IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR VALVES
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I, ARNOLD EILOART, of King's College, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Bachelor of Science, Chemist do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN COCKS OR VALVES" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to cocks or valves of glass, earthenware, metal, wood, or
other materials, and more especially to cocks made of glass and used in chemical
analysis and operations of the like kind for the purpose of opening and closing as
required a passage through glass or other pipes or vessels for gases or liquids.
It has for its object methods of making such cocks or valves tight so as to
prevent, more effectually than has heretofore been the case, the passage or escape of
the gas or liquid in the pipe, and to indicate when such escape is taking place.
Assuming that my invention is to be applied to a cock of glass inserted in the
line of glass tube a passage through which for a gas under examination is to be
opened or closed as desired, I make the cock consist of an ordinary conical case or
seat having opposite openings through it connected with the pipe to which it is
applied, and a corresponding glass conical plug fitting and ground into the case.
The lower end of the conical case is closed, at a short distance below the end of
the plug when the latter is in its place, so that small quantity of mercury or
other suitable liquid can be placed in it the surface of which touches and makes an
air-tight joint with the lower end of the plug.
The lower end of the case may be closed by a piece of glass or other suitable
material cemented upon or into it.
At the upper opening of the conical hollow case, I make a cup which surrounds the
upper end of the plug and into which mercury or other suitable liquid can also be
supplied so as to make an airtight joint round the plug, and to indicate by the
passage of bubbles through the liquid, when such escape is taking place.
It will be seen that by the method of construction described, the free revolution
of the plug in its case or seat is not interfered' with, whilst the mercury or other
liquid at the bottom of the case below the plug and in the cup round the upper
part of the latter absolutely prevent the escape of air or gas from the glass pipe
either when the cock is open or closed.
The method of arrangement of the cock described may be varied more or less."
For instance, the glass tube to which the cock is applied may be of sufficient

page_text: diameter to allow the conical seat for the plug to be made transversely through it,
the upper or wider end of the conical opening being opened out to form a cup to
receive the mercury or other liquid, and its lower or narrower end being stopped by
a piece of glass or other substance cemented, over it, Or by any suitable cement,
or by fusing up the opening, or by not making the opening pass completely down
through the tube. Or the lower end of the conical case or seat may be left long
enough to allow it to be closed by a cork or stopper of any kind inserted into it,
or screwed into or upon it. Instead of a cup at the upper end of the conical case
or seat as described, an internal annular recess may be made in it at a short distance
from its upper end, the mercury or other liquid filling this recess and surrounding
the plug when the latter is in its place, so as to form an airtight joint.
A similar internal annular recess may also be made in the conical seat round the
lower end of the plug, and the annular recess or recesses may be provided with
openings fitted with plugs or stoppers by means of which the recesses can be filled
with the mercury or liquid; or if the cock is to be used with the plug in
a horizontal position, the openings may be made on their upper sides and plugs or
stoppers will not be needed for them. Instead of internal recesses as described in
the conical case or seat, an external recess may be made round the plug itself at one
or both ends for the same purpose.
And where mercury or other liquid is used as first described below the lower end
of the conical plug, it may be contained in a cup fitting round but rising above the
lower end of the case to which it is connected by a sufficient number of arms.
By this arrangement when the conical plug is forced down into its seat any
surplus mercury or liquid can rise in the cup without interfering with the proper
fitting of the plug.
The cup may be screwed or fixed in other convenient ways upon the lower end
of the conical seat, one or more holes being provided at its upper edge; or instead
of a cup, the lower open end of the conical seat may be curved round and up.
Or, for the same purpose, the interior of the conical case or seat may be provided
at its side with a narrow vertical groove communicating with the upper cup, up
which groove any surplus mercury or liquid can rise when the conical plug is forced
down.
Instead of the vertical groove at the side of the conical seat, the side of the
conical plug may itself be provided with a vertical groove for the same purpose, in
both these forms stops or indicators being provided to limit the movement of the
conical plug backward and forward to 90°.
Instead of a vertical groove up the side of the conical plug, a narrow passage may
be made for the same purpose from its lower end either completely up through its
upper end or having a transverse opening near its upper end communicating with
the cup. Any surplus mercury or liquid below passes up through this passage
which must not be central but sufficiently upon one side to miss the transverse
passage through the plug.
Instead of a transverse passage through the plug, a groove or recess passing
partly round its circumference may be used.
In some cases where the cock is to be used with its conical plug horizontal,
I make the cup at its wider end in the form of an extension, open above but closed
at its outer end of the conical case or seat. The upper edge of this opening is so
high that the conical plug when in its place is entirely covered by the mercury or
other liquid, and the conical plug is turned backward and forward as required by
a suitable handle formed upon or attached to its wider end, this handle rising
through the opening the width of which is sufficient to allow its movement
backward and forward.
The side of the conical plug may have one or more vertical grooves, through
which the surplus mercury or other liquid can rise and pass into the main tube
when the conical plug is forced down. The latter and its seat may be made
cylindrical instead of conical so that it can be raised and lowered instead of turning
it round, for the purpose of opening and closing the passage through the tube, the

page_text: lower end of the plug being reduced in diameter and in this case no transverse
passage through it is necessary.
It may however be provided with such transverse passage so that it can be
operated either by raising or turning it.
Where the cock is to be used with the plug in a vertical position, I sometimes
bend the tube in which the cock is arranged, so that it rises diagonally upward
from each side of the cock. When the plug, which is made cylindrical, is forced
down, the mercury or other liquid is forced up its sides or up grooves extending
sufficiently high up its sides and enters the lower ends of the inclined tubes which
are thus completely stopped against the passage of gas. The upper end of the
cylindrical plug is surrounded with a cup as already described.
The different arrangements of cocks and valves described, may be provided with
passages through thein of any of the kinds ordinarily used in cocks according to
the purpose to which they are to be applied.

page_text: :
I, ARNOLD EILOART, of Kings College, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Bachelor of Science, Chemist, 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 and accompanying drawing (that
is to say).
My invention relates to cocks or valves of glass, earthenware, metal, wood, or
other materials, and more especially to cocks made of glass and used in chemical
analysis and operations of the like kind for the purpose of opening and closing as
required a passage through glass or other pipes or vessels for gases or liquids.
It has for its object more especially methods of making such cocks or valves
tight so as to prevent more effectually than has heretofore been the case, the
passage or escape of the gas or liquid in the pipe, and to indicate when such escape
is taking place.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of some of the forms and methods
of arrangement which I adopt in cocks or valves constructed according to my
invention.
Assuming that it is to be applied to a cock of glass inserted in the line of glass
tube a passage through which for a gas under examination is to be opened or closed
as desired.
In figure 1 the cock is shewn consisting of an ordinary conical case or seat a
having opposite openings through it connected with a pipe c, c, to which it is
applied, and a corresponding glass conical plug b fitting and ground into the case a.
The lower end of the conical case a is closed at d at a short distance below the end
of the plug b when the latter is in its place so that a small quantity of mercury or
other suitable liquid can be placed in it as shewn at e the surface of which touches
and makes an airtight joint with the lower end of the plug b. The lower end of
the case may be closed by a piece of glass or other suitable material cemented upon
or into it, as shewn in figure 1ª.
I make at the upper open end of the conical hollow case a a cup f. which
surrounds the upper end of the plug b and into which mercury or other suitable
liquid can also be supplied as shewn so as to make an airtight joint round the
plug b, and to indicate by the passage of bubbles through the liquid, when any
escape is taking place.
It will be seen that by the method of construction described, the free revolution
of the plug b in its case or seat is not interfered with, whilst the mercury or other
liquid at the bottoin of the case a below the plug band in the cup fround the
upper part of the latter absolutely prevents the escape of air or gas from the glass
pipe c either when the cock is open or closed.
The method of arrangement of the cock described may be varied more or less.
For instance as shewn in figure the glass tube e to which the cock is applied may
be of sufficient diameter to allow the conical seat for the plug b to be made
transversely through it, the upper or wider end of the conical opening being opened
out to form a cup to receive the mercury or other liquid and its lower or narrow

page_text: end being stopped by a piece of glass or other substance 9 cemented over it, or by
any suitable cement, or by fusing up the opening, or by not making the opening
pass completely down through the tube (as shewn in figure 5). Or the lower end
of the conical seat or case a may be left long enough to allow it to be closed by a
cork or stopper 6 of any kind inserted into it, as shewn in figure 3 or screwed
into or upon it. Instead of a cup at the upper end of the conical case or seat a as
described, an internal annular recess may be made in it at a short distance from its
upper end as shewn in figure 6, the mercury or other liquid filling this recess and
surrounding the plug b when the latter is in its place, so as to form an airtight
joint.
A similar internal annular recess may be also made in the conical seat round the
lower end of the plug b as shewn in figure 7, and the annular recess or recesses may
be provided with openings fitted with plugs or stoppers by means of which the
recesses can be filled with the mercury or liquid; or if the cock is to be used with
the plug in a horizontal position, the openings may be made on their upper sides
as shewn in figure 8, and plugs or stoppers will not be needed for them.
Instead of internal recesses as described in the conical case or seat a an external
recess may be made round the plug itself at one or both ends for the same purpose
as shewn in figures 9 and 10, and in these forms of construction the lower end of
the case may be left open.
And where mercury or other liquid is used as just described below the lower end
of the conical plug b, it may be contained in a cup i (figure 11) fitting round but
rising above the lower end of the case a, to which it is connected by a sufficient
number of arms.
By this arrangement when the conical plug bis forced down into its seat any
surplus mercury or liquid can rise in the cup without interfering with the proper
fitting of the plug. This method of construction is shewn in figure 11.
2
The cup may be screwed (as shewn in figure 12) or fixed in other convenient
way upon the lower end of the conical seat, one or more holes being provided at its
upper edge. Or instead of a cup, the lower open end of the conical seat a may be
curved round and up as shewn in figure 14.
Or for the same, purpose, the interior of the conical case or seat may be provided
at its side with a narrow vertical groove communicating with the upper cup, up
which groove any surplus mercury or liquid can rise when the conical plug is forced
down. This arrangement is shewn in figure 13.
Instead of the vertical groove at the side of the conical seat the side of the
conical plug may itself be provided with one or more vertical grooves for the same
purpose as shewn in figures 15 and 19, in both these forms stops or indicators
being provided to limit the movement of the conical plug 6 backward and forward
to 90°.
Instead of a vertical groove up the side of the conical plug b a narrow passage
may be made for the same purpose from its lower end either completely up through
its upper end or having a transverse opening near its upper end communicating
with the cup as shewn in figure 16. Any surplus mercury or liquid below passes
up through this passage which must not be central but sufficiently upon one side
(as shewn) to miss the transverse passage through the plug b.
Instead of a transverse passage through the plug ba groove or recess passing
partly round its circumference may be used as shewn in figure 17 and the passage
may be central.
In some cases where the cock is to be used with its conical plug horizontal,
I make the cup f at its wider end in the form of an extension, open above but
closed at its outer end, of the conical case or seat a as shewn in figure 18.
The upper edge of this opening is so high that the conical plug b when in its
place is entirely covered by the mercury or other liquid in the cup f and the
conical plug b is turned backward and forward as required by a suitable handle k
formed upon or attached to its wider end, this handle rising through the opening
the width of which is sufficient to allow its movement backward and forward,

page_text: The conical bore of the case a (as shewn in figure 20) or the side of the conical
plug b (as shewn in figure 21) may have one or more vertical grooves through
which the surplus mercury or other liquid can rise and pass into the main tube c
when the conical plug 6 is forced down. The plug b and its seat a may be made
cylindrical instead of conical (as shewn in figures 22, 23, and 25) and instead of
turning it round it may be raised or lowered for the purpose of opening and closing
the passage through the tube, the lower end of the plug being reduced in diameter
and in this case no transverse passage through it is necessary. This form of
construction is shewn in figure 25.
:
It may however be provided with such transverse passage so that it can be
operated either by raising or turning it.
.
Where the cock is to be used with the plug in a vertical position, I sometimes
adopt the arrangement shewn in figure 23 in which the tube c in which the cock
is arranged, is bent so that it rises diagonally upward from each side of the cock a.
When the plug b which is made cylindrical, is forced down, the mercury or other
liquid is forced up its sides and up grooves extending sufficiently high up its sides
and enters the lower ends of the inclined tubes c which are thus completely
stopped against the passage of gas. The upper end of the cylindrical plug 6 is
surrounded with a cup fas already described.
In figure 24 the lower end of the seat a is shewn closed by a cork or plug.
Instead of the grooves or recesses being made round the plug or seat of the valve
as shewn in the drawings, one or more such grooves or recesses may be made in
the plug round the transverse hole or passage through it, and at one or both ends
of the latter, such groove or grooves containing liquid or other suitable substance
to keep the joint tight. Or one or more such grooves or recesses may be made
round the transverse bore or passage through the seat of the valve. Or, instead
of a plug as described, the main pipe may be bent down in the form of a U the
Jower end of one of the arms of which is open, and closed by a cork or plug.
Mercury or other liquid fills the lower bend of the U, but when the cork is drawn
down the liquid descends sufficiently low to leave the bend uncovered and allow a
free passage through the pipe.
The different arrangements of cocks and valves described, may be provided with
passages through them of any of the kinds ordinarily used in cocks according to
the purpose to which they are to be applied.
The methods of arrangement may be varied more or less according to the
materials of which the cocks or valves are made, and the purposes to which they
are to be applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The methods of making cocks or valves, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes described and shewn in the drawing.
0
.