IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM, GAS, AND OTHER FLUIDS OR LIQUIDS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Parkinson, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster,
Brass Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR
REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM, GAS, AND OTHER FLUIDS OR LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 2nd June 1854, and dated the 28th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Parkinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
December 1858.
1, JOHN PARKINSON, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Brass Founder,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GOVERNORS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM. GAS. AND OTHER FLUIDS OR
LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in a new combination of parts through which
steam, gas, and other fluids or liquids are made to pass in order to obtain a
uniform pressure in the delivery pipe, notwithstanding the irregularities of
pressure in the supply pipe. When my improvements are applied to regulate
the pressure of steam or water, I connect the supply pipe to a chamber in
which is a compensating or equilibrium valve attached to a vertical spinelle, the
lower end of which bears upon a flexible diaphragm fixed at the end of a pipe;
to this diaphragm is attached a weight or spring to vary the pressure on the
compensating valve. The object of this pipe is to contain water in order that

page_text: the heat of the steam may not injure the flexible diaphragm. The delivery
pipe is connected to the same chamber as the supply pipe. When the steam
or water enters the chamber, it acts upon the diaphragm, and closes the com-
pensation valve in proportion to the pressure of the steam or water, which then
passes off by the delivery pipe, the pressure in which is governed by the weight
or spring attached to the diaphragm. By this means it is evident that when
the steam or water in the supply pipe is at a high pressure, the openings of the
compensating valve are contracted, and vice versa. In regulating the pressure
of gas and other fluids or liquids, the pressure of which is not so high, I prefer
to place the diaphragm in the upper part of the chamber. In this case the fluid
or liquid to be regulated enters the chamber through a compensating valve, as
before described, the spindle of which passes through a disk attached to the
flexible diaphragm; the fluid or liquid in entering the chamber acts on the
diaphragm, thereby regulating the openings of the compensating valve, it thence
goes into the delivery pipe as before described.
By increasing or diminishing the weight of the disk attached to the dia-
phragm, or by having moveable weights to attach to it, the pressure in the
delivery pipe can be regulated to the greatest nicety.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Parkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PARKINSON, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Brass Founder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth year of
Her reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Parkinson, Her special license that 1, the said John Parkinson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said John
Parkinson, 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 GOVERNORS FOR

page_text: diaphragm, the outer circumference of which is secured between the upper
side of the casing a, and the flange 1. The pressure on the diaphragm can be
regulated by weights, one of which is shown at ; and although I prefer to
make the diaphragm of vulcanized or mineralized india-rubber, other elastic
materials, or thin metal, may be used. The lid m, see Figure 1, fits on the
flange, and can easily be removed, if it should be requisite to vary the weight
on the diaphragm. At the under side of the casing «, is a small lid o, to
which is fixed a pin p, which acts as a guide for the compensating valve. The
governor is placed in any convenient position between the gas meter and the
burners, the supply pipe from the meter being screwed into the branch b, and
As long
the off-pipe, which conveys the gas to the burners, into the branch c.
as the governor is inactive, that is to say, that no gas is allowed to escape
through the burners, both the valves are in contact with their seatings, but as
soon as the gas passing through the burners is ignited, the pressure in the off-
pipe is diminished; the weight on the diaphragm then instantly lowers the
compensating valves e and e', off their seatings, and the gas passes through the
openings into the branch e, to supply the burners. As long as the pressure
of gas in the supply pipe remains the same, the orifices between the valves and
their seatings remain uniform; but when the pressure of the gas in the supply
pipe increases, more gas passes into the off-pipe, thereby increasing the pressure
on the flexible diaphragm k, which then rises, and brings the valves towards
their seatings, thereby reducing the orifices between the valves and their
seatings, and diminishing the quantity of gas in the off-pipe; but when the
pressure of the gas in the supply pipe diminishes, less gas passes into the off-
pipe, consequently the pressure on the diaphragm is reduced, and the orifices
between the valves and their seatings are enlarged. By this means the requisite
amount of gas escapes to the burners, thereby maintaining a uniform pressure
in the off-pipe and in the burners, notwithstanding the irregularities in the pres-
sure on the gas in the supply pipe. I wish to remark, that the spindle g, instead
of being attached to the flexible diaphragm, as above described, may be attached
to an inverted vessel, working in quicksilver or other fluid, in the usual manner.
In this case the irregularities in the pressure of the gas would raise or lower the
inverted vessel, and thereby act on the compensating valves, so as to equalize the
pressure in the burners, as before described. Figure 4 is a longitudinal section:
and Figure 5, a side view of a governor, particularly applicable for regulating
the pressure of high-pressure steam. This governor, being very similar in many
respects to the one above described, is marked with corresponding letters of
reference. To the lower part of the casing is cast or fixed the tube . at the

page_text: end of which is attached another tube r.
Between the flanges of these tubes
is the diaphragm marked k, as before. The lower tube contains a blocks,
against which bears the end of the wire t, which is screwed above to the
spindle of the valves, and below to the diaphragm. The blocks bears upon
the spring a, the tension of which can be adjusted by the thumb screw .
The tube y is partly filled with water or other fluid, the object of which is to
prevent the steam acting direct on the flexible diaphragm k. The action
of this governor is as follows:--If the steam in the supply pipe is of the
pressure of twenty pounds, or more or less, on the square inch, and it should be
requisite to reduce this pressure to five pounds on the square inch, the atten-
dant by turning the thumb screw, regulates the tension of the spring a, until
it is capable of resisting a pressure of five pounds to the inch. When this
governor is inactive, that is to say, when no steam is escaping through the
off-pipe, the compensating valves are closed; but as soon as steam is drawn
from the off-pipe, the action of the spring a raises the valves off their seatings,
thereby allowing a portion of steam from the supply pipe to pass into the
off-pipe. As long as the steam in the supply pipe remains at the same pres-
sure, the valves remain at the same distance from their seatings; but when
the pressure increases in the supply pipe, more steam passes into the off-pipe,
thereby increasing the pressure on the column of water or other fluid in the
tube . By this means the flexible diaphragm is depressed, thereby partially
closing the orifices of the compensating valves; but if the pressure in the
supply pipe is reduced, less steam passes into the off-pipe, and the spring a
causes the diaphragm to rise, thereby opening the valves and allowing more
steam to enter the off-pipe. By this arrangement the steam, in passing
through the orifices between the compensating valves and their seatings, is
more or less wire drawn," and the pressure in the off-pipe is thus main-
tained uniform.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to the
parts individually, nor do I limit myself to the precise details herein set forth,
as the same may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of
my Invention; but what I do claim is,―
First, the application of a double compensating valve acted upon by a flexible
diaphragm or other equivalent agent as shown and described in reference to
Figures 1, 2, and 3, for governing or regulating the pressure of gas, and
certain other fluids or liquids.
And, secondly, I claim the improved combination of parts, as shewn and

page_text: described in reference to Figures 4 and 5, for regulating the pressure of steam
and certain other fluids or liquids.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Parkinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
JOHN PARKINSON. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named John Parkinson in the presence of
H. B. BARLOW,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.