An Improvement in Taps for Steam, Water, or Gas, or other Liquids or Fluids.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Taps for Steam, Water, or Gas, or other Liquids
or Fluids.
I, JOSEPII BOOTH BUTTERFIELD, of 47, Hanover Square, Bradford, in the County
of York, Consulting Engineer, do hereby déclare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
My improvement has reference to plug taps for steam, water and gas.
According to my invention I reverse the position of the plug, that is to say,
instead of the larger end of the plug being uppermost, as is usual, I reverse this
order and place the cone with the larger end downwards.
The plug is forced upwards against the valve seating by means of a spiral or
other form of spring or by means of an adjustable screw, which can be regulated
so as to adjust the plug to any degree of tightness. In addition to reversing the
position of the plug, I form on the plug spindle a shoulder which fits against a
corresponding surface in the valve box or chamber.
By means of this shoulder there is no possibility of the valve jamming or
becoming unduly tight whilst the escape of liquids or fluids or gases is entirely
prevented.
The valve spindle can be packed under pressure, and an ordinary gland employed
as is common with valves.
In order that my improvements may be clearly understood, reference is made to
the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is cross section of a plug valve
or tap constructed according to my invention. A is the valve casing, B the plug
valve which as will be seen in the drawing has its largest diameter at the bottom
and a smaller diameter at the top, from which rises a vertical spindle C secured
and made steam tight by gland D, cap E, and the packing F. The conical plug
is kept tightly against the valve seating by means of the spiral spring I which is
compressed between the washer a and the bottom of the valve casing. Upon the
top of washer a is a point or projection which is forced by the spiral spring against
the underside of plug B for the said plug to oscillate upon.
In the drawing Fig. 2, I dispense with the spiral spring, and use instead thereof
a bent spring H but I do not confine myself to any form of spring whatever, or
to the use of a spring at all, as the point of the adjusting screw G may fit against
the base of the plug B. Preferably the bent spring has a stud G₁ formed on its
underside, and fitting into a hole or socket in the cap L, the point of the screw G
acting on the underside of stud G whereby the spring is forced under the plug B.
The plug B, bent spring H, and stud G¹ all oscillate upon the point of screw G.
The most important part of my invention consists in making a shoulder J on
thé plug or at the bottom of the spindle C. This shoulder fits tightly against its
eating, but the plug cannot become unduly tight or jammed, and from my
experience I have found that this form of plug makes a perfectly tight valve or
ap allowing neither, steam, water, or gas under pressure to get past or beyond the
houlder J of the plug consequently I obtain a thoroughly steam tight valve, and
D

page_text: yet the spindle and plug are always free to rotate, when opening and closing the
said valve.
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:-
1. The manufacture of a plug valve where the larger end of the cone is at the
base and kept tightly in position by either springs or adjustable screws or both
combined as herein shewn.
2. The construction of a plug valve having a shoulder J formed thereon, for
the purpose of making a perfectly steam and water tight valve, and also to prevent
jamming of the plug as described.