Improved mechanical arrangements to be applied to ball, float, and other valves for faciliting the action thereof
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM WHITE of 30ª Wimpole Street in the county of Middlesex, Architect
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates partly to improvements on my invention for "Improved
mechanical arrangements to be applied to ball, float, and other valves for
faciliting the action thereof," for which Letters Patent were granted to me
bearing date 3rd December 1879 and numbered 4956.
Fig. 1 of the drawings accompanying such patent shews a bib-cock having a
metal valve ground to its seat and provided with a spindle or stalk on the
underside, such valve being raised by a lever which presses on the lower end of
the said spindle and the lever is curved over the cock and so shaped that it returns
to its original position by its own weight and allows the valve to close-I find in
practice that such form of lever possesses certain disadvantages and therefore
according to one part of my present invention, I apply a short lever of a different
form, placed wholly on one side of the cock and so shaped that the weight of the
inner end of the lever in combination with the weight of the valve is greater than
the weight of the outer end of the lever, so that the valve automatically closes as
soon as the pressure of the fingers is taken off the outer end of the lever."
construct
I find further that this valve is only suitable for pressures up to about 30 feet
head of water, but beyond that pressure, the force which has to be applied to the
lever to open the valve is too great and that by its too rapidly closing, vibration
and concussion are set up and therefore to overcome these difficulties,
a valve having a hole provided through its centre and through the spindle; and
I place within such hole a second smaller valve, the spindle of which projects
slightly below the hollow spindle of the main valve, so that the lever first raises
such small valve (which it can do without difficulty the area being small) and the
pressure being relieved the main valve is easily raised-If only a small quantity of
water is required to be drawn off, it is sufficient to raise the small valve only.
It is obvious that for large taps or very high pressures, this system may be
carried out to any convenient extent, and I may have three, four or more valves
all placed one within the other to be raised one after another in the same manner.
Or, if preferred I may have a large inain valve and provide a number of small
valves within it, placed in a circle, or otherwise, having spindles of various lengths
so that they are raised by the lever one after another as in the former arrangement,
I Prins 71

page_text: A great advantage of this multiple form of valve is that the valve when used
for high pressures will close more gradually than a single valve and thus avoid the
sudden shock and consequent vibration in, or fracture of the pipes incidental to
single valves which close with the stream.
When a large quantity of water has to be drawn off, to avoid the necessity of
holding the lever down the whole time, I provide a sinall weight to place on the
end of the lever such weight being preferably hung from any adjacent point of
support, so as to be always conveniently at hand when wanted, or I may provide
the tap with some suitable form of falling bolt or tumbler, so that when the lever
is depressed the said bolt or tumbler will automatically fall and lock the lever in
position, and to close the tap it is only necessary to raise or push back such bolt
or tumbler.
My invention may be constructed as a bib cock, ball, float or other similar kind
of valve, tap, or cock.
In order to obviate the aforesaid danger of "jumping" when my improved
valve is used as a ball, or float valve, as also in ordinary ball or float valves, when
used for high pressure, I provide a hinge or pivot in the arm of the ball or float
near its fulcrum with a check or stop piece above to allow the valve to fall when
the cistern is full and a check or stop piece below, to let the ball fall only as far
as necessary for allowing it to play up and down without lifting the valve at each
motion. I also prefer in such ball or float valves to pivot or hinge the ball to the
end of the lever with an adjusting screw to fix it in any required position-This
enables the ball to be readily and accurately adjusted to any desired height with-
out bending the arm which is the only means of adjustment in ball or float valves
as ordinarily constructed. This arrangement will also allow of a perfectly rigid
arın being used without danger of "jumping" or strain.
In all the various applications of my invention I prefer to use à plain metal
valve forming part of a sphere and ground into a seat of similar material and
form, as such valve can never get out of order and there are no washers or elastic
seats to wear and require frequent renewals, but I do not necessarily confine
myself to such particular construction of valve.

page_text: Improvements in Dall, Float, and other valves and Taps.
I WILLIAM WHITE of 30 Wimpole Street in the county of Middlesex, Architect
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My invention relates partly. to improvements on my invention for "Improved
mechanical arrangements to be applied to ball, float, and other valves for
facilitating the action thereof" for which Letters Patent were granted to me
bearing date 3rd December 1879 and numbered 4956.
Figure 1 of the drawings accompanying such patent, shews a bib-cock having a
metal valve ground to a seat and provided with a spindle or stalk on the under-
side, such valve being raised by a lever, which presses upwards on the lower end
of the said spindle, and the lever is curved over the cock and so shaped that it
returns to its original position by its own weight and allows the valve to close.
I find in practice that such form of lever possesses certain disadvantages, and
therefore according to one part of my present invention, I apply a short lever of a
different form, placed wholly on one side of the cock and so shaped that the weight
of the inner end of the lever in combination with the weight of the valve is
greater than the weight of the outer end of the lever, so that the valve automatically
closes as soon as the pressure of the fingers is taken off the outer end of the
lever.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical section of
a bib-cock constructed according to my present invention. A is the valve resting in
its seat A, B B is the lever pivotted at C. The said lever is so proportioned that the
weight of the part B in conjunction with the weight of the valve A is sufficiently
greater than the weight of the part B¹ to ensure the valve closing, (when the
pressure of the fingers is taken off B') independently of the pressure of the
water.
I find that a valve of the above description is not suitable for pressures over
about 30 feet head of water, for beyond that pressure the force which has to be
applied to the lever to open the valve is too great and the rapid closing caused by
such higher pressures sets up vibration and concussion in the valve and pipe.
To overcome these difficulties, I construct a valve or tap as shewn in Figures 2
and 3, Figure 2 being a front elevation partly in section, and Figure 3 a side
elevation. A is a valve and A' a seat similar to that shewn in Figure 1, but
having a central hole in which a second smaller valve D is seated at D.
The spindle of D projects slightly below the hollow spindle of the main valve A,
so that the lever B first raises the small valve D, which it can do without difficulty,
the area being small, and the pressure being relieved the main valve A is then
easily raised. If only a small quantity of water is required to be drawn off, it is
sufficient to raise the valve D alone.

page_text: It is obvious that for large taps or very high pressures this system may be
carried out to any convenient extent, and I may have three, four or more valves all
placed one within the other to be raised one after another in the same manner.
Or, if preferred, I may have a large main valve and provide a number of small
valves within it, placed in a circle or otherwise, having spindles of various lengths
so that they are raised by the lever one after another as in the former arrangement.
A great advantage of this multiple form of valve is, that the valve when used
for high pressures, will close more gradually than a single valve, and thus avoid
the sudden shock and consequent vibration in, or fracture of the pipes incidental
to single valves which close with the stream.
When a large quantity of water has to be drawn off, to avoid the necessity of
holding the lever down the whole time, I may provide a small weight to place on
the end of the lever, such weight being preferably hung from any adjacent point of
support, so as to be always conveniently at hand when wanted, or I may provide
the tap with some suitable form of falling bolt or tumbler, so that when the lever
is depressed the said bolt or tumbler will automatically fall and lock the lever in
position, and to close the tap it is only necessary to raise or push back such bolt
or tumbler,
My invention may be constructed as a bib-cock, ball, float or other similar kind.
of valve, tap or cock.
In order to obviate the aforesaid danger of "jumping" when my improved
valve is used as a ball or float valve, as also in ordinary ball or float valves, when
used for high pressure, I provide a hinge or pivot in the arm of the ball or float
near its fulcrum with a check or stop piece above to allow the valve to fall when
the cistern is full and a check or stop piece below to let the ball fall only as far
as necessary for allowing it to play up and down without lifting the valve at each
motion.
I also prefer in ball or float valves to pivot or hinge the ball to the end of the
lever with an adjusting screw to fix it in any required position.
This enables the ball to be readily and accurately adjusted to any desired
height without bending the arm, which is the only means of adjustment in ball or
float valves as ordinarily constructed.
This arrangement will also allow of a perfectly rigid arm being used without
danger of "jumping or strain.
"
Figures 4 and 5 represent this part of my invention, Figure 4 being an elevation
of my improved valve with my improved float and lever in combination there-
with, and Figure 5 being a plan of the said float and lever.
The arm B is in this case made vertical or nearly vertical, so that the closing
of the valve shall be practically unaffected by the weight of the lever E.
The said lever E is pivotted to the arm B¹ at F. A small lug or projection H is
provided on BT to engage with the ends of the notch in the end of the lever E, a
little play being allowed, as shewn, so that the float J can play up or down to a
certain extent without affecting the valve as above described.
The said float J is pivotted to the lever E at K and can be adjusted and fixed.
at any desired angle by means of the thumb screw L working in the curved slot M,
thus obviating the necessity of bending the lever E.
In all the various applications of my invention, I prefer to use a plain metal
valve forming part of a sphere and ground into a seat of similar material and
form.
The advantages of this construction are that such valve can never get out of
order, and there are no washers or elastic seats to wear and require frequent
renewal, but I do not necessarily confine myself to the precise details of con-
struction of such valve nor of the other parts of my invention herein shewn,
as the game may be modified within certain limits, provided that the essential
principles of my invention are retained,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, is:-
(1.) The combination with my improved valve of the improved lever B B¹, for
opening the said valve, substantially as herein described and shewn.
(2.) The combination with my improved valve of a small similar central valve D,
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn.
(3.) The combination with my improved valve of a series of small valves
arranged concentrically or otherwise, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and shewn.
(4.) The improved float and lever, constructed substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and shewn.
AMBROSE MYALL, O.E.,
Agent for the Applicant.