Improvements in Thermostatic Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thermostatic Apparatus.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY, of 36, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, as com-
municated to me by Dr. Ludwig Morgenstern, of Gottingen, Germany, School
Director, to be as follows:
This invention relates to thermostatic apparatus for automatically regulating
heat, the distinguishing feature of which is that the motions produced in an
atmospheric mercury thermometer by variations of temperature are transmitted
to pendulums which, with a rearranged extent of deviation of the thermometer,
cause the ends of an electric wire to be touched and thereby close an electric
curcuit which alters the position of draught regulating valves or the like.
The present construction will not only remedy a deficiency in arrangements
heated from a central source, but may be employed equally well with separate
heating arrangements. Further, with a few modifications, it can be used for
regulating high temperatures in factories.
The apparatus is distinguished essentially by an atmospheric mercury ther-
mometer, which consists of a glass body completely closed and bent in several
places, and having cylindrical enlargements which are filled with air, and ball
shaped enlargements or bulbs as well as tubes which connect them filled with
mercury, whilst the upper part of one of the balls is void of air. The rarefication
of air in the cylindrical enlargements is sufficient, at a mean temperature-say
about. 18 Centigrade to raise the mercury to the middle of the upper ball the
instrument, by way of example standing at this temperature in the position of
equilibrium.
The instrument is arranged in a suitable case and a frame serves as a carrier
for the glass body. The front of the case usually consists of a door. In the top
and bottom large incisions are made in order that there may be a draught through
the case.
In the upper bar of the frame two metallic cramps or clamps with two inserted
screws are arranged in such a manner that their ends be in the recesses of a
T shape metallic piece fixed on the cover of the case and the apparatus is thus
suspended, and is consequently capable of rotating on its imaginary axis.
To the frame a staff or rod is likewise fixed, the loading of which at the lower
end is sufficiently great to promote a return motion to the position of equilibrium
each time the instrument is displaced to the right or to the left owing to a rise or
fall of the temperature.
A sleeve which is moveable on the aforesaid rod carries two pendulum levers,
which, from the position of rest are only moveable to one side.
The rod may be furnished with a hand or pointer, above the loading, and
moveing along a scale, which is graduated suitably to the thermometer.
If the sleeve on the rod be pushed upwards or downwards to the minimum
extent. the limits of temperature at which the pendulums shall slide over the
evers will be put further apart or brought nearer together.
Di 017

page_text: A very precise adjustment to certain limits is obtained by means of the clamp-
ing screws herein before referred to as by the employment thereof the whole
instrument, that is, the points of the levers also can be raised or lowered to any
minimum extent. .
Cross-stays lie in a longitudinal position on angle irons fixed to the back of
the case and ensure entirely unimpeded motion to the atmospheric mercury
thermometer between them. In the middle of these stays are incisions in which
lie the axis of rotation of the pendulums. To the right hand end of the front
cross-stay a metal spring is attached, which hangs closely over the end of a
metal strip fixed to the back case, and is pressed down on to same, as soon as
the pendulum is set in motion, and produces a shock on the spring by means of
a small transverse piece connected with one of the pendulums,
The arrangement of the back cross stay is precisely similar. On to the left
hand extremity of this are the metal strip and the metal spring. A common
conducting wire runs from the two metal strips to a binding screw; a wire from
the front spring through the angle iron to a second binding screw, and a wire
from the other spring to a third binding screw. The binding screws are arranged
outside of the case. The wire is carried from the second screw to a magnet,
from the third screw to a second magnet and the return wires run from the two
magnets through the battery to the first binding screw.
The heating channel is closed by the blind or shutter. By the action of the
first electro-magnet the left arm of an angle lever is attracted and the blind or
shutter opened.
At the same time a cam on a second or detent lever is pushed under the right
hand arm of the angle lever; consequently the blind or shutter remains opened,
also without continuous action of the first electromagnet. As soon, as however
as the second electromagnet comes into action and attracts its armature plate
which is attached to the upper end of the second lever, the angle lever arm is
again released and falls back into the horizontal position, whereby the shutter
or blind is closed again.
The working of the apparatus is as follows-Upon a rise of temperature, the
thermometer is pushed to the right; the expansion of the air in the cylinders
produces an effect in the lower mercury ball or bulb in the shape increased
pressure of air and raises a corresponding portion of the mercury out of said
ball into the upper ball, whereby the position of equilibrium is effected and a
displacement of the instrument occurs. This implies the displacement of the
upper ball downwards, and a displacement to the right of the lower lying parts
of the instrument, one pendulum lever for example.
Upon a fall of temperature, the pressure of air in a lower ball is reduced.
Thus a portion of the mercury runs back out of the upper ball into the lower,
the consequence of which is a raising of the right side of the instrument and a
displacement of the other pendulum for example to the left. In this latter
case, the lower point of the lever approaches the upper end of the pendulum and,
upon the dimunition of warmth continuing, being itself unable to move away
to the right, pushes the pendulum in front of it to the left. In this movement
the upper end of the pendulum describes an arc of a circle the central point of
which lies in the axis of the pendulum, whilst the central point of the circle
described by the point of the pendulum lever lies in the axis of the principal
instrument.
If the pendulum be pushed too far the point of the lever will slide away
over the top of the pendulum. The pendulum is then released, falls back into
its perpendicular position of rest and swinging beyond the same, brings the two
metal springs into momentary electrical contact.
With an ordinary pendulum and the striking being on, a fixed resistance the
contact would scarcely suffice for enabling the resulting electric current
to perform mechanical work. Owing to the flexibility of the springs on the
contrary the duration of the contact is sufficiently prolonged to make the action

page_text: In
f the electric current suitable for the performance of the desired work.
he present supposition the diminution of heat this work consists in effecting
supply of heat.
This is brought about through the attraction of the arm of the angle lever by
the first electro magnet created by the electric current. Thereby the right
arm of said angle lever and therewith the blind or shutter is raised and the
admission of warm air to the room thus rendered possible. As the electric
current only acts for a moment the contact between the springs consisting only
of a single shock, the blind or shutter must immediately fall again and close the
opening of the heat conducting channel, if this were not prevented by a detent
lever. The last mentioned is moveably arranged and carries on its upper end
the armature plate lying in front of the second electro-magnet, and is pressed
at its lower end against the angle lever arm by a weight. The cam on said detent
lever engages below this lever arm as soon as the first electro-magnet attracts
the other arm of the angle lever. The shutter or blind will also remain open
until a fresh force carries the detent lever back again to its former position.
This occurs when owing to the introduction of heat, the temperature reaches.
for example 20 degrees Centigrade. The process is then repeated on the left
side in the same manner as described above in connection with the right side. The
point of the other pendulum pushes the pendulum before it until it slides away
over the same and thereby sets the pendulum in motion whereupon a contact
is effected between the metal strip and the spring. The electric current thereby
produced excites the second electromagnet. This attracts the armature plate
fixed to the detent lever and releases the angle lever arm, whereupon the blind
or shutter is closed and the further supply of heat ceases.
The nature of the arrangement for enabling the contact to be effected through
the pendulums is easily appreciated. By their oscillation the pendulums effect
a momentary contact. The electrical elements are thus only called into action
during the moment of opening or closing, which is of great importance, as thereby
the premature wearing out of the elements and the interruption of the auto-
matically working regulation of the heat are avoided. Even if a large number
of rooms have a common battery of about three to six elements the battery will
last during the whole period of heating.
Where the heating is effected by aqueous vapour the electric current would be
employed for actuating a cock or a valve. The steam pipe before entering the
heating apparatus is carried through an air tight closing casing. This latter is
divided into two parts. On the right are placed the two electro-magnets, the
poles of which project into the left half of the casing. The valve is opened. by
means of the first electro-magnet. The detent lever prevents it from falling
back until it is drawn away by the second electromagnet upon the temperature
rising.
If for manufacturing purposes for instance, the treatment of malt, or the heating
of conservatories etc.. a high temperature is required. the same can be secured by
loading the right side of the upper bar or stay of the frame with a sliding weight,
or by greatly rarefying the air in the glass body.
In case of ordinary heating of a room by a stove a flap or valve, which regulates
the current of air. can be opened raised, or closed, through the medium of
the electromagnets. If a suitable alteration is not practible with stoves of the
old form of construction. in such case, the excessive heating from which so many
persons have to suffer, can be obviated with this invention by emploving it for
opening and closing a window arranged in the form of a blind or shutter.
1
1900

page_text: •
Improvements in Thermostatic Apparatus.
:
İ, FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY, of 36, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by Dr. Ludwig Mor-
genstern, School-Director, of Göttingen, Germany, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to thermostats, in which a mercury thermometer is
adapted to close an electric circuit to open or close valves, shutters or the like
for either admitting or excluding warm or cold air to or from a room; and the
objects of the invention are first, to so construct a thermostat that the slightest
change in the temperature of a room will cause the automatic operation of the
electrical devices for controlling the valves of the heat or vent flues; second, to
so arrange and construct the electrical devices, that the amount of electricity used
is reduced to a minimum, so that a common battery generating a current
sufficiently strong to operate the device, will last for months without it being
necessary to renew the same.
.
These objects are attained by the apparatus shown in the accompanying draw-
ings, in which
Fig. 1. is a view of the thermostat embodying this invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line A-B. of Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 is a view illustrating electrical devices of modified form for operating a
valve to control the medium passing through a pipe heating or ventilating a
room, in order to keep the latter at an even and predetermined temperature.
Fig. 4 shows the arrangement of the electrical devices for controlling the heat.
or vent ducts together with the circuits leading from the apparatus shown in
Fig. 1.
Referring now to the drawings for a further description of the invention, a is
a perforated box or housing, in which a mercury thermometer is suspended from
a bracket by means of adjusting screws c.passing through .lugs d of the ther-
mometer frame e.. This latter consists of uprights and cross-pieces, and sup-
ports a mercury thermometer comprising a glass body. completely closed and
bent in several places and having cylindrical enlargements f. and g for. compressed
air, and spherical enlargements h and i for mercury. The sphere or ball his
in direct communication with the cylindrical enlargements f and g, in which the
air contained therein is held under suitable pressure, while the sphere or ball i
above the line of mercury is devoid of air, both of these spheres are communicat-
ing and the connecting tube k is also filled with mercury.
The frame e with this mercury thermometer. being suspended from the
bracket by means of the screw points c, acts as a pendulum whenever the tem-
perature of a room in which the thermostat is situated,. changes. The thermostat
is adjusted to a certain temperature a room shall maintain, for instance if the
temperature desired is 65° Fahrenheit, the air pressure in the cylinders f and g
is sufficient to maintain the mercury in the. spheres hand at the respective
centres thereof, when at such temperature the frame e will hang perfectly per-
pendicular Should the temperature become higher than the normal (i.e. 65° in
the present instance), the air in the cylindrical enlargements 'f and g will be
expanded and cause a displacement of the mercury in the spheres h and i, i.e.
mercury will be forced from the sphere h into the sphere i and cause a tilting
of the frame e, the lower end shifting towards the right in Fig. 1, and vice versa,
when the temperature is becoming lower than the normal the lower end of the

page_text: rame e will be shifted towards the left. The rising or falling of the mercury
n one or the other spheres h and i is not only due to the differential air pressure
n the cylindrical enlargements f and g, which is caused by the change of tem-
erature, but also to the properties of the mercury itself, which expands readily
vben subjected to heat and contracts when the temperature thereof is lowered,
and for this purpose the sphere i is placed higher in elevation than the sphere h
n order to produce a long column of mercury in the tube connecting with the
phere i, while the other tube connecting with the sphere his kept as short as
possible in order to increase the sensitivity of the thermometer just described.
On to the lower and middle cross-bars of the frame e is secured a rod m
extending to the bottom of the box or housing a, where a graduated scale n is
secured, a pointer o is fastened in the lower extremity of the rod m to indicate
how much the thermometer frame swings towards the right or left due to the
change in temperature, and this extremity is weighted to insure the return of
the frame e to its normal or vertical position as soon as the temperature becomes
normal.
The devices for controlling the dampers, valves or shutters, to either admit or
On the back of the box or housing a
exclude to or from a room, are as follows;
are secured by means of brackets p and q the shelves rand's (Figs. 1 and 2) and
in the centres of these shelves are truncated at t the two vertical swinging
levers and each having a horizontal arm w adapted to make electrical con-
tact with the springs x and y secured to the shelves r and s, as will be more fully
described.
On the rod m is a sleeve z, which may be set at a required height by a set
screw as shewn; this sleeve carries two right-angular arms 2 and 3, adapted
to trip the vertical swinging levers u and whenever the thermometer frame e
swings to either the right or left due to the change in temperature; that is to
say if the temperature becomes lower than the normal (or that to which the
thermometer is adjusted), mercury will move from the sphere i into the sphere h,
the thermometer frame will swing about its point of suspension (screws c)
towards the left (Fig. 1) and the arm 2 will trip the vertical lever causing its
horizontal extension to tap the spring ; and vice versa if the temperature
rises, the mercury will flow from sphere h into sphere i and the tilting towards
the right of the thermometer frame e will be the result causing the arm 3 to
5 trip the lever whose horizontal extension we will then tap the spring y, for a
purpose to be described. It may here be remarked, that the vertical swinging
arms u and v are balanced and are perfectly vertical when at rest and the free
extremities of the horizontal extensions w are somewhat above the respective
springs and y, so that when the respective lever u or vis tripped and its
0 horizontal extensions w has made contact with its respective spring or y, the
right-angular arm 2 or 3 in the slow return movement of the thermometer
frame e will pass the upper end of the lever u or without causing the horizontal
extension to touch the respective springs y or x.
In Fig. 4 is illustrated a shutter 4 adapted to admit or exclude heat into or
15 from a room, and this shutter or its equivalent is to be operated whenever the
To operate this shutter two
temperature in a room changes from the normal.
electro-magnets 5 and 6 are located at convenient places to the shutter 4 and a
rightangular lever 7 pivoted at 8, is at one of its ends connected with the shutter 4
the other end of this lever 7 carries the armature 19 of the electromagnet 5, which
50 when energized attracts the said armature. and thereby opens the shutter 4.
The shutter is maintained open by a detent 9 on the armature lever 10 trunnioned
at 11 and which lever has attached to it the armature 12 of the electromagnet 6,
which when energized releases the lever 7 and causes the closing of the shutter 4.
The electromagnets 5 and 6 are included in two circuits and are controlled by
A wire leads
55 the motion of the thermometer before described; in Figs. 1 and 4 the circuits are
illustrated, the circuit for opening the shutter, etc., 4, is as follows;
from a battery to a binding post 13 (Fig. 1), thence to the contact. 14, spring a

page_text: binding post 15 to magnet 5 and back to battery; and the other circuit is, from
battery to post 13, contact 16, spring y, binding post 17 to magnet 6, and from
here by line 18 to battery. Should the temperature surrounding the thermostat
become lower than the normal, the horizontal extension w of the vertical swing-
ing lever will tap the spring a, which makes contact with the contact-piece 14
and closes the circuit before described energizing the magnet 5 which causes
the shutter 4 to open and admit warm air, and the detent 9 serving to keep
the shutter in an open position; if then on the other hand the temperature
becomes too high, the horizontal extension w on the vertical swinging lever v
taps the springy which makes contact with the contact-piece 16 and closes the
other circuit, by which the magnet 6 is energized, causing the release of the
lever 7 and closing the shutter 4 to exclude the hot air from the room.
It will be understood that modification in the arrangements of the shutters
may be made without departing from the spirits of this invention. For instance
in Fig. 3 is shown steam pipe 20 with valve 21 and this latter is operated in a
similar manner as that described with reference to the shutter 4.
.1
TI
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:-
:'
(1) A thermostat comprising a perforated box or housing, a frame suspended
therefrom, a thermometer attached to said frame and consisting of a glass body
completely closed, bent and expanded in several places to form air-chambers and
spheres for mercury, a central rod secured to said frame, an adjustable sleeve on
said rod, rightangular arms extending from said sleeve, vertical swinging levers
with horizontal extentions to supports secured to the box, the upper extremities
of the vertical swinging levers adapted to engage with the rightangular arms
of the said sleeve, circuit closing springs, a circuit for each of said horizontal
extensions, a magnet in each circuit, a shutter or valve, and means connecting
said shutter or valve with the armatures of the electromagnets, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
(2) A thermostat comprising a perforated housing, a frame suspended from
the inside of the top-piece thereof, a thermometer secured to said frame and
consisting of a glass body completely closed and formed into the cylinders f
and g, spheres h and i and connecting tubes, mercury in said spheres h and i
and the tube connecting the same, a weighted rod on said frame, and adjustable
sleeve on said rod, rightangular arms on said sleeve shelves attached to the
housing, two vertical swinging levers truncated to said shelves and having their
upper extremities in touch with the said rightangular arms, contact springs a
and y and contact pieces 14 and 16 combination with two circuits in which electro-
magnets are included, a valve or shutter and means connecting said shutter with
the armatures of the magnets, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
(3) In a thermostat a frame suspended above its centre of gravity, a ther-
mometer attached thereto and consisting of a glass body completely closed and
formed into cylinders f and g spheres h and i and connecting tubes, mercury in
said spheres and the tube connecting the same, the cylinders f and g adapted to
contain air under pressure to bear upon the mercury in the sphere which latter
is placed lower than the sphere i and the air cylinders f and g, in order to increase
the sensitivity of the thermometer, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 13th day of February 1900.
F. W. GOLBY,
Patent Agent, 36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.