IMPROVEMENTS IN BALL VALVES FOR CISTERNS AND THE LIKE
Year: 1884

page_text: CE
I, JOHN HEMMINGS, of 57 Elm Grove, Brighton in the county of Sussex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
BALL VALVES FOR CISTERNS AND THE LIKE," to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the construction of a ball valve for cisterns.or
like purposes in a very cheap simple and effective manner.
It is also designed to provide a valve opened by the flow of the water (or other
liquid) and not really dependent on the pull of the lever caused by the sinking of
the ball on the subsidence of the ordinary level of the water (or other fluid) in the
cistern, tank or other container.
According to my invention I construct a valve having a contracted orifice from
the inlet side (screwed to receive a union) into the main body of the valve. I
form an annular seating round this orifice which may or may not be packed or
bushed to form an abutinent for the valve.
This valve case opposite the seating has a cylindrical or other projection and is
bored out true from end to end.
In the cylinder thus formed I place a piston or plug fitting well but free to slide
therein.
Immediately below this cylindrical portion of the valve case I arrange a lug or
lugs to receive the fulcrum of the ball lever.
This lever has a crescent or cam shaped end, the upper beak being rounded to
ride casily on the outer end of the piston or plug.
When the water level is at the normal height the ball being raised causes the
cam end of the lever to press, (and bearing on the centre of the end of the piston
or plug) force it truly home on the seating opposite the inlet thus closing the
valve.
On the ball sinking, due to the subsidence of the liquid in the cistern tank or
other container, the inflowing liquid will force the piston or plug outwardly in a
greater or less degree as the ball sinks admitting fluid to the said cistern.
The apparatus is suitable for either high or low pressure and the parts being few
and simple is easily manufactured or the parts renewed.
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JOHN HEMMINGS, of 57, Elm Grove, Brighton, in the County of Sussex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BALL VALVES FOR CISTERNS AND THE LIKE," and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention has for its object the construction of a ball valve for cisterns or
like purposes in a very cheap, simple, and efficient manner.
It is also designed to provide a valve opened by the flow of the water (or other
liquid) and not really dependent on the pull of the lever caused by the sinking of
the ball on the subsidence of the ordinary level of the water (or other fluid) in the
cistern, tank, or other retainer..
According to my invention I construct a valve having a contracted orifice from
the inlet side (screwed to receive a union) into the main body of the valve. I
form an annular seating round this orifice which may or may not be packed or
bushed to form an abutment for the valve.
This valve case opposite the seating has a cylindrical or other projection and is
bored out true from end to end.
In the cylinder thus formed I place a piston or plug fitting well but free to slide
therein.
Immediately below this cylindrical portion of the valve case I arrange a lug or
lugs to receive the fulcrum of the ball lever. This lever has a crescent or cam
shaped end, the upper beak being rounded to ride easily on the outer end of the
piston or plug.
When the water level is at the normal height, the ball being raised causes the
cam end of the lever to press and bearing on the centre of the end of the piston
or plug, forces it truly home on the seating opposite the inlet, thus closing the
valve.
On the ball sinking, due to the subsidence of the liquid in the tank, cistern or
other container, the inflowing liquid will force the piston or plug outwardly in a
greater or less degree as the ball sinks, admitting fluid to the said cistern.
The apparatus is suitable for either high or low pressure, and, the parts being
few and simple, is easily manufactured, or the parts renewed.
And in order that my invention may be understood and carried into practical
effect I have caused to be annexed to this specification the accompanying sheet of
drawings and refer to the figures and letters of reference thereon marked.
Fig 1 is an elevation of my valve, the ball not being shewn.
Fig 2 an enlarged vertical section of same.
A shews the inlet of the valve, screwed to receive a union B for connecting it to
the supply pipe, or other means of attachment may be used.
C shews the contracted orifice opening into the cylinder or chamber D. In this
I place the piston or plug E fitting well and free to slide and so abut on or recede
from the contracting orifice C forming the valve seating.
I prefer to form an abutment on this seating by putting a rubber or like washer F
clamped against the piston or plug E by a screwed collar G forming part of the
external diameter thereof,
To afford an escape for water which might pass the periphery of the piston or
plug E and the interior of the cylinder or chamber D I turn out or form a groove H
round the piston or plug E and form a hole or port I in the bottom of the said
chamber. Thus any leakage passes out into the exit portion J of the valve.

page_text: The aforesaid ball lever has a cam end K formed or attached therewith and so
shaped or formed that when the valve is open (as in Fig 1) the axis or centre of
the cam end K is above the axis of the piston or plug E and when the ball rises
the axis or centre of the cam end K is approximately coincident with the axis
of the piston or plug E as shewn in the enlarged section Fig 2.
When the ball sinks the pressure of the water opens the piston or plug E,
drawing it from the orifice C and thus allowing the water to escape down the
orifice or exit J into the cistern, closet, or other receptacle or outlet, any leakage
escaping also into the orifice or exit J through the groove H and port I.
When the ball rises the cam end K of the ball lever, riding easily on the outer
end of the piston or plug E gently closes the same against the contracted orifice C,
thus shutting off the supply.
I am aware that piston valves have been before opened and closed by a ball
lever and I do not claim broadly such method of operating the same but having
now described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and the manner of
performing the same I declare that what I claim is :
Firstly. In a ball valve having a sliding piston or plug operated by a ball lever,
the forming of the end of the lever in a cam shape substantially as described to
ride on or move directly against the outer end of the said piston or plug to operate
the same.
Secondly. The improved ball valve with the means described to direct leakage
between the piston or plug and its cylinder or chamber into the exit pipe or orifice
and operated substantially as described.
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.