IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF TAPS OR VALVES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gurney, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF TAPS OR VALVES."
Scaled the 27th December 1873, and dated the 6th November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gurney at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th November 1873.
I, JOHN GURNEY, of Bradford, in the County of York, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS OR VALVES," to be as follows:-
For this
The Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
that class of taps or valves in which an india-rubber diaphragm is used,
and relates to the employment of means whereby they are rendered more
secure in their action and more durable than heretofore.
purpose I dispense with any mechanical means for acting upon the
diaphragm, and I make the diaphragm solid or without any hole in the
moving portion thereof, whilst the pressure of the liquid or fluid is

page_text: caused to open or close the passage through the tap or valve by acting
upon one or the other side thereof.
I construct the tap or valve with a cover, between which and the body
of the tap or valve the diaphragm is placed and securely held by means
of screws connecting the cover to the body of the tap or valve, as is well
understood.
The diaphragm when the passage through the tap or valve is closed
rests upon a seat as heretofore to close the passage through the tap or
valve, and the mode in which I cause the diaphragm to operate to open
and close the outlet orifice is as follows:-Between the diaphragm and
the cover a space or chamber is formed, and in the cover I form two
passages which communicate with holes or openings formed in the body
of the tap or valve and through the diaphragm. One of these passages
is open to the supply and the other is open to the outlet, and I employ
a small tap or valve to place one or other of these passages in communi-
cation with the chamber between the cover and the diaphragm, and to
close the other. Thus when the passage communicating with the supply
is placed in communication with the interior of the chamber by acting
upon the small tap or valve the liquid from the supply is admitted into
the chamber, and the pressure thereof acts to keep the diaphragm to its
seat, and thereby stop the flow of liquid or fluid from the tap or
valve, but when the passage communicating with the outlet is opened
the pressure within the chamber will be reduced so that the pressure
from the supply will be enabled to raise the diaphragm from its scat and
permit the passage of liquid or fluid through the tap or valve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Gurney in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th May 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GURNEY, of Bradford, in the County of York, Merchant, send a
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-

page_text: seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Gurney, Her special license
that I, the said John Gurney, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Gurney, 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
THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS OR VALVES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Gurney, 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 per-
formed, 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 I, the said John Gurney, 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 and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
-
The Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
that class of taps or valves in which an india-rubber or other flexible
diaphragm is used, and relates to the employment of means whereby
they are rendered more secure in their action and more durable than
heretofore. For this purpose I dispense with any mechanical means for
acting directly upon the diaphragm, thereby enabling the diaphragm to
be made solid or without any hole in the moving portion thereof, whilst
the pressure of the liquid or fluid is caused to open or close the passage
through the tap or valve by acting upon one or the other side of the said
diaphragm.
I construct the tap or valve with a cover, between which and the body
of the tap or valve the diaphragm is placed and securely held by means
of screws connecting the cover to the body of the tap or valve, as is well
understood.

page_text: valve, and the mode in which I cause the diaphragm to operate to open
and close the outlet orifice is as follows:-Between the diaphragm and
the cover a space or chamber is formed, and in the cover I form two
passages which communicate with holes or openings formed in the body
of the tap or valve and through the diaphragm. One of these passages
is open to the supply and the other is open to the outlet, and I employ a
small tap or valve to place one or other of these passages in communi-
cation with the chamber between the cover and the diaphragm, and to
close the other. Thus when the passage communicating with the supply
is placed in communication with the interior of the chamber by acting
upon the small tap or valve the liquid from the supply is admitted into
the chamber, and the pressure thereof acts to keep the diaphragm to its
seat, and thereby stop the flow of liquid or fluid through the tap or
valve, but when the passage communicating with the outlet is opened
the pressure within the chamber will be reduced so that the pressure
from the supply will be enabled to raise the diaphragm from its seat
and permit the passage of liquid or fluid through the tap or valve. As
modifications of the above the space above the diaphragm may be
always open to the supply, and instead of making the holes at the edges
of the diaphragm a single small hole may be made through the centre
thereof.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood
and readily carried into effect I will proceed, aided by the accompanying
Drawings, more fully to describe the same :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal sections of a valve or tap constructed
according to my Invention, and Figure 3 is a plan of the same with the
upper part or cover removed. In this arrangement of tap or valve an
ordinary handle is employed to operate it, and it is preferably arranged
as shown in the Drawings, so that when it is standing in a line with the
barrel of the tap or valve the latter is open for the passage of water
therethrough, and when standing in a direction across the barrel the tap
or valve is closed.
Figures 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections of another valve or tap
constructed according to my Invention, but arranged as a push tap;
and Figures 6 and 7 are longitudinal sections of another valve or tap
· arranged as a ball tap, and showing a modification of my Invention.

page_text: Similar parts are marked with summar
Figures.
At Figures 1, 4, and 6 the taps or valves are shown as they would
appear when water is passing through them, and at Figures 2, 5, and 7
they are shewn closed. a, a*, is the barrel of the tap or valve, which
is provided with passages a¹ and a², leading from the inlet a to the
outlet a* of the barrel. The barrel of the tap or valve is also provided
with a circular seat or flange a³ to receive a disc or diaphragm of
vulcanized india-rubber b, which is secured in position by the cap or
cover c, which is secured to the flange a³ by screws passing through the
flexible disc b.
The flexible disc or diaphragm 6 it will be seen is secured in position
at its edges, and in the arrangements shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
is not perforated at its centre, as is the case with ordinary diaphragm
taps or valves. The flange or seat a³ has formed therein two holes a", a*.
The hole a communicates with a passage c¹ formed in the cap or cover o
and with the inlet portion of the barrel a, whilst the hole as communi-
cates with a passage o³ formed in the cap or cover o and with the outlet
portion of the barrel a.
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3 I operate the tap or
valve by means of a hollow conical plug d, having holes d', d³, formed
therein. The holes d are in a position to communicate with the
passages c¹, a', and the holes & are in a position to communicate with
the passages c³, a³. Thus when the plug d is in the position shown at
Figure 1 the inlet of water through the hole a*, passage c³, and bole d³,
is cut off from the space in the cap or cover c above the flexible
diaphragm b, whilst such space is placed in free communication with
the outlet portion of the barrel a by a hole d², passage c³, and hole a³,
when the pressure of water being cut off from the upper side of the
diaphragm 6 and allowed to act only on the under side thereof the water
will flow freely through the tap or valve in the direction shewn by the
arrows, but when the plug d is in the position shewn at Figure 2 free
communication is formed by the hole a', passage c', and the hole d¹ with
the space above the flexible diaphragm b, in which position the pressure
3 of water is caused to act on the upper side of the diaphragm 6 to keep
it close to its seat, and thereby prevent the passage of water-through the
tap or valve.

page_text: In the arrangement shewn at Figures 4 and 5 the mode of operating
the tap or valve is somewhat modified. In this latter case the conical
plug d is replaced by a spindle e, having a valve e¹ formed or fixed on the
lower end thereof to act against a seat o³ formed in the cap or cover c,
and the passage is put in communication with the space or chamber
above the diaphragm 6 when desired by depressing the spindle e, when
by the pressure above the diaphragm 6 being reduced the water coming
from the inlet a will lift the diaphragm 6 and pass out through the
outlet a*. A spring e³ is employed to assist in closing the valve e¹ against
the seat c³. In this arrangement it will be seen that the passage c¹ is
always in communication with the space above the diaphragm 6, and if
desired such may be the case with the other arrangement shewn at
Figures 1, 2, and 3, in which case instead of forming the plug d with
holes to act in connection with the passage c¹, such holes ď may be
dispensed with, and the passage c³ may be opened direct into the space:
above the diaphragm b.
It is evident that other arrangements of means for putting the space
above the diaphragm 6 into communication with the outlet a*, and
thereby diminishing the pressure in such space, may be employed
without departing from the nature of my said Invention, and if desired a
my improved tap or valve may be arranged to act as a ball tap.
It will be observed that according to my Invention the diaphragm 6
is not directly connected to any mechanical means, and that in the
arrangements shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the moving part thereof
is without any perforation, and is therefore not so liable to injury as 2
when connected to means directly operating it.
In the modification shown at Figures 6 and 7, which represent a ball
tap, the parts are reversed in position, and instead of forming the
diaphragm 6 with holes a', as, therethrough at the edge as in the previous
Figures, it is provided with a hole 6* in the centre thereof, through 3
which hole the space between the diaphragm 6 and the cover c is
continually open to the supply. The end of a ball lever facts upon the
valve spindle e to raise it from its seat, and thereby release the pressure
from the interior of the chamber or space between the diaphragm 6 and
cover c, the water in which is free to pass out thereof around the 3
spindle e.
I would here remark that I am aware that a diaphragm has been

page_text: previously operated in a somewhat similar manner to that herein shown
and described, but in such case the diaphragm has not been arranged to
act directly upon a valve seat, and so open or close the passage through
the valve or tap, but it has been connected to a smaller valve, and has
been the means by which such smaller valve was operated.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode
in which I propose to carry the same into effect, I would have it under-
stood that what I claim is,-
First. The mode of constructing taps or valves in which the diaphragm
is raised from or pressed to its seat by causing the pressure of the liquid
or fluid to act directly thereon, such pressure being governed by a small
tap or valve in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
And, Secondly. I claim the employment in valves or taps of a flexible
diaphragm which acts directly on the valve seat, and is not connected to
any means for operating it, but is itself directly acted upon by the
pressure of the water or other fluid to open or close the passage
through the valve or tap in manner substantially as herein shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gurney, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.