AN IMPROVED SAFETY TAP OR COCK APPLICABLE TO GAS BURNERS, GAS PIPES, AND VESSELS CONTAINING GAS, ALSO WATER PIPES, STEAM PIPES, AND VESSELS CONTAINING INFLAM- MARLE AND OTHER LIQUIDS COMPRESSED AID AND SPIRITHIONS LIONORS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Winter, the younger, of Wardour Street, Soho,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SAFETY
TAP OR COCK APPLICABLE TO GAS BURNERS, GAS PIPES, AND VESSELS CONTAINING
GAS, ALSO WATER PIPES, STEAM PIPES, AND VESSELS CONTAINING INFLAM-
MARLE AND OTHER LIQUIDS COMPRESSED AID AND SPIRITHIONS LIONORS "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Winter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st November 1862.
I, JAMES WINTER, the younger, of Wardour Street, Soho, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED SAFETY TAP OR COCK APPLICABLE TO GAS BURNERS, GAS PIPES, AND
VESSELS. CONTAINING GAS, ALSO WATER PIPES, STEAM PIPES, AND VESSELS
CONTAINING INFLAMMABLE AND OTHER LIQUIDS, COMPRESSED AIR AND SPIRITUOUS
LIQUORS," to be as follows
This Invention is designed for rendering taps or cocks more secure against.
being accidentally opened or partially turned round, by which the
escape of
gas, steam, compressed air, or inflammable liquids or spirits would take place;
and explosions or fires ensue, and in the case of non-inflammable liquids there
would be waste.
The following is the construction of the above-mentioned improved tap or

page_text: cock-Through a square or other shaped piece of metal I form two taper
holes, in one of which I fit an ordinary plug or tap, and in the other hole I
fit a plug or valve somewhat similar to an ordinary plug, but differing there-
from by making the outer end thereof or handle round instead of flat, and
milling the edge thereof, so that in order to turn this valve round in its seat
the milled part must be firmly gripped by the fingers. There is a spring
attached to the valve for turning same in its seat, and a spring bolt for
holding the valve open, said bolt being acted upon by the ordinary tap
aforesaid.
I would here remark that the essential feature of this Invention consists in
connecting the ordinary tap, before mentioned, with the valve aforesaid, or in
other words, in causing the tap when shut off to act upon the valve, thereby
withdrawing the bolt and allow the spring to turn the valve in its seat and
shut the passage through same, so that in the event of the handle of the
ordinary tap aforesaid being accidentally turned round, the valve aforesaid will
remain closed until it is turned round by hand, as above stated; and by the
use of this self-acting valve the escape of gas, compressed air, or other fluid
or liquid will be prevented, and security against accidents from explosion or
fire and waste most effectually ensured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Winter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WINTER, the younger, of Wardour Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Winter, the younger, Her special licence that I, the
said James Winter, the younger, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Winter, the younger, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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, and Isle of Man, an

page_text: Invention for "AN IMPROVED SAFETY TAP OR COCK APPLICABLE TO GAS BURNERS,
GAS PIPES, AND VESSELS CONTAINING GAS, ALSO WATER PIPES, STEAM PIPES, AND
VESSELS CONTAINING INFLAMMABLE AND OTHER LIQUIDS, COMPRESSED AIR, AND
SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Winter, the younger, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Winter, the younger, 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 fol-
lowing statement, that is to say:-
This Invention is designed for rendering taps or cocks more secure against
being accidentally opened or partially turned round, by which the escape of
gas, steam, compressed air, or inflammable liquids or spirits would take place,
and explosions or fires ensue, and in the case of non-inflammable liquids there
would be waste.
The following is the construction of the above-mentioned improved tap or
cock: Through a square or other shaped piece of metal I form two taper
holes, in one of which I fit an ordinary plug or tap, and in the other hole I
fit a plug or valve somewhat similar to an ordinary plug, but differing there-
from by making the outer end thereof or handle round instead of flat, and
milling the edge thereof, so that in order to turn this valve round in its seat
the milled part must be firmly gripped by the fingers. There is a spring
attached to the valve for turning same in its seat, and a spring bolt for
holding the valve open, said bolt being acted upon by the ordinary tap
aforesaid.
I would here remark that the essential feature of this Invention consists in
connecting the ordinary tap, before mentioned, with the valve aforesaid, or in
other words, in causing the tap when shut off to act upon the valve, thereby
withdrawing the bolt and allow the spring to turn the valve in its seat, and
shut the passage through same, so that in the event of the handle of the
ordinary tap aforesaid being accidentally turned round, the valve aforesaid will
remain closed until it is turned round by hand, as above stated, and by the
use of this self-acting valve the escape of gas, compressed air, or other fluid
or liquid will be prevented, and security against accidents from explosion or
fire and waste most effectually ensured.

page_text: In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, HOW
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of
Drawing, accompanying these Presents; and to the numeral figures and letters
of reference, marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a front view of one form of my improved safety tap or cock
.constructed according to my Invention, a portion being removed to shew its
construction; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 3 an end view of
the same; Figure 4 represents another mode of securing or locking the plug
of the tap or cock; Figure 5 is a front view in partial section of a safety
adjustable tap or cock suitable for a main gas pipe for regulating the supply
of gas to the burners, also for steam or water pipes; Figure. 6 is an end view,
and Figure 7 a plan of the said tap, a portion thereof being removed to shew
its construction more plainly; Figure 8 is a horizontal section of the double
plug used in this tap; Figure 9 is a vertical section of a modification in the
construction of my improved tap or cock adapted for burners; Figure 10 is a
section, thus, A, B, and Figure 11 a section through C, D, of the same;
Figure 12 shews another mode of forming a safety tap; Figure 13 is a
top plan of same; Figure 14 exhibits a front view of a tap or stop-cock
adapted for drawing off beer or other liquid, and Figure 15 a plan of a
portion of the same for illustrating its action. At each of the foregoing
Figures I employ similar letters of reference to denote corresponding parts,
in so far as such parts appear or can be seen at each of such said Figures
respectively.
At Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, A marks a casting, with holes a, b, c, and a recess d
formed therein. The hole a is for the passage of gas when the casting a is
connected to a gas pipe at the part b, and the hole at c is formed taper to
receive a corresponding shaped cock or tap B, across which a hole e is formed
of the same diameter as the hole a. C is another taper tap (or cock) passing
crosswise through a hole in the casting A, and ground tight in the said
casting; f is a bolt fitting in a groove 9, formed in the recess d of the
casting A; 1 is a pin fixed in the cock C for pulling back the bolt f, and 2 is
a spring for pushing said bolt forward when the cock C is shut, as at
Figure 4; h is a collar fixed to or formed on the cock C, and 3, 4, are
notches, into one or other of which the bent part of a spring i takes, and thus
locks the cock when either, opened or shut; 6 is a knob for lifting the point
of the spring i out of the aforesaid notches by band; k is a spring for shutting

page_text: off the cock B; 7 is a pin fixed in A, and 8 is a shoulder to prevent the
spring k pushing the cock B too far round."
The action of this improved safety tap or cock is as follows:-Suppose
the passage a in the casting A to be shut off or covered by the cocks B and C,
by turning the cock C in the direction of the arrow's flight at Figure 1, the
hole in said cock will be brought in a line with the passage a, and the bolt f
will be pushed by the spring 2 against the edge 9 (at Figure 2) of the cock B,
and by turning round the cock B in the direction of the arrow's flight at
Figure 1, until the shoulder 10 comes against the other side of the pin 7,
this cock will be opened and kept so by the spring bolt f catching against
the shoulder 10 of the cock B; there is now a free passage for gas through
the casting A and cocks B and C, and when it is required to shut off the
gas
the cock C is moved in an opposite direction, the effect of which is to draw
back the bolt f by the pin 7, and immediately said bolt leaves the shoulder 10
the spring 2 will shut off the cock B. By this arrangement there is a double
security when the gas is turned off, because were the cock C to be opened by
accident the passage a would still remain closed until the cock B were turned
round by hand, as before described, and in all cases the shutting off of the
cock C effects the shutting off of the cock B, and it is this novel principle of
construction that constitutes this Invention of an improved safety tap or cock.
The spring catch i is only intended to be used as an additional security, and
need not necessarily be used.
I now proceed to describe the construction of the tap or cock represented
at Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, as follows, and would remark that the only difference
in the construction of this tap or cock from that represented at Figures 1, 2,
3, 4, consists in forming the plug of the tap or cock in two parts, one working
within the other; the part marked D is formed taper, and the part E
cylindrical, and with a knob G at the bottom thereof for turning the part E
within the part D; is a vulcanized india-rubber ring or packing for keeping
the part E air-tight in 'D; m is a groove formed about E to receive the point
of a screw n, said screw being screwed into D, as exhibited. By slackening
said screw in the groove m, the piece E may be adjusted within the piece D,
that is to say, by placing the mark 1 on the knob G of the piece E, opposite
to one or other of the Figures 1,,, engraved on the lower part of the
piece D, the opening in the passage of the cock may be contracted as at
Figure 8, which represents the opening contracted one-half; and I consider
this adjusting motion an important improvement in taps or cocks employed at
the mains of gas service pipes. For example, suppose the cock at Figure 8
to be adapted for a twenty-lights gas meter, in this case the main cock would

page_text: require to be full open, and suppose also that occasionally that only five or a
fewer number of lights were required to be used, in this case unless the main
cock were only partly opened, the whole pressure of the gas sufficient to
supply twenty burners would be passing through the five or fewer burners
above mentioned, and consequently waste of gas and an unpleasant hissing
noise would ensue; but by the above arrangement the passage in the cock
may be readily contracted to suit the number of lights required, notwith-
standing the main cock be turned full open, thus requiring no care of a
servant. In other respects the construction of the cock is similar to that
before described.
I now proceed to describe the modified form of construction of cock
exhibited at Figures 9, 10, 11, as follows:-H is a cylindrical metal case, to
the upper part of which a gas burner or nib is affixed at I, and into the lower
part of said case the tap or cock K is screwed. In this arrangement instead
of employing two cocks, as in the arrangements before described, I employ
one cock and one valve, and cause the cock to operate on the valve, so as to
shut same simultaenously with the shutting of the cock, and to have to open
said valve by hand, independently of the action of the cock. At Fig. 9, o is a
ring of metal screwed air-tight into another piece p; q is a piece of oil skin
or other flexible material stretched over o, and connected thereto by the ring r;
there is a hole at the centre of q for the passage of gas; s is a hollow or solid
rod passing through the hole in q, and a guide hole in piece of metal t;
u is a dished-shaped piece of metal screwed on to the top of the rod s, and w
is a hook-shaped piece of metal screwed on to the bottom of the rod s;
L is a piece of metal sliding on M; x is a spring for pressing the piece L
forward, and N is a rod screwed into L, and employed for pulling back the
piece M when desired. It will be seen upon referring to Figure 9 that the
bolt F takes into a notch in the piece L when the cock is shut off, thus pre-
venting the piece L being drawn back without first opening the cock. The
operations of the above mechanism are as follows:-Suppose the several
parts to be in the position exhibited. at Figure 9, the cock would be closed,
and the valve also by the piece u resting on q; upon opening the cock the
spring will push the head of the bolt out of the notch in the piece L; the gas
will now enter the case H, and pressing against the valve will try to escape, but
be prevented by the hook catching against the under side of, and by pulling back
the rod the hook being released, the pressure of the gas will raise the piece u
into the position denoted by the dotted lines, and thus allow the gas to escape
through the opening in the oil skin q, as denoted by the arrow's flight; and
upon the cock being turned off and the pressure of the gas removed, the rod $

page_text: will fall by its weight, and the bevilled part of the hook W coming into
contact with the slit in the piece L (as at Figure 11) will push the rod s
on one side, and finally, the shoulder of the hook W will come under the
piece L and the bolt f lock said piece, and thus prevent the valve from
opening until the slide L is drawn back, as before stated. In some cases I
dispense with the bolt f, and when this is the case I can either use the valve,
above described, or the valve exhibited at Figures 12 and 13, where O is a
short pipe, having a piece of oiled skin or other flexible material, with a hole
at centre, stretched over the top of same; P is a hinged cap piece carrying
a platea loosely connected thereto; this plate has a T-shaped slot formed
thereon, in which takes a pin y screwed into O, so that when said plate is in
the position exhibited at Figure 12, and gas allowed to enter the pipe O, the
pressure of the gas will force the oil skin against the metal cap P, and thus
prevent its escape; the pin y preventing the cap P from rising, but by
pushing forward the spring pin z, the pin will be released, and the cap P will be
lifted and the gas escape; when the gas is turned off, the pressure being
removed, the cap P will descend, and the horizontal notch in the plate x fall
on to the pin y, and thus lock the valve. I would here remark, that by the
aplication of this tap or cock to street lamps or to the gas burners of lamps
in dwelling-houses and public buildings, the necessity for turning off the gas
at the burner is entirely dispensed with, because when the gas is turned off at
the gas main or meter, however far distant the main or meter may be from the
burners, the valve at which the gas passes to said burners will close by its
own weight, and only requires to be opened by hand for re-lighting the gas.
A tap or cock thus constructed becomes a self-extinguisher of the gas.
I now proceed to describe the construction of the tap or cock exhibited at
Figures 14 and 15, as follows:-A is the shell of the tap or cock; B, C, two
taper plugs or cocks ground in holes formed in said shell; the plugs B and C
are connected together by a rod D, in such a manner as that when the main
plug B is open, the plug C remains shut, and must be opened by moving the
pin E (connected thereto) in the direction of the arrow's flight; but upon
shutting the plug B, the rod D also shuts the plug C, and thus renders the
tap or cock secure.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said Invention for "An Improved Safety Tap or Cock applicable to Gas
Burners, Gas Pipes, and Vessels containing Gas, also Water Pipes and Vessels
containing Inflammable and other Liquids, Compressed Air, and Spirituous
Liquors," together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
the same into practical efiect; I hereby declare my Invention to consist in

page_text: and I claim the general combinations and arrangements of the parts above
described with reference to the Sheet of Drawings accompanying these
Presents in the construction of safety taps or cocks, and especially I claim
connecting two cocks together, or one cock and one valve, so as to make the
shutting off one shut off the other, as above stated; I also claim the mode
described and represented, and Figures 5 and 8, of contracting the opening
in the cock for the purpose above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Winter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JAMES WINTER, JR. (L.S.)