A NEW OR IMPROVED TAP OR STOP-COCK
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Sheppard, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED TAP
OR STOP-COCK."
Scaled the 20th June 1856, and dated the 15th January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Sheppard at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th January 1856.
I, SAMUEL SHEPPARD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW
OR IMPROVED TAP OR STOP-COCK" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a tap or stop-cock for water, steam, and liquids,
and gases in general, constructed in the following manner:-The supply pipe
delivers the fluid upwards through a conical or square valve seat or bed, from
which the fluid passes into the delivery pipe, which may either be horizontal
or vertical. The valve which fits upon the said valve scat consists of a sphere
or portion.of a sphere of vulcanized caoutchouc, or other elastic material. The
said valve is pressed upon its bed or seat by means of a plunger sliding
vertically in the barrel of the tap or stop-cock; the said plunger is made to
rise and fall by a screw on the bottom of the handle engaging in the said
plunger. The said plunger is prevented from turning round by a pin in the

page_text: inside of the cylinder in which it works, engaging in a vertical slot in the said
plunger. The bottom of the said plunger is cupped or shaped to fit the valve;
by turning the handle of the tap, the plunger may be raised or lowered, and
the valve released from or pressed upon its seat. The top of the cylinder in
which the plunger works is closed by a plate and disc of leather, through which
plate and disc the axis of the tap passes. A washer of leather is also placed
upon the axis of the tap on the upper side of the plate closing the cylinder,
and a screw nut on the said axis presses upon a metal ring bearing against
the said washer. A flango or shoulder on the axis of the tap bears against
the under side of the before-mentioned leather disc, so that when the
screw nut on the axis is made to advance upon the said axis, it compresses
between itself and the flange or shoulder upon the axis, the leather disc and
plate closing the top of the cylinder and the leather washer and muctal ring on
the top of the cover of the cylinder. By this arrangement leakage at the axis
of the tap is prevented.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Sheppard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
SHEPPARD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Samuel Sheppard, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Sheppard,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel
Sheppard, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED TAP OR STOP-
COCK," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Sheppard,
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

page_text: 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 Samuel Sheppard, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of a tap or stop-cock to be used for arresting and
regulating the flow of water, steam, and liquids, and gases generally; the
said tap or stop-cock being constructed in the manner herein-after described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 represents in vertical longitudinal section a tap or stop-cock
constructed according to my Invention; and Figure 2 represents in plan a
portion of the same. a is the supply pipe, which delivers the liquid or fluid
upwards through the valve seat or bed b, from whence the liquid or fluid
passes into the delivery pipe c, which may terminate either horizontally or
vertically. d is the valve resting upon the valve seat b; the said valve d
consists of a sphere of vulcanized caoutchouc or other elastic material. The
said valve d is wholly detached from the valve seat and other parts of the tap.
e is a plunger, which has a vertical sliding motion in the barrel f of the tap or
stop-cock. A screw g on the bottom of the axis h of the tap engages in the
plunger e. The plunger e is prevented from turning round in the barrel ƒ by
ribs or pins which engage in vertical slots k, k, in the barrel f. Or a pin in
the interior of the barrel f may engage in a vertical slot in the plunger e
to prevent the said plunger from turning round. The bottom of the plunger e is
cupped or otherwise shaped to fit the valve d. By turning the axis h of the
tap by means of the handle x, the plungere may be raised or depressed, and
the valve & released from or pressed upon its seat. The top of the barrel fis
closed by a plate l, fastened thereon by screws, as represented; a washer of
leather m or packing being introduced between the plate and the top of the
barrel. is a leather washer or packing on the top of the plate l. o is a nut
which screws on the axis of the tap, and presses the metal washer p tightly
upon the leather washer or packing n. १ is a metal flange or shoulder on the
axis of the tap, which bears against the under side of the leather washer or
packing m. When the screw nut o on the axis of the tap is made to advance
upon the said axis, it compresses the leather disc or packing m, plate l, and
washer or packing n between the metal washer p and the shoulder q, as the
nut o may be screwed down with any desired degree of tightness, leakage at
the axis of the tap may be effectually prevented.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and represented, as the same may
be varied without departing from the nature of my said Invention. But I
claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, the method herein described, and represented in the accompanying
Drawing, of constructing taps or stop-cocks, that is to say, by the use of a
detached spherical valve of vulcanized caoutchouc, or other elastic material;
the said elastic valve being forced against the pressure of the liquid upon its
bed or seat, or liberated therefrom by means of a plunger raised and lowered
by a screw.
Secondly, the method herein described and represented in the accompanying
Drawing, of preventing leakage at the axis of taps or stop-cocks, that is to say,
by washers or packings tightened by means of a nut screwing on the axis of
the tap or stop-cock.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Sheppard, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
GEORGE SIIAW.
SAMUEL SHEPPARD. (L.8.)