IMPROVE- MENTS IN VALVES, TAPS, OR COCKS FOR DOMESTIC, SANITARY, OR OTHER TISE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Meacock and Angus William Cuthbert Ward,
both of Chester, in the County of Chester, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VALVES, TAPS, OR COCKS FOR DOMESTIC, SANITARY, OR OTHER
TISE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Meacock and Angus
William Cuthbert Ward at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
28th December 1880.
THOMAS MEACOCK and ANGUS WILLIAM CUTHBERT WARD, both of Chester, in
the County of Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES, TAPS, OR COCKS FOR
DOMESTIC, SANITARY, OR OTHER USE."
This Invention is designed as a tap or valve to gradually close of itself when no
longer acted upon by the person drawing water or other fluid therefrom.
It consists essentially in a valve seat and an elastic chamber formed partly or
wholly of india-rubber or its equivalent, and fixed to the walls of the valve case or
tap by a perforated diaphragm or its equivalent. This chamber has two orifices, one
small one always open to the supply water, the larger one usually closed by a ball or
valve connected by a stem with the press-in or pull-out handle of the cock. This
handle can be held to the face of the orifice by a spring. To draw water the
handle is pressed in or out, as the case may be, the water rushes out of the larger
orifice quicker than it can enter at the smaller, and the supply water pressing on
the elastic chamber forces it back and allows water to pass between it and the seat,
and round through the perforated diaphragm or its equivalent. The moment
however the handle is released it closes the larger orifice; the water entering at the
smaller orifice expands the chamber and allows its natural elasticity to force it
against the seat closing the cock. In actual practice we may only have half the
chamber, that part between the diaphragm and the valve seat of elastic material;
but in such cases we prefer to have some arrangement by which a spring or piece
of springy matter shall assist the closing. Again, in some instances, instead of
closing the larger opening with a ball or valve, we make it of elastic compressible
materials, and compress it so as to close the aperture. The diaphragm can be in
one piece with the elastic chamber, or of metal or other material, and we sometimes
place a metallic guard round parts of the chamber to strengthen it. The outside
body of the cock does not differ materially from other cocks, so it is of no use
describing it. This form of valve will be found very useful for ordinary service
cocks to prevent waste, as a valve for water-closet supply, and for other purposes
where it is desirable to prevent waste by shutting off the water supply after the
hand turning it on is withdrawn.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Meacock and Angus William Cuthbert Ward in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 27th June 1881.
"
THOMAS MEACOCK and ANGUS WILLIAM CUTHBERT WARD, both of Chester, in
the County of Chester. IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES, TAPS, OR COCKS FOR
DOMESTIC, SANITARY, OR OTHER USE."
This Invention is designed as a tap or valve to gradually close of itself when no
longer acted upon by the person drawing water or other fluid therefrom.
It consists essentially in a valve seat and an elastic chamber formed partly or
wholly of india rubber or its equivalent, and contained in a metal pan fixed to the
walls of the valve case or tap. This chamber has two orifices, one sinall one always
open to the supply water, the larger one usually closed by a ball or valve connected
by a stem with the press in or pull out handle of the cock. The handle can be
held to the face of the orifice by a spring. To draw water the handle is pressed in
or out as the case may be. The water rushes out of the larger orifice quicker than
it can enter at the smaller, and the supply water pressing on the elastic chamber
forces it back and allows water to pass between it and the seat and round the pan.
The moment however the handle is released it closes the larger orifice; the water
entering at the smaller orifice expands the chamber and allows its natural elasticity
to force it against the seat closing the cock.
A modification of our taps or valves forms and automatically acts as a water
pressure reducer in the manner hereafter described.
The outside body of the cock does not differ materially from other cocks, so it is
of no use describing it. This form of valve will be found very useful for ordinary
service cocks to prevent waste, as a valve for water closet supply, and for other
purposes where it is desirable to prevent waste by shutting off the water supply
after the hand turning it on is withdrawn.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, side elevation; Fig. 2, front elevation; Fig. 3, longitudinal section ;
Fig. 4, transverse section; Fig. 5, plan; and Fig. 6, detail of spindle and auxiliary
valve in connection with a tap, in which the means of opening are placed at front;
Fig. 7, side elevation; Fig. 8, end elevation; Fig. 9, longitudinal section; Fig. 10,
transverse section in which the means to open are placed on top; Fig. 11, arrange-
ment for a ball cock for supplying cisterns, et cetera; Fig. 12, separate views of
elastic chamber with brass ferrule lining inlet to interior of chamber.
The taps shewn in Figs. 1 to 10 is made with a broad seating A, on which is
bedded a conical india-rubber plug or valve B, the outer portion of which is hollow
and forms a spherical chamber, as shown. The spherical portion of the plug fits
into and bears against a corresponding brass pan C, which is held in position by
four lugs D. On the front side this pan is perforated for the passage of a valve
stem E carrying a valve F, which seats itself upon the inner side of the india rubber
chamber.
The valve stem is continued through the front of the cock and furnished
externally with a press knob G, as shown. The solid portion of the india rubber
valve is also pierced on the side next the supply pipe, the hole in it being lined
by a brass ferrule H having a small hole in it at the end next the source of
supply.
The action of the tap is as follows, with the parts in the position in which they
are shewn-The water under pressure obtains access to the interior of the india-
rubber chamber through the small hole just mentioned, and by distending this

page_text: chamber it forces the india-rubber valve against its seating, thus preventing any
flow of water through the tap. On the press knob being forced inwards however
the front auxiliary valve is opened, and the water in the india-rubber chamber is
allowed to escape, the chamber then partially collapsing and allowing the main
valve to open.
On the press knob being released the auxiliary valve is closed both
by the pressure of the water and the india-rubber packing I let in between the
spindle and the button, and in the front casing the india-rubber chamber will again
become gradually charged with water, and the parts will assume the position in
which they are shown in illustration.
Fig. 11 represents in elevation a ball tap constructed to our Invention. This
tap is arranged in the manner herein before described, but instead of the rod or
spindle for opening and closing the tap being moved by hand the said rod is pressed
when the tap is required to be opened by the ball or float lever J in front of tap, as
shown.
Fig. 13, side elevation; Fig. 14, front elevation; Fig. 15, longitudinal section ;
Fig. 16, transverse section; Fig. 17, plan of a tap similar to what have been
described, but of different construction, action the same, the only difference being
that the spindle auxiliary valve F forms its joint in the interior of elastic chamber
on a rubber ring let into the spindle, whereas in the arrangements on Sheet 1 the
joint is made on the ball, and the packing for the spindle where it enters the front
of casing is made by a rolling ring J and the spring to close by a piece of rubber
or other elastic tubing I, whereas on Sheet 1 the packing is formed by the rubber
tubing alone, it being let into casting and between spindle and press knob, thus
acting as a spring to shut the valve and also to form a watertight joint.
Fig. 18, longitudinal section; Fig. 19, end elevation; Fig. 20, sectional plan of a
water pressure reducer constructed according to our Invention. It is formed similar
to the stop taps having outer casing shown with ground unions for connecting to
pipes, pan C, and elastic chamber B, the pan having cast on the top a small
cylinder K, in which works an auxiliary valve or piston L, a joint being kept at
top by the cup leather M and below by the U leather shown, the bottom part being
made into a knife edge, which makes the joint on the rubber ring, as shewn.
illustration represents a reducer to deliver the water at half the pressure of the inlet
or source of supply.
The
We will assume the pressure at inlet to be equal to four atmospheres to be
reduced to two atmospheres. On the water being turned on it forces the conical
end of the elastic chamber from its seat, flowing around the pan C and small
cylinder K on to upper surface of valve L, also through the small hole in brass
ferrule into the ball or elastic chamber. Immediately the pressure on the upper
face of valve L equals two atmospheres (by the difference of effective areas of upper
and lower faces of this valve, viz., 2 to 1) it closes, preventing any further escape
of water from the elastic chamber, the conical end of which closing on its seat
isolates the source of supply from delivery. Thus by allowing the water to flow
either the full bore or in a smaller quantity the delivery is always half the pressure
of the inlet. Or when the pressure in the delivery pipe attains half the pressure of
the source of supply the valve closes. Of course the reducers can be constructed to
reduce to any pressure required.
Our Invention relates to taps or valves which slowly close themselves after the
pressure of the hand or other force has been removed by which the tap or valve
was opened, thus preventing the damage done to pipes by suddenly stopping the
water in them, as in the case of a common stop cock; also the forming a perfect
joint by the valve, therefore there is no leakage; also the great saving in water;
the tap being self closing it does not depend on the person or force opening the tap
to shut the same.
Taps and valves constructed according to our Invention are useful for water
closets, where their use renders the ordinary service box unnecessary, and may also
be used for ball taps or valves for lavatories and offices; also it may be used as a
ferrule for connecting and controlling the communication between houses and mains

page_text: and various other purposes. It may also be used as a reducer. In the undertakings
for the distribution of water and gas, and especially in the supply of water to
towns, it is important to diminish as much as possible the pressure in the mains,
inasmuch as variable pressures have the great inconvenience of considerably
augmenting the loss by leakage, and causing the water to run through the delivery
pipes too fast. Extremely high pressures also produce effects similar to those of a
battering ram, doing great harm to the pipes, and causing leakages, and therefore
to obtain a good service it is important to diminish the pressure, and limit it
according to the required wants. The advantages to be derived from the application
of our reducers are, first, the regularity of the delivery of the fluids or gases under
a constant pressure determined beforehand; second, the prevention of considerable
loss occasioned by leakages caused by high pressures; third, the prevention of shocks
or sudden blows to the pipes by high pressures; Fourth, a reduction of the excessive
thickness of the delivery pipes.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves
to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of our Invention, but we claim as our Invention
the combination and arrangement of parts forming a complete valve cock or tap,
substantially as herein set forth, and more specially,
First. The combination in a valve tap or cock of a chamber forming the main
valve or fitted thereto, and provided with a perforation open to the inlet pipe, and
an actuating relief valve of larger area than the perforation to discharge the water
from the chamber, and thus permit the inlet pressure to open the valve for the
purposes described.
Second. The manufacture of valves, taps, or cocks, for domestic, sanitary, or other
use, with an elastic chamber fitted and acting substantially as and for the purposes
described.
+
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Meacock and Angus William
Cuthbert Ward, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty third
day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
THOMAS MEACOCK.
(L.S.)
ANGUS W. C. WARD. (LS.)