IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR COCKS POR DRAWING OFF FLUIDS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Stones, of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the County
of York, Brass Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS
OR COCKS POR DRAWING OFF FLUIDS."
Sealed the 5th October 1855, and dated the 7th April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Stones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
April 1855.
I, RICHARD STONES, of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the County of York, Brass
Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TAPS OR COCKS FOR DRAWING OFF FLUIDS" to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in the substitution of a cone or button valve to
taps or cocks for drawing off fluids for & in the stead of the ordinary plug,
such valve being acted upon or opened by the turning of a T-beaded or other
such handle, the tail piece of which is a circular pin with two sides filed off or
flattened or made oval in section, so that when either of the flat sides or the
smaller diameter is presented to the valve or the end of the valve spindle, the
valve is free to go home into its seating & the passage is stopped thereby, but
upon turning the handle so that the larger diameter of the tail piece is presented
to the end of the valve or valve spindle, the valve is forced back to the extent
required to permit of the free passage of the fluid. The valve may have a
spiral or other form of spring applied to it for to retain it in its place when
there is but a small head of fluid to press against it, or for the purpose of
overcoming any resistance from friction or otherwise. This arrangement can
be applied to all forms of taps or cocks.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Stones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
STONES, of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the County of York, Brass Founder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day. of April; in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the
year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Stones, Her special licence that I, the said. Richard Stones,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Stones, my 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 COCKS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Stones, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 I, the said Richard Stones, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
My Invention consists in the substitution of a cone, button, or disc valve to
taps or cocks for drawing off fluids for and in the stead of the ordinary plug,
such valve being acted upon or opened by the turning of a T-headed or other
form of spindle in the place of the ordinary plug, such spindle having an
elliptic collar, the major axis of which is considerably greater than the minor
axis; so that when the smaller diameter is presented to the end of the spindle
of the cone or button valve, the valve is allowed to go perfectly home into
its seating, and upon the handle being turned round one-fourth of a circle,
the larger diameter of the elliptic collar is gradually pressed against the end
of the spindle of the valve, and forces it open against any column of fluid or
pressure behind it. Or, I take the lower part of a T-headed or other plug or

page_text: spindle, and after turning it to a diameter of sufficient size, and fit it into
the barrel of the cock and its bearings; I then file off from two sides
of the diameter of the cylindrical spindle sufficient metal to form two flats
thereon, producing sufficient difference in the distances from the centre of the
spindle between the full and flat parts to move the valve open to the extent
desired, the edges of such flats being rounded off to prevent their injuring
the end of the valve spindle.
Now, spindle valves, whether cone or button formed, have been used in
various ways for restraining the pressure of steam, water, air, &c., and have
been held in their places by weighted or balanced levers, or worked by screws,
which being turned, either opened or closed them; and these kind of valves
have been used in certain cases for cocks or taps for drawing off liquids, but
have invariably involved considerable alteration in the external form and
appearance of the barrel, the body, and other parts thereof, as well as in the
internal arrangement of passage ways or bore; but by my Invention cocks of the
ordinary forms externally can be applied, whether for great or small pressure
purposes.
In taps for purposes where there is but a small column of fluid behind the
valve, or where the fluid is of a thick or viscid nature, as in some kinds of
oils, or where used for regulating the flow of semi-fluids, I add a spiral or
other suitable spring to assist the closing of the valve, and overcome any
friction between the trilateral or other form of valve spindle, and the passage
or bore of the cock or tap in which it works and is guided.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed I have shewn several views of cocks or
taps of various forms and for various purposes, but it will be evident therefrom
that my Invention can be applied to other forms or kinds of cocks than those
shewn therein.
Fig. 1 is a side view of what is known as a bib-cock, with a screwed ferrule,
and suitable for resisting pressure; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1,
exhibiting the construction of the parts of the cock; a, being the body of
the cock; b, the T-headed handle; c, the lower end or tail piece of handle,
with the two sides flattened or filed off, and the corners rounded so as to act
as a tumbler upon the spindle of the cone valve d, the larger dimension
being shewn as having forced back the valve, and so opened the passage
way and permit of the fluid passing through the valve seating e, into which
the cone valve & sets, when the flow is required to be stopped; f, a screwed
ferrule, which also enables the valve to be reached on unscrewing tho
cock therefrom; g, a collar piece on the spindle b above the flattened tail
piece thereof, and may be of metal, turned and ground into the barrel of tho

page_text: cock, and be part of the spindle or fastened thereon, and may have an india-
rubber, leather, or other collar or washer above it, and pressed on by the
screw cap h; h is a screwed cap for covering the bore of the barrel of the
cock, and acting as a guide and bearing for the spindle of handle, the bottom
bearing being by a pin or stud stepped into the bottom of the chamber or
barrel, if the bottom be solid; or, if a screwed cap or washer be used, then it
would be stepped therein. Fig. 3 is an horizontal section of Figs 1 and 2,
the same letters of reference being used for the several parts respectively;
but the valve is shewn as closed, and the tumbler picce in the corresponding
position.
Fig. 4 is a section taken through the line A, B, in Fig. 2 and 3, and shews
the spindle d of the cone valve.
Fig. 5 is a plan of a ball-cock; Fig. 6 is a side view of Fig. 5; Fig. 7
is a section of Figs. 5 and 6, taken on the line A, B, of Fig. 6; the same
letters of reference as used in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 corresponding with the several
parts of this Figure, but in addition thereto i is the ball fixed on the lever
k; is a screwed cap or plug for closing one end of the barrel, and into
which the stud or pin of the spindle takes its bearing; m are washers or
collars of vulcanized india-rubber or other suitable material, added as an
additional security against leakage.
Fig. 8 is a side view of another form of cock or tap for withstanding pressure,
but with short and smaller barrel and a moveable T head or handle, and with
a disc or button valve instead of a cone valve. Fig. 9 is a section of Fig. 8,
and on reference it will be seen that the spindle c is varied from that shewn
in Figs. 2 and 7, it having two bearing collars turned thereon top and
bottom, and the part c or tumbler that acts upon the spindle of valve has
a groove turned above and below it to permit of the valve spindle working
clear of it, and to give more passage way. There are also two collars or
washers m, which are held in their places and pressed down by the cap h.
The bottom of the barrel is closed by a plug, finely screwed and fitted therein.
The valve in this instance is composed of a disc or washer of vulcanized
india-rubber, secured or held in its place by a back plate or disc of metal
attached by a screw to the valve spindle d. In this Figure the valve is shewn
as opened. Fig. 10 is a sectional plan of Figures 8 and 9, taken on the line
A, B, of Fig. 9, but the valve is shewn as closed.
Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are views of a cock, similar to Figs. 8, 9, and 10, but
this cock has a spiral spring added for the purpose of assisting to close the
valve, and is intended for purposes where there is but little or no pressure of
fluid behind the valve.

page_text: Having described my Invention and the several Figures in the Sheet of
Drawings illustrating it, and although I have shewn two varieties of tumblers
for acting upon or opening the valves of cocks or taps, I do not confine myself
to these forms alone, as an eccentric cam or ring may be fitted on, or an
eccentric groove may be turned in, the spindle of the handle where it can be
so applied in the barrel of the cock, and where a half revolution of the handle
or lever instead of one-fourth part is not objectionable for opening or closing
the valve; and although I have shewn only four varieties or kinds of cocks.or
taps in the Drawing hereunto annexed, yet my Invention is applicable to an
immense number of varieties or kinds which it is unnecessary to illustrate.
The advantages derived from the application of my Invention as compared
with the ordinary plug cocks are, that they are more secure, less liable to wear,
to leak, or waste, or to become set fast by corrosion and less liable to injury
from external causes.
What I claim as my Invention is, the use of cone, button, or flat disc valves
for high or low pressure cocks or taps, where such valves are acted upon or
opened by tumbler pieces of any of the forms described, when the same are
fitted or used in the manner described for the kinds of cocks or taps shewn in
the Drawing, and also when these valves and the modes of opening them are
adapted to any other form or description of cock or tap to which my Invention
can be applied, although they are not shewn upon the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and whether they be large or small, stop, ball, bib, syphon, or other
kind or description of cock or tap.
I also claim the use of india-rubber washer or disc valves, as well as the
metal valves when they are used in conjunction with either of the modes of
opening them, as before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Stones, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
EDWIN T. SETTLE,
Leonard Street, Hull.
RICHARD STONES. (L.S.)