Improvements in Hollow Plug and Three and Four Way Cocks.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hollow Plug and Three and Four Way Cocks.
I, ALEXANDER SHIELS of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B., C.M., B.Sc., do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in hollow plug and three and four way
cocks and it has for its object to reduce friction and prevent leakage in such cocks.
In carrying out my invention with hollow plug or key cocks I cut out the key on
the side opposite or nearly opposite to the outlet or inlet so that when the cock is
turned off the fluid shall press against the barrel at the cut out part. The key is
or may be cut out at the top if the inlet is from below or at the bottom if the inlet
is from above. The spindle may in the latter cases be fitted to or in a bridge in the
interior of the key. The spindle may pass out through a stuffing box.
The hollow plug or key cocks may be made with two, three or more ways.
In the case of three or four way cocks with solid keys a channel may be
bored horizontally or obliquely right through the key. The channel would be
tapered towards the outlet. The inlet end of the channel would be enlarged or
widened to such an extent that when the cock would be turned off the channel or
passage way would be filled with fluid. The key would be so made that no fluid
pressure would act on the exterior of said key when closed. The outlet channels
would be preferably close together.
If
Under a modification the channel or passage way may be branched in the
interior of the key or plug. The branches communicate with the outlets.
desired the barrel may be cored out on either side of the inlet to allow fluid to pass
into the key when closed.
In the case of gas cocks or the like the channel part of the key may be
cored out.
With my improvements hollow plug or key and three or four way cocks can be
made to work with very little friction under great fluid pressure.
Dated this 2nd December 1891.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hollow Plug and Three and Four Way Cocks.
I, ALEXANDER SHIELS, of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B., C.M., B.Sc., 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in hollow plug and three and four way
cocks, and it has for its object to reduce friction and aid in the prevention of
leakage in such cocks.
I
In carrying out my invention with hollow plug or key cocks, I cut out the key
on the side opposite or nearly opposite to the outlet or inlet, so that, when the cock
is turned off, the fluid will press against the barrel at the cut out part. The key
is or may be cut out at the top, if the inlet is from below, or at the bottom, if the
inlet is from above. The spindle may, in the latter cases, be fitted to or in a
bridge in the interior of the key. The spindle may pass out through a stuffing-box.
The hollow plug or key cocks may be made with two, three or more ways.
In the case of three or four way cocks with solid keys, a channel may be

page_text: '
bored, horizontally or obliquely, right through the key. The channel would be
tapered towards the outlet. The inlet end of the channel would be enlarged or
widened to such an extent that, when the cock would be turned off, the channel
or passage-way would be filled with live fluid, which would press against the side
of the barrel opposite to the inlet, instead of, as is usual with this class of cock,
pressing against the outside of the key. The outlet channels in the barrel would
be, preferably, close together.
Under a modification, the channel or passage way may be branched in the
interior of the key or plug. The branches communicate with the outlets in the
barrel. If desired, the barrel may be cored out on either side of the inlet, to
allow fluid to pass into the key, when closed.
In the case of gas cocks or the like, the channel part of the key may be
.cored out.
With my improvements, hollow plug or key and three or four-way cocks, can be
.made to work with very little friction, under great fluid pressure.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon I have shown, by way
of example, various forms of cocks.
Figs. 1 and 2, are, respectively, a vertical section and a sectional plan of a hollow
plug or key cock and with two ways.
Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, a vertical section and a sectional plan of a
hollow key three-way cock.
Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, a vertical section and a sectional plan of a
different construction of a hollow key three-way.cock.
Figs. 7 and 8, are, respectively, a vertical section and a sectional plan of a
two-way shell cock, with hollow key.
Figs. 9 and 10 are, respectively, a vertical section, and a sectional plan of a
three-way hollow key cock.
Fig. 11 is a vertical section of a shell cock.
-Fig. 12 is a plan of the key of the cock.
Figs. 13 and 14 are, respectively, a vertical section and a sectional plan of a
three-way plug cock.
Figs. 15 and 16 are, respectively, a vertical section and a sectional plan of a
three-way plug cock.
Fig. 17 is a sectional plan of a four-way hollow key cock.
Fig. 18 is a section of a hollow key, which can be used instead of the solid key,
shown at Figs. 13 & 14.
Fig. 19 shows, in section, a solid key, which can be used instead of the hollow
key, shown at Figs. 15 and 16.
Referring to the drawings, whereon the same reference letters, wherever repeated,
indicate the same or like parts.
The cock shown at Figs. 1 and 2 has two ways, a being the inlet and b the
outlet. The key is hollow and is cut out at c and also at d on the opposite side
.of.the key.
The cock shown at Figs. 3 and 4, is the same as that at Figs. 1 and 2, except
that it has three ways, a, b and e. The inlet way a being at the bottom and the
two outlet ways at the sides. The plug of this cock is also cut out at opposite
sides c d..
The cock in Figs. 5 and 6 has three ways a,
b and e.
The inlet a is below and
the outlets nearly opposite one another. The plug is cut out at c and d, the same
as before. To prevent fluid passing direct through the openings c, d, when it is
desired to shut off one outlet, the outlet e is made or curved outwards, as shown,
and also has a web or diaphragm in it. This web prevents a through
communication between band e when one or other of the outlets are being opened.
The shell cock shown at Figs. 7 and 8, has a hollow key with the two cut-out
parts c, d. The inlet is at a and outlet at b. The arrows indicate the course of
the fluid.

page_text: The T shaped three-way cock, shown at Figs. 9 and 10, has the usual ways a, b, e,
but it has three cut out parts c, d and d'. The cut-out parts & and d' are equal, or
nearly so, to the area of the part or passage c
The shell cock shown at Figs. 11 and 12, is similar in construction to that at
Figs. 7 and 8, except that the spindle g is fitted to a bridge in the inside of the
key. The object of using a bridge, is to allow the top of the hollow key to be
open and thereby relieve upward pressure of the fluid on the key, which takes
place when it is solid at top, as at Fig. 7.
The three-way cock shown at Figs. 13 and 14, has its ways a, b, e, at an angle
to each other. The solid plug is cut through or channeled at i. The channel i is
made wider at the inlet end than at the outlet, so that, when the cock is completely
shut, the channel will still be filled with live fluid. The inlet ¹ is, preferably,
about three times wider than the outlet end. Instead of having the key of the
shape shown, it may be hollow, as shown at Fig. 18. When the key is turned off,
the live fluid presses against the wall of the barrel, as shown, instead of against
the outside of the key, as usual. As a modification, the barrel may, to effect the
same purpose as the tapered channel, be cored out with passages x, y, and the
channel be the same width at the inlet as at the outlet end."
The three-way cock shown at Figs. 15 & 16, has a hollow box key with three
passages c, d, h, to correspond with the three ways a, b, e. The inlet of the key is
cut out, preferably, about three times wider than either of the outlets d, h, so that
the inlet is always in communication with the way a, whether or not the
ways b&e are open or closed. The way a being always open, the interior of the
plug is always filled with pressure fluid, which, when the cock is shut, as shown,
presses against the wall of the barrel at the parts d & h.
Instead of having a
hollow plug, a solid plug, as at Fig. 19, with branched channels j. k, can be used.
Instead of making the inlet three times wider than either of the outlets, it may
be made the same size, as indicated in dotted lines, and the barrel be cored out as
indicated in dotted lines at r, y, to effect the same purpose.
The section of a four-way cock, shown at Fig. 17, is similar in all respects to
that at Figs. 3 and 4, except that it has more ways. a is the inlet and b, e, m, the
outlets. c and d are the cut-out parts of the key.
Hollow plug and three and four-way cocks, constructed as hereinbefore described,
have much less friction when working with fluids under great pressure, than the
ordinary construction of cocks. There is also less liability of leakage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Hollow plug cocks made with one or more cut-out parts d, substantially as
hereinbefore described and shown under various constructions at Figs. 1 to 10 of
the drawings annexed and for the purposes set forth.
2. Three-way cocks made with a channel or passage-way, having a much wider
inlet than the outlet or outlets, substantially as hereinbefore described and
shown at Figs. 13, 14 and 18 of the drawings annexed and for the purposes set
forth.
3. Four-way cocks made with a cut-out part d, substantially as herein before
described with reference to Fig. 17 of the drawings annexed and for the purposes
set forth.
4. Three-way cocks made with a hollow key, having a much larger inlet way
than the outlet ways, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figs. 15 and 16 of the drawings annexed and for the purposes set forth.
5. Three-way cocks made with a key having a large inlet c, and smaller branched
outlets j, k, substantially as herein before described with reference to Fig. 19 of
the drawings annexed and for the purposes set forth.
6. Hollow key cocks made substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to Figs. 11 and 12 of the drawings annexed.

page_text: 7. Three-way cocks having the barrel cored out so as to form a passage-way,
along which live fluid can pass and fill the interior of the key or plug, when the
cock is shut off, substantially as set forth.
'ו ديمي
1000
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.