IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR OTHERWISE ACTING ON THE FLOW OR PRES- SURE OF ILLUMINATING AND OTHER GASES OR VAPORS, AND IN PART RELATING TO THE TESTING OF GAS AND GAS APPARATUS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Bruce Peebles, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid-
Lothian, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR OTHERWISE ACTING ON THE FLOW OR PRES-
SURE OF ILLUMINATING AND OTHER GASES OR VAPORS, AND IN PART RELATING
TO THE TESTING OF GAS AND GAS APPARATUS."
Sealed the 13th October 1877, and dated the 26th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Bruce Peebles at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th April 1877.
DAVID BRUCE PEEBLES, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid-Lothian, North
Britain, Engincer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR OTHERWISE
ACTING ON THE FLOW OR PRESSURE OF ILLUMINATING AND OTHER GASES OR VAPORS,
AND IN PART RELATING TO THE TESTING OF GAS AND GAS APPARATUS."
This Invention comprises various improvements in constructive details and in the
modes of combining the parts of gas apparatus, and has generally for its objects the
better governing or otherwise acting on the flow or pressure of illuminating and
other gases, and the accurate and rapid testing of gas and gas apparatus.
One piece of improved apparatus may be termed a two-pressures or day-and-night
controller, and is to be applied to a large governor for a district or the like, such
large governor being of any of the kinds described or referred to in the Specification
of Letters Patent granted to the present applicant, and dated 26 June 1875 (No. 2328),
or of the improved kind herein-after described, or of any other suitable kind in
which the pressure of gas on one side of a bell or diaphragm is opposed or partly
opposed by the pressure of gas or air on the other side. This controller may be
fitted up close to the governor, or in the engineer's or manager's office, or in an
ordinary street lamp, and at any reasonable distance from the governor, like the
small governing or controlling apparatus described in the said earlier Specification.
Instead of gas continuously passing into and out of the space in the governor as
in former arrangements, it is saved in the day time with the new apparatus. In
it a small pipe is connected to the burner tube of a street lamp, or to any tube
having a small orifice between the stop-cock and burner or orifice, and this pipe is
led to the large governor.

page_text: When the stop-cock is shut, as during the day, the atmosphere alone has access
by the burner or other orifice and by the added pipe to the district governor, which
is adjusted by weights to give the minimum or day pressure when the atmospheric
pressure acts in it. In the evening the stop-cock of the controller is opened and
the gas having sufficient pressure for issuing from the burner or orifice, and which
is necessarily greater than that of the atmosphere, causes an increased pressure to be
transmitted along the added pipe to the district governor, and thereby makes it
allow the maximum or night pressure to pass. A small governor is by preference
applied for regulating the pressure of gas which passes to the burner or orifice
and added pipe, and a small stop-cock or screw-plug may be fitted to the tube
having the burner or other outlet orifice; in general, however, the desired issue of
of gas may be obtained by selecting a burner of a suitable size. The engineer or
manager has thus the choice of either keeping his district governors connected with
the station governor in the day time and with gas continuously flowing through
the burner or orifice, or of cutting off all connection, and whilst saving gas, making
the change of district pressure depend on the mere turning on or shutting off of the
gas of a public lamp or other suitable outlet.
The two-pressures controller may be modified to suit various situations and pur-
poses, and the larger governor may be arranged to entirely shut off the gas when
the pressure acting on it is that of the atmosphere only.
In an improved governor, suitable for large as well as small sizes, an equilibrium
or double-beat valve arrangement is used, but that one of the two valves or discs
which moves from the inlet space into the governor chamber or outlet space is made
with a cylindrical shell or extension so as not to appreciably open its port when
only slightly moved from its seat. This will prevent the vibration of the valves
which is apt to occur when a comparatively small quantity of gas passes and
will maintain the inlet pressure on the valvo which moves out of the inlet space.
In some cases the cylindrical shell or extension may be large enough to keep
always within the valve seat almost all the gas passing the other valve.
In a dry governor the valves will be connected to a diaphragm placed either.
above or below them, and loaded in any suitable way.
In a wet governor the floating bell to which the valves will be connected will,
in some modifications, be below them, the outlet or governed pressure acting on the
top of it, whilst atmospheric air or gas from the inlet, and regulated by a stop-cock
or small governor, or both, acts inside it. A tube extends up from the top of the
bell, and whilst forming the spindle of the valves, is continued above them through
an aperture in the top of the chamber, which aperture is sealed by a liquid joint
into a small chamber at the top, thus avoiding pipe connections with the bottom of
the governor in cases in which such connections are not desirable.
When the governing pressure is that of gas, which is itself governed, a small
outlet is required for it, as explained in the earlier Specification herein-before referred
to. By the present Invention an additional small governor is applied to the outlet
for the purpose of securing nicer adjustments when the gas passing through it is
not led into the main outlet pipe, and it secures an invariable size of flame, which
can be used for a jet photometer or for testing for sulphuretted hydrogen or carbonic
acid.
In another modification, the floating bell is arranged in a chamber above the
equilibrium valves, the valve spindle being connected to it through a liquid joint.
In another modification of, governor, an equilibrium valve arrangement is formed
by attaching or connecting to the top of a floating bell a hollow valve closing down
on the upper and outer side of a seat, which is in the form of an annular flange on
the bottom end of the outlet tube which projects down from the top of the governor
chamber. The float may be counterbalanced like that in the preceding modification,
or by means of weights, or counterweighted levers may be used to give increased
buoyancy.
In the apparatus for testing gas and gas apparatus, such as burners and lamp
governors, and which is advantageously applicable for other purposes, such as testing

page_text: one kind of gas at different pressures simultaneously, or mixing one stream of gas
or vapor with another stream of gas or vapor, or air in definite proportions, two gas
meters of any suitable known kind are combined, and spindles, turned by the
actions of the two meters, have gearing and pointers, or a pointer and a dial con-
nected with them, so that the action of cach can at any time be compared at a
glance and the stop-valves be adjusted to give equal or other desired relative flows
through the two meters.
In one modification, the horizontal spindles of the drums of two ordinary wet
meters are geared by bevil and spur wheels so as to move, the one a tubular spindle
carrying a disc or dial, and the other a spindle passing up the tubular spindle and
carrying a pointer or arrow. Then any difference of motion of the arrow and disc
will show a difference of flow (if the meters pass the same quantities por revo-
lution) whilst the relation of the two motions to a fixed point will show the rates
of flow.
In another modification, the motions of the two meters are communicated to two
discs revolving in opposite directions, and having between them two or more wheels
on radial axles, which axles are attached to a spindle passing through the centre of
one of the discs and carrying a pointer. When the discs move at equal speeds, the
wheels between them are simply turned on their axles, but when the speeds of the
discs are unequal, the wheels will be carried round as well as turned, and by moving
the axles and pointer, will indicate the difference between the speeds.
When the combined meters are used for mixing two streams, the drums or
equivalent parts are geared together so that they can only act so as to pass the
desired relative quantities, the gearing being proportioned to suit such quantities.
If one of the streams has less pressure than the other, or, as in the case of atmo-
spheric air, no effective pressure, the meter it passes through will be driven by the
other meter so as to draw in and pass the required proportional quantity; or power
from any suitable source external to both meters may be applied to drive them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said David Bruce Peebles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
October 1877.
"
DAVID BRUCE PEEBLES, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR OTHERWISE ACTING
ON THE FLOW OR PRESSURE OF ILLUMINATING AND OTHER GASES OR VAPORS, AND
IN PART RELATING TO THE TESTING OF GAS AND GAS APPARATUS."
My said Invention comprises various improvements in constructive details, and in
the modes of combining the parts of gas apparatus, and has generally for its objects
the better governing or otherwise acting on the flow or pressure of illuminating
and other gases, and the accurate and rapid testing of gas and gas apparatus.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood, I hereunto append two Sheets of explanatory Drawings to
be herein-after referred to, and representing gas-governing and other apparatus as
made with my present improvements.
In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or
like parts wherever they are repeated.
One piece of my improved apparatus is shown in sectional elevation in Figure 1,
on Sheet 1, of the accompanying Drawings. It may be termed a two-pressures or
day-and-night controller, and is to be applied in connection with a large governor
for a district, or the like, such large governor being of any of the kinds described or
referred to in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and dated 26 June
1875 (No. 2328), or of the improved kinds herein-after described, or of any other
suitable kind, in which the pressure of gas on one side of a bell or diaphragm is

page_text: opposed or partly opposed by the pressure of gas or air on the other side. This
controller may be fitted up close to the governor, or in the engineer's or manager's
office, or in an ordinary street lamp, and at any reasonable distance from the
governor, like the small governing or controlling apparatus described in my said
earlier Specification. Instead of gas continuously passing into and out of the space in
the governor, as in my former arrangements, it is saved in the day time with my
new apparatus. In it a small pipe 1 is connected to the burner tube 2 of a street
lamp, or to any tube having a small orifice, the connection being made between
the stop-cock 3 and the burner 4 or orifice, and this pipe 1 is led to the large
governor.
When the stop-cock 3 is shut, as during the day, the atmosphere alone has access
by the burner 4 or other orifice, and the added pipe 1 to the district governor, which
is adjusted by weights to give the minimum or day pressure when the atmospheric
pressure acts in it. In the evening the stop-cock 3 of the controller is opened and
the gas having sufficient pressure for issuing from the burner 4 or orifice, and which
is necessarily greater than that of the atmosphere, causes an increased pressure to be
transmitted along the added pipe 1 to the large governor, and thereby makes it
allow the maximum or night pressure to pass. A small governor 5 is by preference
applied for regulating the pressure of the gas which passes to the burner 4, or orifice,
and added pipe 1; and a small stop-cock or screw plug may be fitted to the tube 2,
having the burner or other outlet orifice; in general however the desired issue of
gas may be obtained by selecting a burner 4 of a suitable size. With this apparatus
the engineer or manager has the choice of either keeping his district governors con-
nected with the station governor in the day time, and with gas continuously flowing
through the burner or orifice, or of cutting off all connection, and whilst saving gas,
making the change of district pressure depend on the mere turning on or shutting
off of the gas of a public lamp or other suitable outlet.
My two-pressures controller may be modified to suit various situations and
purposes, and the larger governor may be arranged to entirely shut off the gas when
the pressure acting in it is that of the atmosphere only. Thus the controller may
be used for entirely shutting off the gas from a large number of burners, such as
those of a factory, hotel, theatre, or the public lamps of a district. Or the large
governor may be loaded so as, when acted on by atmospheric pressure alone, to
allow sufficient gas to pass to keep a number of burners barely alight (the minute
jets being in that case protected by wind guards). With this arrangement, the
street lamps of a district might, for example, be kept always alight, and the lights
be raised or lowered by turning the stop-cock 3 of a single burner. The pipe 6 on
which the stop-cock 3 is fitted leads gas to the controller from the main or from the
inlet pipe 7 of the large governor (see Figures 2, 4, 5, 6), and when it is wished to
keep the burners in connection with a large governor alight when the stop-cock 3 of
the controller is shut, it will in many cases be convenient to do this by means of a
small by-pass pipe 8 (Figures 2, 4,), having a stop-cock by which the quantity of
gas passing for such purpose can be adjusted, the main governor valve being loaded
so as to entirely close when the controller stop-cock 3 is shut.
Figure 3 is a vertical section showing a modification of my two-pressures con-
troller, in which the gas for acting in the large or district governor when the
maximum pressure is wanted, is drawn off the main 9 into a floating receiver 10.
Pipes 11, 12, from the main 9 and receiver 10, and the pipes 1, 2, communicating
respectively with the district governor and with the burner 4 or small outlet orifice,
are all four connected to one rotating valve or stop-cock 13, a second position of
which is shown at 14. In the position of the valve at 13 the governor pipe 1 com-
municates with the burner pipe 2, and therefore the atmospheric pressure acts in
the governor.
In this position (13) of the valve the receiver 10 can be raised to
draw in a supply of gas from the main; and there should be a check valve in the
pipe 11 to prevent the return of the gas back to the main whenever it is wished to
load the gas in the bell or receiver 10 to a pressure greater than that in the main.
When the valve is turned into the position 14, the pipes 11, 2, are shut off, and the

page_text: pipes 1 and 12 are put in communication with each other, so that the pressure in the
receiver 10 is transmitted to the district or large governor. This arrangement
admits of the maximum pressure being conveniently adjusted, and in a manner to
be independent of variations of the pressure in the main 9 as long as that pressure is
maintained above a certain point.
In governors of large as well as small sizes, I by my present Invention use an
equilibrium or double-heat valve arrangement, and I make that one of the two
valves or discs which moves from the inlet space into the governor chamber or
outlet space, with a cylindrical shell or extension, so as not to appreciably open its
port when only slightly moved from its seat. The object of this cylindrical
extension is to prevent vibration of the valves should it tend to occur when a com-
paratively small quantity of gas passes, and also to maintain the inlet pressure on
the valve which moves out of the inlet space.
In some cases the cylindrical shell or extension may be large enough to keep
always within the valve seat almost all the gas passing by the other valve.
In a dry governor, such as is shown in vertical section in Figure 2, the
valves 15, 16, are connected by a spindle 17 to a flexible diaphragm 18, placed
either above the valves, as shown, or below them, and loaded in any suitable way.
The valves 15, 16, are represented as conical, but when not required to close tightly
they may be simple discs nearly fitting cylindrical ports, as shown in Figure 4. The
cylindrical extension 19 is formed on or attached to the upper valve 15, which is
the one that moves from the inlet space 20 into the outlet space 21.
In wet governors the parts connected with the equilibrium valves 15, 16, are
susceptible of several modifications, and in one modification, shown in vertical
section in Figure 4, the floating bell 22, to which the valves 15, 16, are connected,
is below them, the outlet or governed pressure in the space 21 acting on the top of
it, whilst atmospheric air or gas from the inlet 7, and regulated by a stop-cock or
small governor, or both, acts inside it. A tube 23 extends up from the top of the
bell 22, and, whilst forming the spindle of the valves 15, 16, is continued above them
through an aperture in the top of the chamber 21, which aperture is sealed by a
liquid joint 24 into a small chamber 25 at the top, thus avoiding pipe connections
with the bottom of the governor in cases in which such connections are not desirable.
Weights 26, for loading the valves 15, 16, may be conveniently applied in the upper
chamber 25, as shown.
When the governing pressure is that of gas, which is itself governed, a small
outlet is required for it, as explained in my earlier Specification herein-before
referred to. By my present Invention an additional small governor 27 is applied to
the outlet for the purpose of securing nicer adjustments when the gas passing
through it is not led into the main outlet pipe; and it secures an invariable size of
flame, which can be used for a jet photometer, or for testing for sulphuretted
hydrogen or carbonic acid. This additional small governor 27 is also applicable to my
two-pressures controller, and is in fact shown in connection therewith in Figure 4.
Figure 5, on Sheet 2 of the Drawings, is a vertical section of a governor,
substantially the same as that shown in Figure 4 and herein-before described,
but with the regulating weights applied in a different manner. The valves 15, 16,
are partly carried by a float 22, below them, and are partly counterbalanced
by a lever 28, arranged in a chamber 29, formed below the main governor
chamber. A rod 30, jointed to one end of the lever 28, bears against the upper
end of a tubular spindle 31 attached to the valves 15, 16, and a rod 32 jointed
to the other end of the lever 28 passes up a pipe 33 to a vessel 34 above where the
counterbalancing weights 26 are applied to it. The vessel 34 is closed with a
mercury seal or in any other convenient way. My two-pressures controller is shown
as fitted to this governor, but a very simple and for some purposes efficient modifi-
cation of it may be formed by connecting the inlet 7 by means of a small pipe and
stop-cock 35, as indicated by dotted lines, with the pipe 33, or any other convenient
part communicating with the interior of the bell 22. This mode of connection by
a small pipe or orifice in cases in which the inlet pressure is admitted to the inside

page_text: of the bell or float 22 will check or prevent vibration of the valves as the volume
of gas inside the bell 22 cannot change suddenly.
The modification shown in Figure 4 may be similarly simplified by directly
connecting the inlet 7 with the inside of the bell 22 by means of a small perforation
in the tube 23 at any part between the valves 15, 16. Of course, when the inlet
gas is admitted to the interior of the bell 22 in this simple and direct manner, the
upper chamber 25 and its contents or equivalent parts are dispensed with, and the
governor assumes a very simple form, well suited for an automatic or responsive
district governor, which, whilst regulating the pressure for its own district in a
suitable ratio to the initial pressure, also acts in concert with the changes of pressure
effected at the central station.
Figure 6 is a vertical section of a modification like that shown in Figure 5, but
with the regulating weights 26 applied directly to the lever 28, whilst the interior
of the bell 22 is open to the atmosphere. This modification is suitable for compara-
tively small sizes and where the governor is not required to be placed under-ground.
Figure 7 is a vertical section of a modification in which the equilibrium
valves 15, 16, have a float or bell 22 attached below them, the interior of which
communicates by a pipe 23, and through a water joint 24, with an upper chamber 25,
the upper open end of the pipe 23 being covered by a bell 36, which is partly
immersed in water or other liquid, and has air or gas confined in it in communication
with the air or gas in the bell 22 below. The action of this governor is regulated
by loading the upper bell 36.
The arrangement shown in Figure 7 may be modified by connecting the interior
of the upper and lower bells 36, 26, by means of the pipes and bottom chamber,
indicated by dotted lines, instead of by the pipe 23 and water joint 24; or the
lower bell 22 may be dispensed with, a spindle, in place of the pipe 23, connecting
the valves 15, 16, having the cylindrical extension 19 through the liquid joint 24 to
the upper bell 36. In the latter case the bell 36 will require to be partly counter-
balanced or to be made with the common annular float at its lower part.
It is important to notice that in the modifications of wet governors shown in
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and herein-before described, the bell 22, beneath the valves 15, 16,
floats in water or liquid which is not subjected to the inlet pressure of the gas, but
to the governed or outlet pressure, and the governor will therefore not be improperly
affected by changes in the inlet pressure. Whilst the cylindrical extension 19 of
the upper valve 15, as herein-before explained, is designed to serve two purposes,
one of these, namely, the contraction of the passage when the valve is partly open
may be partly attained, and with advantage as regards prevention of vibration, by
a similar construction in connection with the lower valve 16, or in other words,
by making the float 22 nearly of the same diameter as the valve port, as shown in
Figures 5, 6, 7. I may also here remark that in many cases I prefer to use
glycerin or other suitable viscous liquid in my improved governors, and in
order to reduce the quantity required I construct a cylindrical shell 37, Figures 5, 6,
in the lower part of the governor and extending up within the bell 22.
Figure 8 is a vertical section of a modification of governor in which an equilibrium
valve arrangement is formed by attaching or connecting to the top of a floating
bell 22 a hollow valve 38, the upper contracted lip 39 of which closes down on the
upper and outer side of a seat 40 which is in the form of an annular flange on the
bottom end of an outlet tube 41, which projects down from the top of the governor
chamber. The float 22 may be counterbalanced as in any of the preceding
modifications.
In my apparatus for testing gas and gas apparatus, such as burners and lamp
governors, and which is advantageously applicable for other purposes, such as testing
one kind of gas at different pressures simultaneously, or mixing one stream of
gas or vapor with another stream of gas or vapor, two gas meters of any
suitable known kind are combined, and spindles turned by the actions of the two
meters have gearing and pointers, or a pointer and a dial connected with them, so
that the action of each can at any time be compared at a glance, and the stop

page_text: valves be adjusted to give equal or other desired relative flows through the two
meters.
In one modification, shown in Figure 9, the horizontal spindles of the drums of two
ordinary wet meters 42, 43, are geared by internal bevil wheels to two vertical
spindles 44, 45, which by spur wheels move, the one tubular spindle carrying a
disc or dial, 46, and the other a spindle passing up the tubular spindle and carrying
a pointer or arrow 47. Then any difference of motion of the arrow 47 and disc 4€
will show a difference of flow (if the meters 42, 43, pass the same quantities per
revolution) whilst the relation of the two motions to a fixed point will show the
rates of flow.
In another modification, partly shown in Figure 10, the motions of the two meters
are communicated to two discs 48, 49, so as to make these rotate in opposite
directions, and a wheel 50 is set between them loose on a radial axle or spindle 51,
which can turn freely on the spindle of the upper disc 48. A pointer 52 is attached
to the radial axle 51, and when the discs 48, 49, move at equal speeds, the wheel 50
is simply turned on its axle, but when the speeds of the discs are unequal, the
wheel 50 will be carried round as well as turned, and by moving the axle 51 and
pointer 52 will indicate the difference between the speeds.
When the combined meters are used for mixing two streams, the drums or
equivalent parts are geared together so that they can only act so as to pass the
desired relative quantities, the gearing being proportioned so as to suit such
quantities. If one of the streams has less pressure than the other, or as in the case
of atmospheric air, no effective pressure, the meter it passes through will be driven
by the other meter so as to draw in and pass the required proportional quantity,
or power from any suitable source external to both meters may be applied to
drive them.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the heroin-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The combination of parts constituting a two-pressures or day-and-night con-
troller, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described.
2. The modification of the two-pressures or day-and-night controller, constructed
substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described with reference to
Figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
3. The application of an additional small governor (27) to the outlet burner or
orifice used when controlling a large governor by means of a small one, or when
using the two-pressures controller, as herein-before described.
4. The combining of parts to form a gas governor, substantially in the manner
herein-before described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
5. The combining of parts to form a gas governor, substantially in the manner
herein-before described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
6. The combining of parts to form a gas governor, substantially in the manner
herein-before described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
7. The combining of parts to form a gas governor, substantially in the manner
herein-before described with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
8. The combining of parts to form a gas governor, substantially in the manner
herein-before described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying Drawings.
9. The combining of parts to form a gas governor, substantially in the manner
herein-before described with reference to Figure 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
10. The combining of parts to form a gas governor, substantially in the manner
herein-before described with reference to Figure 9 of the accompanying Drawings.
11. The application in a gas governor of a pair of equilibrium valves, one of which,
moving into the outlet space, is made with a cylindrical extension, substantially as
and for the purposes herein-before described.
12. The combination in a gas governor of a pair of equilibrium valves or an

page_text: equivalent valvular arrangement connected to a bell or float beneath them, to which
bell or float the inlet gas has direct access by a small perforation, as herein-before
described.
13. The counterbalancing or weighting of the bell or float of a gas governor
having a pair of equilibrium valves at the top of the said bell or float by means of a
lever arranged beneath the governor chamber, substantially as herein-before described
with reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying Drawings.
14. The making of the governor proper, together with the separate chamber (25)
on the top of it, for containing appliances for controlling the pressure which regulates
the action of the governor so as to form a compact and directly connected or self-
contained whole or combination, as herein-before described.
15. The combining of a pair of meters for testing purposes, substantially in the
manner herein-before described with reference to Figures 9 and 10 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
16. The mixing of two currents of gases, or of gas or vapor and air, by means of
two meters combined by gearing, substantially as herein-before described with
reference to Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Bruce Peebles have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
D. BRUCE PEEBLES. (L.S.)