Improvements in Gas-governors.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas-governors.
A communication from ARCHIBALD FORD, of Oakland, County of Alameda, State
of California, U.S.A., Machinist.
J, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent 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 :—
The invention has for its object to prevent the escape from gas-governors of the
sealing-fluid in which the valve-controlling float is immersed and thereby avoid the
escape of gas with the resulting danger to life and property. A further object is
to enhance the value of this class of devices, as economical appliances, by simplifying
their construction and lessening the cost of their manufacture.
Referring to the accompanying drawing for a detailed description of the
invention.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the governor as it appears when removed from
the gas-pipes.
Figure 2 is a partly-broken top view of the same.
A represents the casing or chamber through which the gas from the mains has to
pass before it is allowed to reach the feed-pipes. The gas enters this casing through
a tubular inlet B at the bottom thereof, and leaves it through an outlet C of similar
shape located at the side of the chamber. Communication is established between
the inlet and the supply-pipe through an L-coupling D. The outlet is secured to the
delivery-pipe by means of the ordinary screw-thread connection.
Close to the
outlet and communicating with it is an annular depression a formed in the bottom
of the casing, around the inlet B, and adapted to collect the sediment resulting from
the impurities brought up by the gas, which, it will be observed, may be readily
removed through said outlet.
E is a trough formed annularly between concentric walls running upwardly from
the lower part of the casing. Into it is poured the sealing-fluid, quicksilver
preferred.
F is the horizontal partition, called diaphragm which covers the empty space in
the casing surrounded by the inner wall of the trough. This partition is down-
wardly-curved at a', forming on the top of the gas-chamber a circular depression
confined between two ridges a' a³, one of which is located at the inner edge of the
trough E and the other in a higher plane around the central opening of provided for
the valve-stem hereinafter mentioned. The depression within the ridge a² affords
a convenient means of collecting the quicksilver which may be accidentally thrown
over the inner edge of the trough while the higher innermost ridge aª effectively
prevents its escape into the gas-chamber and thence into the pipes and meter.
Above the diaphragm is the float G, which consists of an inverted cup having a
slightly curved bottom and whose edges dip in the sealing-fluid contained in the
trough. To the centre of this cup is secured a spindle or stem H which runs
vertically through the gas-chamber passing through the opening f and inlet B and
carries the gas-regulating valve I at its lower end. The upper end of the stem H
also projects in a vertical direction above the float G where it may be used to hold
weights occasionally placed around it to regulate the pressure at which the float
shall rise.
The valve I is placed so as to be easily accessible at the bottom end of the
inlet B, which it closes and uncloses according to the gas-pressure. By preference,
it is made of brass and has for a seat a bushing of similar metal l' fitted in the
lower end of the inlet.

page_text: J represents the cover of the governor. This cover may be cast in one piece, if
desired, but it is deemed best to supplement it with a central removable cap J
secured to it by screw-threads, as shown it being preferable for obvious reasons not
to remove the whole cover when putting weights on or removing them from the
float, since this can be conveniently done through the opening covered by the cap.
The cover J is secured to the governor at a by means of an internally screw-
threaded flange which engages an external screw-thread cut around the casing,
upon the edges of which a rib or shoulder cast around the periphery of the
flange b is brought to bear. A tight joint is thus made which prevents the escape
at this point of the quicksilver contained in the trough. Farther up the cover is
provided with a second flange b³ concentric with the first one and forming with it
an inverted annular trough E' situated diametrically opposite the trough E
previously described. The flange which forms the inner side of the upper trough
is made to extend far enough down to be quite close to the float G when the latter
rises under the pressure of the gas, so that the upper trough will then practically
close up all that part of the lower trough which lies outside the float. The effect
of this construction is to prevent globules of mercury or drops of other sealing-fluid
from being cast over the float or the weights thereon, when owing to the great
pressure of the gas the quicksilver or other sealing-fluid is thrown out of the lower
trough. If so thrown out, the sealing fluid simply follows the curves presented by
the opposite inverted trough and the edges of the float and immediately falls back
into place. Loss of the sealing-fluid and escape of the gås are thereby effectively
guarded against. The inverted trough is also found useful. when carrying the
gas-governor from one place to another, as it may then be carried upside down
without danger of losing any of the sealing-fluid as the fluid can be readily
transferred from the lower trough to the upper one.
A hole c is made in the cap J to provide for the ingress and egress of air
according to the rise and fall of the float within the governor. A similar hole d is
provided for the troughs E E'. By preference, the hole d is made by filling a
small groove into the casing through its external thread. The grooved may be
cut obliquely, if preferred.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. The improved gas-governor herein described and shown consisting of a casing
-having an inlet in its bottom and an outlet on its side and provided with an annular
trough at its upper end a centrally perforated diaphragm extending over the casing
and formed integral with the side walls of the same said diaphragm having a slight
annular concentric depression sealing fluid partially filling the annular trough an
inverted cup-shaped float arranged above the diaphragm and having its edge playing
in said fluid a valve stem secured to the float and extending downward therefrom
through the diaphragm and into the inlet passage a valve secured to the lower end
of the said stem and adapted to close the lower end of the inlet and a cap secured
to the upper end of the casing and provided on its inner side with a depending
annular flange of about the same diameter as the diaphragm.
2. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming the
improved gas-governor, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 9th day of November 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham,
Agents for the Applicant.