IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Watson, of High Bridge Works, Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Brassfounder, and John Dixon, of the same Place,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES."
Sealed the 16th December 1856, and dated the 8th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Watson and John
Dixon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 8th October 1856.
WE, HENRY WATSON, of High Bridge Works, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Brassfounder, and JOHN DIXON, of the same Place, Engineer, do, hereby,
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in a method of arranging cocks and valves so that
they may when left free gradually stop the passage of the water, and thus
prevent waste of water, without producing the injury to the pipes, which
results from the use of valves which close suddenly. The following is the
arrangement of the apparatus:-A plug or valve works up and down in a
chamber which it, nearly fits, and on its under side is a facing of leather,
metal, or other suitable material, which when the valve is in its lowest position
comes in contact with a metal ;seat, and so closes the waterway, but when
the valve is raised (by a lever acting on the spindle of the valve) the-water is

page_text: able to pass freely. The spindle of the valve passes through a hole in the
centre of a dise of elastic material, so as to make a tight joint. When the
valve is down there is a vacant space in the upper part of the chamber, in
which it works, which becomes filled with water, the valve not completely
fitting the chamber; as the valve is raised by the handle the water is expelled
from this space, and when the valve is left free it cannot descend until this
space is refilled by water passing up between the valve and the sides of the
chamber, and thus the descent of the valve is rendered gradual. It will be
seen that by increasing or diminishing the size of the spindle of the valve the
force with which the valve is pressed on to its seat can be adjusted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Watson and John Dixon in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
WATSON, of High Bridge Works, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Brassfounder, and
JOHN DIXON, of the same Place, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Henry Watson and John Dixon, Her special licence that we, the said
Henry Watson and John Dixon, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Henry Watson and John Dixon, our
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 COCKS AND
VALVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Henry
Watson and John Dixon, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal
of one of us or them, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Watson, on behalf of myself
and the said John Dixon, do hereby déclare 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, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in a method of arranging cocks and valves so that
they may when left free gradually stop the passage of the water, and thus
prevent waste of water; without producing the injury to the pipes which results
from the use of valves which close suddenly. The following is the arrange-
ment of the apparatus:-A plug or valve works up and down in a chamber
which it nearly fits, and on its under side is a facing of leather, metal, or other
suitable material, which when the valve is in its lowest position comes in
contact with a metal seat and so closes the waterway, but when the valve is
raised (by a lever acting on the spindle of the valve) the water is able to pass
freely. The spindle of the valve passes through a hole in the centre of a disc
of elastic material so as to make a tight joint. When the valve is down
there is a vacant space in the upper part of the chamber, in which it works,
which becomes filled with water, the valve not completely fitting the chamber;
as the valve is raised by the handle the water is expelled from this space, and
when the valve is left free it cannot descend until this space is refilled, by
water passing up between the valve and the sides of the chamber, and thus
the descent of the valve is rendered gradual. It will be seen that by
increasing or diminishing the size of the spindle of the valve the force with
which the valve is pressed on to its seat can be adjusted.
Ilaving thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows the section of a cock or tap suitable for a water closet and
for other purposes, constructed according to our Invention; Figure 2 shews
a plan and section of a bib cock made according to our Invention; Figure 3
shews a plan and section of a ball cock made according to our Invention.
The ends of the barrels of these cocks or valves are shown plain, but they
may be made with screws when desired. a, a, are the barrels of the cocks;
a', a', are the valve seats within the barrel; b, b, are the plugs, which work
freely up and down within the chambers a², a², yet admitting of the fluid
passing by the plugs into the chambers a², a², so as to act and press on the
backs of the plugs; c, c, are the spindles of the plugs, which pass through the
covers d, d, of the chambers a², a², and the covers are made air and water
tight by rings or washers e, e, of vulcanized india-rubber or ether suitable

page_text: material;ff, are discs of vulcanized india-rubber, or suitable elastic flexible
,material, which embrace the spindles tightly at c and c, the discs of elastic
material being made dished, so as to enter the grooves in the covers and
embrace the projections on the under sides thereof, as shown.
Having thus described, the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we make no claim to
any of the parts separately; but what we,claim is, the mode herein described
.of. combining the several parts of a cock or tap.
In witness whereof, I, "the said Henry Watson, have hereunto set iny
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
"One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,..
..S. CARPMAEL.
HENRY WATSON. (L.S.)