IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS FOR DELIVERING A LIMITED SUPPLY OF LIQUID
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Leerhoff Müller at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd September 1879.
A com-
munication from abroad by José Perez de San Juan, of Madrid, in the Kingdom
of Spain.
HENRY LEERHOFF MÜLLER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS FOR DELIVERING A LIMITED SUPPLY OF
LIQUID." [A communication from abroad by José Perez de San Juan, in the
Kingdom of Spain.]
The said Invention has for its object to effect the delivery of a limited quantity
of water or liquid and to stop the supply when the said quantity has been
delivered. By closing for a time and reopening the tap a second quantity may be
delivered, and so on, but only a limited quantity can be obtained on each opening of
the tap. The quantity delivered at each opening of the tap can be regulated so as
to fit the tap for delivering the small quantity of water required in lavatories, or
the large quantities required for baths, or intermediate quantities for other
purposes.
The said Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of the tap
in the following manner:-On the top of the supply pipe an expanded connecting
piece is situated. This connecting piece is covered by a plate in which are two
holes, one large and the other small. The large hole communicates with the
principal or supply pipe of the tap, the other small hole communicates with a small
pipe, which, according to the position of the plug of the tap, is either in com-
munication with the atmosphere, or with a chamber at the rear of the water way
of the tap.
This chamber is in a line with and forms a continuation of the water
way of the tap, but it is of larger diameter. The rear end of this chamber is closed
by a screw plug. In this chamber a piston works, the said piston carrying in
front a valve. At the junction of the said chamber and the water way of the tap
is a valve seat, and when the piston in the chamber is in its advanced position it
presses the valve upon the valve seat and closes the water way of the tap. When
the piston is in its retired position the said valve is removed from its seat and the
water way
open. When the plug of the tap is turned so as to close the tap, ¡the
rear end of the chamber is put in communication with the atmosphere and the
pressure of the water within the tap forces the piston back to the rear end of the
chamber, the water in the chamber escaping. The valve carried by the plug no
longer bears on the valve seat and the water way of the tap is open.

page_text: When the plug of the tap is turned so as to open the tap, water passes for a
time freely through the tap; but the position to which the plug has been brought
puts the rear end of the chamber into communication with the small hole in the
top of the connecting piece and water of the full pressure is supplied to the said
chamber and presses upon the piston, while on the other side of the piston the
water is of less pressure owing to its running from the tap. The excess of
pressure on the piston causes the said piston to advance in the chamber and bring
the valve it carries upon its seat on the water way and thereby to shut off the
water. When the plug is turned so as to close the tap, the rear of the chamber
is put in communication with the atmosphere; the small quantity of water it
contains escapes by the pressure of the water within the tap. The piston retires
and carrying with it the valve, the water way is again opened and on turning
the plug of the tap in the position proper to open the tap another limited quantity
can be obtained. The rate of which the piston travels after the opening of the tap
and consequently the time which elapses between the opening of the tap and the
automatic closing of the water way depends upon the size of the opening or the
passage by which water from the supply pipe enters the rear of the chamber. A
small tap in the passage may be employed to regulate the rate at which water
enters the rear of the chamber.