IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER TAPS AND CISTERN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE WASTE OF WATER AND FOR CLEANLINESS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Tylor, of Newgate Street, in the City of
London, Brassfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER
TAPS AND CISTERN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE WASTE OF WATER AND
FOR CLEANLINESS."
Sealed the 25th January 1870, and dated the 20th September 1869.
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th September
1869.
I, ALFRED TYLOR, of Newgate Street, in the City of London, Brass-
founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN WATER TAPS AND CISTERN APPARATUS POR PREVENTING THE
WASTE OF WATER AND FOR CLEANLINESS," to be as follows:-
Hitherto the practice has been to fix in the modern buildings for the
working classes and in public and private buildings and other structures
water taps which were closed after being used either by turning a handle

page_text: or by the action of a weighted lever attached to the spindle of the tap or
by a spring, in such a position that it would be subject to the action of
the water, or have to overcome the friction of ground-in fittings. Those
taps which were worked with weighted levers were liable to be propped
open to prevent the valve being closed, and those fitted with spiral
springs in the water chamber were found to become weak and corroded,
thereby causing waste of water.
Now my Invention consists in fixing a metal cylinder or box enclosing
a strong jack or other spring electro-brassed on to the cover of a
diaphragm screw down tap. The spindle of the tap passes through the
box containing the spring and is attached to the spring. At the top of
this spindle is attached a T handle or a circular flange with a milled edge,
or a cone or other shaped knob, to which it is impossible to attach a cord.
By means of this flange or cone the spindle of the valve can be turned by
the hand, and the valve over the water-way of the tap opened, so that
water may pass through the tap. When the hand is released from the
milled edge of flange or conical knob the said spring comes into action,
turns the spindle round, and closes the valve even against a pressure
of 300 feet column of water. The tap is not liable to be kept open
after the hand is removed. This spring can be adjusted so as to close
the valve in a half turn if required, or less quickly if the screw on the
spindle requires more turning before the valve is closed. When I draw
the supply of water to the tap from a cistern for preventing waste of
water I divide the cistern by a partition, as is often done, or use two
separate cisterns. I place the ball valve in one compartment, and bring
a bent pipe from the ball valve over the partition into the second
compartment of the cistern; and also I bend the rod of the float or ball
so as to pass over the partition. By these means the water in the second
partition of the cistern, which may be of earthenware or enamelled iron
or any clean material, is kept away from the ball valve fixed in the other
partition.
I use the tap described above with this particular form of cistern
apparatus or separate from it; or I use the cistern apparatus described
above with this particular tap or without it.