AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COCKS USED FOR THE STOPPING AND DRAWING OFF GAS AND WATER, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES FOR WHICH COCKS ARE NOW USED
Year: 1832

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN DAY,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Brass Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fifteenth day of March, in the second year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Day, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said John Day, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Day, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
COCKS USED FOR THE STOPPING AND DRAWING OFF GAS AND WATER, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES FOR WHICH COCKS ARE NOW USED;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso obliging me, the said John Day, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the.
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, and to 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 in part recited 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
John Day, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say) :-
My Invention of an Improvement in the Manufacture of Cocks used for
the Stopping and Drawing off Gas and Water, and for other Purposes
for which Cocks are now used, applies to that kind or description of cocks
commonly called slide or valve stopcocks, and consists of an addition to or
an improvement in the construction of the parts of these kind of cocks,
by which I obtain more perfect air or water tight joints in the cock, both
in the barrel and mouth-piece, than heretofore made in cocks of the like
description.
Figure 1, in Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, is a vertical section
taken longitudinally through a valve stopcock, with my improvement adapted
to it, and shewing the valve or stop down upon its seat, and the apperture of
the cock closed. Figure 2 is a similar section with the valve or stop raised
from its seat, and the waterway or apperture of the cock open. Figure 3 is an
external view of the cock. The same letters of reference are marked upon
corresponding parts in these and all the following Figures :-a, a, is the barrel
of the cock; b, the valve or stop; c, c, is a partition or valve seat placed in
the end of the barrel; through this partition the way or opening d of the cock
is made, and upon it the valve or stop rests when the cock is closed. e is the
mouth-piece or spout of the cock which is made separate from the barrel, and
is connected to it by means of the collar f, which has a screw formed upon its
inside taking into another formed on the outside of the barrel. This screw
collar embraces the mouth-piece, and presses the flange or rim upon its top
part up against the ring of packing g, formed of leather, cork, india rubber,
or other fit and proper elastic material, and placed between the flange or rim
of the mouth-piece b and the under side of the partition c, c; and on the
collar being screwed up tight, it compresses the elastic packing between the s
surfaces of the mouth-piece and partition, thereby forming an air-tight joint.
This collar of elastic packing is shewn detached in Fig. 4, and in Figure 5 it
is shewn placed upon the flange of the mouth-piece e within the collar, and

page_text: ready to be screwed up to the under side of the partition c, c.
Instead of this
collar being attached to the barrel by the screws above described, it may be
connected to it by screws passed through ears or lugs formed upon the collar,
and screwed into corresponding parts upon the barrel, as shewn in the detached
Figure 7, or in any other convenient manner, which will allow of the joint
being tightened when necessary. In order to open this description of cock,
the valve or stop 6 must be raised, which is effected by the following means:
Upon the upper part of the mouth-piece e is a cross bar or piece having
the female screw h formed upon it. From the under side of the valve or stop
descends a short rod, having the male screw i upon its end, which takes into
the screw h upon the cross piece; and in turning the mouth-piece e partly
round in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3 by the fingers, a key lever, or
any other convenient means, the screw h will cause the screw i to rise, and
with it the valve b, into the position shewn in Figure 2, and thereby open the
waterway of the cock, the valve being kept from turning round with the
mouth-piece by means of the studs or pins k, k, moving in slots on the inside
of the barrel, as shewn in the horizontal section, Figure 6, through the barrel
just above the valve seat, or by any other convenient means, as that of form-
ing the valve of a square or other proper form working in corresponding
parts in the barrel, or by forming the guide rod and guide m of any other
form than cylindrical, which will prevent the valve from moving round
when the mouth-piece is turned. On turning back the spout into its former
position the valve will be brought down upon its seat, and the cock
closed. Although I have shewn in the Figures the elastic packing moving
the valve as it is raised or depressed, yet it may be found desirable to let
it rest always upon the partition c, the valve moving up and down inde-
pendent of it.
Figure 8; Sheet 2, shews my improvement adapted to a slide stop or valve.
a is the barrel; b, the valve or slide which is mounted upon the partition c,
turning upon a pin or stud n, and kept in its place by means of a screw-nut
pin and collar or any other convenient means. In order to open this kind of
cock, the slide or stop must be moved partly round, in order to bring the
opening o in it over the opening or way d of the cock, see the horizontal
sections, Figures 9 and 10, Figure 9 shewing the cock closed, and Figure 10
open. This movement of the slide is effected by turning the mouth-piece è
partly round, as in the former instance. The stud or pin r projects from the
under side of the slide through the waterway or opening of the cock, and into
the grove s formed in the cross-piece t upon the top of the mouth-piece, as
shewn in the detached top view, Figure 11. This connection will cause the

page_text: valve or slide to partake of any motion communicated to the mouth-piece.
This connection may also be formed, as shewn in Figure 12, the grove being
formed in a projecting ear on the inside of the mouth-piece. It may be found
desirable to raise this kind of slide valve a little as it is moved round to open
the cock, which may be done by forming a slight screw upon the pin or stud u
and valve, which will cause it to rise as it is turned round by the movement
of the mouth-piece, and thereby relieve the packing of the friction which would
otherwise take place between the surfaces as they move one upon the other.
It will be obvious to all competent persons that the cocks described under the
foregoing Figures are well adapted for that description of cocks or valves
called fire plugs, to be fixed in the water mains in streets for the supply of
water upon the surface of the ground; and when used for that purpose I form
the mouth-piece of a square, octagon, or other form, into or over which a key
may be placed to turn the mouth-piece round, and open or shut the cock.
Figure 13 shews a section of a portion of the ground with a water main a, a,
and the cock b
upon it.
e is the mouth-piece which may have a small clack
shutter u turning upon a hinge joint upon the top to prevent the mud and dirt
getting into the mouth-piece, or it may be protected in any other way. vis a
key fitting within the mouth-piece, by which it may be turned, and the cock
opened and shut.
Figure 14 is a longitudinal section taken vertically, showing my improve-
ment adapted to another description of slide stopcock. a. is the barrel; b, the
valve having the elastic packing fixed in or on one of its sides, and moving
upon the surface of the partition c. y is the elastic packing fixed in the cock
independent of the slide, and is pressed up against the back side of the slide by
the screw formed upon the mouth-piece e, as shewn in the Drawing. The slide
b is raised and lowered by means of the screw i taking into the female screw
within the barrel h, which is turned round, by means of the key w, backwards
and forwards; thus raising and depressing the slide b, and opening and shutting
the cock, the collar x upon the barrel keeping it in its proper place as it is
turned round. Figure 15 shews the cock open; and Figure 16, the elastic
packing g detached.
And I verily believe that this my Specification does in all and every respect
comply with the proviso contained in the within-named Letters Patent to me
granted.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Day, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-two.
JOHN (Ls.) DAY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of September,
in the third year of the reign of His present Majesty King William the
Fourth, the said John Day came before our said Lord the King in His
Chancery, and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every
thing therein contained and specified, in form above written. And also the
Instrument aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute
made in the fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George
the Third.
Inrolled the Fifteenth day of September, One thousand eight hundred
and thirty-two.