PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING SOFT METAL AND OTHER PIPER AND FOR ATTACHING COCKS AND OTHER FITTINGS THERETO
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Law, of. Essex Street, Strand, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "Im
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING SOFT METAL AND OTHER PIPER
AND FOR ATTACHING COCKS AND OTHER FITTINGS THERETO."
Sealed the 13th July 1869, and dated the 26th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry. Law. at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th January 1869.
HENRY LAW, of Essex Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Givil Engineer, do hereby declare tho. nature of the said Invention for
'IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING SOFT-METAL AND OTHER PIPES,
AND FOR ATTACHING COCKS AND OTHER FITTINGS THERETO," to be..as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
connecting soft metal and other pipes, and for attaching cocks and other
fittings thereto. Soft metal pipes have heretofore sometimes been con-
neeted by expanding the mouths of the two pipes to be brought together
by driving a cone into them, then inserting between the mouths a double
cone of metal consisting of two cones united at their bases, and with a

page_text: hole passing through them from apex to apex of the size of the water-
way of the pipes. Afterwards the mouths of the pipes were drawn
together by means of two rings, which were placed on the pipes before
coneing them, and which rings were so formed as to fit the ends of the
pipes when coned.
My method is up to this point similar to that above described, but
heretofore the exterior cone rings which draw the parts together have
been made each with two lugs, one on either side, and screw bolts passed
through the lugs have been used to draw the parts together. Joints
thus made, however, frequently prove imperfect, for it is difficult by the
dead pressure obtained by the screw bolts sufficiently to mould the lead
or soft metal to make it exactly to fit the other parts.
Now according to my Invention I obtain an apparatus which is much
more sightly, convenient, and inexpensive, and which makes a perfect
joint with certainty by dispensing with these bolts and lugs on the cone
rings which draw the parts together, substituting therefor a screw thread
cut on the exterior of one of the cone rings, and a socket with a corre-
sponding screw thread within it on the other cone ring, which thus
becomes a cone nut. The screw threads of the two cone rings engage the
one with the other and so draw the cone rings together, and the turning
of the cone rings in screwing up grinds the soft metal pipe accurately
to the form required. In connecting cocks and other fittings there is
substituted for the double cone a single conc formed on the tap or
fitting, and the loose cone ring placed over the pipe is then made to
engage with a thread formed on the exterior of the tap or fitting or
within a nut upon it. In this way also soft metal pipes may con-
veniently be coupled with nozzles screwed into gas and water mains.
Also when it is desired to close the end of a pipe a solid plug or stopper
may in this way be fixed.
Such apparatus is also applicable for connecting flexible pipes of india-
rubber, gutta percha, leather, and other materials.

page_text: SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of. the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Law in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
LAW, of Essex Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
by Her
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Law, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Law, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I. the said Henry Law, 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 APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING SOFT METAL AND OTHER PIPES, AND FOR ATTACHING
Cocks AND OTHER FITTINGS THERETO," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Henry Law, 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 Henry Law, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
connecting soft metal and other pipes, and for attaching cocks and other
fittings thereto. Soft metal pipes have heretofore sometimes been con-
nected by expanding the mouths of the two pipes to be brought together
by driving cone into them, then inserting between the mouths a double
cone of metal consisting of two cones united at their bases and with a

page_text: hole passing through them from apex to apex of the size of the water-
way of the pipes. Afterwards the mouths of the pipes were drawn
together by means of two rings, which were placed on the pipes before
coning them, and which rings were so formed as to fit the ends of the
pipes when coned.
My method is up to this point similar to that above described, but
heretofore the exterior cone rings which draw the parts together have
been made each with two lugs one on either side, and screw bolts passed
through the lugs have been used to draw the parts together. Joints
thus made, however, frequently prove imperfect, for it is difficult by the
dead pressure obtained by the screw bolts sufficiently to mould the lead
or soft metal to make it exactly to fit the other parts.
Now according to my Invention I obtain an apparatus which is much
more sightly, convenient, and inexpensive, and which makes a perfect
joint with certainty by dispensing with these bolts and lugs on the conc
rings which draw the parts together, substituting therefor a screw thread
cut on the exterior of one of the cone rings, and a socket with a corre-
sponding screw thread within it on the other cone ring, which thus
becomes a cone unt. The screw threads of the two cone rings engage
the one with the other and so draw the cone rings together, and
the turning of the cone rings in screwing up grinds the soft metal
pipes accurately to the form required. In connecting cocks and other
fittings there is substituted for the double conc a single cone formed on
the tap or fitting, and the loose cone ring placed over the pipe is then
made to engage with a thread formed on the exterior of the tap or
fitting, or within a nut upon it. In this way also soft metal pipes may
conveniently be coupled with nozzles screwed into gas and water mains.
Also when it is desired to close the end of a pipe a solid plug or stopper
may in this way be fixed.
Such apparatus is also applicable for connecting flexible pipes of india-
rubber, gutta percha, leather, and other materials.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of appa-
fam making the ioint

page_text: between two soft metal pipes a, a; these pipes are, as the Drawing
represents, coned out at their mouths, and into them there is inserted
the hollow double cone b, which I prefer to make of brass. c and d are
exterior rings applied to the .pipes; they are so formed interiorly as to
fit the coned ends of the pipes a, a. The ring c has a screw thread cut
on its exterior at c. and the ring d has a socket d' formed upon it, within
which a thread is cut to engage with the thread c', and in making the
joint the rings c and d are screwed together until the ends of the
pipes a, a, are tightly nipped.
Figure 3 shows a joint connecting a fitting (which may be a junction
piece as the Drawing shows, or a tap or any other fitting) with a soft
metal pipe.
a is the pipe, and b is the fitting with the hollow internal cone b¹,
formed at its end, and a screw 'thread cut upon it at c¹; d is the
exterior ring with the screw socket d¹ formed upon it, as in Figures
1 and 2.
Figure 4 shows a similar arrangement in connection with a fitting, to
form a connection between three pipes.
In a similar manner in place of forming the joint between two pipes
as is shown by the Figures 1 and 2, a union piece may be inserted, the
pipes being connected to it at either end in the manner shown in
Figure 3. This arrangement is shewn in side view at Figure 5, and in
longitudinal section at Figure 6.
As before mentioned the friction of the exterior rings on the
outside of the pipes is usually advantageous, and aids in making
a secure joint. It is, however, not desirable where the pipes are
of soft material like vulcanized india-rubber, as such pipes may be
abraded by the friction. This is also the case where the pipes are made
of very soft métal. In these cases I make the screw socket separate
from the exterior ring, as is shewn in side view at Figure 7, and in
longitudinal section at Figure 8.
a, a, are the pipes; b, the union piece between them; d, d, are exterior
rings fitting to the coned ends of the pipes; c, c, are Screw sockets
separate from the rings, but embracing them and screwing on to threads
cut on the exterior of the union piece.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what

page_text: I claim is, the apparatus for connecting soft metal and other pipes, and
for attaching cocks and other fittings thereto, substantially as above
described.
:
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Law, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
HENRY LAW. (...)