IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES OR COCKS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Harlow, of Heaton Norris, in the County
of Lancaster, Brass Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VALVES OR COCKS."
Sealed the 25th March 1870, and dated the 27th September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Harlow at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th September 1869.
I, ROBERT HARLOW, of Heaton Norris, in the County of Lancaster,
Brass Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES OR COCKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction
of valves or cocks to obviate the tendency to become leaky by small
particles of grit entering between the ground faces or surfaces, and
consists in substituting for such faces or surfaces the use and appli-
cation of cupped vulcanised india-rubber or metallic washers fixed in
the body of such cocks or valves, through which cupped washers the

page_text: ordinary spindle passes, and forming such spindle either hollow or
with longitudinal passages or grooves along a portion of its length
and a nose at its lower extremity, which nose when the valve to which
it is applied is closed, will be imbedded in the lowest of the washers
herein-before mentioned, the pressure of the liquid or gas upon the
outside of such washer tending to ensure tightness, and when the valve
is opened such nose will be forced by means of a screw upon the upper
extremity of the spindle, or by a lever acting upon it to protrude
through such lower cupped washer, and thus expose the openings leading
into the hollow or other shaped spindle, thereby opening a communica-
tion from one side of the valve to the other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Harlow in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
HARLOW, of Heaton Norris, in the County of Lancaster, Brass Founder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS. Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters. Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Harlow, Her special license
that I, the said Robert Harlow, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Harlow; 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES OR
Cocks,"
upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said Robert
Harlow, 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,

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Harlow, 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, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction
of valves or cocks to obviate the tendency to become leaky by small
particles of grit entering between the ground faces or surfaces, and
consist in substituting for such faces or surfaces the use and application
of cupped vulcanised india-rubber washers or buffer valves fixed in the
body of such cocks or valves, through or into which cupped washers or
buffer valves, the spindle for opening or closing the valve passes, such
spindle either being solid or forming the passage for the liquid or fluid
by being made hollow.
In order that this my said Invention may be the more readily seen
and understood, I have hereunto annexed a Drawing illustrating my
improvements, similar letters of reference marked on the several
views, and herein-after mentioned, being used to denote similar parts.
Fig. 1 represents a side sectional view of a cock or valve, and Fig. 2
is a sectional view of the internal arrangement or working parts of the
same, Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of a similar cock or valve of
larger size.
In all the views A is the body of the cock or valve which is divided
into two compartments communicating by the passages B and C with
the inlet end D, and the outlet E; F is the opening between such
compartments closed by the vulcanized india-rubber buffer valve G,
which always impinges against it, being held in position by the plug H
screwed into the body A. The buffer valve G has a metallic spindle I
partly imbedded in it, and such spindle is provided with a flange J (seen
in Fig. 2,) which being covered with the india-rubber, presents a spherical
cushioned surface for closing the opening F. The upper extremity of
the spindle I passes through such opening into the upper compartment
communicating with the outlet E, whilst its lower extremity is guided in
rising or falling by entering the hole K, (seen in Fig. 2) formed in the
screwed plug H. L is an intermediate box spindle, which carries and
guides the upper extremity of the spindle I, and in the cock or valve
illustrated by Fig. 1 is itself guided in turn by having its upper
extremity supported in a hole formed in the quick threaded screw M,
screwed through the cap N, but in that represented by Fig. 3 the neck

page_text: .
of the cock body being longer is sufficient support and guide in itself;
O is an india-rubber cupped packing surrounding the box spindle L,
being secured to it at its lower extremity by a coil of wire or cord, or in any
other convenient manner, and having the flange P surrounding its upper
extremity held securely by being screwed down tightly upon the body
of the cock by the cap N, which india-rubber cupped packing thus
acts in the place of a stuffing box. R is a lever handle for turning the
quick threaded screw M, and so opening and closing the valve. The
pressure of the liquid or gas upon the buffer valve G keeps it securely
and tightly closed, or in other words it is closed by the combined
assistance of the pressure and the buffer spring, and to open such valve
all that is necessary is to give the lever handle R a quarter of a turn
when the intermediate spindle L will press down upon the spindle I
and thus cause the spherical surface of the buffer valve G to be removed
from off the opening F by compressing the buffer spring, and so to
open a communication between the compartments. The body of this
description of cock or valve, which is not new, may be made in part of
india-rubber, metal, earthenware, glass, or other material best suited to
the purpose to the purpose to which the cock or valve is to be applied,
and if required to resist the action of acids the spindles may be entirely
covered with india-rubber, gutta percha, or any other acid resisting
substance. The india-rubber buffer valve is by preference moulded upon
its spindle, by having the latter placed in a mould, into which the india-
rubber or other material is poured.
Instead of the buffer spring being attached to and forming part of the
valve it may be separate and distinct from it, or a metallic spiral spring
or a combination of the buffer and metallic spring may be employed to
keep such valve up to its seating. A special feature of a cock or valve
made in accordance with this Invention it that it is made self-closing
by applying. a double-threaded screw in place of the one marked M,
and if required to retain itself open a single-threaded screw must be
used.
In Fig. 4 is represented a side sectional view of another modi-
fication of my improvements in which the buffer spring is dispensed
with, and the cupped india-rubber packing a is made to serve the double
purpose of a spring to open the valve and at the same time to act as
a ball valve itself by having its lower extremity formed solid and
spherical as illustrated, the seating of such valve and the end of the

page_text: spindle being made concave so as to compress the ball portion
between the two concave surface when the lever handle is turned,
and so to close the aperture between the inlet and outlet passages.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of
this my said Invention, together with the best methods with which
I am acquainted for carrying the same into practical effect, I desire
it to be understood that I claim, the use and application to cocks or
valves of vulcanized india-rubber buffer valves or cupped india-rubber
packings, washers, or ball valves mounted and actuated substantially
as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Harlow, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
15 Witness,
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Agent,
71, Market St.,
Manchester.
ROBERT (L.s.) HARLOW.