IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING DWELLING HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS WITH WATER
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Martin Farley and John
Henry Bond at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th
October 1881.
WILLIAM MARTIN FARLEY and JOHN HENRY BOND, both of Torquay, in the
County of Devon. “IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR
SUPPLYING DWELLING HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS WITH WATER."
This Invention relates to an improved mode of and apparatus for supplying
water to houses and other buildings, whereby we not only economise the water,
but also effect a considerable saving of labour and material in fitting up the
necessary appliances.
The essential feature of our Invention consists in employing one and the same
pipe for both feeding the house cistern or tank and for distributing or drawing off
the water therefrom in lieu of as heretofore requiring a separate and independent
down or draw off pipe, in addition to the service or supply pipe from the main to
the cistern.
In carrying out our Invention the water is conveyed from the main direct into
the cistern (by preference through the bottom thereof) by a rising pipe provided
at its upper end with a rising and falling ball or float valve faced with leather or
other suitable packing if desired, and suitably loaded in order to prevent it from
closing under the action of the water pressure when the supply is turned on, and
to cause it to descend and open so soon as the pressure is off. This loaded valve
is connected by a chain or cord of the requisite length with a float in the cistern,
so that the buoyancy of the float shall act upon or draw up and close the valve
directly the water has reached the proper level in the cistern, but not before.
Within the said pipe at a point below the lowest draw off tap in the building
(such draw off tap or taps being in direct communication with the said pipe) there
is provided a self acting foot or check valve, which opens with the pressure, and
allows the water to flow freely past it into the cistern so long as the pressure is on,
but descends and closes the thoroughfare directly the pressure is turned off, thereby
preventing the water in the cistern from flowing back into the main. The over-
flow pipe should not be more than, say, one half an inch above the required water
line in the cistern, for the reason that should more water by any chance gain

page_text: As
access to the cistern the float would pull so much the more on the valve, and
would consequently prevent it from dropping when the water is turned off.
the various draw off taps are connected with the before mentioned cistern supply
pipe the usual separate down pipe is dispensed with.
In drawing off the first supply the action of the weighted float valve is as
follows: When the cistern is within a line of being full the float begins to raise
the valve slightly, and in so doing diminishes the water-way between the valve
and its seat, and the pressure accumulating beneath the valve suddenly lifts the
same, thereby producing slack in the chain attached to the float, but so soon as the
pressure is turned off the weighted valve drops again and opens to the extent of
the slack in the chain, thus establishing free communication between the cistern
and the several draw off taps.
The advantages of our float valve over the ordinary ball tap are greater
simplicity of construction, the allowing of a full stream of water into the cistern
until full, the obviating of all leakage, and the reduction of wear and tear of the
parts. This valve moreover can be easily applied to existing cisterns, and as it
always fills to the same line all waste of water from the cistern is avoided.