AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING THE SUPPLY PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Agnew Pocock of Josephine Avenue Edgar
George of Willington Road both in the County of Surrey and Richard Cook
of Sheffield in the County of York for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING THE SUPPLY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Agnew Pocock,
Edgar George, and Richard Cook at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 19th December 1883.
FRANCIS AGNEW POCOCK of Josephine Avenue, EDGAR GEORGE of Willington
Road both in the County of Surrey and RICHARD COOK of Sheffield in the County
of York, "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING OR
REGULATING THE SUPPLY OR PASSAGE OF STEAM, GAS OR OTHER FLUIDS
"
The object of these improvements is the application of electricity to automatically
govern the supply of steam to the cylinders of engines, the supply of water to
turbines, the control of the passage and pressure of water from elevated reservoirs
the flow and pressure of gas from gasometers and for other like purposes.
For the purpose of our invention we use solenoids, or electro-magnets preferably
arranged in combination with the apparatus described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to George Pollard on the 26th day of April A.D. 1867 No 1217 that
is to say we use the said solenoids or electro magnets in the place of the spring
for acting on the lever described in the said specification.
In applying our invention to the governing of the speed of engines in steam
vessels, a battery or other generator of electricity is provided and the current so
obtained is passed through the coils of the solenoids or electro magnets to magnetize
them; from these coils the wires extend to the stern or other part of the vessel and
are attached to coils of bigh resistance arranged within a glass tube which tube is
enclosed in an iron tube or pipe, so that when water is admitted the resistance in
circuit varies with the height of the water in the tubes. The said tubes are
arranged so that the lower end thereof open to the sea their upper end being
also open so that the water has free movement up and down within the tubes.
A valve may be provided to control the exit of the water.

page_text: Our invention may be very advantageously applied to engines for driving
dynamo or magneto-electric machines for electric lighting. For this purpose each
machine is provided with a solenoid or solenoids attached to the lever or levers, of
the valve or valves.
The first dynamo machine started causes its current to pass around the solenoid
so that the valve is operated and steam thereby admitted in proportion to the
current being taken off. When the first dynamo is giving off the maximum
current the lever is in such a position that the wires of the second dynamo and
solenoid make contact through mercury cups and place the second dynamo in the
system thereby increasing the power of the engine. Thus so long as the current
is constant the pull on the lever is constant, but if the current increases, the pull
increases with it and the steam admitted is increased in proportion to the current
required.
The same method of regulation may be applied to turbines used for driving
dynamo electric machines."
A valve or valves in this case will be placed at the egress of the reservoirs and
as near the bottom as possible so as to obtain the full pressure of the head of water,
and a valve or valves should be placed just above the ingress to the turbines.
In a series of dynamos with solenoids connected with their valves, the first
dynamo being started, moves by its solenoid its own lever or valve thereby
admitting the fluid to the engine or turbine until its maximum current is being
given off; at this moment the leads of the second dynamo machine make contact
with its solenoid and so on till the last dynamo is brought into operation. This
dynamo being brought into action the current then passes firstly through a solenoid
actuating a second valve, slightly opening it, then through the solenoid working
the first valve which will then open to its full extent in which position it will
remain at rest the second valve by its variations then becoming the actual
regulator or controller of the engine or turbine and so on throughout the system.
The opposite results will be obtained as the current decreases that is to say the
last solenoid brought into action will be the first to be cut out.
When applied to the control or regulation of water supplied from distant elevated
reservoirs of gas from distant gasometers our invention comprises a system of
relays or the like to assist in controlling the current or the resistance in circuit,
through the intervention of a magneto or other suitable machine and a commutator
or similar device. When controlled by these means the current circulates in the
solenoids as above described and maintains a constant pressure when the relays are
at rest. The pressure can be read off by any suitable gauge and the flow or
passage of the fluid controlled as required."
The application or adaptation of our invention to the regulation or control of the
supply or passage of water, gas or other fluids for purposes other than those named
will in all cases be effected in substantially the same manner as above described,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Francis Agnew Pocock, Edgar George, and Richard Cook in the
Patent Office on the 19th June 1884.
FRANCIS AGNEW POCOCK, of Josephine Avenue, EDGAR GEORGE, of Willington
Road, both in the County of Surrey, and RICHARD Cook, of Sheffield, in the County
of York "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING OR
REGULATING THE SUPPLY OR PASSAGE OF STEAM, GAS, OR OTHER FLUIDS
"
The object of our invention is to apply electricity, in the manner hereinafter
specified, for automatically governing or controlling the supply of steam to the
cylinders of engines, the supply of water to turbines, the passage and pressure of
water from elevated reservoirs, or the flow and pressure of gas from gasometers,
and for similar purposes.
According to our said invention we use solenoids or electro-magnets arranged in
combination with the apparatus described in the specification of Letters Patent
granted to George Pollard on the 26th day of April, A.D. 1867, N° 1217, that is to
say, we employ the said solenoids or electro magnets in the place of the weight or
spring for acting on the lever described in the said Specification, and we utilize the
variations of resistance to the passage of an electric current in a circuit in which
the said solenoids or electro-magnets are included to operate the valve for
controlling or regulating the supply or passage of the steam, gas, or other fluid.
We sometimes employ one or more relays in combination with the above named
apparatus, as hereinafter set forth.
In applying our invention to the governing or controlling of the supply of steam
to the engines of screw-steamers, a battery or other generator of electricity is
provided and the current obtained therefrom is passed through the coils of the
solenoids or electro-magnets to magnetize them; from these coils the wires extend
to the stern or other suitable part of the vessel and are attached to wires of high
resistance, each arranged within a glass tube. These tubes are enclosed in an iron
tube or pipe, so that, when water is admitted, the resistance in the circuit varies
with the height of the water in the tubes. The said tubes are so arranged that
the lower ends thereof are open to the sea, their upper ends being also open, so
that the water has free movement up and down within the tubes. A valve is
sometimes provided to control the exit of the water. We may, however, employ
other means for varying the resistance in circuit according to the level of the water
at the stern of a vessel.
Our invention may be very advantageously applied to engines for driving
dynamo or magneto electric machines for electric lighting or for other purposes.
Each machine may, in this case, be provided with a solenoid or solenoids to act
upon the lever for operating the valve. The current from the first dynamo-electric
machine that is started passes around the said solenoid or solenoids so that the
valve is operated and steam thereby admitted in proportion to the current being
taken off for lighting or other purposes. If the current thus taken off is more than
can be supplied by one machine, as soon as the first machine supplies its maximum
current the lever is moved into such a position that the second machine and its
solenoid or solenoids are included in the circuit through the medium of mercury
contained in a cup or cups, and the valve is thus still further opened and the supply

page_text: of steam to the engine correspondingly increased. When the current taken off for
lighting or other purposes is diminished, the reverse action takes place. Thus so
long as the current is constant, the pull on the lever is constant, but, if the current
increases or decreases, the pull on the lever increases or decreases accordingly, and
the steam is admitted to the engine in proportion to the current required, or to the
work to be done by the said current.
The same method of regulation may be applied to turbines used for driving
dynamo-electric machines. The valve or valves, in this case, should be placed at
the egress of the reservoirs, and as near the bottom as possible, so as to obtain the
full pressure due to the head of water, and a valve or valves should be placed just
above the ingress to the turbines.
A series of dynamo-electric machines may, if desired, be employed each of which
machines is provided with one or more solenoids connected with a valve or valves.
In this case the first dynamo-electric machine being started moves, by means of its
solenoid, its own lever and valve, thereby admitting the steam or other fluid to the
engine or turbine, until its maximum current is being given off; at this moment
the second dynamo-electric machine and its solenoid or solenoids are automatically
included in the circuit, and so on till the last machine is brought into operation.
The second machine being brought into action, the current then passes firstly
through its solenoid or solenoids thereby actuating the second valve so as to slightly
open it, then through the solenoid or solenoids operating the first valve, which will
thus be opened to its full extent, in which position it will remain at rest, the second
valve, operated by the variations of the current from the second machine, then
becoming the actual regulator or controller, and so on throughout the system. The
reverse results will be obtained as the current decreases, that is to say, the last
solenoid or solenoids brought into action, will be the first to be cut out.
If our invention is to be applied to compound or low-pressure engines, a valve
should be fitted in the exhaust pipe and operated by means of one or more solenoids
or electro-magnets as above described. In this case, the opening usually employed
for the steam-inlet should be connected with the condenser, and the position of the
fulcrum of the lever relatively to the valve reversed.
When applied to the control or regulation of water supplied from distant
elevated reservoirs, or of gas from distant gasometers, our invention comprises the
employment of one or more relays, or the like, for controlling, by hand, the
resistance to the passage of the current through the local circuit in which
the solenoid or solenoids is or are included. This resistance is varied through the
medium of a commutator or similar device. When controlled by these means, the
current circulates in the said solenoid or solenoids as above described, and maintains
a constant pressure when the relays are at rest. The said relays or the like are
fitted at the office or other place from which the regulation is to be effected, and
a suitable gauge may also be provided in the said office or other place, so that
the pressure can be ascertained and the flow or passage of the gas or other fluid
controlled as required.
The application or adaptation of our invention to the regulation or control of the
supply or passage of water, gas, or other fluids for purposes other than those
named, will in all cases be effected in substantially the same manner as above
described.
Having thus fully described our said invention and the manner of performing
the same we wish it understood that we claim:
First. The above described improved method of controlling or regulating the
Bupply or passage of steam, gas or other fluids, by utilizing the variations of
resistance to the passage of an electric current in a circuit in which one or more
solenoids or electro-magnets are included to operate a valve constructed substantially
as described in the said specification of George Pollard.
Second. The modification of our invention wherein we employ one or more

page_text: relays or similar devices for controlling by band the resistance to the passage of
the current through a local circuit in which one or more solenoids or electro-
magnets are included, for the purpose specified
In witness whereof I the said Edgar George for myself and on behalf of the
said Francis Agnew Pocock and the said Richard Cook have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Nineteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.
EDGAR GEORGE (L.S.)