IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF GAS "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Devine of the City of Manchester in the County
of Lancaster for an Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING
THE PRESSURE OF GAS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION' left by the said Henry Devine at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th June 1883.
HENRY DEVINE of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF GAS
"
The object of this invention is the construction of an apparatus to produce a
controlled pressure in gas supply pipes and this without the employment of any
diaphragm, piston, valve or other moving parts-I can apply my apparatus either
inside or near to the outlet pipe of the meter or at any branch pipe leading off the
supply pipe to any of the floors of a building. My invention consists in leading
the gas through a chamber or chambers the entrance to and outlet from which aro
reduced in area and which can be effected in the gas supply pipe itself or in a
separate chamber by the employment of a series of fixed discs or plates or their
equivalents which are eithor perforated or are of smaller diameter than the pipe so
as to permit the gas to pass on the outside of such discs. Or the same effect can be
produced by the employment of cones inserted in the chamber but in the contrary
direction to which the gas is flowing and so that the gas passes through the narrow
end of the cono-these cones being employed in some cases in conjunction with
the discs herein before mentioned. The apparatus is thus designed to give a
sufficient quantity of gas at a given pressure to a given number of lights.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Devine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1883.
J
HENRY DEVINE of Manchester in the County of Lancaster " IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF GAS"
The object of this invention is the construction of an apparatus to produce a
controlled pressure, in gas supply pipes and this without the employment of any
diaphragm, piston, valve or other moving parts—I can apply my apparatus either
inside or near to the outlet pipe of the meter or at any branch pipe loading off the
supply pipe to any of the floors of a building. My invention consists in lending
the gas through a chamber or chambers the entrance to and outlet from which are
reduced in area and which can be effected in the gas supply pipe itself or in a
separate chamber by the employment of a series of fixed discs or plates or their
equivalents which are either perforated or are of smaller diameter than the pipe so
as to permit the gas to pass on tlie outside of such discs. Or the samo effect can
be produced by the employment of cones inserted in the chainber but in the
contrary direction to which the gas is flowing and so that the gas passes through
the narrow-end of the cone-these cones being employed in some cases in
conjunction with the discs hereinbefore mentioned.
The apparatus is thus designed to give a sufficient quantity of gas at a given
pressure to a given number of lights.
And in order that this my said invention may be the more readily understood
and carried into practical effect I have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings
illustrative of my improvements and will now proceed to describe the same with
the assistance of the various Figures and letters of reference marked thereon-
Fig 1 represents a side sectional view of my improved apparatus which I call a
Gas Pressure Controller." It consists of an outer casing A which may be of a
cylindrical, rectangular or any other desired form and be constructed of sheet metal
or other suitable material.
"
'
This casing A is divided internally into chambers BC and D by the division
plates E and F which are fixed in an inclined direction as illustrated. These
chambers communicato together through the reduced apertures a and b which
although shown at the top and bottom may be situated at any other part of the
plates The action of this apparatus is as follows:-
The chamber A being in communication with the gas supply leading from the
meter and the chamber C in communication with the pipes leading to the premises
-or the apparatus being situated between the meter and any of the pipes leading
from the meter to the supply pipe or to any branch pipe of the house or other
locality to be regulated-the gas flows in the direction of the arrow and in passing
through the reduced aperture a meets with friction which controls and reduces its
velocity Having passed through this aperture a the gas enters the chamber B
where it has freedom to regain a portion of its velocity until it reaches the
aperture by means of which it is again reduced in velocity before entering the
chamber C. In this manner I am enabled to control a gas supply to the greatest
nicety and to prevent all flaring or flickering of the various lights in a building,
as the apparatus only permits gas to pass at a given pressure no matter what
variations take place in the main gas supply pipe-in other words I control the
pressure of gas issuing from the burners by the intervention of two or more
b

page_text: chambers and frictional orifices between the main and the pipes or burners requiring
to be regulated.
124
...
In Fig 2 I illustrate the same apparatus as in Fig 1 but with the addition' of
the wire gauze or other perforated plates c and d which are designed to still
further impede and control the passage of the gas.
In Fig 3 I illustrate the same description of apparatus as in Figs 1 and 2 but
the division plates E and F are in this case fixed at right angles to the axis of the
pipe and the chamber C is onlarged in the contre as illustrated-The perforations
in the division plates are also shown in the centre. In Figs 4 and 5 I represent
other forms of my improved Gas Pressure Controller-these only differ from tho
preceding apparatus in being divided into four chambers 'G HI and J and having
the division plates e ƒ and g at right angles to the axis of the outer casing and
perforated in the middle as illustrated.. Fig 4 is also of a different form externally
- the object I have in view in showing so many different forms of apparatus is to
make it clear that my invention does not consist in the shape of the apparatus
but in presenting a series of chambers to the passage of the gas and in controlling
the passage through such chambers in the manner hereinbefore described.
In Fig 6 I represent on an enlarged scale a modification of my invention which
I call an improved socket gas controller. This socket is dosigned to receive the
burner and to controll and regulate the gas passing through the same-It consists
of a series of chambers K L and M formed by the division plates N and O-the
central chamber being still further divided by the wire gauze or other perforated
plate P and the division plates being perforated or formed with apertures / and
-Tho action of this apparatus is the same as the foregoing. This improved
socket gas controller is specially applicable to street lamps.
Although in all the apparatus hereinbefore described I havo only shewn and
described a singlo aperture through the division plates it must be understood that
several apertures may be substituted provided that in the aggregate their combined
areas do not exceed the area of the single apertures-The size or area of tho
apertures is regulated according to the quantity of gas required to be supplied
to the pipes or burners and when once regulated does not require to be altered.
The adoption of this apparatus only allows a given quantity of gas to pass
through the meter and thus ensures such meter not being overworked or strained
and thereby increases its durability.
It will thus be observed that by an arrangement of discs provided with apertures
varying not only in area but also in position a given quantity of gas is ensured
passing through the pipes notwithstanding whatever variation of pressure is
brought to bear in the inain.
This quantity of gas being determinable by the extent and number of chambers
and by the area of apertures and position of such apertures
The apertures and chambers presenting repeated friction to the passage of the
gas and so ensuring the required quantity of gas being delivered at a controlled
pressure. An approximately similar result can be produced by causing the gas to
pass through a series of curves bends or undulations in a length of gas pipe or
its equivalent and so presenting repeated friction to the flow of gas but this I
should consider to be a modification of my invention.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying
the same into practical effect I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to
inserting a perforated diaphragm or plate in a gas supply pipe for retarding the
flow of gas nor do I claim the use of perforated plates or divisions in the
construction of gas burners but what I consider my invention and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is
1 The use and application of an apparatus containing two or more chambers
the entrance to and outlet from which are reduced in area for the purpose of
presenting repeated friction to and so controlling the
passage of gas substantially
as and for the purpose herein before described.

page_text: 2nd The combination and arrangement of apparatus for controlling the pressure
of gas substantially as hereinbef ore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Devine have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twenty first day of December in the year of our Lord One
thousand Eight hundred and Eighty three.