Improvements in Governors for Gas and other Fluids,
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Governors for Gas and other Fluids,
I, STEPHEN SIMPSON, of 32, Powderham Crescent, Exeter, in the County of
Devon, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
My invention relates chiefly to governors for gas and other fluids of the type
in which the valve is controlled by a tapering bell or float, or a float of varying
area, in such manner as to reduce or increase the outlet pressure as the bell or
float is raised or lowered, and thus vary the pressure to meet the demand, and
consists, firstly, of an improved construction of valve, and secondly, of improved
means for adjusting the working pressures of such governors.
In carrying the first part of my invention into effect, I provide a circular
valve chamber into which projects a rectangular extension of the inlet pipe
having a rounded stop end. In circular seats or fittings in the top and bottom
of the said extension works a vertical cylindrical valve suspended by a rod
from the bell or float, the said valve being hollow and provided with a series of
slots or notches at its upper end. The slots or notches are of tapering width,
so that when the valve is in its uppermost position the plain portion extends
through the inlet pipe from the top to the bottom seat or fitting, and prevents any
gas from passing through the governor, when, however, the valve is lowered
owing to the reduction of pressure within the bell, the slots or notches are brought
below the upper seat or fitting and extends more or less into the inlet pipe,
thus allowing gas to pass through, to the outlet.
According to the second part of my invention, the greatest external diameter of
the bell is maintained throughout its height, and the annular space between
the reduced or tapering inner part and the outer wall is utilized as a loading
tank. The said tank is preferably covered over and provided with a tap for
emptying, and also with a tube extending upwards from the top of the cover,
within which tube slides the lower end of a water supply pipe provided with a
tap for filling the tank.
In order to adjust the range of the working pressures, the valve rod is attached
to a cross-bar in the valve, and extends upwards through a stuffing-box in the
top of the bell or float, and its upper end is screwed so as to engage in a nut
revolubly attached to the bell, so that the rod, being prevented from turning
by a feather, may be raised or lowered by the nut, thus varying the position of
the valve with relation to the bell or float. In a modification, the same object may
be effected by providing the tank or outer casing containing the usual water seal
with an overflow pipe adapted to slide in a stuffing box in the bottom of said
tank, whereby the level of the said water seal may be varied, the valve rod in
this case being of fixed length. In some cases I may arrange the adjustable
overflow pipe within a glass tube on the outside of the tank or outer casing,

page_text: the said tube being connected at its lower end with the interior of the tank,
and serving also as a gauge for indicating the water level.
Dated this 31st day of October 1898.
STEPHEN SIMPSON,
Applicant.
Improvements in Governors for Gas and other Fluids.
I, STEPHEN SIMPSON, of 32, Powderham Crescent, Exeter, in the County of
Devon, Engineer, 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:-
My invention relates chiefly to governors for gas and other fluids of the type
in which the valve is controlled by a tapering bell or float, or a float of varying
area, in such manner as to reduce or increase the outlet pressure as the bell or
float is raised or lowered, and thus vary the pressure to meet the demand, and
consists firstly of an improved construction of valve so arranged as to be at all
times in equilibrium, and secondly, of improved means for adjusting the working
pressures of such governors.
In the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a gas
governor embodying the several features of my said invention, Fig. 2 a section,
drawn to an enlarged scale, of the arrangement for adjustment of the working
pressures, and Fig. 3, a section also to an enlarged scale shewing a modification
of the working pressure adjustment.
The circular valve chamber a, Fig. 1, is provided with an inlet pipe a² having
an extension a projecting into the said chamber, and in circular seats or fittings a³
in the top and bottom of said extension works a valve b suspended by a cross-
bar 63 and rod d from the bell or float c, the said valve being in the form of a
vertical hollow cylinder and provided with a series of slots or notches 6 at its
upper end while the lower part 2 is plain and the slots or notches are of tapering
or varying width, as shewn so that when the valve is in its uppermost position
the plain portion 62 extends through the part a¹ of the inlet pipe between the
top and bottom seats or fittings a³ and prevents any gas from passing, when,
however, the valve is lowered owing to the reduction of pressure within the bell
the slots or notches in the valve are brought below the upper seat or fitting a³
and thus extend more or less into the inlet pipe as shewn in Fig. 1, thus allowing
gas to pass, in the directions indicated by the arrows, to the outlet a¹.
The bell or float c, which has parts c¹, c, c³, c, of varying internal diameter,
has the outer wall of its greatest diameter et continued upwards throughout its
height as shewn, and the annular space between the reduced or tapering inner
part and the said outer wall is utilised as a loading tank for weighting the
float. The said loading tank is preferably covered over as shewn, and provided
with a tap (shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) 6, for emptying purposes, the said
tap having a handle c. The tank is also provided with a tube extending
upwards from the cover, within which tube slides the lower end of a water
supply pipe e.
The range of the working pressures of the governor, that is to say the area
of the float on the water line corresponding to a given position of the valve, is
varied by raising or lowering the water-line, for which purpose the outer casing g
containing the usual water seal, is provided with an adjustable overflow pipe g
as shewn in Fig. 1, and to an enlarged scale in Fig. 2, in which the pipe g

page_text: slides in the stuffing box h¹ in a hollow bracket h (the interior of which com-
municates by the hole h with the interior of the tank or casing 9,) the said pipe
being surrounded by an open-ended glass tube 3 secured by the gland in
the bracket h, whereby the acting area of the float or bell is readily varied for
a given opening of the valve, and by means of the glass tube h³ the level of
the water seal may be observed with facility. A modification by which the same
object may be effected is shewn in section in Fig. 3, in which, the valve rod d¹
extends upwards through a stuffing box in a socket co fixed to the top of the
bell or float c, and the upper end of the said rod is screwed so as to engage in a
nut f, (revolubly attached to the socket c¹0 by the screw f' entering the groove fa
of the nut,) whereby the rod, being prevented from turning by a screw f³ in
the socket co entering a key-way d² in the rod, may be raised or lowered by
turning the nut f, thus varying the position of the valve with relation to the
different areas of the bell or float.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a governor for gas and other fluids, a valve in the form of a hollow
cylinder or tube having slots or openings of varying width and operating sub-
stantially as herein before described.
2. In a governor having a tapering float or a float or bell of varying area,
utilizing the annular space between the tapering or reduced inner wall and the
parallel outer wall as a loading or weighting tank, substantially as described.
3. In a governor having a tapering float, or a float or bell of varying area,
the means for adjusting the working pressures substantially as described with
reference to Fig. of the drawings.
4. In a governor of the kind described in the last preceding claim, the com-
bination, with the means for adjusting the working pressures, of the transparent
outer tube substantially as and for the purpose set forth, and as illustrated in
Fig. 2 of the drawings.
5. In a governor having a tapering float or a float or bell of varying area, the
means for adjusting the working pressures substantially as described with reference
to Fig. 3 of the drawings.
Dated this 5th day of Ananst 1800
STEPHEN SIMPSON,
Applicant.