AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS ON THE COCK OR TAP APPLICABLE TO FLUIDS, LIQUIDS, AND GASES
Year: 1831

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
DIXON, of Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Brass and Cock Founder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King William the Fourth, by His Letters
Patent under tho Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-first day of April now last
past, did give and grant unto me, the said William Dixon, His especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Dixon, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said William
Dixon, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, an Inven-
tion of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS ON THE COCK OR TAP APPLICABLE TO
FLUIDS, LIQUIDS, AND GASES," communicated to me by a certain Person residing
abroad; in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said William Dixon, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, referenco being thereunto had, will more fully appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said provisoc, I, the said
William Dixon, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and tho
manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and as follows, that is
to say:-
Figure 1 of the Drawing represents a side elevation of ono of the improved
cocks complete. The plug a is in this Figure shewn in the closed position.
Fig. 2 shows a vertical section of Fig. 1, by a plane passing exactly through
the centre; but in this Figure the plug a is not represented in section, and it
is also shown in the position it assumes when the cock is open. b, b, shews
one half of a hollow cylinder of cork, or any other suitable elastic substance,
which is placed in a recess formed to receive and support it in the barrel A of
the cock; and when this cylinder or other suitable elastic substance is so
placed, the screw chamber c, c, is tightly screwed down upon it, which will
produce the desirable effect of forcing the elastic cylinder in close contact with
the cylindrical portion d of the plug a, by which moans any liquid, fluid, or
gas, will be entirely prevented from escaping in a direction upwards. c, c,
represents a similar hollow cylinder of the same elastic substance as before
described, placed in a similar recess in the barrel A, and pressed in close
contact with the lower part of the cylindrical plug a, the pressure being
effected by a screw formed on the upper part of the hollow mouthpiece f;
therefore, when the mouthpiece f is screwed tight against the cylinder of cork
or other elastic substance e, e, it will likewise press it closely in contact with
the lower part of the plug a, and effectually prevent the passage or escape of
any liquid, fluid, or gas, in a direction downwards. 9 represents a screw of
five threads, formed on the upper part of the plug a; this works in a female
screw, with similar threads cut or formed in the upper part of the screw
chamber c, c, at h, h. The plug a has a cross piece or handle attached to its
upper end, of the usual shape or form as seen at i in Fig. 3, and when it is
turned round in one direction horizontally it will causo the plug a to rise rapidly
by the action of the five-threaded screw formed on its upper part as before
described; and the plug a being elevated to the position shewn in Figure 2,
any liquid, fluid, or gas, will pass from the barrel A through the holes k, k,
into the hollow part of the plug shewn by dotted lines at 1, 1, and finally
through the mouthpiece f. When the plug a is turned the reverse way it will
descend, and the holes k, k, by the descent of the plug, will be placed below.
the elastic cylinder c, c, and then the escape of any liquid, fluid, or gas, will be
prevented in the manner before described. By this peculiar construction and
application of the clastic cylinders, they will be found to prevent any escape

page_text: of either fluids, liquids, or gases; for whatever pressure may be exerted by
any liquid, fluid, or gas, from within or between the two elastic cylinders, it
will have the effect of forcing them both closer in contact with the plug a;
the rims or shoulders formed within the screw chamber c and the mouthpiece
fat m, m, and n, n, being so constructed for the purpose of resistance.
Fig. 4 represents a vertical section, exactly similar to Fig. 2; but in this
Figure the plug a is removed, in order to shew the combination of the parts
that are prepared to receive the plug a more plainly. The elastic hollow
cylinders may be seen in their places at b, b, and e, e.
Fig. 5 represents a side view of the barrel A, and Fig. 6 shews the
screw chamber c, detached from its seat in the barrel and placed immediately
above.
Fig. 7 represents the mouthpiece f, detached from the barrel and placed
immediately below.
Figures 8, 9, and 10, represent vertical sections of the screw chamber c, c,
the barrel A, and also the mouthpiece f.
Fig. 11 represents a vertical section of one of the elastic cylinders, detached
from its seat or recess in the barrel A.
Fig. 12 represents a plan of the same cylinder complete. Cocks of this
description may be constructed of any suitable metal or material, and the
elastic cylinders may be made of either leather, caoutchouc (commonly
called indian rubber), cork, or any other suitable substance or material
capable of being placed around the plug in a cylindrical form, and the
elastic properties of which will enable it to be pressed in close contact with
the plug in the way above described, and thereby prevent the leakage of any
liquids, fluids, or gases.
And I hereby further declare that the said Invention consists in combining
and applying, within the barrel of any suitable cock used for the purpose of
drawing off liquids, fluids, or gases, two clastic hollow cylinders, which being
placed in recesses formed in the barrel in the way I have described, and
firmly pressed by screws, and being likewise combined, as above shown, with
a cylindrical plug, which can be raised in a direction perpendicular to its axis,
will by their. united action effectually prevent the escape or leakage of any
liquids, fluids, or gases, except when the plug is raised for that purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Dixon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.
WILL (L.S.) DIXON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the samo Thirteenth day of October,.
in the year above written, the aforesaid William Dixon came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also
the Specification aforesaid was stamped, according to the tenor of the Statuto
in that caso made and provided. .
Inrolled the Fourteenth day of October in the year above written