IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW VALVES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW VALVES."-A communication from abroad by
John Wilcox, of Thompsonville, in the County of Hartford, and State
of Connecticut. United States of America.
Sealed the 12th April 1867, and dated the 21st December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
December 1866.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW VALVES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing a valve in such a manner that it
may be adapted to various purposes, as, for instance, for faucets for drawing
liquids from casks and other vessels; for a lubricating tube to be used in various
situations, and as a valve to be used by itself for discharging water from the
bottoms of boats; for admitting and confining air in elastic life preservers,
and for bath tubs, water basins, and other purposes.
Figure 1 of the Drawing represents the valve as adapted to a faucet;
Figure 2 shows it as applied to a lubricating tube; and Figure 3 is the
valve as constructed when used by itself for the purposes before indicated;
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

page_text: The main feature of this valve is the manner in which it is packed or in
the recess which contains the packing. To adapt the valve to the various
purposes to which I apply it the form is somewhat modified, but the packing
recess, either single or double, is the same in all such modifications; it is
also always operated by a screw wherever I have applied it, and it may with
propriety be designated a screw valve.
In adapting the valve to life preservers to the bottoms of boats, to bath
tubs, and other purposes I attach a ring (which is shown at c, Figure 3)
to the cap piece B by a series of studs a through the spaces between
which the water or other liquid, or air or gas passes when the valve is
raised from-its seat. The seat. or recess for the packing is formed in a collar
which is attached to the top of a short section of a cylinder or tube marked D
of suitable length and size; the screw upon the inside of this piece D is
first made double, but for the purpose of forming a stop to prevent the cap c
from being detached by unscrewing one of the threads is cut away to near
the top or to the point b. The stop piece 6¹ is attached to the cap c as seen
in the Drawing, d¹ represents elastic packing placed in the recess. On the
under side of the cap piece c there is a light flange e which is pressed down
on to the elastic packing by a screw which is cut on the outside of the studs a
which works in the double threaded screw which is left in the top of the
piece D. In attaching this valve to a boat or through a tank or other vessel
there may be a screw thread cut on the outside of D, as seen in the Drawing,
or it may be attached by a flange round D with screws or rivets; there may
be more or less of the studs a; I have found six to be sufficient. To adapt
the valve to lubricating purposes I form the recess for the packing in the top
of a tube, and attach a piston by a rod to the cap piece C of the valve.
The tube marked D, Figure 2, is screwed into the hub of a carriage wheel
of any kind, or into the journal box of a revolving shaft. To lubricate the
wearing portion or the bearing the cap 6 is removed, withdrawing the rod d
and piston e when the oil or lubricating matter is introduced into the tube;
the cap is then replaced, when the piston forces the contents of the tube on
to and around the wearing portions, while the valve f, g, tightly screwed down
keeps out all dust and prevents the escape of the oil. In this manner the
axles of carriages may be thoroughly oiled without the trouble of taking off
the wheels and in a very short space of time. In faucets the valve is applied
with a double packing recess and double packing, as seen in the Drawing;
the valve is also applied to the top of the faucet barrel as seen at E. The
valve stem passes through the cap C, Figure 1; in this case it lias a screw
upon its lower end which screws into a socket B; this socket B is attached

page_text: to the shell of the faucet by a screw, and is made tight by the same valve
packing before described. In this case the valve, double packed, is placed
in the shell of the faucet, as seen at B¹, by a screw, and is operated by the
stem screwing into the socket B. For many purposes it will be found desirable
to apply the valve to faucets constructed substantially as shown in Figure 3, a
vertical section, and in plan at Figure 4; but in such cases the packing may
be double, as seen in the Drawing, if desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Clark, 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 SCREW VALVES," a communication to nie from abroad by
John Wilcox, of Thompsonville, in the County of Hartford, and State of
Connecticut, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Clark, 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 William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what. manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists in constructing a valve in such a manner that it
may be adapted to various purposes, as, for instance, for faucets for drawing
liquids from casks and other vessels; for a lubricating tube to be used in
various situations, and as a valve to be used by itself for discharging water
from the bottom of boats; for admitting and confining air in elastic life
preservers, and for bath tubs, water basins, and other purposes.
Figure represents the valve as adapted to a faucet; Figure 2 shows it
as applied to a lubricating tube; and Figure 3 is the valve as constructed
when used by itself for the purposes before indicated. Similar letters of
reference-indicate-corresponding. parts..
The main feature of this valve is the manner in which it is packed or in
the recess which contains the packing. To adapt the valve to the various
purposes to which I apply it the form is somewhat modified, but the packing
recess, either single or double, is the same in all such modifications. It is
also always operated by a screw wherever I have applied it, and it may with
propriety be designated a screw valve.
In adapting the valve to life preservers, to the bottoms of boats, to bath
tubs, and other purposes, I attach a ring (which is shown at C, Figure 3) to
the cap piece B by a series of studs a through the spaces between which the
water or other liquid, or air or gas passes when the valve is raised from its
seat. The seat or recess for the packing is formed in a collar which is
attached to the top of a short section of a cylinder or tube marked D of
suitable size and length; the screw upon the inside of this piece D is first
made double, but for the purpose of forming a stop to prevent the cap C
from being detached by unscrewing, one of the threads is cut away to near
the top or to the point b. The stop piece 6' is attached to the cap C, as seen
in the Drawing. d³ represents elastic packing placed in the recess. On the
under side of the cap piece C there is a light flange e, which is pressed down
on to the elastic packing by a screw which is cut on the outside of the studs a,
which works in the double threaded screw which is left in the top of the
piece D. In attaching this valve to a boat, or through a tank or other vessel,
there may be a screw thread cut on the outside of D, as seen in the Drawing,
or it may be attached by a flange around D with screws or rivets; there may
be more or less of the studs a, I have found six to be sufficient. To adapt
the valve to lubricating purposes I form the recess for the packing in the
top of a tube and attach a piston by a rod to the cap piece C of the valve.
The tube marked D, Figure 2, is screwed into the hub of a carriage of any

page_text: kind, or into the journal box of a revolving shaft. To lubricate the wearing
portion or the bearing the cap C is removed, withdrawing the rod and piston
when the oil or lubricating matter is introduced into the tube, the cap is
then replaced, when the piston forces the contents of the tube on to and
around the wearing portions while the valve tightly screwed down keeps out
all dust and prevents the escape of the oil. In this manner the axles of
carriages may be thoroughly oiled without the trouble of taking off the wheels,
and in a very short space of time. In faucets the valve is applied with a
double packing recess and double packing as seen in the Drawing; the
valve is also applied to the top of the faucet barrel as seen at E. The valve
stem passes through the cap C, Figure 1, in this case, and it has a screw upon
its lower end which screws into a socket B; this socket B is attached to
the shell of the faucet by a screw, and is made tight by the same valve
packing before described. In this case the valve, double packed, is placed
in the shell of the faucet, as seen at B¹, by a screw, and is operated by the
stem screwing into the socket B. For many purposes it will be found
desirable to apply the valve to faucets constructed substantially as shown in
Figure 3; but in such cases the packing may be double, as seen in the
Drawing, if desired.
The Invention further relates to the manner in which the oil cup is
attached to the step of a spindle, or an upright revolving shaft, and the
Invention consists principally in the manner in which the cup is packed or
made tight on the base of the step; here I am enabled to use to excellent
advantage the elastic packing confined in the recess. The Invention also
consists in the hexagonal or polygonal form of the top or rim of the cup and
in an elastic collar around the spindle or shaft.
Figure 4 of the Drawing represents a central vertical section of the whole
arrangement.
A is the step; B is the oil cup; C is the spindle or shaft, and D is the
elastic collar. The upper rim a of the cup is a hexagon or polygonal in shape
to allow of its being screwed down with a wrench. The collar D prevents dust
from getting into the cup; it fits into a groove in the spindle or shaft, and
being elastic it is easily slipped up when it is necessary to pour oil into the
cup; oil once poured in has no way of escape; a tight joint is made by
means of the elastic packing in the recess e.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, a valve constructed substantially as described with a recess or with

page_text: recesses, and flange or flanges, whereby the packing in the recess or recesses
is pressed to form a joint, and when the said valve thus packed is adapted
to the various purposes substantially as herein shown and described.
Secondly, the conical oil cup B, Figure 4, with the polygonal rim a and
the collar D in combination with the step A and the recess e, substantially as
shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.