An Improved Portable Apparatus for Regulating the Supply of Compressed Gas.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 14th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 4th Mar., 1887.
An Improved Portable Apparatus for Regulating the Supply of
Compressed Gas.
We EDWARD GEORGE BLOOMFIELD BARLOW and CLEMENT WILLIAM POOLE
Manufacturers of compressed gases of 54 Poland Street Oxford Street London do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
:-
The apparatus is especially adapted to regulating the supply of nitrous oxide gas,
used for anaesthetic purposes, but it is also applicable in other cases in which com-
pressed gases are used.
The compressed gas is contained in an iron or steel cylinder or bottle with valve
attached, such as are ordinarily used for this purpose, our invention consists in the
arrangement for holding the bottle firmly in position whilst the screw or spindle of
the valve is being turned, so that a cumbrous stand for holding the bottle or a second
valve as is used by some people is unnecessary, thus rendering the apparatus more
portable and less expensive than those heretofore used for this purpose.
The valve attached to the bottle is what is called a screw-down conical valve, and
should be made to work easily and at the same time to keep perfectly sound, this may
be done by having a washer round the spindle of the valve or by any other means.
Any other form of valve satisfying the above conditions may be used in the place
of the one above described.
The valve is arranged so that the screw or spindle is at right angles to the length
of the bottle, and when the bottle lies on its side the spindle in a vertical position
and is turned horizontally. Opposite to the spindle on the lower side of the valve a
plate or stand is fixed, which for a single bottle may be made "tripod," that is with
three feet preferably pointed at the extremities. By this means the bottle is supported
firmly in a horizontal position partly by resting on its side and partly by the three
feet of the stand and the screw of the valve may then be turned either by means of a
hand or foot key.
When two bottles are used they are connected together by means of a Y shaped
tube generally called a "double union" having a union on each arm to connect with
the valve of each of the bottles and a nozzle at the other extremity. The stand will

page_text: be fixed to the lower side of the valve of each bottle, and will then require four feet, it
will thus brace the two bottles securely together and support them firmly.
In either case the stand may be made so as to be detached when required.
The bottles may be made of any size, but as one of the chief advantages of this
arrangement is its portability, the smaller and lighter they are (provided they are
sufficiently strong to withstand the required pressure) the better they will answer the
purpose they are therefore generally made of steel and are tested to 4000 lbs to the
square inch, the size of course will vary according to the quantity of compressed gas
they are required to hold.
It is generally found more convenient to have two bottles connected together by
means of the "double union" above mentioned, so that if one bottle should be emptied
during an operation the other may be turned on. A very compact apparatus to hold
50 gallons or about 8 cubic feet of compressed gas is made on this plan the two
bottles are each 7 inches long and 2 inches in diameter.

page_text: Compressed Gas.
We EDWARD GEORGE BLOOMFIELD BARLOW and CLEMENT WILLIAM POOLE con-
pressed gas manufacturers of 54 Poland Street Oxford Street London in the County
of Middlesex 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
The apparatus is especially adapted to regulating the supply of compressed nitrous
oxide gas used for anaesthetic purposes, but it is also applicable in other cases in
which compressed gases are used.
of
The compressed gas is contained in a cylindrical bottle similar to thinarily
used for the purpose, made of iron steel or other suitable metal a valve box made of
gun metal, brass, or other suitable metal, containing a valve for regulating the supply
gas, is attached to the neck of the bottle. Our invention consists in the contrivance
for holding the bottle firmly in position whilst the screw or spindle of the valve is
being turned, whereby a cumbrous stand for holding the bottle can be dispensed with,
thus rendering the apparatus more portable and less costly than those heretofore used
for this purpose.
The valve attached to the bottle is what is called a screw down conical valve and
should be made to work easily and at the same time to keep perfectly sound, this may
be done by having a washer round the spindle of the valve or by other means.
Any other form of valve satisfying the above mentioned conditions may be used in
the place of the one above described.
In the accompanying drawing figure I represents the elevation of the bottle and
stand. The valve box B is arranged so that the spindle C is at right angles to 'the
length of the bottle A, and the bottle A being in a horizontal position resting on its
side, the spindle C is vertical and is turned horizontally by means of the foot key D.
When the gas is used for the purpose of inhalation the tube of the inhaling
appliance is attached to the nozzle J.
Opposite the spindle on the lower side of the valve box B the support or stand E is
attached by means of a screw and fly nut F so that it may be readily detached when
required. The stand rests upon spikes or feet pointed at the extremities. Figure IV
shows the plan of the foot-key, a hand-key may be used in the place of this when
required.
When the apparatus is used for compressed nitrous oxide gas for anæsthetic
purposes, it is generally found more convenient to have two bottles connected together
(as shown in figure II in plan) by means of a double union G, these are called twin
bottles." The object of this is, that in case one bottle should be emptied during an
operation, the other may be turned on, and the empty bottle exchanged afterwards
for a full one. In this case the stand H is made wide enough to support the two

page_text: valve-boxes and is secured as before by means of fly nuts on to the screws beneath
each of the valve-boxes, it will thus brace the two bottles securely together and
support them firmly.
The bottles may be made of any size, but as one of the chief advantages of this
apparatus is its compactness and portability, the smaller and lighter they are, provided
they are sufficiently strong to withstand the required pressure, the better they will
answer the purpose; they are therefore generally made of steel and tested to 4000 lbs
to the square inch. The size of course will depend upon the quantity of compressed
gas they are required to hold.
A very compact apparatus may be constructed on this principle to hold 50 gallons
or 8 cubic feet of compressed nitrous oxide gas in the twin bottles the two bottles
which are made of steel are each 7 inches long and 2 inches in diameter.
Besides its application to compressed nitrous oxide gas to which this apparatus is
especially adapted it is also applicable in all cases in which gases are used compressed
in cylindrical metal bottles especially where portability is an advantage such as for
Oxygen, Hydrogen, or Carbonic acid gas.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
:-
1st. The contrivance for supporting the bottle of compressed gas, (so that the
spindle of the valve may be conveniently turned) by attaching the support to the
lower side of the valve box of the bottle as hereinbefore described.
2nd. The application of this contrivance to "twin bottles as herein before described.