Improvements in Cocks or Taps for Use with Acids, and in other Cocks or Taps.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL DI MUIFICATION
Improvements in Cocks or Taps for Use with Acids, and in other
Cocks or Taps.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BURKITT, of 66 Leabrook Road, Wednesbury in the
County. of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Cocks or taps as usually constructed for use with acids have a taper plug put in
from the top of the tap which is provided with a square or other part to receive a
spanner or turning bar. Owing to the difficulty of keeping the plugs tight by means
of packing, and to the impracticability (in consequence of the material of which
the taps have to be made to resist the action of the acid) of holding the plugs down
by contrivances applied at their lower or lesser ends, the plugs are weighted to keep
them in place when liable to considerable pressure such as the pressure occasioned
by blowing acid from an acid egg into a raised tank; and even when the taps are
not subject to any excessive pressure the weight of acid itself is liable to lift the
plugs. In either case, the plugs have to be held firmly down while being turned.
There is consequently great liability of accident, as if the weight is taken off a plug
while excessive pressure obtains within the cock the plug will be blown out and the
acid spurted over the attendant; and an attendant is also liable to be splashed with
the acid if in turning the tap he omits to hold it firmly down at the same time.
Now, the main object of this invention is to construct cocks or taps for use with
acids in such manner that the plugs will be automatically held down by the pressure
of the acid, the tops of the cocks being completely closed in so that it is impossible
for any acid to spurt up.
A tap constructed according to this invention has the case formed with a taper
hole therethrough, decreasing in diameter downwards, for the reception of the
plug; and the plug is formed taper to fit within such hole and has a square or other
part formed at its lower or smaller end which projects below the case to receive a
spanner or turning bar by which the plug is operated. A lid or cover is fixed upon
the top of the case and is formed with an annular bung which extends to the top or
larger end of the plug, a hollow or chamber being thus formed within the bung
immediately above the plug. A passage communicates between the inlet branch of
the cock and the chamber, and thus any pressure of the acid is exerted on the top
of the plug and consequently keeps it down. If there is an excessive pressure,
such as when acid is being blown from an egg to a raised tank, the plug is of course
somewhat tight within its seat, and owing to the degree of force required to turn it
the attendant is made aware of the pressure within the cock. He is thus warned
against opening or closing the cock under circumstances in which it would be
dangerous to do so.
As the plug is kept securely down within its seat there is very little liability of
leakage even through the bottom of the cock; but any dripping therefrom may be
avoided, even when the tap is worn, by means of a slight packing of asbestos or
other suitable material within a shallow packing-box pressed up by means of a
gland.
In order to prevent any liability of the plug being raised by the sudden return of
the acid column, supposing the plug to be somewhat worn so that a space is left
between itself and the end of the annular bung around the lid, in case the air pump
is stopped while blowing a charge of acid through a tap, a clear opening may be
formed from the transverse opening through the plug out to the top thereof, and a
valve be seated on the top of the plug which will be opened by the back rush of

page_text: acid and thus cause the upward pressure to be transferred to the cover which then
acts as an abutment and causes the downward pressure to force the plug down
securely within its seat.
Other cocks or taps, such for instance as blow-off cocks for steam boilers, may
be constructed also in the improved manner above described.
Dated the 7th dow of March 1802
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Cocks or Taps for Use with Acids, and in other
Cocks or Taps.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BURKITT, of 66 Leabrook Road, Wednesbury in the
County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Cocks or taps, as usually constructed for use with acids, have a taper plug put in
from the top of the cock or tap which is provided at its upper end with a square or
other part to receive a spanner or turning bar. Owing to the difficulty of keeping
the plugs tight by means of packing, and to the impracticability (in consequence of
the character of the material of which the cocks or taps have to be made to
resist the action of the acid) of holding the plugs down by contrivances applied
at their lower or lesser ends, the plugs are weighted to keep them in place when
liable to considerable pressure such as the pressure occasioned by blowing acid from
an acid egg into a raised tank; and even when the cocks or taps are not subject to
the pressure of any considerable head of acid the plugs are liable to be lifted by
the acid, as its great specific gravity causes considerable pressure even under a low
head. Any weight used to keep a plug down has to be removed before the plug
can be turned, and the plug must be held firmly down while being turned. There
is consequently great liability of accident, as if the weight is taken off a plug while
excessive pressure obtains within the cock the plug will be blown out and the acid
spurted over the attendant; and an attendant is also liable to be splashed with the
acid if in turning the cock he omits to hold it firmly down at the same time.
Now, the main object of this invention is to construct cocks or taps for use with
acids in such manner that the plugs will be automatically held down by the pressure
of the acid, the tops of the cocks being completely closed in so that it is impossible
for any acid to spurt up; but the invention is applicable to cocks or taps for other
purposes also.
A cock or tap, constructed according to this invention, in which the plug is held
down by the pressure of the acid, is illustrated (by way of example) in the form of
a bib cock by Figure 1 of the drawings herewith, which is a longitudinal section
taken through the centre of the cock. The plug A is formed tapering smaller from
its upper towards its lower end, and fits within a taper hole formed through the
body B B. The plug has the usual passage way a; but is formed with a square or
other part at its lower or smaller end (instead of at its upper or larger end as
heretofore) to receive a spanner or turning bar by which it is operated. The
part b may be formed with two flat sides only, opposite to one another, so that it
may readily be seen whether the cock is open or closed. The hole in the
body B B within which the plug A is inserted is covered or closed in at its upper
or larger end by a lid or cover C the inner face of which is made an acid tight
joint with the face of the portion of the body surrounding the upper or larger end
of the hole. When the cock is of metal the lid may be held in place by bolts, such
as i, passing through ears or flanges formed with the body and lid respectively; or
the lid may be fixed in any convenient manner to suit the material of which the

page_text: cock is made. A space c is left between the inner face of the lid C and the upper
or larger end of the plug A, while a portion of the lid is preferably against or
nearly against the end of the plug. This is conveniently accomplished, as shewn,
by forming an annular bung à on the inner face of the lid, which fits with an
enlarged portion of the hole formed to receive the plug. A passage e communi-
cates between the inlet branch or passage way D of the cock and the space c, the
passage being formed partially through the annular bung d, and thus there is an
acid pressure on the top or at the larger end of the plug which keeps it down or
fitting well within the taper hole through the cock. If there is an excessive
pressure, such as when acid is being blown from an egg to a raised tank, the plug
is of course somewhat tight within its seat, and owing to the degree of force
required to turn it the attendant is made aware of the pressure within the cock.
He is thus warned against opening or closing the cock under circumstances in which
it would be dangerous to do so.
The part 6 of the plug projects beyond the bottom of the body or of the smaller
end of the taper hole through the body, so that a spanner or turning bar may be
engaged therewith for operating the plug, but as the plug is kept by the pressure
of the acid securely down or a good fit within its seat there is very little liability
of leakage through the bottom or smaller end of the hole in which the plug fits,
although, as in the cock shewn by Figure 1, no provision beyond the fit of the
plug within its seat exists to prevent such leakage. Any dripping from such bottom
or end may, however, be avoided, even when the cock is worn, by means of a slight
packing of asbestos, india-rubber, or other suitable material.
Figure 2 illustrates (by way of example, as applied to a straightway cock) means
which may be used for packing the lower end of the plug A.
A shallow packing-
box f is formed around the lower or smaller end of the taper hole of the body B B
within which the plug A fits. The lower or smaller end g of the plug is shouldered
down at a point h, which is preferably somewhat inwards of the inner end of the
packing-box f so as to allow for the advance of the plug as it wears, and is made
cylindrical from the shoulder to the part which is formed to receive a spanner or
turning bar. The hole within which the plug fits is, preferably, formed cylindrical
for a short distance inwards from the inner end of the packing-box f to form a
bearing around the cylindrical part g of the plug. Packing is inserted within the
packing-box and is tightened up by means of a gland E. When the cock is of
metal the gland may be tightened up by means of bolts, such as k shewn by broken
lines, passing through ears formed with the body and gland respectively;
or the gland may be tightened up in any convenient manner to suit the material of
which the cock is made.
Other cocks or taps, such, for instance, as blow-off cocks for steam boilers, may
be constructed also in the improved manner above described, according to either
modification described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A cock or tap for use with acid, or for other purpose, having a taper plug
which is kept securely within its seat by fluid pressure acting between its upper or
larger end and the inside of a lid which covers the opening in which the plug fits,
said plug being constructed to be operated from its lower or smaller end, substantially
as described.
2. Cocks or taps for use with acids, or for other purposes, constructed substantially
as described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dated thio 7th day of December 1802
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Application.