NEW OR IMPROVED MODES OF ADJUSTING OR EQUALIZING THE PRESSURE OF FLUIDS OR LIQUIDS IN PIPES OR TUBES, AND ALSO AN IMPROVED MODE OF MEASURING THE SAID FLUIDS OR LIQUIDS
Year: 1824

page_text: PONTIFEX'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PONTIPEX the younger, of Shoe Lane, in the City of London, Coppersmith and
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster,theFirst day of July, in the fifth year of His reign, did,for Himself, His
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Pontifex the
younger, His especial licence that I, the said William Pontifex the younger,my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the said William
Pontifex the younger,my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,use,exercise,
and vend,within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
alsoin all His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of
"NEW OR IMPROVED MODES OF ADJUSTING OR EQUALIZING THE PRESSURE OF FLUIDS OR
LIQUIDS IN PIPES OR TUBES, AND ALSO AN IMPROVED MODE OF MEASURING THE SAID
FLUIDS OR LIQUIDS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said William Pontifex the younger, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar mouths next and immediately after
the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, refer-
ence being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Pontifex the younger, do hereby declare that the nature of my
said Invention doth consist,-
First, in an improvement on an apparatus now in use for adjusting and
equalizing the pressure of fluids when flowing through pipes or tubes. This
said improvement is of a self-acting nature, and is particularly adapted to
effect the operation of adjusting or equalizing the pressure of inflammablegas
in flowing through pipes or tubes for the purposes of illumination, since it would
tend to maintain an equality in the pressure or velocity of the gas when
issuing from the jets or burners, so as thereby to maintain the flame or light
proceeding from such burners at one uniform height,or nearly so,although the
pressure of the gas in the conduct pipes or mains which proceed from the
gasometer or reservoir of supply might vary considerably in its pressure from
time to time. The apparatus may be supposed to be situated under ground in
any required part of the maiu, for which purpose its operative parts are
entirely inclosed within a box or case, cast or otherwise attached to the main ;
and in order to admit of a free action of the apparatus the interior of the said
box or case has a direct communication with the atmosphere through a pipe
or tube which proceeds to the surface of the ground; or the communication
with the atmosphere may be formed in any convenient manner according
to the nature of the situation where the apparatus is employed.
Secondly, in an improved apparatus for equalizing also the pressure of
fluids in pipes or tubes, and which is particularly adapted to the operation
of adjusting or equalizing the discharge of water or other liquids through
a pipe or tube,although the pressure of the water in the main or pipe of supply
might vary occasionally in a considerable degree; and in which said in proved
apparatus a number of weights are applied in such manner as to accumulate
according to the resistance required.
And thirdly and lastly, in an improved apparatus for measuring fluids,
which apparatus performs the operation of measuring and registering the
quantity of such fluids as may be caused to pass or flow through any pipe or
tube properly adjusted to the said apparatus, as herein-after more particularly
described, by means of small gasometers, which are caused by an arrangement
of valves and pipes to move up and down alternately, in proportion to the
quantity of fluid which passes through the apparatus.
And in further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said William
Pontifex the younger, do hereby describe the manner in which my said three
several improvements may be performed, by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawing annexed, and the Figures marked thereon
(that is to say):¯

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
And first, with reference to my said improvement on an apparatus now in
use for adjusting and equalizing the pressure of fluids when flowing through
pipes or tubes. In Figures 1, A represents a portion of pipe which is supposed
to be united to the main which proceeds from the gasometer or reservoir of
supply aforesaid; and B shews a continuation of the said pipe or main
proceeding to the burners, or part where the combustion is supposed to 'be
going on. The middle of the pipe A, B, has a cylindrical projection or short
branch C, rising perpendicularly from it; the upper edge or 'surperior
apperture of the branch C is covered by an inverted vessel D, d, and the
lower edge or mouth D, D, of this vessel is immersed in water, tar, or
other suitable fluid, contained in a box or case E, E, which is cast upon
or otherwise secured to the pipe A, B ; this box has a lid or cover e, e, secured
upon a flange at its upper part, so as entirely to inclose the inverted vesselD;d.
F represents a pipe or tube, which communicates with the interior of the
box E, E, and is supposed to proceed to the surface of the ground or
otherwise, so as to afford a free access of atmospheric air to the interior of
the box E, E, and consequently to the upper surface d, d, 'of 'the in-
verted vessel aforesaid; the inverted vossel is steadily guided by a pro-
jecting rod h, h, which slides through holes in stationary/cross bars i, i, so
as to admit of rising and falling in a perpendicular direction with as little
resistance as possible; the lower end of the rod h, h, is bent sideway, and
is affixed to a sliding sluice or valve G, which is 'adapted to rise and fall,
along with the inverted vessel D, d, and by such motion to increase 'or
diminish the apperture or passage of the pipe A, B. This sluice, when-fully
open, descends into and is contained in the cavity c, which is formed for 'the
purpose in the bottom of the pipe A, B; the upper surfaced; d, of the inverted
vessel is provided in the centre thereof with a chain m, which is connected
with an arched beam or lever N; this lever moves upon a fixed centre or
fulcrum at n, and is provided with a weight p, suspended from a chain 'at it's
arched extremity U. The object of the weight p is for the purpose of balancing
in part the weight of the inverted vessel D,'d, and causing it to remain just
suspended and in equilibrium, when the gas is at the regular required pressure
in the pipe A. The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-Suppose thegas
to be flowing through the pipe or main from the gasometer, in 'the direction
shewn by the arrow A, it will pass by the slnice'G, and proceed to the burners
through the pipe B, as shewn by the arrow B; but if the pressure of gas in
the main at A should by any means be increased, the gas, by its elastic force,
would operate-upon the inverted-vessel D, d, to raise the said vessel in 'a-

page_text: certain degree out of the fluid in which its mouth is iminersed, and will thereby
draw up the sluice G (which is affixed to it as aforesaid, and diminish the
area of the aperture through which the gas is obliged to pass in its way to the
burners. Thus, instead of the flames or lights being caused to burn higher
by an increase pressuro of gas occurring in the mains or pipes of supply, they
would be caused to maintain an equal height under such changes. In like
manner, if a greater number of jets or lights should be turned on, they
would, by requiring a greater supply of gas, tend to diminish the pressure
in the mains or pipes of supply, so that the inverted vessel D, d, would
descend in the fluid aforesaid by it's own gravity, and would thereby lower
the sluice G, and open a passage of greater area for the gas to flow through
in order to meet the increased demand. This apparatus is adapted for very
considerable variations of pressure, since the inverted vessel D, d, by being
raised more out of the fluid in which it is immersed as aforesaid, will operate
as an increasing weight by displacing a less quantity of the said fluid; and as
the counterweight p at the extremity of the beam N is acting constantly
with the same uniform weight, as a counterpoise to the inverted vessel, the
same will be perfectly at liberty to rise and fall with very minute variations
of
pressure which
I may happen to occur in the pipes or mains.
And secondly, with reference to Icy said second improvement, being an
improved apparatus foradjusting and equalizing the pressure of fluids in pipes
or tubes as aforesaid, and herein-before described to be particularly adapted
to the operation of adjusting or equalizing the discharge of water. Figure 2,
upon the Drawing annexed, represents a section of my said second improve-
ment. A represents the pipe supposed to be procceding from the pipe of
supply or main; and B represents a continuation of the same pipe, which
is supposed to proceed to the service or part where the water is to be dis-
charged. This pipe is furnished, near the middle of its length, with a
turning valve G, and the upper part A of the pipe A, B, opens into a cylin-
drical box or vessel C, which contains a bag or sack d. d, formed of leather
or other sufficiently pliable material, which will prevent the escape of the
fluid through its substance. The lower part or bottom of the said sack is
attached to a moveable board or plate D,which is capable of rising and falling
freely in the vessel C. The uppermost edge of the sack d, d, is secured by
being screwed firmly between the top flange and cover e, e, of the vessel C, so
as effectually to prevent the escape of the water or fluid at that part, although
the plate D is at liberty to rise and fall without obstruction, being guided and
steadied in its motion by a small rod i, sliding through a hole in the centre of
the cover e, e over the top of this rod a pipe F is screwed, having a free

page_text: communication with the atmosphere, and communicating with the interior of
the sack d, d, by holes or aperturer, r, formed through the lid e, e, as will
appear evident upon inspection of the Figure 2 upon the Drawing. The
turning valve G has an arm or lever k projecting from it, which is jointed to
the lower extremity of a smallconnection rod h,h,the uppermost end of which
is jointed to the under side of the plate D.By this arrangement, when the pres-
sure of the fluid increases in the mainand pipe of supply A from any cause, the
plate D, by such increase of pressure, will be caused to rise, and, by its con-
necting rod /, will tend to move the turning valve into the position shewn by
the dotted line in the Figure, so as to diminish the aperture through which
the water will be obliged to flow, in order to be discharged from the end B of
the pipe; but as soon as the plate D as risen a short space, its upper surface
will come into contact with the lowest of the suspended weights w, which by
resting upon it will operate to prevent it from risinghigher until a still further
increase of pressure occurs, when the plate D will continue to rise and close
the passage of the valve G until it meets with the second suspended weight,
and so on throughout its whole range of motion, the suspended weight w pro-
ducing the effect of an increasing resistance to oppose the rising of the
plate D, and thereby adapting the area or aperture of the turning valve G to
the different degrees or variations of pressure, so as to maintain a sufficiently
uniform discharge of water or fluid from the end B of the pipe A, B. The
vessel C might be surrounded by an exterior vessel, as shown by the dotted
lines E, E, and the vacant space, if desired, might be filled with any proper
materials to prevent the effect of frost upon the leather sack d, d.
And thirdly and lastly, with reference to my said third improvement,
being an apparatus for measuring fluids by means of gasometers having
reciprocating motion, as herein-before and herein-after described.
Figure 3 and 4 upon the annexed Drawing will serve to explain a
construction of the apparatus, which is particularly adapted to the mea-
suring of inflammable gas for the purposes of illumination. It consists of
two inverted vessels or small gasometers A and B, of a cylindrical or other
convenient form, which aresuspended by chains from the opposite extremities
of a beam or lever C, moving upon a centre or fulcrum at c in such a manner
that the vessels A and B may be caused to reciprocate or move up and down
simultaneously, but in opposite directions. The lower edges or mouths of the
vessels A and B are immersed in water or other suitable fluid contained in the
vessels Dand E. The whole apparatus is inclosed in an air-tight box or exterior
case F, F, having an exit pipe or tube H proceeding from it to the part where
thegas is supposed to be burnedor consumed. Thegas, which is suffered toenter

page_text: into this case from the main gasometer or reservoir through the service pipe
G, by the particular arrangement of the apparatus, as will be hereafter
described, must necessarily pass through one or other of thesmall gasometers
A or B, and in such manner as the said gasometer will, by the pressure of
the gas, be caused to move up and down alternately through a determined
space or range. Thus, if the cubical content or capacity of the small
gasometers A and B, and the extent of their range or motion, is previously
ascertained, it will only be requisite to know how many times the beam C has
reciprocated in order to ascertain or measure the quantity of gas which has
actually flowed through the apparatus from the service pipe G to the exit
pipe H aforesaid. The number of reciprocations which may have been
performed by the gasometers A and B,and beam or lever C, is intended to be
registered by a train of wheelwork or other such contrivance as is usually
employed for such purposes, and, being sufficiently understood, it will not be
requisite to give a description of it in my Specification. The mechanism for
effecting the register may, if desired, be wholly situate within the case F, F,
having a glazed aperture in some convenient part, for the purpose of observing
the dials or indoxes of the said register. This glazed aperture I should propose
to form in a circular ring of metal,adapted to screw into a socket fixed in the
case F, F, opposite to the dials or indexes aforesaid, in order that access night
be obtained to the apparatus in case of derangement.
I will now describe the manner in which the gas is caused to enter into and
escape from the gasometers A and B at the proper intervals to produce the
desired effect. The service pipe G is formed withinside the case F, F, to a
double branch, which enters the side of the vessels D and E, and turns up
beneath the gasometers A and B, as shewn at haud i in the Figures. The
upper extremities of the pipes and i rise some distance above the surface of
the fluid contained in the vessels D and E, and are furnished with valves
marked 6 and 7 in the Figure. a & b represent two other pipes, the upper
extremities of which rise above the surface of the fluid in the vessels D and E,
and are provided with valves marked 5 and 8,similar to those last mentioned.
The pipes a, b, proceed to the bottom of the vessels D and E, where they turn
sideways, and open directly into the box or case F, F. The valves. aforesaid
are connected together in pairs by small levers or beans m and #, in the
following order (viz.):-The valves 5 and forming one pair, and the valves
7 and & forming another pair, the levers or beams m and n being adapted to
move or vibrate upon centres or fulcrums in the middle of their length, which
centres are supported upon brackets or standards o, affixed to the upper
extremity of the pipes hand i. By this arrangement the corresponding valves

page_text: 5 and 7, and those 6 and 8, are caused to open and shut with a simultaneous
movement. The said valves are caused to move at the proper intervals by the
operation of small studs or projections 9, r, s, and t, which are formed on the
sides of the rods or wires and y attached to the upper part of the gasometers
A and B. These studs q & r, s and t, do not operate directly upon the
valves, but they are caused to operate upon small balance levers and I, which
are made hollow, in the form of trunks, and contain a portion of mercury or
other ponderous fluid, the object of which will be herein-after explained.
These balance levers are adapted to vibrate freely upon the same centres of
motion as the levers m and n,but with the liberty of moving through a certain
space independently of the levers m or ». The operation of the apparatus
is as follows: Suppose the gasometers A and B to be in the position
represented by the Figure 4, the gas is supposed to be escaping from the
exterior case F, F, to the burners through the pipe H; the valve 6 being open,
the gas will flow through the service pipe G, and branch h, into the gasometer
A, and will cause it to rise at the same time the valve 8, belonging to the
gasometer B, is open, thus the gasometer B will descend and force the gas
which was contained within it to escape through the pipe 6 into the exte-
rior case F, F, the valves 5 and 7 being shut or closed, as shewn in the
Figure. The direction in which the gas is flowing, and the direction in which
the gasometers are moving, are indicated by the small arrows in Figure 4.
In this position the projecting studs and s, before mentioned, are supposed to
have come into contact at the same instant with the ends of the levers k and I,
and to have moved them upon their centres or fulcrums in a sufficient degree
to cause the fluid contained within them as aforesaid to flow to their opposite
ends, as shewn by the blue colour in Figure 3, by which means the ends to
which the metal has flowed will preponderate,and,by coming in contact with
the elevated extremity of the small levers m and n, will force them suddenly
downwards so as to change the position of the valves, as shewn in the Figure3
upon the Drawing. In this situation the gas will flow from the service pipe
G, through the pipe i and valve 7, into the gasometer B, so as to cause the
same to rise, and allow of a corresponding descent of the gasometer A, the gas
from which will escape freely through the valve 5 and pipea into the exterior
case F, F. This action will continue until the projecting studs q and t, which
are fixed to the gasometer by the wires and y, as aforesaid, have come
into contact with the balance levers k and Z,and have moved their extremities
sufficiently to cause the fluid metal contained within them as aforesaid to flow
to the opposite ends of said levers, when they will be caused to preponderate,
and move the valves again into the position represented by the Figure 4. This

page_text: action will continue to be repeated as often as the gasometers A and B arrive
at the top and bottom of their course. The valves are caused by the operation
of the small inverted pendulums or balance bobbs v and w to preserve the
positions in which they may have been placed, until the balance levers k and l
have been moved by the projecting studs sufficiently to cause the fluid metal
within them to flow to opposite ends of the said balance levers, at which
period they will have come into contact with the elevated extremities of the
levers m and n, and will change the position of the valves almost instan-
taneously. By this arrangement, as long as the gas is permitted to escape
from the exit pipe H, and to be supplied through the pipe G, the apparatus
will continue in action ; but, as soon as the lights are extinguished, and the
gas ceases to escape through the pipe H, the action of the apparatus will
cease, and it will remain at rest, because the pressure of gas in the exterior
case F, F, will have become equal to the pressure of the gas in the pipe G,
and within the gasometers A or B, and will thus balance each other; but as
soon as the pressure is relieved in the case F, F, by the gas being drawn off,
the equilibrium will be destroyed, and the pressure of the gas within the
gasometers A or B will cause them to reciprocate and measure the gas from
the service pipe G into the case F, F, as aforesaid. Particular care must be
taken in adjusting the situation of the projecting studs qand 7, 8 and t,so that
the pairs of the valves 5 and 6, and 7 and 8, shall change their positions at the
same instant, viz', the valves 5 and 7 should open and shut simultaneously,
and by the connection of the small levers m and n the valves 6 and 8 must
of necessity open and shut simultaneously also, by which construction, it will
appear, from inspection of the small arrows shewn in the Figures upon the
Drawing, that the gas could never pass through the apparatus without pro-
ducing the reciprocating motion of the gasometers A and B, as the valves
which allow of the exit and entrance of the gas to the gasometers are
never open at the same time in the same gasometer. In order to effect the
adjustment of the studs q, r, s, and t, the wires and rods and y, to which
they are affixed as before mentioned, pass through the tops of the gasometers
A and B, and are furnished with screw nuts, by means of which they may be
raised or lowered at pleasure. In some cases I dispense with the fluid metal
in the balance levers and 7, instead of which I construct the balance levers
with an arm rising from them in the centre at a right angle, and affix a bob or
weight,in the manner of an inverted pendulum,at the upper extreminty of the
said arm, in the same manner as the bobs v and wo before mentioned, upon
the arm or levers mand n. The operation of the said weights or tumbling
bobs would be nearly similar to the operation of the fluid metal within the

page_text: hollow lever as aforesaid, as they would fall over suddenly, and change the
position of the valves as soon as the weights or bobs had passed the vertical,
line over their centre of motion. The manner of arranging the said valves
and giving motion to them, may be varied in many ways, still producing the
desired effect, as above stated; and the mechanism or count wheel work for
registering the number of reciprocations of the gasometers A and B may be
constructed and arranged in any of the ways which are at present known and
in use for similar purposes, and may either be situated within the case F, F,
as aforesaid, or the axis or pivot of the beam or lever C might be made to
pass through a collar of leather in the side of the external case F, F, and have
the count wheelwork situated on a small case on the outside thereof.
Now whereas gasometers applied to the purpose of adjusting and equalizing
the pressure of fluids when flowing through pipes or tubes are now in use,and
have been used previous to the date of the said herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent: be it therefore known, that I do not claim the parts in
Figure 1 of the Drawing annexed, marked D, D, d, d, m, N, n, o, and p, as
my Invention; neither do I claim any right of exclusive privilege to thesam
in conjunction with my said improvement, but only to those parts of the said
Figure 1 which in the Drawing annexed are coloured in India ink, having
represented the other parts of the said Figure 1 merely for the purpose.of
better explaining the application of my said improvement to the purpose last
aforesaid. And now, therefore, a valve or sluice, such as is represented by
the parts coloured in India ink in Figure 1 of the Drawing annexed, for the
purpose lastaforesaid; and also an improved apparatusforthepurpose lastafore-
said, such as described at Figure 2 in the Drawing annexed, and which is herein-
before described as particularly applicable to the operation of adjusting or
equalizing the discharge of water or other liquid through a pipe or tube; and
also an improved apparatus for measuring and registering the quantity of such
fluids as may be caused to pass or flow through any pipe or tube by means of
gasometers having a reciprocating motion, such as is described by Figures 3
and 4 in the Drawing annexed, being, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, entirely new, and never before, used in that part of His said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, His said
Majesty's Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, nor in any
of His said Majesty's Colonies or Plantations abroad, I, the said William
Pontifex the younger, do hereby declare this to be my Specification of my said
Invention, and that I do verily believe this my said Specification doth comply,
in all respects, fully and without reserve or disguise, with the proviso in my
said-herein-before in part-recited Letters Patent contained. Wherefore I do

page_text: hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege to iny said Invention,
as herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Pontifex the younger, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of December, in
the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.
WILLIAM (1..s.) PONTIFEX the Younger.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Thirty-first day of
December, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Pontifex the
younger came before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the First day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousaud
eicht hundred and twenty-five