as previously described, all metallic contact of wearing surfaces is avoided.
When more than one outlet passage or opening is formed in the rotating
valve, it is desirable to introduce ribs or "feathers "into the outlet or dis-
charge passage to cause the several streams to blend or combine into one.
The parts above described, except the elastic washers, may be made of metal,
wood, vulcanite, or other suitable hard material..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Macarthy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MACARTHY, late of 83, Cleremont Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, in the
United States of America, but at present residing at 32, Argyle Street, King's
Cross, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Macarthy, Her special licence that I, the
said John Macarthy, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Macarthy, 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 TAPS, COCKS, OR FAUCETS," a communication
to him from abroad by John Broughton, a person resident at Chicago, Illinois,
in the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Macarthy, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly describe and ascertain the nature of the 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 John Macarthy, do hereby declare.
the nature of the 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, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of taps,
cocks, or faucets, by which they are simplified in construction and reduced in
cost, the passage through such taps, cocks, or faucets being securely closed
and readily opened, the arrangement of the parts also affording great facility.
for examination or repair. For this purpose a cylindrical chamber or casing.
is arranged in combination with the inlet and outlet passages, and within this
chamber a cylindrical chamber, plug, or rotating valve is arranged to revolve

page_text: or partially revolve. The cylindrical chamber or casing is formed with a
perforated bed plate or seating extending across the outlet (or it may be the
inlet) passage; this perforated plate or seating has openings or passages which
correspond with similar openings or passages formed in one end (or if desired
in both ends) of the cylindrical chamber; plug, or rotating valve, an elastic
ring or washer with corresponding openings being interposed between the
rotating valve and the perforated plate or valve seating. An elastic ring or
washer is also placed over the other end of the cylindrical chamber, plug, or
rotating valve, upon which a metal disc or pressing plate is placed (and
arranged so as not to revolve), the plate being pressed down by a screw cap,
which acts to compress the elastic washers at each end of the cylindrical plug
or rotating valve, thus forming perfectly tight joints between the parts so
packed. The ends of the cylindrical plug or rotating valve are turned smooth
so as to revolve freely against the elastic washers which are prevented from
rotating by the rough or uneven surface of the fixed parts, against which they
are pressed by the screw cap, which can be readily adjusted so as to increase
or lessen the friction upon the rotating valve to cause it to be moved with
more or less freedom as may be required. When the rotating valve is of
cylindrical form from end to end, it may be actuated to open and close the
inlet and outlet passages by means of a lever, screwed, or otherwise fixed to
it, and moving to and fro in a slotted opening in the outer cylindrical casing,
the inlet passage being at one end of the rotating cylindrical chamber. or
valve, but the actuating lever may if desired be the outlet pipe or passage, the
inlet passage into the rotating chamber being opened and closed by the valvular
arrangement of the end or ends of the revolving chamber as before described.
The rotating valve may consist of one or two discs or circular plates with
suitable openings or passages and mounted upon a spindle, the outer surfaces
of the discs or plates being packed with elastic rings or dises in a cylindrical
chamber and having a screw compressing cap arranged in the manner
previously described, this arrangement of rotating valve being actuated by a
(stem and lever) passing through the outer casing or screw cap.
By constructing taps, cocks, or faucets as previously described, all metallic
contact of wearing surfaces is avoided. When more than one outlet passage
or opening is formed in the rotating valve, it is desirable to introduce ribs or
"feathers" into the outlet or discharge passage to cause the several streams
to blend or combine into one. The parts above described, except the
elastic washers, may be made of metal, wood, vulcanite, or other suitable hard
material,

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a longitudinal section of a tap or cock, constructed according
to this Invention. The tubular part a in this arrangement is connected to the
cylindrical chamber 6 and outlet passage b', by means of the screw cap .or
collar 63, which at the same time acts on the flange a¹ of the tubular part a,
to put pressure upon the elastic washers c¹ and on the upper and lower.
ends of the cylindrical plug or valve c contained in the cylindrical chamber b,
in which, the cylindrical valve c is arranged to make a partial revolution by..
means of the lever handle d, so as to open or close the outlet passages in the
valve plate or seating 6 forming part of the chamber b. The valvular plug c
and the elastic washer c² is formed with outlet passages to correspond with
the outlet passages formed in the valve plate or seating 63, the form of such
outlet passages in this arrangement being circular, but this may be varied if
desired.
Figure 2 shews a side view; Figure 3 a plan; and Figure 4 a longitudinal
section of a similar tap or cock to that previously described, the construction
and combination of the parts being slightly varied; corresponding parts in
each arrangement are marked with similar letters of reference.
:
9
The parts a and b shewn in Figure 4 are cast or formed in one piece with a
division and outlet passages therein as shewn at 63, corresponding valvular
openings being formed through the upper end of the cylindrical valve c and
elastic washer c¹ in order to open or close the outlet passages in the plate b³.
Pressure is applied to the elastic washers by means of the screw, cap ori
collar 6 forming (in this arrangement) part of the outlet pipe or passage b¹,
but at Figure 5 the screw cap or collar 62 and the outlet pipe 6' are shewn as
being formed in two separate parts by placing the valvular openings at the
upper end of the cylindrical plug or valve c, the contents of the chamber in the
cylinder c will be discharged when the flow of the fluid through the tap or
cock is cut off. The elastic washers c¹ and care prevented from rotating
with the cylindrical valve c by making the outer ends of the cylinder c smooth
and the parts against which the outer sides or ends of the elastic washers are
pressed rough or serrated, so as to cause considerable fiction and thus retain
them in a stationary position with the fixed parts of the tap or cock. For
some purposes it may be desirable to apply pressure to the elastic washers
or packing by means of springs in place of the screw cap previously described,

page_text: at the same time I have not thought it necessary to shew such an arrange-
ment, as a competent mechanic will readily understand how to apply spring
pressure if required in combination with other parts of the Invention.
Figure 10 shews a section of a cock suitably arranged and constructed
according to this Invention for the purpose of supplying water to a wash-hand
basin, bath, or other purpose. In this arrangement the flow of the fluid is
upwards through valvular openings in the cylindrical plug c, which is packed
with elastic washers c¹ and c³, as in the arrangements previously described; & is
the outlet pipe or passage, which also serves as a lever handle to give a
partial rotation to the cylindrical plug or valve c to open or close the outlet
passages. Taps, cocks, or faucets constructed as above described with elastic
packings to close the outlet ports or passages may be very cheaply made
owing to the small amount of mechanical skill required in their construction,
no metallic surfaces ground together to form a fluid-tight joint being required,
nor will they be liable to corrode and become fixed and useless as is commonly
the case with other descriptions of taps or cocks.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, I would have it under-
stood that the improvements are not confined to the exact details herein given,
as the construction of taps, cocks, or faucets may be greatly varied without
departing from the true character of this Invention, which consists in arranging
the valvular parts and passages of taps, cocks, or faucets in combination with
elastic washers or packings, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Macarthy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
JOHN MACARTHY. (L.S.)
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.