CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES APPLICABLE TO THE RECEIVING AND DISCHARGING OR WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bell, of Bristol, in the County of Glou-
cester, Engineer, and Richard Chrimes, of Rotherham, in the
County of York, of the firm of Guest and Chrimes, Brass Founders,
for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES APPLICABLE
TO THE RECEIVING AND DISCHARGING OR WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS."
Sealed the 19th August 1853, and dated the 21st February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bell and
Richard Chrimes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 21st February 1853.
We, THOMAS BELL and RICHARD CHRIMES, do hereby declare the
5 nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES
APPLICABLE TO THE RECEIVING AND DISCHARGING OF WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS"
to be as follows:
Our Invention relates to arranging valves and parts which shall
control the discharge of water or other fluid at each operation, and thus

page_text: prevent undue waste; and consists, firstly, of a hollow piston, open at one
end, and perforated with a number of small holes at a suitable distance
from the other end. It is furnished with two flanges, each flange being
at a convenient distance from each end. This piston is enclosed in
a casing or jacket, is divided into two parts or chambers, having holes
or other openings through its sides into each part or chamber; it has a
collar or guide at the upper end, through which the piston projects, and
to which a handle or lever can be attached; the lower chamber of the
jacket has a scating on which the lower flange of the piston rests; when
the valve is shut it is made long enough to receive a pipe, and to which
it can be secured. This jacket is provided with suitable flanges, and
by them to be secured to a water-tight box or other vessel, leaving the
upper chamber of the jacket or casing above the box; and the portion
to receive the pipe, projecting from the bottom of the box, the whole is
then to be fixed in a cistern or other convenient situation, and when it
is necessary to use it the holes in the piston are so arranged that the
piston being clevated shuts off the water from the upper chamber. The
water will rush out at the opening through the pipe at the bottom, and
at the descent of the piston a fresh supply will pass through the upper
chamber and through the piston into the box or other vessel for the
next operation. It may be fixed in a horizontal as well as a vertical
position.
Secondly, our improvements in sluice-valves for water mains or for
other purposes where a similar object is desirable, and which may be
self-acting or otherwise, is applicable to any description of sluice-valve,
and consists of a piston or ram sliding in a cylinder, which has alternately
the pressure of water conveyed on the top and bottom of the ram, and
thereby, by the pressure, opens and shuts the sluice-valve.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Bell and Richard Chrimes, in the Great
Seal Patent Office, on the 19th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
THOMAS BELL, of Bristol, in the County of Gloucester, Engineer, and
RICHARD CHRIMES, of Rotherham, in the County of York, of the firm
of GUEST and CHRIMES, Brass Founders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Bell and Richard
Chrimes, Her especial licence, that we, the said Thomas Bell and Richard
Chrimes, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Thomas Bell and Richard Chrimes, 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 "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES APPLICABLE TO THE RECEIVING AND DISCHARG-
ING OF WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Thomas Bell and Richard Chrimes, by an
instrument in writing under our 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 Thomas Bell and Richard
Chrimes, 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 (that is to say):
Our Invention relates, first, to a combination of two valves in one, for
the purpose of receiving and discharging water or other fluids in such

page_text: manner that the quantity of water or other liquids discharged at one
operation of the valves shall not exceed a fixed measure; it is more
particularly intended to be applied to water-closets, for the purpose of
preventing waste of water. Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the drawings
annexed hereto exhibit this part of our Invention, and its application to
the cisterns of water-closets. Fig. 1 shows a side view of the valve.
Fig. 2, shows the valve in section when attached to a small cistern,
or what we call a service box, the capacity of which fixes the limit of
one full discharge. Fig, 3, shows the manner of applying Fig. 2,
to the cistern of a water-closet. The principle upon which the valve
acts, and in which we prefer to construct it, will be readily understood
from the following description:-a, Fig. 1, is a cylinder or case with
portions of its sides cut away, as shown (see Fig. 1). The lower part
(a) of this cylinder or case forms the seating of the discharge or outlet
valve, the seating or facing of the inlet valve being formed in the
cover (a²) screwed on to the case or cylinder a by the screws 1, 1, 1.
The two valves are cast in one piece, connected by the spindle or part.
b, 61, is the discharge valve; it is constructed in the ordinary manner,
having three radiating mid-feathers (as usual) to keep it central when
moved up or down. The inlet valve (b) is a cylinder which fills and is
fitted into the lid or facing a², and is provided with apertures, as shown
at 6, so that when the discharge valve is on its seating, one series of
apertures will be outside and the other inside the lid, forming a com-
munication between the inside of the cistern or service box (y) and the
supply cistern (as shown at Fig. 2), and when the inlet valve is
against its facing both series of apertures are outside the lid or service
box or out of communication with it (as shown at Fig. 3). 13. and 15,
are rings of leather or other suitable material to enable the valves to
bed better on the seatings or facings, as is well understood. The lower
part of the case a, is screwed and fitted with a cap or screw-nut c, in
which rests a short tube d, for the purpose of attaching the pipe which
conveys the water or other liquid away from the discharge valve, and on
the upper part of the valve is screwed a cap e, provided with an eye-hole.
When the apparatus is fixed in a cistern, as shown at Fig. 3, it is
worked by a link f, attached to the eye-hole e, which connects it with a

page_text: lever 9₁ which has its fulcrum (1) fixed on the side of the cistern (2). h,
is a rod attached to the lever g, leading to the handle, by which motion
is imparted to the valves. 93, is a weight on the end of the lever g,
sufficient to bring the discharge valve on its seating or facing when not
resisted by force acting upon the rod h. Instead of using the case or
cylinder a, the seatings or facings of the valves may be placed or formed
in the small cistern or service box y; but we consider the casing or
cylinder a, more practical, as it renders the valve work complete in
itself, and adaptable to any capacity of service box, besides which the
valve facings can be readily made parallel and in the same axis, in
which condition they will be retained, as will be readily understood by
a mechanic. It will be seen that when the rod h, is pulled, and the
valves lifted in the position shown at Fig. 3, all the water or liquid
within the service box or cistern will pass out through the discharge
valve (if retained open long enough); and when allowed to be brought
back by the weight g³, to the position shown at Fig. 2, the water
or other fluid will enter the service box (y), as long as the valve remains
in that position, till it is full. As the operations of this apparatus are
only required at intervals the inlet apertures of the inlet valve may be
made of such area as will extend the filling of the service box over the
longest period of time which may be deemed convenient. The desiderata
for water-closets has been an apparatus which would give a free, sudden,
but limited discharge of water, as the office to be performed by it is that
of "flushing," which, as well known, is best accomplished by a body of
water. This the apparatus above described is calculated effectually to
accomplish with the least quantity of water. This apparatus (Fig. 2)
may also be adapted so as to receive and discharge water or other fluid
direct from a main or pipe having pressure upon it; that is, it may be
used without the intervention of a supply cistern, by a slight modification
of the parts through which motion is imparted to the valves, as follows:
That part of the cover a, is screwed so as to receive a part formed
similar to a T coupling, the supply pipe being connected with that
branch of the coupling at right angles to the axis of the valves, and the
valve part &, or cap e, is continued in the form of a spindle long enough

page_text: to work through a stuffing box (of any ordinary construction) formed in
that branch of the T coupling in line with the axis of the valves. The
valve spindle may be attached to a lever or other apparatus, so that
motion may be imparted to it for working the valves. Weights or
springs, to close the discharge valve, or to assist in opening it, may be
used, as the pressure of the water or other fluid upon the valves may
require. The valve may be fixed in a horizontal position (the levers
and weights for giving motion to it being modified to suit) as well as in
a vertical position, but it scarcely need be stated that it is preferable in
the vertical position for the purpose of water-closets, as the discharge
will be more free and effectual.
The second part of our Invention relates to what we term self-acting
sluice valves for drawing or discharging water from mains of "water
works," and is represented in the drawings at Fig. 4, and 5; Fig. 4, being
a side sectional view, and Fig. 5, a cross sectional view of the valves, and
an exterior view of the cylinder, &c. It consists of a cylinder having an
accurately fitted piston, which is attached to a rod working through a
stuffing box connected with the valve of the sluice, to which it will impart
motion upwards to open the valve when the pressure of the water in the
main is conveyed under the piston, and downwards to shut the valve when
it is conveyed above the piston. The communication between the upper
and lower side of the piston and the main may be worked by hand
(when it is required to open or shut the sluice) by ordinary stop cocks,
one cock being employed on each side to shut and open the communi-
cation with the mains, and one on each side to let out the water from
the cylinder, so that when the pressure is required to act on one side the
outlet cock on that side must be shut, and that on the other side of
the piston opened, and the cock communicating with the main opened,
and that on the other side shut; but we prefer to use a two-way cock
(bringing both the pipes communicating with the top and bottom side
of the piston to it) which has its outlet orifice through the centre of the
plug, and the inlet by a groove partly round the plug; the two-way
cock may be worked either by hand, or, when the sluice is employed to
supply a reservoir or cistern, by a float ball and lever, which may be

page_text: attached to the two-way cock so as to direct the pressure of the main
above or below the piston, and thus open or shut the sluice valve, as may
be required, according to the varying level of the water in the reservoir
or cistern. A, A, is the casing of the valve part of it, forming a portion
of the main, to which it is jointed by the flanges A', A. B, is the disk
sluice or valve. C, is a rod attached to the disc B, which may work
through a stuffing box formed in the plate or cover D, as in the
ordinary manner, or in place of the stuffing box a leather washer or
other suitable packing material may be employed as at C¹ (we only
consider it necessary to name the parts of the valve as shown in the
drawing, as it is of the ordinary construction). The part E (cast in one
piece) screwed on to the valve case (by the bolts a, a,) supports and
forms one end of the cylinder F, G, forming the other end, both of
which are jointed to the cylinder by means of flanges, and the bolts b, b.
H, is the piston, one part of which is reduced in diameter so as to make
space for hempen or other suitable packing as shown at H, which is
forced down or tightened by means of the plate I, and the screws I¹,
which screw into the solid part of the piston. The piston rod (c) is con-
nected to the piston H, and works through the stuffing box J, (the
packing of which is tightened by the screw gland J¹,) and is attached to
the disc B. The inside of the cylinder is lined with a brass facing F,
to prevent oxidation. K, and L, are the passages for communicating with
the upper and lower sides of the piston. The diameter of the cylinders
will depend upon and be regulated by the effective pressure in the
mains or conduits to which the valves are applied, and upon the load or
friction to be overcome in opening or closing them. If the cylinders are
larger than necessary it will cause a loss of water in working them
equal to the excess.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
in which it is to be performed and carried into effect, we desire
it to be understood that we do not claim any of the parts of our
Invention separately considered, such parts being old and well
understood, nor do we confine ourselves to the exact details herein
given; but what we claim as our Invention are, the combinations, first, of
the parts forming the apparatus described under the first part of our

page_text: Invention; and, secondly, of the parts forming the apparatus described
under the second part of our Invention, when these combinations are
used for the purposes herein named.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Bell and Richard
Chrimes, have hereunto set our hands and seals this Seventeenth 5
day of August One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
RICHARD CHRIMES. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the-
within-named Thomas Bell, in the
presence of
JAS. FLOWER FUSSELL,
Solicitor, Bristol,
A Master Extra in Chancery.
And by the within-named Richard
Chrimes in the presence of
Jo. BAMFORTH, Solicitor, Rotherham.