Improved Means for Indicating the Extent to which Gas-holders are Charged.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improved Means for Indicating the Extent to which Gas-holders
are Charged.
I, LEWIS THOMPSON WRIGHT, of George Street, in the Town and County of
Nottingham, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improved means for automatically indicating the extent to
which a gas-holder is raised or extended and thereby enabling the volume of gas
contained in such holder to be ascertained.
With this object, I mount upon the top of the gas-holder a small reservoir con-
taining, water, glycerine, oil, spirit or other suitable liquid. From the lower part of
the reservoir, a pipe extends to the ground level and thence to a Bourdon or other
pressure gauge or gauges placed in positions convenient for inspection. The pipe may
be of the flexible description, so that, when the holder is down, it lies in coils upon the
ground or in a suitable receptacle. Or, the connection with the reservoir may consist
of a series of stiff pipes arranged in a zigzag fashion and pivotted to one another at
their extremities. The pipe is maintained charged with liquid from the reservoir;
and as the gas-holder rises, it lifts a corresponding length of the pipe or extends the
zigzag connection, thereby forming a hydrostatic column, the pressure whereof is
communicated to the gauge or gauges and indicated. By these means, the height to
which the gas-holder has raised the reservoir and upper extremity of the pipe is shewn
by the hydrostatic pressure recorded by the gauge. The gauge-dial may be marked
to directly indicate the volume of gas contained in the holder corresponding with any
given bydrostatic pressure.
Instead of placing the liquid supply reservoir upon the gas-holder and leading the
pipe direct to the ground, the pipe may lead from a small vessel suspended by means
of a wire rope or other flexible connection the latter passing over a sheave mounted
upon one of the standards or upon the intermediate framing and being connected to
the top of the holder. According to this arrangement, as the holder is raised, the
liquid vessel is lowered and the hydrostatic column is correspondingly diminished; the

page_text: gauge-dial being marked to suit such reverse method of indicating. If preferred,
the flexible connection may be arranged to work over a compound system of pulleys;
the total rise and fall of the liquid vessel being, under such circumstances, reduced to
one half, one third or other proportional part of the total vertical movement of the
holder.
Where the gas-holder is supported between hollow standards, the liquid vessel and
pipe may be arranged to work within one of such standards. In other instances,
special provision may be made for protecting the apparatus from injury in windy and
severe weather.
The reservoir or vessel containing the liquid is provided with a vent at the top; and
any waste, arising from evaporation or leakage, may, with the aid of a force-pump, be
nade good through the flexible pipe. Or, the reservoir or vessel may be replenished
by hand when in a position convenient for access from the ground level.
Dated this 14th day of March 1888
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Indicating the Extent to which Gas-holders
are Charged.
I, LEWIS THOMPSON WRIGHT, of George Street, in the Town and County of
Nottingham, Gas Engineer, 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 :-
.
This invention relates to improved means for automatically indicating the extent to
which a gas-holder is raised or extended and thereby enabling the volume of gas
contained in such holder to be ascertained.
With this object, I mount upon the top of the gas-holder a small reservoir as illus-
trated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, wherein a represents a portion of a
gas-holder and the aforesaid reservoir. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating an
alternative method of applying my invention; another variation being shewn in
Fig. 3.
.
According to the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1, the reservoir 6 contains water,
glycerine, oil, spirit or other suitable liquid. From the lower part of the reservoir, a
pipe e extends to the ground-level and thence to a Bourdon or other pressure gauge or
gauges & placed in a position or positions convenient for inspection. The pipe may be
of a flexible description, so that, when the holder is down, it lies in coils in a suitable
receptacle e or about a cone or, if preferred, upon the ground. Or, the connection
with the reservoir may consist of a series of stiff pipes, arranged in a zigzag fashion
and pivotted to one another at their extremities. The pipe is maintained charged
with liquid from the reservoir; and, as the gas-holder rises, it lifts a corresponding
length of the pipe or extends the zigzag connection, thereby forming a hydrostatic
column, the pressure whereof is communicated to the gauge or gauges and indicated.
By these means, the height to which the gas-holder has raised the reservoir and upper
extremity of the pipe is shewn by the hydrostatic pressure recorded by the gauge or
gauges. The gauge-dial may be marked to directly indicate the volume of gas contained
in the holder corresponding with any given hydrostatic pressure.
As
In Fig. 2, the flexible pipe, instead of falling into a receptacle as before described,
is wound upon a drum to which a weight y is connected by means of a rope h.
the gas-holder becomes filled, the pipe c is uncoiled from the drum, whilst the rope h
is coiled thereon and the weight graised. By these means, the pipe c is maintained
taut.
Instead of placing the liquid supply reservoir upon the gas-holder and leading the
pipe therefrom directly to the ground, the reservoir may be suspended in the manner
illustrated in Fig. 3. According to this arrangement, a small vessel 61 is attached to
a wire rope k, or other flexible connection, which passes over sheaves as shewn, and
is connected to the top of the holder a. As the holder is raised, the liquid-vessel b' is
lowered and the hydrostatic column is correspondingly diminished; the gauge-dial
being marked to suit such reverse method of indicating. If preferred, the vessel 6'

page_text: may be placed externally to the standard; the sheave or sheaves k¹ being mounted
upon the intermediate framing of the holder. The flexible connection may also be
arranged to work over a compound system of pulleys; the total rise and fall of the
liquid-vessel being, under such circumstances, reduced to one-half, one-third or other
proportional part of the total vertical movement of the holder.
Where the gas-holder is supported between hollow standards, the liquid-vessel 61,
the pipe c and part of the rope & may be arranged to work within one of such
standards, as represented in Fig. 3. In other instances, special provision may be
made for protecting the apparatus from injury in windy and severe weather.
The reservoir bor vessel b' is provided with a vent at the top; and any waste, arising
from evaporation or leakage, may, with the aid of a force-pump, be made good through
the flexible pipe. Or, the reservoir or vessel may be replenished by hand when in a
position convenient for access from the ground-level.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :—
1. The improved means for automatically indicating the extent to which gas-holders
are charged, arranged or operating substantially as herein described.
2. For indicating the extent to which a gas-holder is raised or extended, the employ-
ment of a hydrostatic column whereof the height varies with the rise and fall of the
gas-holder; the said column being in communication with a gauge for recording the
pressure due thereto or the corresponding state of the holder.
3. The combination, with a gas-holder a, of a reservoir 6 or ', pipe c and gauge d,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dotal this 5th day of December 1888
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.