IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM AND WATER TAPS
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 13th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Feb., 1887.
Taps.
I JOHN WRIGHT 288 Rockingham Street Sheffield in the County of York
Plumber do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM AND WATER TAPS to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of Taps, the object
being to enable such Taps to be repaired by renewing the washers, without having to
turn off the main stopcock, and it consists in combining with the ordinary Tap, a
stop tap of peculiar and simple construction, so that when desired the pressure may
be shut off from the ordinary Tap which may then be taken to pieces.
In carrying out my invention, I make at the back of the tap a chamber through
which the water passes to the Tap; this chamber is provided with a valve and a
seating to close the waterway when desired. The Valve is kept open by means of
an adjusting screw underneath, which raises it from the seating, and when it is
required to close the valve, the screw is lowered and the pressure of the water
holds the valve firmly down to the seating and closes the waterway. Instead of
the chamber being placed at the back of the tap, it may be placed underneath
the ordinary valve seating, through which the water flows when the tap is open; in
this case the valve is raised and lowered by means of an adjusting screw as before
described, except that the valve is closed against the underside of the tap seating by
the action of the screw, and not by the force of the water. The spindle of the valve
carries a cup-leather to prevent any leakage when used for water, but in a steam tap
I use an ordinary stuffing box or gland.
It will thus be understood that by a few turns of the adjusting screw the water or
steam can be shut off from the body of the tap, so that the screw valve can be taken
out for repairs.
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JOHN WRIGHT 288 Rockingham Street, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Plumber 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
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of Taps, the object being
to enable such Taps to be repaired, by renewing the washer, or other internal repairs,
without the necessity of having the water turned off at the main; and it consists in
combining with the ordinary tap, a stop tap or valve of peculiar and simple con-
struction, so arranged that when desired the pressure may be shut off from the
ordinary Tap which may then be taken in pieces."
An in order that my invention may be clearly understood I annex a sheet of
drawings representing two arrangements of same; the same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in any of the figures.
Fig. 1, is a sectional elevation of one of my improved Taps, with the stop valve
placed under the ordinary valve seating.
Fig. 2, is a sectional elevation of one of my improved Taps, with the stop valve
placed in the barrel of the tap.
In carrying out my invention according to the first arrangement shown in Fig. 1,
I extend the opening or space under the seating of the tap, marked A, through the
metal, and I fit in the said space, a valve B, with a screw spindle working in a
correspondingly tapped barrel C which can be turned round from the outside by any
suitable means such as the milled head D.
This barrel is held in position by means of a suitably constructed cap or plug E,
fitted with a stuffing box or gland F, and screwed into the opening or space A. The
valve B, is prevented turning round by means of one or more vertical ribs or by any
equivalent means, so that when the barrel is rotated, the screw spindle is forced
upwards and the valve eventually beds against the central valve-seating, and closes the
waterway.
Although I have described the stop valve as having a screw spindle working in a
tapped barrel, this detail of construction may be altered, and the barrel may have an
outside screw thread and work forward in a similar manner to the usual tap spindle
shown above it in Fig. 1.
In the second arrangement as shown in Fig. 2, I make the opening or space A, at
the back of the present valve, forming a chamber through which the water must pass
from the supply to the valve."
For the convenience of manufacture 1 make the entrance to the chamber at the top,
and close it with a screw-cap G, it also extends downwards on the underside of the
tap, to receive the screwed end of the spindle H.
The waterway passes through the seating I, of the valve K, so that it will be
evident that when the said valve K, is forced down upon the said seating, the water

page_text: will be shut off from access to the valve L, which can then be taken out of its place
for repairs, or for examination.
The spindle H is screwed through the lower end of the chamber A, and terminates
in a head M, or other equivalent terminal by means of which the valve may be raised
or lowered. A cup leather is placed on the spindle (marked N) to prevent leakage
through the screw, when the tap is used for water, but in a steam tap an ordinary
stuffing box would be used.
The valve K is shown open in Fig. 2, being raised and retained in that position by
the screwed spindle H, and when it is required to close the valve, the screw is
lowered until the valve rests upon the seating I, against which it is also pressed by
the force of the water.
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-In the construction of steam and water Taps the combination with an ordinary
tap, of a stop valve placed under the usual seating for the purpose specified, and
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Fig. 1.
2-In the construction of steam and water Taps the combination with an ordinary
tap, of a stop valve placed behind the usual valve (in the barrel of the tap) for the
purpose specified, and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Fig. 2.
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicant.