IMPROVEMENTS IN UNITING OR CONNECTING PIPING
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Stoneham, of Audenshaw, near Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, and John Pipler Lees, of Ashton-under-Lyne,
in the said County, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UNITING OR
CONNECTING PIPING."
Scaled the 30th March 1858, and dated the 6th October 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Stoneham and
John Pipler Lees at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 6th October 1857.
We, JAMES STONEHAM, of Audenshaw, near Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, and JOHN PIPLER LEES, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the said County,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
UNITING OR CONNECTING PIPING," to be as follows:-
In order to join and also to cover the junction of the ends of the pipes to be
connected, we employ a nut slightly conical in the interior, by the screwing
of which in the end of one of the pipes a corresponding thread is formed, the
said end being then forced out to the larger diameter of the cone of the nut.
The pipes to be connected are then placed end to end, and by turning the nut
the reverse way it is screwed on the second pipe until the joint is at about the
centre of the nut, there being a projection or cap on the said nut to cover the
surplus thread. The pipes, being made of softer material than the nut or
coupling, the latter will cut the thread on the ends of both, pipes to be jointed

page_text: or connected. By attaching the aforesaid conical nuts to the mains made of
lead or other soft material, the pipes may be connected by any person not
skilled in the business, as the use of solder is not required, and the action of
the nut is execeedingly simple and correct.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Stoneham and John Pipler Lees, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
STONEHAM, of Aundershaw, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, and
JOHN PIPLER LEES, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the said County, 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 fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said James Stoneham and John Pipler Lees, Her special licence
that we, the said James Stoneham and John Pipler Lees, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Stoneham
and John Pipler Lees, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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
UNITING OR CONNECTING PIPING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said James Stoneham and John Pipler Lees, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 John Pipler Lees, for and on behalf of
myself and the said James Stoneham, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is
to say):-
In order to join and also to cover the junction of the ends of the pipes to be
connected, we employ a nut or union, tapped or screwed about one half of its

page_text: length, and slightly conical through the other half or portion, the said nut
being made of a metal or material harder than the pipes to be jointed or
connected. The end of one of the pipes is placed in the nut or union, and
forced or swelled out to fit the conical part, and the end of the other pipe is
forced or swelled out by a parallel tool to the size required to form the thread,
and by screwing the nut on the end of the said pipe, a corresponding thread is
formed. We place a washer between the ends of the pipes and draw them
firmly together; the said washer may be made of wood, leather, gutta percha,
caoutchouc, a compound of scaleboard and cloth, or other suitable material.
By employing the aforesaid nuts or unions, pipes made of lead or other soft
material may be very effectively jointed or connected by unskilled persons, as
the use of solder is not required.
Our said Invention will be clearly understood by referring to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, with the letters of reference thereon, in which
Fig. 1 represents the nut or union, which is tapped through about one half of
its length, and bored conically through its other half or portion; Fig. 2, the
end of the pipe, which is swelled or forced out to fit the cone in the nut or
union; and Fig. 3, the end of the pipe to fit the screwed part; Fig. 4 is the
tool used for forcing or swelling out the end of the pipe; Fig. 5, a section of
union with two pipes; Fig. 6, a section of a T-joint, representing the union of
three pipes; and Fig. 7 is the vice or tongs to hold the pipe whilst the union
is being screwed on to it. The modus operandi is as follows:-In making a
joint such as Fig. 5 the nut or union a is placed over the end 6 of one of the
pipes; the tool, Fig. 4, is then inserted into the end of it, and driven in until
the pipe takes the shape of the cone in the inside of the union; the said tool
is then driven into the other pipe c, the parallel part being made to enter
about the length of the screw in the union. A washer d, of any suitable
material, is then placed against the large end of the cone for forming the
joint; the two ends of the pipes are now to be brought in contact with the
washer, the pipe c being held by the vice or tongs; a spanner is applied to the
union, and being gradually screwed down, cuts the thread on the pipe, drawing
it inwards until its end ultimately comes firmly in contact with the washer d
and against the end of the pipe 6, thereby forming a most complete and
effective joint. It will thus be seen, that the tighter the union is screwed up
the more certain will be the result, as the ends of the pipes must press more
strongly on the washer. In Fig. 6 the T-piece e is cast in a suitable mould,
and the nuts or unions f screwed on to form the threads, after which the
pipes g are placed within the cones of the nuts and bulged out by the tool or
tools until they fit, when washers are placed between the ends, and the joints

page_text: formed by screwing up the nut, as before described. It is evident that this
improved mode or method of jointing or connecting pipes can be adapted
to all kinds of joints, whether for taps, elbow, or T-joints, or others of a
compound nature.
Having thus fully described the nature, of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we desire it to be distinctly understood
that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein set forth, as such
may be varied or modified without departing from the principle thereof; but
we claim as our Invention, and which, to the best of our knowledge and belief,
has not been hitherto used within the realm, the employment of nuts or unions
of harder material than the pipes to be connected or jointed, the said nuts
having one half or portion screwed, and the other half or portion of a taper or
conical form, the threads fitting on one pipe and the cone holding another, so
that when a washer is placed between the ends of the pipes, they may
afterwards be screwed firmly and closely together and form perfect joints,
as such improvements are herein described, and illustrated in the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Pipler Lees, for and on behalf of
myself and the said James Stoneham, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Third day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named John Pipler Lees,
in the presence of,
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JOHN P. LEES. (L.B.)