Improvements in or relating to Supply Valves for Lavatories, Wash Basins, Shampooing Basins, Baths, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1899
Improvements in or relating to Supply Valves for Lavatories, Wash
Basins, Shampooing Basins, Baths, and the like.
We, WILLIAM FIRMIN, Junior, of 9, Annis Road, South Hackney, in the County
of. London, Engineer, and JoHN EDWARD FIRMIN, of 67, Harrowgate Road,
South Hackney aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows;-
Our invention has reference to supply valves for lavatories, wash basins; sham-
pooing basins, baths and for other purposes and more particularly where water,
disinfectants or other liquids have to be supplied in varying temperatures or in
varying proportions.
21
For the purpose of our invention we employ two or more spring valves which
are contained in a box or casing and in line with these valves and preferably
above them we mount a shaft to which is attached a number of cams, being one
for each of the spring valves. The shaft is capable of being turned on its axis
and this can conveniently be effected by means of a lever handle and
the cams
the shaft that the different liquids or
are so arranged on
in
be obtained
can
whatever order
liquids of different temperatures
required. We provide when necessary that a particular liquid or
liquid of a particular temperature (say boiling water) cannot be obtained
until the user of the valve has released some obstructing device placed for the
purpose such as a set screw or catch; risk of accident is thus avoided; or the
amount or proportion of hot water or other liquid allowed to flow through any
of the valves except the first of the set can be regulated by means of a set screw,
adjustable catch or the 'like acting upon the shaft or upon the lever handle or
on a drum on the shaft so that the shaft cannot be turned beyond a given point
and thus the extent to which the cams act on the valves is regulated.
When the shaft is turned on its axis the peripheries of the cams act on the
corresponding valves successively; or in some cases they may be arranged to act
upon them simultaneously.
In order to prevent the valves flying back to their seatings when the pressure
of the cams thereon is removed and thereby causing concussion in the supply pipes
we adopt the following arrangement.
We fit a plunger to the valve spindle along which it can move a limited distance.
This plunger works in a cylinder and has a small hole in it. On the spindle is
a washer which at a certain time closes this hole, and in the spindle is a small
passage leading to the valve box. When the valve is closed the plunger is at its
highest position and there is water below it. When the valve is being opened
the plunger descends with the spindle and the water is thereby forced through
the hole into the upper part of the cylinder. When the pressure on the valve is
removed and the spring tends to force it back to the closed position the washer
on the spindle rises with the, spindle before the plunger begins to move and closes
the hole in the plunger; consequently the water during the subsequent rising of

page_text: the plunger with the spindle finds its way slowly through the cylinder cover
around the valve spindle which fits loosely, while the cylinder below the plunger
is gradually filled by water flowing through the small passage in the spindle;
consequently too sudden a closing of the valve is obviated.
Dated this 5th day of April 1898.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in or relating to Supply Valves for Lavatories, Wash
Basins, Shampooing Basins, Baths, and the like.
We, WILLIAM FIRMIN, Junior, of 9, Annis Road, South Hackney, in the County
of London, Engineer, and JOHN EDWARD FIRMIN, of 67, Harrowgate Road,
South Hackney aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention has reference to supply valves for lavatories, wash basins, sham-
pooing basins, baths and for other purposes and more particularly where water,
disinfecting or other liquids have to be supplied at varying temperatures or in
varying proportions.
the cams
For the purpose of our invention we employ two or more spring valves which
are contained in a box or casing and in line with these valves and preferably
above them we mount a shaft to which is attached a number of cams, being one
for each of the spring valves. The shaft is capable of being turned on its axis
and this can
conveniently be effected by means of a lever handle and
are so arranged on the shaft that the different liquids or
liquids of different temperatures can be obtained in whatever order
is required. We provide when necessary that a particular liquid or a
liquid of a particular temperature (say boiling water) cannot be obtained
until the user of the valve has released some obstructing device placed for the
purpose, such as a set screw or catch; risk of accident is thus avoided; or the
amount or piroportion of hot water or other liquid allowed to flow through any
of the valves except the first of the set can be regulated by means of a set screw,
adjustable catch or the like acting upon the shaft or upon the lever handle or
on a drum on the shaft so that the shaft cannot be turned beyond a given point
and thus the extent to which the cams act on the valves is regulated.
When the shaft is turned on its axis the peripheries of the cams act on the
corresponding valves successively; or in some cases they may be arranged to act
upon them simultaneously.
The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example a hot and cold water
supply apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention and which is
adapted to supply hot water, cold water, and water of any desired temperature
between the temperatures of the hot and cold water supplies.
In these drawings:-
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section, partly in front elevation, of the hot
and cold water supply apparatus, and Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section of the
same taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking towards the handle.
In these figures, A is a metal box adapted to be fastened by screws a as
shown, or fixed in any other suitable manner to the wall, board or other support A*.
It is provided with two brackets A' A¹ that carry a shaft B hereinafter referred
to and adapted to be rotated by means of a handle B. The box A is also

page_text: provided with an outlet bib or nozzle A². C C are two valve casings arranged
side by side underneath the box A; the casing C being formed with an inlet
neck adapted to be connected with the cold water supply, and the casing C
being formed with an inlet neck D₁ for connection with the hot water supply,
The said valve casings are further formed with outlet necks E, E¹ respectively.
which extend up through the box A to the upper side of the latter where their
screw-threaded upper ends receive retaining nuts F F¹ that serve to fix the re-
spective valve casings firmly to the box A. "Holes G, G¹ are formed in the outlet
necks E E¹ for the purpose of affording a free discharge from the internal passage
of the outlet necks into the interior of the box A. The communication between
the inlet D and the outlet E of the valve casing C and between the inlet D¹ and
the outlet of the valve casing C₁ are respectively controlled by valves H H¹
which may be of any suitable type. The valves shown in the drawings are of
the ordinary wing-guided lift valve type faced with leather or rubber and adapted
to work on seats E2 formed on or by the lower edges of the outlets E E in
which they are guided by their wings. The valves H H are arranged to De
normally closed upwards on to their seats E2 by the pressure of the respective
water supplies acting on the undersides of the valves. The closing tendency of
the water pressure is further aided by the force of springs J J coiled around
spindles KK depending from the undersides of the valves. The valves H H
are also provided on their upper sides with operating spindles L L' which extend
up through the outlet necks E E and through stuffing boxes and glands M M¹
provided in the upper ends of said necks. The operating spindles L L are.
arranged side by side in the longitudinal vertical plane of the shaft B, and on this
shaft directly over the operating spindles are fixed two cams N N¹ which are
designed to engage with and depress the valve spindles L L' and thus open the
valves H H against the combined pressure of the water supply and the springs J J.
The two cams are arranged about 90 degrees apart, and their operative surfaces
are of such extent that the cam N will open the valve H some little time before
the cam N¹ opens the valve H, and will keep it open for a time whilst the valve H
is open, so that for a time both the valves H and H¹ are open together; the
valve H remaining open for some time after the valve H has been allowed to
close.
.
66
In order to facilitate the opening of the valves and also to prevent concussion
in the water supply pipes when the valves are closed, the valves are provided
with air cushions constituted by the air-chambers 0 0¹ which are screwed res-
pectively into the lower ends of the valve casings C C¹. These air chambers 001
are formed with central tubular guides P P", for the lower valve spindles K K'.
Communication between the interior of the valve casings C C¹ and the interior
of the air chambers 001 is established through the medium of holes Q Q leading
from near the upper ends of the tubular guides P 1" into the valve casings.
The mode of operation of this improved hot and cold water supply valve is as
follows: In the drawings the shaft B is assumed to have a rotary movement
of 180 degrees, the handle B being shown in the upper vertical or
off"
position
marked I in both figures, in which the cam N is just off the valve spindle L, and
the cam N is well away from the valve spindle L¹. If now the handle 131 he
pulled in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 2, the cam N will depress
the valve spindle L and thus open the cold water valve H which will be fully
open by the time the handle B is in the position marked II in Figure 2, thus
giving a full supply of cold water through the holes G, box A and the discharge
nozzles A2. If now the handle 131 be rotated from this position towards the
position III in Figure 2, the cam N¹ will depress the valve spindle L' and
thus open the hot water valve H', the cold water valve H being still kept open
by the cam N. Then the hot water issuing from the holes G and the cold water
issuing from the holes G, will combine in the box A and issue in the form of
tepid water from the discharge nozzle A².
On rotating the handle B past the position III, the cam N will leave the

page_text: spindle L and will thus allow the cold water valve H to be closed by the combined
pressure of the cold water supply and of the spring J, the valve H¹ being how-
ever still kept open by its cam N'. Thus the supply of tepid water will cease
and only hot water will now flow out through the nozzle A. The flow of hot
water will continue till the handle B has reached the lower vértical position
marked IV in both figures when the cam N₁ will likewise leave the valve
spindle L' and allow the hot water valve to close.
66
The various positions of the valve may be indicated by the words
off,"
cold," tepid," and "hot," marked conveniently on a disc B² forming part of
the handle B, and rotating therewith, the arrangement being such that the
different supplies will be obtained when the corresponding words are brought by
the rotation of the handle B' opposite to a mark or arrow provided on the case
(not shown) which suitably encloses the upper portion of the apparatus.
In a bracket R screwed to the support A there works a screw S the lower end
of which is adapted to come in contact with a projection 133 formed on the disc B²
of the handle is at a point diametrically opposite to the latter.
By suitably screwing the screw S in or out of its bracket the movement of the
handle B and consequently also of the cam shaft B will be arrested at an earlier
or later period, with the result that the valve will give water of a lower or
higher temperature accordingly. This stop arrangement is more particularly
intended for use for arresting the movement of the cam shaft just before the closing
of the cold water valve. By this means the operator is compelled to screw back
the screw before he can put on a supply of hot water alone, and unintentional
scalding of a person who is being shampooed, &c. is obviated.
It is obvious that in lieu of the cams N N other equivalent devices such for
example as cranks may be used for operating the valve spindles L L' as the
shaft is rotated.
It will be understood it is not absolutely necessary that there should be only
one outlet or discharge nozzle common to all the valve casings, as in some
cases it may be convenient to provide a separate outlet direct from each valve
casing, discharging separately into a common receptacle.
}
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In apparatus for supplying liquids at varying temperatures or in varying
proportions to lavatories, wash basins and the like, two or more supply valves
controlling the inlet of liquids from two or more sources, these valves being
themselves controlled by cams or the like operated by a rotary shaft, substantially
in the manner herein before described.
2. In apparatus such as that referred to in the preceding claim, the employ-
ment of an adjustable stop for limiting the movement of the valve-operating cam-
_shaft to a predetermined extent, substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
3. The improved apparatus constructed, arranged and working substantially as
herein before described and shown in the drawings for supplying liquids at varying
temperatures or in varying proportions to lavatories, wash basins, shampooing
basins, baths and the like.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.