IMPROVEMENTS IN SERVICE AND STOP COCKS, CRANES, OR VALVES
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Peter Cullen and Peter McKellar at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th November 1877.
PETER CULLEN and PETER MCKELLAR, both of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Brassfounders. IMPROVEMENTS IN SERVICE AND STOP
COCKS, CRANES, OR VALVES."
"
This said Invention has reference to improvements in the construction of the
shutting and opening parts of service stop valves, taps, cocks, or cranes, for water
and other liquids, which are more simple, efficient, and liquid tight than hitherto,
so as to save the present great waste of water when they are applied for domestic
and public service purposes.
And the nature and novelty of the Invention, when applied to an ordinary swan-
neck cock or tap valve for household service purposes, consists in forming the
opening and closing part of the valve with a parallel or cylindrical stem, with a
bevel or conical end working on a corresponding hollow conical seat below, between
the inlet and outlet channels or branches of the valve chest, the valve and its stem
being inserted and guided in a stuffing box or screw-closing cover chamber formed
above the seating, with a single or double cup leather inserted round it at the
bottom of the recess, and which might be fixed by the bottom edge of the cover
screwed into the seat metallic-surface tight, preferably secured with a side pinching
screw to prevent it from turning, this cover being made hollow, and screwed on
the inside above the liquid-tight cap, into which a major screw on the valve spindle
works or screws up, and by a handle outside above the stuffing-box cover, so as to
open and close the valve from its seat, and so admit or shut off the water through
the tap or valve as usual, the cup leather preventing all escape through the screws
of the cover and valve spindle without other stuffing or packing.
A further improvement refers to the cock or chamber part of the swan-neck tap
or key, which is retained in its chamber by the usual friction washer and
tightening nut at the smaller end, and consists in forming a small annular recess
round the chamber of the key opposite the inlet branch, with a small hole bored
through and leading into the interior of the hollow key, all so that in whatever
position the key and its swan neck may be turned or placed the water will flow,
Davis 01

page_text: and be delivered through these when the valve is lifted, and vice versa, only shut
when the valve is shut, so that the flow of the water is not controlled in any way by
the swan-neck cock, which so frequently gets out of order and wastes water by the
inattention of the user, who frequently leaves the valve open and controls the flow
by the swan-neck key, but who, not being able to do this by this improved tap, &
is obliged to screw down the valve to save the annoyance of the full flow of the
water.
Although the improvements are herein described as applied to a screw swan-
neck tap for household purposes, it is to be understood that the first part of the
Invention connected with the moving and making of the valve liquid tight are 1
equally applicable to all stop-valve cocks and hydrants for the supply of public
water, or taps or cocks for the supply of liquids generally for the saving of water or
liquid and the prevention of leakage.