A NEW OR IMPROVED. GAS GOVERNOR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Foulis, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED.
GAS GOVERNOR."
Sealed the 12th January 1877, and dated the 19th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Foulis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th September 1876.
WILLIAM FOULIS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Civil
Engineer, "A NEW OR IMPROVED GAS GOVERNOR."
This Invention which relates to a new arrangement or construction of governors
for regulating the distribution of gas is applicable either as a station governor or a
district governor.
The apparatus constituting the Invention consists of a vertical cylindrical casing
closed at both ends, and having some distance below the top a horizontal division
with an opening which constitutes the valve seat of the governor proper. The gas
inlet to the governor is situated below this horizontal division or valve seat, and the
gas exit is above it.
The governor proper consists of a cylindrical vessel partially immersed in water
contained in the outer casing having a float at the bottom, or in place of having
such float it may be provided with an equivalent counterweight. On the upper
part of this vessel is the valve, which when shut down closes the opening or valve
seat herein-before mentioned. The upper part of this vessel is also formed of two
conical frustra, whose larger ends are of the diameter of the vessel itself, the smaller
ends being united, thereby forming a triangular annular space which is surrounded
by and contained within the continuation of the cylindrical vessel. This con-
tinuation of the casing of the cylindrical vessel has formed in it a number of vertical
slits through which the gas not only passes into the triangular space, but these slits.
also constitute the inlet and outlet of the gas from the lower to the upper part of
the governor, and the double conical contour of this upper part of the governor also
causes it at all times to be uninfluenced in its equilibrium by the inlet pressure.
That portion of the casing herein-before described as having slits in it may be
dispensed with, and in place of forming the upper part of the governor of two
D

page_text: conical frustra, as described, it may be formed with an annular space, whose transverse
section is either rectangular or curved.
A small pipe is provided for the purpose of connecting the interior of the governor
either with the gas inlet, or with the atmospheric air, or with both, or for the
purpose of connecting the interior of the governor both with the inlet and outlet.
When used as a station governor the action is as follows:-When the small pipe
above referred to connects the interior of the governor with the atmospheric air the
pressure in the interior of the governor is constant. The outlet pressure acting upon
the top of the valve or cylindrical vessel which constitutes the governor proper
alone influencing its action and causing it to rise and fall, thereby maintaining a
constant pressure in accordance with the amount of floating power or counterweight.
When this pipe is connected to the inlet or any independent source of gas supply,
provided that the pressure in the inlet or that source of gas supply is constant and
greater than the outlet pressure required, and also that that pipe communicates
with the external atmosphere, or provided that the outlet pressure be constant, it
may communicate with that outlet, a stop-cock placed upon that pipe between the
inlet or independent source of gas supply and the governor will control the outlet
pressure of the governor by regulating the pressure on the interior of the governor,
which pressure acts against the pressure on the outlet side of the governor.
When used as a district governor if the small pipe is connected to the inlet of the
governor that inlet pressure will control the outlet pressure from the governor,
depending on the floating power or counterweights, and in this case the difference
between the inlet and outlet pressures is constant. When however the areas of the
interior and exterior of the governors are different the difference of pressure is.in
a constant ratio.
When the interior of the governor is connected both with the inlet and outlet,
the outlet pressure is variable with the combined inlet and outlet pressure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Foulis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th March
1877.
WILLIAM FOULIS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Civil
Engineer. "A NEW OR IMPROVED GAS GOVERNOR."
My said Invention, which relates to a new arrangement or construction of
governor for regulating the distribution of gas, is applicable either as a station
governor or a district governor.
The apparatus constituting the Invention consists of a vertical cylindrical casing
closed at both ends, and having some distance below the top a horizontal division
with an opening which constitutes the valve seat of the governor proper. The gas
inlet to the governor is situated below this horizontal division or valve seat, and
the gas exit is above it.
The characteristic feature of the new or improved governor consists of a
cylindrical vessel partially immersed in water contained in the outer casing having
a float at the bottom, or in place of having such float it may be provided with an
equivalent counterweight. The upper part of this vessel constitutes the valve,
which when shut down closes the opening or valve seat herein-before mentioned.
The portion of this vessel immediately below the valve is formed of two conical
frustra, whose larger ends are of the diameter of the vessel itself, the smaller ends
being united, thereby forming a triangular annular space which is surrounded by
and contained within the continuation of the cylindrical vessel. This continuation
of the casing of the cylindrical vessel has formed in it a number of vertical slits
through which the gas not only passes into the triangular space, but these slits also
constitute the passage for the gas from the lower to the upper part of the governor.

page_text: The double conical form of this part provides sufficient space for the gas to pass
through, and at all times prevents the equilibrium of the governor from being dis-
turbed by the pressure of the inlet gas. That portion of the casing herein-before
described as having slits in it may be dispensed with, and in place of forming the
upper part of the governer of two conical frustra, as described, it may be formed
with an annular space, whose transverse section is either rectangular or curved. A
small pipe is provided for the purpose of connecting the space beneath the valve
(namely that which is enclosed by the valve, the cylindrical casing, and the water
in which it floats) either with the gas inlet or with the atmospheric air, or with
both, or for the purpose of connecting the interior of the governor both with the
inlet and outlet.
The action of the governor is as follows:-When the small pipe above referred
to connects the aforesaid space with the atmospheric air, the pressure in that spaco
is necessarily that of the atmosphere. The outlet pressure acting upon the top of
the valve or cylindrical vessel alone influences its action relatively with the amount
of floating power or counterweight. When a counterweight is used the valve is
provided with a spindle which passes through a stuffing box in the top cover of the
governor, to which the counterweight is attached by a lever or chain.
When the small pipe is connected to the inlet or to any independent source of
gas supply, provided that the pressure in the inlet or that source of gas supply is
constant and greater than the outlet pressure required, and also that this cominu-
nicates with the external atmosphere after the manner in which an analogous pipe
communicates with the external atmosphere in the governor of M. Giroud, and
described by M. Giroud in his work entitled "De la pression du Gaz D'Eclairage, et
des moyens a employer pour la regulariser," published in Paris in 1872, a stop-
cock placed upon the pipe between the inlet or independent source of gas supply
and the governor, or on the pipe leading the controlling gas out from the governor
to the atmosphere will control the outlet pressure of the governor by regulating the
pressure on the interior of the floating or counterweighted portion of the governor,
which pressure acts upwards against the downward pressure on the outlet side of
the governor.
If the small pipe is connected to the inlet of the governor the inlet pressure will
control the outlet pressure from the governor, depending on the floating power or
counterweights, and in this case the difference between the inlet and outlet pressures
is constant. When the areas of the interior and exterior of the governor are
different the difference of pressure is in a constant ratio.
When the aforesaid space is connected both with the inlet and outlet, the outlet
pressure is indirectly variable with the inlet pressure, and may be regulated by the
extent of opening of a stop-cock placed on the pipe leading from the inlet to the
interior of the governor.
Another method of controlling the action of the governor is by shutting up a
fixed quantity of air or gas in the said space and connecting this space, and there-
fore the air or gas in it by means of a small pipe to the interior of a floating and
weighted bell placed at any distance from it.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner, in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
annnexed Sheet of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:―
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, Figure 1 is a vertical section;
Figure 2, a plan partly in section; and Figure 3, an elevation of the outlet at right
angles to Figure 1 of the new or improved gas governor constructed in accordance
with my said Invention.
The governor consists of an outer vertical cylindrical casing A closed at both
ends, and having formed upon it a short distance below the top a division B with a
circular opening therein, and upon it is fixed by means of bolts another ring C
which constitutes the valve seat of the governor proper; or the part B may alone

page_text: form the valve seat. Immediately underneath the valve seat C there is formed on
the casing A a branch D for the admission or inlet of the gas to the interior of the
casing, and above the valve sent a branch E is situated for the exit of the gras which
has passed from the under to the upper side of the valve seat C.
The governing part of the apparatus consists of a cylindrical vessel F partially
immersed in water contained in the outer casing A., and constructed at its lower end
with a hollow space or float G, or instead of having such float it may be provided
with an equivalent counterweight attached to a rod (not shown in the Drawings)
proceeding upwards from the top of the vessel F through a stuffing box in the upper
cover of the casing. The top or cover a of this vessel F constitutes the valve,
which when shut down upon its seat C prevents the passage of the gas from the
under to the upper side of the valve seat C. The upper part of the vessel F (that
is to say,
the part immediately below the cover or valve (a) is formed of two
conical frustra, as shown at Figure 1, whose larger ends are of the diameter of the
vessel itself, the smaller ends being united, thereby forming a triangular annular
space H which is surrounded by and contained within the continuation of the
vessel F. This continuation of the vessel F has formed in it slits or openings b,
which not only allow the gas as it comes through the inlet branch D to pass into
the triangular space H, but also when the valve a is raised from its seat C these
slits 6 afford sufficient space for allowing the gas to pass from the inlet to the outlet
side of the casing A, and by confining the gas in the space H so that it cannot flow
out from the portion of the slits on the upper side of the valve seat as quickly
as it enters them on the lower side, the pressure in the space H is thereby main-
tained sensibly uniform, so that it acts equally on both the upper and lower frustra
in all positions. That portion of the vessel F herein-before described as having
slits in it may be dispensed with, and in place of forming the upper part of the
governor of two conical frustra it may, as herein-before mentioned, be formed with
an annular space whose transverse section is either rectangular or curved.
The small pipe c is that which, as herein-before described, is provided for the
purpose of connecting the interior of the enclosed space beneath the valve either
with gas or with the atmosphere, thereby enabling the governor to be controlled in
either of the modes herein-before described.
The method of controlling the action of the governor which I however prefer to
employ consists in connecting the small pipe c with the interior of the bell X, shown
in Figure 4, by continuing the pipe c above the water line in the vessel or chamber
wherein the bell X is contained.
By placing weights upon the bell ✗ the gas or air contained therein as well as in
the pipe c and the interior of the governor is compressed, and therefore the governor
is caused to rise or open, and in this way any required degree of control of the
governor is or may be obtained.
Antifriction rollers I are placed at the interior of the governor for the purpose of
guiding the governor in its rise and fall with a minimum of resistance.
A passage K communicates from the outlet to the water in the casing A, the
purpose of which is to allow any moisture which may collect in the outlet to run off.
A small well L is also placed on the pipe e for the purpose of collecting any moisture
which may condense therein.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do
not claim as part of my present Invention the systems of controlling the action
of a gas governor by means of gas or air admitted to the interior of a governor by
small passages or by small passages regulated by stop-cocks, as I am aware that
such systems of controlling the action of gas governors have been previously used;
but what I do consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Inven-
tion secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the con-
struction or arrangement of the floating parts of the gas governor, viz., the valve a
and the floating or counterweighted casing F, all as one piece or member, and in

page_text: which the upper part of the floating or counterweighted casing constitutes the
valve a, substantially as herein-before described and shown on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings; also the formation of the upper part of the casing with a partly enclosed
or open annular space, whereby the inlet pressure is prevented from sensibly affecting
the action of the governor, and whereby the large bell or diaphragm and its con-
nexions as hitherto employed are dispensed with.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Foulis, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven..
WILLIAM FOULIS. (LS.)