AN IMPROVED VALVE AND VALVE GEAR FOR REGU- LATING THE PASSAGE OR FLOW OF FLUIDS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Walter Friend, of Freemantle, Southampton, and
Baldwin Fulford Weatherdon, of Kingston-on-Thames, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED VALVE AND VALVE GEAR FOR REGU-
LATING THE PASSAGE OR FLOW OF FLUIDS"
Sealed the 19th April 1864, and dated the 22nd October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Walter Friend and
Baldwin Fulford Weatherdon at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 22nd October 1863.
We, JOHN WALTER FRIEND, of Freemantle, Southampton, and BALDWIN
FULFORD WEATHERDON, of Kingston-on-Thames, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED VALVE AND VALVE
GEAR FOR REGULATING THE PASSAGE OR FLOW OF FLUIDS," to be as follows (that is
to say):
Our Invention for an improved valve and valve gear for regulating the
passage or flow of fluids has reference to an arrangement for gradually
cutting off or checking the supply and flow of water to closets or otherwise
under all pressures, whereby a more perfect and uniform action is obtained
than by those at present in use, at the same time admitting of the ordinary
gravitating lever or balance weight being employed in connection therewith,
and consists of a metallic case or jacket fitted with a piston or plunger, so as
to work surrounded by fluid confined therein, through the medium of which.
the said piston is caused gradually to descend, and thereby actuate the valve.

page_text: and cut off or check the supply as aforesaid, a conical fluid-way formed in
the said piston being employed for facilitating the upward movement and
gradual descent of the same in connection with the valve turning or lifting
against the pressure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Walter Friend and Baldwin Fulford Weatherdon in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
WALTER FRIEND, of Freemantle, Southampton, and BALDWIN FULFORD
WEATHERDON, of Kingston-on-Thames, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said John Walter Friend and Baldwin Fulford
Weatherdon, Her special licence that we, the said John Walter Friend and
Baldwin Fulford Weatherdon, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said John Walter Friend and Baldwin Fulford
Weatherdon, our 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 "AN IMPROVED
VALVE AND VALVE GEAR FOR REGULATING THE PASSAGE OR FLOW OF FLUIDS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Walter Friend and
Baldwin Fulford Weatherdon, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letter Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Walter Friend and Baldwin
Fulford Weatherdon, 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, and the Drawing
therein referred to (that is to say) :-

page_text: Our Invention for an improved valve and valve gear for regulating the
passage and flow of fluids, has reference to an arrangement for gradually
cutting off or checking the supply and flow of water to closets or otherwise
under all pressures, whereby a more perfect and uniform action is obtained
than by those at present in use, at the same time admitting of the ordinary
gravitating lever or balance weight being employed in connection therewith,
and consists of a metallic case or jacket fitted with a piston or plunger, so as
to work surrounded by fluid confined therein, through the medium of which
the said piston is caused gradually to descend, and thereby actuate the valve
and cut off or check the supply as aforesaid, a conical fluid-way formed in
the said piston being employed for facilitating the upward movement and
gradual descent of the same in connection with the valve turning or lifting
against the pressure.
But in order that our said Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, we now proceed to describe it by the aid of the
accompanying Drawing, reference being had to the letters and figures thereon
marked (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 represents a vertical front view of our improved valve and valve gear
for regulating the passage and flow of fluids; Fig. 2 a sectional side elevation
of same; Fig. 3 a top or plan view; Fig. 4 a transverse vertical section taken
through the dotted line in Figs. 1 & 2; Fig. 5 an underneath view of the
regulating piston detached; Fig. 6 a side elevation of the valve gear employed
in connection with ordinary taps; Fig. 7 a sectional elevation.thereof; Fig. 8
a top view; Fig. 9 a section taken transversely through same. In each
Figure the same letters of reference denote similar corresponding parts.
A, A, outer case or cylinder; B, B, screw nut or cap forming the stuffing
box through the medium of the packing and pressure plate B' and B²;
C, C, valve rod; D, D, pin joint for connecting the same to the lever;
E, E, regulating chamber; F, F, division plate or diaphran separating the
upper and lower parts of the cylinder for the purpose of checking the force of
water to the regulator and equalizing the descent of the piston; G, G, screw
for fixing the same; H, HI, regulating piston having an annular disc I, I,
fitting upon a centre cone attached to the valve rod, as shown at J, J, Fig. 2,
surrounded by flexable material K, K, forming the packing of the piston;
L, L, pin stop for same; M, M, cup valve secured to the lower end of the rod
or stem C, C, in manner shown; N, N, flexable washer or valve seat; 0, 0,
union pipe through which the water is admitted to the same; P, P, discharge
pipe or passage; Q, Q, tapped socket for the reception of the union joint; R, R,
water, quicksilver, or other fluid; S, S, rocking flange by which the regulating

page_text: valve gear is secured to the flooring 'T, T, or otherwise; U, U, screws for
holding the same; V, V, oval 'holes formed in the rocking flange for the
reception of the screws; W; W, hole through which the fluid passes for
regulating the descent of the piston.
Having now fully described the nature of this our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into effect, we
would have it clearly understood that we do not intend to confine ourselves to
the precise details herein-before set forth and described, as any other form of
valve or mode of fitting the same may be employed in lieu of the cup valve, as
represented; nor do we claim as of our said Invention the exclusive use of the
several parts and combinations herein-before mentioned and described, except
when the same are employed in and for the purposes of our said Invention,
which we hereby declare to consist in obtaining an uniform regulation of
water to closets under all pressures by placing the valve below the supply, so
as to lift against the pressure and maintain the same when closed firmly upon
its seat.
Secondly, in separating the tubular case or cylinder through the medium of
the division plate aforesaid, for the purpose of preventing the force or flow of
water acting on the regulating piston.
And, thirdly, the employment and application of the said regulating
arrangement to the ordinary taps and closet gear for gradually cutting off or
checking the supply of water by the descent of the piston or plunger moving
within an outer case or cylinder charged with quicksilver, in the manner and
for the purposes herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Baldwin Fulford Weatherdon, on behalf
of myself and co-patentee, the said John Walter Friend, have here-
unto set my band and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
B. F. WEATHERDON. (L.S.)