Improvements in Ball Taps and other Taps.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Apr., 1892-Accepted, 18th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball Taps and other Taps.
I, JOHN MERRILL of Albany Road, Sheffield in the County of York, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of ball taps, and to
other taps, the object being to enable such taps to shut off against pressure, and
when desirable to provide means to cause a deposition of peaty or other solid
matter, and for the removal of same.
In constructing a ball tap, I propose in addition to the ordinary valve, to use a
second valve, placed between the ordinary valve and the supply, for the purpose
of reducing the pressure upon the ordinary valve or for cutting off the supply
altogether.
This second valve is in connection with the ordinary valve (but not necessarily
attached to it) by means of an intermediate rod or arm secured to the ordinary
valve.
According to one method I construct the tap with a valve chamber crossing the
water way before it reaches the top of the ordinary valve, and I arrange a sliding
block or valve in the chamber and that can be moved vertically up and down so
as to open or close the water way, this valve is secured upon a bent rod or arm the
other end of which is secured to the ordinary valve which is raised and lowered
by the float lever. Thus when the ordinary valve is raised to shut off the supply,
the second valve is also raised and closes the water way, reducing the pressure to a
minimum and thus enables the float to firmly close the ordinary valve.
The second valve may if desirable be a pivotted clack valve, closing upwards
by the pressure of the water supply but opened by the end of the rod or arm
beforementioned pressing upon it when the ball descends, or the second valve may
be a float such as a ball of rubber, retained in a valve chamber in the water way
and closing the opening above it by the force of the water supply when the float
and its lever are raised. When the float descends or the withdrawal of water from
the cistern the end of the rod or arm (preferably made cup shaped) presses the
rubber ball from the seat and carries it down with it. Any of these arrangements
of second valve may be applied to bib taps.
I may attach to any of these taps a cylinder or well, vertically divided except
towards the bottom, by a partition wall to form a descending and ascending water
way and closed at the bottom by a removable plug or cap for the removal of
deposit which will accumulate there.
In applying this deposit well to a bib tap according to one arrangement I place
the well directly under the valve, and the outside crutch by which it is turned.
The top of the cylinder forming the well, is closed except a round hole commu-
nicating with the ascending water way; the valve is a disc carried by the rod
which passes through the gland and is attached to the crutch, and has a hole to
correspond with that of the cylinder.
The lower face of the disc, and the top of the cylinder are ground together, so
that they fit together water tight, the disc being held to the cylinder by the
adjustable gland.
When the crutch is turned it carries the disc valve round upon its centre and
opens or closes the water way. This disc valve may be applied to ball taps.

page_text: Improvements in Ball Taps and other Tape.
I, JOHN MERRILL of Albany Road, Sheffield in the County of York, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of ball taps, and to
other taps, the object being to enable such taps to shut off against high pressure,
and also to provide means to cause a deposition of solid matter usually of a peaty
nature, so that the same may be removed.
The invention is illustrated in the annexed sheet of drawings similar letters of
reference indicate similar parts in any of the figures.
Fig. 1, is a section of a ball tap made according to my invention.
Fig. 2, section of ball tap with one valve.
Fig. 3, section of ball tap with ball valve.
Fig. 4, section of ball tap with disc valve and depositing well.
In constructing a ball tap such as shown in Fig. 1, I propose in addition to the
ordinary valve A, to use a second valve B, placed between the ordinary valve and
the supply, for the purpose of reducing the pressure upon the ordinary valve or
for cutting off the supply altogether.
I therefore provide a valve chamber C, crossing the waterway before it reaches
the top of the valve A; the second valve B, is a sliding block or plate connected
with the valve A, by means of a bent rod D, in such a manner that it is carried
up and down with the valve A, as the float rises and falls, and thus opening and
closing the waterway.
By this arrangement the pressure of water upon the chief valve is reduced to-a
minimum and the float is enabled to firmly close the tap.
If desirable, I may dispense with the ordinary valve A, and use the valve B,
alone as shown in Fig. 2, the rod or arm D, being in that case secured directly to
the float lever E.
The chief valve may be made spherical, say for example a ball of rubber F, or
a clack valve as indicated by the dotted lines, and may be lifted by the end G,
of the float lever E, in this case the second valve would be connected to the
other side of the fulcrum pin H, as shown. The arrangement of the two valves
may be varied without departing from the invention, but a simple plan is shown in
Fig. 3.
A further improvement is shown in Fig. 4, in which the valve is a disc J, fitting
against a corresponding facing or seat in the tap, through both parts of which, a
waterway K, is made.
The tap is shown open in the drawing; the valve is provided with a lug on its
upper side, which fits into the slot in the bottom of the spindle L, of the handle
or "crutch" M, by which the valve is turned. N is a gland to prevent leakage
When the valve is turned round, the solid part of the valve covers the waterway
in the seating and closes the tap, the pressure of the water retains the valve upon
the seating.
In conjunction with the said tap I have shown a deposition well W, consisting
of a cylinder or other shaped receptacle vertically divided by a wall P, nearly to
the bottom, and forming a descending and ascending waterway as shown.
The bottom of the well may be closed by a plug or screw cap Q, or an enlarged
cap of a globular form may be used to retain the deposit until its removal.
Such a depositing well may be applied to any form of tap whether a ball tap or
not, and may be placed in any suitable position, in conjunction with the tap.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same may be carried into effect, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In the construction of a ball tap, the combination with the ordinary
valve A, of a second valve B, working together for the purpose specified, and con-
structed substantially as hereinbefore described, and with reference to the drawing,
and Fig. 1.
2.-A ball tap having a single slide valve B, moving across the waterway and
connected by means of a rod or arm D, with the float lever substantially as
hereinbefore described, and as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.
3. A ball tap, having a spherical valve, or a clack valve, as the main valve,
and a plug valve as the second valve, working together for the purpose specified
and constructed substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in Fig. 3.
4. A tap having a disc valve fitting against a face or seating, through which
corresponding waterways are formed, the disc being capable of being turned round
by a spindle and crutch or finger piece, so that the waterway may be opened or
closed as desired, substantially as hereinbefore described, and as shown in Fig. 4
of the annexed drawings.
5. In combination with ball taps, bib taps or other taps, a depositing well
having a descending and ascending waterway, with a removable cap or plug, for
the purpose specified, and substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in
Fig. 4.
who wand way of pri 10
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicant.