IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wood Gray, of Warkworth Terrace,
Commercial Road, Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, for
the Invention of.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wood
Gray at the office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
petition, on the 1st October 1852.
I, THOMAS WOOD GRAY, of Warkworth Terrace, Commercial Road,
Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists,-First, of applying to cocks hollow floating
valves composed of glass, or of earthenware, china, or like ware, which,
acting by the pressure of the fluid and pressing against seats of vul-
canized India-rubber or elastic surfaces, produce fluid-tight joints:
Secondly, the Invention relates to improvements in water-cocks or
hydrants, and consists of forming a box or cover, which is fixed on the
valve chambers in such manner that in fixing it to the upper end of
the valve chamber the elastic seating is fixed at the same time; the
stand-pipe passes through the box, and screws or fixes into the valve
chamber.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Thomas Wood Gray, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 31st March 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS WOOD GRAY, of Warkworth Terrace, Commercial Road,
Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of October in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year of
Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas Wood Gray, Her special licence that I, the
said Thomas Wood Gray, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Thomas Wood Gray, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 COCKS AND VALVES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Wood
Gray, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said Thomas Wood Gray, 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):
This Invention consists,-First, of applying to cocks hollow floating
valves composed of glass or earthenware, china, or like ware, which,
acting by the pressure of the fluid and pressing against seats of vul-
canized India-rubber or elastic surfaces, produce fluid-tight joints.
Secondly, my Invention relates to improvements in water-cocks or
hydrants, and consists of forming a box or cover which is fixed to the
valve chamber in such manner that in fixing it to the upper end of the
valve chamber the elastic seating is fixed at the same time; the stand-
pipe passes through the box, and screws or fixes into the valve chamber.

page_text: readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued
by nie
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows the stand-pipe separately; Figure 2, shows the box
and valve chamber; Figures 3, and 3, show a section of the box and
valve chamber; and Figure 4, shows a section of the stand-pipe and
apparatus connected therewith, by which apparatus the stand-pipe is fixed
in the box, and by which the lower end is made fluid tight by passing
into the opening in the upper part of the valve chamber; in each of
these figures the same letters are used to indicate similar parts; a, is the
stand-pipe having two branches or outlets a', there being a screw cover
a², which closes one of them when the other is in use, as has heretofore
been the case with similar stand-pipes; b, is the valve chamber, having
within it a sperical valve, which I make of glass by having a strong
sphere of glass blown or cast for that purpose, or I have formed a
strong sphere of china, earthen, or such like ware, formed and glazed
either of which will be found to offer a very cheap and suitable valve
for such purposes, and such valves I use in combination with vulca-
nized India-rubber or other elastic seatings, which will prevent the
valves coming against hard surfaces; I would remark that other mate-
rials, as heretofore, may be employed for making suitable valves to be
used in combination with the peculiar combination or arrangement of
box and stand-pipe shown in the drawing; c, is the seating of the valve,
and against which it is pressed by the water in the water main; the
valve chamber is fixed to the water main by screws and nuts or spigot
and faucet ends as heretofore, and the box d, is fixed to the upper end
of the chamber b, by screws and nuts as shown, and by fixing the box
to the valve chamber, the seating of vulcanized India-rubber or other
suitable clastic material will also be fixed, as is shown by the drawing.
The upper end of the box d, is covered when out of use by a cover d',
which is arranged to be locked so that no stones or dirt may get in, and
I make holes through the lower end of the box, in order that any water
which may get in may flow away. On the interior of the box is formed
a strong female screw to receive a like male screw, in order to fix the
stand-pipe into the box. The stand-pipe near its lower end is formed
with a male screw a³, thereon; e, is a screw nut having on the interior a

page_text: female screw corresponding with the screw a³, and on the exterior of
this nut is formed a coarse or strong screw to fit the female screw con-
tained in the box d. By this arrangement or combination of parts,
when the stand-pipe is introduced into the box d, and turned therein
the screw on the outside of the nut e, will engage with and screw into
the female screw in the box, and thus connect the stand-pipe to the box,
and the further turning of the stand-pipe will cause its lower end, by
means of the screw a, to enter into the opening at the upper end of the
valve chamber, and this opening will be closed fluid-tight by screwing
the lower-end of the stand pipe into and upon the valve chamber, and
by means of the washer f, and flanch, on the stand pipe a; when the
stand-pipe has thus been fixed in its place and a hose pipe has been fixed
to one of the outlets thereof, the valve in the valve chamber may be de-
pressed by the spindle g, which passes through a stuffing box, and is
caused to descend and press on the valve by a screw, in like manner to
what has heretofore been done.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no
claim to the mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to
the details, so long as the peculiar character of the Invention be
retained; but what I claim is,
First, the application of sperical glass, china, earthen, or such like
ware valves in combination with vulcanized India rubber or other
elastic seatings, arranged in cocks to be kept closed by the pressure of
the fluid; and, secondly, I claim the combining the mechanical parts
of a water-cock or hydrant as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wood Gray, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of March in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three
THOMAS WOOD GRAY. (L.S.)
Witness, S. CARPMAEL.