IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS OR COCKS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cowpe Heaton and John Dean, both of
Rotherham, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS OR COCKS."
Sealed the 17th January 1862, and dated the 24th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cowpe Heaton and
John Dean at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 24th October 1861.
We, JOHN COWPE HEATON and JOHN DEAN, both of Rotherham, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS OR COCкs," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction of taps or cocks suitable
either for high or low pressure service, whereby considerable economy and
simplicity are obtained over taps or cocks of the same class hitherto
employed.
Our improved tap or cock is composed simply of three parts, namely, the
barrel, the valve, and a screw cap, the latter serving the threefold purpose of
the plug, the crutch, and the cap. The actual valve face consists of a leather
or other suitable washer, which may or may not be secured to the lower end
of a short stem, the upper end of such stem having a cup leather or other
suitable packing fitted thereto, so as to enable it to work water-tight inside the
barrel. On the top of the barrel is cut a screw thread, which fits the internal

page_text: screw thread of a closed cap or cover applied to and closing entirely the top of
the barrel. When the cap is screwed home its inner surface bears against the
top of the valve stem, which is contained wholly within the barrel, and so
holds the valve firmly down upon its seat, but by partially unscrewing the cap
by means of suitable lugs or projections formed upon it for that purpose, the
valve stem is released from the pressure of the cap, and the valve is then
opened by the pressure of the water upon its under side.. Should the pressure
not be sufficiently great to force up the valve and stem with its accompanying
packing, the stem may be swivelled to the under side of the cap, so that on
raising the cap by partially unscrewing it the valve will be lifted in lieu of
being opened solely by the pressure of the water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cowpe Heaton and John Dean in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 24th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
COWPE HEATON and JOHN DEAN, both of Rotherham, in the County of York,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Cowpe Heaton and John Dean, Her special license that we, the said
John Cowpe Heaton and John Dean, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Cowpe Heaton and John Dean,
our executors, administrators, or 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS OR
Cocks," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Cowpe
Heaton and John Dean, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of them,
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: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Cowpe Heaton and John Dean,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our said Invention relates to a peculiar construction of taps or cocks
suitable either for high or low pressure service, whereby considerable economy
and simplicity are obtained over taps or cocks of the same class hitherto
employed.
According to one form or arrangement our improved tap or cock is com-
posed simply of three or four parts, namely, the barrel, the valve, and a screw
cap, or screw cap and spindle, the screw cap when used without the screw
spindle serving the threefold purpose of the plug, the crutch, and the cap.
The actual valve face consists of a leather or other suitable washer, which may
or may not be secured to the lower end of a short stem, the upper end of such
stem having a cup leather or other suitable packing fitted thereto, so to
enable it to work water-tight inside the barrel. On the top of the barrel is cut a
screw thread, which fits the internal screw thread of a cap or cover, which serves
to close, and in some cases, to open the valve, as herein-after described; or in
place of the cap or cover opening or closing the valve a screw spindle working
through the screw cap may be used. When the cap or screw spindle is screwed
home its inner surface at the top bears against the top of the valve stem, which
is contained wholly within the barrel, and so holds the valve firmly down upon
its seat, but by partially unscrewing the cap or screw spindle by means of
suitable lugs or projections formed upon it for that purpose, or by a convenient
crutch handle fitted to the top thereof, the valve stem is released from the
pressure of the cap or screw spindle, and the valve is then opened by the
pressure of the water upon its under side. Should the pressure not be
sufficiently great to force up the valve and stem with its accompanying packing,
the stem may be swivelled to the under side of the cap or screw spindle, so
that on raising the cap or screw spindle by partially unscrewing it the valve
will be lifted in lieu of being opened solely by the pressure of the water.
. And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose we
shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section of one
form of our improved tap or cock as applied to high-pressure service. A is

page_text: the body of the cock, in one piece with the barrel B, within which and at the
centre thereof is formed the valve seat C; D is the valve face, formed of a washer
of leather, vulcanized india-rubber, or other suitable material, which is secured
by a central screw a to the bottom of the valve stem E. The upper part of
the valve stem is provided with a cup leather or other suitable packing 6 inside
that it may work freely, but at the same time water-tight within the barrel of
the cock; F is the cap or cover, which is screwed on to the top of the barrel
B, being provided with a suitable crutch handle C for that purpose. This cap
or cover bears upon the extreme upper end of the valve stem or spindle, and
serves to hold the valve down upon its seat or in its closed position. When,
however, the valve is to be opened the cap or cover is turned so as to raise it,
whereupon the pressure of the water will immediately force the valve open.
By turning the cap in the reverse direction it will press upon the valve stem,
and so close the valve again. c is a small stop or check screw, for the purpose
of preventing the accidental separation or entire unscrewing of the cap or
cover from the barrel.
Figure 2 represents a vertical section of the same description of cock as
that illustrated at Figure 1, but adapted to low pressure, where there is not
sufficient force in the water to open the valve of itself. To obviate this
difficulty we propose to swivel the valve stem at its upper end to the interior
of the cap or cover, as shewn at d (Figure 2), so that when the cap or cover
is elevated by partially unscrewing the same, it will simultaneously lift and
open the valve, the action in closing being precisely similar to that of the
herein-before first described cock.
Figure 3 represents an external elevation of the high or low pressure cock
already referred to.
Figure 4 is an external elevation of a slightly modified form of cock adapted
for steam pipes; and Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the same. In this
cock a metallic mitre valve D is employed, fitting a corresponding. valve C,
and connected by a swivel joint to the lower end of the valve stem E,
which works inside the barrel B. A collar e is turned on the lower portion of
the stem E, which collar is capable of sliding freely up and down the barrel B,
suitable packing 6 being applied round the stem, for the purpose of maintaining
the cock steam-tight. A collar fis screwed on to the upper end of the valve
stem, so as to tighten the packing, which is thus compressed between the two
collars e and f. The upper end of the collar is made to bear against the under
side of the cap or cover F, so that when the cover is screwed down it will
close the valve tightly by pressing upon the collar f. As the valve stem E is
connected by means of the nut and washer 9 to the cap or cover, it follows

page_text: that on partially unscrewing or elevating the same the valve will be elevated
with it, and consequently opened. In lieu of applying the crutch handles to
the cap or cover, we propose to form a hand wheel G thereon, similar to those
usually employed in steam valves.
Figures 6 and 7 represents respectively an external elevation and longi-
tudinal section of a slightly modified form of high-pressure cock, wherein in
place of the cap F effecting the opening and closing of the cock, we use a
screwed spindle F', provided with the ordinary crutch G for that purpose, such
spindle working through a central tapped hole in the cap, and bearing upon
the top of the valve stem, as is clearly shewn in the Drawing, Figure 7; the
valve is thus closed by screwing down the spindle, and allowed to open by the
reverse action. If desired the valve stem may be swivelled to the screw
spindle F¹ for low-pressure cocks, so that the raising of the screw will lift
up and open the valve. In all these cocks the stuffing box is entirely
obviated.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe, in conclusion, that what we consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the general constructions and arrange-
ments of taps or cocks, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Cowpe Heaton and John Dean,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-second day of
April, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN COWPE HEATON. (L.S.)
bis
JOHN X DEAN.
mark.
(L.S.)