IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW COCKS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hack, of the West Middlesex Waterworks,
Hammersmith, and Alfred Edwin Carter, of the West Middlesex Water-
works, Kensington, both in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
Sealed the 29th July 1862, and dated the 6th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hack and Alfred
Edwin Carter at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 6th March 1862.
We, THOMAS HACK, of the West Middlesex Waterworks, Hammersmith,
and ALFRED EDWIN CARTER, of the West Middlesex Waterworks, Ken-
sington, both in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW COCKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in screw cocks. In con-
structing screw cocks, such as are employed on water and gas mains, it is
usual to employ a metal valve, which is made truly flat on the face, and rests
against a corresponding face, through which the passage for the fluid is
formed. The valve is capable of being worked up or down, so as to slide it
on the face by means of a screw spindle, and thus the valve may either be set
so as to cover and close, or uncover and leave open the passage for the fluid,

page_text: as may be required. The screw spindle usually passes out through the cover
of the valve case, and the hole by which it passes is packed around the
spindle with fibrous material to prevent the escape of fluid. This packing
wears rapidly, and requires to be frequently replaced. To avoid the use of
such packing we cause the valve spindle to terminate within the valve case
with a head suitable to receive a key. A corresponding key is placed imme-
diately over the head, and the stem of this key, which is cylindrical, passes
out through a corresponding hole in the cover of the valve case, the stem of
the key fitting the hole loosely. Beneath this hole a cylindrical chamber
somewhat larger in diameter than the stem of the key is formed in the cover
of the valve case; the lower part of the key is enlarged to fit this hole, and
between the top of the enlargement on the key and the top of the cylindrical
chamber a ring of brass is placed, which is fitted accurately both to the
surfaces above and below it. The fluid within the valve case being in contact
with the bottom of the key presses it upwards, and keeps the top of the
enlarged portion of the key in close and fluid-tight contact with the brass
ring, and this latter is by the same means kept in fluid-tight contact with the
top of the chamber in the cover of the valve case, thus the escape of fluid by
the passage by which the key passes out is prevented. In order to steady the
screw spindle and keep it truly in its place, its upper end is passed through a
guide ring screwed into the bottom of the chamber in the valve case. This
ring also serves to take the upward thrust of the spindle, on which there is an
enlargement immediately below the ring. The upper surface of the ring also
serves to support a spring which is employed to sustain the key, should the
pressure of the fluid at any time be insufficient for the purpose. In order
that the guide ring may not prevent the passage of the fluid to the under side
of the key, a passage may be drilled. for it in the spindle. The top of the
key is squared to receive the ordinary instrument for turning it to open or
close the cock.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 30
by the said Thomas Hack and Alfred Edwin Carter in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th September 1862. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wе, THочAS
HACK, of the West Middlesex Waterworks, Hammersmith, and ALFRED
EDWIN CARTER, of the West Middlesex Waterworks, Kensington, both in the 35
County of Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two,; in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her. heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Hack and Alfred Edwin Carter, Her special licence that
we, the said Thomas Hack and Alfred Edwin Carter, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Hack
and Alfred Edwin Carter, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SCREW Cocкs," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Thomas Hack and Alfred Edwin Carter, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us or them, 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 Thomas Hack and Alfred Edwin Carter,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
by and the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in screw cocks. In con-
structing screw cocks such as are employed on water and gas mains, it is
usual to employ a metal valve, which is made truly flat on the face, and rests
against a corresponding face, through which the passage. for the fluid is
formed. The valve is capable of being worked up or down, so as to slide it
on the face by means of a screw spindle, and thus the valve may either. be set
so as to cover and close, or uncover and leave open the passage for the fluid,
as may be required. The screw spindle usually passes out through the cover
of the valve case, and the hole by which it passes is packed around the spindle
with fibrous material to prevent the escape of fluid. This packing wears
rapidly, and requires to be frequently replaced. To avoid the use of such
packing, we cause the valve spindle to terminate within the valve case with a
head suitable to receive a key. A corresponding key is placed immediately,
over the head, and the stem of this key, which is cylindrical, passes out
through a corresponding hole in the cover of the valve case, the stem of the
key fitting the hole loosely. Beneath this hole a cylindrical chamber some-

page_text: what larger in diameter than the stem of the key, is formed in the cover of the
valve case. The lower part of the key is enlarged to fit this hole, and between
the top of the enlargement on the key and the top of the cylindrical chamber
a ring of brass is placed, which is fitted accurately both to the surfaces above
and below it. The fluid within the valve case being in contact with the
bottom of the key presses it upwards, and keeps the top of the enlarged
portion of the key in close and fluid-tight contact with the brass ring, and this
latter is by the same means kept in fluid-tight contact with the top of the
chamber in the cover of the valve case, thus the escape of fluid by the passage
by which the key passes out is prevented. In order to steady the screw
spindle and to keep it truly in its place, its upper end is passed through a
guide ring screwed into the bottom of the chamber in the valve case.
ring also serves to take the upward thrust of the spindle on which there is an
enlargement immediately below the ring. The upper surface of the ring also
serves to support a spring which is employed to sustain the key should the
pressure of the fluid at any time be insufficient for the purpose. In order that
the guide ring may not prevent the passage of the fluid to the under side of
the key, a passage may be drilled for it in the spindle. The top of the key is
squared to receive the ordinary instrument for turning it to open or close
the cock.
This
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and readily.
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing shews a vertical section of a screw cock constructed according
to our Invention. a is the valve, made truly flat around the edges of its two
opposite sides. These flat portions are received in a groove or recess formed
around the passage through which the fluid is to pass as is usual; 6 is the
screw for raising and lowering the valve, its lower end is received in a hole in
the bottom of the chamber, into which the valve is received when raised, and
at its upper end it is suitably formed to receive the key c, the cylindrical
portion c¹ of the stem of which passes through a corresponding hole in the
cover d; the enlargement at the lower part of the key is also cylindrical, and
fits within a chamber formed. in the cover d to receive it; e is the ring placed
between the top of the chamber in the cover and the top of the enlargement
on the key. It is fitted to the surfaces both above and below it. This ring
we, by preference, make of brass, but it may be of other metal or material.
Water is admitted to the hollow of the key c through the passage b¹ formed
through the screw spindle b; the enlarged part of the key c is thus forced

page_text: upwards against the ring e, so forming a fluid-tight joint, and preventing fluid
escaping by the hole or passage in the cover d, through which the key passes;
f is the guide ring for steadying the upper end of the screw spindle b. This
ring is shewn in the Drawing to be screwed into the bottom of the chamber
formed in the cover, but it may be attached to the bottom of the cover by the
ring having lugs formed upon it, which are connected to the cover by screws,
or it may be otherwise connected to the cover. A collar 6 on the screw stem
also comes against the bottom of the ring f, so that the screw is also by it
prevented from rising. On the upper surface of the ring f is supported a
spring 9, which presses the key c upwards against the ring e, and thus secures
a fluid-tight joint being obtained; h is a cover fitted to the square head of the
key c, and capable of revolving with it. This cover is to exclude any foreign
matter from getting between the cylindrical portion c¹ of the key and the hole
in the cover through which it passes.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Hack and Alfred Edwin Carter,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.