IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR VALVES FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUIDS OR FLUIDS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Dykes and James Scott, both of the
City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Plumbers
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR VALVES FOR CONTROLLING
THE FLOW OF LIQUIDS OR FLUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Dykes and
James Scott at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 2nd June 1875.
We, WILLIAM DYKES and JAMES SCOTT, both of the City of Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Plumbers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR VALVES
FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUIDS OR FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
This said Invention has reference to improvements in the construction
of taps or valves for stopping or controlling the flow of liquids or fluids
through them, and the pipes to which they are connected, and of the
class known as screw taps ог screw valves" with the fluid flowing
in by the branch on the one side, below and up through a division or
valve seat in the middle of the valve chamber, and out through the
*
"
"
discharge branch above this seat, which is preferred to have a raised
annular bearing part on which the ordinary valve or lid (with leather or

page_text: other soft or elastic seating on it) is screwed down by any of the
ordinary screw spindles or plugs with stuffing boxes, such as
""
screw
down or stop valves or taps used for nose cocks, swan necks, and
wells for domestic and public supply of water. And the nature and
novelty of this Invention consist in forming a valve seat, and fitting a
self-closing valve on the under side of the middle division (below the
screw or plug valve), and which closes by the pressure of the out-
flowing fluid, and by a light spring fitted over its lower stem, and a plug
or cap below, screwed into the lower side of the valve chamber, for
inserting and withdrawing the valve and for guiding its under stem
while working, its upper stem being guided in a hole in the upper screw
valve or plug. This upper stem is preferably made hollow as a punch
to cut its own hole centrally through the leather or other soft facing of
the screw valve. This upper stem is made of an exact or proper length
to suit its recess in the upper valve, and the opening or flow of water
desired in the circumstances where it is to be fitted and the pressure
within the pipe, so that when the usual top spindle or plug is screwed
up to a middle or mean distance, it lifts and opens its own valve to as
great an extent as is required, and allows the lower self-acting valve to
close to the same extent with an equal opening, when the liquid or fluid
will then flow through the two valves and their seats to the maximum
extent possible, for if the screw plug and upper valve are screwed higher
with a view to give more water it allows the lower valve to gradually
close, and if screwed down past the said mean distance to open the lower
valve then the upper valve closes the outflow, so that great waste of
water is prevented by extra pressure and outflow, and when perfect
stoppage is desired the upper valve is screwed hard down so that not a
drop can escape, while only small leather or soft metal facings are
required, secured in a casing which would be most durable and tight.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
DYKES and JAMES SCOTT, both of the City of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Plumbers, send greeting.
3

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said William Dykes and James
Scott, Her special licence that we, the said William Dykes and James
Scott, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said William Dykes and James Scott, our 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 VALVES
FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUIDS OR FLUIDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William Dykes and James Scott, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said William Dykes and James Scott,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference
being had to the several figures and reference letters on the Sheet of
Drawings, which we have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing
the best modes and means we are at present aware of for performing our
said Invention, the same reference letters indicating the same or like
parts in all the Figures, that is to say :-
"
Our said Invention has reference to improvements in the construction
of taps or valves for stopping or controlling the flow of liquids or fluids
through them and the pipes to which they are connected, and of the
class known as "
screw taps" or screw valves," with the fluid flowing
in by the branch at the one end or side, below and up through a
division and valve seating in the middle of the valve chamber, and out
through the discharge branch above this seat at the other side or end of
the tap.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side elevation, and a plan of an
ordinary form or type of swan-neck water supply screw valve and tap
for kitchens, with the valve chamber in section to show the construction
of the new parts more clearly in accordance with and illustrative of the
application of our said Invention or improvements thereto.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a screw valve nose tap fitted with
our improved valve, and illustrative of the application of our Invention
or improvements, to this otherwise ordinary type of screw tap or valve
suitable for supplying water for domestic, manufacturing, and business
purposes, and for drawing off other liquids generally.
Figure 4 shows a sectional elevation of a screw valve, box, or tap,
constructed in accordance with our said Invention for use in public
wells.
Referring generally to these Figures 1 to 4, a is the inlet branch
admitting the water or other pressure fluid to the under or back side a¹
of the valve seat or division b, through which it passes to the top side
all of the valve chamber a³, a", through the discharge branch a³, all as
indicated by the arrows in the several Figures (in Figures 1 and 2), out
through the controlling or directing cock or key and swan nose pipe
a², a', and (in Figures 3 and 4) out through the usual curved or it might.
be straight or other shaped nose pipe a². The upper division a¹¹ of the
valve chamber is fitted with the usual cap and screw stuffing box c, and
screw hand spindle c¹ carrying the stem of the upper valve lid or cap 6',
containing the leather or other soft or elastic disc or washer face 6¹¹, for
closing the opening 6 upon the preferably raised and rounded seat on
the top or front side at a", against the pressure of the flowing fluid, the
removal of the cap c admitting of the insertion and removal of the valve
lid b¹. The lower chamber a¹ is also fitted with a closing-in screw
plug c (in the axial line of the top valve b¹ and its spindle c¹), for
the insertion of the lower valve d, and the guiding of its lower stem d¹
and light spring d", to carry the weight of the valve d, and insure its
automatic action or closing by the pressure or flow of the liquid, against
the ground angled face on the lower side a¹ of the valve seating b.
b
So far described there is nothing new in the construction of these
screw valves or taps, the essential novelty and improvements consist in
forming and adding the upper stem e to the lower valve d when in
proper action, having its upper hollow thin annular end always pressed

page_text: by the spring d¹¹ against the under closing face of the leather or other
disc or washer 6", in the upper valve 6' and opposite a new central hole
e' in the stem of the valve 6', made rather larger than the hollow stem e
of the lower valve d, so that when the leather washer or other packing
b" of this hole e¹ forms a guide for the upper stem e of the valve d, and
when the washer wears away and gets thin and cannot close the passage
b, then the end of the stem e cuts its way through the washer as a
punch, and enters the hole e¹ in the upper valve 6', which allows the lower
valve d to close by the power of the spring d" and the pressure of the
liquid, so that no more can pass through the tap or valve until a new
leather is put into it, thus preventing waste from neglect of repairing
the valve as with other taps. This upper stem e is made to loosely fit
the said hole or recess e' in the upper valve 6' and of an exact or proper
length to suit the opening or flow of water desired, and the pressure
within the pipe in the circumstances where the tap or valve is to be
fitted, so that when the usual top spindle or plug c¹ is screwed up to the
middle or mean distance of its action, it lifts and opens its own valve
6, 6¹¹, to as great an extent as is required, and allows the lower self-
acting valve to close to the same extent with an equal opening, when
the liquid or fluid will then flow through the two valves d and 61, 6¹¹,
and the opening 6 in their seats to the maximum extent possible, as
shown in this position in Figure 3, for if the screw plug c¹ and upper
valve 61, 6, are screwed higher with a view to give more water, it allows
the lower valve d to gradually and partially close, as shown in Figure 2,
and if screwed down past the said mean distance to open, the lower valve
d, then the upper valve 6¹, 6¹¹, closes the outflow, thus great waste of
water is prevented by this arrangement through the extra pressure and
outflow, and when perfect stoppage is desired the upper valve 6, 61, is
screwed hard down, as shown in Figure 4, so that not a drop can escape,
while only small leather or soft matal facings 6" are required secured in
the casing or valve lid 6¹ below the hole e¹, and which would be most
durable and tight.
In the arrangement for wells shown in Figure 4, the screw c¹ on the
valve spindle c¹ is made of a coarse pitch, so that little more than a
5 quarter turn of its handle c" outside of the well, opens the valves d and
b¹ to their maximum flow of the water, against the power of the counter-
weighted lever c³ fixed on the spindle c¹ in an ordinary manner, so as to
close the valve b' by its own weight and action, when the handle c¹¹¹ is
again let go.

page_text: The principal advantages derived from this new or improved method
of constructing the valves of screw taps or valves for controlling the
flow or supply of water and other liquids through them are, the pre-
vention of waste when the leather or other closing face 6" of the valves
gives way, and the obtainment of a more regular or medium supply in
proportion to the head pressure, and the requirements in the circum-
stances under which the taps are fitted.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention and the
manner in which it is to be performed, we have to state that we do not
restrict ourselves to the precise details herein described, neither on the
other hand do we desire to claim the construction of the whole of the
parts by themselves of screw taps with duplex valves (b', d), for
regulating or controlling the flow of liquids through them, as many of
these parts have heretofore been used, but what we consider novel and
original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction of these
and such like taps or valves with an extra stem e on the top of the lower
valve d, working up against the sealing leather or surface 6" of the
other or upper valve 6', so as to pierce it when worn out and thus close
the under valve d, and prevent further outflow of the liquid until a new
leather disc is inserted and the tap again put in order.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Dykes and James Scott,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-ninth day
of November, in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and
seventy-five.