IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR VALVES FOR LIQUIDS, GASES, AND VAPOURS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Breeden, of the Firm of J. and W.
Breeden and Booth, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR
VALVES FOR LIQUIDS, GASES, AND VAPOURS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Breeden at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his l'etition, on the
21st December, 1868.
1, JOSEPH BREEDEN, of the Firm of J. and W. Breeden and Booth,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS
OR VALVES FOR LIQUIDS, GASES, AND VAPOURS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of taps
or valves essentially in the following manner: The body of the tap
or valve consists of a chamber in which a conical valve seat having
The lower division of the
its greatest diameter downwards is formed.
said body of the tap communicates with the ingress pipe and the upper
Price 6d.1

page_text: division with the egress pipe.
valve opening downwards.
tube on the bottom of the lower division of the body of the tap and
a coiled spring on the spindle raises the said valve and keeps it to its
bearing on the conical seat described. The pressure of the liquid, steam,
or gas also tends to raise the valve and press it on its seat. In the top
of the body of the tap is an opening from which a tube depends.
The said tube is screwed within and a screw rod with a hand wheel
or other handle at its top rises and falls by a rotary motion in the said
tube. When the handle is so turned as to depress the rod its lower
end presses upon and depresses the valve and a communication is
thereby opened between the ingress and egress pipes. By reversing
the motion of the handle the valve no longer pressed from its seat is
raised thereto by the spring and the communication between the ingress
and egress pipes is closed. The motion of the screwed rod and valve
downwards is limited by the spindle of the valve and the motion of
the said rod upwards is limited by its enlarged lower end coming against
the lower edge of the screwed tube. The valve is guided in its motion
by three or other number of upright guides situated near its periphery
working in a short tube surrounding the valve seat. When the tap
is to be used in situations where there is danger of hard solid particles
being introduced between the edge of the valve and its seat I prefer
to connect the bottom end of the screwed rod with the valve, so that
when the said screwed rod is raised it shall raise the valve, with sufficient
force to crush any such particles, and bring the conical valve close upon
its seat.
Working on the valve seat is a conical
The spindle of the conical valve works in a
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Breeden in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th June, 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JOSEPH
BREEDEN, of the Firm of J. and W. Breeden and Booth, of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Breeden, Her special
licence that I, the said Joseph Breeden, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Breeden, 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 TAPS OR VALVES FOR LIQUIDS. GASES, AND VAPOURS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Breeden, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Joseph Breeden, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say -
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of taps
or valves essentially in the following manner:-The body of the tap or
valve consists of a chamber in which a conical valve seat having its
greatest diameter downwards is formed. The lower division of the said
body of the tap communicates with the ingress pipe and the upper
division with the egress pipe. Working on the valve seat is a conical
valve opening downwards; the spindle of the conical valve works in a
tube on the bottom of the lower division of the body of the tap, and a
coiled spring on the spindle raises the said valve and keeps it to its
bearing on the conical seat described. The pressure of the liquid steam
or gas also tends to raise the valve and press it on its seat.
In the top
of the body of the tap is an opening from which a tube depends; the
said tube is screwed within, and a screw rod with a hand wheel or other
handle at its top rises and falls by a rotary motion in the said tube.
When the handle is so turned as to depress the rod its lower end presses

page_text: upon and depresses the valve, and a communication is thereby opened
between the ingress and egress pipes. By reversing the motion of the
handle the valve no longer pressed from its seat is raised thereto by the
spring, and the communication between the ingress and egress pipes is
closed. The motion of the screwed rod and valve downwards is limited
by the spindle of the valve, and the motion of the said rod upwards is
limited by its enlarged lower end coming against the lower edge of the
screwed tube. The valve is guided in its motion by three or other
number of upright guides situated near its periphery working in a short
tube surmounting the valve seat.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent vertical sections of a tap or valve con-
structed according to my Invention suited for regulating the passage of
hot and cold water, Figure 1 representing the tap closed, and Figure 2
the tap open.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in
both Figures.
a is the body of the tap, and b, c, are the egress and ingress pipes open-
ing respectively into the upper and lower parts of the said body as repre-
sented; d is the conical valve seat situated between the upper and lower
divisions of the body a; e is the valve opening downwards; f, f, is the
spindle of the valve, the lower part 2 of which works in the tube y at
the bottom of the body a. The part is screwed to the bottom of the
By means of the coiled spring h
body in the manner represented.
around the exterior of the pipe the valve e is kept to its bearing on
the conical seat d, the pressure of the liquid bearing on the under side of
the said valve also tending to raise it and press it to its seat.
i is a
rod having a screw on its exterior which works in a hollow screw in the
tubular part or barrel of the tap. The upper part of the rod i works
through a stuffing box 1, and the said rod is turned by a handle m (or
hand wheel) at top. The top of the barrel is closed, and the stuffing
box held in its place by the screw cap n. The bottom of the rod i
is made tubular, and in the said tubular bottom the upper half f of the
valve spindle works. The valve e is guided in its motion by the said
spindle f, f, the upper part f sliding in the tubular end of the screwed
rod i, and the lower part f sliding in the tube g. The tubular end

page_text: of the rod i is capable of turning on the spindle f for opening and
closing the tap. The upper face of the valve e is provided with a seat e²
of india-rubber or leather. When the handle m is turned so as to
depress the screwed rod i the lower tubular part 22 presses upon and
depresses the valve e from its seat d, as represented in Figure 2, and
opens the tap, the liquid passing from the ingress pipe c through the
valve seat d to the egress pipe b, as indicated by the arrows. As the
valve e descends its motion is limited by the spindle coming against
the bottom of the tube g in which it works.
By reversing the motion
of the handle m the bottom tubular end of the rod i is withdrawn from
the valve e, when the said valve is raised to its scat d by the spring h
assisted by the pressure of the liquid, as represented in Figure 1, when
the tap is closed. The upward motion of the screwed rod i is limited
by the enlarged lower end coming against the bottom of the tube or
barrel k.
Figures 3 and 4 represent vertical sections of a tap or valve con-
structed according to my Invention suitable for regulating the passage
of steam; Figure 3 representing the tap closed, and Figure 4 the tap
open. This tap or valve is constructed essentially in the manner
described with respect to the tap or valve, Figures 1 and 2, and corre-
sponding parts are marked with the same letters of reference.
The
valve e in the arrangement, Figures 3 and 4, consists of a solid conical
valve, and bears against an internal conical seat d. The said valve is
provided with a spindle f only at the lower part, the upper face of the
valve being provided with three or more upright guides f which work in
the tube at d above the valve seat d. The bottom of the screwed rod i
is solid, and bears against the flat upper face of the valve.
The action of the steam tap or valve, Figures 3 and 4, is the same as
that of the hot or cold water tap or valve, Figures 1 and 2.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which 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
illustrated as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention the improvements in
taps or valves for liquids, gases, and vapours herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, combining or
arranging the parts of the said taps or valves substantially as described

page_text: and illustrated, whereby simplicity of construction and efficiency i
action are secured.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Breeden, have hereunto se
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in the year of ou
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Breeden, have hereunto se
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in the year of ou
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOSEPH BREEDEN. (L.S.)