Improvements in Automatic Regulating Devices for Controlling the Supply of Oll to Lamps from an Elevated Tank or Reservoir.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1895--Accepted, 13th Apr., 1895
COMPLETE SPDOLFICA FION.
Improvements in Automatic Regulating Devices for Controlling
the Supply of Oll to Lamps from an Elevated Tank or
Reservoir.
I, CHARLES MIOHAEL DRENNAN, of 44 Hopedale Street, in the City of Boston,
County of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention has for its .object to simplify and improve the construction of
automatic regulating devices for apparatus for feeding oil to a lamp or lamps
from an elevated tank or reservoir, whereby the supply of oil to the lamp or lamps
is more perfectly controlled and the valves rendered absolutely tight when closed,
thereby effectually preventing the oil from leaking down and overflowing the lamps
which has been a great source of trouble and annoyance in apparatus of this descrip-
tion as heretofore constructed. To this end my invention consists in certain novel
features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and specifi-
cally pointed out in the claim.
In the accompanying drawings,—
Figure 1 is an elevation of an apparatus for supplying oil to lamps, having my
improved automatic regulating device applied thereto.
Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the regulating device.
Figure 3 is a detail in perspective to be referred to.
In the said drawings, A, represents an elevated tank or reservoir for containing
a supply of hydrocarbon oil or other illuminating fluid. B, is the oil supply pipe
which is connected with the bottom of the reservoir A, and through which the oil
is supplied to the lamps C, C, passing first through my automatic regulator which
is connected with the supply pipe B, at any suitable distance from the lamp or
lamps, and is provided with valves to regulate the flow of the oil thereto.as will
now be described.
This regulator consists of a metallic casing or distributing reservoir D, to the
bottom of which are secured the branch pipes a, a, leading to the lamps C, C. The
reservoir D, is intended to contain oil at a level corresponding to that desired for
the lamp burners, and within said reservoir is placed a hollow float E, .of any
suitable shape, to the opposite sides. of which are rigidly secured two uprights.d, d,
to the upper ends of which are pivoted at 10, 10, two levers e, e, fulcrumed at f,f,
in hangers 9, 9, depending from the inner side of the top of the casing D. To
the inuer ends of the levers e, e, which are halved and fitted together as shown in
Fig. 3 is pivoted the bifurcated lower end of,a valve-stem or spindle.h, the pivot i,
passing through slots.k, farmed in the ends of the levers ee, to permit the same, to
move freely as required. The valve-stem b, extends up vertically within a valve-
casing G, which is secured to the top of the reservoir D, and is provided, at its
upper.end with a threaded, aperture for the reception of, the. lower end of the oil
supply pipe B, the valve-stem passing through quitable guide apertures in the
casing G, above, below, and between the valves, said apertures serving to permit
the oil to flow through the casing G, to the reservoir D, below. The valve
casing G, is composed of a base or lower portion 1, and two cups m, n, provided
with suitable caps or covers p, q, the several parts being fitted together and con-
nected by.screw threads as-shown in Fig. 2. These cupsm,nform:large combined

page_text: oil and valve chambers for containing the valves r, s, which are formed of a com-
position of hard rubber or other suitable material, said valves being screw threaded
to fit corresponding threads on the valve stem, whereby they are made adjustable
in height with relation to the valve seats t, u, to ensure a perfect fit thereupon.
These valve seats are considerably raised above the bottoms of the valve chambers
as shown in Fig. 2, and the diameter of the valves r, s, exceeds that of their
seats, causing them to overlap the same as shown at 15, whereby a portion of the
pressure of the oil contained in the enlarged valve chamber is caused to be
exerted in an upward direction against that portion of the under surface of each
valve which projects beyond its seat, thereby causing the valves to be partially
balanced, and establishing an equilibrium which renders the valves extremely
sensitive to the action of the float E, exerted through the medium of the levers e, e,
and valve stem h, the flow of the oil from the pipe B, to the reservoir D, being
thus automatically regulated with the greatest nicety so as to maintain the oil
in said reservoir at the exact height desired and prevent it from rising above such
level and overflowing the lamps.
It will be obvious that the upper valve, relieves the lower valves, of the
greater portion of the pressure of the oil in the pipe B, above so that when the
float E, descends by reason of the consumption of the oil by the lamps, the power
required to raise both valves will only slightly exceed that required to raise the
upper valve alone, thus enabling me to reduce the size of the float and causing
the valves to respond instantly to any increase in the height of the oil in the
reservoir D, a very slight upward movement of the upper valve being required to
produce a flow of the oil through the valve casing G, while the two valves
arranged as shown co-operate to jointly insure freedom from liability to leakage
and consequent overflow of the lamps which it has been found extremely difficult
to avoid in apparatus of this description as hitherto constructed, especially where
valves have been used having inverted valve seats which it is almost impossible to
render tight except when operated by a screw which is not adapted for use with
apparatus of this character.
The supply pipe B, is provided above the regulator with a valve w, for
shutting off the supply of oil to the regulator when the lamps are not required to
be lighted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
An oil lighting-apparatus comprising the reservoir D, having a removable cover
provided with a central opening and depending arms at opposite sides of said opening,
a pipe a, leading outwardly from the reservoir a lamp C, connected to the outer
end of the pipe, the horizontal elliptical float E, within the reservoir and having at
opposite sides standards d, d, the levers e, e, pivoted at their adjacent ends
to the depending arms and at their opposite ends pivoted to said standards,
a double separable valve-chamber on the top of the reservoir and having
raised valve-seats in the bottoms of both its chambers, a rod extending down
through the chambers into the reservoir and pivoted to the inner extremities of the
levers e, e, two downwardly closing valves adjustable towards and from each other
on the rod, and of greater diameter than their seats to allow the oil to press on
their under as well as their upper sides, and thereby partially balance them; the
said valves being of less diameter than the interior of their chambers to permit the
oil to flow down past them, a tank A, at a greater height than the reservoir D, and
a pipe leading from the tank into the top of the double valve-chamber, substan-
tially as set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.