Improvements in Taps for Steam, Water, and other Liquids.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 28th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Taps for Steam, Water, and other Liquids.
I, EDGAR FROST, of Treeton in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of taps for steam,
water and other liquids, the object being to make the working parts of such taps
more durable, and to enable any slackness to be taken up in a simple and effective
manner.
I propose to make the body of the tap of a tec shape thus, the horizontal part
being the entrance for the steam, or the like, and the vertical part containing the
valve or plug, the outlet being at the bottom.
The plug projects from the top part of tap, and is there connected with the
means by which the tap is opened and closed, whether it is a hand wheel for raising
the plug by the action of a screw thread, or a lever to raise it direct.
When the plug is raised or lowered by turning it in a screw thread, by the aid
of a small wheel or the like fixed upon the end which projects from the top of the
body, I bore the body out in two different diameters, the larger bore extending
from the top to a short distance below the hole in the horizontal part, and thus
forming a shoulder at the end of the larger bore.
The smaller bore corresponds with the general diameter of the plug, and is
screwed the whole of its length; the top portion of the large bore is also screw-
threaded to within a short distance of the top of inlet hole before mentioned, to
receive a screwed gland, the bottom edge of which corresponds with and is opposite
to the solid shoulder on the lower side of the inlet opening.
Upon the solid shoulder I place a washer of corresponding size, and upon it a
ring of packing preferably asbestos, and upon the asbestos or other packing I place
a metallic collar or thimble of sufficient depth to extend both above and below the
inlet, and fitting closely to the sides of the bore; it is provided with an elongated
hole through the side opposite the said inlet.
The bore of the thimble and of the gland both correspond with the diameter of
the plug.
When the thimble is in position I put over it a packing ring similar to the lower
one and screw the various parts together with the screw gland.
The plug is a parallel rod, except for a short length of screw thread of enlarged
diameter at the bottom end to engage with and work in the correspondingly
screwed smaller bore of the body before described; it is bored upwards into one or
more cross holes which open into elongated hole in the thimble, and thus when in
that position a clear steam or water way is formed.
When the plug is raised by being rotated in the screw threads the cross holes are
drawn above the hole in the thimble, and communication is stopped. Leakage is
prevented by the compressed packing rings encircling and griping the plug.
If a direct lifting action is given to the plug by a lever or the like, the plug will
be of one diameter throughout, and the smaller bore of the body or vertical part
will be without a screw thread.
Dated the 16th day of July 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Taps for Steam, Water, and other Liquids.
I, EDGAR FROST, of Treeton in the County of York, Engineer, 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 to the construction of taps for steam, water, and the like,
the object being to make such taps more durable, and with a ready means of
compensating for wear or loose fitting.
The annexed drawing illustrates the invention in its application to one form of
tap, the drawing being a sectional view which exhibits all the various parts and
clearly shows the construction of same.
The body of the tap A, is conveniently made of a shape, consisting of a
barrel A, and a side connection or inlet B, to screw upon the supply pipe.
The barrel A, contains the working parts of the tap, namely a washer C, short
tube D, two rings of packing E, E', gland F, plug G, with means by which it is
operated. When the invention is carried out, in the manner shown in the drawings,
I bore out the barrel A, to two diameters so as to leave a shoulder upon which the
washer C, rests, the larger bore is carried downwards beyond the opening of the
inlet B.
The smaller bore J, is provided with a screw thread, and the top part of the
barrel is also screwed to receive a screwed gland F, the bottom edge of which is
exactly opposite to and corresponds with the washer C.
A short piece of tube (or sleeve) D, prepared with an elongated inlet K, made
through one of its sides, fits into the interior of the large bore of the barrel.
The plug G, is a parallel rod, except that at its lower end it is enlarged and
screw threaded to engage with the screw threaded part of the barrel A, at J, in
which it works with a vertical travel.
It is bored upwards to form a steam or water way and has one or more side
openings L, which are brought opposite the opening K, in the tube D, and the
inlet B, by turning the wheel H, in which position a clear passage is formed through
the tap.
When the plug is placed in the barrel (without the wheel) the washer C, is
dropped over it on the shoulder, and a ring of asbestos or other packing E', is
placed above it, after which the tube D, is inserted with its opening K, opposite
the inlet B, another ring of packing E, is then placed on the top of the tube, and
the gland F, screwed down, compressing the packing rings, causing them to expand
against the interior of the barrel, and compressing them upon the plug G.
When the tap is to be closed, the plug G, is screwed down until the solid part is
brought opposite the opening K, and closes it, this action may be reversed and the
tap be closed by the plug being drawn upwards.
If a direct lifting action by means of a lever, or equivalent means is preferred to
the screw action before described, the plug is made parallel and the screw thread in
the small bore J, of the barrel will be dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same may be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A tap for steam, water, and other liquids having a semitubular plug G, with
opening L, working through a short tube or sleeve D, with opening K, held between
two compressed rings of packing E, E', in the barrel of the tap, and having means,
(by a rotary or direct action) for bringing the openings Land K together, in the

page_text: manner
substantially as herein before described and with reference to the annexed
drawings.
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Agent for Applicant.