Improvements in or relating to Valves or Cocks for Controlling the Duration of Flow.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Valves or Cocks for Controlling the
Duration of Flow.
I, MAURICE ADRIEN GABRIEL ANDRIVEAU of 70 Rue de Rivoli, Paris in
the Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a device to form part of a valve or
cock, for instance for controlling or closing a water delivery pipe, whereby the
outflow of water may be stopped after a certain interval of time, even though the
cock be held or left open, in order to avoid waste of water, or inundation that
might occur if a water tap were left open accidentally or otherwise.
In this device the opening of the cock for the flow of water varies the pressures
prevailing in the cock and the device aforesaid in such a way that a valve falls
upon a seat thus closing the passage after an interval of time which may be more
or less prolonged according to the adjustment by which the said valve moves more
or less slowly down upon the seat.
In fitting this device to a spring valve water cock, the body of the cock contains
two valves, one of which is held to its seat by a spring and may be pressed back'
from its seat by pressure from the exterior handle provided for that purpose. The
water enters this valve chamber from above through an orifice around which is a
second valve seat. Above this second valve seat is a vertical chamber having a
lateral opening communicating with the water feed pipe. In this chamber moves
vertically a sliding block formed preferably of an upper and a lower part screwed
together to permit of extension. This block carries below a rubber or other valve
adapted to close the aforesaid orifice when the block falls thereon. The upper
part of the block carries another rubber block or valve adapted, when the block
rises to the top of the chamber, to close a small orifice in the top of the chamber'
leading to a passage extending to and opening into the delivery chamber of the
cock. In front of this latter opening and at a slight distance therefrom is main-
tained a closing block or valve which when the handle of the cock is pressed, will
close the said opening.
When water is to be drawn the handle is pressed, the opening last mentioned is
closed and the main valve is opened. The loose block, which forms the secondary"
valve, will at this moment be in the upper part of its chamber and the water will
have free passage beneath it and will flow out of the delivery chamber of the cock.
As the pressure however is diminished by the act of flow the loose secondary valve
will sink and close the orifice, thus after a certain interval of time preventing the
flow of water even though the cock be still held open by hand or from any cause.
When the main valve is closed and the outer opening of the aforesaid passage is
again also unclosed the water pressure will exceed the pressure in the upper part of
the chamber in which is the loose valve, consequently the latter will again rise and
the cock will be ready for use again.
Adjustment may be had by lengthening or shortening the block forming the
secondary valve, or by altering its weight.
This device may be fitted to lavatories, water closets or the like to give a
predetermined flush of water, and for this purpose the main valve may be omitted

page_text: while the secondary valve remains normally in a closed position, the outer orifice
of the passage way being also normally kept closed. On momentarily opening this
orifice, the valve will rise from its seat and slowly fall back thereon.
Dated this 15th day of January 1896
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Valves or Cocks for Controlling the
Duration of Flow.
I, MAURICE ADRIEN GABRIEL ANDRIVEAU of 70 Rue de Rivoli Paris in
the Republic of France, Engineer, 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:-
The object of this invention is to provide a device to form part of a valve or
cock for instance for controlling or closing a water delivery pipe, whereby the
outflow of water may be stopped after a certain interval of time even though the
cock be held or left open in order to avoid waste of water, or inundation that
might occur if a water tap were left open accidentally or otherwise.
In this device the opening of the cock for the flow of water varies the pressures
prevailing in the cock and the device aforesaid in such a way that a valve falls
upon a seat thus closing the passage after an interval of time which may be more
or less prolonged according to the adjustment by which the said valve moves more
or less slowly down upon the seat.
The said valve is formed in a vertically sliding block formed preferably of an
upper and a lower part screwed together to permit of extension.
Adjustment may be had by lengthening or shortening the block forming the
secondary valve or by altering its weight.
The annexed drawing shows a longitudinal vertical section through the cock.
At the moment of starting, the situation of the parts is as follows:
The valve C is applied upon its seat by the spring and closes the water
outlet S.
The plunger P, its screw-nut E, the collar R movable upon P and its rubber
facing v, v, constitute under the action of the spring which is easily compressed,
an integral whole at a distance of about 1 mm. from the circular seat in the middle
of which is provided the orifice e.
Under these conditions, the part of the chamber A situated above the block O
communicates with the atmosphere by means of the orifices, chambers and
passages a, b, c, d, e, n, s, z.
The block O is of course in the lower part of the cylinder A upon its seat B.
When the water-supply is open the water enters through X Y into the circular
channel, which surrounds the seat. B, under the block and drives the latter towards
the top of the cylinder, there being no pressure in the upper part of the chainber,
in consequence of the opening of the orifice e. The section of the orifice a is
besides proportional to the slight play existing between the periphery of block O
and the walls of the chamber A.
When the upper caoutchouc facing o closes the hole d, the pressures balance in
all the parts of A and the block is maintained at the top only by the difference of
the pressures operating upon the two surfaces: this difference is equivalent to the
weight of a water-column having for section the section of the hole a and for
height the level of the water in the receiver, augmented by the volume of water

page_text: displaced by the block and diminished by the weight of this block. a being
extremely small and the weight of O relatively high, this difference is very small.
This position of normal closing is shown in the annexed drawing.
In order to obtain water it is sufficient to press upon the lever K.
The backward movement of the plunger P comprises three distinguished and
successive phases.
1.) The parts PER move back at first a small distance until the caoutchouc v v
presses upon the circular seat in which is bored the hole e.
2.) The ring R is then stopped by the said seat, but by means of the faculty of
compression of the spring r, the plunger P, its screw-nut E and its rod T continue
their backward movement. The force of the spring operates upon the caoutchouc
facing v, v of R instead of operating upon the screw-nut E and applies it the more
firmly upon the hole e according as the plunger is pushed further in. e is thus
closed.
3.) The rod T finally touches the valve C, pushes it back and opens the water-
outlet S; the space which separates the extremity of tbis rod from the valve is
calculated so that this phase is successive to the two others and not simultaneous.
By interrupting the communication between the upper part of the chamber A
and the atmosphere by the energetic application of the caoutchouc facing v, v upon
the orifice e (2d phase), one constitutes a new chamber a, b, c, d, e, in which there
is at first no pressure.
The block O remains thus on the seat a. But by opening then the valve C
there is formed under the block O a suction pressure more considerable than that
existing over the orifice a and this block is drawn towards the centre of depression
constituted by the water-outlet S.
As soon as the block is removed from a, the water is forced from A into
chamber a, b, c, d, e, which is hermetically closed, as above said; the pressures
then become balanced either immediately or after some oscillation of block O,
covering and uncovering alternately the orifice a, and the block being influenced
only by the depression effected by the water-escape, augmented by its weight,
continues to fall slowly. The vacuum which tends constantly to produce itself
over O in proportion to the fall is only slowly filled in consequence of the difficulty
which the water experiences in passing from one surface of the block to the other.
When block rests on seat B, the flow is interrupted, although the valve C is
kept open.
In order to obtain again a similar quantity of water it is sufficient to release the
lever. The valve C closes again; the spring r releases and ceases to press the
caoutchouc facing v, v of the ring R upon the orifice e; the latter opens and
the pressure diminishing in the upper part of the chamber A, the block O rises
instantaneously; by expelling through a, b, c, d, e, n, s, z the small quantity of
water contained above it; the apparatus is again ready to operate and on pressing
upon the lever the phenomena before described are repeated.
It is almost unnecessary to say that if only a very small quantity of water is
wanted one has only to release the lever, as soon as this quantity is received the
valve C closing again.
To avoid hydraulic recoil first the under part of the block O is provided with a
screw with projecting head of special form which serves at the same time to
maintain the rubber-facing o¹ and to obtain a progressive closing.
The lengthened head of this screw, which has the form of an inverted truncated
cone, penetrates into the channel B when the block O is still removed from its
seat and diminishes the water flow in proportion as it approaches.
Second, the movement of the valve C (2 or 3 millimeters) being insufficient, for
the application of the same means for avoiding hydraulic recoil, I have used a
valve of very long and exact sliding and made the rod T at its extremity with a
kind of plate t, the normal position of which when at rest is in the middle of the
water-passage S which it obstructs for 3 of its capacity. When the rod T pushes
the valve back, a certain quantity of water contained in the chamber of the

page_text: spring is evacuated past the periphery and the plate t disengages entirely the
water-passage. When one leaves the lever, the rod T which follows the brisk
receding movement of the plunger P releases the valve C and replacing itself in
the midst of the water-escape reduces the latter immediately for of its capacity.
The valve C on the contrary kept back by the vacuum behind it which ceases only
slowly, returns also the more slowly forwards as the escape has been diminished by
the plate T.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
In a cock :
1.) An automatic closing device placed between two orifices in a special chamber
and which moves only in consequence of the modifications of pressures produced
alternately upon each of its surfaces.
2.) The small orifice M situated over the closing block; the opening or the
closing of this small hole, combined with the closing or the opening of the water-
escape, effecting the said differences of pressures which effect the falling or rising
of the closing block.
3.) The combination of the parts of propulsion, allowing of closing first the
orifice e of the conduct a b c d then to open the water passage S, in two successive
movements being obtained by only one push upon the lever.
4.) The communication between the two parts of the chamber A situated over
and under the closing block by means of the annular passage existing between the
closing block and the chamber.
5.) The combination of the above devices allowing the cock to operate in all
the positions, (vertical, horizontal, oblique, with the water outlet in the air etc.).
6.) The method of augmenting or diminishing the flow, either by modifying the
length of the movement of the closing block or by modifying the capacity of the
chamber a, b, c, d, the flow being so much the greater, the greater the volume of
this chamber.
7.) In the improved cock the disposition of the screw with truncated conical
head intended to avoid the hydraulic recoil.
8.) The combination of the rod T provided with its plate with the valve C
with slow closing allowing of obtaining the gradual cut off of the liquid flow.
Dated this 15th day of October 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,.
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.