CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES OR PLUGS FOR THE PASSAGE, OF WATER
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
ECROYD, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and JOHN
ECCLES, of the same place, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Tenth day of April, in the eleventh year of Her reign,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said John
Ecroyd and John Eccles, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that we, the said John Ecroyd and John Eccles, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, and such others as we, the said John Ecroyd
and John Eccles, our executors, administrators, 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 expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES
OR PLUGS FOR THE PASSAGE, OF WATER;" in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso that we, the said John Ecroyd and John Eccles, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six 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 had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said

page_text: John Ecroyd and John Eccles, do hereby declare that the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed; is
particularly described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed,
and the following explanation thereof (that is to say) :-
-
Our improvements in valves or plugs for the passage of water apply princi-
pally to valves or plugs used for drawing off water from the main or
service pipes for the extinction of fire, but are also applicable to valves
or plugs for supplying mills and other works or buildings with water;
also for watering roads or land, and cleansing of water pipes, and other like
purposes, part of the said improvements being also applicable to valves or
(traps" for closing or shutting off and opening the communication between
the different parts of the main or branch pipes.
"
Our improvements consist in the application to such purposes of a flat
valve, faced with leather or other suitable material, which is opened or closed
by means of a worm or screw being turned by a key or handle, and employed
or used in combination with a discharge hose or pipe to be attached to the
plug or valve.
Having now stated the nature and object of our said improvements, we will
proceed to describe the method of carrying the same into practical effect; and
in order that our Invention may be readily understood, we have attached to
these Presents a sheet of Drawings representing our several improvements,
and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following description thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of a valve or plug adapted for the
purposes of sheet plugs for drawing off water from the main or service pipes
for the extinction of fire, the irrigation of land, and other like purposes, and
drawn about half the real size. The valve or plug is intended to be bolted to
a branch or connecting pipe from the water main by means of the flange a, a.
b, b, is the valve, faced above and below with discs of leather or other suitable
material c, c¹. The valve closes against a ring of brass d, d, and is fixed to
the lower end of a worm or screw e, e, which works in a nut f, f, formed in the
cover g,g, of the valve box h, h. The upper end i, i, of the worm or screw e, e,
is formed square, so as to allow of its being turned round by means of a key or
handle. k, k, is a pipe or tube for affixing the discharging hose, being screwed
at its upper extremity for that purpose. It will be seen that the thread of the
screw e, e, is cut deeper than that of the nut f. f, thereby leaving a spiral
channel for the egress of the column of water left in the upright pipe k

page_text: (Figure 1), upon closing the valve and removing the hose, this part of our
Invention being particularly useful in cases of frost, as it will keep the upper
part of the apparatus free from water, and prevent the liability of bursting.
When the valve is opened, it must be screwed up until the upper disc of
leather c¹ presses against the under side of the cover g, g, and thus prevents
the egress of the water in that direction.
Fig. 2 represents a section of a modification of the above valve or plug,
adapted for supplying water to mills or buildings for the extinction of fire
therein, and other useful purposes. The same description and letters of
reference answer for this as for the preceding Figure, with the exception that
the pipe k is here represented as horizontal instead of vertical.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section, and Fig. 4 an horizontal section, of a valve or
"trap," adapted for "shutting off" and opening the communication between
one portion of a main or branch pipe and another represented as adapted to a
branch pipe. a, a, are flanges for bolting the valve box b, b, to the flanges of
the branch pipe. The valve c, c, is faced with a disc of leather or other
suitable material d, d, and turns upon a stud at e, upon which the
hinges f, f, of the valve (see Fig. 3) do not fit closely, so as to allow the valve
to bed itself perfectly against the brass rings g, g.
The pin or stud e is sup-
ported in lugs h, h, bolted to the valve box b, b. The valve or trap" c, c, is
opened and closed by means of a worm segment i, i (attached thereto), and
worm k, k, fixed to an upright spindle 2, 1, which passes through a water-tight
stuffing box m, and has its upper end n formed square to allow of its being
turned by means of a key or handle. In the preceding Figures the arrow
represents the course of the water when the valve is open.
Fig. 5 represents a section of a three-storey building, shewing the appli-
cation of our improved plugs or valves for supplying water thereto, exhibiting
also an arrangement of mechanism, by means of which, in case of fire, when it
is impossible to get into the building to affix the hose, it may be flooded by
turning a handle in the yard below. The valves or plugs in connection with
the water pipes are to be fixed against the wall, and upon the end i, i, of the
screw e, e, (see Fig. 2) of each valve is to be fixed a ratchet wheel a, a, a,
which is turned by means of ratchets or palls b, b, b, attached to the sliding
bars c, c, c.
These bars c,. c, c, are wrought by bell-crank levers d, d, d, and
rods e, e, e, attached to the cranks f. f, f, below. Of course it will be evident
that any number of valves or plugs may be placed upon each floor, and all
opened by the same sliding bar. Thus it will be seen that by turning the
handle g, and connecting or disconnecting the rods e, e, e, and cranks f, f, f,
all or any of the floors or stories of the building may be flooded instantaneously

page_text: when it might be impossible to get into the building to attach the hose, from
the heat of the fire, the burning of the staircase, or other obvious reasons..
Having now described the nature and objects of our said improvements,
together with the method of carrying the same into practical effect, we would
remark, in conclusion, that we claim as our Invention,-
First, the peculiar. construction of valves or plugs for the passage of water
above described and exhibited in Figs. 1 and 2 of the Drawing, in combination
with the discharging hose or pipe, and their application to the purposes
herein specified.
5
Secondly, the method of opening the valve by means of a worm and wheel, 1
which enables the valve to close in a vertical position across the pipe, or at
right angles thereto, as exhibited in Figs. 3 and 4 of the Drawings; and,
Thirdly, the method of opening the valves in case of fire, as represented in
Fig. 5 of the Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Ecroyd and John Eccles, have 1
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.