IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR TAPS FOR FLUIDS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles James Waddell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st March 1880.
CHARLES JAMES WADDELL, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR TAPS FOR FLUIDS."
My Invention relates to cocks or taps used to control the passage or escape of
liquid or gaseous fluids, and consists in arrangements whereby I am enabled, firstly,
to prevent the tap from being interfered or tampered with when in ordinary use;
secondly, to prevent the tap from being opened or closed by any other means than
that of a key especially made for the purpose; and, thirdly, to reduce the risks of
leakage or breakage.
To accomplish these objects I cast or form the casing of the tap in such a manner
that the plug is accessible, and can be placed in or removed from its position
within the casing only from the tail end of the tap, which end is enclosed within
and protected by the pipe or other vessel with which it is employed.
The plug
may be of any convenient shape, but 1 prefer one which is for a considerable portion
or the whole of its length conical in form, and which has its axis practically
coincident with the axis of the casing of the tap. I make this plug hollow, with
an opening or openings through the sides of the plug, which opening or openings
correspond or communicate with openings, bibs, or nozzles formed in the casing of
the tap. The plug may further consist of a single chamber, as in the case of a
single way tap, or it may be divided into two or more chambers in the case of a
measuring tap or of a tap having more than one way.
I so place or fit the plug within the casing that the base of the plug may be
toward the tail end of the tap, and I maintain it within the casing and in its
position upon its seating by means of a cylindrical piece screwed or otherwise
secured into the tail end of the tap in such a manner that it may abut directly or
by the interposition of a washer against or upon the plug. This cylindrical piece
may be either solid or hollow, or it may be dispensed with and a coiled spring or
its equivalent be substituted therefor. In some cases the pressure of the fluid is
D. 631

page_text: sufficient to ensure the plug being kept in its proper position, when the cylindrical
piece or its substitute may be entirely dispensed with.
The rotation of the plug for the purpose of opening or of closing the tap may be
effected by any of the means ordinarily used or by means of a special key. To
prevent the use of a false key for opening the tap I form a cavity or chamber
between the end of the plug and the front of the tap; the plates forming the front
and back of this chamber are each pierced with a suitable key-hole, the two key-
holes being so formed relatively to each other that after passing through the front
plate a part of a revolution must be given to the key before it can pass through
the key-hole in the back plate and engage the plug, the end of which is shaped to
receive and thus to be turned by it. That part of the cavity or chamber traversed
by the "bit" of the key in passing from the front to the back key-hole may be
fitted with wards or other devices to check the passage of a false key, in like
manner to that adopted usually in locks. As an additional precaution I sometimes
attach a counting machine, such as is commonly used for other purposes, to the tap
so as to register the number of times the tap has been used, or in the case of a
measuring tap, the quantity of fluid passed or drawn off. When less precaution is
required I omit the back plate of the cavity or chamber in the front of the tap,
in which case the wards or other devices may be formed upon or be attached to the
inner side of the front plate:
In combination with any of the arrangements for opening and closing the tap I
sometimes adopt a coiled or other spring enclosed within the casing of the tap, and
acting upon the plug in such a manner that it will close the tap as soon as the
key or handle is released, and thus prevent the risk of the tap being loft open.
My improvements further relate to taps of ordinary construction, and consist in
applying thereto wards or devices to check the passage of a false key, practically
in the same manner as herein before bescribed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles James Waddell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st August 1880.
CHARLES JAMES WADDELL, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR TAPS FOR FLUIDS."
My Invention relates to cocks or taps used to control the passage or escape of
liquid or gaseous fluids, and consists in arrangements whereby I am enabled, firstly,
to prevent the tap from being interfered or tampered with when in ordinary use;
secondly, to prevent the tap from being opened or closed by any other means
than that of a key especially made for the purpose; and, thirdly, to reduce the risks
of leakage or breakage.
To accomplish these objects I cast or form the casing of the tap in such a manner
that the plug is accessible, and can be placed in or romoved from its position within
the casing only from the tail end of the tap, which end is enclosed within and
protected by the pipe or other vessel with which it is employed. The plug may be
of any convenient shape, but I prefer one which is for a considerable portion or the
whole of its length conical in form, and which has its axis practically coincident with
the axis of the casing of the tap. I make this plug hollow, with an opening or
openings through the sides of the plug, which opening or openings correspond or
communicate with openings, bibs, or nozzles formed in the casing of the tap. The
plug may further consist of a single chamber, as in the case of a single way tap, or
it may be divided into two or more chambers in the case of a measuring tap or of
a tap having more than one way.
I so place or fit the plug within the casing that the base of the plug may be
toward the tail end of the tap, and I maintain it within the casing and in its
position upon its seating by means of a cylindrical piece screwed or otherwise
secured into the tail end of the tap in such a manner that it may abut directly or
by the interposition of a washer or spring against or upon the plug. This cylindrical
piece may be either solid or hollow, or it may be dispensed with and a coiled
spring or its equivalent be substituted therefor. In some cases the pressure of the
fluid is sufficient to ensure the plug being kept in its proper position, when the
cylindrical piece or its substituto may be entirely dispensed with.
The rotation of the plug for the purpose of opening or of closing the tap may
be effected by any of the means ordinarily used or by means of a special key. To
prevent the uso of a false key for opening the tap I form a cavity or chamber
between the end of the plug and the front of the tap; the plates forming the front
and back of this chamber are each pierced with a suitable keyhole, the two key-
holes being so formed relatively to each other that after passing through the front
plate a part of a revolution must be given to the key before it can pass through
the keyhole in the back plate and engage the plug, the end of which is shaped to
receive and thus to be turned by it. That part of the cavity or chamber traversed
by the "bit" of the key in passing from the front to the back key-hole may be
fitted with wards or other devices to check the passage of a false key, in like
manner to that adopted usually in locks. As an additional precaution I sometimes
attach a counting machine, such as is commonly used for other purposes, to the tap
so as to register the number of times the tap has been used, or in the case of a
measuring tap the quantity of fluid passed or drawn off. When less precaution is
required I omit the back plate of the cavity or chamber in the front of the tap, in
which case the wards or other devices may be formed upon or be attached to the
inner side of the front plate.
In combination with any of the arrangements for opening and closing the tap I
sometimes adopt a coiled or other spring enclosed within the casing of the tap, and

page_text: acting upon the plug in such a manner that it will close the tap as soon as the key
or handle is released, and thus prevent the risk of the tap being left open.
My improvements further relate to taps of ordinary construction, and consist in
applying thereto wards or other devices to check the passage of a falso key,
practically in the same manner as herein before described.
And in order that this Invention may be more readily understood and carried
into effect, I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings made about the full size
of the examples selected for illustration, and marked with letters of reference, corre-
sponding marks indicating the same parts in the various Figures. Referring to the
said Drawings, Fig. 1 represents an outside view of one of my improved taps;
Fig. 2 is a view of the end plate; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 4, a transverse
section on the line A, B, of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a view of the plug; Fig 6 is an end
view, and Fig. 7a transverse section of the plug; Fig. 8 shows an outside view of
another form of my improved tap, of which Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 10
shows an outside view, and Fig. 11 a longitudinal section of a two way tap;
Fig. 12 is an outside view, and Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section of a three way
tap. The part marked a is the shell or body of the tap; b is the conical plug; c, c,
are the inlet orifices to the plug; d is the core or passage through the plug; e is a
solid cylinder and e¹ is a hollow cylinder secured into the tail end of the tap; f is
the small chamber or cavity in the front end of the tap; g is the outlet orifice or
opening of the plug; h is a plate dividing the core or passage of the plug into two
or more portions; i, i, are the bibs or nozzles forming the outlet or outlets of the
tap; k is the key; is a slot formed in the front plate for the passage of the key;
m is a plate forming the front of the chamber f; o is a slot cut in the end of the
plug to receive the bit of the key; S is a spindle secured to or formed upon the
front of the plug. The plug is by preference conical for a part or the whole of its
length, and is provided with alots or openings, as shown, for the passage of the
fluid. The conical seating formed in the body of the tap for the reception of the
plug has its axis coincident with or near to the axis of the main part of the body a,
the smaller end of the cone being placed toward the front, as shown in the
Drawings. The plug is retained in its position within the body of the tap by
means of the screwed solid or hollow cylinder e, e', or of a coiled spring or other
appliance, between which and the plug a washer of metal, leather, cork, or any
suitable material, or a spring may be inserted to give a yielding pressure. It will
be seen that the plug is contained within the body of the tap, and is accessible only
from the tail end, which, when the tap is in use, cannot be reached. The front end
of the plug contained within the cavity or chamber f is suitably formed to be
acted on by a key, or is provided with a spindle projecting through the front plate
where it may be operated by a handle or a wheel. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the end of
the plug is formed with a stump and recess to receive the barrel and bit of the key.
When the key has been passed through the front plate a part of a revolution must be
given to it before it can pass forward and engage the front of the plug, the slots
in the front plate and tho plate m for the passage of the bit of the key being
placed at a right or any other angle relatively to each other. The cavity between
the front plate and the plate m may be fitted with wards to check the passage of
a false key, as hereinbefore mentioned. Fig. 10 is an outside view and Fig. 11 is
a longitudinal section of a two way tap with my improvements, having two
outlets i, i, instead of the single "bib" or outlet. One orifice g only is shown, but
if desired there may be two or more such orifices in the plug b, which may further
be divided by a plate cast in the body of the plug, as shown at h, Fig. 12. Fig. 13
is a longitudinal section and Fig. 12 is a cross section of a "three way" tap with
my improvements. The plug b is divided by means of the plate h into two separate
portions, one of which is in open communication with the tail of the tap through
the hollow cylinder. e', the other or closed portion of the plug has two orifices g, g,
which may be closed by the body of the tap or be opened by turning the plug so
that they come opposite any or either of the outlets i, i, i. The open portion of
the plug has also one orifice g which may be opened or closed in like manner. The

page_text: positions of the orifices g, g, g, may be altered or reversed as may be required; thus
there may be two or more orifices in the open portion of the plug, and one or more
in the closed portion. The outlets i, i, i, may be all on the same plane, as shown,
or they may occupy different relative positions. The improvements may be applied
in like manner to taps or cocks having a greater number of "ways," the plug b
being divided into a suitable number of compartments.
That part of my Invention which relates to the use of a special key and key
ways is also applicable to cocks or taps having their plugs otherwise shaped or
arranged than as indicated in the Drawings. The form of the tap renders it less
liable to injury than the forms in ordinary use, and it can also be more readily
cleaned and regulated. The seating into which the plug works may be lined with
asbestos, cork, or any suitable material, if required.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention and
the manner in which carry the same into effect, I would have it to be understood
in conclusion that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction nor
to the examples of my Invention shown and described, as the same may be varied
without departing from my Invention, but that I claim,―
First. The cocks or taps constructed as and for the purposes herein described and
indicated.
Second. The cocks or taps so formed that the plug is accessible, and can be passed
into or be removed from its position at the tail end only.
Third. The use of the special key and key ways, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and indicated, in combination with cocks or taps of any
suitable construction.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles James Waddell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
igned, sealed, and delivered