IMPROVE- MENTS IN WASTE WATER PREVENTER TAPS SO THAT THEY SHALL ACT WITHOUT THE USE OF PLUG Cocks
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Philip Preston, John Theodore Prestige,
Edwin James Preston, and William Alfred Prestige, trading under
the Firm of Josiah Stone and Company, of High Street, Deptford,
in the County of Kent, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WASTE WATER PREVENTER TAPS SO THAT THEY SHALL ACT WITHOUT
THE USE OF PLUG Cocks.”
Scaled the 9th January 1872, and dated the 14th July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Philip
Preston, John Theodore Prestige, Edwin James Preston, and
William Alfred Prestige at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 14th July 1871.
We, FREDERICK PHILIP PRESTON, JOHN THEODORE PRESTIGE,
EDWIN JAMES PRESTON, and WILLIAM ALFRED PRESTIGE, trading
under the Firm of Josiah Stone and Company, of High Street, Dept-
ford, in the County of Kent, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASTE WATER PREVENTER

page_text: TAPS SO THAT THEY SHALL ACT WITHOUT THE USE OF PLUG COCKS," to be
as follows:
We employ a valve box connected to the lower end of a cylinder
containing a piston with a valve in its under side which rests upon
a valve seat formed at the lower end of the cylinder, the aperture in
such valve seat communicating with the discharge nozzle of the valve
box first named. This valve box is made with suitable passages, so that
a communication can be opened between the inlet or main supply pipe
to which it is connected and the discharge nozzle, the water passing
first from the inlet or supply pipe to the under side of piston in cylinder,
but above the piston valve seating at lower end of cylinder, and from
thence through the aperture in piston valve seating to the discharge
nozzle of valve box, and also so that a communication can be opened
between the upper part of the cylinder above the piston and the
discharge nozzle.
To control the traverse of water through the passage we employ three
valves: Firstly, a valve to control the communication between the
inlet or supply pipe and the under side of piston in cylinder, which we
call the inlet valves; secondly, a valve to control communication
between the upper part of cylinder above the piston and the discharge
nozzle, which we call the relief valve; and, thirdly, the valve attached
to under side of piston in cylinder controlling the communication
between lower part of cylinder and the discharge nozzle, which we call
the piston valve.
We make the inlet and the relief valves arranged so as to be both
operated by the lever or other handle which opens and closes the tap,
and so that when the lever is turned to the right it first closes the relief
valve, and then opens the inlet valve; and when the lever is turned to
the left it first closes the inlet valve, and then opens the relief valve, or
vice versa.
The action of this tap is as follows:-To turn it on the handle or
lever is turned to the right when the relief valve is first closed, and
shuts off the communication between the top of cylinder above the
piston and the discharge nozzle, and then the inlet valve is opened,
allowing the water from the inlet or supply pipe to flow into bottom of
cylinder, when it forces the piston and with it the piston valve to the
upper part of cylinder, and flows down through the seating at bottom
of cylinder out of the discharge nozzle; at the same time, by means of

page_text: a hole through the piston (the size of which can be regulated) the
water from the inlet or supply passes to the top of piston, where it
accumulates until it, together with the weight of the piston, overcomes
the pressure on the under side of piston, and slowly forces the piston
to descend until the valve on its under side rests upon its seat, and
thereby cuts off the communication between the inlet or supply pipe
and the delivery nozzle, thus stopping the flow of water, the time
occupied in the traverse of the piston valve from its seat to the upper
part of the cylinder and back again regulating the quantity of water
allowed to flow at each operation of the taps.
Before the water will again flow the handle or lever must be turned
to the left, which first closes the inlet valve and then opens the relief
valve, allowing the water to escape from top of cylinder above the
piston through the discharge nozzle of tap, thus taking off the pressure
that existed on the top of piston, and rendering the top ready to be
turned on again.
Sometimes instead of the hole in piston before referred to we fit an
additional passage leading from the inlet or supply pipe to the upper
part of cylinder above the piston.
Sometimes we prefer to fit a small piston instead of the relief valve,
but still arranged so as to be operated as well as the inlet valve by
the lever or other handle which opens and closes the tap, so that the
communications are opened and closed so as to produce similar results
as when the relief valve is used.
Sometimes we prefer to fit an additional passage opening up a com-
munication between the entrance to bottom of cylinder and the relief
valve, so that when the relief valve is opened it allows the water to
pass out of the discharge nozzle both from the top and under side of
piston in cylinder.
35 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Philip Preston, John Theodore Prestige,
Edwin James Preston, and William Alfred Prestige in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 13th January 1872.

page_text: and WILLIAM ALFRED PRESTIGE, trading under the Firm of Josiah
Stone and Company, of High Street, Deptford, in the County of Kent,
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth
year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Frederick Philip Preston, John Theodoro
Prestige, Edwin James Preston, and William Alfred Prestige, Her special
licence that we, the said Frederick Philip Preston, John Theodore
Prestige, Edwin James Preston, and William Alfred Prestige, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Frederick Philip Preston, John Theodore Prestige, Edwin James Preston,
and William Alfred Prestige, our 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 thercin expressed, should and
lawfully might make, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASTE WATER PREVENTER
TAPS 80 THAT THEY SHALL ACT WITHOUT THE USE OF PLUG COCKS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Frederick Philip Preston,
John Theodore Prestige, Edwin James Preston, and William Alfred
Prestige, or one of us, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or one of our 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calender months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Frederick Philip Preston, John
Theodore Prestige, Edwin James Preston, and William Alfred Prestige,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
We employ a valve box connected to the lower end of a cylinder
containing a piston with a valve on its under side, which rests upon a

page_text: valve seat formed at the lower end of the cylinder, the aperture in such
valve seat communicating with the discharge nozzle of the valve box
first named. This valve box is made with suitable passages, so that a
communication can be opened between the inlet or main supply pipe to
which it is connected and the discharge nozzle, the water passing first
from the inlet or supply pipe to the under side of the piston in cylinder,
and from thence to the discharge nozzle of valve box, and also so that
a communication can be opened between the upper part of the cylinders
above the piston and the discharge nozzle.
To control the traverse of water through the passage we employ three.
valves: Firstly, a valve to control the communication between the
inlet or supply pipe and the under side of piston in cylinder, which
we call the inlet valve; secondly, a valve to control communication
between the upper part of the cylinder and the discharge nozzle, which
we call the relief valve; and thirdly, the valve attached to the under
side of piston in cylinder controlling the communication between lower
part of cylinder and the discharge nozzle, which we call the piston valve.
We arrange the inlet and the relief valves so as to be both operated by
the lever or other handle which opens and closes the tap, and so that
when the lever is turned to the right it first closes the relief valve and
then opens the inlet valve, and when the lever is turned to the left it
first closes the inlet valve and then opens the relief valve, or vice versa.
The action of the tap is as follows:-To turn it on the handle or
lever is turned to the right, when the relief valve is first closed and
shuts off the communication between the top of the cylinder above the
piston and the discharge nozzle; and then the inlet valve is opened,
allowing the water from the inlet or supply pipe to flow into bottom
of cylinder out of the discharge nozzle, at the same time by means of a
hole through a piston (the size of which can be regulated) the water
from the inlet or supply passes to the top of the cylinder, where it
accumulates until it, together with the weight of the piston, overcomes
the pressure on the under side of piston and slowly forces the piston
to descend until the valve on its under side rests upon its seat and
thereby cuts off the communication between the inlet or supply pipe
and the delivery nozzle, thus stopping the flow of water, the time
occupied in the traverse of the piston valve from the seat to the.
e.upper

page_text: part of the cylinder and back again regulating the quantity of water
allowed to flow at each operation of the tap.
Before the water will again flow the handle or lever must be turned
to the left, which first closes the inlet valve and then opens the relief
valve, allowing the water to escape from top of cylinder above the
piston through the discharge nozzle of the tap, thus taking off the
pressure that existed on the top of piston and rendering the tap ready
to be turned on again.
Sometimes, instead of the hole in piston before referred to we fit an
additional passage leading from the inlet or supply pipe to the upper
part of cylinder above the piston.
Sometimes we prefer to fit a small piston instead of the relief valve,
but still arranged so as to be operated on as well as the inlet valve by
the lever or other handle which opens and closes the tap, so that the
communications are opened and closed for the purpose of producing
similar esults as when the relief valve is used.
The manner of carrying our Invention into effect will be well under-
stood by referring to the following description and to the annexed
Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a section through an arrangement of
our apparatus for the purpose set forth.
A is the inlet from the source of supply, and B, the inlet valvo
(closed), which, by preference, is made of a spherical form of gutta
percha, india-rubber, or other substance lighter than water; it may,
however, be made of any other form or material. O is the seating for
the inlet valve, which may or may not be of an elastic material; D is
the stem with the inlet valve at its lower end and with a cupped
leather E at its upper end; F is the piston valve attached to the
lower end of the main piston G, and f is the seating for said piston
valve F, which controls the communication between the lower part of
J is a
the cylinder of the apparatus and the discharge nozzle H.
small piston valve, which we call the relief valve, working in a small
cylinder j and controls the communication between the upper part of
the cylinder of the apparatus above the piston G and the lower part
thereof below the piston G. K is a bridge piece or guide for the
valve stem D, and also forms a stop for regulating the lift of the
valves; L is a small aperture allowing the inlet of air into the apparatus

page_text: when the cupped leather E is raised above it; M is the top of valvo
stem for attaching a handle or lever of convenient form.
The action of the tap is as follows:-Turn the handle or lever to the
left, when the valve stem is raised causing the inlet valve B to be
closed and the relief valve J opened by being drawn out of the small
cylinder j, at the same time the cupped leather E is raised above the
aperture L, allowing air to pass into the apparatus, and the collar
on valve stem lifts the piston G and with it the valve F off its seat,
thus causing the water above the piston G to pass out through the
discharge nozzle of tap; then turn the handle or lever to the right,
when the valve stem is depressed, thereby first causing the cupped
leather E to cover the air aperture L and the relief valve J to close
the aperture j, then the depression of the valve stem opens the inlet
valve B by pushing said valve off its scat C, allowing the water from
source of supply to flow into the tap and raise the piston valve F off its
seat, and to carry it, together with the piston G, to which it is connected
to the upper end of the cylinder of apparatus, thus allowing free exit
for the water out of discharge nozzle of tap. At the same time however
by means of making the relief valve J a loose fit in the cylinder j,
or by a slot cut in said valve J, or by other suitable means, the water
passes up the cylinder ; to above the piston G, where it accumulates
until it together with the weight of the piston overcomes the pressure
on the under side of the piston G and slowly forces it to descend until
the valve F on its under side rests upon its seat and thereby cuts off the
communication between the inlet or supply pipes A and the discharge
nozzle H, thus stopping the flow of water, the time occupied in the
traverse of the piston valve F from its seat to the upper part of
cylinder and back again regulating the quantity of water allowed to flow
at cach operation of the tap, and the duration of such traverse is.
regulated by the size of the aperture allowing water to flow from the.
under side to the upper side of piston G. Before the water will again
flow the handle or lever must be turned to the left, as before described,
thereby allowing the water in upper part of cylinder above the piston,
and which holds the piston valve down on to its seat, to escape through
the discharge nozzle of tap, thereby rendering the tap ready to be turned
on again.

page_text: without turning the water off, as the floating properties of the inlet
valve B combined with the pressure on its under side keep it firmly
against its seat, and the greater the pressure the more is the soundness
of the valve secured.
Figure 2 is a section through an arrangement of our improved
apparatus acting in the same manner and possessing all the waste
preventing properties of Figure 1, and in addition arranged to act as a
self-closing tap, so that directly the handle or lever is let go by the
operator the tap instantly closes, and should the handle or lever M' be
fastened back then the tap allows only the regulated quantity of water 1
to pass through it, when it stops and will not allow any more water to
flow until it has first been turned on again. This self-closing property
is attained by using a valve stem plain at the upper end, as shewn in
Figure 2, instead of screwed, as in Figure 1. It will be seen that
directly the handle or lever is let go by the operator the pressure from
the source of supply acting partly on the inlet valve B and partly
on the cupped leather E causes the valve stem to ascend, when the
inlet valve B immediately rests on its seat C and stops the flow of

page_text: with the valve stem, tending to force it on to its seat, and so keep the
tap shut.
And, 4thly. The general arrangement and combination of parts
substantially as described and shewn in the Drawings when employed for
the purposes herein specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said Frederick Philip Preston and
John Theodore Prestige, for ourselves and on behalf the said
Edwin James Preston and William Alfred Prestige, have here-
unto set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth day of January
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.