IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATORS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Sugg, of Vincent Street, in the City of
Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATORS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Sugg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th August 1878.
WILLIAM THOMAS SUGG, of Vincent Street, in the City of Westminster.
PROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATORS."
" IM-
This Invention relates to that class of gas regulator in which a disc is used to
carry a regulating valve, and by its rise and fall under the varying pressure
of the gas to determine the rate at which the gas shall be delivered to the
burner.
The object of the present Invention is to ensure the efficient working of this con-
struction of gas regulator without requiring the great nicety of fitting that is now
demanded for such gas regulator.
I propose to fit my improved gas regulator to single burners or to a group of
burners, interposing it in any convenient position between the supply pipe and the
delivery pipe.
In adapting the regulator to a bracket or pillar lamp I place it immediately
below the gallery, and in direct communication with the burner.
The regulator will consist of a shallow cylindrical chamber pierced with holes at
the bottom for admitting gas from the supply pipe, and closed at its top by a cover
which is formed with a central hole, through which the supply of gas passes to the
burner.
Standing up from the centre of the chamber is a guide pin, upon which works a
disc that fits the chamber loosely. From the centre of this disc projects a stem
carrying a valve, which, as the disc is forced up by the pressure of gas on its under
side, will rise and throttle the escape opening in the centre of the cover; the disc is

page_text: pierced with a hole which will permit of a given discharge of gas per hour through
it to the burner.
When, however, the pressure is in excess the disc will rise and the throttle valve
will be set in action as explained.
In order to ensure the efficiency of this apparatus it is necessary so to fit the disc
in its chamber as to prevent the gas passing round the periphery of the disc, and so
giving an undue supply to the burner. To provide for this I give the disc a
sufficient depth at its periphery to allow of a ring groove or ring grooves being
turned therein to receive a fluid packing, or instead of these grooves recesses of
other forms may be adopted, such, for example, as those which might be produced
by a milling tool The periphery of this disc I coat with glycerine or some
equivalent non-adhesive fluid, and I thus close the space between the disc and the
inner periphery of the chamber gas-tight, leaving the disc free to move under the
varying pressures of the gas. By maintaining a supply of glycerine to their contact
surfaces I ensure the maintenance of the efficient action of the gas regulator for a
long period, and I at the same time avoid the necessity for accurate and costly
workinanship in the regulator itself.
The disc, it will be understood, will be proportioned in weight to the circum-
stances of its application, and where a large diameter of disc is required it may be
well to convert it into a receptacle for the supply of glycerine to its periphery,
making fine holes through the periphery to the cup in which the glycerine or other
liquid packing is stored.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Thomas Sugg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
February 1879.
WILLIAM THOMAS SUGG, of Vincent Street, in the City of Westminster.
PROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATORS."
«IM-
This Invention relates to that class of gas regulators in which a disc is used to:
carry a regulating valve, and by its use and fall under the varying pressure of the
gas to determine the rate at which the gas shall be delivered to the burner.
The object of the present Invention is to ensure the efficient working of this con-
struction of gas regulator without requiring the great nicety of fitting that is now
demanded for such gas regulators.
I propose to fit my improved gas regulator to single burners or to a group of
burners, interposing it in any convenient position between the supply pipe and the
delivery pipe.
In adapting the regulator for example to a bracket or pillar lamp I place it
immediately below the gallery, and in direct communication with the burner.
The regulator may be described as consisting of a shallow cylindrical chamber
pierced with holes at the bottom for admitting gas from the supply pipe, and
closed at top by a cover which is formed with a central hole through which the
supply of gas passes to the burner.
Standing up from the centre of the chamber is a guide pin, upon which works a
disc that fits the chamber loosely. From the centre of this disc projects a stem
carrying a conical valve, which, as the disc is forced up by the pressure of gas on
its under side, will rise and throttle the escape opening in the centre of the cover.
The disc is pierced with holes which will permit of a given discharge of gas per
hour through the disc to the burner.
When, however, the pressure is in excess the disc will rise and the throttle valve,
will be set in action as explained.
The disc regulator admits of various modifications to suit varying circumstances:
as will be hereafter explained, but in all cases the improvement now about to be
described will be combined therewith.
1
In order to ensure the efficiency of this gas regulating apparatus it is necessary so
to fit the disc in its chamber as to prevent the gas passing round the periphery of
the disc, and so giving an undue supply to the burner. To provide for this I give
the disc a sufficient depth at its periphery to allow of a ring groove or ring grooves:
being turned therein to receive a fluid packing, or instead of these grooves recesses of
any approved form that will answer the purpose of the groove may be adopted.
To the periphery of this disc I apply glycerine, almond oil, or other equivalent non-
adhesive liquid, causing the same to enter the groove or grooves provided to receive
it. The action of this liquid will be to close the space between the disc and the
inner periphery of the chamber gas-tight, leaving the disc free to move under the
varying pressures of the gas. By maintaining a supply of this liquid packing to
the contact surfaces I ensure the maintenance of the efficient action of the gas
regulator for a long period, and I, at the same time, avoid the necessity of accurate
and costly workmanship in the regulator itself.
The disc it will be understood will be proportioned in weight to the circumstances
of its application, and where a large diameter of horizontal disc is required it may
be well to convert it into a receptacle for the supply of liquid packing to its
periphery, making fine holes through the periphery to the cup in which the liquid
packing is stored.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn several forms of gas regulators
arranged according to my Invention.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale of a gas regulator applied to a flat:
flame burner. In this example the regulator consists of the cylindrical chamber A,
made by preference of a mixture of lead, tin, and antimony, such as I commonly.

page_text: employ in the manufacture of my patent burners. Upon this chamber is fitted a
cover B, made of the same metallic alloy, and having a central opening which forms
on its under side a valve seat.
Standing up from the centre of the floor of the chamber A is a stem C which
forms a guide for a disc D, composed also by preference of an alloy of lead, tin, and
antimony. This disc is cast with a hollow stem to carry a conical valve D¹.
The disc is pierced with holes as at d, and at its periphery it is furnished with an
annular groove.
Fitted to the chamber A is the burner E, which is to be supplied with gas passed
through the regulator.
The gas is admitted to the chamber A through openings a, and passing under
the disc D, it flows through the holes d of the disc, and thence through the central
conical opening b, in the cover B to the burner E. Should however the pressure of
the gas unduly increase the disc will be raised, and its valve D¹ will be caused to
throttle more or less the passage b, and thereby regulate the supply of gas to the
burner.
The escape of gas between the periphery of the disc and the sides of the
chamber will be prevented by the almond oil or other liquid packing supplied to
the groove in the disc as already explained.
To ensure the proper action of this regulator it should be remarked that the disc
must be made to fit the chamber loosely, that is to say, there should be a space of
one-hundredth of an inch more or less between the disc and the cylinder in a
regulator suited for a flat flame burner, and the width of the groove in the periphery
of the disc should be about two-hundredths of an inch, its depth being about three
times its width.
Regard should also be had to the area of the holes in the disc and the openings
in the burner. Thus the area of the aperture for the exit of the gas from the
burner should be a trifle smaller than that of the orifice or orifices in the disc in
order that there should be a slight pressure at the point of combustion.
I may here remark that I have found it desirable to form on the upper surface of the
disc an inclined annular lip which will serve to receive any liquid packing that may
work upwards during the rise and fall of the disc, and will permit of the back flow
of the same to the periphery of the disc when the pressure of the gas is sufficiently
diminished. This lip is clearly shewn in the Drawing.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of another form of gas regulator adapted to what
is known as my Christiania Burner, in which the central stem C instead of rising
from the floor of the chamber A is made fast to the disc, and constitutes a guide for
the disc by sliding in a tubular extension of the cap B. In this case the valve D¹
is fitted to the under side of the disc, and the valve seat is in the casting A.
The cover B is pierced with holes for the passage upwards of the gas as it rises
through the orifices of the disc. The periphery of the disc is grooved as above
explained to receive a liquid packing of almond oil or its equivalent which
effectually stops the passage of the gas past the periphery of the disc while it
offers no obstruction to the rise and fall of the disc under the varying pressures of
the supply.
Fig. 3 shews a further modification of the gas regulator in which the cap B is
done away with, and also the guiding stem C. The valve is in this Figure secured
to the under side of the disc, and acts substantially in the same manner as the
valve in the first arrangement for throttling the gas when an undue pressure arises.
This arrangement will answer satisfactorily as the almond oil is not only a packing
but a lubricant, and therefore will prevent the disc from sticking fast, but it is
generally preferred to employ the central guiding stem, as the disc will then have
no tendency to cant and bear unequally against the sides of the chamber A which
it might be liable to do when applied to burners that are made capable of receiving
a vertical or lateral movement.
Fig. 4 shews in vertical section the regulator adapted for Argand burners and
street ring burners. In this arrangement the part E, carrying the burner, forms also

page_text: the cover to the chamber A.
In this example the central stem is retained, and
the conical valve D', which is carried above the disc, has its seat in the casting E.
In Fig. 5 is a somewhat similar arrangement; the central stem C being in
this case pendent from the casting E, and projecting through the valve and
disc.
Fig. 6 shews the disc converted into a bell with a horizontal grooved lip for
receiving the liquid packing. The bell is provided with a central guiding stem C,
to the lower end of which the conical throttle valve D¹ is fixed.
As the action of the parts is substantially the same in all these Figures no further
description is needed.
Fig. 7 represents in vertical section and in full size a consumer's double governor
adapted for twenty lights. The arrangement is substantially that shewn at Fig. 2,
but in duplicate.
A coiled spring surrounds the central stem between the cover B and the disc D
for the purpose of putting a counter pressure on the disc in lieu of relying as in the
former instance on its weight.
When the regulator is enlarged the proportions of the parts will. somewhat vary,
as will also the number of the grooves to receive the liquid packing. The Drawing
shows five annular grooves.
As a guide to the manufacturer it may be stated that a good result may be
obtained by working to the following measurements, viz. :-Fitting the disc to the:
chamber A, so that there will be a free space between them of two-hundredths of
an inch, giving the disc at its periphery a depth of about half an inch, and cutting
the grooves to a depth of about one quarter of an inch.
I would remark that the same system will serve for large governors for gas works
and street mains, the cylinders being of cast iron and the pistons of a white alloy
composed of tin, lead, and antimony in suitable proportions; or the cylinders may
be lined with the same alloy, if it be required, to ensure them against rust. The
use of the oil will however in general be found sufficient for this purpose. For large
governors heavy oils are preferred, such as are obtained from the distillation of coal
tar, but almond oil will do. In large governors the width of the piston must be
sufficient to put in several grooves, according to the size of the governor; for
example, in the case of a governor with a disc of twelve inches in diameter the
grooves should be at least half an inch in depth, and of a width of from two to
three hundredths of an inch, according to the thickness of the oil used; and the depth
of the piston should not be less than three-quarters of an inch.
The piston should have a play in its cylinder of at least two-hundredths of an
inch, so as to make it a very easy fit.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in Gas
Regulators," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it
to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim
fitting gas regulators with floating discs or valve supporters provided with a liquid
packing at their periphery, in the manner and for the purpose above described
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Sugg, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
WILLIAM T. SUGG. (L.S.)