An Improved Method of Preventing Pipes Bursting through Frost.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan.. 1895
Complete Specification Left, th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Preventing Pipes Bursting through
Frost.
I, JOHN GEORGE JONES, Commercial Traveller, 57 Buckley Road, Brondesbury,
London, N.W. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is more immediately a mode of and means for
emptying water pipes so as to prevent their bursting by frost, but the idea is
applicable to other and analogous purposes. When a stop-cock is affixed to the
bottom of a cistern containing water and a pipe attached to the cock and furnished
with a draw off tap at the other end, then, when the stop cock is opened and the
draw-off cock closed the connecting pipe will become filled with water. If the
stop-rock is now turned off and the draw-off cock turned on, the water will not
flow out of the pipe. Now in order to render the emptying of the pipe possible
I cut or otherwise form an air-channel in the outer surface of, and between the
two openings in, the plug of the stop-cock and extending from the top of the plug
(and consequently opening into the air) towards, but not reaching, the bottom of
the plug. A similur air channel may be used in the spindle of screw-down taps.
With a stop-rock so arranged, when it is required to empty the pipe all that is
necessary to be done is to open the draw-off tap and turn the plug of the stop-cock
so as to admit air through the air chanuel, whereupon the water will flow out and
the pipe become free of water.
Dated this 6th day of January 1896.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23 Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents fer Applicant.
An Improved Method of Preventing Pipes Bursting through
Frost.
1, JOHN GEORGE JONES, Commercial Traveller, 57, Buckley Road, Brondesbury,
London, N.W., 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a mode of and means for emptying
water pipes so as to prevent them bursting by frost, but the idea is applicable to
other and analogous purposes.
When a stop-cock is affixed to the bottom of a cistern containing water and a
pipe is attached to the cock and furnished with a draw off tap at the other end,
then, when the stop cock is opened and the draw off tap also open the connecting
pipe will become filled with water, whereupon the draw off tap may be closed. If
the stop cuck be now shut and the draw off tap opened, no water will flow out of
the pipe. Now in order to render the emptying of the pipe possible I cut or
otherwise form an air-channel in the outer surface of, and midway between the two
openings in the plug of the stop cock, the said air channel extending from the top

page_text: of the plug (and consequently opening into the air) towards, but not reaching, the
bottom of the plug. It is essential that the movement of the plug be limited to a
quarter rotation and that the stop-pin in the plug shall be so situated that when
the cock is open the pin will be in direction of the flow of the water from the
cistern, and that when shut it shall be at right angles thereto, thus always bringing
the air-channel between the plug and the draw off tap and not between the cistern
and the plug.
A similar air-channel may be made in the spindle of screw down stop cocks, the
air channel extending from the upper part of the spindle to nearly the bottom of
the screwed portion at the lower end. It must not however, be continued quite to
the end of the screwed part, and in making new taps I prefer to have no screwed
portion below the end of the air channel. I however, keep the outer diameter of
this lower part the same as it would be were it screw threaded.
In order that my invention may be the more readily understood, I make reference
to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Eig. 1 is a side view of the complete arrangement, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section
of an ordinary plug cock shewing the air-channel in the plug.
Fig. 3 a plan of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a screw down stop cock shewing the air-
channel in the spindle, and
Fig. 5 a cross section of the spindle shewing the air-channel therein.
Referring to Fig. 1 a is the cistern. the stop cock provided with an air-channel
either as exemplified in Figs. 2 and 3, or in Figs. 4 and 5. c is the pipe connecting
6 with the draw off tap d which may be of any kind. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3,
e is the inlet from the cistern a, and the outlet into the connecting pipe c of
Fig. 1. m is the plug having the flat or groove hat right angles to the usual
hole n, and forming an air-channel extending from the top of the plug to just
below the level of the hole n. o is the stop pin of the plug m. The inovement of
the plug is limited to one quarter a revolution by travelling on a ledge p, which is
lower than the portion marked 9. The steps atrands forming striking and
stopping places for the pin o.
Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, i is the inlet from the cistern a, and the outlet into
the connecting pipe e of Fig. 1. g is the screw down spindle in which is the
"flat" or groove forming the air-chanuel . This channel h is of such length that
when the spindle is screwed quite down to close the valve it (the channel ) will
extend a little above the screw cap i and a little below the line in Fig. 4, so that
the air will enter at k and pass out at 1, when the valve is closed by screwing g
quite down. It is to be observed that the air-channel does not extend quite to
the bottom of the screwed end of the spindle g.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. For the purpose of preventing the bursting of pipes by frost, the provision
near the cistern and between it (the cistern) and the draw off tap, of a cock having
an air-channel in one side of its plug, or spindle, substantially as described in the
above specification, and exemplified in the accompanying drawings.
2. The method of preventing the bursting of pipes by frost, the said method
consisting in admitting air to the draw off pipe by means of a suitably arranged
stop cock near the cistern, the whole substantially as described in the above
specification, and exemplified in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of November 1896.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for Applicant.