IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO CISTERNS OR TANKS.”
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Woodcock, of Plymouth, in the County of
Devon, Brassfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES
FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO CISTERNS OR TANKS.”
"
FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO CISTERNS OR TANKS.'
"

page_text: therefore great weight or power is required to close them, and they can
seldom be effectually closed or made water-tight. But my improved
valve is arranged to close the inlet aperture by moving across the same,
so that in the act of closing no pressure has to be exerted to keep back
the water; and no matter how great may be the pressure in the pipes it
will have no tendency to either open or close the valve. Moreover as
the quantity of water in the cistern or tank diminishes the descent of
the ball will leave the inlet and outlet apertures clear and unobstructed,
so that any solid substances or matter entering with the water through
the inlet aperture will escape through the outlet aperture, and the valve i
will not be choked or clogged. This will be found of great advantage
in towns or cities where the water is not filtered before being supplied
to the tanks or cisterns.
My improved valve is constructed as follows:-It has a socket or
barrel of brass or other suitable metal which has extending from one
side a branch that forms the inlet passage, and is attached to the supply
pipe. The interior of the said barrel is bored smoothly for the reception
of a piston or plunger. The latter is fitted to slide freely in the said
barrel across the inlet or admission aperture and above the outlet
aperture, which is at the lower extremity of the barrel. The said piston
is made in two parts. One of the parts has a screw stem, which is
screwed into the other part. Around this screw stem I place a small
cup leather, which when the two parts of the piston are united is held
fast between them. When the piston is in place this leather makes the
barrel tight above the inlet aperture. Below this inlet aperture and
above the outlet aperture the barrel is formed with a seat for the lower
end of the piston, and when the latter is down on the said seat no water
will pass through the valve. The upper end of the piston is formed
with a slot to receive the end of the ball lever, which is fitted on a pin
secured in lugs attached to the said barrel, and has a stop formed on it
to come in contact with the outside of the barrel and prevent its falling
'too low.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Woodcock in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WOODCOCK, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, Brassfounder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Woodcock, Her special
licence that I, the said John Woodcock, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Woodcock, 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 VALVES FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO CISTERNS OR TANKS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Woodcock,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
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 Woodcock, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
My said Invention relates to ball valves for regulating the admission
of water to cisterns, tanks, and other vessels or receptacles, and consists
in the peculiar construction of the said valves, as herein set forth.
The ordinary ball valves used for the above purposes are so constructed
that they close against the pressure of the water in the supply pipe, or

page_text: are otherwise so constructed that great weight or power is required to
close them, and they can seldom be effectually made water-tight. But
my improved valve is arranged to close the inlet aperture by moving
across the same so that in the act of closing no pressure has to bo
exerted to keep back the water; and no matter how great may be the 5
pressure in the pipes it will have no tendency to either open or close the
valve. Moreover as the quantity of water in the cistern or tank
diminishes the descent of the ball will leave the inlet and outlet apcr-
tures clear and unobstructed, so that any solid substances or matter
entering with the water through the inlet aperture will escape through 1
the outlet aperture, and the valve will not be choked or clogged. This
will be found of great advantage in towns or cities where the water is
not filtered before being supplied to the tanks or cisterns.
My improved valve is constructed as shown in the accompanying
Drawing, which I will now proceed to describe:-
Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the said valve.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows the piston or plunger of the said valve detached.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
1
The said valve has a socket or barrel a of brass or other suitable 2
metal, which has extending from one side a branch 6 that forms the
inlet passage, and is attached to the supply pipe from the reservoir or
head of water.
The said inlet passage is contracted in its width vertically and spread
out laterally, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, so that without diminishing 2
its area, its height, and consequently the length of travel of the piston
or plunger, are reduced. The interior of the said barrel is bored smoothly.
for the reception of a piston or plunger c. The latter is fitted to slide
freely in the said barrel across the inlet or admission aperture d and
above the outlet aperture e, which is at the lower part of the barrel a. ส
The said piston is made in two parts c¹, c². The part c¹ has a screw
stem c³, whereby it is secured to the other part c³, as shewn in Figure 3.
Around this screw stem I place a cup leather f, which when the two
parts c¹, c³, of the piston are united is held fast between them, as shewn.
When the piston is in place this leather makes the barrel tight above
the inlet aperture d. Below this inlet aperture and above the outlet

page_text: aperture e the barrel is formed with a seat or bed formed of a ring or
washer g of india-rubber or other like material, upon which the lower
end of the piston rests when the latter is down, and when the said
piston is resting on the said seat no water can pass through the valve.
By referring to Figure 3 it will be seen that the part c³ is hollow, and
its lower edge which rests on the india-rubber washer g has a thin round
edge which sinks or embeds itself in the india-rubber, and thereby makes
a perfectly tight joint with a very slight downward pressure or weight
on the ball lever h; whereas in other valves which have been constructed
somewhat similar to mine the lower surface of the piston or plunger has
been made flat, and therefore requires a great downward strain or
pressure to make a tight joint with its seat.
If desired the lower part o³ of the piston and the surrounding portion
of the barrel may be made larger than the upper part c¹ and upper
portion of the said barrel.
The upper end of the piston is formed with a slot to receive the end
of the ball lever h, which is fitted on a pin i secured in lugs j attached
to the said barrel, and has a stop k formed on it to come in contact
with the outside of the barrel, and thereby limit the descent of the lever
and ball.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim, a valve with
a piston or plunger, consisting of two parts constructed and secured
together with a cup leather between them, as above described, and fitted
to work within a barrel or case which has a peculiarly formed inlet
passage at the side of the said piston and an outlet passage surrounded
by a seat or bed for the end of the said piston to rest upon, as herein set
forth and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Woodcock, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of August, in the year
of on Towl One th
1ht houndandol