IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES AND Cocks
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WATSON, of the Town and County of Newcastle-on-Tyne, Brassfounder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twelfth day of
October (One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine), in the thirteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Watson, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Henry
Watson, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Watson, my exors, adññiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the terni of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES AND Cocks;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I, the said Henry Watson, shall cause a particular
<description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Watson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
Figure 1 represents two vertical sections of a valve and a cock having my
improvements applied thereto. The line a, a, is the water way through; and
b, b, b, b, the block or key (with inclined faces), which is raised or depressed
by the screw c, the valve or cock being shut when it is pressed down into its
seat, as shewn in the Drawing, and open when raised up. The dark line on
the inclined face of the block or key is leather, felt, gutta percha, or other
elastic substance most suitable to the purpose for which the valve or cock is
to be used. The leather or other clastic substance forming the face is kept
on the key or block by a ring d, d, d, d, driven on and kept in its place by
screws e, e, e, which prevents it having a tendency afterwards to come off.
The bolts and nuts f, f, through the centre, are for the purpose of drawing the
leather or flexible material tightly over the face or bearing parts G, G, G, G.
H, H, is a nut fitting loosely in the inside of the key or block, so as to allow
it to bed itself firmly in its seat.
Figure 2 is a plan or horizontal section of the valve and cock taken through
the lines a, a, in Figure 1, the same letters having reference to the same
parts, videlicet, b, b, b, b, the leather or other flexible facing to the inclined
surfaces of the key or block; c, the screw and nut; d, d, d, d, the ring or keep
for the elastic facing; ff, the centre bolts; G, G, G, G, the bearing faces;
H, H, the centre nut; e', e', are guides for the key or block working loosely
up and down.
The advantages I consider this valve and cock possess over the ground
brass-faced valve and cocks are,-
First, that they are cheaper in the first cost.
Second, that as soon as the key is eased off its seat it opens and shuts more
easily, and the wear and tear of the face are only when it is on the point of
being nipped down or opened.
Third, when the flexible material on the key or block becomes unserviceable
it is easily replaced, with little loss of time or expence, and without removing
the valve or cock, the lid only having to be taken off and replaced, and sand
or grit will not destroy or render the valve or cock untight.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not confine

page_text: myself to the details herein described, so long as the peculiar character of my
Invention be retained. But what I claim is, the facing of the inclined
surfaces of the parts b, b, with yielding or flexible materials, as herein
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Watson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.