IMPROVEMENTS: IN COCKS AND VALVES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Brecknell, of the City of Bristol, Brassfounder,
and John Dyer, of the same Place, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS: IN COCKS AND VALVES".
Sealed the 8th April 1859, and dated the 25th January 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Brecknell and Jobn
Dyer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 25th January 1859.
We, HENRY BRECKNELL, of the City of Bristol, Brassfounder and JOHN
DYER, of the same Place, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of cocks
and valves, whereby simplicity and great efficiency are combined, whilst facility
is afforded for repairs.
According to this Invention the passage of the cock or valve is closed by a
vulcanized india-rubber washer or disc, having an annular lip or projection
moulded thereon, which lip or projection forms the actual contact surface of
the washer when the cock or valve is closed. The india-rubber washer or
disc is bevilled at its circumference to fit into a corresponding dovetailed
recess, formed in the under face of a metal piston or plunger, and is further
retained therein by a central screw. This piston or plunger is attached loosely
to one end of a screw spindle, passing through a stuffing box in the screw

page_text: cap of the body or valve chamber of the cock. Or, in place of an ordinary
stuffing box, a ring of vulcanized india-rubber may be introduced inside the
chamber of the cock or valve above the piston or plunger, and surrounding
the screw spindle, which ring bears against the under side of the cover. This
ring of india-rubber serves also as a protector to the thread of the screw
spindle, which is thus preserved from the deteriorating action of the steam or
fluid passing through the cock or valve. In the case of steam valves the
ordinary stuffing box is used in combination with this ring. The entrance to
the body of the cock or valve is at the centre of the base of the valve
chamber, which part is composed of or covered with block tin to prevent the
rubber from adhering to the metal surface. The exit or discharge is from the
side of the body or valve chamber; or the positions of the exit and entrance
orifices may be reversed. The cock or valve is opened and closed by simply
turning the spindle, which has the effect of raising the washer from or
depressing it down upon the base of the valve chamber, thereby uncovering
or covering the entrance orifice.
Cocks and valves constructed on this principle are applicable in all cases
where such appliances are used, whether for steam, air, or liquids, and they
are especially adapted to withstand great pressures.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Brecknell and John Dyer in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
BRECKNELL, of the City of Bristol, Brassfounder, and JOHN DYER, of the same
Place, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Henry Brecknell and John Dyer, Her special license that we, the said
Henry Brecknell and John Dyer, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Henry Brecknell and John Dyer, our executors,
administrators, or 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

page_text: Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS AND VALVES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Henry Brecknell and John,
Dyer, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 imine-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Henry Brecknell and John Dyer, do
hereby declare the nature of our 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 accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
cocks and valves, whereby simplicity and great efficiency are combined, whilst
great facility is afforded for repairs.
According to this Invention, the passage of the cock or valve is closed by a
vulcanized india-rubber washer or disc having an annular lip or projection
moulded thereon, which lip or projection forms the actual contact surface of
the washer when the cock or valve is closed. The india-rubber washer or
disc is bevelled at its circumference to fit into a corresponding dovetailed
recess formed in the under face of a metal disc or holder, and is further
retained therein by a central screw. This disc or holder is attached so as to
turn freely on one end of a screw spindle, passing through a stuffing box in
the screwed cap of the body or valve chamber of the cock; or, in the place
of an ordinary stuffing box, a ring of vulcanized india-rubber may be intro-
duced inside the chamber of the cock or valve above the disc or holder and
surrounding the screw spindle, which ring bears against the under side of the
cover. This ring of india-rubbor serves also as a protector to the thread of
the screw spindle, which is thus preserved from the deteriorating action of the
steam or fluid passing the cock or valve. In the case of steam valves, the
ordinary stuffing box is used in combination with this ring. The entrance
to the body of the cock or valve is at the centre of the base of the valve
chamber, which part is composed of or coated with block tin to prevent the
rubber from adhering to the metal surface. The exit or discharge is from the
5 side of the body or valve chamber, but the positions of the exit and entrance
orifices may obviously be reversed. The cock or valve is opened and closed by
simply turning the spindle, which has the effect of raising the washer from or
depressing it down upon the valve seat in the base of the valve chamber,
thereby uncovering or covering the inlet orifice.

page_text: Cocks and valves constructed in this principle are applicable in all case
where such appliances are used, whether for steam, air, or liquids, and they
are especially adapted to withstand great pressures.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose we
shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a full-sized
longitudinal vertical section of a steam valve constructed according to our
Invention Figure 2 is a separate sectional detail of the metal disc or holder
for the india-rubber washer; and Figure 3 is a similar detail of the india-
rubber washer itself. A is the body of the valve, of which B is the inlet and
C the outlet pipe. A screw spindle D passed through the stuffing box E has
fitted loosely on to its lower end the metal disc or holder E (Figure 2), which
has a dovetailed circular recess of formed on its lower face for the reception of
the correspondingly shaped or bevil-edged vulcanized india-rubber washer G
(Figure 3); this washer fits the recess f in the disc F, and is tightened and
retained therein by a central screw and washer, as shewn in Figure 1, the
serewing up of which expands the india-rubber, and causes it to fit tightly in
the disc. A projecting annular lip or rim g is formed on the face of the
washer, which lip forms the contact surface of the valve, and when closed
rests upon the valve seat a. The upper end of the screw spindle D carries a
lever handle or hand wheel H for the purpose of opening and closing the
valve. In order to preserve the screw thread of the spindle D from the
destructive, action of steam or liquids, and to prevent leakage, we enclose
the lower portion of the spindle within a ring I of vulcanized india-rubber;
which fits between the upper surface of the metal disc and the under side of
the screwed cap or cover K of the valve. In some cases this ring I will be
found to answer as a substitute for a stuffing box, but in the case of steam
valves we prefer to use the stuffing box in addition to the ring I. The valve
seat a, or the part upon which the india-rubber washer G rests, is composed of
or coated with block tin to prevent the adhesion of the rubber with the metal.
It is obvious that in place of using a vulcanized india-rubber valve in con-
junction with a tin or tinned seat, the seat itself may be composed of india-
rubber, as described in reference to the valve, and the valve composed of tin
or a disc of tinned metal, or both the seat and valve may be composed of
vulcanized rubber.
.>
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our. said

page_text: Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of cocks and valves as
herein-before described and illustrated by our Drawings.
Second, the application and use to and in cocks and valves of an india-
rubber washer, having an annular projecting lip or rim formed thereon, as
herein-before described.
Third, the combination of a valve seat or valve composed of or coated with
block tin, with a valve or valve seat of vulcanized india-rubber, for the purpose
of preventing the adhesion of the rubber with the metal.
Fourth, the application and use of the india-rubber ring I in the manner
and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Brecknell and John Dyer, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twentieth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
HENRY BRECKNELL. (L.S.)
JOHN DYER.
(L.S.)