IMPROVE- MENTS IN WATER SUPPLY APPARATUS, SUCH AS IS KNOWN AS 'WELLS' OR 'DRINKING FOUNTAINS.
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Kennedy, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr,
North Britain, Water Meter Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WATER SUPPLY APPARATUS, SUCH AS IS KNOWN AS 'WELLS' OR
'DRINKING FOUNTAINS.'"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Kennedy at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd November 1880.
THOMAS KENNEDY, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Water
Meter Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER SUPPLY APPARATUS, SUCH AS
IS KNOWN AS 'WELLS' OR 'DRINKING FOUNTAINS.'
"
This Invention has for its object to construct "wells," or "drinking fountains,"
or anologous water supply apparatus in an improved manner, and so as amongst
other things to have much diminished liability to be obstructed by freezing.
In carrying out the Invention the apparatus is made with a discharge spout and
a handle for opening the valve, which are fitted at the upper part of a short hollow
metal pillar, whilst the valve or tap is situated at the bottom of a hollow foundation
box, intended to be sunk into the ground, and having the pillar resting upon the
top of it. The handle is on the outer end of a horizontal spindle, which has fast
on it inside of the pillar a pulley and a toothed bevil wheel, which pulley and
wheel may be entire or sectors only. A weight is suspended by a chain from the
pulley in a manner to tend to turn the spindle in the direction for closing the
valve, and the bevil wheel gears with a bevil wheel on a vertical spindle which
extends down to the tap below. The valve or closing detail of the tap is a plug,
moving vertically, and closing down on the valve seat. Its spindle is made tight
by a rolling packing ring, and is formed with a screw thread working in an internal
screw in the neck of the tap piece or body. The valve spindle is fixed to the
bottom of the vertical spindle extending down from the bevil wheel above, the
valve being opened or closed by the rotation of the spindle. To accommodate
the vertical movement of the spindle due to the screwing action the teeth of the

page_text: bevil wheels above are modified in the requisite manner. In one simple modifi-
cation the desired result is obtained by fixing the bevil wheel on the vertical
spindle a little obliquely; on the bevil wheel on the horizontal spindle may be
formed or placed a little eccentrically. The tap piece is by preference fixed by
being screwed down into a base plate at the bottom of the foundation box; and 5
the pipe leading up from the tap piece to the discharge spout above has fitted at
the bottom of it a self-acting valve, controlling a small outlet, which allows the
water to escape from the pipe when the main valve is closed. This outlet has its
inner orifice in the centre of a bar crossing the passage, and the valve is in the
form of a ball, or inverted cup, or other suitable piece, and is forced up against the 1
orifice by the rush of water when the main valve is opened, but when this is lcosed
the valve drops just sufficiently to open the orifice and allow the water in the pipe
to drain off.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Kennedy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd May
1881.
THOMAS KENNEDY, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Water
Meter Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER SUPPLY APPARATUS, SUCH AS
IS KNOWN AS 'WELLS' OR 'DRINKING FOUNTAINS.'
"
My said Invention has for its object to construct "wells," or " drinking fountains,”
or analogous water supply apparatus in an improved manner, and so as, amongst
other advantages, to have much diminished liability to be obstructed by freezing.
In carrying out my Invention the apparatus is made with a discharge spout and
a handle at the upper part, whilst the valve or tap is situated at the bottom of a
hollow foundation box, intended to be sunk in the ground. A self acting valve is
applied near the main valve to allow the water to escape from the pipe leading
from the main valve to the spout when the main valve is closed.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the same,
may be properly understood I hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings,
to be hereinafter referred to, and representing a "well" or "drinking fountain” as
made with my improvements.
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings are vertical sections as
at right angles to each other; and Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the
valve details. The same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
The casing of the "well" is a hollow castiron pillar 4, which is cast in the same
piece with a foundation box 5, the latter being sunk into the ground so that the
valve details which are placed near the bottom of it may be protected from frost.
The delivery spout 6 is near the top of the pillar 4, and the handle 7 for opening
the valve is on the outer end of a horizontal spindle 8, which has fast on it, inside
the pillar, a pulley 9 and a toothed bevil wheel 10 (which pulley and wheel may
be entire or sectors only). A weight 11 is suspended by a chain from the pulley 9
in a manner to tend to turn the spindle 8 in the direction for closing the valve,
and the bevil wheel 10 gears with a bevil wheel 12 on a vertical spindle 13, which
extends down to the tap or valve below. The valve or closing detail is a plug 14,
moving vertically and closing down on a valve seat 15, the bottom end or face of
the plug being made with a socket in which there is placed a small block of rubber
or other suitable material to bear on the valve seat. A rolling packing ring 16 is
applied between collars on the valve piece 14, to make water-tight the opening in
the valve casing or body through which the valve piece works. The valve piece 14
is made with a spindle 17 at its upper end, which spindle is entered up a bore in an
externally screwed piece 18 fixed to the bottom end of the vertical spindle 13, and
a small screw entered through the screwed piece 18 into a groove in the valve-
piece spindle 17 makes the valve piece 14 and screwed piece 18 move up or down
together, whilst one is free to turn relatively to the other. The screwed piece 18
works in an internally screwed piece forming part of or fixed in the valve
casing 19, and the turning of the vertical spindle 13 opens and closes the valve
through the action of the screwed parts. To accomodate the vertical movement of
the spindle 13, due to the screwing action, the teeth of the bevil wheels 10, 12,
above are modified in the requisite manner. In the simple modification shown the
desired result is obtained by fixing the bevil wheels 12 on the spindle 13 a little
obliquely, or the bevil wheel 10 on the horizontal spindle 8 may be placed a little
eccentrically. The tap piece or casing 19 is screwed down into a bottom inlet
piece 20, formed with a branch 21 for the attachment of the supply pipe; and this
bottom inlet piece 20 is itself fixed by a screw nut to a base plate or bar 22 fixed

page_text: to the bottom of the foundation box 5. The water admitted through the valve
enters a side branch 23, fixed to the valve casing 19, and in this branch there is
arranged a self-acting valve which empties the pipe 24 leading from the
branch 23 up to the spout 6 when the main valve is closed. The outlet of this
self-acting arrangement has its inner orifice in the centre of the bottom side of a
bar 25 crossing the passage, and the valve 26 in the form of a ball, or it might be
an inverted cup or other suitable piece, is forced up against the orifice by the rush
of water when the main valve 14 is opened, but when this is closed the valve 20
drops just sufficiently to open the orifice and allow the water in the pipe 24 to
drain off. When it is considered desirable the outlet passage in the bar 25 can be
closed by a screw plug, the spindle or rod 28 of which extends upwards to the
upper part of the column 4. Thus in summer time when there is no risk from frost
the small waste from continually emptying the pipe 24 may be avoided. A
cover 29, is fixed on the top of the column when the internal parts are fitted and
adjusted, the fixing details being such as to require special instruments for
unfastening them.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original
and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the hereinbefore in
part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The arranging or combining together of the parts of "wells" or "drinking
fountains," or analogous water supply apparatus, substantially in the improved
manner herein before described.
2. The arranging of the parts of water supply apparatus in a combined column
and foundation box, the actual valve or tap being at the lower part of the foundation
box, as and for the purposes herein before described.
3. The combination of a self-acting outlet valve with the pipe leading from
the main valve or tap up to the discharge spout, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Kennedy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-oue.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
THOS. KENNEDY. (L.S.)