Improvements in Self Closing Taps.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1899
Improvements in Self Closing Taps.
I, LEONARD EUGENE COWEY, of 16, Adelaide Road, Haverstock Hill,
N.W., Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows.-
My invention refers to a self closing tap provided with means to prevent or
educe concussion or "hammering" in the inlet pipe, due to the sudden recoil
of the water.
I am aware that previous attempts have been made to effect this, but hitherto
the means adopted, while more or less efhcient, have furnished an additional
source of leakage in the tap Now the object of my invention 18 to prevent 01
educe this said concussion or hammering" by an efficient device 80 constructed
and situated within the tap that it is not a source of leakage
"
According to my invention I place within the tap a hollow cylinder open at
one end and closed at the other This cylinder 18 of less diameter and less length
than the space within which it is supported (by brackets or other suitable means),
so as to permit the water to flow firely around it
The tap is closed by means of a plug situated within the tap and carried on
a rod or spindle This plug is of greater diameter than the outlet from the tap
and is fuinished with a suitable contact piece for bearing against a shoulder
within the tap.
One end of the rod or spindle carrying this plug passes out through the outlet
pipe and has a push knob attached thereto, and its other end passes through the
centre of the closed end on head of the aforesaid internal cylinder and is secured
to a piston therein This piston fits the said cvlinder loosely, or it may be per-
forated, or otherwise formed to allow water to pass by it as afterwards described.
The said plug is normally retained in its closed position by means of a spring
one end of which bears against the rear side of the plug and the other end of
which bears against the head of the internal cylinder. When the tap is closed
the piston is situated near the closed end of the internal cylinder
The tap is opened by piesang upon the push knob, whereupon longitudinal
motion is imparted to the rod oi spindle with the result that the plug, closing
the outlet, 18 thrust back from its seating and allows water to flow through the
outlet, and at the same time the piston is pushed towards the open end of the
internal cylinder As this piston does not fit its cylinder tightly, water passes
thereby or through a perforation or perforations therein while the tap 18 open,
and fills the space within the said cylinder, between the head or closed end
thereof and the piston When the push knob 18 released the plug again closed
by means of its spring, but as the water within the cylinder can only escape
slowly past or through the piston, it acts as a buffer and prevents the plug from
being suddenly returned against its seating. In this manner the flow of water
is gradually shut off and there is consequently no sudden concussion; and the
cylinder and piston, being atuated, entnely within the tap and between the plug
and the water inlet, there is no possibility of leakage therefrom
The body of the tap may be made in sections bolted together, or may be con-
structed in any convenient way so that the interior thereof is easily accessible.

page_text: It is obvious that the position of the spring actuating the plug may be varied
and that the rod oi spindle may be operated by any suitable lever airangement,
without departing from the spirit of my invention
Dated this 10th day of June 1898
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings London, W C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
improvements in self Closing Taps.
I, LEONARD EUGENE COWLY, of 16, Adelaide Road, Haverstock Hill,
in the County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the natue 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
2
My invention refers to a self closing tap provided with means for preventing
or reducing the concussion or
"hammering
in the inlet pipe, due to the sudden
stoppage or recoil of the fluid in closing the tap.
I am aware that previous attempts have been made to prevent this concussion
or hammering, but hitherto the means adopted, while more or less efficient, have
proved an additional source of leakage of the tap. Now the object of my inven-
tion is to prevent or reduce the concussion or "hammering" by an efficient device
so constructed and arranged that it is not a source of leakage
The essential feature of my invention consists in providing the tap with a
piston which is adapted to be operated by the tap-valve spindle and which works
in a cylinder situated between the said valve and the inlet to the tap The said
cylinder is so constructed that the liquid is enclosed therein when the valve is
opened, and escapes slowly to prevent concussion as the valve closes The cylinder
and its piston therefore serve as a buffer on dash pot to regulate the closing of
the valve
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect i will now proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to
the accompanying diawings in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a tap made according to my
invention
Figure 2 is a cross section of such tap on line X-X Figure 1
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modification hereinafter described
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A is the tap casing, preferably formed in two
parts screwed together. a is a chamber formed in the casing A and elo-ed by
a screw plug a¹ a is a passage by which liquid may escape from the chau ber
B is a hollow cylinder which is fixed in said casing by means of supports b, b, and
which has an opening 6 therein The end of this cylinder B towards the mouth
of the tap 18 closed and its opposite end is open. 318 the valve seating C is
the valve provided with a packing ring e of suitable material held in position by
a screw ring c¹. D 18 the tap-valve spindle one end of which projects through
the casing into the chamber a and the other end of which passes through the
closed end or head of the cylinder B and has the piston E secured thereto, prefer-
ably by a screw thread e is a perforation or passage through the piston E
d is a fixed key or feather on the spindle D, which engages with a corresponding
groove in the casing and prevents any angular movement of the valve and spindin
with respect to the casing F is a spring one end of which bears on the valve
and the other end of which bears on the closed end of the cylinder B, and which
tends to keep the valve C to its seat D 18 a spindle which slides through a

page_text: hole in the head of the screw plug a¹, the inner end of this spindle is enlarged
or expanded to prevent its coming out of the chamber a, and is in contact with
the end of the spindle D, the outer end thereof being furnished with a push
knob G
In the modification shown in Figure 3 the short spindle D', shown in the pre-
vious figures, is dispensed with and the main valve spindle D is prolonged
through the chamber a so as to project for a convenient distance outside the tap,
and has the knob G attached to its outer end
As shown in the drawings the tap is closed, when it is required to open the
same, the knob G is pushed inward, thereby compressing the spring F, moving
the valve from its seat and allowing the liquid to flow through the tap. When
thus pushed inward the valve spindle D caries the piston towards the open
end of the cylinder B, and the liquid enters the space between the closed end
of the said cylinder and the piston, through the passage e and also through the
opening 6 80 as to ensure the entrance of the liquids into said space even if the
valve is open for a short time only When the knob G is released the spring F
and the pressure of the liquid acting upon the back of the valve and the piston,
tend to close the valve, the piston E begins to return closing the opening
the fluid within the cylinder B escapes slowly through the passage e and, acting
as a buffer, prevents the sudden return of the valve to its seat In this mannei
the flow of the liquid is gradually shut off and there is consequently no sudden
blow or concussion of the valve upon its seat As the cylinder and piston arc
situated entuely within the tap and between the valve and inlet, there is no
possibility of leakage therefrom
and
Should any liquid escape through the valve spindle passage into the chamber a
when the tap 18 open, such liquid can diain away through the passage a³, and
leakage at the point where the spindle D or the spindle D passes out of the
chamber a be thus prevented
It is obvious that in place of the single passage e, the piston E may be provided
with any number of perforations or may fit the cylinder loosely so as to leave
a slight annular space around it
In some cases the spring F may be dispensed with, the pressure of the liquid
being sufficient to close the valve and retain it in position
Access to the inside of the tap is obtained by unscrewing the two halves when,
if constructed according to Figures 1 and 2, the spindle D with the valve and
sping may be withdrawn without removing the press knob G, but if constructed
according to Figure 3 then the knob G must be removed before the said spindle,
valve and spring can be withdrawn
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is.
1 A self closing tap in which its valve is controlled by a dash-pot situated
between the valve and inlet substantially as and for the purpose specified
2 A self closing tap constructed arranged and operating substantially as
described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or to Figure 3 of the accompanying
diawings for the purpose specified
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, WC,
Agents for the Al plicant