AN IMPROVED GAS LIGHT GOVERNOR OR REGULATOR, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Bickerton, of Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED GAS LIGHT GOVERNOR OR
REGULATOR, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO REGULATING THE SUPPLY
OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS."
J
Sealed the 6th February 1855, and dated the 11th August 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Bickerton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
August 1854.
I, SAMUEL BICKERTON, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED GAS LIGHT
GOVERNOR OB REGULATOR, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO REGULATING
THE SUPPLY OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS," to be as follows, viz. :-
My Invention consists of a metal tank with a flange round the top, and a.
suitable covering with a flange to correspond, the two parts being bolted or
screwed together and forming an air-tight case. In the cover are inlet & outlet
pipes, with suitable connexions for the supply pipe. The gas in its passage
from the main to the burners must pass through or in and out of this air-tight
case. The end of the outlet pipe where it joins the top of the case is enlarged,
so as to allow the free play of a valve, & thus forms a valve box. The valve
may be a plain disc or of a conical form. The tank or bottom part of the case
must be supplied with water, oil, or other fluid, or water with a stratum of oil
above it. In this fluid is immersed (or partially so) a body or float, so con-

page_text: structed as to be nearly of the same specific gravity with the fluid, and made of
tin or mixture of tin & other metals; in form of a hollow cylindrical case,
with a tube of the same. metal passing through it, & extending to about the
height of the tank. This tube is open at bottom, but closed at top, with the
exception of one or two small holes. In the centre of the bottom of the tank
is a small pipe of convenient length, & passing up the centre of the tube of
the float. The float is attached to the valve by a slender rod of wire, extended
so as to reach a suitable distance down the pipe, which thus acts as a guide to
keep the float & valve vertical. The tank being now filled with water or
other fluid, the float & valve will rise a little, & then, by letting out a portion
of the fluid, the valve can be easily adjusted, so as to keep-the-pressure of the
gas in the supply pipe to any degree less than that in the main. This difference
will be preserved, whatever number of "lights may be turned on or off, so that
the supply of gas will be regulated by an apparatus so constructed, that the
valve with the parts to which it is attached are of nearly the specific gravity of
the fluid in which they are immersed, and the pressure is adjusted by the
addition or subtraction of a portion of said fluid. The supply of water may be
regulated by making the float of greater specific gravity.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Bickerton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
BICKERTON, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Samuel Bickerton, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Bickerton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns; or such others as I, the said Samuel
Bickerton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "AN IMPROVED GAS LIGHT GOVERNOR
OR REGULATOR, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO REGULATING THE SUPPLY OP
WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said

page_text: Samuel Bickerton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said 'Sainuel Bickerton, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what.manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,,
tlint is to say:
in
This Invention relates to an improved apparatus for regulating the supply of
gas or other fluid in passing from the source to the points of consumption, so:
as to equalize the pressure on the latter, whatever may be the inequalities of
the pressure of the former. It consists of- an outer metal case or véssel made
two parts, connected together by flanges and screws, or other suitable means.
The lower part of the case or vessel I call the tank or case. In the annexed.
Drawing, A; A', represents the metal case; B, the inner division; B', the
outer division; C, feed pipe, for admission of water or other fluid, closed' at the
top by a screw; E, inlet pipe'; F, outlet pipe; G, valve; H, float; I, valve box.
The top part of the case has a tube or pipe B passing down its centre, so:
that when the two parts of the case are fitted together the lower end of the
pipe is nearly at the bottom of the tank, thus dividing the case into two parts
or divisions, communicating with each other by the space between the end of
the pipe B and the bottom of the tank; the inner division being the pipe B,
and the outer division B', the space between the pipe and the sides of the case.
The small pipe C projects from the top part of the case, and has a small
opening D. at the side, to allow atmospheric pressure in the outer division B'.
The inlet pipe E passes through the outer case A, and conveys directly into.
the inner division or pipe B the gas or fluid to be regulated in supply. If the
fluid be gas, it at once fills that portion of the pipe or inner chamber B not
already occupied with a denser fluid, such as water, &, which has been pre-:
viously admitted through the pipe C, and partly fills the inner and outer
divisions. The pressure of the gas on the fluid in the inner division works
the apparatus in the following manner:-The outlet pipe F being closed, the
pressure of the gas depresses the water in the inner division, and the float falls,
bringing down with it the valve G into the valve box I..
On turning on the burners, and thus opening the outlet pipe F, the pressure
of the gas on the fluid in the chamber. B is diminished, the fluid rises, taking
with it the float H, and thus raising the valve G. This action and reaction is
rendered more complete and delicate by the float H being of nearly the same

page_text: specific gravity as the fluid in which in which it is placed. The action of the gas
against the valve G, in passing to the burners, also has a tendency to raise the
valve and float, the form of the latter as well as its specific gravity favouring
this result. It is thus evident that the more burners there are put in operation,
the pressure on the fluid in the inner division is diminished, and the more gas
escapes through the outlet pipe F; and, on the contrary, on any of the burners
being suddenly turned off, a proportionate pressure is thrown on the fluid in-
the inner division, and the valve descends with the float. The apparatus may
be described as an inverted syphon, one leg of which (the inner division B)
being open to the pressure of the gas or other fluid to be regulated in supply,
and the other leg (the outer division B¹) being in communication with the
atmosphere.
Having now fully described the nature and intent of my Invention, and the
manner in which it is to be carried out, I wish it to be understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein given, as slight modifications
may in some cases be made without departing from the true principle of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention,-
1rst, the construction of a vessel or outer case in the manner described, or
any modification thereof, which shall be similar to an inverted syphon or
pressure gage, one leg of which shall be exposed to the pressure of the gas
or other fluid, and the other to the atmospheric pressure.
2d, the construction of a float of nearly the same specific gravity as the fluid
in which it is suspended, and of such a form that the gas or other fluid flowing
against the valve as it passes into the outlet pipe shall cause it (the float) to
rise, and thus open the valve in proportion to the number of lights or intensity
of the current of gas, the resistance of this float and valve to the passage of
gas to the burner increasing in a greater ratio than the pressure of gas in
the mains.
3d, the application of the Invention herein described to regulating the supply
of fluids.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Bickerton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
SAMUEL BICKERTON. (L.S.)