IMPROVED UNION JOINT FOR JOINING LEAD PIPES WITHOUT SOLDER
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I ALFRED INCE of N° 27 Tavistock Crescent Westbourne Park W. London
Turncock do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for AN IMPROVED UNION
JOINT FOR JOINING LEAD PIPES WITHOUT SOLDER to be as follows :-
A brass or iron union to join lead pipes in roads or buildings without the use of
solder and which will bear any pressure of hot or cold water.
The lead pipe is passed through the socket, A, and the hollow thimble, B: the
end of the pipe is then opened with a turnpin to receive the plug, C, the socket A
is then properly screwed up to, D, and the joint is made.

page_text: ALFRED INCE of 27 Tavistock Crescent Westbourne Park London W. Turncock
I do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for AN IMPROVED UNION JOINT
FOR JOINING LEAD PIPES WITHOUT SOLDER and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
A brass or iron union to join lead pipes in roads or buildings, without the use of
solder, and which will bear any pressure of hot or cold water.
"An Improved Union Joint for Joining Lead Pipes without Solder." The
following is the method of its application.
Joining Lead Pipes: The lead pipe is passed through the socket, A, in which is
placed the hollow thimble B; the lead pipe is then opened with a turnpin to
receive the plug, C; the socket, A, is then screwed up to, D, and the joint is made.
These letters refer to the Drawings filed with my Provisional Specification. This
is to specify that this improved union joint has been invented for the purpose of
supplying an easy and effective means of joining lead pipes, ball cocks; bib
cocks; stop cocks; gas and water meters, &c. ; (for the last please refer to the
additional Drawings that have been handed in with this Specification) without the
time, trouble and expense at present, incurred by the employment of a plumber.
Because this union is constructed on such a simple plan and its adaptability is so
easy and certain, that any person, without having had any previous knowledge
whatever of its application, can make a joint quite secure in about fifteen or twenty
minutes; in fact in less time than it would be possible to engage a plumber to
commence operations. The manner in which lead pipes can be joined is given in
detail at the commencement of this Specification. The manner in which to fix
ball cocks; bib cocks, &c. is as follows:-
Fixing Ball Cocks &c. :-Fig. 1 of the additional Drawings shows the plug of the
union cut in two, leaving the fixed backnut and socket on the side required for use.
After the plug has been cut in two, a screw is tapped inside of the backnut and
plug, which can easily be seen is arranged for the purpose of receiving ball cocks ;
bibcocks; &c. which may be better understood by the following:-After the
lead pipe joint has been made in the manner before described the screw of the ball
cock or of the bib cock (whichever the case may be) is inserted in the screw which
has been tapped for that purpose in the back nut and the plug, and which is
then screwed up to the backnut, which forms an elegant as well as an effective
joint.
Joining Lead & Iron Pipes: Fig. 2 shows the casting of the plug, C, in two
different sizes, and without the cone, with a socket on one side. (The sizes of
castings of course being varied as required, but which will generally be with a
difference of a quarter of an inch to each plug; viz.: a half inch opposing a three
quarter; and a three quarter opposing an inch,) for the purpose of joining a lead
and an iron pipe, which is done as follows:-The diminished portion of the plug
is inserted in the socket of the iron pipe and is then screwed up to the backnut of
the plug, which makes one portion of the joint. The other portion of the joint
is then made in the usual manner, which completes the joint of a lead and an
iron pipe.
Fixing Stop Cocks, &c.: Stop cocks can be fixed in the following manner :-When
the lead pipe joint has been made as shown in Fig. 1, for the fixing of ball
cocks &c., the male side of the stop cock is inserted in the screw of the backnut

page_text: and the plug, exactly as described for fixing ball-cocks. When this has been done
the diminished portion of the plug of the union (Fig. 2) is inserted in the female
portion of the stop cock and is then screwed up to the backnut of the union. The
other end of the lead pipe is joined in the usual manner. When this has been
done the socket is drawn over the lead pipe and screwed up to the backnut of the
union, and the stop cock is fixed in a proper and effective manner.
Fixing Water Meters: Water meters can be fixed by the union in the following
manner: The lead pipe is joined to the male portion of the meter with Fig. 1.
First; by joining the lead pipe and the union, then by screwing the tapped portion
of the plug on to the nipple of the meter which makes the connection on one side.
The plug of the union (Fig. 2) is then inserted in the socket of the meter and
screwed up to the backnut of the union. The lead pipe joint is then made and
the socket is screwed up to the backnut; which completes the fixing of the meter.
One union seperated and tapped in fact answers the purpose of two plumber's
joints.
Fixing Gas Meters: can be fixed; as follows:-The lead pipe is joined with the
union of Fig. 2; the plug of the same is then inserted in the boss or socket of the
meter, and screwed up to the backnut. The socket of the union is then drawn
over the lead pipe and screwed up to the backnut of the plug, which completes the
joint and the fixing of the meter.
Fig. 3 is simply showing the two parts of the union with opposing sockets,
which may aid to a better comprehension of its applicability.
Bath connections and similar fittings can also be made with Figs. 1 & 2 of the
additional Drawings, which especially in this case will save much time labour
and expense: There being, I believe, few connections that cannot be made in an
effective manner by this union. Furthermore: The union has been practically
used and has satisfactorily answered the purposes for which it was invented.
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. A union joint for lead pipes consisting of an internally screwed socket which
receives the lead pipe, and a screwed nipple with conical end, which forces the lead
pipe against the socket and makes a tight joint without solder; substantially in the
manner herein before described and illustrated in the Drawing attached to my
Provisional Specification.
2. A union joint for joining two lead pipes together, consisting of two sockets
to receive the pipes, and a double ended nipple, substantially as illustrated in the
Drawing attached to my Provisional Specification.
3. The modification shewn in the Drawing attached to my Provisional Speci
fication in which the socket contains a thimble B.
4. The modification shewn in the Drawing attached to my Complete Specification
in which one end of the nipple is formed to join iron pipes and other screwed
articles.
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