IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR VALVES AND IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hart, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Plumber, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS
OR VALVES AND IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS "
Sealed the 14th January 1859, and dated the 17th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th July 1858.
I, THOMAS HART, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TAPS OR VALVES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF
FLUIDS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
In one modification of tap or valve comprehending improvements con-
stituting part of this Invention, the passage for the fluid is closed by a flat
diaphragm of elastic material, such as caoutchouc, the opening or closing
being effected by means of a contrivance by which a change in the fluid
pressure on the back of the diaphragm is brought about; there is a small
passage by which the fluid is admitted to the back of the diaphragm, and
pressing there on a greater area than that acted upon on the other side, and
being more or less assisted by the elastic tension of the diaphragm, holds it
tightly against the mouth by which the fluid enters the valve chamber. A
comparatively very small valve in the valve chamber, acted upon by an

page_text: external button, with which it communicates through a fluid-tight stuffing
box, is opened when the fluid is to be discharged; and this valve allowing the
fluid to pass off from the back of the diaphragm by a small passage relieves
the pressure on the diaphragm, which is then raised by the fluid, and the
latter flows off.
In another modification of a tap or valve, also comprehending improvements
forming part of this Invention, the diaphragm is used as in the first modifica-
tion, and there are also passages communicating with the space at the back
thereof; but these passages are governed by a small valve packed fluid-tight
and worked by a spindle passing to the exterior. This small valve is con-
structed in such a way that when turned into a certain position, it admits fluid
to the back of the diaphragm, whereby the pressure thereon is increased and
the tap closed, whilst when the valve is turned into another position, the
admission of the fluid to the back of the diaphragm is stopped, and it is allowed
to pass off thence, whereupon the pressure preponderating on the inside of the
diaphragm lifts it, and the fluid flows off.
In both modifications of tap, it may be necessary in some cases to fit a small
valve in the passage admitting the fluid to the back of the diaphragm, so as
to close that passage, when from any cause there is a back pressure in it.
Either modification of tap or valve herein-before described is made suitable
for regulating the flow of fluids for the purpose of supplying waterclosets, or
for other similar purposes, by fitting a small tap or adjustable valve upon the
small passage admitting the fluid to the back of the diaphragm, this small tap
or valve serving to regulate or adjust the admission of the fluid to the back of
the diaphragm, and thereby determine the length of time during which the
main passage remains open.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS HART,
of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Plumber, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Hart, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Hart, iny

page_text: "
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Hart, 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, AND IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Hart, 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 I, the said Thomas Hart, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
.
My said Invention comprehends certain improvements in the arrangement,
construction, and application of taps or valves, made, as regards their manner
of acting, according to the system described in the Specification of Letters
Patent (for England), granted to George Buchanan, and bearing date the
Third day of December, of the year One thousand eight hundred and forty-
nine. The kind of tap or valve to which the present improvements are
applicable is described in the said Specification of George Buchanan in the
following words:" And this part of my Invention consists in the use of the
flexible substance either in the form of a membrane, as above described, stretched
"across the mouth of a cavity, or over the surface of a solid plate, or otherwise,
"but in all cases so as to be capable of receiving and communicating the pressure
" and motion of a fluid acting behind or within it." Omitting a few words
not deemed requisite for the present purpose, the description proceeds as
follows, the letters referring to a Diagram accompanying the Specification:-
The valve is shown as a common conical metallic valve, but may be either of
"that or any other description, or the plate and valve may be dispensed with, and
the flexible substance M simply used to. close the opening. N, O, Q, is a small
pipe of communication from the main pipe A, B, to the cavity between the
"
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NOTE. The extracts printed in italics are underlined in the original.

page_text: "membrane and plate" or to the cavity behind the membrane; "and, O, T, is
"a communication to the valve box in connection with the exit pipe X, a small
stop-cock or valve being placed at O," the point from which the second com
munication O, T, branches off from the first N, O, Q; "if the main valve be
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open, and the communication be then made, opening from the main pipe to the
cavity and shutting to the exit, the membrane is expanded by the pressure";
behind it, and closes the main valve "against the pressure of the fluid; and
again, when the communication is open to the exit and shut to the main pipe,
"the fluid escapes from behind the membrane," and the main passage becomes
free. "By this part of my Invention it will be seen that by the simple act of
opening and closing a small passage by a small cock or valve, a very large
"passage may be closed or opened with facility."
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In order that the improvements comprehended in the present Invention
may be properly understood and carried into effect, I will now particularly
describe certain modifications of taps or valves embodying the same, referring
as I proceed to the Figures on the Sheet of explanatory Drawings hereunto
appended. The same reference letters mark the same or like parts in all the
Figures. The several improvements will be apparent on comparing the said
Drawing hereunto appended with the Drawing accompanying the Specification
of George Buchanan herein-before referred to.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended is a longitudinal
vertical section of a tap or nose-cock embodying some of my improvements;
Figure 2 is a plan of the tap with the cover removed. The shell or body
A, B, X, of the tap is shaped somewhat like the shell or body of a common
nose-cock, but it has formed on its top a flange a, which is circular in plan,
as seen in Figure 2. Within this flange a there is formed a circular channel
or recess c, the inner circular edge 6 of which also forms the edge of a central
opening B, which is the mouth of the inlet passage A, B. The exit passage
X communicates with the channel or recess c by the opening a, whilst its
direct communication with the inlet passage A, B, is prevented by the trans-
verse partition d. The main valve of the tap consists of a flat diaphragm or
membrane M of elastic material, such as vulcanised caoutchouc, which is
-made-so-as-to-cover-the-central-opening-B,-the-annular-recess-c,-and-the
flange a. A cover C is placed over the diaphragm M, and is fixed by screws
passing through the edges of the diaphragm into the flange a of the shell of
the tap.
A recess or cavity e is formed in the cover C over the portion of the
diaphragm M, covering the opening B and the annular recess c, across which
cavity therefore the diaphragm M may be said to be stretched or held.
When the diaphragm M is in contact with the edge 6 of the opening B, the

page_text: main passage is closed, but when the diaphragm is pressed up into the cavity
e, the fluid from the inlet A, B, finds its way into the annular recess or
channel c, and thence by the opening a into the exit X, and so is discharged.
A small passage N, Q, is formed from the inlet A, B, through the shell of
the tap, through the portion of the diaphragm between the flanges, and
through the cover C into the cavity e, and the fluid thereby finding its way
to the back of the diaphragm M, and pressing thereon a greater area than
that acted upon on the other side, whilst it is more or less assisted by the
elastic tension of the diaphragm, holds it tightly against the mouth B, and
thus prevents the discharge of fluid. The discharge of fluid is obtained by
first allowing the fluid to escape from the back of the diaphragm M, that is,
from the cavity e, when the pressure on the under side of the diaphragm
preponderating will press it up (as shown in Figure 3); and the fluid will
escape. The egress of the fluid from the cavity e is provided for by a small
passage O, T, formed partly in the cover C, thence through the edge of the
diaphragm and shell of the tap into the exit passage X. The passage O, T,
is by preference of slightly larger bore than the passage N, Q, and com-
municates with the cavity e by means of a comparatively very small valve f
working in a hole formed in the cover, whilst its spindle passes through the
cover, and has an external button gattached to it, a piece of caoutchouc h being
fixed on the spindle by a small nut to act as stuffing, and thereby prevent
leakage. The valve f may be made quite tight by introducing a ring of thin
caoutchouc between its acting surface and its seat. The button g is screwed
on, and is prevented from loosening by a small screw r screwed into it through
a slot in the projecting part of the cover C. The valve f is opened by
pressing down the button g, and closes of itself either by the internal fluid
pressure or by the elasticity of the caoutchouc stuffing piece h.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of a tap or nose-cock having
some of its details slightly different from those of the tap shown in Figure 1,
the description already given, however, applying to both as regards their main
features. The main passage is shown as open in Figure 3, whilst it is shown
as closed in Figure 1. In the tap represented in Figure 3 the outlet passage
O, T, from the cavity e is governed by a small caoutchouc valve k, which is
closed or opened by means of a screw tapped into the projecting part j of
the cover C. Half a turn of the screw is sufficient for the purpose of
opening or closing the tap, and to prevent more being imparted to it a small
screw i is screwed into it and works in a slot or open space cut about half-
way round the projecting part j of the cover. In the inlet passage N, Q,
into the cavity e, a small valve m is introduced to close the communication

page_text: with the main inlet A, B, when from any cause the pressure in the latter
becomes reduced. For the sake of example it may be mentioned that this
arrangement will be very useful where several taps are fitted on the same
service pipe, as in houses built in flats. In such a situation the opening of
one tap causes a reduction of pressure in the other taps, and particularly in
any that
In the
be at a greater elevation and farther from the source.
may
absence of the valve m the pressure in the cavity e would be reduced as much
as that in the inlet A, B, and on the pressure in the latter recovering itself
a small but appreciable amount of time would elapse on account of the small-
ness of the passage N, Q, before the pressure in the cavity e would recover
equally, and as a consequence leakage would take place through the main
passage. This is effectually prevented by the small valve m, which may of
course be introduced into various modifications of the tap. It may here be
remarked that the valve f, as represented in Figure 1, may be actuated by
a screw 1, such as is shown in Figure 3, or otherwise; for example, by a hand
lever or by the lever of a cistern float.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of a tap or nose-cock showing
a further modification of some of my improvements, and Figure 5 is a plan
of the cover C as inverted. In this tap both the passages N, Q, and O, T,
communicating with the cavity e are governed by a valve n. This valve is
packed with a ring or disc of caoutchouc, and its spindle is passed through
the cover C to receive an external handle p. The valve n is disc-shaped, and
has two holes formed in it, as shown in Figure 5, in such positions that about
a quarter of a turn will close the passage N, Q, and open the passage O, T, or
vice versa. In this modification the passages N, Q, and O, T, may be made
of equal bore, but in the modifications shown in Figures 1 and 3 it is pre-
ferred to make the exit passage O, T, from the cavities e of larger bore than
the inlet passages N, Q. The various modifications of tap represented on the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto attached are shown as formed with bent dis-
charge spouts, but the spouts may be of other forms, or the main exit passage
✗ may be shaped as a continuation of the main inlet A, B, as indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 1.
Any modification of tap or valve herein-before described is made suitable
for regulating the flow of fluids for the purpose of supplying waterclosets or
for other similar purposes requiring a determinate duration of flow when the
tap is actuated by fitting a small tap or adjustable valve upon the small
passage N, Q, admitting the fluid to the back of the diaphragm M. It is,
however, preferred to regulate the duration of flow by simply making the said
passage of a size suited to the requirements of each particular case when the

page_text: tap is fitted in position. It may be explained that the duration of the flow is
equal to the time occupied by the passage through the duct N, Q, of as much
of the fluid as is needed to close the diaphragm, and that it may therefore be
made more or less by giving this passage a smaller or larger bore.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I have to state that
I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein-before described or
delineated, and that I do not claim to have invented every separate detail
herein-before described and delineated; but that what I consider to be novel
and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is, the application and use in the arrangement
and construction of taps or valves acting in the manner described in the
Specification of George Buchanan, herein-before referred to, of the herein-
before described improvements; namely, the mode or modes of constructing
the shell or body and cover; the mode of fixing the flat diaphragm or mem-
brane across the cavity in the cover; the modes of arranging or constructing
the small passages (N, Q, O, T,) and valves (f, k,) and the actuating details
of the latter; and the introduction of a small valve, such as that marked m
in Figure 3, for the purpose explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hart, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT, Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square, Glasgow.
THOMAS HART. (L.S.)