AN IMPROVED METALLIC AIR AND WATER STOP AND STOPPER
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
PARKER, of Argyle Place, Regent Street, in the Parish of Saint James, in the
County of Middlesex, Bronzist, send greeting.
WHEREAS I. did, by petition, humbly represent unto His present most
Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth, that, after considerable applica-
tion and expence, I had invented "AN IMPROVED METALLIC AIR AND WATER
STOP AND STOPPER;" and His said Majesty, being willing to give encouragement
to all arts and inventions which may be for the public good, was graciously
pleased, by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Four-
teenth day of April, in the fifth year of His said Majesty's reign, for Himself,
His heirs and successors, to give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Parker,
my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I or they, by myself and themselves, or by my or their
deputies, servants, or agents, or such others as I or they should agree with,
and no others, during the term of fourteen years from the date of the said
Letters Patent, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend
my said Invention within that part of His said Majesty's Dominions called
England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also in all, His Majesty's Plantations and Colonies abroad, in such manner as
to me, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, shall seem meet, and as that I or they
shall enjoy the whole profit and advantage arising by reason of the said Invention
during the said term of fourteen years, and for that end His said Majesty

page_text: requires and strictly commands all His subjects whatsoever, that they shall not,
either directly nor indirectly, make, use, or put in practice my said Invention,
or any part thereof, nor in anywise counterfeit, imitate, or resemble the same,
nor make any addition thereto, or subtraction therefrom, whereby to pretend
himself or themselves to be the Inventor or Inventors thereof: And whereas
the said Letters Patent contain a proviso, obliging me, the said Samuel Parker,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Parker, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described and
ascertained in manner following, and by the aid of the Drawing hereunto
annexed (that is to say) :-
In my said improved metallic air and water stop and stopper, the passage
through which the air or water is occasionally intended to flow is closed, when
that flow is required to be stopped, by means of a stopper of a circular form,
which, when moved endways towards the aperture which is to be stopped by it,
will present a circular rim of a larger diameter than that of the aperture, so as
to apply the said rim to the circular border or margin around the aperture; and
by action of a suitable screw or spring the stopper is urged endways towards
the aperture, with a sufficient force for making such a close contact between
the said rim of the stopper and the said margin of the aperture as will
effectually stop the flow of air or water through the passage; the said action
whereby the passage is opened or stopped being the same as takes place in
what are termed circular metallic lifting stop valves; and in all circumstances
above mentioned, my said improved metallic air and water stop and stopper
is the same in its structure and operation as many other ordinary stop or
stoppers now in common use; but whereas in such ordinary stops or stoppers,
the close contact by which the flow of the air or water is stopped is made
either by pressing together two hard metal surfaces, which are truly formed
by turning in a lathe, and fitted to each other by grinding with emery or other
like substance, so as to make a tight stop to the passage of air or water, or else
by means of a ring of leather or indian-rubber, which is interposed between the
surfaces which are pressed in contact, in order to make a tight stop. Now,
in my improved metallic air and water stop and stopper, the aforesaid circular
border or margin around the aperture which is to be stopped is formed by a

page_text: And
flat circular surface of pure block tin, or of soft lead or other equally soft metal
or alloy of metals; and the circular end of the stopper which is to be pressel in
contact with the said circular border or margin is formed of hard brass or gun
metal or other hard metal, with a prominent circular bead or sharp edged
rim at the end of the stopper, which rim being pressed, by action of a suitable
screw or spring, in close contact with the circular border or margin of soft
metal, will indent or impress so much into the same as to make a tight stop to
the passage of air or water; and it is this circumstance which constitutes the
novelty and new invention of my said improved air and water stop and stopper,
viz, the application of a circular margin or border of soft metal around the
aperture which is to be stopped, with a prominent circular rim of hard metal at
the end of the stopper, which rim is to be pressed in contact with the margin of
the aperture, in order that the stop to the passage of air or water may be caused
by the indentation and impression of the hard metal into the soft metal.
my said improved metallic air and water stop and stopper may be constructed
according to any of the various forms which are commonly used for similar
stops and stoppers, in which the requisite contact of the stopper with the
margin of the aperture is made, as before mentioned, by surfaces of hard metal,
fitted to each other by grinding, or else with leather or indian-rubber, but not
soft metal interposed between the fitting surfaces. Some of the said various
forms being best adapted for some situations and uses, and other of the said
forms being best adapted for other situations and uses, such as for the purposes
of stoppers of bottles, vent pegs for beer or wine barrels, gas-cocks or valve
stoppers, water cocks and stopper valves, and cocks or taps for beer or wine or
spirit casks, or other like purposes. And for the more complete explanation of
some of the various forms in which my said improved metallic air and water
stop and stopper may be constructed, I have represented several, by way of
example, in the Drawing hereunto annexed, wherein Figure 1 is an example
of my improved metallic air stop and stopper applied to close the orifice of
a bottle or flask, in order to stop the passage of air into or out of the interior
thereof. The neck A of the bottle or flask is cut with a screw around its outside
to receive the cap or stopper B, which is cut with a corresponding internal
screw, and the cap is screwed down tight over the external screw, in order to
stop the aperture, or it is unscrewed and removed in order to unstop the same;
thus far the stop or stopper, Figure 1, is as usual; but to constitute my
improved metallic air stop or stopper, the cap or stopper B has a disk or
ring of soft metal applied within it at 1, 1, and the border around the orifice
of the neck A is a sharp prominent rim of hard metal, which will indent or
impress into the soft metal, in order to make a tight stop to the passage of air.

page_text: If the bottle or flask is made of glass, the external screw around the neck A,
with the aforesaid prominent rim around the aperture, may be cut in the glass,
or a neck of hard metal, with the said screw and rim cut upon it, may be
cemented to the glass.
Figure 2 is an example of my improved metallic air stop and stopper applied
to what is termed a vent peg for beer barrels, in order to close the orifice
and prevent the passage of air into or out of the same. B is the socket, which
is cut with a tapering screw around its outside, in order to screw into, and
through the wood of the cask, and the inside of the socket is also cut with an
internal screw, into which the stopper D is screwed to close the orifice, or it is
unscrewed to open the same, for there is a passage up the stopper, with small
pin holes branching sideway therefrom, and the orifices thereof become opened
when the stopper is unscrewed a small distance out from its socket without
actually removing it. Thus far the vent peg is the same as those in common
use, but to constitute my improved metallic air stop and stopper, a circular
surface of soft metal is applied around the shoulder of the stopper at 1, 1, and
the border around the orifice of the socket is formed with a prominent rim to
present a sharp circular edge of hard metal to the said soft metal, in order that
the said rim of the socket may, by the pressure of the screw, be impressed into
the soft metal shoulder of the stopper with such close contact as will make a
tight stop to the passage of air.
Figure 3 is an example of my improved metallic air and water stop and
stopper applied to what is commonly called a tap for drawing water or beer or
other liquids from casks or from the terminations of pipes. B is the main tube
of the tap, which may be driven through the wood of a cask, or may be
soldered into the end of a pipe; C is the socket, within which an internal
screw is cut to receive the screw stopper D, which being screwed in by turning
it round by its thumb pieces a, a, its flat circular end will apply to the orifice
of the tube B, in order to stop the same, but the stopper D being unscrewed,
will open the passage, and the liquid which flows through the aperture of the
tube B will run down through the spout E. The said stop is so far on a
common construction; but to constitute my improved metallic stop and stopper,
a circular surface of the soft metal 1, 1, is applied at the flat end of the screw
stopper D, and the border or margin of the aperture of the tube B is formed
with a sharp prominent rim of hard metal, which by the pressure of the screw
will be impressed into the soft metal, so as to form a tight stop to the passage of
air or water through the main tube B.
Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 are other examples of similar taps, but which may be
also used in lieu of stop-cocks in pipes for air and water or other fluids, or for

page_text: gas. The stoppers have small screws formed around the stems or spindles of
the stoppers, which spindles pass from the interior of the tap to the outside
thereof, and have thumb pieces to turn them by; those screws being fitted into
corresponding screw sockets, and having also stuffing boxes, containing packings
of hemp, confined around the cylindrical part of the same stems or spindles to
prevent leakage or passage of air or liquid by the side of the screws, all which
constructions of taps are well known and require but short description. In all
the said Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, B is the main tube; C, the socket within which
the internal screw is cut; D, the stopper, with a screw d formed on its spindle e,
and a, a, the thumb pieces for turning it round; E is the spout through which
the air and water or other liquid is to flow when the stopper is unscrewed, or a
pipe may be soldered to that spout if it is required to apply the tap to stop the
passage in the middle of a pipe; m is the stuffing of hemp, and the principal
differences in the taps represented in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 consists in the
mode of applying the said stuffing. In Figures 5 and 6, it is applied within-
side of the tap, and the collet or ring, by which the hemp is retained in the box
or cavity which is formed around the spindle for its reception, must be properly
adjusted and confined by screwing in and fastening the collet with solder, or
rivetting, before the tap is finally screwed and soldered together. In Figures 4
and 7, the hemp or other suitable stuffing m is applied from the outside, and
the screw collet by which it is confined is always accessible, but it may be
fastened by a slight soldering. In Figures 4, 5, and 7, the stopper D is formed
in the same solid piece of metal with the screw & and spindle e; the external
handle or thumb piece a, a, being fastened on a square at the end of the
spindle c, by rivetting or soldering; but in Figure 6, the said thumb pieces a
are formed in the same solid piece with the screw D and spindle e, and the
stopper D is fastened by screwing and rivetting or soldering to the lower end
of the spindle e, which may therefore be made of a smaller size at the part
which is surrounded by the hemp stuffing m; and thus far the said taps,
Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, are constructed as usual; but in order to constitute
my improved metallic stop and stopper, a circular surface of soft metal 1, 1,
Figures 4, 5, and 6, must be applied around the flat end of the stopper D, and
the margin or border of the aperture which is to be stopped by it must be a
prominent rim 2, 2, with a sharp circular edge of hard metal, which, by the
pressure of the screw d, will be impressed against and into the soft metal 1, 1,
so as to form close contact therewith, in order to make a tight stop to the
passage of air, gas, water, or other fluid or liquid; or otherwise, the said circular
surface of soft metal may be applied around the border of the aperture, as at
1, 1, Figure 7, and the prominent rim of hard metal 2, 2, around the end of

page_text: the stopper D, it being indifferent as to the result, whether the soft metal is
applied in the stopper or around the orifice, provided that the prominent rim
of hard metal is in either case applied so as to form contact with the soft
metal.
Figure 8 is another example of a tap, wherein the same letters are used to
denote the same parts. The stopper D is formed in the same piece with the
cylindrical spindle e, which is surrounded by the stuffing at m, and the screw
is not cut upon the spindle but upon the outside of a cylindrical plug of the
thumb nut a, a, that screw k being received into a corresponding internal
screw within the socket c. The spindle e passes up through the centre of the
thumb nut k, a, a, and a button knob is applied on the upper end of the
spindle e, by screwing, rivitting, and soldering, so as when the thumb nut
k, a, a, is screwed upwards in its socket c, it will pull up the spindle e, and
draw the stopper D into contact with the margin of the
Figure 10 is no part of my Invention, excepting the surface of soft metal
which is applied at 1, 1, to the end of the stopper D, to form contact with the
prominent edge 2, 2, of hard metal around the border of the aperture which it is
to stop, or vice versa; the soft metal may be around that border, and the pro-
minent rim of hard metal at the end of the stopper D.
Figures 11 and 12, are examples of stops or taps in which the stop-
pers D are urged into place by the force of spiral or helically curled
springs applied around the spindles of the stoppers, the screws, when turned
one way by their thumb pieces a, a, acting to overcome those springs and
unstop the apertures; but when the screws are turned the other way,
they permit the springs to urge the stoppers into place to stop the aper-
tures. The tap, Figure 11, is the same in structure as Figure 6, with the
addition of the spirally curled spring a, which is contained within a box x,
and curled around the spindle e of the stopper D, and it acts between the
cover of the box X and a collar v, which is formed on the spindle e. The
spring box. X is disposed above the stuffing m, to prevent leakage into the
spring box X. Figure 12, more nearly resembles Figure 3 in structure,
excepting that the stopper D does not turn round; but the screw d, which
formed upon the end of it, comes through to the outside, and a thumb nut W
may y be applied in the manner of a pocket key when the stop is to be unstopped,
and being screwed on the end of the screw d, it will withdraw the stopper by
overcoming the spring x, so as to unstop the aperture. The spring a is curled
spirally round the stopper D, but is inclosed by a surrounding tube t, which
is fixed fast to the stopper D, leaving an annular cylindrical space for the
reception of the spring a, and a corresponding fixed tube Z, which is part of the

page_text: socket c, enters into the said space, in order to close the entrance and serve for
the spring a to react against; the stopper is prevented from turning round by a
stud screw 8, which enters into a groove at the outside of tube t, t, but does
not improve its motion endways. Note.-The screws d, d, in Figures 11 and
12, may be cut with their spiral threads like those commonly used in cork-
screws, having such a rapid rise along the lengthway of their spindles e that
the force of the springs a will cause the screws d, d, to run back and allow the
stopper D to be urged into their places, when permitted, without actually
turning the thumb screws a, a, or W, backwards by the fingers. And note.-
Figures 11 and 12, as well as all the other stops represented in the Drawing,
are no part of my Invention, excepting in as much as they are constructed
with circular surfaces of soft metal and prominent rims of hard metal, which
by their contact form my improved metallic air and water stop and stopper.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Parker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-five.