IMPROVEMENTS IN BATH AND LAVATORY VALVES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Edward Tompson, of Wolverhampton, in the
County of Stafford, Commercial Clerk, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BATH AND LAVATORY VALVES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Edward Tompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th November 1880.
FREDERICK EDWARD TOMPSON, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Commercial Clerk. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BATH AND LAVATORY VALVES."
My Invention has reference to the heads, knobs, or terminal parts of bath and
lavatory valves, by which the said valves are operated. I make the said head or
terminal part either of metal or of non-metallic material, or of metal lined with
porcelain or non-metallic material, and I fix the porcelain head to the upper end of
the valve stem in the following way:-I make at the summit of the valve stem a
dovetail or undercut projection, and I make in the underside of the porcelain head
to be attached to the valve stem a dovetail recess of a depth somewhat greater
than that of the dovetail or undercut projection on the stem. By pouring fused
lead or other easily fused metal or alloy into the recess in the head it is made to
fill up the said recess, and surround the dovetail or undercut projection on the
stem, and thereby securely fix the said head to the valve stem.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick Edward Tompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th May 1881.
FREDERICK EDWARD TOMPSON, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Commercial Clerk. IMPROVEMENTS IN BATH AND LAVATORY VALVES."
$5
My Invention has reference to the heads, knobs, or terminal parts of bath and
lavatory valves, by which the said valves are operated.
I make the said head or terminal part either of metal or of non-metallic material,
or of metal lined with porcelain or other non-metallic material, and I fix the
porcelain head to the upper end of the valve stem in the following way: -I
make at the summit of the valve stem a dovetail or undercut projection, and I
make in the underside of the porcelain head to be attached to the valve stem
a dovetail recess of a depth somewhat greater than that of the dovetail projection
on the stem. By pouring fused lead or other easily fused metal or alloy into the
recess in the head it is made to fill up the said recess, and surround the dovetail or
undercut projection on the stem, and thereby securely fix the said head to the
valve stem. Heads, knobs, or terminal parts of valve stems made according to my
Invention may be applied to all kinds of bath and lavatory valves, such as pull up
or waste valves, turn valves and screwing valves, whether the said valves be used
singly, or two or more valves be combined together on the same plate.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in elevation the head, knob,
or terminal part and the valve stem of a bath or lavatory lift-up or waste valve,
the said head, knob, or terminal part being made according to my Invention ;
Figure 2 represents in elevation the head, knob, or terminal part and the valve
stem of a bath or lavatory lift up or waste valve used in combination with hot and
cold water valves, the stems and other parts of the three valves being arranged
upon the same carrying plate or holder; Figure 3 represents in elevation and plan
a bath or lavatory screwing valve, the head or terminal part of the. valve stem being
made according to my Invention.
Figure 4 represents a sectional view of the head or terminal part of the pull up
or screwing valves, Figures 1, 2, and 3.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
I make the head or knob or terminal part a of the metal stem 6 of the valve to
be operated of a concave or cupped figure, and I line the interior of the metal cup a
with porcelain c, and I secure the porcelain lining c to the metal cup a by
burnishing the edge of the said metal cup over the edge of the lining c, as shown
in the section, Figure 4.
By constructing the head, knob, or terminal part a of the valve stem in the
manner described and illustrated the concave or cupped head serves as a means for
working the valve, and also as a dish or jewel cup for holding finger rings or other
articles of jewellery and other small articles.
I do not limit myself to any particular configuration of the concave or cupped
head a of the valve stem, but I generally give it a circular figure in plan.
Instead of lining the cupped or concave metal.head a of the valve stem b with
porcelain, it may be lined with other non-metallic material, such as bone, ivory, or
ebonite; and instead of making the cupped or concave head of the valve stem of
metal, lined with porcelain or other non-metallic material, the said head may
be made wholly of porcelain or bone, or ivory, or ebonite, or other non-metallic
material.
When the head is made wholly of porcelain it may be attached to the metal stem
of the valve in the manner represented in section and plan in Figure 5, where d is

page_text: In the summit of the
the porcelain head fixed to the summit of the metal stem b.
valve stem ba dovetail or undercut recess e is made, and on the underside of the
porcelain head da dovetail or undercut projection fis made. By arranging the two
parts to be joined in the manner represented, and pouring fused lead or other
easily fused metal or alloy into the recess e, it is made to fill up the said recess, and
surround the dovetail or undercut projection f on the stem, and also fill up the
space between the opposed faces of the metal stem and porcelain head, as illustrated
in the Drawing.
The porcelain head is thereby securely fixed to the top of the metal stem.
The parts described may be inverted, that is, the dovetail or undercut projec-
tion f may be made on the top of the metal stem b, and the dovetail recess e be
made in the underside of the porcelain head d.
Although I prefer to make the head or terminal part of the metal stem of the
valve of a cupped or concave figure, lined with porcelain or other non-metallic
material, or wholly of porcelain or other non-metallic material, yet the cupped or
concave head of the valve stem may be made of metal without a porcelain or non-
metallic lining; or the porcelain or non-metallic lining of the head, instead of being
fixed in the cupped head by burnishing, as before described, may be loose, that is,
the lining c, Figure 4, is simply dropped into the metal cupped head a, and may be
removed therefrom for cleaning; or when the porcelain lining c is removed, the
cupped head a may be used as a jewel cup without the said lining. prefer
however to employ a porcelain lining c when I make the cupped head a of metal on
account of the facility with which the said porcelain lining may be cleaned as well
as the non-liability to corrosion to which metal is liable.
I have represented in the accompanying Drawing the bath or lavatory valves to
which my Invention is especially applicable, but I wish it to be understood that my
Invention may be applied to all kinds of pull up or waste valves, turn valves, and
screwing valves for baths and lavatories.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
of "Improvements in Bath and Lavatory Valves," making and attaching the
heads, knobs, or terminal parts of the stems of the said valves, as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, making the
said heads, knobs, or terminal parts of a concave or cupped figure, preferably of
metal lined with porcelain, or other non-metallic material, or wholly of porcelain or
other non-metallic material, substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Edward Tompson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
HOWARD HODGKINSON,
Wolverhampton.
FREDERICK EDWARD TOMPSON. (L.S.)