IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES, TAPS, OR COCKS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Harvey Corlett, of Güstrow, in the Grand
Duchy of Mecklenburg Schwerin, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES, TAPS, OR COCKS."
Sealed the 1st March 1864, and dated the 2nd September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Harvey Corlett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd September 1863.
I, CHARLES HARVEY CORLETT, of Güstrow, in the Grand Duchy of
Mecklenburg Schwerin, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES, TAPS, OR Cocks," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object the improvement of valves, taps, or cocks
used for supplying water through cranes or pillars to locomotive engine
tenders on railways, for fixed stand pipes in streets, for hydrants or fire cocks,
for public urinals and drinking fountains, and for other like purposes, so as
better to prevent the same being affected by frost. For this purpose I con-
struct valves, taps, or cocks with three openings or orifices instead of two, as
has heretofore been generally the custom, viz., one inlet and two outlets. The
object of this second outlet is to let the water run off which remains above the
valve, tap, or cock after the inlet is closed, this second outlet being kept closed
during the time the valve, tap, or cock is being used for supply, but opening

page_text: simultaneously as the inlet closes, and vice versa. By this means no water
⚫ can remain in any of the above-named apparatus after use, and therefore
cannot cause any obstruction by becoming frozen.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Henry Corlett in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HARVEY CORLETT, of Güstrow, in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Schwerin,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Harvey Corlett, Her special licence that I, the said. Charles
Harvey Corlett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Charles Harvey Corlett, my executors, .administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES, TAPS, OR Cocks," 'upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Harvey Corlett, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
"
:
NOW KNOW YE, -that I, the said Charles Harvey Corlett, do hereby.
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the.
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
-
:
This Invention has for its object the improvement of valves, taps, or cocks
used for supplying water through cranes or pillars to locomotive tenders ou
railways, for stand pipes in streets, for hydrants or fire cocks, for public urinals

page_text: and drinking fountains, and for other like purposes, so as better to prevent the
same being obstructed by frost. For this purpose I construct valves, taps, or
cocks with three openings or orifices instead of two, as has heretofore been
generally the custom, videlicet, one inlet and two outlets. The object of this
second outlet is to let the water run off which remains above the valve, tap, or cock
after the inlet is closed; this second outlet being kept closed during the timo
the valve, tap, or cock is being used for supply, but opening simultaneously as
the inlet closes, and vice versa, as will be seen and better understood by refer-
ence to the accompanying Drawings; thus no water remaining in any
of the above-named apparatus after use they cannot become obstructed by.
frost.
:
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a sectional elevation of a valve constructed according
to my Invention showing the supply closed and the waste pipe or run off open.
Figure 2 is a similar elevation showing the supply open and the waste pipe
closed. Figure 3 is an external elevation of the same. The letters in these
and all the other Figures are the same.
A is an outer case of cast iron or other suitable material having an inlet B
from below. C is an outlet above, and D is the second outlet or run off. E
is a double faced moveable valve made of brass or other suitable material fitted
on the two seatings F and F*, with a facing of india-rubber or other
elastic material. This valve is moved up and down by means of the spindle G
passing through the guides H and H*, the lower end of thes pindle is made
square to keep it steady while the valve is being opened and closed. The
valve is worked above by bevil wheels or screw and handle, as in Figures 1.
and 2, Sheet 4, and Figures 3 and 4, Sheet 5. On turning the handle the
valve E will be raised from the seating of the inlet B and pressed against the.
seating of the second outlet or waste pipe D, by which means the water will be:
admitted through B and flow in the direction of the arrows,, as shown' in
Figure 2; Sheet 1, through C to the mouth of the crane or other delivery.
On turning the handle in the opposite direction the valve E descends and
presses again on the seating of the inlet B, thereby closing the same and
opening simultaneously the waste pipe D, so that the water remaining in the
crane or above the box A will run off through this outlet, as shown by the
arrows in Figure 1, Sheet 1, thus preventing the same being frozen. This
waste water can be conducted to the nearest ditch or sewer, or, in localities
where shortness of water prevails, back into the well from which the supply has
been taken. A stop-cock can be fitted in the waste pipe for the purpose of.
closing the same in summer so as to prevent unnecessary waste.
That part
of the moveable valve E which closes the outlet D is made of a conical form.

page_text: for the purpose of closing the same as quickly as may be so as to diminish the
waste of water during the opening and closing of the valve. In Figure 3 I
is a movable plate which can be easily unscrewed for the purpose of inspecting
the valve or for repairing the same without having to take the apparatus to
pieces.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, Sheet 1, are sectional and external elevations of one of
my.
valves in which the inlet is from the side and the outlet from below. The
application of the valves just described is shewn at Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 4,
in section and elevation to a single water crane for railway purposes; the valve
is opened by means of bevil wheels worked by hand wheel whilst standing on
the tender of the locomotive engine.
Figures 7, 8, and 9, Sheet 1, are sectional and external elevations of a
modification of my valves. A is the outer case; B, the inlet or supply; C, the
outlet; D, the second outlet or waste pipe; E, the movable double-faced
valve, with F and F* the india-rubber facings; G, the spindle moving through
the stuffing box K, and formed with a screw thread near the lower end for
working the valve upwards and downwards by means of the handle or hand
wheel above. This modification of valve is applicable to hydrants and fire
cocks, as shewn in section and elevation in Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 3, and to.
water cranes for railways. The valves are opened and closed while -the
attendant stands on the ground, as shown in section and elevation in Figure 1,
Sheet 2, and Figure 6, Sheet 3. This modification of valve, as also the valves
shewn at Figures 1 to Sheet 1, are so constructed as to be applicable to all
existing railway water cranes.
Figures 10, 11, and 12, Sheet 1, are sectional and external elevations of
one of my valves, suitable for fixed stand pipes and drinking fountains. The
application of this valve to fixed stand pipes is shown in section and elevation
in Figures 3 and 4, Sheet 3.
Figures 18 and 14, Sheet 1, and Figure 15, Sheet 2, are horizontal sections
and plan, and Figure 16, Sheet 2, is a front elevation of one of my valves
suitable to public urinals. A, A, A, is an outer case of brass or other suitable
material, of which B is the inlet; C, the outlet; D, the second outlet or
waste pipe; E, E*, is the double-faced valve, with F, F*, india-rubber facings;
G, the spindle, having a coarse-threaded screw and working through the
guide H and the stuffing box K. To this spindle is attached a lever L,
weighted at the one end with a balance weight M, and having at the other
end a foot plate N.
. The action is as follows:-On any one approaching and standing on the
foot plate N, the plate sinks, pressing the upright O (Figure16) on the lever L,

page_text: thus raising the balance weight M, causing the valve E, E*, by means of
the coarse-threaded screw to open the inlet, at the same time closing the
outlet D, as seen in Figure 14, the water flows in at B and takes the direction
of the arrows to the outlet C. On the person leaving the foot plate the ball
weight M descends from its own gravity, causing the valve E, E*, to close the
inlet, opening at the same time the waste pipe D, so that the overplus of water
flows in the direction of the arrows, as seen in Figure 13. The application of
this valve to public urinals is shown in elevation at Figure 5, Sheet 3, where
the same is shewn in connection with an earthenware or cast-iron urinal fixed
in the wall; the pipes are also fixed in the wall to protect them from injury.
My Invention can further be applied to slide or sluice valves, for which
purpose it is only necessary that a third outlet (or waste) be cast on the outer
case of the valve below the usual inlet and outlet, and that the slide be made
to open downwards instead of upwards, as is usually the case. By this means
when the slide is opened by screwing it downwards, the third opening or waste"
will be simultaneously closed, or vice versa. The slide can be made water-
tight on the waste opening by double wedge pieces, or by a spring in the usual
way. This third opening can also be made at the bottom of the outer case
instead of the side, and the slide may be made of a lengthened form with a
conical termination, so that on screwing the slide downwards this waste pipe
will become closed by the cone. The form of slide valves known as Brown
and May's Patent, No. 239, 9th February 1858, and William Davis' Patent,
No. 125, 14th January 1859, are specially suitable for these improvements
from their peculiar construction, in which the third outlet or waste can be
closed by the same slide as the inlet opens.
Figures 1 to 5, Sheet 5, are modifications of my valves applied to the
hydrant known as Jennings' Patent, No. 14,273, 23rd August 1852, to which
I apply a cover with the outlet attached, and cause a plate to be cast on the
upper part of the slide valve under which is the india-rubber facing. This plate,
when the valve is pressed down for supply, closes the run off or waste pipe,
but as soon as the pressure is again removed from the slide it immediately
rises again and allows the water remaining above the valve to run off. The
particular parts which constitute this improvement are shown in the Drawings
with shaded lines.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, I declare that I do
not confine myself to the exact forms shown in the Drawings, but vary themn
according to the circumstances to which they are to be applied; and that
I claim the construction of cocks, valves, or taps, with double seated valves,

page_text: and with three openings, substantially in manner and for the purpose herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Harvey Corlett, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
CHARLES HARVEY CORLETT. (L.S.)
Civil Engineer.