Improved Means of Operating Hot and Cold Water Supply Valves.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1997
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Operating Hot and Cold Water Supply Valves.
I, JAMES CHRISTOPHER BUSBY of 166 and 168, Holloway Road, London, N.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved means of operating the valves controlling the
supply of hot and cold water to public and other baths and lavatories, the valves being
fitted side by side in a valve casing and controlling the passage of the hot and cold
water into a common mixing chamber and discharge outlet.
The object of the improvement is to enable the valves to be opened independently
of conjointly to any relatively proportional extent by the angular motion of a single
handle in a plane perpendicular to the valve spindles without causing any side pressure
on the valve spindles which would be liable to make them jam in their guide
bearings.
The valves are spring closed and contained in a valve chamber as described in the
Specification of a previous Application for Letters Patent dated the 9th day of
August 1895 No. 15,047 but the mechanism for opening them is entirely different.
The valve spindles are pressed upon endwise by levers pivoted to the casing, these
levers being actuated by wedge blocks fitted to slide in guides and to bear by their '
inclined faces against the rear side of the levers so that all rubbing friction due to the
shifting of the wedges occurs between the surfaces of the wedges and their guides and
between the wedges and the levers so that the latter being only capable of slight
angular motion about their pivots in the plane of the spindles, transmit direct pressure
to the spindles without any rubbing friction which would cause side pressure of the
spindles in their guides. The wedge blocks are operated from an eccentric on the lever
handle shaft the eccentric strap being formed with arms adapted to engage with the
wedge blocks and being pivoted on a centre free to slide in guides midway between
and parallel to the wedge block guides, the operation being as follows:-
Assuming the eccentric to be in such position that its maximum radius is parallel
to the wedge block guides and towards the heel ends of the said blocks the arms of the
eccentric strap will be engaged with both and they will be in their retracted position.
By turning the eccentric spindle through a quarter of a circle the eccentric strap will
be oscillated on its pivot towards one side and also moved bodily in the direction of its
pivot guide, the effect of the combined movement being to move the one arm of the
strap through an elliptical arc whilst the other remains stationary, thus moving the
one wedge block the distance required to open the corresponding valve.
continuing to turn the eccentric through the next quarter of a circle the same
compound motion of the strap is produced but towards the other wedge block which
is thereby operated to open the corresponding valve so that both valves are now
fully open.
By
By turning the eccentric backwards or forwards through the half circle to the
initial position, similar effects will be produced but in the inverse direction and either
in the inverse or the same order as the case may be.
Instead of separately guided wedge blocks being used correspondingly bevelled
surfaces might be formed on the arms of the strap which would in that case act directly
on the valve operating levers.

page_text: Instead of using separate levers for the valve spindles they may be actuated by the
opposite ends of the same lever pivoted on a spring supported fulcrum.
Dated this 15th day of April 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
I, JAMES CHRISTOPHER BUSBY of 166 and 168, Holloway Road, London, N.
Engineer, 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 improved means of operating the valves controlling the
supply of hot and cold water to public and other baths and lavatòries, the valves being
fitted side by side in separate chambers respectively connected with the hot and cold
water supply pipes, the valves being seated over apertures communicating with a
common mixing chamber and discharge outlet. The valves are closed by springs and
in so far as the valves and their casing are concerned the arrangement and operation
are similar to that of the valves described in the Specification of previous Letters Patent
dated the 9th day of August 1895 No. 15,047 but the mechanism for opening them
is entirely different. The object of the present improvement is to enable the valves to
be raised off their seats independently or conjointly to any relatively proportional
extent by the angular motion of a single handle in a plane perpendicular to the valve
spindles without however causing any side pressure on the valve spindles such as
would have been caused by the rotary can described in the Specification of the previous
Letters Patent aforesaid and which would be liable to make the spindles jam in their
guide bearings.
The improved valve operating mechanism is illustrated in the accompanying drawing
which forms part of this specification and represents the mechanism in perspective
view as removed from the valves which it is to operate and of which the spindles only
are indicated in broken lines.
The valve spindles A A press end wise against valve lifting levers B B pivoted at bb
to the back plate C of the casing so as to be incapable of any but angular motion about
their pivots, the surfaces against which the ends of the valve spindles abut being
about perpendicular to the said spindles. The opposite surfaces of these levers
are inclined and are acted on by wedge blocks D D fitted to slide in parallel guides E E
their inclined faces d d taking under the rear or inclined sides of the lifting levers B
so that as the wedges are advanced beneath the levers the latter are moved about
their. pivots and transmit a direct thrust to the valve spindles A which are thereby
moved in their, guides so as to raise the valves from their seats. As all rubbing
friction due to the shifting of the wedges occurs between the surfaces of the wedges
and their guides E, and between the wedges and the levers B, the pressure of the levers
is transmitted to the spindles without any rubbing friction which would cause side
pressure of the spindles in their guides. The wedge blocks D D are operated from an
eccentric F on the shaft G of the lever handle, the eccentric strap H being made
substantially T-shaped or formed with two oppositely directed arms h h passing through
slots in the wedge blocks so as to retain and move them in their guides and with a
third arm symmetrically opposite the other two carrying a stud i free to slide in
guides I midway between and parallel to the wedge block guides E.
The operation of the mechanism is as follows:-Assuming the eccentric F to be in
such position that its maximum radius is parallel to the wedge block guides E and

page_text: in the position shewn at 1, both blocks D will be in the retracted position shewn in
respect of one of the blocks only. By turning the eccentric spindle G through a
quarter of a circle, to the position shewn at 2, the eccentric strap H will be oscillated
on the stud i which turns and slides in the guides I so that the strap is swung to one.
side and also moved bodily in the direction of the arrow 3, the effect of the combined
movement being to move the one arm through an elliptical arc whilst the other arm.
remains stationary thus moving the one wedge block D forward the distance required
to open the corresponding valve whilst the other remains closed, this being the position
shewn in the drawing. By continuing to turn the eccentric through the next quarter-
of a circle a similar compound movement of the eccentric strap is produced whereby
the other wedge block is also moved forward so as to open the corresponding valve,.
both valves being now fully open. By turning the eccentric backwards or forwards.
through the half circle to the initial position first the one, and then the other, wedge-
block will be retracted to allow the valve or valves to close..
The operating handle (not shewn) is fixed on the squared end of the spindle G after
it has been passed through its bearing in the valve casing, the handle working over
an index dial as before.
Instead of separately guided wedge blocks being used the arms of the strap might
be bevelled and applied to act directly on the levers B.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what.
I claim is :-
1. The herein described valve operating mechanism .consisting of the shaft and
eccentric provided with a three-armed strap the one arm pivoting and sliding in
guides whilst the other two oppositely directed arms engage with guided wedge blocks
taking under lifting levers bearing directly against the ends of the valve spindles, the
whole combined and arranged for operation substantially as specified.
2. The herein described valve operating mechanism consisting of the shaft and
eccentric provided with a three-armed strap the one arm pivoting and sliding in
guides whilst the other arms are bevelled and take under lifting levers bearing
directly against the ends of the valve spindles, the whole combined for operation as.
specified.
Dated this 15th day of January 1897.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.