IMPROVE- MENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Smith, of Hyson Green Brass Works,
near Nottingham, Brass Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES."
Sealed the 11th April 1871, and dated the 17th December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sydney Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th December 1870.
I, SYDNEY SMITH, of Hyson Green Brass Works, near Nottingham,
Brass Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN Cocks and VALVES,” to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in cocks and valves,
employed for alternately closing and opening passages or ways for the
passage of steam, gas, air, water, or other fluid. For this purpose a
loose metal plate or disc is fitted in a box or shell in such manner that

page_text: its face may be closed against a valve face and prevent the passage of
fluid through the cock or valve or may be brought out of position and
leave the passage way in the cock or valve clear of all obstruction with
an undiminished area for the direct inlet and outlet of the full volume
of steam or other fluid. On the back of the plate or disc is a stud or
projection which is received in a slot in a flat taper wedge. The base
of the wedge is connected to the valve spindle which has a screw thread
upon it screwing into a corresponding thread in the cap or cover of the
shell and passing out through the cover has a hand wheel fixed upon it.
When the valve spindle is unscrewed and drawn up the loose plate or
disc and taper wedge are brought out of position and leave the passage
way through the cock or valve clear of all obstruction. When the
valve spindle is screwed down the plate or disc carried by the flat taper
wedge is brought down opposite the valve face, and is then by the action
of the wedge forced against the valve face, and completely closes the
passage way, the back of the wedge resting against suitable abutments
in the box or shell.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Sydney Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SYDNEY
SMITH, of Hyson Green Brass Works, near Nottingham, Brass Founder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Sydney Smith, Her special licence that I,
the said Sydney Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Sydney Smith, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,

page_text: and Isle of Man, an Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND
VALVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Sydney Smith, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Sydney Smith, 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 thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in cocks and valves
employed for alternately closing and opening passages or ways for the
passage of steam, gas, air, water, or other fluid. For this purpose a
loose metal plate or disc is fitted in a box or shell in such manner that
its face may be closed against a valve face and prevent the passage of
fluid through the cock or valve, or may be brought out of position and
leave the passage way in the cock or valve clear of all obstruction with
an undiminished area for the direct inlet and outlet of the full volume
of steam or other fluid. On the back of the plate or disc is a stud or
projection which is received in a slot in a flat taper wedge. The base
of the wedge is connected to the valve spindle which has a screw thread
upon it, screwing into a corresponding thread in the cap or cover of the
shell and passing out through the cover has a hand wheel fixed upon it.
When the valve spindle is unscrewed and drawn up the loose plate or
disc and taper wedge are brought out of position and leave the passage
way through the cock or valve clear of all obstruction. When the
valve spindle is screwed down the plate or disc carried by the flat taper
wedge is brought down opposite the valve face, and is then by the action
of the wedge forced against the valve face and completely closes the
passage way, the back of the wedge resting against suitable abutments
in the box or shell.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and.
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings here-
unto annexed

page_text: Figure 1 is a side view of a valve cock constructed according to my
Invention; Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same; a is the shell
through which the steam or fluid a¹, a', passes, and over it is the
chamber a enclosed at the top by the cover b. The spindle c passes
through a passage formed for it in the cover, and there is a worm c¹ cut
on the spindle working into a corresponding screw thread formed in
this passage. The passage through the cover is closed fluid-tight
around the spindle by a packing which is retained by the cap d. On
the lower end of the spindle there are two collars or flanges which
receive between them the two horns e¹, e¹, on the top of the wedge
piece e.
A perspective view of this wedge piece is shown at Figure 3. When
the wedge is forced down by the screw spindle c its incline acts against a
corresponding inclined face a³ on the shell. This face and the inclined
surface of the wedge are, as the Drawing shows them, flat, but they may
be curved, the wedge in this case being a portion of a cone. In the
other side of the wedge piece a cavity is formed to receive the stem f¹
of the valve f. The stem bears flat against the bottom of the recess
and the recess is elongated to allow the wedge piece to move lengthwise
a short distance independently of the valve; a' is the valve face formed
on the shell.
The stem of the valve may be shaped in the manner shown at Figure 4,
the cavity in the wedge piece then takes a corresponding form. When
the spindle is raised it takes up with it the wedge piece and the valve
into the chamber a³, and the fluid passage is left clear and free from
obstruction. To close the fluid passage the valve and wedge piece are
lowered by means of the spindle until the valve is opposite the valve
face and cannot descend further, and then the wedge piece alone con-
tinues its motion until the valve is pressed tightly against the valve face.
In opening the fluid passage the wedge piece moves a short distance
before the valve commences to move, and thus the pressure of the valve
against the valve face is relieved. In place of employing a screw to
give motion endwise to the spindle c it may be otherwise moved, but
not I believe so conveniently.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim is, the construction of cocks and valves substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sydney Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
SYDNEY SMITH. (L.S.)