IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATORS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATORS." A communication from.
abroad by Messieurs Avoiron and Clément, of Paris, in the Republic of
France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th January 1881.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATORS."
[A communication from abroad by Messieurs Avoiron and Clément, of Paris, in
the Republic of France.]
The object of this Invention is to provide a regulator to be applied to gas
burners, whereby a uniform and constant pressure of gas will be maintained, a
white flame without smoke will be obtained, and a given quantity of gas to be
consumed in a given time will be admitted to the burner.
The gas regulator consists of a cylindrical case of two diameters, the smaller
being at the bottom. This case is threaded internally at the lower part to screw
onto the gas supply pipe, and at the upper part to receive the lower part of a
hollow plug. Onto the upper end of this plug the gas burner or the pipe carrying
the same is screwed, and a hole is made in the bottom of the plug to permit the
gas to pass to the burner.
1
In the case and below the plug is placed a circular dish shaped piece or shallow
tray formed of thin metal, and having an opening on one side of the bottom. To
the bottom of this tray (which is free to rise and fall) is attached so that it may
freely turn a disc, which is pierced with a number of holes of gradually increasing
diameter, and arranged in a circle to correspond with the opening in the tray.
Each of the holes will be formed so as to permit of a different quantity of gas,
which may be expressed in cubic metres, passing through in a given time; thus
to allow the passage of a given quantity of gas, it will only be necessary to move
the disc round until the hole therein corresponding to that quantity is opposite the
opening in the tray.

page_text: The gas arriving from the supply pipe raises the tray to a height which depends
upon the pressure in the pipe and the size of the opening in the disc, and escapes
through the opening into the space or chamber above the tray, where it expands
before passing through the hollow plug to the burner.
It is this chamber which serves to regulate the pressure. Its capacity varies (as
just stated) according as the pressure of the gas causes the tray to rise, and it is to
this variation of volume in the chamber that is attributed the regulation of
pressure which is obtained automatically.
When the pressure of the gas is feeble the tray will not rise, and consequently
the regulation is unequal. To remedy this inconvenience and render the apparatus
applicable to both feeble and high pressures, the following addition may be made,
namely: In the opening at the bottom of the hollow plug is inserted so as to
move freely therein a short tube, which is open at its upper end, and closed at its
lower end by a disc. In the centre of this disc a small opening is formed, and two
other openings are made in the tube just above the disc. When the pressure is
feeble and the shallow tray is not raised the gas will pass through the openings in
the tube, and also by the opening in the disc; but if the pressure be too strong the
tray will rise and cause the tube to rise also in the plug, and close more or less the
openings in the tube; but the gas will always be allowed to pass through the hole
in the disc, and the amount of gas so passing will be regulated by the size of this
hole.
An apparatus constructed as above described can be made to work equally well
for all pressures of gas.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd June 1881.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATORS."
A communication from abroad by Messieurs Avoiron and Clmment, of Paris, in
the Republic of France.
The object of this Invention is to provide a regulator to be applied to gas
burners, whereby a uniform and constant pressure of gas will be maintained, a
white flame without smoke will be obtained, and a given quantity of gas to be
consumed in a given time will be admitted to the burner.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shows the improved gas regulator in full
size and applied to an ordinary gas burner, and Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 indicate on
an enlarged scale the different parts of which the regulator is composed.
The regulator consists of a cylindrical case of two diameters A, B, the smaller B
being at the bottom. This case is threaded internally at the lower part B to screw
onto the gas supply pipe, and at the upper part A to receive the lower part of a
hollow plug C, Fig. 4. Onto the upper end of this plug C the gas burner or the
pipe carrying the same is screwed, and a hole a is made in the bottom of the plug
to permit of the gas passing to the burner.
In the case A and below the plug C is placed a circular dish shaped piece or
shallow tray D, formed preferably of thin metal, and having an opening 6 on one
side of the centre, see Fig. 3. To the bottom of this tray D (which is free to rise
and fall in the case A) is attached so that it may turn freely a disc E, which is
pierced with a number of holes c of gradually increasing diameter (see Fig. 6), so
arranged in a circle as to correspond with the opening b in the tray D. Each of
the holes is carefully gauged to permit of only a special quantity of gas (which
may be expressed in litres) passing through in a given time. Thus to allow the
passage of any given quantity of gas, it will only be necessary to move the disc E
round until the hole c therein corresponding to that quantity is opposite the
opening 6 in the tray D. The different parts are arranged and mounted as shewn
in Fig. 2.
The gas arrives from the supply pipe, passes into B, and raises the tray D to a
height, which depends upon the pressure in the pipe and the size of the hole in the
disc, and escapes through the openings c and b into the space or chamber formed
between the bottom of the hollow plug c, the bottom of the tray D, and the walls
of the cylinder A, where it expands before passing through the hole a in the hollow
plug C to the burner.
It is this chamber which serves to regulate the pressure. Its capacity varies (as
just stated) with the pressure and the consumption of gas, because the tray D is
more or less raised, and it is to this variation in the capacity of the chamber that
is attributed the regulation of pressure which is obtained automatically.
The peculiar form of the lower part of the plug C, as shown in the Drawing, has
considerable influence in maintaining this constant pressure, because it causes the
volume of the chamber to vary according to a determined law, that is to say, in
any desired relation to the pressure of gas in the supply pipe.
With this regulator then, two important results are obtained, first, the pressure
regulates itself automatically and in a sure manner; second, the disc E, the holes
of which are carefully gauged, allows of a variable consumption, but always of a
known quantity being given to the same burner.
It is evident that the number of openings c can be increased so as to answer all
demands.

page_text: When the pressure of the gas is feeble it may happen that the tray D will not
rise, and consequently the regulation of pressure is. bad. To remedy this incon-
venience and render the apparatus applicable to both feeble and high pressures the
following addition may be made, namely: In the opening a at the bottom of the
hollow plug C is inserted, so as to move freely therein, a short tube L (see Figures
2 and 4), which is open at its upper end and closed at its lower end by a disc M.
In the centre of this disc a small opening o is formed of smaller diameter than the
opening c in the disc E, and two other openings m, n, are made in the tube L just
above the disc. When the pressure is feeble and the tray D is not raised the gas
passes through the openings m, n, in the tube, and in certain cases by the opening.o
if the pressure is sufficient to raise the tube L. When the tray D rises the tube L
rises in the plug C and closes more or less the openings m, n, but the gas passes
always through the hole o, and the passage of the requisite amount of gas is thus
assured.
An apparatus constructed as above described can be made to work equally well 1
for all pressures of gas.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention of "Improvements in
Gas Regulators," as communicated to me from abroad, and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First. A gas regulator constructed and arranged substantially as herein described
and shewn in the Drawings.
Second. The combination in a gas regulator of a disc E, having therein openings c
of varying diameters with a floating tray D, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have bereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.