IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Luke Howard, of 85, Whitecross Street, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN VALVES FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS."
Sealed the 24th October 1856, and dated the 4th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Luke Howard,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th July 1856.
I, ROBERT LUKE HOWARD, of 85, Whitecross Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of valves,
more particularly applicable for regulating the flow of water down water
closets, and for ensuring a supply of water sufficient on all occasions to flush
the closet effectually. The same arrangement of valve is equally applicable to
other purposes where a definite minimum amount of fluid is desired to be run
off at each opening of the supply valve. The improvements consist in the
employment of a disc valve (which constitutes the supply valve), faced with
leather or other suitable material, in conjunction with a piston of a peculiar
construction working water-tight in a short cylinder. This cylinder is closed
at the bottom, and the piston which works within it is composed of a ring,
through the central opening of which is passed the stem of the valve, a free
passage being left between the stem and the inner surface of the opening, so

page_text: that the water may flow freely through it when requisite. Immediately above
the piston, and fixed on the stem, is a conical valve, which fits on to the
opening in the piston, this opening serving as a valve seat to the conical valve.
A stop is fixed on the bottom of the stem to prevent it from being drawn
through the piston when pulled up to open the valve. The upper edge or lip
of the cylinder forms the seat for the supply valve, and when this valve is down
no water can enter the closet, the inlet or supply pipe opening into the cylinder
below the valve; but when the pull is drawn up to flush the closet, the supply
valve is raised and the piston is drawn up with it. The act of drawing up the
stem of the valve opens the conical valve contained in the piston, and allows
the water to enter below the piston by the central opening formed therein.
When the pull of the closet is pushed down, the supply valve and piston
descend by the action of a weighted lever, and the descent of the valve stem
closes the conical valve on the piston, whereupon the water contained below it
can only escape by means of a small groove or slot made down one side of the
conical valve or its seat. As this slot is very small, the water will require
some time to flow through it under the pressure of the valve and weighted
lever, during which time the disc or supply valve will remain open until the
whole of the water has escaped from underneath the piston. The time
required for the descent or closing of the supply valve will depend of course
on the size of the slot through which the water has to flow.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Luke Howard in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
LUKE HOWARD, of 85, Whitecross Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Luke Howard, Her special license that I, the said Robert Luke
Howard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Robert Luke Howard, my executors, administrators, or 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,

page_text: use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VALVES FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Luke Howard, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 Robert Luke Howard, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
valves, more particularly applicable for regulating the flow of water down water
closets, and for ensuring a supply of water sufficient on all occasions to flush
the closet effectually. The same arrangement of valve is equally applicable to
other purposes where a definite minimum amount of fluid is desired to be run
off at each opening of the supply valve. The improvements consist in the
employment of a disc valve (which constitutes the supply valve, faced with
leather or other suitable material, in conjunction with a valve piston of a
peculiar construction working water-tight in a short cylinder. This cylinder
is closed at the bottom, and the piston which works within it is composed of a
ring, through the centre of which is passed the stem of a valve, a free passage
being left between the stem & the inner surface of the opening, so that the
water may flow freely through it when requisite. Immediately above the
piston, and fixed on the stem, is a conical valve, which fits on to the opening
in the piston, this opening serving as a valve seat to the conical valve. A stop
is fixed on the bottom of the stem to prevent it from being drawn through the
piston when pulled up to open the valve. The upper edge or lip of the cylinder
forms the seat for the supply valve, and when this valve is down no water can
enter the closet, the inlet or supply pipe opening into the cylinder below the
valve; but when the pull is drawn up to flush the closet, the supply valve is
raised and the piston is drawn up with it. The act of drawing up the piston
opens the conical valve contained therein, and allows the water to enter below
When the pull of the closet is
the piston by the central opening formed in it.
pushed down, the supply valve and piston descend by the action of a weighted
lever, and the descent of the valve stem closes the conical valve on the piston,

page_text: whereupon the water contained below it can only escape by means of a small
groove or slot made down one side of the conical valve or its seat. As this
slot is very small, the water will require some time to flow through it under
the
O pressure of the valve and weighted lever, during which time the disc or
supply valve will remain open until the water below the piston has flowed
through the small slot before referred to. The time required for the descent
or closing of the supply valve will depend of course on the size of the slot
through which the water has to flow.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed. The same
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a full-sized side elevation of my supply
regulating valve or cock and mechanism connected therewith; and Figure 2
is a corresponding vertical section of the same. A is a metal cylinder, forming
also the valve casing; the internal lips B, B, of this cylinder serve as a valve
seating for the supply valve C. This valve consists simply of a metal disc,
faced with leather or other suitable packing, and secured to the valve spindle D,
which passes through a stuffing box E in the top of the cylinder, and is con-
nected to the weighted lever F. This lever works on a moveable fulcrum in
the link G, and its power is capable of adjustment or regulation by inserting
the joint pin of the valve spindle into one or other of the holes in the lever.
To the lower extremity of the valve spindle is connected loosely the piston H,
which fits accurately and fluid-tight into the lower portion of the cylinder. In
a central aperture in this piston is fitted a conical or mitre valve I, the upper
edge of the opening being bevilled to serve as a valve seat. J is a stop piece,
screwed on to the bottom of the spindle to prevent it from being drawn through
the piston, and there is just sufficient play allowed between the valve I and the
stop piece to admit of the valve being opened freely. K is the inlet or service
pipe; and L, the pipe leading to the closet basin. The supply valve in the
Drawing (Figure 2) is represented in the act of being drawn up or opened.
The pull of the closet, which I have not considered it requisite to shew in the
Drawings, is made to act upon the under side of the weighted lever F, and lift
it up when raised. The action of this apparatus is as follows:-The weighted
lever F having been elevated in the manner above referred to, the supply
valve C will be opened and will admit of a flow of water passing through the
apparatus, as shewn by the arrows, into the closet so long as the supply valve
is open. The act of opening the supply valve opens also the conical valve I
in the piston, as shewn in Figure 2, and elevates the piston. This admits of

page_text: the
passage of water through the opening in the piston to the under side thereof,
and when the supply valve C commences to close or descend under the pressure
of the weighted lever F, the conical valve I will be at once closed, and as the
piston descends, the water below it can only escape by passing through a small
slot or opening i, formed either in the valve itself or in the seat. As this flow
of water through the piston and the consequent descent of the same must
necessarily be very slow, it follows that the supply valve C will close very
slowly, during which time a constant flow of water is passing down the closet,
the amount of such flow being of course regulated by the size of the slot in
the valve I, as it is this slot which regulates the descent of the supply valve.
I may observe that I am aware that pistons have previously been known
and used for regulating the closing of supply valves for various purposes, and
therefore wish it to be distinctly understood that I lay no claim to the use of a
piston working in a cylinder containing fluid or air for such purposes.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without de-
viating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of apparatus for regulating
the flow of fluids, as herein-before described.
Second, the combination of the supply valve and regulating piston on one
valve spindle, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use of a valve fitted with the regulating piston
and having a small slot or waterway formed therein, or in its seating, for the
purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Luke Howard, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
ROBERT LUKE HOWARD. (L.S.)