A NEW JET FOR THE DELIVERY OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS, WHICH I STYLED THE PROTEAN JET
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
STARR, of Warwick, in. the County of Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS I did, by Petition, represent unto Her most Excellent Majesty
Queen Victoria, that I had invented "A NEW JET FOR THE DELIVERY OF WATER
AND OTHER FLUIDS, WHICH I STYLED THE PROTEAN JET," and Her said Majesty,
being willing to encourage all useful inventions, did issue Her Letters Patent
under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the
Twenty-ninth day of July, in the eleventh year of Her reign, whereby Her
said Majesty did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me the said Francis Starr, Her special licence that I, the said Francis Starr,
my exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis Starr,
my exors, adiñors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my said Invention; in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
Francis Starr, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, par-
ticularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Francis Starr, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are described and
ascertained in manner following, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention consists of a method of constructing a jet which shall
be capable under the circumstances' herein-after particularly described, of
delivering a series of streams or jets of water which may be made greater or
less at will, the said method of constructing a jet also rendering the said jet
less likely to be choked by solid matter than the ordinary jet, and more easily
cleaned when choked.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved jet. Figure 2
represents a vertical section of the same, made through the line a, Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a plan of my improved jet. My improved jet consists
essentially of two parts, as may be seen in the Drawing, namely, the outer
one 6, Figures 1, 2, and 3, and the inner one c, Figures 1, 2, and 3. In order
to facilitate the description of my improved jet I remark that the said jet in its
general construction somewhat resembles an ordinary tap or stopcock, the
outer part 6 somewhat resembling the barrel of a stopcock with one of its
sides cut away, and the inner part c somewhat resembling the plug of a stop
cock, on opposite sides of which flat or plain surfaces have been formed.
The plug c rotates in the case b, and is turned by applying the hand to the
small wheel d, Figures 1 and 3, fixed on the end of the said plug. The plug c
performs only a partial rotation, its motion being limited by the stops d',
Figures 1 and 3, coming in contact with the shoulders e, e, Figures 1 and 3.
The edge c', Figure 2, of the plug c works tightly against the inner surface of
the case b, and the edge c² of the said plug has a series of notches formed on
its opposite angles or corners, as shewn in Figure 3, the notches on one
angle or corner being of a different size from those c' on the other. When
the plug is in the position shewn in Figure 2 the water pursues the course
indicated by the arrow x, Figure 2, and passes in a series of jets through the
notches in the said plug. When it is wished to produce a series of jets of
different size the plug is turned by the wheel d, Figures 1 and 3, and the
series of notches on the angle or corner c are brought against the edge b' of
the case b. When the plug c is upright the hole through the middle of the
said plug corresponds with the hole f in the case, and a single jet of water of
the diameter of the said hole is thrown up. When the notches in the plug c
are choked up it is only necessary to turn the wheel d, Figures 1 and 3, in
the direction indicated by the arrow y, Figure 2, so as to bring the plug c

page_text: into a position somewhat more vertical than that represented in Figure 2,
when the notched angle or corner of the said plug being no longer in
contact with the edge of the case b, an uninterrupted stream of water passes
from the hole f, and washes out the case b and the notches c. When the
notches acting against the edge b¹ of the case 6 are choked they may be
cleared in a similar manner. Instead of forming the plug c as herein-last
described, I sometimes modify its construction in the manner following (that
is to say) I form a series of notches on each of the four angles or corners of
the said plug, and by forming the said plug without the stop d', Figures 1
and 3, and the outer case 6 without the shoulders e, Figures 1 and 3, make
the said plug capable of performing a complete rotation in the case b. The
said plug is hence capable of producing four series of jets. This modification
of the plug is represented in Figure 4. The action of this modification of my
improved jet exactly resembles that of the jet represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3,
excepting that as herein-before described, the plug c (see Figure 2) is capable
of performing a complete rotation, and that the angles or corners c³, c³, form
jets against the edge 6 of the case b, and the angles or corners c¹, c³, form
jets against the edge b' of the said case b. I sometimes also modify my
improved jet in the manner represented in Figures 5 and 6%; Figure 5
representing an elevation of the said modification, and Figure 6 a section
through the line g in Figure 5. In this modification the plug his stationary
while the outer case i rotates thereon. The plug h is a hollow cylinder,
with the interior of which the pipe conveying the water to the jet com-
municates; the outer case i fits the said plug tightly. The plug h is
perforated with a slit or opening extending along its side in a direction
parallel to the axis of the said plug. The said slit is shewn at j, in
Figures 5 and 6. The case i is externally six-sided, as seen in the section,
Figure 6. On each of four of the sides of the said case a series of holes
are made (see k, Figure 5), the holes of each of the said series being of
a different size from those of the other series. One of the sides of the said
case is furnished with a single jet 1, Figures 5 and 6, and another of the sides
of the said case is furnished with a slit or opening ³, corresponding with
the slit or opening in the plug. When the case and plug are in the relative
situations represented in the Drawing, a stream of water issues from the
opening in the case, which stream, from its copiousness, washes out the
interior of the plug; when the case i is turned so as to bring the jet over the
slit j in the plug j' a stream of water is thrown from the said jet, and by the
rotation of the said case any one of the series of holes k may be brought over
the slit in the plug, and jets or streams of water of different sizes may be

page_text: thrown out. When any portion of the case i, intermediate between any two
series of openings, is brought over the opening in the plug, the said opening
is closed and the water ceases to flow. I sometimes construct the modification
of my improved jet last described in the manner represented in Figures 7, 8,
and 9, that is to say, instead of making the slit in the plug, and placing
the series of jets or openings on the outer case, as is represented in Figures
5 and 6, I place the said series of jets or openings in the plug, and form
a slit or longitudinal opening only in the outer case.
section of this construction of my improved jet.
elevation of the plug, and Figure 9 represents an
complete. After the description herein-before given of the jet, Figures 5
and 6, I consider it unnecessary to give a more detailed description of the
method of constructing my improved jet, represented in Figures 7, 8, and 9.
Figure 7 represents a
Figure 8 represents an
elevation of the said jet
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise manner of carrying my Invention into effect herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawing, as the same may be
varied without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim
the method of constructing a jet in which, by a rotary or other motion, one,
two, or a larger series of openings, of different sizes and forms, may be brought
over a common jet or opening, so as to produce at pleasure from the same
instrument a jet or series of jets, differing in form, size, and number.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Starr, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
1. cond sight hundred and forty-eight.