IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HYDRANTS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Inglis Ross, of Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF HYDRANTS."
"
Sealed the 23rd April 1880, and dated the 29th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Inglis Ross at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October 1879.
INGLIS Ross, of Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HYDRANTS."
This Invention relates to hydrants or water service valve chests having discharge
branches for attaching hose or other pipes for extinguishing fires, and for serving and
leading water off from main supply pipes for other useful purposes, and it has for
its object to construct such hydrants in a new and improved manner so as to admit
of a more free and unobstructed delivery of the water therefrom, without the usual
reduction of the pressure by friction of the water from the main passing through
the valve chest, whilst the hydrants are also rendered more efficient, fluid pressure
tight, simple, and durable than those heretofore constructed and used.
And the nature and novelty of this Invention consist as follows:-The upper
part of the valve chest is formed of D shape in horizontal section, converging in a
hollow curved or comoidal manner to the inlet round branch at the bottom, where
it is formed with a large flange or other equivalent for securing it by screw bolts
to the service branch of the main or pressure water supply pipe.
The top or cover of this valve chest is made separate and detachable, preferably
of brass, and is secured fluid pressure tight by snugs and screw bolts jointing its
under face surface on that of the upper edge of the valve chamber below it, while
it is formed with the delivery valve orifice through it and the short vertical branch
formed on the upper outer surface, and to which the hose or other temporary
delivery pipe is attached by any ordinary screw or coupling connection used
therefor, all in a vertical line over the inlet branch or orifice, so as to give a freer
passage of the water upwards when the valve is open. By an important improve-
ment the valve seat is formed by sinking a leather or vulcanised rubber ring into a
hollow undercut groove formed for it all round the lower inner edge of the said

page_text: delivery orifice and branch, all so that the bearing face of an inverted cup-shaped
hinged lever valve, when closed, bears fluid pressure tight against the leather or
rubber ring, and prevents all escape of the liquid by its pressure acting upwards on
its inner or back surface. This valve is by a further improvement made separate
or portable from its actuating spindle and is fitted thereto by a central hollow. eye,
and groove, and feather to the central spindle passing through it, so as to allow
a slight lateral play on the spindle, allowing of the spindle being inserted from the
stuffing box end, and admitting of the valve adjusting itself to the seat, and this
spindle works on a pivot bearing at one end, and by its long actuating lever spindle
at the other, working in and passed out through the stuffing formed near the upper
rectangular or vertical side of the D part of the valve chest, which allows the valve
when opened to hang vertically down quite out of the straight upward flow of the
water from the inlet branch out through the outlet valve seat and discharge
branch. The valve is opened and closed by a hand lever fixed on the end of its
rocking spindle projecting out through the stuffing box at the side of the valve
chest, so as to be pressed down and opened against the pressure of the water by a
vertical hand screw, passed down through a screwed eye or snug formed or secured
on the side of the chest cover, over, and so that the point of the screw presses down
the lever, and thus opens the valve sufficiently to nearly equalize the pressure on
its upper and lower faces, when it can at once be fully opened down by the hand
arm of the lever to allow the free escape of the water, as before stated, and closed
also at once by the hand lever after the hand screw has been raised the few turns
out of the way it was screwed down to open the valve; the pressure of the water
within always keeping the valve closed when once shut by hand, all as before
described, the hand screw and lever being easily reached from the top surface box
enclosing and protecting the hydrants. The valve or lid is inserted in its working
position when the cover of the valve chest is off, and it is there held by passing the
end of the spindle from the outside through the stuffing box opening, and through
the eye formed at the hinged side of the valve, till its point or pivot enters its
bearing, and with or without an inner bearing ring, which may be inserted in the
stuffing box from the outside, and its packing and outer bearing cover screwed up
to maintain the valve in swivelling position all liquid pressure tight.
The leather or rubber ring forming the liquid tight joint at the bearing faces of
the valve, though described as fixed in a groove in the seat, may be fitted in a
groove on the inner closing edge of the valve lid, so as to close up on the plain or
countersunk bearing face of the valve seat to which it adjusts itself, and in either
case maintain a perfectly tight joint for a very long time, and be easily renewed in
a few minutes by unscrewing the cover, and inserting a new leather or rubber ring
when required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Inglis Ross in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th April 1880.
INGLIS Ross, of Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HYDRANTS."
My said Invention relates to hydrants or water service valve chests having
discharge branches for attaching hose or other pipes for extinguishing fires, and
for serving and leading water off from main supply pipes for public and other
useful purposes, and it has for its object to construct such hydrants in a new or
improved manner, so as to admit of a more free and unobstructed delivery of the
water therefrom, without the usual reduction of the pressure by friction of the
water from the main passing through the valve chests, while these improved
hydrants are also rendered more efficient, fluid pressure tight, simple, and durable
than those heretofore constructed and used.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing or putting
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I shall now proceed
to describe the Sheet of Drawings which have hereunto appended for that
purpose, the same reference letters being used to indicate the same or like parts in
the different Figures where they are shown.
Figures 1 and 2 are a front elevation and corresponding transverse sectional
elevation; and Figures 3 and 4 are corresponding plans, the latter with the cover
removed, all of one modification or construction of my new or improved hydrant
for the service or general supply of water for public, street, or other purposes, all
in accordance with this my said Invention; and Figure 5 is a transverse section of
the internal valve thereof through the centre, to show the mode of fitting the
same with a separate detachable spindle; while Figure 6 shows a sectional
elevation of this hydrant to a smaller scale, as fitted with a valve and spindle
formed in one piece, the spindle in this case being inserted through the stuffing
box from the inside of the valve chest when the cover is off.
Referring to these Figures 1 to 4, the upper part of the valve chest A is formed
of a D shape in horizontal section, as seen in Figures 3 and 4, converging in a
hollow curved or conoidal manner at A¹, A", (Figures 1 and 2), to the inlet round
branch A2 at the bottom, where it is formed with a large flange A¹ or other
equivalent for securing it by holes and screw bolts at A to the service branch of
the main or pressure water supply pipe. The top or cover B of this valve chest
A is made separate and detachable, preferably of brass, and is secured fluid pressure
tight by snugs and screw bolts at b, b', jointing its under face surface on the
jointing face a of the upper edge of the valve chamber A below it. This cover B
is formed with a short delivery branch orifice B¹ through it projecting up from the
outer surface to which the hose or other temporary delivery pipe is attached by
any ordinary screw, or it might be other ordinary coupling connection at 6¹¹ used
therefor, and formed or fitted with the valve seat B1, B2, on the lower and inner
throat of this branch B', all in a vertical line over the inlet branch or orifice A², so
as to give a free passage for the water upwards through the chest A, as indicated
by the arrows in Figure 2 when the valve C, C, is opened.
By an important improvement this valve seat is formed by sinking a leather or
vulcanised rubber ring B2 into a hollow undercut groove at B" formed for it, all
round the lower inner edge of the said delivery orifice and branch B¹, all so that
the convex bearing face C of an inverted cup-shaped hinged lever valve C, C¹,
when closed bears fluid pressure tight up against the leather or rubber ring B2, and
prevents all escape of the liquid by its pressure acting upwards on its inner or back
convex surface, shown clearly in Figures 2 and 4. This valve C, C¹, is by a further
improvement made separate or portable from its actuating spindle C', and is fitted

page_text: "
thereto by a central hollow eye C₁ through or by a groove c with a feather c¹ on the
central spindle C₁ passed through it, so as to allow of the lateral insertion of the
spindle through the stuffing box journal bearing A³, formed for it on one side of
the chest, the inner end of the spindle working into a solid journal A* from the
inside. This mode of fitting the spindle C' to the eye C" of the closing domed
part C of the valve C, C¹, allows it to be fitted with sufficient "play or slackness
to admit of the closing domed part C of the valve adjusting itself to the seat B³,
while its spindle works on a pivot bearing at the inner end A' actuated by a long
hand lever D, D', keyed on the outer end of the spindle C¹ working out through
the stuffing box A³ formed near the upper rectangular or vertical side of the D part
A of the valve chest A, which allows the valve C when opened to hang vertically
down quite out of the straight upward flow of the water from the inlet branch A³,
out through the outlet valve seat and discharge branch B¹. The valve is opened
and closed by a hand lever D, D', fixed on the end of its rocking spindle C¹ pro-
jecting out through the stuffing box A³ at the side of the valve chest A, so as to be
pressed down and opened against the pressure of the water by a vertical hand
screw E passed down through a screwed eye or snug F formed or secured on the
side of the chest cover B over, and so that the point of the screw E presses down
the free end D¹ of the valve lever D, D¹, and thus opens the valve sufficiently to
nearly equalize the pressure on its upper and lower faces, when it can at once be
fully opened down by the hand arm D of the lever to allow of the free upward flow
and escape of the water as before stated, and also be at once closed by the hand
lever D after the hand screw E has been raised the few turns out of the way which
it was screwed down to open the valve. When so closed the pressure of the water
within the chest A always keeps the valve closed when once shut by hand, all as
before described; the hand screw E and lever D are easily reached for the said
opening and closing of the valve from the ordinary top surface box enclosing and
protecting the hydrants. The valve or lid C is inserted in its working position
when the cover B of the valve chest A is off, and it is there held by passing the
end of the spindle C¹ from the outside through the stuffing box opening A³, and
through the eye C" formed at the hinged side of the valve C, C', till its point or
pivot enters its bearing A' and with or without an inner bearing collar cl, which
may be inserted in the stuffing box A³ from the outside, and its packing and outer
bearing cover a¹ screwed up to maintain the valve in swivelling position all liquid
pressure tight.
Figure 6 shows an arrangement of the valve C and its actuating spindle C¹ made
in one solid piece or casting of brass, and having the inner bearing part of its
stuffing box fitted with a loose bush a", so that the collar c on the inner part of
spindle C can, when the cover B is off, be passed through it sufficiently from the
inside to allow its end pivot to be inserted into its bearing A' with the valve C, C',
in proper working position, when the inner bearing bush a" of the stuffing box
may be inserted from the outside, and the backing and outer screw cover A¹
screwed up to make the stuffing box joint fluid pressure tight round the spindle C³,
which would be worked or opened and closed by its hand lever D, D¹, and screw
spindle E, all otherwise substantially as described in reference to and shown in
Figures 1 to 4. Although in both these arrangements Figures 1 to 5, and of
Figure 6, the leather or rubber ring B2 forming the liquid tight joint at the
bearing face of the valve C has been described as fixed in a groove in the seat
B, it may be fixed on the inner closing edge of the valve lid, so as to close up on
the plain, bevelled, or countersunk bearing face at B₁ of the valve seat to which it
adjusts itself, and in either case maintain a perfectly tight joint for a very long time,
and be easily renewed in a few minutes by unscrewing the cover B and inserting a
new leather or rubber ring B2 when required either in the seat B¹¹, as shown, or in
the rim face of the valve C, as described.
Having thus described the nature and mode of performing and putting my said
Invention into effect or practice, I have to state that what I consider novel and.

page_text: original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein or part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general construction or combination and arrangement of the parts of
a hydrant (or service valve chest) for the supply of water at irregular times as
desired for public or private purposes, all substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
Second. The construction of hydrants (or service valve chests) for the supply of
water for public and private purposes with swivelling or hinged valves as C, C¹,
having the valve seat B" or its bearing face C fitted and formed with an india-
rubber bearing or closing ring B2, substantially as described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Inglis Ross, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E.,
of W. R. M. Thomson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Glasgow.
INGLIS ROSS. (L.S.)