In- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS OR TAPS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Squire Farron, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the
County of Lancaster, Brassfounder, for the Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS OR TAPS."
Sealed the 7th April 1870, and dated the 6th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Squire Farron at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th October 1869.
I, SQUIRE FARRON, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster,.
Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS OR TAPS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in making the casing of the cock or tap with a
conical hole in which a hollow taper plug fits. The water or other fluid
passes through an inlet passage in the casing into the lower end of the
plug, and it escapes through passages in the plug and in the casing. The
plug is tightened in the conical hole of the casing by regulating screws.
By this improved mode of construction the barrel in which the taper

page_text: plug fits is independent of the casing but is connected therewith by
midfeathers, thus giving great strength and preventing the injury which
in ordinary taps or cocks is occasioned by the strain of the pipes to
which the tap or cock is connected. Another advantage resulting from
this improved mode of construction is that the taps or cocks are perfectly 5
fluid or steam tight.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Square Farron in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SQUIRE
FARRON, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, Brass-
founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Squire Farron, Her special licence that I,
the said Squire Farron, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Squire Farron, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF COCKS
OR TAPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Squire
Farron, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their 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 I, the said Squire Farron, 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 statement (that is to say) :-

page_text: My Invention consists in making the casing of the cock or tap with a
conical hole in which a hollow plug fits. The water or other fluid passes
through an inlet passage in the casing into the lower end of the plug,
and it escapes through passages in the plug and in the casing. The
plug is tightened in the conical hole of the casing by regulating screws.
By this improved mode of construction the barrel in which the taper plug
fits is independent of the casing, but is connected therewith by mid-
feathers, thus giving great strength and preventing the injury which in
ordinary taps or cocks is occasioned by the strain of the pipes to which
the tap or cock is connected. Another advantage resulting from this
improved mode of construction is that the taps or cocks are perfectly fluid
or steam tight.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 a longitudinal section, and
Figure 3 a plan of a cock or tap constructed according to my improve-
ments.
a is the outer casing of the tap; the inlet pipe is screwed into or
otherwise connected to the end a³, and the outlet pipe is connected to
the end a; b is the hollow taper plug fitting accurately in the barrel a³,
which is cast with the casing a; b' is the passage through the taper plug,
and a' is a corresponding passage in the barrel a³; a are the midfeathers
connecting the inside of the casing a to the outside of the barrel a³, and
closing the communication between the inlet and outlet passages, and
a is a partition for closing the communication between the under side of
the taper plug and the outlet pipe; c is a cap screwed into the casing a.
The upper end of the taper plug is square to receive a key by which the
plug is turned round; the plug 6 is tightened in the barrel a³ by the
nut b, which is screwed on a thread cut in the plug, and between the
nut &* and the end of the casing is the washer 6³, which fits on a shoulder
on the end of the plug. This washer has a flat surface on one sido
fitting on a similar flat surface on the plug, as shewn by dotted lines in
Figure 3. The arrows at Figure 2 indicate the passage of the steam,
water, or other fluid through the tap, the fluid entering at a¹, passes
upwards into the hollow taper plug b, then through the passages b³
and a' into the outlet a².

page_text: Figure 4 represents a longitudinal section, and Figure 5 a plan of a cock
or tap constructed according to a modification of my Invention. In this
instance the plug 6 is tapered in the contrary direction to that shewn in
Figure 2, but the other parts are very similar to those above described,
and they are marked with corresponding letters and figures of reference.
The regulation of the plug in the barrel is effected by the cap 6', which
screws on a thread cut in the casing, the inside of the cap acting on a
washer 6 which fits on the upper end of the plug.
The principal advantages of these improved taps or cocks are, first, the
plug and barrel are kept at the same temperature, because the steam or
other fluid has access to the cavity between the barrel and the casing,
consequently the plug is not liable to bind; secondly, the steam or other
fluid cannot act on the ground face of the plug, because the pressure is
within the plug which is pressed inside the barrel, thus keeping a perfect
joint without any packing; and, lastly, the parts of the tap or cock are
so strong that they can resist any strain that might be caused by the
contraction or uneveness in the level of the pipes to which the tap or
cock is connected.
It is evident that the details in the construction of the taps or cocks
must be modified according to the dimensions thereof or to the par-
ticular purpose for which they are intended, but in all cases the main
features of novelty are retained.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described two
convenient modes of performing the same, I wish to observe that I do
not intend to limit myself to the details given; but what I do claim is.
the hollow taper plug fitting in a barrel cast with the casing and
connected therewith by midfeathers or other partitions to shut off the
communication between the inlet and outlet passages and to increase the
strength, as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Squire Farron, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of April One thousand eight
hundred and seventy.