117 - Samuel Joseph PEET (1822 - 1877) [1]
PEET, a US citizen residing in Boston, had invented a new type of steam valve.
Joseph WHITLEY, a British citizen of Leeds, had taken a license from PEET to produce the valve which explains why the Luxembourg patent application was filed by PEET through the address of the British licensee in Leeds.
PEET was thus the first US inventor applying for and obtaining a patent in Luxembourg.
Charles Auguste MUNCHEN, avocat-avoué acted as representative for the applicant.
The application was based on 3 Belgian patents dated 4 April 1868, 15 January and 30 March 1869 and carried the title of:
Système de perfectionnement aux pompes, robinets, soupapes etc.
(Verbesserungs-System an Pumpen, Hähnen, Klappen usw.)
Although the original patents, invoked as the basis for a brevet d’importation, were Belgian patents, the Luxembourg patent file does not contain a French description of the invention but contains only an English and a German description. The English text explains the inventions as follows:
This invention has for its object improvement in valves or cocks. In some descriptions of valves or cocks now constructed, a slide is employed which can either, by means of a screw or otherwise, be moved into a position to close the passage through the valve or cock or can be slid up into a chamber so as to leave the passage open.
Now according to this invention the sliding portion of such valve or cock is divided longitudinally into two parts, which, when the passage is closed, are pressed apart from one another and against their seats but, when the passage is to be opened, the two parts are drawn towards one another and away from their seats and the slide can then very regularly and with very little friction be drawn up into the chamber.
To thus force the two parts away from another when the passage is closed, a wedge is employed or a knuckle joint or lever hinge or cam or other arrangement may be employed in place of the wedge.Various arrangements of the parts may be made all based on the same principle of consisting essentially in the use, as a means of closing the passage through the valve cock, of two surfaces between which works a movable wedge or equivalent instrument which, when the valve or cock is being closed, forces them apart from each other so as to make them press strongly on their seats arranged to receive them on which they then make a tight double joint.
Experts J. H. MICHEL, industriel of Dunamühle (Eich) and Ch. BOVÉ, mécanicien, having examined the patent application, recommended on 10 February 1870 that the requested patent be granted [2]. This recommendation was endorsed by the Chambre de commerce and by the Government.
S.M. le Roi granted the patent on 22 March 1870.
PEET held a number of patents in the USA [3]; his company in Boston was called “Peet Valve Co.”
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[2] Report in old German handwriting (still to be transcribed)
[3] US patents No 111,966, No 120,664, No 121,542, No 124,850
(19/02/2021)
