IMPROVE- MENTS IN PIPE COUPLINGS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PIPE COUPLINGS."-A communication from abroad by Messieurs
Button and Blake, of Washington, in the United States of America, Fire
Engine Manufacturers.
Sealed the 11th October 1860, and dated the 7th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johuson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th May 1860.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE COUPLINGS," a communication to me from abroad by
Messieurs Button and Blake, of Washington, in the United States of America,
Fire Engine Manufacturers, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a pecular construction of coupling and mode of
connecting pipes, more particularly applicable to the hose pipes of fire engines,
whereby an extra length of pipe may be coupled on to the hose without
necessitating the shutting off or stoppage of the flow of water through such

page_text: pipe. According to this Invention it is proposed so to construct the couplings
that a tight junction of the two parts thereof may be effected by two combined
movements, namely, first, connecting and matching the two parts by a sliding
movement in a lateral or transverso direction to the line of piping; and
secondly, setting up or forcing the same parts tightly together by an endwise or
longitudinal movement of the parts, employing for that purpose screws, wedges,
cams, levers, or other mechanical equivalents, either separately or combined.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and 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 "Iж-
PROVEMENTS IN PIPE COUPLINGS," a communication from abroad by Messieurs
Button and Blake, of Washington, in the United States of America, Fire
Engine Manufacturers, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction of coupling and mode
of connecting pipes, more particularly applicable to the hose pipes of fire-
engines, whereby an extra length of pipe may be coupled on to the hose
without necessitating the shutting off or stoppage of the flow of water through
such pipe.
According to this Invention it is proposed so to construct the couplings that
a tight junction of the two parts thereof may be effected by two combined
movements; namely, first, connecting the two parts by a sliding movement in
a lateral or transverse direction to the line of piping; and, secondly, setting up
or forcing the same parts tightly together by an endwise or longitudinal move-
ment of the parts, employing for that purpose screws, wedges, cams, levers, or
other mechanical equivalents, either separately or combined.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I
shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represent respectively
a longitudinal section and plan of one mode of connecting hose pipes according
to this Invention.
A is a metal pipe, to which the hose B is attached. This pipe, which may
be called the closing pipe, passes through the male part M of the coupling, and
when the parts of the coupling are entered and exhausted; this pipe is forced
up endwise, so that its end presses against the washer D, thereby making a
perfectly tight joint. The swivel collar E is made with a solid portion S, and
cylindrical flanges a, b. The flange b is short, and covers the neck c of the
male part M. The longer flange a has a screw thread cut upon its outside,
which takes into a thread cut upon the inside of the male part M. The end
of this flange presses against a rim or flange e formed on the end of the pipo
A, and forces the rim e against the washer D in the female part F, and thus
produces a tight joint. The swivel collar is provided with a folding lever
handle K, to assist in turning it in screwing and unscrewing. The washer D
is sunk in a groove turned in the part F, and the flange e or end of the pipe
A entering the groove to a slight depth serves to keep the parts F and M in
place. When the collar E is turned back or unscrewed it acts against the
edge i of the ferrule or collar N, and withdraws the edge of the pipe A from
the groove, and allows the parts F and M to be separated. The hose is

page_text: secured upon the pipe A by the screw thread formed upon the outside of this
pipe, and the binding or pressure of the collar N.
Figures 1 and 2 represent the joint, as set up for use; Figures 3 and 4,
shew the application of the same principle to the fastening of a nozzle to a
pipe; M and F are the male and female parts of the coupling; A is the
nozzle, upon the end of which is a screw thread taking into a thread upon the
inside of the part M, and the joint is set up by simply turning the nozzle.
In setting up the common screw and other couplings, in which a rotatory
movement is required; a lever or tool called a spanner " is ordinarily used
to produce the required force to make a tight joint, and is also necessary to
assist in uncoupling. These improvements dispense with the use of the
spanner and in place of the studs upon which it acts; a folding lever or
handle K is used jointed to the revolving part of the coupling, by which lover
the required force is given to make a tight joint. This lever or handle when
not in use is folded or laid back against the hose or pipe, and when required
for use is raised to the position shown in red lines, to act as a lever in turning
the swivel collar to which it is attached. One handle or lever is sufficient for
turning the swivel collar, but for setting up with great force two handles are
required, one being attached to the swivel collar E, and the other to the
male part M. The bandles are hung upon pins or axes e', ', between the.
projections i³, i'.
The positions of the handles are so arranged with reference to the move-
ments of the parts, that when the coupling is set up the handles are on
opposite sides of the couplings, and when uncoupled and ready for connection,
the handles are near and in line with each other, so that both may be seized
by one hand in making the side connection. When this is made the handles
are moved apart in setting up. It is obvious that the folding handle is
applicable with the same economy to any coupling which is set up by rotary
movement, and the handle may be so hung as to fold at right angles with the
axis of the coupling, and answer the same purpose. This coupling joint offers
the advantages of a tighter joint, and one in which the two parts will always
match, and preserve an unobstructed passage for water. The matching is
always secured by the stop piece or boss X on the end of the malo part M.
This boss striking against the female part F when the male part is fully
entered laterally.
Figures 5 and 6 exhibit a simple mode of setting up the coupling joint by
two movements. m is the male part on the end of the hose pipe A, and ƒ the
female part. In the face of this part is sunk a circular washer 1, and
corresponding to this is a circular flange or projection i on the face of the

page_text: male part m. A swivel collar v turns between the projecting flanges & on the
end of the female part f, and the flanges on the male part m, and this
collar being of a wedge-like form above and below, or in its two halves, acts as
a double wedge to set up the pipe A, and force the projection i against the
washer n. It is obvious that the pipe A may be forced against the washer by
other equivalent means without altering the essential character of the Inven-
tion, which consists chiefly in completing the joint by the endwise motion of
the pipe A, whether the said motion be caused by the swivel collar, by the
turning of the pipe itself, or by the action of screws, wedges, cams, or other
mechanical means.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general constructions and arrangements of couplings for hose and
other pipes, as herein before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second, the system or node of coupling or joining pipes by so constructing
the parts to be joined, that a lateral adjustment of such parts is first effected,
followed by a longitudinal adjustment or tightening up of the same, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Third day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.s.)