IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF- ACTING VALVES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Hugh Hughes, of Hatton Garden, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-
ACTING VALVES."
Sealed the 13th July 1875, and dated the 21st May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hugh Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,.
on the 21st May 1875.
I, RICHARD HUGH HUGHES, of Hatton Garden, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING VALVES," to be as follows:-
'
The Invention has for its object improvements in self-acting valves to
be used in lieu of ordinary ball cocks. For this purpose I place in the
lower part of the cistern a valve seat, and in connection with this I
employ a valve which has a tendency by its weight to fall away from
its seat. To this valve I connect a float by means of a chain or other-
wise,

page_text: The apparatus above described is applicable to a constant service, and
acts so that when a certain level is reached the floating ball will draw
the valve up to its seat, and thereby shut off the supply. If however
the apparatus is required for an intermittent supply I provide a second
valve which by its own weight or by a weight or spring applied thereto,
or by the pressure of water in the cistern acts to close the inlet on the
cessation of the supply. In this latter case I place the two valves in a
suitable chamber at or near the bottom of the cistern to which the inlet
pipe is attached.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Hugh Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
HUGH HUGHES, of Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, Her special license
that I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, 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 SELF-ACTING VALVES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, my executors or admini-
strators, 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,
"

page_text: At Figures 2, 3, and 4, I have shown three views of a valve in which,
instead of employing a spindle valve as before described, a rotating valve
is employed. In this case the inside of the chamber 6 forms the valve
seat, and the valve a has fixed directly thereto the lever c, which is
further supported and guided by a connection c³ working on necks or
axes c³. In this case the back of the valve may be made of metal and
the face of india-rubber, leather, or other suitable material to ensure
a true joint.
In Figures 5 and 6 I have represented a somewhat similar description
of valve to that represented at Figures 2, 3, and 4, except that instead of
causing the valve to rotate on its seat, the valve simply slides up and
down thereon, whilst the valve seat is represented to be lined or formed
with india-rubber or leather, but other suitable material may be
employed. In this case the valve has connected thereto a link a³,
which is connected to the weighted lever c.
The arrangements of valves herein-before shown and described are
applicable to a constant service, and act so that when a certain level of
water in the cistern is reached, the float will cause the valve to close and
thereby shut off the supply.
At Figures 7, 8, and 9, however I have represented apparatus suitable
for an intermittent supply. At Figure 7, apparatus of a similar
character to that shown at Figure 1 is represented with the addition
of a valve f, which by its own weight or by a weight or spring applied
thereto, or by the pressure of water in the cistern acts to close the inlet
to the chamber 6, and consequently to the cistern on the cessation of the
supply, and also prevents the water in the cistern running out therefrom
down the inlet pipe.
At Figure 8, the valves are arranged somewhat differently in a small
square chamber fixed at or near the bottom of the cistern, but act in a
precisely similar manner to those represented in Figure 7.
At Figure 9, the valve fis represented as being fixed rigidly on the
spindle a¹ above the valve a, and to move. up and down therewith, whilst
the float is connected by the chain d directly to the valve spindle a¹
instead of to a lever.
The arrangements of apparatus shown at Figures 7, 8, and 9, are also
applicable to an intermittent, service, and I by preference· emplov.a

page_text: second valve fin all cases, as in the case of any repairs to the service.
pipe, the water is prevented by such valve f from running out of the
cistern.
By these arrangements of apparatus amongst other advantages the
valves cannot become set fast by frost, thereby preventing the overflow
or waste of the water in the cistern, which frequently occurs in frosty
weather when employing the ordinary arrangements, whilst by obviating
the necessity for carrying the service pipe up to or over the top of the
cistern the bursting of the service pipe from frost is prevented, as there
is no bend or dip into the cistern in the service pipe connected with my
improved self-acting valves.
I would here remark that I do not confine myself to the particular
descriptions of valves herein shown and described, as such may be varied,
without departing from the nature of my said Invention, which consists
essentially in the employment of self-acting valvular apparatus fixed at
or near the bottom of the cistern, arranged and operating by means of a
float in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.