Improvements in or relating to Water Taps.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left; 28th June, 1893-Accepted, 29th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Water Taps.
I, CHARLES HATCH COE of 138 Crystal Palace Road East Dulwich S.E.
Commercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple means whereby the water may
be drawn from the water supply pipe and the pipe remain empty during frosty
weather, or at such times as occasion may demand and yet allow water to be drawn
from the main as required to let the water flow through as usual or to shut off
the water altogether at will; thus obviating the inconveniences arising from the
bursting of the pipes.
To effect this purpose I join on to the pipe, at a point as near to the main as
convenient, a tap of peculiar construction, the plug of this tap having a passage
through it, the centres of the respective two openings of this passage having
between them one third of the circumference of the plug at this part. The shell
into which the plug enters has three ports at equal distances from each other; two
of the ports leading to the openings of the shell which are joined on to the pipe
and the other port leading to the delivery opening.
In the ordinary condition the water flows through the tap to the house, but when
the plug is turned one third to the right the water is shut off from the main and the
pipe leading to the upper part of the house can be emptied, one third turn more to
the right and water can be drawn from the main; a further turn of a little more than
one eighth and the water is shut off altogether and on completing the revolution the
plug may resume its normal position in the shell if required.
A hollow plug may be used if desired, in which case there are two openings in
the plug at a distance of one third the circumference of the plug from each other.
Dated this 10th day of October 1892.
CHARLES HATCH COE..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Water Taps.
I, CHARLES HATCH COE, of 308, Crystal Palace Road, East Dulwich, in the
County of Surrey, Commercial Traveller, 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 :-
This invention refers to water-taps for use in connecting mains to houses and
other buildings; its object being to provide simple means whereby water can be
allowed to flow from the main to the water-supply-pipe, or be completely shut off,
or be drawn from the water-supply-pipe during frosty weather or at such times as
occasion may demand, or be drawn as required from the main while the water-
supply-pipe is empty.
The improved water-tap is placed at a point as near the main as convenient. Its
plug has a single passage through it; the distance between the centres of the two
openings of the passage being one-third of the circumference of that part of the
plug containing the passage. The shell in which the plug is fitted has three ports
at equal distances from one another; two of these ports leading to the nozzles on
the shell which serve for enabling the tap to be connected to the pipe, and the
other port leading to the delivery-spout.
Under ordinary circumstances, water flows from the main through the tap and
17

page_text: water-supply-pipe to the house; but, when the plug is turned one-third of a
revolution, the water is shut off from the main, and the passage in the plug permits
the water in the supply-pipe to escape through the delivery-spout. Another one-
third turn more in the same direction enables water to be drawn from the main.
A further turn of about one sixth shuts off the water from the main.
completing the revolution, the plug resumes its normal position in the shell. Or,
the plug and shell may be formed so as to prevent the plug making a complete
revolution.
On
A hollow plug may be used, if preferred, in which case there would be two holes
in the plug at the same relative distance apart as the openings of the passage in the
solid plug.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved
water-tap. Fig. 2 represents the shell of the tap in vertical section on the line x, a
(Fig. 5) and the plug in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the
line y, y (Fig. 1). Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are similar views showing the plugs in various
positions. Fig. 7 illustrates a modified form of plug. Fig. 8 represents a modified
form of shell.
A is the shell, B the plug, and C a pin or stop provided for restricting the plug
to two-thirds of a revolution. In one position of the pin or stop C, the water from
the main can flow in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. By altering
the position of the pin C, the water can flow in the opposite direction. Or the
stop C may be dispensed with; the plug being free to make a complete revolution.
With a plug free to turn to the required extent, it is obvious that the water from
the main may flow in either direction. D is the pipe or spout from which the water
is delivered.
Fig. 2 shows the two openings e and e¹ of the passage E (Fig. 3) in the plug B.
This passage can be of any convenient shape, but it must have the centres of its
two ends or openings at a distance from each other of one-third of the circumference
of that part of the plug containing the same.
In Fig. 3, the plug B is represented in the normal position; that is, in the
position in which water flows from the main through the passage E to the house.
In Fig. 4, the plug has been turned one-third of a revolution in the direction
indicated by the arrow; the opening e of the passage E having been thus brought
opposite the port a¹ of the shell A and the opening e¹ opposite the delivery-port a².
The water then flows, from the pipe connected to the nozzle A2 and leading to the
upper part of the house, through the passage E, finally escaping at the outlet D.
To facilitate the emptying of that pipe, a small quantity of water may be drawn
from the cistern, which will allow the ball-cock to fall and thus admit air to the
upper end of the pipe. The cistern may be emptied by means of the ordinary tap,
so that all the pipes can remain empty for any desired length of time. Where
there is no cistern, a tap placed at the highest portion of the pipe can be opened to
admit air.
In Fig. 5, the tap has been turned one-sixth of a revolution more; the tap being
hereby closed altogether.
In Fig. 6, the plug has been turned another one-sixth of a revolution ; the
opening having been thus brought opposite the port a in the nozzle A¹ and the
opening e opposite the port a². Water is then free to flow from the main out of
the spout D. The water from the main is preferably shut off by turning the plug
back to the position shown in Fig. 5, though it may be shut off by turning it
onward another one-sixth of a revolution.
In Fig. 7, a hollow plug B¹ is substituted for the solid plug B. The hole e
corresponds with the opening e, and the hole with the opening e¹. This
hollow plug has the same effect as the solid one, but, as it is not so strong and as it
might enable a quantity of dead water to remain in the tap, the solid plug is
preferred.
In the modified form of shell shown in Fig. 8, the two nozzles A' and A' and the
spout D are at equal distances from one another.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. In a water-tap, the combination of a plug having a single passage with a
shell or casing having three ports arranged equidistantly, substantially as herein
described, and whereby water is normally allowed to flow from the main to the
water-supply-pipe, or can be completely cut off, or can be drawn from the water-
supply-pipe when the same is required to be emptied, or can be drawn from the
main by way of a delivery spout.
2. A water-tap comprising a shell or casing having three equidistant ports and
a plug formed with a single passage of any convenient shape, the ends or openings
of the passage being adapted to register with any two of the ports at one time and
lying between the ports when the tap is closed, substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 14th day of June 1893.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.