CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON OR ADDITIONS TO SYRINGES APPLICABLE TO GARDEN AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1829

page_text: MACDOUGALL'S SPECIFICATION.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
MACDOUGALL, of Edinburgh, Horticulturist, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Tenth day of November, in the tenth year of His reign,
did give and grant unto me, the said Daniel Macdougall, His especial licence
that I, the said Daniel Macdougall, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said Daniel Macdougall, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON OR ADDITIONS
TO SYRINGES APPLICABLE TO GARDEN AND OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Daniel Macdougall, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my. said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in. His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters. Patent, as.in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Daniel Macdougall, do hereby describe the manner in which my said. Inven-
tion is to be performed by the following description thereof, reference. being
had to the Drawings annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say :-

page_text: My Invention consists in the application of valves to the roseheads of
syringes used for garden and other purposes, whereby, the water is enabled to
_flow into and fill the barrell as-fast-as the piston is; withdrawn; and thus con-
siderably less force is exerted in filling such improved syringe.
.
Figure 1 represents the section of a syringe with a curved end for the
purpose
of enabling water to be forced from underneath upwards through the plants,
whereby the under-leaves and branches will be washed' free of insects and dirt;
but to use this syringe as a straight common syringe, all that is necessary is to
remove the curved end. a by unscrewing it from the joint b, and screwing a
rosehead on to the joint at.b, for which purpose the roseheads and the curved
end a are made with corresponding screws.
Figure 2 shows a plan of the inside of a rosehead. A short tube d (see
Fig. 4) is brazed or otherwise formed into the rosehead, on the inside of
which tube a screw is cut. e is another, short tube which screws into the
tube d, and is for the purpose of securing the valve.
Figure 3 is a valve formed of a circular piece of leather, the inner circle g
being the part which opens to admit the water; but it will be seen that the
circle is not cutrall round, the part being left for the purpose of a hinge.
This valve is put into the tube d, and then the tube e is screwed into its place!
and thus keeps the valve sécure...
Figure 4.is a section of the rosehead screwed.on-to-the-syringe, showing all
the parts in their proper places, and the valve 9 open.
Figure 5 is a plan of the outside of the rosehead, showing the valve hole' for
the admission of water.,..
*
Figure 6 shows a piece of woven wire, which is placed in the small tube d
and is for the purpose of preventing leaves, dirt, and the like from passing into
the barrel.
Now it will be evident from the above description, that in using the syringe
by withdrawing the piston the valve 9 will open and admit the water, which
having á free course will flow freely, and thus will be prevented the reaction
of the atmosphere on the back of the piston which takes place in using rose-
heads without valves, .for. in consequence of the water not being enabled to
flow through the minute holes. as fast as the piston is withdrawn, a vacuous
space will be formed, and the pressure of the atmosphere will have a tendency
to force back the piston, a
, and thus considerable time and power is required. to
fill the syringe, all which is got rid of by the application of a valve. On forcing
back the piston the valve will be closed, and, the water made to pass through
the roseheads in minute jets, as heretofore.
-
'
I would, here observe, that although I have here only described the valve

page_text: 5
which I have used and considered best, still I do not confine myself to the
Neither do I intend to claim any of the parts here shown. But what
I claim as my Invention is, the application of valves to the roseheads of syringes
as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Macdougall, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty.