IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OR METHODS OF SUPPLY AND EXIT OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS RESPECTIVELY TO AND FROM AQUARIUMS, TANKS, CISTERNS, AND OTHER LIKE VESSELS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH.
Year: 1870

page_text: 66
LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Small, of No. 13", William
Street, Camden Road, Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, Gas
Fitter and Worker in Metal, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OR METHODS OF SUPPLY AND EXIT OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS
RESPECTIVELY TO AND FROM AQUARIUMS, TANKS, CISTERNS, AND OTHER LIKE
VESSELS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH.'
""
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Small
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th May 1870.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS SMALL, of No. 13ª, William Street, Camden
Road, Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, Gas Fitter and Worker in
Metal, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OR METHODS OF SUPPLY AND EXIT OF WATER AND OTHER
FLUIDS RESPECTIVELY TO AND FROM AQUARIUMS, TANKS, CISTERNS, AND OTHER LIKE
VESSELS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:
This Invention consists, firstly, of a ball tap that has a hollow ball or
float at the end of a lever, the raising of which shuts the supply val ve

page_text: The supply valve has vertical movement and may cither consist of a ball
fitting to a socket and having a cage in which it works, or of a seat
valve, the tail piece or spindle of which is jointed to the lever. In the
case of the ball valve a projection from the lever presses it into its seat
when the said lever is risen by the flux of water into the cistern, and
when it (the lever) has attained the level for which it is adjusted; a
projection from the lever may also be used to operate the seat valve
when the tail piece of the said seat valve works in an upper tube. In
all these varieties the fulcrum of the lever is attached to the supply
tube, the opening of the supply tube being downwards and the lever
bearing upwards against the valve or against its spindle. Owing to the
freedom of action of ball taps made according to the above described
construction, they may be used in and for boiling water. The valve
of the above described ball tap can be fixed at the bottom to act as a
waste valve and not as a supply valve.
This Invention consists, secondly, of a covered exit or waste pipe. In
ordinary waste pipes used for aquariums and other vessels the waste
water that runs away is taken from the upper surface of the water
which is comparatively clean. In the waste pipe which forms the present
Invention the waste water is taken from the bottom or foul portion of
the liquid and carries away with it any light particles of dirt that may
have settled on the bottom of the vessel. For this purpose the waste
pipe has its opening adjusted to the height of the water in the tank as
usual, and it is covered with an exterior tube with perforations or
openings at its lower end at the bottom of the tank; the exterior tube
also has openings above the water line.
This Invention consists, thirdly and lastly, of a covered syphon with a
regulating air cock. When the air cock is shut the syphon takes the
water from the bottom of the tank, and the tank can by this means be
completely emptied. The tube of the air tap is fixed near to the upper
part of the syphon on its descending limb, and by opening it more
or less the quantity of water drawn off can be regulated. The above
mentioned regulating air cock or air tap is constructed for the purpose,
with a tube or opening of suitable size, and has no nozzle or nose, as the
air enters up the centre of the plug. The air tap can be made any size
for other purposes.
An aquarium made with a covered syphon and having a ball cock
attached to its supply pipe may have the circulation of fresh water

page_text: through it regulated so that any fish that it has been quite impossible
by ordinary means to domesticate in an aquarium, may be kept for long
periods of time in a healthy and lively condition. To promote the clean-
liness of the water the aquarium has a false perforated bottom, the
apertures of the syphon cover being between the perforated bottom and
the true bottom, the particles of dirt that subside are drawn off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Thomas Small in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS SMALL, of No. 13%, William Street, Camden Road, Holloway,
in the County of Middlesex, Gas Fitter and Worker in Metal, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Thomas Small, Her special licence
that I, the said William Thomas Small, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Thomas Small, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OR METHODS OF SUPPLY AND EXIT OF WATER AND
OTHER FLUIDS RESPECTIVELY TO AND FROM AQUARIUMS, TANKS, CISTERNS, AND
OTHER LIKE VESSELS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Thomas Small, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 William Thomas Small, 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 :-
This Invention consists, firstly, of a tap or ball tap that has a hollow
ball or float at the end of the lever, the raising of which shuts the
supply valve. The supply valve has vertical movement and may either
consist of a ball fitting to a socket, and having a cage in which it
works, or of a seat valve, the tail piece or spindle of which is jointed
to the lever. In the case of the ball valve a projection from the lever
presses it into its seat when the said lever is risen by the flux of water
into the cistern, and when it (the lever) has attained the level for which
it is adjusted; a projection from the lever may also be used to operate
the seat valve when the tail piece of the said seat valve works in an
upper tube. In all these varieties the fulcrum, of the lever is attached
to the supply tube, the opening of the supply tube being downwards
and the lever bearing upwards against the valve or against its spindle.
Owing to the freedom of action of ball taps made according to the
above described construction, they may be used in and for boiling water.
The valve of the above described ball tap can be fixed to the bottom
to act as a waste valve and not as a supply valve. To shut off with
or against the stream it can be fitted with a ground in "slide plate
to work in any direction, the ball opening the slide or closing it as the
water in the tank may act on the ball.
65
This Invention consists, secondly, of a covered exit or waste pipe.
In ordinary waste pipes used for aquariums and other vessels the
waste water that runs away is taken from the upper surface of the
water which is comparatively clean. In the waste pipe which forms
the present Invention the waste water is taken from the bottom or foul
portion of the liquid, and carries with it any light particles of dirt that
may have settled on the bottom of the vessel. For this purpose the
waste pipe has its opening adjusted to the height of the water in the
tank as usual, and it is covered with an exterior tube with perforations
or openings at its lower end at the bottom of the tank, the exterior tube
has also openings above the water line.
This Invention consists, thirdly and lastly, of a covered syphon with
a regulating air cock. When the air cock is shut the syphon takes the
water from the bottom of the tank, and the tank can by this means be

page_text: completely emptied. The tube of the air tap is fixed near to the
upper part of the syphon on its descending limb and by opening it more
or less the quantity of water drawn off can be regulated. The above-
mentioned regulating air cock or air tap is constructed for the purpose
with a tube or opening of suitable size, and has no nozzle or nose, as the
air enters up the centre of the plug. The air tap can be made any size
for other purposes.
An aquarium made with a covered syphon and having a ball cock
attached to its supply pipe, may have the circulation of fresh water
through it regulated so that many fish that it has been quite impossible
by ordinary means to domesticate in an aquarium may be kept for long
periods of time in a healthy and lively condition. To promote the
cleanliness of the water the aquarium has a false perforated bottom,
the apertures of the syphon cover being between the perforated bottom
and the true bottom, the particles of dirt that subside are drawn off.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the mode of
carrying the same into effect, what I claim and desire to be secured
to me by Letters Patent is, the said Invention for improvements in
the method or methods of supply and exit of water, and other fluids
respectively to and from aquariums, tanks, cisterns, and other like
vessels, and in the apparatus connected therewith, substantially as
herein described or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Small, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of Novem-
ber, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
WILLIAM THOMAS SMALL. (L.S.)