IMPROVE- MENTS IN HYDRANTS
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM BELL, of 130 Great Suffolk Street, Southwark in the county of
Surrey, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HYDRANTS" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in hydrants, and has for its
object to provide a clear way frost proof hydrant to which the ordinary stand
pipe with self contained key can be attached and which shall not be liable to be
rendered useless by the freezing of water internally.
Hitherto in the construction of hydrants of this class it is usual for the water,
to pass to the discharge orifice, through a branch pipe at. the opposite side of the
hydrant to the inlet pipe, the regulating or sluice valve being situated between the
inlet and outlet pipes; by this practice it is necessary to fix the stand pipe upon
the branch pipe and apply a different turnkey to the valve spindle. To prevent
freezing the water has been drained from the hydrant, when not in use, but only
from the lower part of the outlet branch; but by my invention the water is
drained from the whole hydrant, thereby entirely preventing it from freezing up,
and becoming useless, and also the risk of fracture of the casing from the saine
cause.
By my improvements the waterway is opened or shut by means of a sliding
wedge shaped door or valve, actuated by a central screwed spindle working
through a nut and guide. The water is forced up. past this valve when opened
vertically and the body of the hydrant is enlarged and suitably formed to afford a
free and clearway passage for the water. The top of the cover is formed with
suitable opening and attachments for an ordinary stand pipe, through which the
water passes to the discharge orifice.
The valve and spindle are actuated by a turnkey passing through the said
stand pipe.
To drain the hydrant, and prevent any water remaining therein, when the
hydrant is not in use, a supplementary automatic valve is placed in suitable
position at or near the base of the hydrant, actuated by a projection formed on
the valve so that when the valve is screwed down to its seat, the projection engages
with a lever or equivalent device and opens the draining valve; or by another
arrangement a bushed aperture is formed in the base of the hydrant which is
automatically opened or closed by the toe of the spindle, according as.the valve
of the hydrant is opened or closed. Suitable draining passages are formed in the
valve or its seating or both, for draining the part of the hydrant above the valve.
WAUGH & CHAPMAN,
Agents for Applicant.

page_text: yua
I WILLIAM BELL of 130 Great. Suffolk Street, Southwark in the county of
Surrey, Engineer, 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 by the following statement :-
-
This invention relates to certain improvements in hydrants, and has for its
object to provide a clearway frost proof hydrant to which the ordinary stand pipe
with self contained key can be attached, and which shall not be liable to be
rendered useless by the freezing of water internally.
Hitherto in the construction of hydrants of this class it is usual for the water
to pass to the discharge orifice through a branch pipe at 'the opposite side of the
hydrant to the inlet pipe, the regulating or sluice valve being situated between the
inlet and outlet pipes; by this practice it is necessary to fix the stand pipe upon
the branch pipe and apply a different turnkey to the valve spindle. To prevent
freezing the water has been drained from the hydrant when not in use, but only
from the lower part of the outlet branch; but by my invention the water is
drained from the whole hydrant thereby entirely preventing it from freezing up,
and becoming useless, and also the risk of fracture of the casing from the same
cause.
(1
By my improvements the waterway is opened or shut by means of a sliding
wedge shaped door or valve actuated by a central screwed spindle working
through a nut and guide. The water is forced up past this valve when opened
vertically, and the body of the hydrant is enlarged and suitably formed to afford a
free and clear way passage for the water. The top of the cover is formed with suitable
opening and attachments for an ordinary stand pipe through which 'the water
passes to the discharge orifice.
7
The valve and spindle are actuated by a turnkey passing through the said
stand pipe.
To drain the hydrant and prevent any water remaining therein when the
hydrant is not in use, a supplementary automatic valve is placed in suitable
position at or near the base of the bydrant, actuated by a projection formed on
the valve so that when the valve is screwed down to its seat, the projection engages
with a lever or equivalent device and opens the draining valve; or by another
arrangement a bushed aperture. is formed in the base of the hydrant which is
automatically opened or closed by the toe of the spindle, according as the valve of
the hydrant is closed or opened. Suitable draining passages are formed in the
valve or its seating, or both, for draining the part of the hydrant above the valve.
The accompanying drawings illustrate clearly my improvements. Figure 1 is
a sectional elevation of hydrant with standpipe, Figures 2 and 3 are sectional
elevations of hydrants showing valves open and shut.

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The improved hydrant is in general construction similar to an ordinary sluice
valve, the water way being opened or shut by a sliding wedge shaped door or
valve A with gunmetal faces a. a. This door or valve A is actuated by a screwed
spindle B working through a nut C of gun metal or suitable material."
The water enters by pipe D and is forced up past the valve A when opened as
in Figures 1 & 2, and the body of the hydrant E is enlarged and made circular
in order to afford a perfectly free and clearway passage for the water. The upper
part or cover F of the hydrant has a guide G bushed with gun metal as at g, cast
or fixed in it for the upper end of the spindle B. The top of the cover is formed
with the well known bayonet joint attachment H, for the stand pipe J, and a gun
metal ring X is provided, as shewn, for the leather washer in the said stand pipe
to bear against, thus forming a watertight joint. The internal key K of the stand
pipe engages with and actuates the spindle B and valve A:
In order to drain the bydrant and thereby to prevent any water remaining
therein and freezing when the hydrant is not in use, a small supplementary valve L
Figures 2 and 3 is provided attached to a lever M centred as shewn. A projection N
is formed upon the valve A, and as the said valve A is being closed the projection N
presses down the lever M and opens the valve L thereby draining the hydrant.
One or more small passages 0 are provided in suitable position in the seating of
the valve A, or in the said valve A, or in both valve and seating, so as to drain
off any water contained in the hydrant above the same, when not in use, thereby
completely obviating the possibility of water freezing internally.
When the bydrant is in use and valve A and projection N raised the valve L is
closed as shewn in Figure 2, the action of the drain valve is therefore automatic.
Or by another arrangement at the extreme bottom of the hydrant an aperture P
Figure 1 is formed, provided with a gunmetal brush and coned seat p; the toe of
the spindle B bears against this seat when the hydrant is at work, that is when
the sluice valve A is closed. The action of this valve P is perfectly automatic, for
in turning the spindle B in the direction for opening the valve A, an upward or
opening force cannot be applied to A until the toe of B is screwed down into its
seat on the gun metal bushed aperture p, and the required resistance thereby
obtained.
When the valve A is raised to its full height the collar b takes against the
guide G, and the toe of the spindle B is locked firmly against the seat p closing
the aperture P so that no water can escape whilst the hydrant is at work.
When closing the valve A the toe of B is kept to its seat p by gravity, until the
faces of the valve A take against their corresponding faces on the hydrant, when
the resistance offered to closing it firmly, re-acts on the spindle B, causing it to
travel upwards in the nut C, until the stop or collar b, is brought against the
guide G in the cover of the hydrant, and therefore the toe of B is withdrawn from
the bushed aperture P, and water can drain off through it, and also from above
the valve A through passages 0, 0, as described. In other words the upward or
downward movement of the valve A, necessitates movement of the spindle B in
the opposite direction, whereby the aperture for draining is opened or closed
automatically at the proper times. A screw plug Q is provided for access to the
valve and valve faces, or other purposes, or a blank flange may be bolted on as
may be most convenient.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st The construction and operation, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings, of hydrants to which the stand pipe is
attachable so that water passes vertically up the body and stand pipe to the
discharge pipe, and the whole hydrant is automatically drained when not in use.
2nd The combination with the body constructed to allow the water to pass
vertically up to the discharge pipe of wedge shaped regulating valve A, working

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on a central screwed spindle B, all arranged and operated as and for the purposes
herein before described & illustrated.
3rd The means of automatically draining all water from the hydrant when not
in use, consisting of the combination with the draining passages and either of the
arrangements of valve set forth, of the regulating valve and spindle operating the
same, all arranged substantially as and for the purposes described and illustrated. ·
Dated this twenty sixth dow of M... 1000