IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING TAPS
Year: 1886

page_text: I JAMES MALPASS of Blackburn Road Haslingden in the County of Lancaster
Plumber do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR OPENING AND CLOSING TAPS," to be as follows:-
This invention is intended to afford facility for opening and closing taps of steam,
hot water or other pipes which are placed in situations too high to be reached by
the hand.
To the plug of the tap I cast or fix a spur wheel gearing into a similar pinion
cast with, or fixed to, a grooved pulley which is mounted loosely upon a stud, or
axis, which is cast with or fixed to the body of the tap. Round the groove of the
pulley ruus an endless band of india rubber or other suitable material, a guard
being provided to prevent the band from slipping out of the groove.
The endless band is made of such a length that its lowest part is within easy
reach of the hand of a person standing upon the floor and in the "
thereof is suspended a second grooved pulley carried in a forked bearing to which
bight" or loop
a handle is attached.
This pulley being held steadily so as to keep the endless band at a sufficient
tension the tap can be opened or closed by drawing one side of the endless band
either up or down as the case may be.
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicant,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.

page_text: I JAMES MALPASS of Blackburn Road Haslingden in the County of Lancaster
Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR OPENING AND CLOSING TAPS and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention is intended to afford facility for opening and closing taps of steam,
hot water or other pipes which are placed in situations too high to be reached by
hand.
The nature of my invention will be readily understood on reference to the
annexed drawing and the following explanation thereof.
The drawing represents an elevation of my improved apparatus; a, a is the body
of the tap.
To the plug b, b of the tap a, a I cast or fix a spur wheel c, c gearing into a
similar pinion d, d cast with or fixed to, a grooved pulley e, e which is mounted
loosely upon a stud, or axis f, f which is cast with or fixed to the body a, a of
the tap.
Round the groove of the pulley e, e runs an endless band g, g of india rubber or
other suitable material, a guard h, h being provided to prevent the band g, g from
slipping out of the groove.
The endless band g, g is made of such a length that its lowest part is within
easy reach of the hand of a person standing upon the floor and in the "bight" or
loop thereof is suspended a second grooved pulley i, i carried in a forked bearing k, k
to which a handle or weight 1, 1 is attached.
This pulley i, i being held steadily so as to keep the endless band g, g at a
sufficient tension the tap, b, b can be opened or closed by drawing one side of the
endless band g, g either up or down as the case may be.
In some cases the lower pulley i, i may be dispensed with, and the loop or bight
of the endless band g, g may be allowed to hang free or it may merely be held
down by the finger to tighten it upon the upper grooved pulley e, e when required
for use.
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
The improved apparatus for opening and closing taps by means of an endless
band or cord constructed and applied substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the drawing annexed,