IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR PLUGS FOR WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Barnes, of Wigan, in the County of
Lancaster, Ironmonger and Brassfounder, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR PLUGS FOR WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Richard Barnes at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 11th November 1852, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
I, the said RICHARD BARNES, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR PLUGS POR WATER AND
OTHER FLUIDS" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in a novel construction of cock or plug,
wherein a clack or valve is used which is made to retain its seat
by the pressure of the water or other fluid upon its surface; the said
clack or valve being raised by apparatus detached therefrom und
passing through a stuffing box, so as to cause the fluid when being

page_text: discharged to take another course. By this arrangement, therefore,
the valve is not pressed upon its seat by a screw or otherwise, and
consequently is not subject to disarrangement by forcible compres-
sion, and the fluid not being able to escape through the lifting
apparatus, is discharged after the manner of ordinary cocks; and in
order fully to describe my Invention, I have appended certain illus-
_trative Drawings to this my Specification, which I will now proceed
to describe.
Figs. 1, and 2, represent in exterior and sectional views my In-
vention applied to a cock for water, beer, or other fluid. The upper
part of the tap is formed with an orifice, to be subsequently closed
by a cap a, and through this orifice the valve b, is introduced, having
its scat upon the partition c. The upper and lower parts of the
valve are provided respectively with pins d, e, the former projecting
into a cavity formed within the cap a, and the latter extending
into a rod f. This rod passes through a cap 9, which is attached
by screwing to the main part of the cock, and there is a stuffing
box at the upper part, the packing of which is caused to bear
against it by the gland h. To the rod f, is attached a handle i,
which passes through a spiral slot formed on the periphery of
the cap g. Upon turning this handle, therefore, the rod f, will
be caused to rise and carry with it the clack or valve b, thus
opening the aperture j, and allowing the fluid to pass out in
the direction of the arrow, the packing at k, preventing it from
flowing between the rod f, and cap g. Upon turning the handle
again into the position shewn in the Drawing, the clack or valve
will fall by its own gravity and by the weight of the column of fluid,
and will thereby be kept on its seat, so as to prevent a further
escape.
Fig. 3, represents my improvement as applied to a ball cock.
The interior of the apparatus is the same as that represented
at Fig. 2, the rod f, being used to raise the valve as already de-
scribed. The lever 1, 1, of the ball turns upon a centre pin, which
passes through a bracket m, and its extremity embraces the rod f

page_text: between two projecting pins n; n; when, therefore, the ball falls
beyond a certain point, the lever l, arrives in contact with the top
pin n, and thereby opens the clack or valve. When the ball has
been raised sufficiently high the lever becomes disengaged from the
valve rod f, consequently the valve or clack is at liberty, and is
closed in the manner already described in reference to Fig. 2. By
removing the part 1, of the lever, the portion 1, may be used as a
handle, and the cock will then be adapted for use as a beer or
water tap, a ring being formed at l, so that the fluid will not fall
upon the handle.
Fig. 4, represents in sectional view my improvement as applied
to a street plug. The valve b, rests as before loosely upon its
seat c, the pin attached to its lower part passing through a guide
piece p, beneath which there is a lever q, turning upon a centre
at r, and provided with a slot. at its other end, through which the
lower part of a screw plug s, extends; this screw plug takes into
the thread of a screw socket t, which is prevented from rising, upon
being turned by a ring u; affixed to the stationary part of the appa-
ratus, and projecting over a flange formed upon the periphery of
the socket t, the upper part of which is retained in position by a
gland and stuffing box v. Upon turning the socket t, the screw
plug 8, will be forced downwards, and by means of its projection w,
will cause the lever q, to turn upon its centre, thereby raising the
valve b, and permitting the fluid to flow in the direction of the
arrow, the stuffing box v, preventing it from passing through the
parts from which the motion is derived. Upon turning the plug
the reverse way, the valve will be allowed to fall upon its seat, and
will be retained there by the pressure of the fluid.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire
it to be understood that I claim as secured to me, the application
to cocks or plugs of a valve capable of being raised to admit the
passage of fluids, and of being brought to and retained in its seat
by the pressure of the fluid, motion being communicated to such

page_text: valve by apparatus passing through a stuffing box or other medium
for preventing the fluid from passing in that direction.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Barnes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
two.
RICHARD B
Taken and acknowledged by the before-
named Richard Barnes, at Wigan, in
the County of Lancaster, as his act
and deed, and by him desired to be
acknowledged this Fourth day of
November, One thousand eight hun-
dred and fifty-two.