Improvements in the Action of Self-closing and other Valves and Taps.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar.,
1897
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1897-Accepted, 22nd Jan., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Action of Self-closing and other Valves and
Taps.
I, JAMES RIGG, of No. 11, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the freeing from concussion of valves & taps
when acting under high or low pressures and has reference to their opening to
cause water or other liquid to flow and to their closing.
I employ preferably piston valves as shewn G & G¹ Fig. 1. Sheet I. G being
that which permits the water from the supply pipe to flow through the Tap, and,
so long as this valve occupies the full bore or completely cylindrical part of the
barrel of the Tap as shewn by the full lines in Fig. 1, there is no outlet passage but
when this valve G is projected through the portion from H to K to the position
indicated by the dotted lines, water can flow by consequent on the, preferably
four, passages L' L" L L Figs. 3, 4 & 5 Sheet II. To avoid the sudden
opening of the waterway H. K. and the concussion which would result from its
quickly closing, I gradually reduce the area of these passages from H to K, as
shewn in the transverse sections Figs. 3, 4 & 5, as well as in the longitudinal
section Fig. 2 Sheet II, Fig. 5 being a transverse section at A B, Fig. 2 at the
commencement of the opening for discharge, Fig. 4 at about half flow on the
line C. D, Fig. 2 & Fig. 3 the point at which the full area of discharge is reached
as on the line E. F. Fig. 2. It is important that the united areas of the passages,
of which four are here shewn, should not exceed at their largest parts viz. on the
line E. F. Fig. 2 the area of admission from the supply pipe into the tap, thus
preventing the risk of the formation of air traps in the tap or valve either in the
four passages L¹, L", L¹¹ & L¹, or in the cataract chamber formed between M
&M on the tap being opened for water to flow.
For the opening of automatic valves I employ a head operating as shewn in
Fig. 1. Sheet I. & Figs. 6, '7 & 8 Sheet II, the threads of a screw or worm S, not
being less than three in number, being cut upon a barrel T and operating on the
hand wheel W. being turned to propel the piston spindle X forward. In the
figures four threads are shewn and the object of this provision in opening piston or
other valves is to prevent all risk of side pressure from the hand upon a hand wheel
or handle, irrespective entirely of the direction in which it may be applied, from
straining the spindle or causing leakage past the packings or such undue wear and
tear and consequent friction as would result from pressure being applied in any
other than a direct line through the centre of the spindle.
Preferably I employ the four threads as shewn in the figures and they are of
a quick pitch to permit of the free return of the spindle on the tap or valve closing
automatically, such threads being so proportioned that the complete propulsion
desired may be accomplished by the hand once only grasping the handwheel W.

page_text: and, preferably I make them to turn through the quadrant of a circle only to secure
the object.
Improvements in the Action of Self-closing and other Valves and
Taps.
I, JAMES RIGG, of No. 11, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, 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:-
My Invention has for its object the freeing from concussion of valves and taps
when acting under high or low pressures and has reference to their opening to
cause water or other liquid to flow and to their closing.
The drawings left with my Provisional Specification are adopted with this
Complete Specification, and are as follows:
Sheet I Fig. 1, is a Longitudinal Section of an automatically closing valve or
tap shewing gradually reducing passages in conjunction with piston valve and
worm employed for propelling piston forward.
Sheet II Fig. 2, is a Longitudinal Section of the inlet passages.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are Sectional views shewing the size of the areas and positions of
passages at different points.
Fig. 6, is an Elevation of worm employed for propelling piston.
Fig. 7, is a plan of hand wheel for the same.
Fig. 8. Section through worm for propelling piston.
I employ preferably piston valves as shewn G & G¹ Fig. 1. Sheet I G being
that which permits the water from the supply pipe to flow through the Tap, and
so long as this valve occupies the full bore or completely cylindrical part of the
barrel of the Tap as shewn by the full lines in Fig. 1 there is no outlet passage,
but when this valve G is projected through the portion from H to K to the position
indicated by the dotted lines water can flow by consequent on the, preferably four,
passages L, L, L, L Figs. 3, 4 and 5 Sheet II. To avoid the sudden opening
of the waterway H, K, and the concussion which would result from its quickly
closing, I gradually reduce the area of these passages from K to H as shewn in the
transverse sections Figs. 3, 4 and 5 as well as in the longitudinal section Fig. 2
Sheet II, Fig. 5 being a transverse section at A B. Fig. 2 at the commencement of
the opening for discharge, Fig. 4 at about half flow on the line C D. Fig. 2, and
Fig. 3 the point at which the full area of discharge is reached as on the line E. F,
Fig. 2. It is important that the united areas of the passages, of which four are
here shewn, should not exceed at their largest parts, viz. on the line E. F. Fig. 24
the area of admission from the supply pipe into the tap, thus preventing the risk
of the formation of air traps in the tap or valve either in the four passages L¹ L"
Land L or in the cataract chamber formed between M and M on the tap being
opened for water to flow.
For the opening of automatic valves I employ a head operating as shewn in 4
Fig. 1 Sheet I and Figs. 6, 7 and 8 Sheet II, the threads of a screw or worm S,
not being less than three in number, being cut upon a barrel T and operating on
the hand wheel W being turned to propel the piston spindle X forward. In the
figures four threads are shewn and the object of this provision in opening piston or
other valves is to prevent all risk of side pressure from the hand upon a handwheel

page_text: or handle, irrespective entirely of the direction in which it may be applied, from
straining the spindle or causing leakage past the packings or such undue wear and
tear and consequent friction as would result from pressure being applied in any
other than a direct line through the centre of the spindle.
The valve closes automatically by the pressure of the fluid, if sufficient, and if
insufficient by the spring R. Fig. i.
Preferably I employ the four threads as shewn in the figures and they are of a
quick pitch to permit of the free return of the spindle on the tap or valve closing
automatically, such threads being so proportioned that the complete propulsion
desired may be accomplished by the hand once only grasping the handwheel W
and preferably I make them to turn through a quadrant of a circle only to secure
this object.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein described and shewn on the
drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention and I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The construction of the cylinders or barrels in which piston valves
operate in the manner described and illustrated in the foregoing specification and
drawings for the purpose of avoiding concussion by gradually reducing the area
of the passages through which the water or other liquid flows.
2. For the purpose of opening automatically closing valves or taps, the com-
bination of a quick-threaded screw having three or more threads with a valve
spindle in the manner described and illustrated in the foregoing specification and
accompanying drawings.
3. The combination of the tapering passages for avoiding concussion with the
quick-threaded screw employed for opening automatic and other valves and taps in
the manner described and illustrated in the foregoing specification and accom-
panying drawings.