Improvements in Water Supply Cocks or Valves.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application,- 19th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water Supply Cocks or Valves.
We, ALBERT FRIEDRICH WILHELM BEHм and PAUL HERRMAN OTTO, both
of Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, Braziers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to water supply cocks or valves.
The water supply cocks or valves hitherto employed in houses have the
disadvantage that when one of these cocks becomes damaged or leaky the whole
of the supply must be cut off before the required repairs or renewals can be carried
out. The result of this is that all the taps in the same series are deprived of
their water supply, and that the injured tap cannot be thrown out of work by
itself. Another disadvantage, not less serious, of the cocks hitherto in use is that
they cannot be adjusted in correspondence with the differences of pressure in
different stories. In the lower stories the pressure is of course greater than in
those situated higher up, the consequence being that the water flows from the
lowest cock with considerably greater force and speed than that with which it
flows from the one in the topmost story. The result of this is that the water flows
from the lowest cock under such a pressure that it splashes about, whilst in the
uppermost story it has perhaps only just sufficient force to flow out at all. Nor
can this excess of pressure in the lower cocks be got rid of by closing the main
cock more or less since the supply to the branch, on which a whole series of taps
is situated, is thereby so lessened that when several of these taps are in use at the
same time the supply of water is deficient. It has thus been necessary, up to
the present, to put up with the excessive pressure in the lower stories, and to trust
to the servants to reduce the inconvenience as much as possible by a careful use of
the taps. Since, however, very few servants observe the necessary precaution and
watchfulness in using the taps the excessively high pressure has been a constant
source, up to now, of waste of water, as the result of its splashing about.
All these disadvantages are obviated by the cut-off and regulating arrangement
which forms the subject of our invention, and which is connected with the water
supply, since it not only allows of cutting off every separate tap in such a way
that the part of the cock which requires repair can be removed without rendering
it necessary to cut off the supply of water from any other tap whatever, but this
arrangement allows the supply of water for every separate tap to be controlled at
will without in the least affecting the supply to any other tap.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe how
it can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing, in
which:-
Figures 1 and 2 are sections shewing our invention applied to a flushing valve;
and,
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views shewing the invention applied to a screw-
down cock;
Figure 1 is a plan of part of the valve shewn in Figures 1 and 2; and,
Figure 34 is a similar view of part of the cock shewn in Figures 3 and 4.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 14 the flushing valve is set in action in the
usual way by pressing down a knob A, Figures 1 and 2, the rod a of which passes
through a stuffing-box 6 in the casing B of the valve, and carries the valve c at its
lower end. The rod a also passes through the inner cylinder C which carries at
its lower surface the valve face c' is screwed into the valve casing B and carries
the spiral spring D in its central bore, which spring abuts at its upper end against
a fixed ring d on the rod a and thus presses the valve c against the valve surface c',

page_text: as shewn in Figure 2, when the rod a is not pressed down as shewn in Figure 1.
When, however, the valve c is depressed the water can pass round it through the
central bore of the inner cylinder C, and through the lateral apertures e of the
latter to the outlet E. In order to effect the desired object of cutting off and
regulating the outflow, a valve F is screwed in below the inner cylinder, this valve
being provided at its edge with channels f, Figure 14, through which the water
can flow from the inlet G, if the valve F is unscrewed from its seating g, as shewn
in Figure 2, whilst the access is cut off if the valve F is screwed home upon its
seating g, as shewn in Figure 1. This movement of the valve F is rendered possible
by the furnishing of the valve e with two tongues f¹ which extend downwards and
engage with the channels f.
In ordinary use the valve F is unscrewed so far that the water can pass through
it below the valve c, and if the rod a be now pressed down, the valve c is separated
from its seating, so that the water can flow out. If, however, any repair be
required, because either the valve c, its seating c¹, or the stuffing-box b has become
leaky, the rod a is turned, and the valve F thereby so screwed down that it rests
tight on its seating and thereby cuts off the supply of water at its point of entrance.
The upper part of the cock may now be removed, and any required improvement
of the working parts of the cock carried out without its being necessary to cut off
the branch supply, and still less the main supply. If now the repaired or new
parts have been inserted and if the upper part has been screwed on again tight,
the rod is turned in the reverse direction to the previous one, in doing which it is
of advantage in order to prevent damage to the packing disc of the valve body e to
press the rod down so far that this disc does not rub upon the valve seating c. The
revolution of the rod is continued until the water issues from the outlet with the
desired force. When this point is reached the revolution of the rod is stopped,
otherwise the water would escape with too much force, and splash about, when the
pressure was strong. The valve F affords, as intended, not only a means of cutting
off the flow when repairs become necessary, but equally, of controlling the outflow
from cocks or valves in good working order.
The cock or valve just described will of course in most cases be employed as a
flushing valve although it is of course not impossible to utilize it for other purposes.
It is, however, not recommended as a drawing off or water supply tap, since it
does not give sufficient control over the amount of the outflow.
A screw-down cock or tap provided with our improvements is shewn in Figures 3
and 4. The rod a of the valve is here provided with a screw-thread a¹ which can
be screwed up and down in a female thread in the upper part B of the cock, and
thus separate the valve c at its lower end from the valve-seating c¹ or apply the
former to the latter. The valve c is by known methods so connected with the
rod a that it does not share in the rotation of the latter but follows the valve-rod a
in its rising and falling movements. This valve c carries on its lower side a
rectangular rod f which corresponds with the tongue of the valve body c in the
mode of construction shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
The valve F in this modification is correspondingly modified, inasmuch as it is
constructed in the form of a hollow cylinder provided with threads upon its outer
surface, this cylinder being provided on its lower surface with packing plates, as
well as with apertures arranged laterally to these last. At right angles to and
above the hollow cylinder is placed a plate which has at its centre a rectangular
opening (Figure 3) for the rod f. In drawing off water the cock is used in the
ordinary manner, that is to say, the exit is opened or closed by unscrewing or
screwing down the rod a. If repair be required, however, the valve c is screwed
down and the inlet for the water thereby closed as previously shewn in the
construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. That this may be done the valve c
must be so connected with the rod a as to take part in the rotatory motion of the
latter. For this purpose the lower end of the rod beyond the screw-thread a¹ is
constructed of angular form and a disc H with an angular opening placed over
this portion, the disc being provided with tongues pointing downward and kept

page_text: C
by a spiral spring I at such a distance from the valve c that the tongues h do not
engage with the corresponding depressions in the valve c..
If the entrance of water into the inlet in the cock is to be prevented the spindle a
is screwed up to such a height that the screw-thread a' leaves the female thread
and the plate H comes to lie against the upper part. If the spindle a be now
again drawn upward so that the spiral spring I is compressed by the continued rise
of the valve c the tongues of the plate engage with the depressions in the valve c
in consequence of the rotation of the rod a. The rod a being now turned the
valve c is caused to turn with it, since the plate H rotates with the rod a. The
angular pin f' of the valve c now rotates the valve F¹ and since a screw-thread
contrary to the thread on the rod a is cut upon the periphery of the valve F
the latter is thereby screwed home and the access of water to the cock cut off. The
upper part of the cock can now be again removed and any required repairs of the
interior be undertaken.
This having been done, and the upper part again screwed tight, the rod a is
turned in the opposite direction to that previously described. The valve F' is
thereby screwed upward, and the inlet of the water to the tap again opened. The
valve being thus again separated from the plate H, since the latter is pressed
upward by the spring I, the tongues disengage themselves from the depressions
in the valve c and the result is that the valve c no longer takes part in the rotation
of the rod a but simply descends lower. The valve F' is also screwed upward no
longer, but maintains its position, whilst the rod a is thrust further through the
plate in the valve F¹.
This construction therefore, like the former, presents the possibility of either
preventing the entrance of water into the cock, or of regulating the quantity of the
inflow in accordance with the requirements of the case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A cut-off and regulating arrangement for water supply cocks, characterized
by the fact that the valve which controls the outflow of the water is provided with
tongues or tenons which in a given case actuate a second valve which can by their
means be screwed up and down in the valve casing thereby cutting off more or
less, or entirely arresting the inflow of water into the cock, substantially as herein-
before described.
2. The improved water supply cocks or valves hereinbefore described and
illustrated respectively in Figures 1, 2, 14 and Figures 3, 4, 3ª of the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 10th day of April 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.