Improvements in Pneumatically-operated Gas Taps.
Year: 1899

page_text: o Application, 8th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb. 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatically-operated Gas Taps.
I, HERMANN ARNHOLD, of 46, Wasserthor Strasse, Berlin, in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturer, 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 :-
5 This invention has for its object a pneumatically-operated gas tap which is to be
employed for gas, acetylene and the like illuminants everywhere where it appears
advantageous to operate the lighting of the flame from a place lying at a distance
from the place of consumption. More particularly the tap is to be arranged in front
of the branch pipes to the separate jets, that is to say either immediately under the
suspension or in the gas pipe to the lighting body. At a suitable place the tap is
provided with a passage adapted to be suitably regulated to the consumption of all
the by-pass or pilot flames by means of a regulating screw, and by this means the
result is attained that the jets may be lighted on the opening of one tap, while
hitherto it was necessary for this object for each separate jet to be provided with a
separate lighting device. As regards the drawbacks which are connected with the
arrangement of such lighting devices beneath the burners, it need only be here pointed
out that the jerky operating of the tap produces a shaking of the mechanism which
is in no way favourable to the incandescent mantles and that further the lighting
pipes affect the appearance of the burners and more particularly in the case of
flexible pipes affect the action also of such apparatuses by reason of the many
coils.
These drawbacks are removed according to the present invention by a tap being
inserted in the gas pipe at a distance from the jet and before the branches are taken
off to the said jet, which tap is operated by means of an air pump and a flexible
pipe carried from the latter to the tap.
dispensed with and vibrations of the incandescent mantles when lighting the flames,
The pipes to the separate jets are
no longer take place.
The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in two different forms
f construction and modes of application, all the figures being vertical sections, in
which-
Figure 1 shows a gas tap arranged directly under the ball joint, the main gas pipe
eing closed by air pressure and opened when the air is shut off, whilst in Figure 2
he working takes place in the opposite way.
Figure 3 shows the arrangement of a tapering piston with a contact pin in the
ylinder.
Figure 4 shows the use of an expansible inflatable hollow body which presses
gainst the gas passages.
The gas tap consists of a metal body A provided with unions or attachment
eeves and adapted to be inserted in the gas pipe, to the side of which body a hollow
linder B is attached. This cylinder B is rendered tight at both ends by screw
ps. The gas entering the attachment piece A is conveyed through a passage E
to the cylinder B and passes from thence through a passage F to the jet. Both
ssages E and F are separated by a partition N, which latter is nawfound
[Price 8d.1

page_text: centre so that the gas can pass through. The regulating screw R inserted from the
side enters this perforation G and enables the amount of gas passing through said
perforation to be adjusted to correspond to the consumption of the pilot lights or
lighting jets. In the cylinder, which in turn is also divided into compartments C
and D, Figures 1 and 2, a double piston H, J is arranged, the one part H of which is
exposed in the cylinder chamber C which is not in contact with the gas, to the
action of an ordinary air pump which is connected with the chamber C by means
of a flexible pipe and is located at a suitable and easily accessible place. The second
part J of the double piston is situated in the other chamber D of the cylinder which
is separated from the chamber C by a partition. K, in which chamber D the gas inlet
and outlet passages E and F respectively open. The connecting piece L of the
double piston H J is carried through the partition K. A part of the piston H is
bored out conically in front at a to engage (when the piston is pushed up)
over an equally tapering projection b covered with leather or rubber which
is formed on the closing cap, by which means the piston is retained in this
position. This fixing of the piston may also be obtained by tapering the inner
cylinder.
Figure 3 shows another form of construction in which the piston M is provided
with a larger tapering bored-out part a and the corresponding projection 6 on the closing
cap P is made larger. In the latter form of construction the cylinder B is divided
into two chambers C and D by the piston Mitself, the upper chambers C being in
communication with the air pump. The gas to be conveyed to the burners can only
pass through the chamber D into the passage F and in no way affects the action of
the pressure in the chamber C..
The mode of action of the gas tap is as follows
If air be forced into the cylinder chamber C by means of the air pump, the double
piston will drop off the closing cap and the part J of the piston will close the gas
passages E and F, whilst on the withdrawal of the air the piston is again drawn on to
the closing cap and opens the tap. The action in Figure 2 is reversed, so that the tap
opens on pressure being applied to the air pump whilst it closes when air is withdrawn
from the chamber C.
In the modification shown in Figure 4, the cylinder B is filled up by a bottle-
shaped or even otherwise suitably shaped expansible hollow body O, which on air
being forced in bears against the gas-conveying passages E and F and shuts off the
supply of gas, whilst on the withdrawal of the air the hollow body O contracts and
allows gas to enter and escape from the cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
و
1. A pneumatically-operated gas tap with an igniting by-pass capable of being
regulated, adapted to be inserted in horizontal and vertical gas pipes before the branch
pipes to the separate flames, characterised by the main gas current being conveyed
by means of a passage (E) through one chamber (D) of a cylinder (B) divided into
two chambers (C & D) a double piston (H J L) being so inserted in said cylinder
that the one part (H) of the piston in one chamber is drawn up against or removed
from the closing cap (P) of the cylinder under the action of an air pump attached by
means of a flexible pipe to the said closing cap, whilst the other part (J) of the piston
situated in the other or gas chamber (D) of the cylinder executes the same movements
and opens and closes or closes and opens (as the case may be) the gas admission to
the supply pipe (F), substantially as described.
2. A form of construction of the gas tap herein before described characterised by
the piston (M) being arranged in such a way in the cylinder (B) as to divide said
cylinder into two chambers (C & D) by the movements of the piston (M) being so
limited that gas cannot pass into the pressure chamber (C) whether the tap be closed
or open, substantially as described.
3. In a gas tap such as described, the arrangement for fixing the double piston in a

page_text: raised position characterised by an inwardly tapering projection (6) being provided on
the fastening cap (P) and covered with leather or rubber and by a suitable recess (a)
being formed in the corresponding part (H) of the piston to fit over said projection
when the piston is raised and thus fix the double piston in this position substantially
5 as described.
4. A form of construction of the gas tap herein before described characterised by
the double piston being replaced by a bottle-shaped or otherwise suitably shaped
expansible bollow body (0) adapted when air is forced into it to expand and press
against the cylinder walls and thus shut off the admission of gas from the inflow
passage (E) to the supply pipe (F) and to collapse on the extraction of air and allow
gas to flow into and out of the cylinder, substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of December 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.