AN IMPROVED VALVE COCK
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Powell, of East Lane, Bermondsey,
in the County of Surrey, Brassfounder, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED VALVE COCK."
Sealed the 1st January 1870, and dated the 6th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Powell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th October 1869.
I, JOHN WILLIAM POWELL, of East Lane, Bermondsey, in the County
of Surrey, Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED VALVE COCK," to be as follows, that is
to say:-
This Invention consists in an improved construction or arrangement
of valve cock whereby it is made to open in the opposite direction to
that of the flow of the water or steam, so that the pressure of such water
or steam shall always tend to close the valve, and whereby it is enabled
to resist a higher degree of pressure than the ordinary valve cocks.
[Price 8d.]

page_text: I employ in the construction of this improved valve cock an ordinary
conical spindle or india-rubber valve and seating, the spindle being made
so as to extend beyond the outlet pipe, and the end of the spindle being
provided with a stuffing nut to prevent leakage. The part of the inlet
pipe at the back of the valve is enlarged and of a spherical form so as to
allow a full passage of the water or steam when the valve is open.
When this valve cock is used for the supply of water to cisterns or tanks
it is opened and closed by, means of a lever which carries an ordinary ball
at one end, and the other end moves on a pivot or joint, and has a pro-
jection or arm which works in a slot in a roller screwed or otherwise
fastened to the end of the spindle of the valve. By this arrangement
the weight of the ball in falling opens the valve, and as the ball rises as
the cistern or tank fills with water the valve is closed. For bib and stop
valves for water and steam the valves are opened and closed by means of
a key and archimedean screw arrangement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John William Powell in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WILLIAM POWELL, of East Lane, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey,
Brassfounder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John William Powell, Her special
licence that I, the said John William Powell, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John William
Powell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "AN IMPROVED VALVE COCK," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John William Powell, my executors or administrators,

page_text: by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE. that I, the said John William Powell, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement reference being had to the Drawing
hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
10 say:-
This Invention consists in an improved construction or arrangement
of valve cock whereby it is made to open in the opposite direction to
that of the flow of the water or steam, so that the pressure of such water
or steam shall always tend to close the valve, and whereby it is enabled
to resist a higher degree of pressure than the ordinary valve cocks.
I employ in the construction of this improved valve cock an ordinary
conical spindle or india-rubber valve and seating, the spindle being made
so as to extend beyond the outlet pipe, and the end of the spindle being
provided with a stuffing nut to prevent leakage. The part of the inlet
pipe at the back of the valve is enlarged and of a spherical form so as to
allow a full passage of the water or steam when the valve is open.
When this valve cock is used for the supply of water to cisterns or tanks
it is opened and closed by means of a lever which carries an ordinary ball.
at one end, and the other end passes through a slot and is screwed to a
roller on the spindle of the valve. By this arrangement the weight of
the ball in falling opens the valve, and as the ball rises as the cistern or
tank fills with water the valve is closed. For bib and stop valves for
water and steam the valves are opened and closed by means of a key and
archimedean screw arrangement.
To make my Invention better understood I will now proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1
is an elevation of a ball cock constructed according to my Invention;
Figure 2, a sectional elevation shewing the valve closed, and Figure 3
similar view shewing the valve open; Figure 4, elevation of a bib cock,
and Figures 5 and 6 sectional elevations of same shewing the valve
closed and open respectively, and Figures 7, 8, and 9 similar views of -a

page_text: stop-cock; Figure 10 elevation, and Figure 11 section on a smaller scale
of a modification of my Invention applied to a ball-cock. Similar letters
of reference are used in all the Figures to represent similar parts.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, a, a, is an ordinary spindle valve furnished
with india-rubber at b; c is the spindle, which extends beyond the outlet
pipe d, and passes through the stufling nut e to prevent leakage. The
part of the inlet pipe at the back of the valve is enlarged and of a
spherical form, as shewn, to allow a full passage of the water when the
valve is open; g is a lever carrying the ball h at one end; the other end
of this lever passes through an inclined slot i, and is screwed into the
roller j, which fits loosely on the spindle c of the valve a, but has no
lateral motion. By this arrangement when the ball falls its lever moves
in the inclined slot i and turns the roller j, and this roller having no
lateral motion on the spindle c the latter is moved and opens the valve.
'The reverse action takes place when the ball is raised by the cistern or
tank filling with water and the valve is closed. Instead of the rod of
the ball working in the slot i, the spindle c and roller j may be extended
outside the cap n (which would not then be required), and the rod of
the ball fixed therein; in this case a pin screwed into the roller works
in the slot i, and causes the valve to open and shut as the ball falls and
rises.
In the modification shewn in Figures 10 and 11 the stuffing nut e
is not required. The feathers o of the valve a are furnished with a
pin p, which passes through the slot in the outlet pipe and through
the eccentric slot r in the lever g, so that as the ball rises and falls
the valve is closed and opened. The ball cock shewn in Figures 1, 2,
and 3 may also be worked by a lever with an eccentric groove, similar
to that shewn in Figures 10 and 11.
เ
In the bib cock shewn in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the valve is opened and
closed by the key on the spindle c, the key having a spiral groove
receiving the end of the screw m. When the key is turned from left to
right it is moved outwards by means of the spiral groove and screw m,
and draws with it the spindle c, thus closing the valve. By turning the
key in the opposite direction the valve is opened.
For stop-cocks I prefer using a conical spindle valve, as shewn in
Figures 7, 8, and 9, the valve being opened by a key, as in Figures 4, 5,
and 6.

page_text: It will be seen that in all these arrangements the valves open in the
opposite direction to that of the flow of the water or steam, the arrows
shewing the direction of the flow. Thus the pressure of the water or
steam always tends to close the valve and to keep it closed, and enables
it to resist a higher degree of pressure than those valve cocks in which
the valves open in the same direction as the flow of the water or
steam.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details herein laid down and shewn in the accom-
panying Drawing; but what I claim is,―
Firstly. The construction of valve cock with the spindle c of the
valve a extended beyond the outlet opening d, and passing through a
stuffing nut e, such valve being worked by the lever or rod of the ball
(or by a pin) moving in the slot i, or by a key with a spiral groove
therein so that the valve will open in an inverse direction to that of the
flow of the liquid or steam, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before described and represented in Figures 1 to 9 of the
accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The modification of valve cock herein-before described and
represented in Figures 10 and 11 of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Powell, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
W. A. GILBEE.
J. W. POWELL. (L.S.)