IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS AND GASES
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSIAH
GEORGE JENNINGS, of Great Charlotte Street, Blackfriars Road, in the County
of Surrey, Flumber and Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifth day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, in the eleventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Josiah George Jennings, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Josiah George
Jennings, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Josiah George Jennings, my exors, adiñiors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS
AND GASES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the
said Josiah George Jennings, should cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
[Price 8d1

page_text: and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear,
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Josiah George Jennings, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists of lining the interior of the barrels of cocks and taps
with flexible material in such manner that the passages through such barrels
when open may be direct, and also in such manner that the passages through
the barrels may be closed by compressing the flexible lining. And in order
that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried into effect,
I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews the section of a cock or tap for drawing off liquids, the
passage being open, and Figure 2 is another sectional view thereof, the
passage.being closed; Figures 3 and 4 shew two similar sections of another
arrangement, which differs from the first only in respect to the manner of
forming the barrels, and also in respect to the manner of compressing the
flexible lining. And I would state that I do not confine myself to the means
shewn for coupling the parts of barrels of cocks or taps made according
to my Invention, nor to the means shewn for compressing the flexible
linings, as such parts may be varied without departing from my Invention.
a is a tubular lining to each of the barrels, which is fastened at one end
in the manner shewn. The material which I prefer to use for the flexible
lining is what is called vulcanised india-rubber, as that material is not
prejudicially acted on by considerable degrees of heat or cold, and it is
not liable to be injuriously acted on but by few liquids. I do not however
confine myself thereto, as gutta percha or other fluid-tight flexible material
may be used for the flexible linings of barrels of cocks and taps according to my
Invention, avoiding the use of materials which will be injuriously acted on by
the liquid to which the cocks or taps are to be applied. In Figures 1 and 2
the flexible lining is compressed, and the passage restricted or closed by means
of a hollow wedge-formed piece b, which is acted on by the projecting
inclines c, c, which, when the passage through the cock is open, come between
the two inclines, forming the wedge-formed piece b; but when the cock is shut
the incli ned surfaces c,c,depress the wedge-shaped piece b and retain it down,

page_text: and the lower ends of the inclines c rest on the top of the sides of the wedge b.
The inclines c are formed on or affixed to the plate d, which is to be turned
bya suitable key or handle. The flexible material in Figures 3 and 4 is com-
pressed by means of a sphere e, which is pressed on by the cylindrical plug f,
there being a slot cut spirally in such plug, into which the screw genters, so
that by turning the plug the sphere will be depressed and be retained there by
the slot in its continuation being horizontal or nearly so. Figure 5 shews so
much of a section of a water-closet as to indicate that the passage from the
pan may be made into a cock or tap according to my Invention; in this
arrangement the closing is performed by a slide acted on by a weighted lever,
as shewn, which at all times keep the cock closed. When the lever is not
raised up by this arrangement, water will at all times be kept in the pan. I
have not thought it necessary to shew any taps or cocks for drawing off gas,
as they differ only in the form of the barrels used, as a workman from the
above description, aided by the Drawings, will readily apply my Invention to
cocks and taps for drawing off gas, as well as to other forms for drawing off
liquids than those shewn in the Drawings.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would remark that I am aware that flexible
materials have before been used in cocks and taps for closing them, in which
case it was necessary to have a fixed partition across the passages of the
barrels, and therefore the liquids or gasses passed through the same did not
pass direct through, but were bent out of their course. Now, by my Invention
I am enabled to avoid the use of any partitions across the barrels of cocks and
taps, and to obtain a direct course through the barrels, the stopping being
simply by compressing the flexible lining.
What I claim is the mode of constructing cocks and taps for drawing
off liquids and gases, whereby thepassages through the barrels are retained.
direct, and the closing is by flexiblelinings, as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josiah George Jennings, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.
JOSIAH GEORGE (L.s.) JENNINGS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifth day of July, in the
year of our Lord 1848, the aforesaid Josiah George Jennings came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand