IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthias George White, of Landport, in the
County of Hants, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 25th March 1875, and dated the 26th September 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthias George White
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th September 1874.
I, MATTHIAS GEORGE WHITE, of Landport, in the County of Hants,
› do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN
SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER OR OTHER
LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its objects improved arrangements of apparatus
by which the flow of water or other liquid supplied through a pipe into
a glass or other vessel may be regulated or stopped as required by means

page_text: of self-acting mechanism actuated by the weight of such glass or other
vessel, and it is particularly applicable to apparatus used for the
purpose of supplying water for drinking, but may also be used for other
purposes.
I take a lever, preferably arranged out of sight underneath a counter
or table, and turning with as little friction as possible upon a horizontal
centre near one of its ends. At or near its other end I form a joint, to
which is connected a vertical rod, which passes through the counter or
table, and carries at its upper end a suitable platform or stand, upon
which a glass tumbler or other vessel which is to be filled is placed. I
prefer to make this platform open, and I guide it on the vertical rod to
which it is attached by a suitable guide or guides, so that it can rise or
fall with as little friction as possible within a ring or ornamental frame
fixed to the counter or table. Within this stand underneath the platform
I arrange a waste pipe by which any water spilled or wasted is conveyed
away. The mouth of the supply pipe (which may be made ornamental)
is arranged directly over the platform so as to fill the glass tumbler
when the latter is placed upon the platform, and the supply pipe is
connected to a regulating valve of the kind herein-after explained,
which is situated at or near the other end of the lever which carries the
platform and tumbler as described. This regulating valve consists of
two circular discs of brass or other suitable material screwed together
face to face, but having between them two corresponding discs of india-
rubber or other sufficiently flexible material separated from one another
by an annular ring or washer of metal round their edge and by a smaller
washer at their centre.
Each of the metal discs first described has formed upon its inner face
an annular seat, against which one of the india-rubber discs can be
pressed, and the inlet supply pipe for the water or other liquid (under
sufficient pressure) is admitted outside one of the brass discs, whilst the
discharge pipe (through which the water is conducted to the supply pipe
over the glass tumbler) communicates with the outside of the brass disc.
One or more small holes are made through both the india-rubber discs
near their outer edge. By this arrangement if the india-rubber discs
are moved in one direction one of them presses upon the annular seat
upon the inlet brass disc, and cuts off the ingress of the water, whilst if
they are moved in the other direction the other of them presses upon the.

page_text: annular seat upon the outlet brass disc, and cuts off the egress of the
water, whilst in their intermediate position the water has free passage
through the inlet pipe, and through the holes in the india-rubber discs
to the outlet pipe, and thence into the glass tumbler. I connect a
spindle to the centre of the india-rubber discs, which spindle I make
pass water-tight through one of the brass discs (preferably by means of
a flexible diaphragm through which the spindle passes and to which it
is attached), and I connect the outer end of the spindle to the short arm
of the lever already described in such manner that when the platform
(which carries the glass tumbler) is at the top of its stroke the supply of
water to the tumbler is cut off by the india-rubber discs being forced in
one direction, and when it is at the bottom of its stroke the supply is
cut off by their being forced in the other direction, whilst in its inter-
mediate position the water has free access to the tumbler. I arrange an
adjustable balance weight upon the lever, so proportioned that it raises
the platform to the top of its stroke, but that when the empty glass
tumbler is placed upon the platform the additional weight is sufficient
to depress it to the bottom of its stroke, and I arrange a small supple-
mentary lever turning upon a centre, and having one end fitted with an
adjustable weight, whilst the other end is so arranged that when the
longer arm of the lever first described has descended one-half of its
stroke it comes into contact with a pin or slot upon the arm of the small
lever, and in its further descent has also to raise the weight upon the
latter.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When the glass tumbler
is removed the platform (for carrying it) rises, and the supply of water
is shut off. When the tumbler is placed upon the platform its weight is
sufficient to depress the latter until the lever comes in contact with the
arm of the small lever. The valves are then open, and water is supplied
to the glass tumbler until its additional weight is sufficient to overcome
and lift the weight upon the small lever, and the platform then descends
to its full extent, and the supply of water is cut off. On the tumbler
filled with water being removed the platform rises to its original
position.
By the construction and arrangement of the valve described a very
short stroke is required in order to close it in either direction, whilst a

page_text: The pipe from the valve may pass through an ornamental filter,
through which the water passes before being discharged into the glass
tumbler, or it may pass through ice or other refrigerating apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Matthias George White in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHIAS
GEORGE WHITE, of Landport, in the County of Hants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of September, in the 1
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Matthias George White,
Her special licence, that I, tho said Matthias Georgo White, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Matthias George White, 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 a
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING APPARATUS
FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Matthias George White, 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 5
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 Matthias George White, 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

page_text: pipe (through which the water is conducted to the supply pipe over the
glass tumbler) communicates with the outside of the other brass disc.
One or more small holes are made through both the india-rubber discs
near their outer edge. By this arrangement if the india-rubber discs are
moved in one direction; one of them presses upon the annular seat upon
the inlet brass disc, and cuts off the ingress of the water, whilst if they are
moved in the other direction the other of them presses upon the annular
seat upon the outlet brass disc, and cuts off the egress of the water,
whilst in their intermediate position the water has free passage through
the inlet pipe, and through the holes in the india-rubber discs to the
outlet pipe, and thence into the glass tumbler. I connect a spindle to
the centre of the india-rubber discs, which spindle I make pass water-
tight through one of the brass discs (preferably by means of a flexible
diaphragm through which the spindle passes, and to which it is attached)
and I connect the outer end of the spindle to the short arm of the lever
already described in such manner that when the platform (which carries
the glass tumbler) is at the top of its stroke the supply of water to the
tumbler is cut off by the india-rubber discs being forced in one direction,
and when it is at the bottom of its stroke the supply is cut off by their
being forced in the other direction, whilst in its intermediate position
the water has free access to the tumbler. I arrange an adjustable
balance weight upon the lever so proportioned that it raises the platform
to the top of its stroke, but that when the empty glass tumbler is placed
upon the platform the additional weight is sufficient to depress it to tho
bottom of its stroke, and I arrange a small supplementary lever turning
upon a centre, and having one end fitted with an adjustable weight,
whilst the other end is so arranged that when the longer arm of the
lever first described has descended one-half of its stroke it comes into
contact with a pin or slot upon or connected to the arm of the small
lever, and in its further descent has also to raise the weight upon the

page_text: and lift the weight upon the small lever, and the platform then descends
to its full extent, and the supply of water is cut off. On the tumbler
filled with water being removed the platform rises to its original
position.
By the construction and arrangement of the valve described a very
short stroke is required in order to close it in either direction, whilst a com-
paratively large waterway is provided for the water. Sometimes I make
the valve consist of a single loose disc attached to the valve spindle.
The pipe from the valve may pass through an ornamental filter
through which the water passes before being discharged into the glass
tumbler, or it may pass through ice or other refrigerating apparatus.
In the accompanying Drawing, in illustration of my Invention,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus. a is a lever, which
I prefer to arrange out of sight underneath the counter or table b. The
lever a turns with as little friction as possible upon the fixed centre c
near one of its ends. At or near its other end it is connected, preferably
by a friction roller as shewn at d, to a vertical rod or spindle e, which
passes up through the table b, and carries at its upper end the stand or
platform c, upon which the tumbler or other vessel which is to be filled
is placed. This platform is made open or perforated so that any water
which is spilled drains through it. fis an ornamental ring or frame
fixed to the table b, and having a central guide g, through which the
spindle e passes, so as to rise or fall with as little friction as possible.
The guide 7 is elevated, so that any water falling into the frame ƒ is
3 carried away through the waste pipe h without entering the guide g,
and an inverted cup or shield i may be fixed round the spindle to guard
more effectually the guide g. At or near the centre c upon which the
lever a turns the short arm k is connected to it, which works the spindle
of the regulating valve. This valve I prefer to construct as shewn in
section in Figure 2, in which m is an inlet pipe for supplying the water;
n is the discharge pipe through which the water is supplied to the glass
or other vessel upon the platform c. Two discs o, o¹, of india-rubber or
other flexible material are connected at their centres to the spindle Z,
their outer edges being firmly held between the halves p, p', of the valve
case. The flexible discs are separated by washers at their centre and
edges, and holes allowing a free passage through them are made in their
free part. When the spindle is pressed in one direction the disc o is

page_text: Also the combination with the levers and valves so arranged of an
ornamental supply pipe and stand for the vessel, and a waste pipe for
waste water, substantially as described and shewn in the Drawing.
Also the general arrangement of the apparatus, as and for the purposes
described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthias George White, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.