Year: 1888

page_text: I, HAROLD IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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:—
This invention relates to the apparatus employed for lighting railway trains by gas
on the well known system, wherein compressed gas of rich quality is stored in
reservoirs on the separate carriages and passes to the burners through regulators
which maintain the supply to the burners at very moderate uniform pressure not-
withstanding the great variation of the pressure in the reservoirs. I will describe the
improvements which form the subject of the present invention referring to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side view of part of a carriage shewing the connection for charging
its reservoir. Fig. 2 is a section to an enlarged scale of the charging branch and
its valve Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 4 is a part plan of one of the
carriage lamps.
Referring to Fig. 1, the reservoir R of which there may be more than one on each
carriage is fixed in any convenient position along with the pressure regulator under
the carriage frame presenting outwards its charging branch.
The compressed gas is led from the reservoir at the works by a main pipe M to
several stand pipes S arranged along a part of the line or station where the train can
conveniently be drawn up for charging, and several of the stand pipes S are connected
by flexible pipes or hose H to the reservoirs of the carriages.
When the hose connections are made by screw unions, valves are opened in
the charging branches of the reservoirs and at the stand pipes connected to them
so that the reservoirs become charged, and thereupon the valves are closed and
the hose disconnected. From the reservoir R the compressed gas passes through
DC13

page_text: the pressure regulator and thence by service pipes to the several lamps L of the
carriage, the main service pipe being provided with an adjustable supply valve and
each lamp having also an adjustment of its supply as will be presently described.
Referring to Fig. 2, the end of the charging branch is screwed on a nozzle
projecting from the reservoir. The passage p through the branch is directed
obliquely upwards to present at a seat for the valve and beyond this the
passage p² extends to the nozzle N which receives the screw union of the hose
pipe, and which is also fitted to receive the cap C when the hose is disconnected,
this cap being preferably attached to the branch by a chain c so that it may not be
lost or mislaid.
During the charging the valve is screwed up as shewn, its upper lip seating
on the face of the gland so as to prevent escape; when the reservoir is charged
the valve is screwed down to seat on p and then on closing the valve of the
stand pipe the hose is unscrewed from the charging branch and the cap () is screwed
on. A pressure gauge is usually connected to p by a connection ġ so as to shew the
pressure in the reservoir R.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 the lamp has a slighly convex reflector A attached to
the lower part of its casing by studs a which form feet for the casing to stand on
when it is taken out of its seating in the carriage roof.
Through the reflector there is over the flat flat flame burner B an elongated
hole a¹ by which the products of combustion pass to the chimney D.
The gas conducted by the pipe E along the roof of the carriage outside has a
branch passage to a joint J from which the branch pipe F leads down within the
casing to the burner B.
When the lamp casing is lifted out, the branch pipe F can be turned up on the
joint J to a position such as is indicated by the dotted lines F1, free access being thus
given for cleaning the glass G. In the branch F there is a stop cock K for regulating
or cutting off the supply and besides this there are means of regulating the supply
from within the carriage. For this purpose a screw plug Q projects down through
the roof presenting under the ceiling a head to receive a suitable key.
By screwing this plug more or less up it is made to obstruct more or less the
passage from the main pipe E to the joint J.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim in respect
of gas lighting apparatus for railway trains is :-
1. The use in combination of a main pipe supplying compressed. gas, stand pipes
branching therefrom, flexible hose leading from the stand pipes to charging branches
on the reservoirs on the carriages provided with valves substantially as herein
described.
2. The construction of lamp with reflector and with jointed gas branch and
appliance for regulation, substantially as described.
3. The construction of charging branch herein described with reference to Fig. 2.
4. Fixing the reflector to the lamp casing by stud screws which form feet for the
lamp as herein described with reference to Fig. 3.
Dated this 12th day of January 1888.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.