Improvements in Means for Operating the Cocks and Valves of Cylinders and Vessels Containing Gases under Pressure.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Operating the Cocks and Valves of
Cylinders and Vessels Containing Gases under Pressure.
We THE MANCHESTER OXYGEN (BRINS PATENT) COMPANY LIMITED of
Great Marlborough Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, and
WILLIAM MORTON JACKSON of the said Company, Chemist, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our said invention relates to improved means for operating the cocks and valves
of vessels containing gases under pressure such for example as the steel cylinders
used to hold compressed oxygen and other gases. The cocks of such vessels are at
present operated by hand through the jerky and uncertain medium of a key or
wrench and when opening the cock to deliver some of the gas or to test the pressure
it is found almost impossible to open the cock with certainty so slightly as to
deliver the gas gently or gradually owing to the fact that the enormous pressure in
the cylinder makes the gas rush with great violence through the very smallest
opening, while the unintentional opening of the cock too far may liberate so sudden
a rush of gas as to cause serious accidents. To obviate this it is the usual custom
to apply needle valves to the efflux passages of the cylinders in conjunction with
the cocks, the said needle valves being used to adjust and control the delivery of
gas. By means of our invention we propose to dispense with such auxiliary needle
valves, our improved operating means enabling us gradually to open the cock with
the greatest certainty to any desired or adjusted extent.
The means we employ are a worm and worm quadrant or wheel applied to and
acting upon the plug of the cock.
We make a small bracket having a pap or collar which fits into or over the ring
or nut which usually surrounds the projecting square end of the plug of the cock
suitable means being provided to prevent the collar or pap from turning on or in
the ring or nut on the cylinder. The bracket is bored to carry a revolvable
vertical stud formed at the foot with a box-key to take the square end of the plug
The bracket also
and carrying at the other end a worm quadrant or wheel.
supports in bearings a horizontal stud or spindle carrying a worm which gears
with the worm quadrant or wheel. The outer end of the worm spindle is pro-
vided with a disc or handle for turning the spindle and worm.
The bracket
thus carries all of the parts and the whole forms a handy appliance which can
be applied to and removed from the cock as easily and expeditiously as the
present key. When dropped into or over the ring or nut surrounding the square
end of the plug the box-key engages with the square end, the collar and bracket
being prevented from turning on or in the ring or nut on the cylinder.
Consequently when the disc and worm are turned the worm quadrant or wheel
and box-key are also operated so as to turn the plug and open the cock. The
worm and wheel are so slow and certain in their action and permit of such fine
adjustment of the opening that entire dependence may be placed upon the cock
and the usual auxiliary needle valves may be dispensed with.
Under modified forms of the said slow motions for opening valves of the indicated
nature, we might connect a screw to a handle or lever on the key to turn the valve
and apply a swivel nut to move the handle or lever in one direction or the other.
We might also form the quadrant on the valve key with teeth to engage with a
pinion which might be turned by a hand wheel or handle so as to give a sufficiently
slow motion and fine adjustment to the valve.
The construction of the indicated appliances might be varied so long as the gist
of our invention is retained that is to say a portable and easily applied and removed

page_text: means for securing a slow and certain opening of the cocks and valves of vessels
containing gases under pressure.
Dated this 12th day of April 1802
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, Jolin Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Operating the Cocks and Valves of
Cylinders and Vessels Containing Gases under Pressure.
We THE MANCHESTER OXYGEN (BRIN'S PATENT) COMPANY LIMITED of
Great Marlborough Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, and
WILLIAM MORTON JACKSON of the said Company, Chemist, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement and
accompanying drawings:
Our said invention relates to improved means for operating the cocks and valves
of vessels containing gases under pressure such for example as the steel cylinders
used to hold compressed oxygen and other gases. The cocks of such vessels are at
present operated by hand through the jerky and uncertain medium of a key or
wrench and when opening the cock to deliver some of the gas or to test the pressure
it is found almost impossible to open the cock with certainty so slightly as to deliver
the gas gently or gradually owing to the fact that the enormous pressure in the
cylinder makes the gas rush with great violence through the very smallest opening,
while the unintentional opening of the cock too far may liberate so sudden a
rush of gas as to cause serious accidents. To obviate this it is the usual custom
to apply needle valves to the efflux passages of the cylinders in conjunction
with the cocks, the said needle valves being used to adjust and control the
delivery of gas. By means of our invention we propose to dispense with such
auxiliary needle valves, our improved operating means enabling us gradually to
open the cock with the greatest certainty to any desired or adjusted extent.
The neaus we employ are a worm and worm quadrant or wheel applied to
and acting upon the plug of the cock.
Our invention will be best understood by a reference to the annexed sheet of
drawings which clearly illustrate the same.
Fig. 1 is a side view partly in section of the means constituting our
improvement.
Fig. 2 is a plan.
We make a small bracket a having a pap or collar a¹ which fits over the ring
or nut which usually surrounds the projecting square end c of the plug of the
cock, suitable means such for example as the key or feather d occupying a
keyway in the collar a' being provided to guide the fitting into its proper
position and to prevent the collar or pap a from turning on or in the ring or
nut 6 on the cylinder 6. The bracket a a', which replaces the ordinary shackle
where such is employed, is bored to carry a revolvable vertical stud formed at
the foot with a box-key or squared recess to take the square end c of the plug and
carrying at the other end a worm quadrant or wheel f
'
4
The bracket a also supports in bearings a horizontal stud or spindle g carrying
or constituting a worm which gears with the worm quadrant or wheel f. The
outer end of the worm spindle g is provided with a handle for turning the spindle
and worm. The shackle portion al of the bracket a carries the usual outlet i and
means for adjusting the same, but as these form no part of our invention except in 5
combination with our improvements it is unnecessary to describe them. The
bracket a a' thus carries all of the parts and the whole forms a handy appliance
which can be applied to and removed from the cock as easily and expeditiously as
the present key. When the shackle collar a' is dropped over or it might be into

page_text: the ring or nut & surrounding the square end c of the plug the box key on the
stud e engages with the square end c the collar and bracket a a¹ being prevented
from turning on or in the ring or nut on the cylinder in the illustrated example
by the feather d entering the groove in the collar and by the nipple which is
screwed into the outlet of the cylinder valve.
Consequently when the handle and worn are turned the worm quadrant or wheel
and box key are also operated so as to turn the plug and open the cock. The
worm and wheel are so slow and certain in their action and permit of such fine
adjustment of the opening that entire dependence may be placed upon the cock and
the usual auxiliary needle valves may be dispensed with.
Under modified forms of the said slow motions for opening valves of the indicated
nature, we might connect a screw to a handle or lever on the key to turn the valve
and apply a swivel nut to move the handle or lever in one direction or the other.
We might also form the quadrant on the valve key with teeth to engage with a
pinion which might be turned by a hand wheel or handle so as to give a sufficiently
slow motion and fine adjustment to the valve.
The construction of the indicated appliances and the means for attaching the
same to cylinder valves might be varied so long as the gist of our invention is
retained that is to say, a portable and easily applied and removed means for securing
a slow and certain opening of the cocks and valves of vessels containing gases under
pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
--
1. The improved portable appliance for securing a slow and certain opening of
the cocks and valves of vessels containing gases under pressure substantially as
hereinbefore described and shown.
2. The employment of a worm and worm wheel or quadrant or another analogous
or substantially equivalent means or arrangement for effecting the slow and certain
opening of the cocks and valves of cylinders and vessels containing gases under
pressure substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
3. The improved portable and easily applied and removed means or appliance for
slowly turning the valves of compressed gas cylinders and consisting of the shackle
bracket a a' furnished with a worm or worm quadrant and carrying the outlet
attachments substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 12th day of January 1893.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.