AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS OR TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS
Year: 1832

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
BEARD, of Coggeshall, in the County of Essex, Ironmonger, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the
Fourth, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the First day of March, in the second year
of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Beard, His especial licence, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Charles Beard, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Charles Beard, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS
OR TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I, the said Charles Beard, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto bad, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Beard, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:
The object of my improvement in cocks and taps consists in preventing
the leakage which cocks heretofore constructed are so generally subject to,
and which I effect by the introduction of a certain moveable plate acting
between two surfaces formed of an elastic substance or substances, such sub-
stance or substances being introduced into two fixed hollow chambers, the
surface of such elastic substance or substances acting on each side of the
moveable plate, which is smooth on both sides, thereby keeping up an uniform
pressure or tightness, and wholly preventing the leakage so generally com-
plained of. And I would observe that I prefer to use cork for general pur-
poses, where that substance will not be acted ou prejudically by the liquids to
which the cocks may be applied. In the Drawing hereunto annexed I have
exhibited several modifications and adaptations of my improvement, the same
letters of reference denoting similar parts in all the Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure exhibits the external appearance of my improved night cock or
tap for drawing off any fluid matters; Figure 2, a longitudinal section; and
Figure 3, a front or end view of the same; a is the barrel of the cock;
b, b, two hollow chambers divided by a partition, having in the centre on one
side a projecting pivot forming the axis on which the moveable plate c turns.
Into these chambers 6 the elastic substance or substances d, d, are forced so
as to fill up the interior (one of which is seen in the detached Figure 4). The
chambers and packing are each provided with apertures to allow of the free
passage of the fluid matters intended to be passed off through the mouth or
opening e of the cock. The moveable plate c is inserted between the elastic
substances, and is kept perfectly close to them by the screws seen at f,f,f, in
the outer rim or edge of the chambers b. This plate is also provided with an
aperture corresponding with those before described, and will be clearly seen
detached at Fig. 5. g is the lever or key for giving motion to the plate c, by
which the cock is opened or shut. This lever acts in a notch or segment h
cut in the outer rim of the chambers b, the length of which notch or segment
regulates the distance that the lever has to move so as to open or shut the
cock.

page_text: Figure 6 shews the position of the lever when the cock is open.
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 exhibit the application of my improvement
to lock cocks, in which the lever or key I is moveable. The action of this
cock is precisely similar to that last described; the difference in its con-
struction will be clearly understood by reference to the Drawing.
In Figure 13 I have exhibited a section of a cock differently formed to
those last mentioned, which I term a slide cock, and in which, instead of the
revolving plate before described, I introduce between the elastic packing a
sliding plate c, which is also provided with an aperture corresponding with
those in the chambers p, p. One of these chambers is shewn detached in
Fig. 14, with the elastic substance or packing fitted into it. The form of the
sliding plate c is shewn in Figure 15, and the manner in which it acts upon
the elastic packing in Figures 16 and 17.
Another modification of my Invention is shewn in Fig. 18, which is an
external view of a "stop-cock," the interior arrangement being similar
to that shewn at Fig. 2, with straight ends, adapted to affix to a tube or
pipe.
Although I have exhibited in the annexed Drawing the chambers bas
being partially filled with the elastic substance or substances, yet I do not mean
to confine myself to the exact form therein shewn, as the chambers, if completely
filled with elastic substances, and the partition entirely removed, would
answer equally as well. The moveable plate c, if constructed as shewn in
Figs. 19 and 20, with the elastic substance or substances fitted into it on
each side, the surface of such substances will act against the interior of the
chambers b, and keep up an uniform pressure with the same effect as those
before described.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I would have it understood that I am aware that cork and various
other elastic or suitable substances have heretofore been used in cocks to
prevent leakage. I do not therefore lay claim to the introducing of such
substances, excepting when applied and arranged with the other parts of my
Invention, which I hereby declare to consist in constructing and applying the
moving or sliding plates c with or between two elastic surfaces, as before
described, to cocks for drawing off liquids.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Beard, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.
CHARLES (L.S.) BEARD.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-seventh day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1832, the aforesaid Charles Beard came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Thirtieth day of April in the year of our Lord One
Inrolled the Thirtieth day of April in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.