IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO BALL OR SPHERICAL VALVES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, British and International
Patent Agent, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO BALL OR SPHERICAL
VALVES." A communication from abroad by Bushrod C. Hay, of Washington,
in the District of Columbia, United States.
Sealed the 15th February 1878, and dated the 18th August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION leftby the said William Phillips Thompson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th August 1877.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, British and International Patent Agent, 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPER-
TAINING TO BALL OR SPHERICAL VALVES." A communication from abroad by
Bushrod C. Hay, of Washington, in the District of Columbia, United States..
"
'
In ball valves as ordinarily constructed the ball will sometimes fail to close,
properly. To obviate this I construct a diverging passage, which carries the back
water against the ball, and thus insures the closing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
February 1878.
:
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, British and International Patent Agent, 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPER-
TAINING TO BALL OR SPHERICAL VALVES." A communication from abroad by
Bushrod C. Hay, of Washington, in the District of Columbia, United States.
My Invention consists in providing the valve case or body in rear of the valve
seat or throat with a diverging channel, into which the valve passes when it leaves
the seat, and through which the reflux water passes against the ball to drive the
same to its seat, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that when
the ball is back the water is allowed a direct unobstructed passage, and that when
the water commences a reverse movement it closes the valve with quickness and
certainty.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal central section of my valve open; Figure 2, a
similar view, showing the valve closed; Figure-3, a longitudinal transverse section
of the valve closed.
A represents the body of the valve having a straight, unobstructed passage a for
the water through it from end to end, with a contracted throat or seat b'for the
valve B, as usual; C represents the diverging channel or passage leaving the main
channel or bore in rear of and near the valve seat, and joining the bore again at a
point farther in the rear.
The mouth or end of the side channel nearest the throat is enlarged in such
manner that the ball is permitted to fall back therein away from the throat to one
side, and entirely clear of the main bore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In order to
facilitate the lateral movement of the ball the side passage is inclined and contracted
below the ball at the junction of the main bore in the manner shown, so that the
ball naturally rolls away from the throat when relieved from the counterpressure of
the water.
The action of the valve is as follows:-During the outward flow of the water the
ball remains in the mouth of the side channel, and the water passes by it and out
directly through the main bore, but the instant that a reflux movement of the water
commences it passes into the rear end of the side channel, and acting against the
ball from the rear drives the same instantly to its seat or throat, effectually preventing
the backward passage of water through the latter.
The body may be made of any suitable form and size, and of any suitable material
in one or more pieces, provided the diverging channel is retained. The ball used
may also be made of any material suitable for the purpose. In practice it is
prefered to make the entire body in one piece, as shown, and to use a hollow rubber
ball inserted by compressing it and passing it in through one end, and then permitting
it to expand.
Having now described my Invention, and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, what I believe to be new and desire to claim under the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. In a ball valve case or body a diverging passage or channel c, substantially as
shown and described, for the purpose of permitting the ball to fall back out of the
main bore or passage, and of allowing the reflux water to act against the ball from
the rear in order to drive it to its seat.

page_text: 2. In a check valve case or body a side channel c, arranged to direct the reflux
water against the valve proper in order to force the same to its seat.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 11th day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
E. GARDNER COLTON,
Patent Office,
6, Lord St.,
L'pool.
WILLIAM P. THOMPSON. (L.S.)