IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS AND TAPS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Walker, of 9, Alexandra Villas, Rushmore Road
Lower Clapton, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS AND TAPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Walker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st December 1880.
JAMES WALKER, of 9, Alexandra Villas, Rushmore Road, Lower Clapton, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS AND
TAPS."
My Invention consists in improvements in the construction of cocks and taps.
Whereby I am enabled to keep the cocks and taps tight without removing them
from the piping into which they have been fixed.
I construct a gland top and bottom with gland fixing plug top and bottom
making double gland cocks; the plug is constructed with three tapers.
First, the usual taper in the water-way; second, taper from waterway towards
the top; third, taper from water way towards the bottom; I may also have the
top and bottom parallel.
The three tapers equalizing each other, preventing the plug from jamming.
The top and bottom glands I pack in the usual way, but I prefer to use
manufactured spun yarn of asbestos compounded with an indestructable lubricant.
The packing is put round and round the plug until the gland is full; this can be
easily removed to get at the other packing; the plug goes through the bottom gland
the same as through the top gland, but in some particular cocks the plug does not
come through the bottom gland, in which case I bore a small hole through the plug
from the bottom into the throughway; this will prevent any accumulation of
pressure on the end of the plug.
In the shell of the throughway I bore three grooves or more, according to the
size of cocks parallel to the plug, in which I insert a prepared packing of metal
or compound asbestos, but the tightness does not depend entirely upon the packing,
but upon the fit of metallic surface.
I would have it understood that I claim the three taper construction of the plug.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th May
1881.
JAMES WALKER, of 9, Alexandra Villas, Rushmore Road, Lower Clapton, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS AND
TAPS."
My Invention consists of "Improvements in the Construction of Cocks and
Taps," whereby I am enabled to keep the cocks and taps tight without removing
them from the piping into which they have been fixed. The barrel of the cock is
furnished with glands at the top and bottom for packing the plug at both ends, 1
thereby making a double gland cock. The plug is constructed with three tapers;
1st, the usual taper enclosing the water-way; 2nd, a taper from the water way
towards the top of the plug; 3rd, a taper from the water-way towards the bottom
of the plug. The tap at the top and bottom may also be made parallel, or the
bottom made parallel, and the top tapering. The taper at the top of the plug
prevents it from jamming in the barrel in the process of packing. The top and
bottom glands are packed in the usual way, but I prefer using manufactured spun
yarn of asbestos compounds with an indestructable lubricant. The packing is put
around and around the ends of the plug until the gland chambers are full, when it
is pressed into the chamber by screwed glands, or by means of bolts and nuts. The
plugs are usually constructed to go through the bottom of the barrel or gland the
same as through the top gland, but if desired for some particular kinds of cocks,
the plug can be made so as not to come through the bottom gland.
In the shell or barrel of the cock, and on each side of the through way I make
two, three, or more grooves, according to the size of the cock parallel to the plug,
in which groove I insert a prepared packing of metal and compounded asbestos,
but the tightness does not depend entirely upon the packing, but upon the fit of
the metallic surfaces.
In order to give a more full understanding of my improvements, reference is
made to the accompanying Drawings, and letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a partial vertical sectional view of a stop cock showing the several
improvements applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a top view of the cock showing a section through the plug d and top
of the barrel through the line a, a, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the cock showing a section through the lower part
of the plug d, and barrel of the cock through the line b, b.
Fig. 4 shows a sectional elevation of a small size cock with the improvements
applied, and constructed slightly different in its parts to that represented in
Fig. 1.
i
Fig. 5 is a section through line 8, 8, in Fig. 4.
The barrel c is provided with a plug d usually having three tapers, first the
common taper embracing the through way and extending the whole length of the
barrel, or from the bottom of the annular packing recesses in the glands at the top
and bottom of the barrel, as représented; the second taper extends from the bottom
of the annular packing recess in the gland upward, and the third taper of the plug
extends from the bottom of the annular packing recess in the gland downwards, as
represented. The packing is wound round the tapered parts of the plug at top
and bottom, and slipped into the annular packing recess e, e, in the glands, and
then compressed and packed around the plug by the packing nuts f and g; for
large size cocks, instead of using packing nuts, packing flanges may be employed,
provided with bolts and nuts for forcing the packing into the recesses; by making the

page_text: plug tapering at each end where it is packed at e, e, it prevents jamming the plug
in the barrel in the process of packing its upper end, and at the same time ensures
a tight joint around the plug with the packing both at its upper and lower ends.
In packing the upper end of the plug, owing to its taper, the plug can always be
packed sufficiently tight without jamming it in the barrel so much as to make it
difficult to turn when in use.
'
Instead of having the third taper at the lower end of the plug, the first taper of
the plug embracing the through way could be extended to its lower end, or the
ends of the plug where packed could be made straight or parallel, but it would not
then possess the advantages as when made tapering for reasons before stated.
The longitudinal packing his represented inserted in the circular grooves made
in the surface of the barrel, two grooves on each side of the throughway; the
packing his separately shown in Fig. 6; this packing is composed of any
suitable material, spun and twisted into a cord, and by preference combined with
asbestos and some indestructable lubricant, and made the right size to fit the
grooves. This packing is spun in such a manner that after it is inserted in the
grooves it admits of a wire or core i or its equivalent being inserted down the
centre of the packing or at the back of the packing for forcing the side of the
packing hout of the groove against the side of the plug d for making a longitudinal
joint between the surfaces of the barrel and plug, as fully shown by the Drawings.
I am aware that ordinary longitudinal packing grooves or depressions have been
made in the surface of cock barrels for receiving packing material for longitudinally
packing the plug and barrel of the cock between its throughway, but such grooves
have not been made for independently retaining the packing, and provided with
means for forcing the packing against the plug of the cock to ensure a tight
joint.
The packing I use possesses these advantages by making the longitudinal
packing grooves in the surface of the barrel of the cock in such a manner that only
a small portion of the side of the packing projects beyond the surface of the barrel,
and consequently comes against the side of the plug, and by means of the packing
wire i driven down the centre of the packing, the packing is forced against the
side of the plug, thus ensuring a tight joint for water, steam, or air. The
longitudinal circular packing grooves made in the surface of the cock's barrel, as
represented, have the power of retaining the packing therein independently of the
plug by cutting the groove in the surface of the barrel, so that only about one
fourth, more or less, of the circumference of the packing acts on the plug and
prevents the packing leaving the groove when the plug is removed, or while being
used. When packing the top of the plug d while in use a pin k is put through its
lower end to prevent it coming out.
For the smaller kinds of cocks represented in Fig. 4, instead of the plug d
coming down through the lower gland f, the gland is made solid or in the form of
a flange, as represented, with a cavity on its inside for receiving the end of the
plug, and an annular projection for forcing the packing into the gland, as repre-
sented. The Drawings are sufficiently full for further showing the structure of
the cock and improvements without further description.
Having now described the nature of my said improvements, and manner of
constructing and working the same, what I claim is:-
1st. A cock supplied with a stop plug, having three tapers, as described and
represented in the foregoing Specification, for packing the ends of the plug, and
to prevent jamming the plug in the process of packing its top end, as hereinbefore
mentioned.
2nd. A cock supplied with a plug having three tapers in combination with
packing glands at both ends of the cock, barrel, or plug, for purposes hereinbefore
described and represented.
3rd. The manner of supplying the surface of the barrel of the cock with
longitudinal strips of packing composed of asbestos or any other known suitable
packing material or compound for making a fluid, steam, or gas joint between the

page_text: surfaces of the barrel of the cock and its plug, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4th. The use of a metal rod or any suitable hard substance to serve as a packing
core to be driven or inserted into the centre or at the back of the longitudinal
packing in the sides of the cock barrel for forcing the packing against the side
of the plug d, in the manner and for the purposes before described.
5th. A stop cock provided with glands at both ends of its barrel, and furnished
with longitudinal packing strips c, as represented in combination with an ordinary
stop plug, or a plug having three tapers as represented, and for purposes herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Walker, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord 1881..