IMPROVEMENTS IN STOP COCKS OR VALVES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fyfe, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Brassfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STOP COCKS OR VALVES."
Sealed the 1st March 1859, and dated the 7th September 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fyfe at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th September
1858.
I, JAMES FYFE, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN STOP COCKS OR VALVES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to a valvular arrangement consisting of a tube or
thoroughfare piece cast or formed with an internal transverse diaphragm or
division picce so as to separate the tubular shell into two distinct portions.
Both such divisions have lateral apertures on their upper side surrounded by a
horizontal disc face piece, to which is screwed or otherwise attached an elevated
cap piece or chamber for containing the working parts of the valve. The
disc is faced on its upper side so as to form working valve surfaces for both
openings, which are covered and governed by an elastic disc of caoutchouc or
other suitable material, held down round its edge by the screws which attach
the cap chamber to its supporting flange face. Over the elastic disc and
inside the valve chamber is placed a smaller disc of metal, faced on its lower
side to bear down upon the elastic disc, and close up or upon the water way
through the disc face of the shell, as may be required. This moveable metal

page_text: disc or actuating valve piece is grooved down or along each edge to fit upon
diametrically disposed guide rib pieces on the inner surface of the valve
chamber or cap, so that whilst it can move up and down or in directions
coincident with its axial line it cannot turn round. The upper surface of the
moveable metal disc is formed with inclined edge pieces to gear with and be
operated upon by corresponding inclined surfaces on the under disc of a second
moveable disc piece, placed in the chamber above, and which upper disc is
fitted with stop pieces to prevent it from turning too far round in one direction,
whilst in the other the stop action is effected by the gearing together or
correspondence of the notches or recesses forming the terminations of the
respective inclines on the two moveable discs. The upper disc is fitted with a
central stud passing through a central aperture in the top of the chamber or
valve cover, and screwed to receive a cross handle or other detail for working
the stop-cock or valve. . In this way by turning the handle or operating
spindle in one direction or the other, the action of the geared inclines on the
moveable metal dises will force down or lift up the elastic diaphragm or disc
from the thoroughfares in the disc face beneath.. A spring may be added, if
necessary, to relieve the parts in the elevating movement, but the head pressure
of the fluid to be passed through the valve will usually be sufficient to ease the
elastic disc off its face beneath, and the fluid then passes through from the
inlet portion of the tubular shell, and descends on the other side of the
partition, and thus reaches the outlet end of the shell.
disc or diaphragm is forced down by the reverse movement, of course the
pressure of the elastic material upon the face beneath closes the thoroughfare.
When the elastic
According to another arrangement the elastic diaphragm may be operated
by a hinged disc pressure piece inside the valve chamber, such hinged disc
being itself worked by the rotatory traverse of a stud or eccentric piece on a
central working spindle passing through the cap from above, or in any other
convenient way; both these valves may be operated also by screwed spindles
instead of by the details herein-before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Fyfe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th March
1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FYFE, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Brassfounder, 3
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, 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 James Fyfe, Her special license that I, the said James
Fyfe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Fyfe, my executors, administrators, or 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
STOP COCKS OR VALVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Fyfe, 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 bo
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 James Fyfe, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to a valvular arrangement consisting of a tube or
thoroughfare piece cast or formed with an internal transverse diaphragın or
division piece, so as to separate the tubular shell into two distinct portions.
Both such divisions have lateral apertures on their upper side, surrounded by
a horizontal disc face piece, to which is screwed or otherwise attached an
elevated cap piece or chamber for containing the working parts of the valve.
The dise is faced on its upper side, so as to form working valve surfaces for
both openings, which are covered and governed by an elastic disc of caoutchouc
or other suitable material, held down round its edge by the screws which
attach the cap chamber to its supporting flange face. Over the elastic disc
and inside the valve chamber is placed a smaller disc of metal, faced on its
lower side to bear down upon the elastic disc, and close up or open the water
way through the disc face of the shell, as may be required. This moveable
metal disc or actuating valve piece is grooved down or along each edge to fit
upon diametrically disposed guide rib pieces on the inner surface of the valvo
chamber or cap, so that, whilst it can move up and down or in directions
coincident with its axial line, it cannot turn round. The upper surface of tho

page_text: moveable metal dise is formed with inclined edge pieces, to gear with and be
operated upon by corresponding inclined surfaces on the under side of a second
moveable disc piece placed in the chamber above, and which upper disc is
fitted with stop pieces to prevent it from turning too far round in one direction,
whilst in the other the stop action is effected by the gearing together or
correspondence of the notches or recesses forming the terminations of the
respective inclines on the two moveable discs. The upper disc is fitted with a
central stud passing through a central aperture in the top of the chamber
or valve, and screwed to receive a cross handle or other detail for working
the stop-cock or valve. In this way, by turning the handle or operating
spindle in one direction or the other, the action of the geared inclines on the
moveable metal discs will force down or lift up the elastic diaphragm or disc
from the thoroughfares in the disc face beneath. A spring may be added, if
necessary, to relieve the parts in the elevating movement, but the head'
pressure of the fluid to be passed through the valve will usually be sufficient
to ease the elastic disc off its face beneath, and the fluid then passes through
from the inlet portion of the tubular shell, and descends on the other side of
the partition, and thus reaches the outlet end of the shell. When the clastic
disc or diaphragm is forced down by the reverse movement, of course the
pressure of the elastic material upon the face beneath closes the thoroughfare.
According to another arrangement the elastic diaphragm may be operated by
a hinged disc pressure piece inside the valve chamber, such hinged disc being
itself worked by the rotatory traverse of a stud or eccentric piece on a central
working spindle passing through the cap from above, or in any other convenient
way. Both these valves may be operated also by screwed spindles, instead of
by the details berein-before described.
.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures upon the explanatory Sheet of
Drawings, which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing certain
modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously carried out in
practice.
Figure 1 is an elevation, partially in section, of one modification of my
improvements in stop-cocks; Figure 2 is a corresponding view of another
arrangement; and Figure 3 is a partially sectional elevation of a swan neck
stop-cock, showing the improvements applied thereto. In the modification
shown in Figure 1 on the accompanying Drawing, the lower part of the stop-
cock consists of a tubular shell A, which is divided internally by a transverse
diaphragm B. This partition is by preference placed a short distance behind
the downwardly curved portion of the stop-cock, which forms the outlet

page_text: portion of the tap. The tubular shell A is made with a circular opening in
its upper part, which opening extends round the diaphragm B, the rim of
this opening having an external thread cut therein. This aperture in the
part A of the stop-cock is enclosed by the cap C, the lower part of which is
made to screw on to the rim of the opening. The water way through the
tubular part A is closed by means of a flexible disc D, which is by preference
formed of india-rubber; this disc is firmly secured by its edge being interposed
between the rim of the opening in the tubular part A, and the inner face of
the cap C. Upon this disc being pressed down on the valve seat E of the
part A, and the face or upper edge of the diaphragm B; the way is effectually
closed. The flexible dise D is raised by the pressure of the water or other fluid
in the inlet pipe, but the disc is kept down upon its seating when the passage
is required to be closed by means of the mechanical arrangement fitted within
the cap C. Upon the upper face of the disc D rests an actuating valve
piece 1, which consists of a metal disc having a raised edge or rim round it ;
this rim is cut away at one part so as to form two regulated or adjusted
inclined edges, one on each side of the disc; one of these sloping or down-
wardly inclined parts is shown at G in Figure 1 on my Drawing. A notch
is cut in the front and back part of the disc F; these notches are made to fit
easily the vertical ribs or fins H, which project from the inner face of the
cap C. A secondary disc J, the shape of which corresponds to the disc F, is
arranged in an inverted position upon the lower disc. The vertical rim of the
disc I is made to fit within the disc F, whilst the edge of the sloping part rests
upon or is in close proximity to the edge of the lower disc. To the upper
face of the disc I is secured the lower part of the actuating handle J, the
spindle of which passes through an aperture left for the purpose in the cap C.
The turning of this handle causes the inclined edges of the disc I to move
along those of the disc F, and act as a wedge thereon, and so depress it; the
effect of which is, that the flexible disc E is brought into close contact with
the diaphragm B, and the passage through the stop-cock is thereby closed.
In the modification shown in Figure 2 on my Drawing, the tubular part and
the diaphragm B are similar in their arrangement to the corresponding parts
in Figure 1. The cap C is fastened down to the tubular part A by means
of small screws, which are passed through the edge of the intervening flexible
disc D. The depression of the flexible disc D is effected by the direct pressure
of the metal disc E, which is actuated by means of the handle F. This
handle is jointed to the cap C at the part G, the inner portion of the spindle
extending within the cap and nearly across the chamber which the interior of
the cap forms. The inner end of the handle F is made of a wedge-shaped

page_text: form, so that when the handle is pressed outwards or away from the direction
of the outlet pipe, the thicker part of the wedge depresses the disc E, which in
its turn presses down the flexible disc D, in close contact with the diaphragm
B, and thus closes the water way. Upon moving the handle in the opposite
direction, the reverse effect takes place, the disc E being liberated, the water
or other liquid in the inlet pipe forces up the flexible disc D, and flows over
the diaphragm B, and away through the outlet pipe. In the modification
delineated in Figure 3 on my Drawing, the improvements are shown as
applied to the kind of stop-cock or tap known as the "swan neck." In this
arrangement the water or other liquid flows through the inlet pipe A, the
inner end of which is faced with a washer of india-rubber, but this may in
ordinary water taps be omitted. The inlet passage is closed by a pendant
valve B, which is hung within the shell C of the tap; this valve is caused to
close the passage of the inlet pipe A by the partially rotatory movement of
the key D, which fits the inside of the shell C, and forms a lateral prolongation
of the swan neck E. The key D of the tap is of a tubular form, a portion of
which at the central part is cut away to admit of the valve falling back when
the neck E is raised, the lower edge of the opening being curved inwards to
prevent the valve being pushed back too far. The valve B is closed by the
pressure of the tubular part of the key on the back of the valve; when the
swan neck is turned downwards, the curved surface of the key presses the
valve in contact with the valve seat or the india-rubber washer. A correspond-
ing effect also takes place when the swan neck is thrown back, or is moved
beyond the position in which it is delineated in the accompanying Drawing.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of stop-cocks or valvular
apparatus for controlling the flow of liquids, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of arranging the mechanical details and
internal parts of stop-cocks or valvular apparatus, as herein-before described
and shown in the accompanying Drawing.
Third, the several mechanical arrangements for actuating or depressing the
valvular discs, by means of which the flow of the liquid is controlled or

page_text: stopped, as herein-before described and shown in the annexed Drawing, or
any mere modifications of the said arrangements.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fyfe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of March, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-nine.
JAMES FYFE. (L.S.)