Improvements in Apparatus for Turning On or Off the Supply of Gas.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 16th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 17th May, 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Turning On or Off the
Supply of Gas.
I, GEORGE JOSLIN of Beverley Road, Colchester, in the County of Essex, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the construction of apparatus whereby the supply
of gas to a building, or part of a building, or to any system of burners situated at a
distance from the point of operation may be turned on or off, with facility and certainty,
and at the same point show that it has been done, and if any burner or burners are
left turned on or not.
The invention in the first place consists of a vessel having two chambers, but
communicating with each other by an opening in the lower part, so as to allow the
mercury, glycerine, or other fluid with which it is charged flowing from one into
the other. Into one of the chambers is introduced the inlet and outlet pipes, one of
which is seated or opened by the fluid as it is caused to rise or fall. Into the other
chamber is fitted a plunger which dips into the fluid and is connected with the piston
of a small air pump placed near the outlet of the meter [or other convenient position]
to be operated upon by a larger air pump situated near the operator, and with which
it is connected by a pipe.
By withdrawing the piston of the larger air pump a partial vacuum is created and
conveyed by the pipe to the small air pump, which being connected with the plunger
raises the latter from the fluid, causing it to fall in the other chamber, and allows the
gas to pass from the inlet to the outlet. By reversing the action of the larger air
pump the plunger will be forced by the compressed air in the small air pump into the
fluid causing it to rise in the other chamber and cut off the supply of gas.
An arrangement is made to secure the retention of the plunger in or out of the
mercury when it is acted upon by the small air pump, and this is effected by a tube
being fixed to the small air pump piston, with two slits in it. Inside this tube slides
another tube attached to the plunger, and has within it two springs, the extremities of
which form catches or pawls, which project through the slits in the outer tube and

page_text: catch against the cover of the small air pump or the cover of the mercury chamber.
The parts are so arranged that when the piston of the small air pump is forced
outwards, one pawl takes effect and prevents the plunger connected with it from
rising out of the mercury, but when the small air pump piston is drawn into its
cylinder, the other pawl operates and prevents the plunger from falling into the
mercury. The same arrangement is made in the larger air pump to maintain the
vacuum or pressure for a short time, by preventing the return of the piston when
drawn out of or forced into its cylinder and keep it there.
In the second place the invention consists of a modification of the foregoing. In
this case instead of the small air pump being connected to a plunger, it is attached to
the rod of a slide valve that works in a dry chamber. This chamber has an inlet at
top or side, and an outlet at bottom, and the valve is so arranged that on drawing out
the handle of the larger air pump a partial vacuum will ensue in the small one, and
as the piston of the latter is acted upon, it will cause the valve to slide and turn on
the gas.
A reversal of the action of the handle of the larger air pump will cut off the
supply.
In order to show if the gas valve acted upon by either of these arrangements is
properly turned on or off, and to show whether the burners are all turned off, or the
quantity either burning or leaking from the fittings, I use my Indicator for which
Letters Patent No. 2428 dated June 19, 1879 were granted to me. I therefore
connect a pipe which conveys the gas from the supply side of the valve to an indicator
placed near the operator and the larger air pump. The gas conveyed by this pipe
passes through the indicator, the outlet of which is connected to the nearest fittings of
the same series. When the gas is cut off by the valve no supply comes to the fittings
except through the indicator. A test burner is lighted to show the indicator and
allow of the consumption of the same being noted when the valve and all the burners
in the fittings are shut off, but on turning on the gas with the larger air pump the
indicator will fall to zero in consequence of the supply coming from the regular main.
If on pressing in the larger air pump and cutting off the gas the indicator rises
to the quantity noted and no more, it will show that the valve is turned off, and
all the burners also, but if the consumption or leakage is in excess of the quantity
noted, then it is certain that the gas is either being consumed or leaking away.
By these means the operator may turn on or off the supply of gas at any convenient
distance, and ascertain that the apparatus has fulfilled its duty by observing the
indicator which will also shew if any burners have been accidentally left open, or if|
there are any leaks in the fittings.

page_text: I, GEORGE JOSLIN of Beverley Road, Colchester, in the County of Essex, Gentleman,
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 :-
of
This invention has for its object the construction of apparatus whereby the supply
gas to a building, or part of a building, or to any system of burners situated at a
distance from the point of operation may be turned on or off with facility and certainty,
and at the same point show that it has been done, and if any burner or burners are
left turned on or not.
In order that the invention may be easily understood drawings are attached hereto
of which the following is a description. Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the mercurial
or other fluid valve and small air pump. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation
of the large air pump. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the modification or slide
valve arrangement hereinafter referred to. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the indicator,
and Fig. 5 a side elevation of the same. In each of the views similar letters refer to
the same parts.
The invention in the first place consists of a vessel A having two chambers B and C,
but communicating with each other by a passage D in the lower part, so as to allow
the mercury, glycerine or other fluid with which it is charged flowing from one
into the other. The chamber B has a gas inlet E which descends into the lower part
of B, and a gas outlet F, the inlet E being sealed or unsealed by the fluid as it is
caused to rise or fall. Into the other chamber is fitted a plunger G which dips into
the fluid, and is connected with the piston H of a small air pump, the whole of this
part of the apparatus being placed near the outlet of the meter (or other convenient
position) to be operated upon by a larger air pump Fig. 2, situated near the operator,
and with which it is connected by a pipe I Figs. 1 and 2. J is a pipe leading to the
indicator and K is an opening fitted with a screw plug for charging the vessel
with fluid.
By pulling out the handle L Fig. 2, to its full extent, the piston rod M of the
larger air pump will operate upon the piston N and create a partial vacuum, which
being conveyed to the chamber C Fig. 1 by the pipe I causes the bucket or piston H
of the small air pump contained in the said chamber to rise drawing with it the
plunger G from the fluid, the result being that the fluid will fall from B into (thereby
unsealing the inlet and affording a free passage for the gas from the inlet E to the
outlet F. By reversing the action of the larger air pump the plunger G will be
forced by the compressed air in the small air pump into the fluid causing it to rise in
the other chamber so as to seal E and cut off the supply of gas.

page_text: ..
An arrangement is made to secure the retention of the plunger G in or out of the
liquid when it is acted upon by the small air pump, and this is effected by a tube O
being fixed to the small air pump piston, with two slits P and Q in it. Inside this
tube slides another tube R attached to the plunger G, and has within it a spring S,
the extremities of which press against catches or pawls T and U, which project through
the slits in the outer tube and catch against the cover V of the small air pump, or the
cover of the mercury chamber. The parts are so arranged that when the piston H of
the small air pump is forced downwards the pawl T takes effect on the underside
of the cover and prevents the plunger connected with it from rising out of the liquid
(as shown in the drawing, but when the piston of the small air pump is drawn upwards
the other pawl U catches against the upper side of the cover and prevents the plunger
from falling into the liquid.
The same arrangement is made in the larger air pump. In this case the piston rod
is formed of two tubes M and W, the piston N being fixed to W. This tube W has
two slits in it a and b, and the tube M has also two slits in it c and d, which to some
extent correspond in position with those of a and b. Within the tube W are fixed two
springs e and which terminate in pawls g and h. The action of these pawls are
exactly the same as those described in reference to Fig. 1 being used to maintain the
vacuum or pressure for a short time, by preventing the return of the piston when
drawn out of or forced into its cylinder and keep it there. i Fig. 1 is a pin fixed to
the tube R and works in a slot in 0,-and k in Fig. 2 is a pin fixed to the tube W
and works in a slot in M, in each serving as a stop to ensure the proper action of the
pawls T and U Fig. 1 and the pawls g and h in Fig. 2.
In the second place the invention consists of a modification of the foregoing. In
this case referring to Fig. 3, instead of the small air pump / having a plunger connected
with it, the piston v is attached to the rod m of a slide valve n that works in a dry
chamber o.
This chamber has an inlet p at top or side and an outlet q at or near the
bottom, and the valve n is so arranged that on drawing out the handle of the large air
pump a partial vacuum will ensue in the small one, and as the piston v of the latter is
acted upon, it will cause the valve to slide over its seats and turn on the gas. A
reversal of the action of the handle of the larger air pump will cut off the supply. In
this Fig. 3 it will be observed that the gas enters at the inlet p and when the valve n
is open [it is drawn closed in the Fig.] will pass to the outlet q.-I is the pipe
communicating with the large air pump, and J is a pipe leading to the indicator; ris
a stuffing-box for the rod m and t is a forked spring to keep the valve close to its
seat, while u is a guard to prevent anything falling into the chamber o or upon the
valve seat.
In
In order to show if the gas valve acted upon by either of these arrangements is
properly turned on or off, and to show whether the burners are all turned off, or the
quantity either burning or leaking from the fittings, I use my "Indicator" w Fig. 4,
for which Letters Patent No. 2428 dated June 19, 1879 were granted to me.
Fig. 4 will be seen an elevation of this indicator w mounted upon a base or chamber 2
having a five way cock 3 and an inlet 4 Fig. 5, the passages to and from the indicator
and test burner through the cock being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Fixed to
the tube 5 is a test burner 6 which is omitted in Fig. 4 to prevent confusion but is
shown in Fig. 5, which is a side elevation of Fig. 4.-8 is the handle of the cock.
Gas is conveyed from the supply side of the valve J Figs. 1 and 3 to the pipe 4 of the
indicator placed near the operator and the large air pump. The gas conveyed by this
pipe passes through the indicator the outlet 7 Fig. 5, of which is connected to the
nearest fittings of the same series. When the gas is cut off by the valve no supply
comes to the fittings except through the indicator. The test burner 6 is lighted to
show the indicator and allow of the consumption of the same being noted when the
valve and all the burners in the fittings are shut off, but on turning on the gas with
the large air pump the indicator will fall to zero, in consequence of the supply coming
from the regular main. If on pressing in the handle of the larger air pump and
cutting off the gas the indicator rises to the quantity noted when turning on the gas,
and no more, it will show that the valve is turned off, and all the burners also, but if

page_text: +
the consumption or leakage is in excess of the quantity noted then it is certain that
the gas is either being consumed or leaking away.
It may be observed with regard to the fluid valve that the inlet may be used as the
outlet and the outlet as the inlet without detriment to the action of the apparatus.
By these means the operator may turn on or off the supply of gas at any convenient
distance, and ascertain that the apparatus has fulfilled its duty by observing the
indicator which will also show if any burners have been accidentally left open, or if
there are any leaks in the fittings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is.
1. The valve together with the small air pump as herein described and shown in
Fig. 1 of the drawings.
2. The large air pump constructed as herein described and shown in Fig. 2 of the
drawings.
3. The slide valve in combination with the small air pump as herein described and
shown in Fig. 3 in the drawings.
4. The five way cock in combination with the indicator arranged as herein described
and shown in the drawings Figs. 4 and 5.
W. H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicant.