IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES AND IN PACKING FOR THE SAME
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Whieldon and John Beck, both of
190, Westminster Bridge Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES AND IN
PACKING FOR THE SAME."
"
Bealed the 22nd July 1870, and dated the 14th February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Whieldon and
John Beck at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 14th February 1870.
We, WILLIAM WHIELDON and JOHN BECк, both of 190, Westminster
Bridge Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES,
AND IN PACKING FOR THE SAME," to be as follows :—
Our Invention applies to the construction of stop cocks, valves,
hydrants, ball cocks, and other valves and cocks for the passage of
fluids.
In
We make the body of the cock or valve of cylindrical form either
externally or internally, and to this cylindrical part we fit a cap.
some cases we make this cap to turn round, and have passages in it and

page_text: the body of the cock, such that when the cap is turned to one position
there is a communication through these passages, and when the cap is
turned to another position the communication is closed. In other cases
we make the cap to slide to and fro, and fit to it a leather, caoutchouc,
or other soft facing, or we make it with a metallic facing fitted to a
seating on the body of the cock. When the cap is caused to slide so
that its facing bears against the face or seat in the body of the cock, a
passage through the body of the cock is closed. But when the cap is
caused to slide away from the seating this passage is opened, and fluid
can pass into the cap, and thence. by an outlet provided for it. In
making valves of this kind so that they shall be self-closing, we make
the cap-with-a-stem-passing-through-the-body-of-the-cock-and-fitted
with a valve on the side opposite to the cap. We make the area of this
valve less than that of the cap, so that fluid. under pressure acting within
the body of the cock, and pressing on the cap causes the valve which is
connected by a stem to the cap to close its aperture. When the cap
is forced by hand or by a screw or lever against the fluid pressure the
valve is opened, but as soon as the force ceases to act on the cap the
pressure of the fluid within closes the valve.
The packing which we employ for such sliding caps onsists of a
caoutchouc ring of a circular section placed within a recess of the cap
or of the cylindrical part of the cock to which the cap is fitted. When
the cap is caused to slide to and fro this ring rolls with the movement
of the cap, presenting littlè resistance to the movement. In some cases
instead of making the recess which holds the caoutchouc ring of equal
diameter throughout, we taper it a little each way so that the ring as it
is caused to roll to and fro comes to a narrower part of the recess, and
thereby acts with more effect as a packing. to prevent escape of the
fluid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 30
filed by the said William Whieldon and John Beck in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 13th August 1870.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said William Whieldon and John Beck, Her
special licence, that we, the said William Whieldon and John Beck,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said William Whieldon and John Beck, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES,
AND IN PACKING FOR THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said William Whieldon and John Beck, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument 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 immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Whicldon and John
Beck, 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 :-
Our Invention applies to the construction of stop cocks, valves,
hydrants, ball cocks, and other valves and cocks for the passage of fluids.
We make the body of the cock or valve of cylindrical form either
externally or internally, and to this cylindrical part we fit a cap. In
some cases we make this cap to turn round, and have passages in it and
the body of the cock such that when the cap is turned to one position
there is a communication through these passages, and when the cap is
turned to another position the communication is closed. In other cases
we make the cap to slide to and fro and fit to it a leather, caoutchouc, or
other soft facing, or we make it with a metallic facing fitted to a scating
on the body of the cock. When the cap is caused to slide so that its
facing bears against the face or seat in the body of the cock a passage
through the body of the cock is closed. But when the cap is caused to

page_text: Fig. 3 represents a valve constructed as in Fig. 1, the opening of the
valve being effected by means of a hand lever g. For valves of small
size or under moderate pressure the lever may be dispensed with and
the valve opened by pressure on a knob h, as represented in Fig. 4.
Fig. 5 represents a valve of similar construction enclosed within a case,
the valve being operated on by jaws j, j, worked by a spindle i passing
through the side of the casing.
Fig. 6 represents a valve constructed according to our Invention, and
applied to the delivery of a measured quantity of fluid. k is the supply
pipe, by which when the valve is opened fluid flows into a reservoir of
known capacity, the air in that reservoir escaping at the top by a valve
at m made to act as a water trap in the ordinary way. On pushing back
the valve by means of the handle g the supply pipe k is closed, and
the contents of the reservoir are allowed to issue by the discharge
passage n.
Fig. 7 represents a section of a self-acting feed valve for a boiler
constructed according to our Invention. From the valve is suspended
a float in the ordinary way, and a counterbalance weight o is connected
by a lever to the upper part of the valve stem. When the float sinks
the valve opens and admits a supply to the boiler.
Fig. 8 represents a section of a fire cock or hydrant constructed
according to our Invention. p is an external cap which can be raised
or depressed by the screw q, and which being cylindrical and fitted on a
cylindrical pipe is capable of being turned round so as to present its
nozzle in any required direction. The inside of the cap is fitted with a
facing disc of leather, caoutchouc, or other suitable material, so as to
form a water-tight closure of the pipe when the casing is screwed
down.
Fig. 9 represents a screw hydrant constructed according to our
Invention. c and d are the collars and packing ring, as already described.
8 is a nut turning freely upon the screwed stem of the valve. Along
this stem a slot is cut on one side, as indicated by the dotted lines at t,
and a pin projects inwards from the casing into this slot, so as to prevent
the screwed stem itself from turning.
Fig. 10 represents a section of a sluice valve packed in a similar way.
Such valves may be worked either directly by hand, as indicated in the
Figure, or by means of a screw or lever.

page_text: Fig. 11 represents a partly equilibrated hydrant valve with packing
constructed according to our Invention.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we would have it understood that
we do not confine ourselves to the details or proportions represented
on the Drawings, as these may be varied to suit special circumstances.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Whieldon, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this 13th day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
JNO. E. LUCAS,
190, Westminster Bridge Road,
London.
W. WHIELDON. (L.S.)