AN IMPROVED WASTE-PREVENTING TAP
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM HENRY TYLOR, of 2 Newgate Street, in the City of London, Brass
Founder do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "AN IMPROVED
WASTE-PREVENTING TAP" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that kind of waste-preventing taps in
which the waste-preventing device consists of a plug fitted loosely into a socket, the
plug or the socket having the valve for closing the passage through the tap affixed or
connected thereto, or formed therewith. In some arrangements of the device the
valve is connected to the plug, and the latter, with the valve, is raised by the
action of the socket to open the passage through the tap, and allowed to fall
gradually in the socket to close such passage, and thereby to perform its waste-
preventing function. In other arrangements of the device, the valve is connected
to the socket, and the latter, with the valve, is raised by the action of the plug to
open the passage through the tap, and allowed to fall gradually on the plug to
close such passage, and thereby to perform its waste-preventing function. In both
the above described arrangements, the spindle, by which the socket or the plug,
as the case may be, is actuated, usually slides longitudinally through a stuffing
box, which is generally subjected to the pressure of the water, and which is
therefore liable to leakage after being a comparatively short time in wear. Further-
more, as heretofore constructed, taps of this kind have been dependant upon one
valve and one valve seat only. Now according to my present invention, I so
arrange the waste-preventing devices that the stuffing box or guide through which
the spindle or other actuating part works, is not subjected to the pressure of
the water, and may in some cases be replaced by a plain hole without a gland, but
both the plug and the socket are subjected to the pressure of the water, and have
valve surfaces formed on or connected to them, both such valve surfaces closing
against appropriate seats when the tap is closed and out of action.
For these purposes I arrange the casing or body of the tap much in the same way
as has heretofore been practised in this class of taps; but instead of placing the
spindle, or other actuating part, in that portion of the tap casing or body which is
in communication with the inlet passage, and therefore subjected to the pressure
due to the source of supply, I place it in that portion of the tap casing or body
which is in communication with the outlet passage from the tap, and therefore
subjected to no pressure at all, or at most only to that of the escaping water after it
has passed through the valve orifice. On the lower end of the actuating plug I form

page_text: an annular valve surface which rests, when the actuating plug is down, upon a
corresponding valve seating surrounding the valve orifice. The socket is placed
over and slides on the actuating plug, and its lower edge is formed as, and has con-
nected to it, an annular valve surface which rests, when the socket is down, on a
corresponding annular seating which surrounds that upon which the valve surface
of the actuating plug rests.
The action of these devices is as follows:-When the actuating plug and its valve
face are pushed up the valve orifice is uncovered. The upward movement of the
actuating plug also raises the socket in which it is contained, in the manner now well
known in connection with apparatuses of this kind. By this means the annular
valve surface on the lower edge of the socket is raised from its seat, and the water
allowed to flow to the outlet of the tap. If now the actuating plug is held up, the
socket gradually falls, and the annular valve surface on its edge closes within a
certain pre-arranged time on to the outer annular valve seat, preventing the further
flow of water to the outlet orifice. When the actuating plug is lowered; the valve
surface on its lower end closes against the inner annular seating, and prevents
leakage through the tap. A suitable leakage hole may be provided in the socket if
required in order to admit water into the space between the ends of the plug and
the socket, to assist in forcing down the said plug and preparatory to the next
action of the tap. It will be understood that the actuating plug may be operated
by any suitable means, such as a lever, a screw, a cam, or otherwise, and be provided
with a spring to secure its return, and that of the inner annular valve surface, to
their normal positions; and that, if required, a spring may be employed to secure
the return of the socket to its normal position, also that the parts may be arranged
in a variety of ways to suit various circumstances and various forms arrangements
and positions of taps.
I am aware that two annular valve seatings and corresponding surfaces in con-
nection with the waste-preventing plug and socket have already been suggested for
use when submerged in cisterns for the purpose of preventing waste in the supplies
of water to water-closets, urinals, and so forth, and that in apparatus so arranged,
it has been proposed to operate the actuating plug by means of a spindle passing
through the outlet orifice, but, so far as I am aware, such arrangements, in which
the plug and socket are subjected to the pressure of the water, and in which the
stuffing box or guide through which the actuating part works is not subjected to
such pressure, have never heretofore been employed in waste-preventing taps or
valves arranged in a casing, in the manner hereinbefore described as my present
invention, by which the intermediate system may be dispensed with, the valve
being fitted directly to the service main or other supply.

page_text: An Improved Waste Preventing Tap.
I, WILLIAM HENRY TYLOR, of 2 Newgate Street, in the City of London, Brass
founder, 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 following statement, reference being had to the accompanying two sheets of
drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This invention relates to improvements in that kind of waste preventing taps in
which the waste preventing device consists of a plug fitted loosely into a socket,
the plug or the socket having the valve, for closing the passage through the tap,
affixed or connected thereto, or formed therewith. In some arrangements of the
device, the valve is connected to the plug, and the latter, with the valve, is raised
by the action of the socket, to open the passage through the tap, and allowed to
fall gradually in the socket to close such passage and thereby to perform its waste
preventing function. In other arrangements of the device the valve is connected
to the socket, and the latter, with the valve, is raised by the action of the plug to
open the passage through the tap, and allowed to fall gradually on the plug to close
such passage, and thereby to perform its waste preventing function. In both the
above described arrangements the part by which the socket or the plug, as the case
may be, is actuated, usually passes through a stuffing box which is generally
subjected to the pressure of the water supply, and which stuffing box is therefore
liable to leakage after being a comparatively short time in use. Furthermore, as
heretofore constructed, taps of this kind have been dependent upon one valve
and one valve seat only. Now, according to my present invention, I so arrange
the waste-preventing device, that the stuffing box or guide, through which the
spindle or other actuating part works, is not subjected to the pressure of the water
supply, and may, in some cases, be replaced by a plain hole without a gland, but
both the plug and the socket are subjected to the pressure of the water supply, and
have valve surfaces formed on or connected to them, both such valve surfaces
closing against appropriate seats when the tap is closed and out of action.
In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a waste
preventing tap constructed in accordance with my invention, and Figure 2 is a front
elevation of the same.
I arrange the casing or body A of the tap much in the same way as has bereto-
fore been practised in this class of taps; but, instead of placing the spindle or other
actuating part B in that portion of the tap casing or body which is in communica
tion with the inlet passage C, and therefore subjected to the pressure due to the
source of supply, I place it in that portion of the tap casing or body which is in
communication with the outlet passage D from the tap and therefore subjected to
no pressure at all, or at most, only to that of the escaping water after it has passed
through the valve orifice E. On the lower end of the actuating plug F, I form, or
fix, an annular valve surface G which rests, when the actuating plug F is down,
upon a corresponding valve seating H surrounding the valve orifice E. The
Bocket I is placed over, and slides on, the actuating plug F, and its lower edge is
formed as, or has connected to it, an annular valve surface which rests, when the

page_text: Bocket I is down, on a corresponding annular scating J which surrounds that upon
which the valve surface G of the actuating plug F rests.
The action of these devices is as follows:-When the actuating plug F and its
valve face G are pushed up by the action of the cam K on the spindle B, through
the medium of the oscillating arm L when the said cam K is turned by the
handle M, the valve orifice E is uncovered. The upward movement of the actuating
plug F also raises the socket I in which it is contained, in the manner now well
known in connection with apparatuses of this kind. By this means the annular
valve surface on the lower edge of the socket I is raised from its seat J, and the
water allowed to flow to the outlet D of the tap. If now the actuating plug F is
held up, the socket I gradually falls, and the annular valve surface on its edge
closes within a certain pre-arranged time on to the outer annular valve seat J, pre-
venting the further flow of water to the outlet orifice E. When the actuating
plug F is lowered, or allowed to fall by turning the cam K back into the position
shown in Figure 1, the valve surface G on its lower end closes against the inner
annular valve seating H and prevents leakage through the tap. A suitable leakage
bole N may be provided in the socket I if required in order to admit water into
the space between the end of the plug F and the socket to assist in forcing down
the said plug preparatory to the next action of the tap.
It will be understood that the actuating plug F may be operated by any suitable
means such as by a cam K acting directly upon the end of the spindle B, as shown
in Figure 3; by a screw O as shown in Figure 4, or by a lever P as shown in
Figures 7 and 8, or otherwise, and that it may be provided with a spring to secure
its return and that of the inner annular valve surface to their normal positions,
and that, if required, a spring may be employed to secure the return of the socket
to its normal position; also, that the parts may be arranged in a variety of ways
to suit various circumstances, and various forms, arrangements, and positions,
of taps.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the application, of my improved waste preventing tap,
to a wall box or drinking fountain. In this case, the spindle B, of the actuating
plug, is operated by a crank Q which can be turned from the outside of the box Ř
by the handle or knob M. The crank Q is connected by the link S with a lever T
so that when the said crank is turned, the outer end of the lever T is raised and
with it the spindle B with the actuating plug contained in the tap casing A, the
internal mechanism of which, as regards the said actuating plug, falling socket, and
valve faces, is similar to that above described in reference to Figure 1. A weight ✗
may be employed in order to restore automatically the crank Q, handle M and
lever T to their normal positions.
Figure 7 illustrates the application of my improved waste preventing tap to the
well known "regulator waste-not." In this case, the actuating plug F, socket I,
their respective valve surfaces, and the spindle B, remain similar to those shown
in Figure 1, but below the casing or body A of the tap is fixed the cylinder U of
the "regulator"; this cylinder contains a cup leather piston V having an opening
through its centre closed by the valve W. This valve W is connected above with
the spindle B and below with the spindle B¹. A cross bar near the top of the
spindle B¹ (not shown in the drawing) is so arranged that when the piston V and
the valve W are in contact, as shown in the Figure, the said cross bar stands at a
short distance below the under side of the piston V, but when the spindle B₁, and
with it the valve W and spindle B are pushed up, so as to raise the valve W slightly
off its seat in the piston V, the said cross bar comes in contact with the under side
of the piston V and causes it to move upwards also. The action of this apparatus
is as follows: When the spindle B¹ is pushed up by the action of the lever P the
valve W is raised off its face in the piston V so as to allow of the free passage
of water from the upper to the under side of the piston V. The cross bar on the
spindle B¹ next comes in contact with the underside of the piston V whereby the
latter is raised also. The upward movement of the spindle B¹ causes the spindle B,
plug F, and socket I, to be moved upwards also, whereby the passage, or orifice E,

page_text: is opened for the passage of water from the inlet passage C to the outlet passage D.
If now the spindles B, B, and the plug F, be held up by the lever P beyond a
certain period of time, the socket I will gradually fall and close the orifice E so as
to prevent almost entirely the further flow of water. Then, on liberating the
lever P, the plug F, spindle B, valve W, and spindle B¹, will first fall slightly so as
to close the valve W against its seating in the piston V, and the latter with the
spindles B¹, B, valve W, and plug F, will descend at a speed regulated by that.at
which the water below the piston V can escape through the passage Y to the upper
side of such piston, until the valve surface G on the plug F reaches the valve
seating H whereby the further flow of water is wholly prevented. The speed at
which the water below the piston can escape through the passage Y can be
regulated by means of the adjusting screw Z in the usual well known manner,
It will be seen that, by the use of this apparatus, the sudden closing of the
orifice E, in the event of the premature liberation of the lever P, is rendered
impossible.
Figure 8 shows my improved tap arranged for application to a hopper closet.
Similar letters of reference relate to like parts in all the Figures of the drawings.
I am aware that two annular valve seatings and corresponding surfaces in
connection with the waste-preventing plug and socket have already been suggested
for use when submerged in cisterns for the purpose of preventing waste in the
supplies of water to water-closets, urinals, and so forth, and that in apparatus so
arranged, it has been proposed to operate the actuating plug by means of a spindle
passing through the outlet orifice, but, so far as I am aware, such arrangements, in
which the plug and socket are subjected to the pressure of the water, and in which
the stuffing box or guide, through which the actuating part works, is not subjected
to such pressure, have never heretofore been employed in waste preventing taps or
valves arranged in a casing in the manner herein before described as my present
invention, by which the intermediate cistern may be dispensed with, the valve
being fitted directly to the service main, or other source of supply.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction of waste preventing taps in such manner that, although the
waste preventing devices, consisting of the well known plug and socket, are sub-
jected to the pressure of the water supply, the stuffing box or guide, through which
passes the part which actuates the said waste-preventing devices, is subjected only
to the pressure of the water at the outlet of the tap, as herein before described, and
illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.
2. In waste preventing taps constructed in accordance with the first claiming
clause hereof, providing both the plug and the socket of the waste preventing
device with valve surfaces arranged to close against corresponding valve seatings
in the case, as herein before described, and illustrated in the drawings hereto
annexed.