IMPROVEMENTS IN BALL TAPS
Year: 1884

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I GEORGE DRAKE of Torquay in the County of Devon, Builder do hereby
declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BALL TAPS" to be as
follows:-
According to my invention the tap proper is made of brass or other material
suitable for the purpose and may be spherical or of other convenient shape which
rests on a seating of india rubber or gutta percha or other composition placed at
the base of vessel into which the water is admitted from the inlet pipe. The
seating is kept in position by a socket corresponding with the internal shape of the
vessel into which water from the inlet pipe enters which socket is kept in position
by a screw collar above same. Or it might be fixed between a plate and the bottom
of the vessel. The rod of the ball lever is pivotted below the tap valve and the
rod and ball tap are connected by a pin or lever so that when the ball lever falls
the ball valve is raised and the aperture for the admission of water is opened but
when the cistern is full the ball rises and allows the ball valve to fall on its
seating and so cuts off the supply of water.

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I GEORGE DRAKE of Torquay in the County of Devon, Builder do hereby
declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BALL TAPS
" and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
According to my invention the tap proper is made of brass or other material
suitable for the purpose and may be spherical or of other convenient shaped vessel
with an inner valve which rests on a seating of india rubber or gutta percha or
other composition placed at the base of vessel into which the water is admitted
from the inlet pipe. The seating is kept in position by a socket corresponding
with the internal shape of the vessel into which water from the inlet pipe enters
which socket is kept in position by a screw collar above same. Or it might be
fixed between a plate and the bottom of the vessel. The rod of the ball lever may
be pivotted above or below the vessel and the rod and ball valve are connected by
a pin or lever.
The accompanying drawings fully illustrate the manner in which I prefer to
carry my invention into effect :-
Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal vertical sections of a ball tap constructed
according to my invention where at Figure 1 the ball tap is shown closed, and at
Figure 2 it is shown open; Figure 3 shows in longitudinal vertical section, and
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a similar arrangement to that illustrated in
the previous Figures but with vessels or sockets for the valves of different shapes to
the others. Figure 5 shows in longitudinal vertical section a similar arrangement
to the above, but where the ball is operated from the upper instead of from its
lower surface.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the Figures.
a is the valve proper or ball here in all the cases shown spherical and of which
shape I prefer to make it; b is the india rubber, gutta-percha-or-other-seating on
which the valve a rests; c is the vessel into which the water is admitted from the
supply m; d Figures 1 and 2 is the socket inside the vessel c for keeping the
seating b in position or this may be accomplished as shown at Figures 3 and 5 if
desired by securing it between a plate and the bottom of the vessel, or in any
other convenient manner. d is the screw collar for keeping the socket d in
position; e is the rod or pin of the ball lever; f is the ball lever, and
the ball or
float gl shows a flange if required on this ball to prevent the oscillations of same.
h is a guide for the pin e; i pivot and k joint.
A
At Figure 5 the pin or rod e for working the valve a is shown passing through a
stuffing box at the top of vessel c which is an obvious arrangement, in other
respects the construction and action is precisely similar as when the ball a is acted
on from its base instead of the top; m is the inlet and n is the outlet.
lengthening piece may be fitted to the outlet n at the bottom of the vessel c to
carry the water to bottom of cistern whereby it may be made a silent tap when
desired. The air or lever ball should be weighted so that it may lift the internal
valve more quickly than it would when not weighted. When the ball lever f falls
the ball valve a is raised and the aperture for the admission of water is opened but
when the cistern is full the ball f rises and allows the ball valve a to fall on its
seating and so cuts off the supply of water. In Figure 5 the ball valve a and
rode are connected but in Figures 1 and 3 the valve a is loose.

page_text: 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
In a ball tap the combination of a loose or fixed ball a on seating b in a casing c
the said ball a being operated by pin or rod e through lever f and ball g all
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.