Improvements in Steam and Water Cocks.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam and Water Cocks.
I, JOHN WILLIAM MACKENZIE, of the Firm of Wheatley and Mackenzie,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 40, Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from
Richard Thompson, of 193, Bathurst Street, London, in the County of Middlesex
and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, Machinist), to be as follows: -
It consists of a metal body containing a cylindrical chamber, into which the
steam or water enters, and surrounding a hollow plunger into which the steam
or water enters, through orifices in its side when said plunger is pressed
into the water chamber or steam cnamber, and issues thence through the usual
outlet. Normally these orifices are outside the stuffing-box, the plunger being
held in that position by the pressure of the steam or water, and all escape is cut
off until the plunger is pressed inwards by hand or lever.
The body of the cock may be made of any size and pattern. Steam or water eniers
by the shank, which is screwed on to the supply-pipe or boiler and passes into
the portion of the body which constitutes the steam or water chamber, forming a
jacket which surrounds the hollow plunger.
When this plunger is pressed into the body of the cock by hand or by any
suitable lever or handle thereto attached, the orifices, formed in the plunger and
communicating with the channel centrally contained therein, pass beyond the
stuffing-box at entrance of the body of the cock and into the steam or water
chamber. The steam or water then enters the central channel of plunger by
means of these orifices, and passes out through ordinary outlet or bib and
continues to flow until the plunger is allowed to resume its normal position,
when the orifices will be outside the water or steam chamber and all exit or
escape from that chamber is cut off.
Longitudinal grooves are formed on the shank end of the plunger to facilitate
the entrance of steam or water into the chamber.
The orifices may be of any number; if several are made they are bored at
different distances from end of stuffing-box, so as to make the shut-off a degree
more gradual and so avoid jarring when the water or steam is turned on or off.
Any description of packing, whether rubber, metal or hemp may be used in the
stuffing-box and thus seating is dispensed with and valves also. One advantageous
feature of this mode of construction is the easiness with which it may be cleaned,
as a wire may be passed through the channel at any time while the pressure is
on, the orifices being at such times external. In order to facilitate this the
channel continues beyond the outlet or bib in a straight line to the end, where it
is closed by a nut or other suitable device. Another nut on end of plunger which
projects from shank, prevents the plunger from being ejected too far, and may

page_text: be made large enough to completely close the orifice of shank, stopping the flow
into the interior of either steam or water.
D
1
improvements in Steam and water Cocks.
I, JOHN WILLIAM MACKENZIE, of the Firm of Wheatley and Mackenzie,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
-
My invention relates to steam and water cocks constructed without valves or
seats, and it applies to cylinder cocks, compression cocks, and steam and water
cocks-of all descriptions.
It consists of a metal body containing a cylindrical water- or steam-chamber,
surrounding or partially surrounding a hollow plunger into which steam or
water enters through orifices in side when said plunger is pressed into the water-
chamber or steam-chamber, as the case may be, and issues thence through the
usual outlet or bib.
In the accompanying drawings of my invention―
Figure 1 is an external view;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section; and
Figure 3 is a detail of plunger, detached.
A is the body of the steam or water cock of any size and pattern; B is the
plunger, and C the steam- or water-chamber.
Steam or water enters the body of the cock through the shank D, which is
screwed on to the supply-pipe or boiler, and passes into the portion forming the
chamber C, surrounding the plunger B. This plunger is hollow for a portion of
its length, having a channel E formed in it, as shewn at Figure 2, where it is
seen in longitudinal section, and another smaller channel or channels F, at right
angles, more or less, to the longitudinal one E. These smaller channels F
terminate in orifices G.
When the plunger is pressed into the body of the cock, by hand or any suitable
form of lever attached thereto, the orifices G of cross-channels F pass beyond
the stuffing-box H (which closes the outer end of the body) and into the steam-
or water-chamber C, allowing the steam or water to enter the orifices G and so
pass by channels F into the main channel E, and thence by any ordinary form of
bib or outlet I.
The steam or water continues to flow out until the plunger is allowed to resume
its normal position, when the orifices G will be all external to the stuffing-box H,
and thus all communication with the chamber C is cut off. Longitudinal
grooves J are formed in the shank end of the plunger B, to facilitate the entrance
of steam or water into the chamber C as soon as the plunger is forced inwards
by hand or any manner of lever attachment. At all other times the shank end
of body is closed against the entrance of steam or water by the covering-plate K,
secured by nut L to the shank of plunger. This is a simple but effective mechanism
for instantaneously closing and shutting off the flow, which otherwise is continuous.
It is the pressure of this flow against the shoulder a of the plunger B which
keeps the plunger outwards, normally, and retains it there until the lever or

page_text: hand-pressure is brought to bear upon it so as to press the plunger back into the
body of the cock, as already described.
In case the pressure should be found insufficient to force the plunger outwards it
may be aided by a coil-spring surrounding a portion of the shank end of the
plunger.
One of the chief advantages of the above-described form of construction is its
facility for cleaning readily and effectively. The channel E is continuous and
straight from outer end of stuffing-box H to end of plunger, continuing beyond
the bib I until it is closed by a screw M and nut N contained in or covered by
the knob O on the end of the plunger. This allows of a wire or cane being passed
through the channel E to remove any obstruction while the pressure is on, the
orifices G being then external to the stuffing-box. The cross-channels F may be
similarly cleaned through their orifices.
The arrangement of these several orifices (of which there will usually be four,
but the number may be more or less) places them at different distances from the
external end of stuffing-box H. This is in the highest degree material, as it
produces not only a greater smoothness of current and prevents all jar when
shutting off steam or water, but constitutes a mode of regulating the flow from
a small to a full current, according as one or more of the orifices G are made to
enter the stuffing-box by pressing the plunger more or less in. It is a mode of
regulating the flow so as to make it fast or slow at will, and is capable of any
amount of variation by increasing the number of orifices G and cross-channels F,
which communicate finally with the main channel E and outlet I.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1st. A steam or water-cock in which a portion of the body A is constructed so
as to form a steam- or water-chamber C surrounding a portion of the plunger B
in which is formed the straight continuous channel E, intersected by smaller
cross-channels F terminating in orifices G, which allow of the escape of steam
or water from the chamber C into and out of the orifices or bib I when the plunger
is pressed into the body of the cock beyond the stuffing-box H, all arranged and
operating as shewn and described.
2nd. The metal plunger B, shaped as above-described, having the shank end
grooved as shewn at J and supplied with closing-plate K and nut L for excluding
the steam or water from entering the cock when the plunger is pressed outwards,
thereby preventing the flow until the plunger is pressed again inwards, sub-
stantially as shewn and described.
3rd. The screw M and nut N contained in knob O at end of main-channel E
and closing same, substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 27th day of January 1898.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.