Cocks as symbols have several different interpretations. One is the consistent daily “alarm clock” that greets the day. Cocks can also signify thankless tasks, overachievement, and aggressive pursuits of power. This may be the wake-up call the dreamer has been needing.
a closing device in which a movable closing part, shaped as a body of revolution, has an opening through which a stream of gas or liquid may pass. To close off the flow the closing part is rotated around its axis, which is perpendicular to the direction of flow. A cock consists of two main parts, a stationary body and a rotating plug.
Cocks may be classified according to the direction of the flow: straight cocks, with a direct flow; angle cocks, in which the flow is deflected by 90°; and three-way cocks, which provide arbitrary communication among three pipelines. In terms of the shape of the sealing surfaces, a distinction is made among conical, cylindrical, and ball cocks. Conical cocks are subdivided into stressed, gasket, and self-sealing cocks; cocks with a slide plug; and lubricated cocks. In stressed cocks the plug is pressed against the surface of the body by a nut; in gasket cocks the pressure is provided through the packing by a packing gland; and in self-sealing cocks the pressure either comes from the surrounding medium or is provided by a spring. Cocks with slide plugs are opened by raising the plug, rotating it through the required angle, and releasing it. In lubricated cocks the tightness of closure is provided by the lubricant, which fills the grooves in the surfaces of plug and body. Cylindrical cocks are easier to manufacture than conical cocks, since their surface does not require lapping and can easily be finished on a grinder. A distinction is made between cocks with metallic and elastic packing. Ball cocks have all the advantages of conical cocks, smaller dimensions, and lower weight, as well as better tightness. Their manufacture is much simpler than that of conical cocks.
G. G. MIRZABEKOV