AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF GAS OR OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE FLOW
OF GAS OR OTHER FLUIDS." A communication from abroad by Moses G.
Wilder, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America, Machinist.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said-William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th October 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING
OR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF GAS OR OTHER FLUIDS." [A communication
from abroad by Moses G. Wilder, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of
America, Machinist.]
This Invention relates to an improved apparatus or device for regulating or
controlling the flow of gas to gas-burners, for the purpose of maintaining a constant
delivery of a pre-determined quantity of gas in a given time. It is also applicable
for regulating or controlling the flow of various other fluids under pressure for the
purpose of maintaining a constant rate of delivery thereof.
The present Invention is a further improvement in the apparatus for regulating
or controlling the flow of gas described in the Specification of Letters Patent dated
January 14th, A.D. 1880, No 171. In the regulator described therein a check or
float, provided with perforations through which the gas passes, is fitted in the
chamber of the regulator and sustained by the pressure of the gas below it, the
said perforations being of a proper size to deliver the required volume of gas at a
pressure equal to the weight of the check itself, and the said check operates in con-
nection with suitable inlets (said check and inlets constituting a balanced valve)
in such a manner that it automatically controls the supply of the gas by which it
is sustained, and thus increases or diminishes the supply into the chamber.
According to the present Invention, a check or float, provided with perforations
through which the gas passes, is sustained or poised in the chamber of the regulator

page_text: by the pressure of the gas below it, in a manner similar to that described in the
Specification of Letters Patent aforesaid, but in this case the said check operates in
connection with a balanced valve located above it, so as to increase or diminish the
supply from the chamber to the gas tip. In other words, in this improvement the
check or float controls the outlet from the chamber to the tip, instead of the inlet
into the chamber from the service pipe, and its operation is to impede the delivery
of the gas from the chamber to the tip, and thus increase the pressure or volume
above the check in a similar manner to that in which, in the former case, it operated
to increase the pressure or volume below the check.
This Invention comprises a check or float, fitted to work freely in the chamber
of the regulator as the pressure or volume of gas under it and above it varies, and
having perforations of proper size to allow the required volume of gas to pass at a
pressure equal to the weight of the check, in combination with a balanced valve
located at the upper part of the gas chamber which forms an outlet, and which is
opened or closed by the descent or rise respectively of the check, so as to maintain
an equilibrium of pressure or volume within the chamber above and below the
check; and it further comprises a novel construction and combination of parts
whereby the results above mentioned are effected, that is to say, the check is mado
in the form of a disc and provided with perforations, through which the gas passes
into the upper part of the chamber. These perforations are to be of proper size to
allow the requisite volume of gas to pass at a pressure equal to the weight of the
check or float, and the weight of the latter is proportioned to the pressure at which
the gas is expected to enter the chamber, so that it will be lifted whenever that
degree of pressure is exceeded. On the upper surface of the said disc is a short
tube, the
purpose of which is hereinafter explained, and on its underside is a pro-
jecting point which rests upon a partition when the check is at its lowest position.
This point is simply for the purpose of reducing the contact surface, so as to obviate
the possibility of the disc sticking. At the top of the chamber is another short
tube of such external diameter that it will fit closely into the other tube; it forms
the outlet from the chamber, and is closed at its lower end, and provided with one
or more perforations through its sides to allow the gas to pass to the tip. When
the disc is raised the first tube passes over the second tube, and thereby partially
or wholly covers the said perforations and impedes the exit of the gas. These
tubes constitute a balanced valve, and this valve is wholly unaffected in
its operation by the pressure of gas upon any part of its surfaces. A small
perforation is made in the first tube to prevent a vacuum being formed in the same
in case of any sudden decrease of pressure or volume.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 16th
April 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING
OR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF GAS OR OTHER FLUIDS." A communication
from abroad by Moses G. Wilder, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of
America, Machinist.
This Invention relates to an improved apparatus or device for regulating or
controlling the flow of gas to gas-burners for the purpose of maintaining a constant
delivery of a pre-determined quantity of gas in a given time. It is also applicable
for regulating or controlling the flow of various other fluids under pressure for the
purpose of maintaining a constant rate of delivery thereof.
The present Invention is a further improvement in the apparatus for regulating
or controlling the flow of gas and other fluids described in the Specification of
former Letters Patent, dated January 14th, A.D. 1880, No. 171. In the regulator
therein described a check or float, provided with perforations through which the
gas passes, is fitted in the chamber of the regulator and sustained by the pressure
of the gas below it, the said perforations being of a proper size to deliver the
required volume of gas at a pressure equal to the weight of the check itself, and
the said check operates in connection with suitable inlets (said check and inlets
constituting a balanced valve), in such a manner that it controls automatically the
supply of gas by which it is sustained and thus increases or diminishes the supply
into the chamber.
In my present apparatus, as in the said former apparatus, a check or float,
provided with perforations through which the gas passes, is sustained or poised in
the chamber of the regulator by the pressure of the gas below it, but according to
this Invention the said check operates in connection with a balanced valve located
above it, so as to increase or diminish the supply of gas from the chamber to the
gas tip or burner. In other words, according to the present Invention, the check
or float controls the outlet from the chamber to the tip, instead of the inlet into
the chamber from the service pipe, and its operation is to impede the delivery of
the gas from the chamber to the tip, and thus increase the pressure or volume above
the check in a similar manner to that in which the former in case it operated to
increase the pressure or volume below the check.
This Invention comprises a check or float fitted to work freely in the chamber of
the regulator as the pressure or volume of gas under the said check and above it
varies, and having perforations of proper size to allow the required volume of gas
to pass at a pressure equal to the weight of the check, in combination with a
balanced valve located at the upper part of the gas-chamber, which forms an outlet,
and which is opened or closed by the descent or rise respectively of the said check,
so as to maintain an equilibrium of pressure or volume within the chamber above
and below the check, and it further comprises the novel construction and combination
of parts whereby the results above mentioned are effected, as more fully hereinafter
described.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which,―
Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved regulating apparatus.
Figure 2, a vertical central section of the check or float, and a portion of a tube
hereinafter described, drawn to an enlarged scale; and
Figure 3 is a plan or top view of the said float.
A, A¹, represent the two parts or sections forming the body of the apparatus, the

page_text: upper part A being screwed to the lower part A' in the usual manner, and the latter
being connected with the supply-pipe, and the former with the gas tip or burner.
B is the gas-chamber within which is fitted the check or float C so as to move
freely up and down according to the varying pressure or volume of the gas. The
gas is admitted into this chamber B through ways a. The check is made in the
form of a disc and provided with perforations b, through which the gas passes into
the upper part of the chamber B; these perforations are of the proper size to allow
the requisite volume of gas to pass at a pressure equal to the weight of the check
or float, and the weight of the latter is proportioned to the pressure at which the
gas is expected to enter the chamber, so that it will be lifted whenever that
degree of pressure is exceeded. On the upper surface of the said disc is a short
tube d, the purpose of which is hereinafter described, and on its under side is a
projecting point e which rests upon the partition f when the check is at its lowest
position. This point e is simply for the purpose of reducing the contact surface
so as to obviate the possibility of the disc sticking. At the top of the chamber B
is another short tube g of such external diameter that it will fit closely into the
tube d; this tube g forms the outlet from the said chamber and is closed at its
lower end and provided with one or more perforations i through its sides to allow
the gas to pass to the tip. When the disc is raised the tube & passes over the tube g,
and thereby partially or wholly covers the said perforations and impedes the exit
of the gas. These tubes d and g constitute a balanced valve, and it will be seen
that this valve is wholly unaffected in its operation by the pressure of gas upon
any part of its surfaces. A small perforation m is made in the tubo d to prevent
a vacuum being formed in the same in case of any sudden decrease of pressure or
volume. From the above description it will be perceived that the valve or check
or float co-operate to maintain an equilibrium in which the pressures above and
below differ by an amount of pressure equal to the weight of the check and its
adjuncts, and the gas flows to the burner at a constant rate, such rate being
proportionate to the weight of the check and the size of its perforations. It will
also be understood that it is essential that the valve shall be a balanced valve,
for otherwise the check would not rest in a position depending solely upon its
weight.
I am aware that rheometers have been made with valves over the cup or bell
operating to impede the flow of gas to the burner, but the valves in such rheometers
are unbalanced, and consequently the pressure of gas upon the valve tends to raiso
it more or less than is sufficient to maintain a constant delivery, and for this reason
all such instruments will deliver less gas at high pressures than at low pressures,
while by means of my improved apparatus the delivery is constant under all
circumstances. I am also aware that attempts have been made to dispense with
the "glycerine seal" and bell of rheometers by the use of a conical float, the point
of which enters the gas-way above it and thus regulates the flow to the burner,
but in that case the same difficulty is encountered.
I may further state that it is essential that the valve be a balanced valve,
inasmuch as the equilibrium to be maintained is so delicate that the valve must be
balanced in order to ensure accuracy of delivery, and that in my regulator there
is practically no increase of pressure, as the check or float is free to rise or fall with
every variation of volume, hence there is no resistance and consequently no increase
of pressure.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. A check or float made in the form of a disc provided with perforations of
proper size to permit the passage of the required volume of gas at a pressure equal
to the weight of the check and fitted to work freely in the chamber of a gas-
regulator in combination with a balanced valve located at the upper part of the
said chamber, the said valve being constructed substantially as hereinbefore

page_text: described so as to be entirely independent of and unaffected by the pressure of the
gas upon its surfaces and forming an outlet which is opened and closed respectively
by the descent and rise of the said check.
Second. The check made in the form of a disc and provided with perforations b
and a short tube d extending upward from its upper surface in combination with
the tube g located at the upper part of the chamber B provided with perforations i
and fitted to work within the said tube d, as above set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Third. In combination with the inlet and outlet passages of a gas-regulator, a
balanced valve fitted and operating in connection with a perforated check or float
in the chamber of the regulator to maintain an equilibrium of pressures, the said
valve being constructed substantially as hereinbefore described so as to be entirely
independent of and unaffected by the pressure of the gas upon its surfaces,
substantially as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hercunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)