IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF GAS IN RAILWAY TRAINS BY ELECTRICITY
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
I WILLIAM EDWARD LANGDON of Derby in the County of Derby Superin-
tendent of the Midland Railway Telegraph Department, do hereby declare the
nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR REGULATING THE
SUPPLY OF GAS IN RAILWAY TRAINS BY ELECTRICITY" to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to economise the consumption of gas in railway
trains so that the full supply is only permitted at the discretion of the guard or
other attendant at such times as may be requisite and not to be kept burning as
now is the case throughout the journey.
The Invention consists of a means for operating from the guard's van or other
part of the train by the aid of electricity, commutators, stop cocks or valves so that
the supply of gas may be turned fully on or nearly off at pleasure throughout the
train.
To this end I attach to each stop cock a bar of magnetized steel, so that any
movement of the said bar will produce a corresponding movement in the stop cock.
In the neighbourhood of this bar of steel I arrange one or more electro magnets,
having cores of steel, in such manner that a current or currents of electricity passed
through the said electro-magnets shall according to the direction of the current
produce such movement of the said steel bar as shall fully open or nearly shut or
otherwise control the supply of the gas to the burner or burners, I provide a
battery in the guard's van or other convenient part of the train.
At the point from which the said stop cocks are required to be operated. I place
a suitable switch or key for the purpose of controlling the battery current and I
connect this key to the battery and to the electro-magnets or coils in the ordinary
manner by one or more wires in such manner that a current, positive or negative,
may be sent through the coils as may be desired.
Dated this Fifteenth day of March 1884
BREWER & JENSEN,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I WILLIAM EDWARD LANGDON of Derby in the County of Derby, Superin-
tendent of the Midland Railway Telegraph Department do hereby declare the
nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR REGULATING THE
SUPPLY OF GAS IN RAILWAY TRAINS BY ELECTRICITY " and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement.
The object of this Invention is to economize the consumption of gas in railway
trains so that the full supply is only permitted at the discretion of the guard or
other attendant at such times as may be requisite, and not to be kept fully burning
as now is the case throughout the journey.
The Invention consists of a means for operating from the guard's van or other
part of the train by the aid of electricity commutators stop-cocks or valves so that
the supply of gas may be turned fully on or nearly off at pleasure throughout the
train.
For this purpose I attach to each stop-cock or valve a bar of magnetized steel, so
that any movement of the said bar will produce a corresponding movement in the
stop cock or valve. In the neighbourhood of this bar of steel I arrange one or
more electro-magnets having cores of steel or iron in such manner that a current or
currents of electricity passed through the said electro magnets shall according to
the direction of the current produce such movement of the said steel bar as shall
fully open or nearly shut off or otherwise control the supply of the gas to the
burner or burners. I produce a battery in the guard's van or other convenient
part of the train,
At the point from which the said stop cocks are required to be operated I place
a suitable switch or key for the purpose of controlling the battery current and I
connect this key to the battery and to the electro magnets or coils in the ordinary
manner by one or more wires in such manner that a current, positive or negative,
may be sent through the coils as may be desired.
And in order that this-my Invention may be more fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will describe the same with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Figure 1 is a front view and Figure 2 a side view of the interior of the
apparatus for controlling the supply of the gas; Figure 3 is a perspective view
especially showing the armature of the electro magnet used in the apparatus, and
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus when enclosed in the covering case.
A is the gas supply pipe or tube from the cylinder or reservoir in which the gas
is stored... B is the pipe or tube leading to the burners of the several lamps on one
carriage. C is a case or box formed of a non-magnetic metal, or having that
portion in contact with the electro magnets so formed, or it may be formed entirely
of wood, ebonite or other non-magnetic material capable of withstanding the
pressure of the gas which has to pass through it. D is an electro-magnet having
its iron or steel cores or poles d di carried through at the upper end of the box
so as to completely fill the openings made for their reception and so leave no space
for the escape of the gas. E is a bar of magnetized steel pivotted at e, e' within
the case C carrying upon its upper portion a pad or stop valve f which stop valve
when the magnet E is in the dotted position Figure 1 is so arranged as to close or
nearly close the mouth or end of the tube B, or otherwise limit the supply of gas
passing into the tube B from the box C. HH' are stops for limiting the movement
of the bar E the stop H¹ being a permanently fixed screw or pin and the stop H

page_text: being a screw capable of adjustment at will. G is an armature locking bar
employed only when the cores & d' are formed of soft iron pivotted at g g¹ being
composed of an ordinary armature of soft iron having fixed upon it a brass bar G¹
which when the armature is uninfluenced by a current of electricity being passed
through the electro magnet engages with the magnet E in such a manner as to
keep-it in one of two positions viz, either as shown in full lines at Figure 1 (open)
or as shown in dotted lines (closed or nearly so). When a current, either positive,
or negative is passing through the electro magnet D, the armature G will be drawn
up towards the cores d, d¹ and carrying with it the locking bar G¹ attached thereto
and will leave the magnet E free to move to one side or the other according to the
direction of the current.
The tubes A B at the points where they enter the case C, as also the adjusting
screw H are so fixed as to prevent any escape of the gas within the case C, the
lid C¹ of which is packed with an india rubber or other suitable washer C and
firmly screwed down by nuts and screws as shown at Figure 2. The case is thus
rendered air or gas tight the only means of ingress and egress being those afforded
by the tubes A. B.
K Figure 4 is a metal or other cover enclosing the whole apparatus, L being a
sliding lid by means of which the interior may be conveniently reached when
necessary.
This instrument I fix upon that end or portion of the railway carriage or van
most convenient to obtain connection with the tubes conveying the gas to the
lamps of the carriage or van. Figure 5 is an end view of an ordinary railway
carriage, and in which M represents the gas reservoir or cylinder, A the tube or
pipe leading from it. K the electrical gas valve or stop cock above described and
B the tube leading therefrom to the lamps. Should the reservoir of gas be placed
upon the top of the carriage or other position the connection with it would be
practically the same, the arrangement being such that the gas for the illumination
of the carriage shall in either case be passed through the electrical valve before
coming to the lamps.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of part of a railway train to which my Invention is
applied and Figure 7 is a diagram showing the electrical connections.
In the guard's van I place an electrical battery x the two poles of which I
connect to a reversing key or switch Y which reversing switch I connect by one
or by preference by two wires Z with each coach or vehicle fitted with the electrical
valve as shown in Figure 6 and as symbolically represented by Figure 7.
I employ for the electric coupling between vehicle and vehicle the joint Invention
of Mr. W. H. Preece, F.R.S. and myself for which Letters Patent were granted
unto us bearing date 31st of March 1883 N° 1632.
Now in explanation of the working hereof, let it be assumed that the valve
instrument stands as shown in full lines at Figure 1, viz. full open and that the
train is coupled up as shown at Figures 6 and 7 the final coupling and which is
uncoupled closing the circuit that is placing the two wires together, or if one wire
only be employed placing it to "earth or in contact with the railway metals.
All the valves being in this position the gas will flow from A through the
apparatus K and out at B to feed the several lamps of each carriage. It is now
desired to turn the gas down so that instead of its affording a full flame and a full
light it may only afford a minimum flame sufficient to retain ignition of the gas
and so admit of the light being again raised to its full strength whenever desired.
To do this the guard reverses his switch so as to send say a negative current
throughout the several valve instruments upon the train. This current being
opposite to that employed to place the magnet bar E in the "open" position passes
through the electro magnet D lifts the locking bar or armature G free from È and
produces that polarity. in its cores d, d' which causes the pole or core d¹ to repel
and the pole & to attract the upper portion of the magnet bar E. On the cessation
of the current which flows only so long as the guard is manipulating his reversing
switch or commutator the locking bar or armature G falls away from the cores d, d¹

page_text: This
and locks the magnet bar E in the closed (dotted) position. The gas is now cut
off to the extent to which it has been regulated by the regulating screw or stop H
and will remain so until an opposite current is sent from the guard's van.
will be effected by the guard operating his switch in the ON direction. An
opposite, say a positive current is by this action sent through each instrument the
arinature G is again lifted the magnet bar E is set free, and its upper portion is
now repelled by the pole d and attracted, by the pole d¹. On the cessation of the
current the armature G falls and locks the magnet E in the "open" position.
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:
Firstly. The application of electricity to the control of the supply of gas in
railway trains substantially in the manner described.
Secondly. The application of an electro magnet operating on a magnetised steel
bar for the opening or closing of a valve or cock for regulating the supply of gas
to railway carriage lamps substantially as set forth.
Thirdly. The combination of parts forming the gas admission regulating appliance
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4.
Fourthly. The general combination and arrangement of parts described with
reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7.
Fifthly. The employment of a non-magnetic case or chamber in which is
arranged the movable portions of the valves or stop cock through which the gas
is made to pass substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Dated this Twelfth day of July 1884