IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS HIGH-PRESSURE WATER TAPS
Year: 1875

page_text: KNOWN AS
LETTERS PATENT to Henry Beach, of Brighton, in the County of
Sussex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS
HIGH-PRESSURE WATER TAPS."
Sealed the 15th February 1876, and dated the 26th August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Beach at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th August 1875.
TAPS
I, HENRY BEACH, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, do hereby .
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KNOWN AS HIGH-PRESSURE WATER TAPS," to be as follows:-
The chief object of this Invention is to prevent the necessity of water
companies turning off the water from the mains during alterations or
repairs to the internal fittings or to the repair of the tap itself.
The Invention consists in the application to the lower part of high-
pressure water taps of a mushroom or other valve on a screw spindle,
working through a stuffing box in such manner that the valve can be
raised or lowered as required. When the tap is fitted and in use, under

page_text: ordinary circumstances the mushroom valve is down, so that water may
freely pass; but in the event of the tap being out of order the valve can
be raised to its seating, and the water thereby prevented from passing
through the tap, when the leathers of the tap may be taken out or the
tap otherwise repaired as may be required. Thus it will be understood
that the flow of water is entirely cut off while the tap is being taken to
pieces for putting on a new leather washer or valve, or for repacking
the stuffing box.
By my Invention a full waterway can always be obtained, the
consumption of water is saved, while at the same time considerable time
is saved and expenses reduced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Beach in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BEACH, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Beach, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Beach, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Beach, my 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
TAPS KNOWN AS HIGH-PRESSURE WATER TAPS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Beach, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, 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

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Beach, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to
say :—
The chief object of this Invention is to prevent the necessity of water
companies turning off the water from the mains during alterations or
repairs to the internal fittings or to the repair of the tap itself, thus
saving considerable labour and expense and preventing great waste of
water, while at the same time a full waterway can be always obtained.
The Invention consists in the application to the lower part of high-
pressure water taps of a mushroom or other valve on a screw spindle,
working through a stuffing box in such manner that the valve can be
raised or lowered as required. When the tap is fitted and in use, under
ordinary circumstances the mushroom valve is down so that water may
freely pass; but in the event of the tap being out of order the valve
can be raised to its seating, and the water thereby prevented from
passing through the tap, when the leathers of the tap may be taken out
or the tap otherwise repaired as may be required.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an external side elevation,
and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of a high-pressure water tap,
constructed according to my Invention.
a, shows a mushroom valve mounted on the screwed spindle b, but
other suitable valve may be used; c, the stuffing box through which
spindle works; d, the seating of the valve a; e is the water inlet,
and the water outlet.
b
In the position shown by the full lines in the Drawing, the water has
a free passage through the tap in the direction shown by the arrows,
but by turning the spindle 6 up, and thereby bringing the valve a to its
seating d the passage of water through the tap is prevented. Thus it
will be understood that the flow of water is entirely cut off while the
tap is being taken to pieces for putting on a new leather washer or
valve.

page_text: For repairing the stuffing box the valve should be lowered to its full
extent.
By my Invention a full waterway can always be obtained, the waste
of water is prevented, while at the same time considerable labour is
saved and expenses reduced.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
improvements in taps known as high-pressure water taps the appli-
cation thereto of a valve which is capable of being raised to its seating
when required for cutting off the supply or passage of water through ]
the tap, but when the valve is lowered affording a free passage for the
water through the same, all substantially in manner and for the purposes
described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Beach, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year 1
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.