Improvements in Self Closing Taps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Self Closing Taps.
I, LEONARD EUGENE COWEY, of 17, Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County
of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to self closing taps, particularly those of the
5 kind referred to in the Specification of my prior Patent No. 13041 of the year
1898 wherein I disclosed a self closing tap in which its valve (of the longi-
tudinally sliding type) was controlled by a dash-pot device situated between
the said valve and the inlet to the tap, the object being to prevent or reduce
the concussion or "hammering" in the inlet pipe due to the sudden stoppage
or recoil of the fluid in closing the tap.
I have since found that in some cases, especially where the pressure of the
fluid is high, that much force has to be exerted by the user in shifting the valve
to open the tap.
.
It is the object of my present invention to so construct the aforesaid valve
that the resistance to its movement in opening the tap will be very slight, but
on the other hand when the tap is closed the said valve will be held tightly
against its seat with considerable force and the liability of the fluid's leaking
past the valve be thus avoided.
With this object in view I make the valve with a conical end or shoulder
where it fits the valve seating and I provide it with two longitudinal cavities
or recesses one at the front and the other at the rear, such cavities communicat-
ing with each other by a passage or passages formed through the wall that
separates them. The valve casing I form with a longitudinal plug to fit the
rear cavity of the said valve, the disposition of the parts being such that when
the said valve is in its closed position, there will exist between the end of the
aid cavity and the end of the said plug a space into which the fluid under pres-
ure can enter by finding its way between the said valve and the plug. The
avity at the front end of the said valve receives the inner end of the sliding
tem of the valve by which the latter is operated by the user of the tap. The
ength of this cavity is such that a space is left between the end of the stem
nd the end of the cavity when the tap is closed, so that a certain amount
f free movement can take place between the stem and the valve when the
ormer is pushed inwardly to open the tap.
ined in its forward position by a spring and when in such position the inner
The said stem is normally main-
ad of the said stem, which is preferably made conical, is brought into a
sition to close the aforesaid passage or passages by which the two cavities
mmunicate. In order to ensure that any of the fluid which may leak. past
e inner end of the said stem (while the tap is open) and enter the cavity behind
e said stem, shall be capable of readily escaping so as not to offer any sub-
ntial resistance to the inward movement of the stem, I provide the latter
th a passage through which the said fluid can escape when the stem is pushed
[Price 8d.1

page_text: in. The dimensions of the valve seating, the valve, and its rear cavity are so
proportioned that the pressure of fluid within the tap acts upon as large an
effective surface on the front of the valve as on the rear. Indeed by still further
increasing the effective pressure surface on the front portion of the valve, the
latter would open without any pressure being applied to the valve by the said
sliding stem.
By constructing the tap in the above stated manner it will be obvious that in
opening the tap, the act of pushing the stem inward will not at first cause the
valve to be operated but will uncover the passage or passages leading from the
rear cavity; then, as pressure is continued to be applied to the stem, its inner
end will come against the end of the front cavity with the result that the valve
itself will then be shifted inwardly and, as there is at such time free communi-
cation between the rear and front cavities and the outlet of the tap, no material
resistance will be offered to the movement of said valve.
When the stem is released it advances under the action of its spring and its
inner end thereby closes the aforesaid passage or passages between the two
cavities, the valve itself does not however immediately advance to its closed
position because the fluid cannot enter the rear cavity with sufficient freedom
to quickly fill the vacuous space which the forward movement tends to form in
the rear cavity. Gradually however, this rear cavity becomes filled with the
fluid and closes the valve," said fluid at the same time exerting enough force
on the valve to keep it effectually closed.
As in my previous invention herein before referred the position of the dash-
pot device within the body of the tap proper, ensures that no leakage either
into or out of the said dash-pot device is likely to occur.
Dated thin th Ja of Dreambo 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Self Closing Taps.
I, LEONARD EUGENE COWEY, formerly of 17, Fulham Place, Paddington, but
now of 33, Holborn Viaduct, in the County of London, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to self-closing non-concussive taps, particularly those
of the kind referred to in the Specification of my prior Patent No. 13041 of
1898, in which the valve is of the longitudinally sliding type and controlled
by a dash-pot device situated between the said valve and the inlet to the tap,
for the purpose of preventing or reducing the concussion or hammering" in
the inlet pipe due to the sudden stoppage or recoil of the fluid on closing the
tap.
"
It is the chief object of my invention to so construct such taps that although
the valve, when closed will be held against its seating with the full pressure
of the fluid within the tap, this pressure will be relieved in the act of opening
the tap so that in shifting the valve from its seating the user will have no
pressure of the fluid to overcome, and further that in the act of relieving the
aforesaid pressure on the valve there will be likewise no pressure of fluid to
overcome. Consequently instead of the user having to exert great force, which
is oftentimes necessary in order to open taps of this kind as hitherto constructed,

page_text: 5
be the pressure of the fluid supplied by the tap.
or effort on his part will be sufficient, no matter what ma
For this purpose I make the valve with a cavity at each end, the rear cavit
receiving a plug and serving as the dash pot device and the front cavity
receiving the inner end of a sliding spring controlled stem or push rod which
is adapted to open and close passages through which the aforesaid cavities
communicate.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to
10 the accompanying drawings in which;
5
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a tap constructed according to
my invention.
Figure 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation of another form of the tap.
a is the valve casing, the valve, c the sliding stem or push rod by which the
valve is operated and d the spring which returns the sliding stem and the valve
to the closed position. e is the inlet and f the outlet of the tap.
The said valve b is formed with a conical end or shoulder g where it fits the
valve seating h, and with the two cavities or recesses i, j, one at the front and
one at the rear, such cavities or recesses communicating with each other by
means of the passage or passages k.
The inlet port of the valve casing a is formed with a hollow longitudinal
plug m which enters the aforesaid rear cavity or recess j in the valve b. The
plug m is closed at the end which enters the valve b, in which it is so disposed
that when the valve is in the closed position, there will exist between the wall
or partition and the closed end of said plug m a space into which the fluid
under pressure can enter, by passing between the hollow plug m and the
valve b. The slow entrance of the liquid into the space retards the closing of
the valve under the action of the spring d. In other words the plug m and
the rear cavity j in the valve together operate like a dash-pot.
The cavity at the front end of the valve b receives the inner end of the
liding sterse for operating said valve. This inner end of the said stem has
n enlarged portion or piston n which fits the front cavity of the valve b,
hich cavity is of such a length that a space is left between the wall or parti-
on and the enlarged portion or piston
on, so that a certain amount of free movement can take place between the
alve band valve stem c.
In when the valve is in the closed posi-
The front of the enlarged portion or piston n, is provided with a conical
rtion or packing ring o of suitable material, seating against a correspondingly
aped portion of the front cavity i where the communicating passages ¼ enter
id cavity. Normally these passages are covered by the conical portion o of
e stem. Should any fluid leak past the inner end of the stem when the tap
open, and enter the cavity i behind the piston n, such fluid escapes to the
let f of the tap by a longitudinal passage in the aforesaid piston and stem
is thus prevented from offering any resistance due to pressure of the fluid
the inward movement of the stem.
The outer end of the stem projects through a chamber 7 formed in the front
t of the valve casing a where it is furnished with a push knob r or other
ce for enabling it to be conveniently operated. This chamber also contains
spring d for normally maintaining the stem and valve in the closed position.
ild any liquid enter the chamber q it can escape into the outlet f by a
age s.
are so
e dimensions of the valve b, the plug m and the valve seating
ortioned that the pressure of fluid within the tap acts upon as large an
ive surface on the front of the valve as on the rear thereof when said
is opening or closing, so that the pressure required to be exerted. by
of the tap to push open the valve will be only that which is necessary to
a

page_text: overcome the resistance of the spring d and the friction of the moving parts.
When however the valve is actually closed and the fluid has filled the rear
cavity the pressure of the fluid acting on the front wall of said cavity. exerts
its full force in keeping the valve closed. When the stem e is pushed inward it
does not immediately act on the valve b, but first uncovers the passages k lead-
ing from the rear cavity ; to the front cavity whereby the fluid pressure in
the cavity is relieved, then the pushing in of the stem being continued, the
piston comes against the end wall 7 of the front cavity and opens the valve
by pushing it inward, the fluid in the said cavity escaping through the
passages without offering any material resistance to the movement of the
valve. The fluid from the source of supply then enters the tap through the
openings and by passing through the casing a and around the valve b, thus
reaches the outlet f. When the stem c is released it returns to its original
position under the action of its spring d, and the piston n closes the passages k.
The valve itself does not however immediately return to its closed position
because the fluid cannot enter the rear cavity with sufficient freedom to fill
the vacuous space which the forward movement of the valve tends to form in
said cavity. Gradually however this cavity will become filled with the liquid
passing between the meeting surfaces of the plug m and the said cavity, and the
valve will accordingly close and be maintained on its seating by the aforesaid
spring and the pressure of the liquid within the tap-casing. The wall or
partition separating the two cavities from one another is preferably made
detachable to permit the enlarged end of the stem c to be placed in position.
I prefer to make the diameter of the interior surface of the cavity in the
valve larger than that of the portion of the valve which surrounds and lies
in contact with the plug m and to decrease the diameter of the plug m at the
part where the plug lies beyond the rear of the valve when said valve is closed
so that the area of the surfaces in contact decreases as the plug is pushed inward
in opening the tap.
In the drawings I have shown by the full lines the tap adapted to be used in
a horizontal position but obviously it may be arranged in a vertical position
in which case the inlet and outlet openings would occupy the position repre-
sented by the dotted lines in Figure 1.
The said tap may also be arranged as a ball-tap as represented in Figure 3 in
which case the lever carrying the ball is pivoted in a position to enable a
shoulder on said lever to actuate the sliding stem and the valve of the tap.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: :-
1. A tap in which the valve is provided with a cavity at each end, the rear
cavity receiving a plug and serving as a dash-pot and the front cavity receiving
the inner end of a sliding spring controlled stem is adapted when actuated to
open and close passages between the aforesaid cavities substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
2. The aforesaid sliding stem formed at its inner end with a passage for
enabling any liquid in the front cavity of the valve to escape when the stem is
pushed inward, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. A self closing non-cussive tap having its parts constructed arranged and
operating substantially as described with reference to the accompanying draw-
ings for the purpose specified.
1000
Dated this 24th day of Augu
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.