A METHOD OF LUBRICATING COCKS AND TAPS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lea, of the Firm of William and John Lea'
of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Brass Founders and Cock
Makers, for the Invention of "A METHOD OF LUBRICATING COCKS AND
TAPS."
Sealed the 20th May 1859, and dated the 20th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lea at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
November 1858.
I, WILLIAM LEA, of the Firm of William and John Lea, of Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Brass Founders and Cock Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A METHOD OF LUBRICATING
COCKS AND TAPS," to be as follows:-
Heretofore great inconvenience has arisen from the want of some proper
means of lubricating the plug of cocks and taps. Now, my Invention consists
in lubricating the plugs both above and below, or either above or below the
liquid way, through one or more apertures drilled or made in the barrel above
and below the liquid way, or either above or below it, which apertures open
into a reservoir cast or formed on the outside of the barrel, which reservoir
is to be kept supplied with oil or other lubricating material, and is closed at
top by a screw or other convenient stopper. For large cocks a reservoir may
be formed on both sides of the barrel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Lea in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LEA, of the Firm of Willian and John Lea, of Wolverhampton, in the
County of Stafford, Brass Founders and Cock Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Lea, Her special licence that I, the said William Lea, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Lea, 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 "A METHOD OF LUBRICATING COCKS
AND TAPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Lea, 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 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 William Lea, do hereby declare the.
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:
Heretofore great inconvenience has arisen from the want of some proper
means of lubricating the plug of cocks and taps. Now, my Invention consists
in lubricating the plugs both above and below, or either above or below the
liquid way through one or more apertures drilled,or made in the barrel above
and below the liquid way, or either above or below it, which apertures open
into a reservoir cast or formed on the outside of the barrel, which reservoir is
to be kept supplied with oil or other lubricating material, and is closed at top
by a screw or other convenient stopper.
Figure 1 is an external elevation, and Figure 2 a section on an enlarged

page_text: scale on the line a, b, of Figure 1, shewing a bib cock made according to my
Invention. A, A, is the barrel; B, the nozzle; C, is an oil reservoir formed on
the side of the barrel; C, C, are apertures for the outlet of the oil to lubricate
the plug both above and below the liquid way therein. Figure 3 is a
longitudinal section of a syphon tap constructed according to my Invention,
and Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the line c, d, of Figure 3. A, A,
is the barrel of the tap; B, the plug; and C, the oil reservoir formed on one
side of the barrel; D, is the air passage. The nozzle E is cast in a separate
piece and fits over the projecting pipe F, and is secured by a screw passed
through the flanges e, f, on the body of the tap, and on the nozzle.
Instead of the reservoir being formed on the barrel, in some cases it may be
made in the plug itself, and then apertures must be made to allow of the oil
or other lubricating material issuing from the plug and between it and the
barrel clear of the liquid way. Two or even more lubricating reservoirs may
be applied to large taps.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the method of
lubricating cocks and taps herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lea, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-nine.
WILL". LEA. (L.S.)