AN IMPROVE- MENT IN SPREADING NOZZLES.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Prosser, of 24, Featherstone Buildings,
Holborn, London, Brass Finisher, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN SPREADING NOZZLES.
"
Sealed the 27th December 1872, and dated the 29th June 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Prosser at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th June 1872.
I, WILLIAM PROSSER, of 24, Featherstone Buildings, Holborn,
London, Brass Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SPREADING NOZZLES," to be as follows :—
The Invention is designed to break up the stream of water as it leaves
the delivery nozzles in a more complete manner than has hitherto been
done, and is applicable in all cases where a rain shower would be of
service,
The improvement consists in the adaptation to the delivery nozzle
of a set of levers which are placed around its mouth. These levers are

page_text: pivoted on wires placed in slots on a wheel, the lower end working.
in grooves cut in a cam, the whole being enclosed in a metal casing or
shield.
In addition to the above I place inside the "shield" a number of
fingers which do not move. These are fastened to the above-mentioned
wheel by a slot, and are so bent that when the shield is driven over
them they are partly straightened, and while they themselves are thus
prevented from moving they also by pressing against the ends of the
wires on which the moveable fingers are pivoted keep them also in their
places.
Secondly. I make a nozzle by using a shield as before, but instead of
using separate fingers make a spreader out of a piece of tube as
follows: The tube being cut to the right length, one edge of it is
brought down to a sharp edge; this edge is then cut slantingly so as to
form sharp points, these points, being turned in towards the centre till
the necessary opening is left between them; act like knives on the water
and spread it in fine spray. This spreader is moved by means of a milled
wheel acting in a slot cut in the side of the shield, and the spreading
nozzle gives at the will of the operator a straight slit or a spray.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said William Prosser in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PROSSER, of 24, Featherstone Buildings, Holborn, London, Brass
Finisher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenth-ninth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Prosser, Her special licence that I, the a
said William Prosser, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Prosser, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time

page_text: 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
Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SPREADING NOZZLES," upon the condition
5 (amongst others) that I, the said William Prosser; 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 William Prosser, 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:-
The Invention is designed to break up the stream of water as it leaves
delivery nozzles in a more complete manner than has hitherto been
done. For this purpose I place around the mouth of the nozzles ten
fingers or levers, which on being moved in radial directions enter into
the issuing stream and break it into spray. These levers are pivoted on
a wheel in which a groove has been cut, which wheel screws on to the
outside and outer end of the nozzle. Each lever has a hole drilled
through it, and a wire is made to pass through this hole and to lie in the
groove above-mentioned. Both the fingers and the wheel are enclosed
by a protecting shield of metal, while the lower ends of the fingers work
in slots cut on the face of a circular can.
And some of the principal parts of my improvements relate to
methods of fastening the ends of the pieces of wires passing through
each lever and lying in the groove already mentioned. Hitherto these
ends have been kept in their places by means of little bits of metal of a
certain size and shape, but I claim it as a part of my Invention to
asten them as follows:-I place in addition to the ten levers already
nentioned ten other levers, but do not move as the original ten but
which are fixed. These ten levers are drilled and have wires passed
hrough the holes similarly to the original ten, and by letting them pass
ato vertical slots exactly opposite the two ends of the wires on which

page_text: two adjoining moveable fingers are pivoted, which also go into slots;
the body of the fixed finger keeps these ends tightly in their places; the
fixed fingers themselves are kept in position by being bent to a sufficient
degree for the shield to be driven over them so tightly that they are in
a degree straightened and their elasticity keeps them tight, and thus I
am able to fix ten moveable fingers and ten fixed fingers on wires in a
groove, and to keep the whole of them in their position by simply placing a
protecting shield over the whole, and thus the shield answers a double
purpose of guarding the fingers against external injury and of keeping
the two sets of fingers in position.
I occasionally dispense with the wires in the fixed fingers, and out
instead a slot on the inner face of the finger, the ends of the wires of the
moveable fingers lie in this slot, and the pressure of the shield as before
keeps the whole in their places.
In case I 'am desirous of not breaking up the water into exceedingly
fine spray by not using the additional ten fixed fingers, I have an
equally simple plan of fastening the moveable fingers without using
loose pieces of metal as heretofore, namely, I bend the wire on which
the finger is moved at right angles and cut it off close to the outer edge
of the wheel above-named, and then drive the shield over them as
before, and the pressure of the shield against the ends of the wires keeps
the fingers in their places.
"
Secondly. I claim as part of my Invention to make a spreading
nozzle of the following description :-I make a nozzle with an enlarged
mouth, somewhat bell-shaped, and in the mouth of the bell-shaped
portion which I call a shield I place a spreading apparatus, which by
preference I make as follows:-I take a tube and "shamfer
one end
down to a cutting edge, then divide the cutting edge into two or more
equal segments, turn the points of these segments towards the centre,
and as to the water issues against the knives thus formed it is spread out
in a greater or less degree, according as there are few or many segments
and to the sharpness of the knives. This spreader is then soldered or
fastened on to a milled wheel, which is further pivoted to a carrier a bit
of metal of a suitable shape fastened to the inside of the shield, and
by preference I let the wheel project through a slot in the side of the
shield so that the thumb of the hand holding the spreader can readily

page_text: act upon it, and by a very slight movement this spreader is brought into
or removes out of the stream, and thus as in the case of the nozzle with
fingers a straight stream or a spray at the will of the operator may be
given out, and in order to keep the spreader fixed when it is either open
or shut without having to keep the thumb on the milled wheel I cause
this wheel to rub against a roller or pad made of rubber, leather, or other
elastio substance.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of this my said Invention, and the
claims relating thereto, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself exactly to the modes indicated, but to be substantially and
materially as herein described, and as shewn on the accompanying
Drawings or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Prosser, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
WILLIAM PROSSER. (L.8.)