IMPROVE- MENTS IN TAPS OR Cocks
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TAPS OR Cocks."-A communication from abroad by Jean
Sealed the 1st May 1863, and dated the 5th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th November 1862.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR COCKS," (communicated to me from abroad
by Jean Louis de Waroquier, of Paris, France,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing taps and cocks as hereafter
explained. A flexible diaphragm is secured in the flanges of a cap with a
solid disc of metal or other hard material fixed on the upper part thereof, a
partition rises inside the tap, and forms part of the seat for the diaphragm
when pressed down on the mouth of the inlet to prevent the passage of liquid.
Pressure is exerted upon the diaphragm through the metal disc by an
eccentric or cam pivotted on and working through the cap, the eccentric
is fitted to the end of a hand lever, or a cam or heart block may be fitted
to the lever of a float, or the diaphragm may be depressed by a screw;
or a weighted beam may be used to press upon a rod in contact with

page_text: the disc. In order to allow of liquid passing through the tap pressure must
be removed from the disc and diaphragm when the liquid will raise the
diaphragm off its seat, and following it up will pass over the partition in the
tap and flow out. By using a circular bar with apertures, and fixing
the lever carrying the eccentric in one or other of the apertures, the quantity
of liquid flowing through the tap may be regulated. For water posts the
pressure may be removed from the diaphragm by raising a handle fixed on a
rod working through a nut.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of. London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR Cocks," communicated to me from abroad by Jean
Louis de Waroquier, of Paris, France,) upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being. had to the. Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in constructing taps and cocks as hereafter explained:
A flexible diaphragm is secured in the flanges of a cap, with a solid disc of
metal or other hard material fixed on the upper part thereof, a partition
rises inside the tap, and forms part of the seat for the diaphragm when
pressed down. on the mouth of the inlet to prevent the passage of liquid.
Pressure is exerted upon the diaphragm throngh the metal disc by an
eccentric or cam pivotted on and working through the cap, the eccentric is
fitted to the end of a hand lever, or a cam or. hard block may be fitted to the
lever of a float, or the diaphragm may be depressed by a screw, or a. weighted
beam may be used to press upon a rod in contact with the disc. In order
to allow of liquid passing through the tap pressure must be removed from the
disc and diaphragın, when. the liquid will raise the diaphragm off its seat, and
following it up will pass over the partition in the tap and flow out. By using
a circular bar with apertures, and fixing the lever carrying the eccentric in
one or other of the apertures, the quantity of liquid flowing through the tap
may be regulated. For water posts the pressure may be removed from
the diaphragm by raising a bandle fixed in a rod working through a. nut.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings. is a longitudinal section, and
Figure 2 a plan partly in section of a tap constructed according to this
Invention. 6 is a circular chamber formed by a circular partition c, and com-
municating with the inlet a of the tap; f is a flexible diaphragm secured
by a cap g; h is a solid disc of metal or other material fixed on the upper part
of the diaphragm f; h' is a rod fixed to the centre of the disc h, and pass-
ing through the cap g, this rod acts as a support to the eccentric or cam i of
the lever k; the lever k is pivotted at 7 between cheeks g' cast on the cap g;
when the lever k is in the position shewn in Figure 1 the eccentric i presses
upon the rod h', and causes the diaphragm f to shut off communication
between the inlet a, and outlet or mouth m of the tap. In order to open the
tap the lever k is raised to the position represented in dotted lines, the water
contained in the part a of the tap will force up the diaphragm f, flow over
the partition c, and pass out at the mouth m. If it be desired to regulate
the quantity of liquid flowing through the tap, I use a circular bar with
apertures, and fix the lever k in one or other of the apertures; Figure 3 is
a longitudinal section, and Figure 4 a plan, partly in section, of another form
of tap constructed according to this Invention, and intended to be applied
for high-pressure service. The body a of the tap has two openings or

page_text: chambers 6, 6', covered by a flexible diaphragm f, f, which is secured by a
cap or cover g. Upon the diaphragm f, f, two discs h, h', rest, the rods
attached to which pass through the cap g, and bear against a lever k moving
upon a pivot passing through lugs g', formed on the cap. The lever kis
worked by pressing upon the long arm k. The action of this tap is as
follows: The pressure of the liquid upon the part f, of the flexible diaphragm,
which presents a greater surface to the liquid than the part f¹, raises the
disc h, the rod connected to which raises the long arm of the lever k
immediately above it, and consequently depresses the other and short arm of
the lever upon the rod of the disc h¹, which causes the part f¹, of the flexible
diaphgram to close the passage for the liquid through the tap. Now to open
the tap it is only necessary to press down the long arm k¹, of the lever k,
the disc h is thereby pressed down upon the part f, of the diaphragm over the
opening b, while the liquid raises the part f¹, of the diaphragm and the
disc h¹, and passing through the opening b¹ flows out at the mouth m of the
tap.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, the construction
of taps or cocks, in which the passage for the liquid is closed and opened by
means of a flexible diaphragm fitted and acting substantially in manner
herein-before described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three.