Improvements in or Applicable to the Supply of Gas or Water.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th May, 1890-Accepted, 19th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to the Supply of Gas or Water.
We, JOHN ASHTON of 114 Shawside Shaw, near Oldham in the County of
Lancaster, Gentleman, ABRAHAM HENRY WORMALD of S Napier Street West in
Oldham aforesaid Tailor and Draper, and ALBERT ASHTON of 114 Shawside aforesaid,
Mill Furnisher do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is;
"
1st. To prevent use or consumption of Gas or Water by the purchaser without the
knowledge and consent of the vendor.
2nd. To render it unnecessary to disconnect the service pipe from the meter when a
purchaser ceases to take a supply.
In carrying out our invention we construct the stop cock or stop valve connecting
the meter with the service pipe in such a manner that it can be locked when shut and
unlocked by a key which is in the sole possession of the vendor.
The advantages of this invention are,
a. That on a change of tenancy, the outgoing tenant, in order to prevent the
incoming tenant taking an unauthorised supply of gas or water at the expense of the
former, has to give notice to the vendor to shut and lock the stopcock or stop
valve.
b. The incoming tenant cannot take a supply of gas or water without giving notice
to vendor, and a supply cannot be obtained by an elastic tube or other temporary
contrivance.
c. A considerable saving of labour and cost, in the disconnecting of the service pipe
being unnecessary.
Date : 09-1.1.... Ca to 7000
JOHN ASHTON.
ABRAHAM HENRY WORMALD.
ALBERT ASHTON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to the Supply of Gas or Water.
We, JOHN ASHTON of 114 Shawside, Shaw near Oldham in the County of
Lancaster, Gentleman, ABRAHAM HENRY WORMALD of 8 Napier Street West, in
Oldham aforesaid Tailor and Draper and ALBERT ASHTON of 114 Shawside aforesaid
Mill Furnisher, 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 and the accompanying drawings:
The object of this invention is;
1st. To prevent the consumption of Gas or Water without the knowledge and
consent of the vendor.
2nd. To render it unnecessary to disconnect the service pipe from the meter when
a purchaser ceases to take a supply.
The accompanying drawings represent a half inch brass stopcock or stopvalve
such as is in ordinary use, but the invention is equally applicable to any other size of
stopcock.
In carrying out our invention, upon the barrel 6 (Fig. 2) enclosing the plug c, we
have cast the pap, a, which is drilled and tapped to receive the screw d. The plug c
is countersunk at e to receive the point of the screw d, when it is screwed down to
lock the plug in the position in which it is when the gas or water is shut off. The
Price d

page_text: middle part of the screw, d, has on it a circular collar j forming the base of a
triangular pyramid the sides of which are cut short at the apex to form rectangular
stops to prevent the blades of the key /, (Fig. 3.) sliding up the angles of the pyramid
when the key is inserted for the purpose of locking or unlocking the tap. The part g
of the screw is a parallel spindle forming the guide to the key. The outer circum-
ference of the pap, a, is tapped to receive the cover, i, which is screwed on and pinned
fast before the stop cock is fixed to the service pipe.
The inner portion of the cover is parallel to allow the collar j to be moved
sufficiently to withdraw the point of the screw from the plug at e but not from
the barrel, b. The outer part of the opening in the cover, i, is only just large
enough to admit the key, h, Fig. 3, when its blades are slightly compressed.
The opening widens or tapers inside sufficiently to admit the upper portion of the
pyramid, before described, but the said upper portion of the pyramid is made too
large to enter the outer opening. The key, h, Fig. 3, has three flat blades made of
-sufficient length to grip the sides of the pyramid and of a strength sufficient to work
the screw, d, in locking or unlocking.
The blades are made of spring steel and are elastic and detached from each other
except where joined to the stem of the key. The stem of the key is made hollow to a
length sufficient to receive the spindle, g, of the screw d.
The objects sought to be obtained by the before described construction of the lock
and key are;
1st. To make an effective and attached lock, which can only be locked and unlocked
by a key that will be in the sole possession of the vendors of gas or water.
2nd. To make it difficult for any one who has not seen the key or the interior of
the lock to discover a means of unlocking it, as no key that is not split and that will
enter the opening in the cover, i, can grip the sides of the pyramid.
3rd. To effect these objects without adding greatly to the bulk or cost of the stop
cock now in use.
4th. To make it unnecessary to disconnect the meter for the purpose of stopping
the supply of gas or water.
Fig. 1 is intended to shew how the meter can be attached to the service pipe in a
manner that will prevent any surreptitious detaching of it for the purpose of obtaining
an unauthorized and unregistered supply of gas or water. The partFig. 1,
represents the screw by which the stop cock is screwed on the iron service pipe. The
part, 7, shews the outlet end of the stop cock cupped, and tinned inside the cup to
receive one end of the lead pipe that connects the service to the meter.
A screw
joint similar to that shown at k, and cupped and tinned as at 7 could be screwed on
the meter to receive the other end of the lead pipe connecting the meter to the service
pipe and all thus soldered together.
We wish it to be understood that we do not claim any novelty in the idea or
principle of locking the stop cock.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is ;
1st. The stop cock or stop valve with an attached and effective locking arrangement
constructed substantially as herein before particularly described.
2nd. The key constructed in special adaptation to the said locking arrangement as
hereinbefore described.
Dated this 5th day of May 1890
JOHN ASHTON.
ABRAHAM HENRY WORMALD.
ALBERT ASHTON.