Improvements in Automatic Gas Valves as Applied to Water Heating Apparatus.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Automatic Gas Valves as Applied to Water
Heating Apparatus.
I JOSEPH WINTERFLOOD of 346 Euston Road London in the County of Middlesex
Metal Worker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I construct a Cylinder divided into two compartments through the division
I fit a Rod and on each end of the Rod a kind of piston which forms a valve
top and bottom of the Cylinder: above the top piston I make a outlet for
the water and below the piston an inlet: between the division and the bottom
piston I make a inlet for the gas. I then connect the bottom of the Cylinder to
the Gas Burner and the water outlet to the body of the water heater: the water
in flowing through the Cylinder lifts the top piston up above the water outlet
and the bottom piston above the gas inlet and so allows the gas to pass into the
Burner.
When the water is shut off by any means the pistons are released and fall in
position to shut off the gas.

page_text: Improvements in Automatic Gas-valves as Applied to Water-
heating Apparatus.
I, JOSEPH WINTERFLOOD of 346 Euston Road, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Metal-Worker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC GAS-VALVES and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
I construct a cylinder, divided into two compartments. Through the division
I fit a rod; and on each end of the rod, a kind of piston which forms a valve, top
and bottom of the cylinder.-Above the top piston I make an outlet for the water;
and below, an inlet.-Between the division and the bottom piston, I make an inlet
for the gas. I then connect the bottom of the cylinder to the gas-burner:-and
the water outlet to the body of the water-heater.-The water in flowing through
the cylinder lifts the top piston up above the water outlet, and the bottom piston
above the gas-inlet; and so allows the gas to pass into the burner.-When the
water is shut off by any means, the pistons are released and fall in position to
shut off the gas.
My Improvements relate to apparatus for automatically controlling the gas-supply
to water-heating apparatus by the agency of the water that is to be heated.
The heating apparatus is known in the trade by the name of "Geysers;" a sort
of boiler, usually attached to a bath, at one end thereof; being placed upon a shelf
fixed upon the bath.-The water supply comes from its source through a pipe in
ordinary manner; and it is this supply water in its passage to the Geyser, that
I make use of to automatically control the gas.
In order to make my invention clear I will explain its principle, which is this.
A given amount of water requires to be heated within a given time: this implies
sufficient heat for the purpose: and this means the proper supply of gas.-If the
conditions are such that the furnished heat is too great for the amount of water,
the machine gets burnt and out of order; and even an explosion of steam may
happen.
The water-supply depends upon the "bead" of water: and this depends upon the
level of the cistern, or how high it is above the Geyser..
When the gas is turned on by hand, the operator must determine the quantity
and flame with reference to whether the water is coming in quickly under a good
head; or the reverse. Where the operator is either stupid or careless, accidents
arise.
But if the pressure of the water, as it flows from its source into the Geyser, can
be employed to regulate the supply of gas, then no dangers will arise, and neither
the stupidity nor the carelessness of the operator can work harm.
The object of my invention is to control the supply of the gas which heats the
water of the geyser, by means of the water taken in its passage from its source to
the geyser or heating cylinder.
My invention consists in an apparatus constructed with valves; one being a
water-valve, and the other, a gas-valve; so related to each other and mechanically

page_text: connected, that the water pressure upon its valve shall proportionately thereto, open
or close the gas valve, and thus produce a standard amount of flame and heat for a
standard volume of water to be heated.
The water is turned on by hand; the in-flow or the stoppage of the water acting
simultaneously upon the gas, to either admit or shut it off.
Figure 1, represents my invention as an attachment, applicable to a geyser. The
geyser is not shewn, as my invention relates to no particular construction of these
water heaters. The water and gas valves are closed in this figure.
Figure 2, represents the same with the valves opened.
Figure 3, represents the swing-joint or gas-burner and connections.
The drawings are vertical sections.
A. is the attachment, which consists of a cylinder or pipe containing the valves
and connections.
B. is a fixed division or diaphragm.
C. a piston rod passing through the diaphragm by a loose fit.
c. a head or valve at the top of the piston-rod.
c. a head or valve at the bottom end of the piston-rod.
D. an india-rubber tube or sleeve surrounding this part of the piston-rod.
E. a plug or fixed end at the top of the cylinder or pipe.
F. is the inlet or water supply, from its source.
G. is the water-outlet or discharge into the Geyser.
H. is the gas-inlet or supply.
i. is a screw-thread on the inside of the cylinder or pipe..
J. is the swing-joint.
K. is a plug or closure at the bottom of the swing-joint.
L. is a screw-thread at the top of the swing-joint to connect it to the cylinder
or pipe.
The cylinder or pipe I make about six inches long, and seven eighths diameter:
the diaphragm being placed at the center or middle of the length of the pipe.
A hole at the center of the diaphragm permits the rod C to work up and down,
carrying with it the heads c¹ cll or valves that alternately open or close the inlets
and outlets for the water and gas. The closed end or plug at the top of the
cylinder or pipe has an opening to admit the projecting end of the piston-rod which
is above the top-valve; as shewn in figure 1. in order to give it support while the
lower valve c¹ is rising past the gas-inlet H.-The india-rubber sleeve D. is attached
at its lower end to the top-side of the diaphragm B. and at its top end to the
under-side of the movable piston-head or valve c.-This sleeve makes a water-tight
joint of the hole in the diaphragm where the piston rod C. must play up and down
through it: the elasticity of the sleeve or piping permitting it to elongate as illus-
trated by figure 2, when the top valve c¹ is forced to rise high enough to open the
outlet G. in order to allow the water supply to enter the geyser.
I will now explain the action and working of my Automatic Geyser-attachment.
Referring to the figures of the drawing, when the operator lets on the water
from the supply source, it passes into the inlet-pipe F. as indicated by the arrow,
and fills the chamber, between the diaphragm B. and the top-valve c¹ where the
piston-rod is encased by the india-rubber sleeve D.-Here the pressure of the water
is applied to the under side of c² raising this valve up to the position shown in
Figure 2. During this rising of c¹, the lower valve c" at the other end of the
piston rod, rises to its new position as shewn in Figure 2. By this automatic
action of the piston the outlet G. connecting with the geyser or heating water
apparatus, is opened for the passage of cold water to the geyser, simultaneously
with the opening of the gas way H. to supply the burner attached to the swing-
joint, as illustrated by the arrow, shewn in Figure 2.
Figure 2. illustrates the effect of the gas valve as it operates to entirely open
the gas-way; and Figure 1. as it operates to entirely close it. But it is clear that
this valve may stand at any point to let on more or less gas-supply; and this is the
effect of the water pressure against the top or water-valve upon its under side,

page_text: I will now point out the novelty and utility of my invention by contrast with
previous ones made for the same purpose.
The attachments to Geysers for automatically controlling the gas-supply by
means of the inflowing water, as heretofore made, are complex and costly in
construction and liable to derangement.
As heretofore made, the piston rod with its valves stand neutral between two
forces; one being the water or primary force; and the other a spring or reacting
secondary force. In these constructions the piston has no power in itself to move
either way.
The water shoves it in one direction; and the reacting spring returns
the force, when the valve is relieved from the water pressure.
The principle of my Invention consists in a loaded piston acting by gravity, in
combination with water-pressure as a lifting force; instead of a neutral piston
acted on by the pushing force of water in combination with a re-acting spring.
In carrying the principle of my Invention into practice, I find it advantageous
to employ the valves themselves as the load or weight for back-action and I
consequently make them thick and heavy enough for this work.
My Invention therefore consists in a piston-rod having at one end a water-valve,
and at the other a gas-valve the whole made of sufficient weight to be acted on by
gravity; and the encasement or cylinder-pipe being placed upright, the water when
let on, enters underneath the water-valve, and lifts it: in doing which the piston
opens the water-way into the geyser, and at the same time opens the gas-way into
the burner: the degree of openness of the respective ways, being the measure of
the acting water force and on the water being turned off, wholly or partially, to
this degree are the ways closed by the descent of the piston, which now sinks by
its own gravity.
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:
First In an Apparatus for attachment to Geysers or water-heaters for regulating
the gas-supply to the burner by means of the inflowing to-be-heated water;-a
loaded piston, or rod with valve connections, placed within an encasement to match;
wherein the water inflow lifts the loaded piston; and the piston on being relieved
from the action of the water, sinks by its own gravity to the degree that the force
of the water is removed: substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and
illustrated.
Second: A straight vertical tube, pipe, or cylinder combined with a loaded
piston, or rod with valve connexions, in combination with a geyser or water-heater;
substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and illustrated.
Third: A straight tube, pipe, or cylinder-encasement made with a fixed division
or diaphragm pierced with a slide hole for the piston-rod to play through, in com-
bination with a loaded piston or rod with valve connections substantially as and for
the purposes herein set forth and illustrated.
Fourth Astraight tube, pipe, or cylinder-encasement made with a fixed division
or diaphragm, pierced with a slide-hole for the piston rod to play through, in com-
bination with a loaded piston, or rod with valve connections, when combined
with an elastic sleeve; substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth, and
illustrated.