IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF OIL OR OTHER LIQUIDS APPLICABLE TO LAMPS, GAS METERS, AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Macdonald, of No. 13, Henry Street, Upper
Kennington Lane, Vauxhall, in the County of Surrey, Machinist, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF OIL OR OTHER
LIQUIDS APPLICABLE TO LAMPS, GAS METERS, AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES."
Sealed the 21st April 1857, and dated the 23rd October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Macdonald at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
October 1856.
I, JOHN MACDONALD, of No. 13, Henry Street, Upper Kennington Lane,
Vauxhall, in the County of Surry, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF OIL OR
OTHER LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE TO LAMPS, GAS METERS, AND OTHER USEPUL PURPOSES,"
to be as follows, and consists in regulating the supply, of oil or other liquids to
lamps, gas meters, and other purposes by the influence of the atmosphere, and
is accomplished by having two chambers, the upper one air-tight, and the lower
one (which communicates with the upper one by two tubes) open to the atmo-
sphere. These tubes, which are fastened to the under side of the upper chamber
and to the side of the lower chamber, are respectively called the atmospheric
tube, and the tube to supply the lower chamber, which can be inserted in the

page_text: atmospheric tube, leaving, however, sufficient space for the passage of the air;
the supply tube is the lower tube in the said lower chamber. On the top
of the air tube in the upper chamber is placed a valve, which, when the oil
or liquid in the lower chamber gets below the opening of the air tube the air
ascends, opening the valve, and permits the oil or other liquid to descend and
again cover the said opening of the air tube. An additional air compartment
might be placed above the upper chamber, communicating therewith by a
small opening provided with a valve. The said upper chamber can be sup-
plied by means of a feed pipe & vent tube passing through the upper air
compartment. A screw cap with a small rod attached to it closes the said
feed pipe, and the said rod passes through the pipe and operates a valve for
the purpose of regulating the supply of oil or other liquid, which passes
through the before-mentioned supply tube to the lower chamber. The said
screw cap fits into a socket, which contains oil or other liquid for the purpose
of rendering it air-tight. Instead of using atmospheric air for gas meters,
gas might be used, but the former I consider preferable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Macdonald in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the
23rd April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MACDONALD, of No. 13, Henry Street, Upper Kennington Lane, Vauxhall, in
the County of Surrey, "Machinist," send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date, the. Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Macdonald, Her special licence that I, the said John Macdonald,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jolin
Macdonald, 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF OIL OR OTHER LIQUIDS APPLICABLE TO LAMPS, GAS
METERS, AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Macdonald, my executors or administrators, by an
1

page_text: instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said John Macdonald, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
My Invention consists, in the first place, in arrangement of tubes and a
valve or tubes and valves and other parts more particularly described, with
Drawings hereunto annexed, for regulating the supply of oil or other liquids
to lamps, gas meters, and other purposes with the influence of the atmo-
sphere, and is accomplished by having two or more chambers or compartments,
and are here named the upper compartment and the lower compartment,
which communicates with the upper one by two tubes; the upper compart-
ment air-tight, the lower one open to the atmosphere, or to have a valve in
the upper part to open inward. These tubes are fixed in the bottom or under
part of the upper compartment, and by the side or top of the lower compart-
ment, and are respectively called the atmospheric tube or air tube, and the
supply tube, which I prefer to be inserted into the air tube, leaving, however,
the larger space for the air passage, and the orifice of the said passage or air
tube to be fixed in a line or at the height the oil or other liquids are required
to be supplied to in the said lower compartment, and the said supply tube
descends below the said line. On the top of the said tubes in the upper
compartment a valve or valves is placed to operate on or into the orifice of
one or both tubes; when one valve only is used, the valve is fitted to the
orifice of the air tube, which, when the oil or other liquid in the lower com-
partment gets below the orifice of the air tube the air ascends into the upper
compartment, and the oil or other liquids descend to the lower compartment,
and again covers the opening or orifice of the said air tube; an additional air
accompanyment might be placed above the tubes in the upper compartiment,
communicating therewith by a small opening provided with the valve or
valves, and with this arrangement the supply of oil or other liquids is
regulated with a lever valve fitted to the supply tube in the said upper
compartment, and operated by a rod or spindle made to pass through the said
upper compartment, and the said passage is rendered air-tight by a screw cap
fitted into a cup or socket, which contains oil or other liquids, for the purpose
of rendering it air-tight, and packed in the usual way. The said passage can

page_text: be used as a feed pipe, and will be herein-after explained. The said screw
cap with the valve rod attached to it closes the said feed pipe; the said rod
passes through the pipe and operates the lever valve for the purpose of regu-
lating the supply of oil or other liquids which passes through the before-
mentioned supply tube to the lower compartment. The air communication
above the said tubes in the said upper compartment is accomplished by fixing
a small tube into the valve or valves; one end of the small tube or tubes
passes through the valve, and passes below the seat of the said valve or valves
into the air tube or said supply tube; the other end of the said small tube or
tubes to reach nearly to the top or upper part of the said upper compartment,
that the upper end of the said small tube or tubes might be open when the
oil or other liquids is partly supplied off, and when from the action of heat or
other causes compressive air or vapour arises in the said upper compart-
ment, such air or vapour can pass through one or both of the said tubes,
and is better effected by closing or regulating the valve on the said supply
tube, so as to keep the orifice of one or both tubes open in the said lower
compartment.
I will now proceed to describe particularly the manner in which it is
performed. First, as applied to lamps known as fountain lamps, or inore
particularly roof lamps, having the oil supplied from the oil vessel or compart-
ment situated above the light to the cup or lower compartment containing the
light, and by thus supplying the oil I prefer using the tubes with the supply
tube inserted through the air tube from the said upper compartment to the
said lower compartment, as shewn in the accompanying Drawings (viz³):-
Fig. 1, section of the two said tubes as inserted. a, a, supply tube; b, b,
air tube, and can be made to any size or shape in the usual way. Fig. 2,
section of a cup or socket to contain oil or other liquid, with a passage for
valve rod or feed pipe, and, as shewn in Fig. 5, to receive the screw cap.
Fig. 3, section of screw cap with a passage for valve rod, as shewn in Fig. 5,
and to render air-tight the passage. d, the said screw used to regulate the
lever valve f; e, knob of the said screw, into which the valve rod is soldered
or fixed air-tight; g, the valve rod, as shewn in Fig. 5; h, section of small
tube through the lever valve f; j, small tube through the globular valve i;
k, guide to the said tube and valves j & i; l, valve seats for valves f & i;
m, guide piece and rest for the lever valve f to work in; the said valve and
spindle g is connected with two joints, one to give free action to the screw,
with the other to rise and fall the valve, if the said passage d is used as a feed
pipe the said valve is operated without a joint,. (viz¹) by contact only, to
raise the valve, and to close by its own weight, the said -rod or spindle to be

page_text: for that purpose as shewn in Fig. 3, with the part n packed in the usual
way; o, the upper compartment; p, the lower compartment: These com-
partments might be of any size or shape required'; and it might be here
remarked, that when the lamp is turned up to be filled in the usual way, the
valve i, with the small tube j, will drop on the guide piece and the air tube;
b, b, is the feed tube to the said compartment o, or a feed pipe might be made
in the usual way, air-tight. Fig. 4 & Fig. 5 is a section of a roof lamp with
this Invention applied, with the valve on the supply tube open; and two
important advantages amongst others is obtained, (viz'), first, the oil will be
in constant supply to the light regulated by atmospheric air; the cup or lower
compartment will be kept full of oil; the cotton will burn for a much longer
time without attendance; and, secondly, the lamp can be worked the second
time or more without the labour of refilling the lamp with oil to expel the
compressive air or vapour, which arises from heat when the lamp is lighted
the second time, (viz,) by closing or regulating the valve on the supply tube to
keep the supply of oil below the orifice of the air tube in the said lower
compartment until the lamp is hot, and the air or vapour passed down the
small tube through the valve and escape at the orifice of the air tube in the
said lower compartment; the said valve might be then raised. And be it
remembered that the cup or socket containing the oil or other liquid for
rendering air-tight the passage d must be supplied after the herein-before said
compartment is filled, and if there is much evaporation from the said cup
or socket an additional compartment might be connected, or the said cup or
socket made larger to contain the quantity that. might be required of oil or
other liquid.
Having particularly described my Invention as applied to lamps, I will
now proceed to describe my Invention as applied to gas meters, and this is
effected by adding to a meter the herein-before named compartments, (viz*,)
first, the upper compartment, which is above the water level in the meter,
and of any convenient size or shape, and might be made with the meter,
or attached to the meter, so as to leave sufficient space for the herein-before
said tubes to connect with the herein-before said lower compartment, and
the said lower compartment might be made with the box or chamber usually
formed in front of the meter, or night be attached to the said box with
a communication made in the bottom of the partition for the water to pass
from one to the other. I prefer a bent tube or pipe of the syphon form to
contain water, and prevent the gas passing into the said lower compartment,
and with this arrangement the overflow pipe can be removed to the said lower
compartment, or to serve as a screw plug to draw off the water from the

page_text: bottom; a screw plug for the same purpose is fixed in the bottom of the said
lower compartment, and the herein-before mentioned valve to open inward in
the upper part of the said lower compartment is so fixed that when the water
rises above the water level in the meter, the said valve with a float attached
will close, and the supply stop, as the orifice of the air tube is fixed in the
line of the water level of the meter, and a float of the usual description will
operate the said valve. It might be here remarked that no gas can practi-
cally be drawn off without passing the measuring drum, as the overflow pipe
is dispensed with, there being but one inlet and one outlet for gas when the
the meter is in work. The same Drawings as hereunto annexed in section
applied to lamps, full size; the same principle is applicable to gas meters,
applying the tubes in the most suitable manner adapted to the form of the
said upper and lower compartments that might be used, and the same to be
observed in applying the Invention to other useful purposes.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which it may be carried into effect; and claim as my Invention
the principle with the arrangements and for the purposes as herein-beforo
described, and shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Macdonald, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord 2
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
JOHN MACDONALD. (L.8.)