IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS, TAPS, OR VALVES."
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Haeck, of Schaerbeck, near Brussels, in
the Kingdom of Belgium, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS, TAPS, OR VALVES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Haeck at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
10th August 1858.
I, FRANÇOIS HAECK, of Schaerbeck, near Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS, TAPS, OR VALVES," to be as
follows:-
The barrel of the cock or tap is formed with a conical or spherical seat
covered by a layer or sheet of india-rubber or other elastic and waterproof
material, or of lead, and the closing of the passage therethrough is effected by
a conical or other form adapted to fill out the india-rubber or other material
used as a coating to the seating, and the inner end of this closing means is
formed with a disc which fits a cylindrical portion of the barrel within which
it is capable of traversing. This disc is perforated near its edge with a series
of holes, which together I prefer to be of the area of the passage through the
seat. The other end of this closing means is formed with a stem by which it
is operated for closing or opening, and this stem may be formed with a screw

page_text: to turn in a feniale screw formed in a fixed part of the cock or tap, or it may
have attached to it one end of a cylindrical or other form of india-rubber, the
other end of which is affixed to the barrel of the cock or tap with a tendency
to keep the passage closed or to close it when opened.
The parts of the tap or cock may be made of porcelain or metal or partly of
porcelain and partly of metal, and the improvements are also adapted to the
formation of valves and their seats,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said François Haeck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th February 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANÇOIS
HAECK, of Schaerbeck, near Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said François Haeck, Her special licence that I, the said François Haeck,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said François
Haeck, 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 THE CONSTRUC-
TION OF COCKS, TAPS, OR VALVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said François Haeck, 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 François Haeck, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The barrel of the cock or tap is formed with a conical or spherical seat

page_text: covered by a layer or sheet of india-rubber or other elastic and waterproof
material or of lead, and the closing of the passage there through is effected by
a conical or other form adapted to fill out the india-rubber or other material
used as a coating to the seating, and the inner end of this closing means is"
formed with a disc which fits a cylindrical portion of the barrel, within which
it is capable of traversing. This disc is perforated near its edge with a series'
of holes, which together I prefer to be of the area of the passage through the
seat. The other end of this closing means is formed with a stem by which
it is operated for closing or opening, and this stem may be formed with a screw
to turn in a female screw formed in a fixed part of the cock or tap, or it may
have attached to it one end of a cylindrical or other form of india-rubber, the
other end of which is affixed to the barrel of the cock or tap with a tendency
to keep the passage closed or to close it when opened.
The parts of the tap or cock may be made of porcelain or metal or partly
of porcelain and partly of metal, and the improvements are also adapted to the
formation of valves and their seats.
But that the nature of my said Invention and the means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect may be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the Drawing annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a section of a cock or tap with my improvements applied
thereto. A, A, is the body of the cock or tap, which may be of porcelain,
glass, brass, or other metal; B' is the conical or spherical seat inserted in the
body A, which may be formed of india-rubber or other elastic and waterproof
material, or of lead, or tin or glass, which will not readily oxidize, and adapted
to effect a close joint with the conical plug or piston B, which may be of metal
or other material, or the plug or piston B may be formed of elastic material.
To this piston or plug B is formed a stem C with a handle D, by raising
which the plug B will be raised, and a passage opened through the cock or
tap; E is a collar or cylinder of india-rubber which by its elasticity tends to
bring the plug or cone B down to its seat B¹ to close the passage when
pressure is removed from the handle D. Or the stem C may be formed with
a screw thread acting with a female screw, and by means of a handle as shewn
by Figure 3, the cone B may be caused to turn to open or close the passage
through the tap. I also form on the upper part of the plug or cone Ba
perforated disc B², adapted to slide in a cylindrical portion of the upper portion
of the cock or tap.
Figure 2 shows an external view of a similarly constructed tap or cock except

page_text: that in this case the raising of the piston to open a passage through the cock
or tap is effected by means of an excentric F, affixed on the spindle F', which
is capable of turning in the bearings A2, and it is turned by means of the
handle F2; in like manner valves and their seats may be formed.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and the means
which I prefer to adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details shown and
described, as these may be varied; but what I do claim is the mode of con-
structing and arranging parts of cocks or taps and valves substantially as
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Haeck, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
FRANÇOIS HAECK. (L.S.)
Witness,
G. HERODE.