IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRANTS FOR SUPPLYING FIRE ENGINES FROM STREET MAINS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Millward, of Curzon Chambers, Paradise
Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRANTS FOR SUPPLYING FIRE
ENGINES FROM STREET MAINS."-A. communication from abroad by
Jacob Fricker, junior, of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Millward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th June 1872.
I, JOHN MILLWARD, of Curzon Chambers, Paradise Street, Bir-
mingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRANTS FOR
SUPPLYING FIRE ENGINES FROM STREET MAINS," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to the construction of street hydrants for
simultaneously supplying three, four, or more fire engines; and also

page_text: to their construction and arrangement in such a manner that when
in use they can be drawn out to a suitable height for the attachment
of hose pipes, and when not in use they can be lowered below the level
of the street, thus rendering stand pipes or extension pieces unnecessary.
Such hydrants may be fixed on one main pipe or at the intersection of
several.
One form of hydrant constructed according to this Invention consists,
firstly, of a valve piece or seating which is attached to a short branch
on the main or junction piece of the mains; secondly, of a lower
or fixed part of the stand pipe which reaches within a short distance
of the street level; and thirdly, of an upper or sliding part of the
stand pipe of somewhat smaller diameter, which passes through a
stuffing box or a cup leather in the lower part, and is fitted so that
it may be easily slid in or out of the lower part without leakage,
the extent of the movement being limited by stops on bolts or rods
attached to the upper part, and sliding through holes in a flange of
the lower part. The top of this sliding pipe is formed into or has
attached to it an enlarged chamber with three, four, or more branches
or nozzles at its circumference for the reception of hose, each of these
being provided with a valve. The main supply valve at foot of the
stand pipe is attached to an extensible spindle passing up the central
part of the stand pipe, and through a stuffing box or packing in the
lid of the nozzle chamber outside which it is formed with a square
for a wrench or key. The lower end of this spindle is screwed and
works through a nut fixed in a cross bar over the valve seat, so that
by turning the spindle the valve is opened or closed. The valve may
be of the flat disc type opening downwards, and tightly kept to its
seat by the pressure of the water when shut. As soon as the main
valve is opened the hydrant is extended by the pressure of the water.
The valve spindle is made extensible by being made in two parts, the
one tubular sliding over the other part, which may either be square
in section or cylindrical with a rib or feather, so that the one part
of the spindle must turn with the other. The valves at the hose
nozzles may be of any known kind, but circular slide valves are pre-
ferred, each consisting of a segment of a cylinder attached by radial
arms to a short vertical spindle pivoted at its lower end in the bottom
of the chamber, and passing through a stuffing box in the lid with a
square end for a wrench or key. The axes of the valves are thus

page_text: arranged uniformly in a circle within the chamber. The interior
of the chamber has curved faces corresponding with the cylindrical
valves, and the several nozzles open at the sides of these curved faces,
so that the cylindrical valves when in one position cover these openings,
and uncover them when they are turned about one-eighth of a revolution:
round.
Instead of employing a sliding tube for raising and lowering the
nozzles, they may be mounted on a pipe hinged to the main, or to a
branch from the main by a water-tight tube joint, so that the pipe
carrying the nozzles can be turned down into a horizontal position
when out of use. In either case the hydrant is accommodated in a
well or chamber with a lid which covers the apparatus when it is
lowered. From hydrants thus constructed and arranged several fire
engines can be supplied at once with a less quantity of hose than is
usually required, and the hydrants are ready for use at any moment.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Millward in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MILLWARD, of Curzon Chambers, Paradise Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Millward, Her special license
that I, the said John Millward, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Millward, 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
HYDRANTS FOR SUPPLYING FIRE ENGINES FROM STREET MAINS," a communi,

page_text: cation to me from abroad by Jacob Fricker, junior, of Cincinnati,
Ohio, in the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Millward, 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
-
cation to me from abroad by Jacob Fricker, junior, of Cincinnati,
Ohio, in the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Millward, 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 John Millward, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to
say :-
This Invention relates to the construction of street hydrants for
simultaneously applying three, four, or more fire engines, and also
to their construction and arrangement in such a manner that when
in use they can be drawn out to a suitable height for the attachment
of hose pipes, and when not in use they can be lowered below the
level of the street, thus rendering stand pipes or extension pieces
unnecessary. Such hydrants may be fixed on one main pipe or at the
intersection of several.
One form of hydrant constructed according to this Invention consists,
firstly, of a valve piece or seating which is attached to a short branch
on the main or junction piece of the mains; secondly, of a lower or
fixed part of the stand pipe which reaches within a short distance of
the street level; and thirdly, of an upper or sliding part of the stand
pipe of somewhat smaller diameter which passes through a stuffing
box or a cup leather in the lower part, and is fitted so that it may be
easily slid in or out of the lower part without leakage, the extent of the
movement being limited by stops on bolts or rods attached to the
upper part and sliding through holes in a flange of the lower part.
The top of this sliding pipe is formed into or has attached to it an
enlarged chamber with three, four, or more branches or nozzles at
its circumference for the reception of hose; each of these being pro-
vided with a valve. The main supply valve at foot of the stand pipe

page_text: is attached to an extensible spindle passing up the central part of the
stand pipe, and through a stuffing box or packing in the lid of the
nozzle chamber, outside which it is formed with a square for a wrench
or key. The lower end of this spindle is screwed and works through
a nut fixed in a cross bar over the valve seating, so that by turning.
the spindle the valve is opened or closed. The valve may be of the
flat disc type opening downwards, and tightly kept to its seat by the
pressure of the water when shut. As soon as the main valve is opened
the hydrant is extended by the pressure of the water. The valve-
spindle is made extensible by being made in two parts, the one tubular,
sliding over the other part, which may either be square in section or
cylindrical with a rib or feather, so that the one part of the spindle:
must turn with the other. The valves of the hose nozzles may be
of any known kind; but circular slide valves are preferred, each
consisting of a segment of a cylinder attached by radial arms to a
short vertical spindle pivoted at its lower end in the bottom of the
chamber, and passing through a stuffing box in the lid with a square
end for a wrench or key. The interior of the chamber has curved
faces corresponding with the cylindrical valves, and the several nozzles
open at the sides of these curved faces, so that the cylindrical valves
when in one position cover these openings, and uncover them when they
are turned about one-eighth of a revolution round.
Instead of employing a sliding tube for raising and lowering the
nozzles, they may be mounted on a pipe hinged to the main or to a
branch from the main by a water-tight tube joint, so that the pipe
carrying the nozzles can be turned down into a horizontal position when
out of use. In either case the hydrant is accommodated in a well or
chamber with a lid which covers the apparatus when it is lowered.
From hydrants thus constructed and arranged, several fire engines can
be supplied at once with a less quantity of hose than is usually required,
and the hydrants are ready for use at any moment.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of an extension hydrant con-
structed according to this Invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on
5 the line y, c.; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bydrant as fixed
and ready for use.

page_text: A is the junction piece of the water main to which the hydrant is
attached; B, the main valve seating fitted to the branch of the junction
piece; C is the lower or fixed part of the hydrant, of cylindrical form,
attached by bolts or other suitable means to the branch or junction
piece, and furnished at its upper end with a stuffing box c, or with
cup leathers or other suitable packing, so as to make a water-tight
joint for the sliding or extension piece D which is made of gun metal,
or other suitable material. Attached to the sliding piece D is the
nozzle chamber E having nozzles e, e, for the reception of hose pipes,
and preferably made of brass or gun metal. The orifices of the nozzles:
are governed by valves F, F, of cylindrical form, for which valves of
other known kinds may be substituted.
The cylindrical valves, shewn in the Drawing, are worked by spindles
ff, pivoted at their lower ends, the upper ends passing through
stuffing boxes in the lid of the chamber, and having squares for a 1
wrench or key. The circular faces of the valves are free to move to
or from their axes, and the pressure within the chamber causes these
faces to close tightly the nozzle orifices. G is the main valve, which
may be of the disc form shewn, closed upwards by the pressure of the
water in the main and made tight by a facing of leather or other
suitable material. This valve is worked by an extension spindle con-
sisting of a stem H (which screws through a nut h in a cross bar),
and a tubular part H in which the stem H can freely slide, but with
which it must turn, the stem being for that purpose made square or
polygonal in section, or fitted with a feather sliding in a groove in the 2
tubular part H¹. The upper part of H³ passes through a stuffing box
in the lid, and has a square end for a wrench or key. I, I, are bolts
secured to the nozzle chamber, and passing through holes in the flange
of the lower stand pipe with nuts at their ends, whereby the upward
movement of the hydrant. is limited.
It is to be understood that when the hydrant is closed down it is
entirely below the street level within a box covered by a lid of ordinary
construction, so that it offers no obstruction to traffic. The hydrant
when ready for use is as shewn in Fig. 3.
3
The hydrant, instead of being made to extend by a sliding movement 3
as described in reference to the Drawings, may be made with a pipe
joint in its middle, so that it can be folded down into a box sunk in the
street and covered by a lid when not in use.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I claim,--
First. The construction of a hydrant having an extensible piece
whereby the nozzles can be raised above the ground level, or when
not required for use can be lowered below the street level and covered
with a lid, substantially as herein described.
Second. The construction of a hydrant with sliding extension arrange-
ment, and with several nozzles governed by cylindrical valves, sub-
stantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Millward, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.