Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb, 1887
Complete Left, 4th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 6th Dec, 1887
I WILLIAM LEA of the firm of William Lea & Company of the Bloomsbury
Foundry Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Brass Founder, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
In the manufacture of certain classes of cocks or taps it is requisite to provide for
lubrication of the plug which seated in the barrel controls the supply of liquid so as
to prevent undue friction or sticking of that plug.
This has been effected prior to my present invention by means of a vertical-cellular
hole or reservoir formed in the barrel parallel with the line of insertion of the plug
and at right angles to the plane of its rotation which reservoir was at its outer end
closable by a screw plug and washer and this reservoir communicated, by small channel
formed in the barrel, with the plug above and below the fluid way formed through it
but in practice these reservoirs and passages having to be drilled such drilling added
greatly to the cost of production and the work required skilled labour to ensure
perfect fitting so as to prevent escape of oil at parts externally formed to admit the
tool used to bore the holes in the barrel, and the advantage of the natural surface of a
cast metal article was removed at those parts.
I have found that by means of separate cores or wires laid in, in moulding, these
passages from the reservoir to the plug as well as the reservoir itself may be formed
in one casting with the barrel and by means of a hole drilled across the diameter of
the plug in a line about parallel with the upper channel and of an annular recess
around the lower part of the plug about in a line with the lower channel of lubrica-
tion I am enabled to produce a cheap, efficient and durable cock or tap capable of
production at a low rate of cost almost wholly by moulding casting and finishing
dispensing with costly drilling.
According to a modification of my invention adapted for use in the manufacture of
larger descriptions of taps or cocks, such as main cocks and stop cocks I also form a
reservoir in the plug itself by like means as already described for the barrel.
Dated the 4th day of February 1887
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: by the removal of the screw plug for replenishment and from which reservoir the
lubricant finds its way to the plug through the passages e³, c.
The hole for the reservoir c has heretofore in such cast iron taps been made by
drilling into the metal in the direction of the arrow (1) and then tapping the entrance
whilst the cross channels c3 c have been drilled through the outer wall in the
direction of arrows (2) (3) the holes through co being afterwards plugged up.
According to a modification of my invention adapted for use in the manufacture of
larger descriptions of taps or cocks, such as main cocks and stop cocks I also form a
reservoir in the plug itself by like means as already described for the barrel.
Figure 6 shews a vertical section and Figure 7 a front view of the upper portion of
such a plug the hollow chamber 63 serving to contain oil closed by the screw plug b₁
and the channel 65 connects the chamber 63 with the cross passage b' for distribution
around the meeting surfaces of the plug and barrel in addition to the supply afforded
by the chamber c.
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 :-
The manufacture of the barrels of cast metal cocks or taps having a lubricating
chamber adjacent to the barrel and passages communicating with the plug chamber by
moulding instead of by drilling in manner described.
Dated the 4th day of November 1887
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.