IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS BY MEANS OF WHICH CERTAIN LIQUIDS, COMMON AIR, AND CERTAIN ELASTIC FLUIDS ARE MADE AVAILABLE IN THE PRODUCTION OF LIGHT, AND THEIR QUANTITY REGULATED AND MEASURED, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Augustus Curley, of 11, Amwell Street,
Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS BY MEANS OF WHICH CERTAIN
LIQUIDS, COMMON AIR, AND CERTAIN ELASTIC FLUIDS ARE MADE AVAILABLE
IN THE PRODUCTION OF LIGHT, AND THEIR QUANTITY REGULATED AND
MEASURED, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 20th February 1866, and dated the 25th August 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Augustus Curley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th August 1865.
I, EDWIN AUGUSTUS CURLEY, of 11, Amwell Street, Clerkenwell, in the
5 County of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS BY MEANS OF WHICH
CERTAIN LIQUIDS, COMMON AIR, AND CERTAIN ELASTIC FLUIDS ARE MADE AVAILABLE
IN THE PRODUCTION OF LIGHT, AND THEIR QUANTITY REGULATED AND MEASURED,

page_text: PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
When it is required that air or other elastic fluids shall be made to pass
through pipes, tubes, or chambers for the purposes of my Invention, and the
quantity and pressure which are required to be used are moderate, I find that
a rotating drum resembling the measuring drum of a wet gas meter is a very
convenient apparatus. I surround the drum with a case, which is provided
with an inlet and an outlet for the air. The central orifice and the inlets and
outlets of the several chambers of the drum are sealed or luted with liquid in
the usual manner, and an inverted syphon is, used either on the inlet or the
outlet side of the drum. A train of wheels and pinions, or a train of pulleys,
being connected with the axle of the drum, and this train set in motion by a
weight or spring or other suitable power, the drum is made to revolve, and
consequently to draw the air through the inlet of the case on the one side, and
to force it through the outlet on the other side. The pressure is made uniform
by a regulating air chamber and valve at the inlet. The air is thus made to
flow with regularity through any pipes or chambers properly connected with
the drum case. For the purposes of light and heat it is necessary that the air
should be strongly impregnated with vapours or gases of a highly inflammable
character. If this be desired porous or fibrous diaphragms may be inserted
within all of the chambers of the drum. They will consequently revolve
therewith, and being immersed in the inflammable liquid with which in that
case the apparatus is partially filled, and being afterwards exposed to the air
in every revolution of the drum a sufficient evaporating surface is obtained,
and the air is impregnated with the inflammable material to the required
extent. But it is better to have the inflammable liquid in a separate chamber,
partially filled therewith, and connected with the upper part of the drum case
in such a manner that all of the air passing through the drum can be made to
pass through this chamber. In this chamber I provide a disk or a series of
disks revolving upon an axis which moves with the axis of the drum, so that
the disk or series of disks is constantly wetted with the inflammable liquid,
and any required amount of evaporating surface constantly exposed to the air.
To keep the proper quantity of liquid in this chamber I attach an apparatus
on the principle of the hydrostatic fountain, but I do not allow the liquid to
flow directly from the fountain to the chamber, because variations in the
temperature will in that case affect in some degree the level of the liquid. I
provide, therefore, a partition between the fountain and the lower part of the
evaporating chamber, and small portions of the liquid from the lower level of
the fountain are raised and caused to flow into the evaporating chamber at a

page_text: .
I
higher level by a suitable attachment to the axis of the revolving disks before
mentioned. Any excess in the chamber runs back to the lower level of the
fountain, and consequently, in the chamber a uniform level is maintained.
also apply this compensating apparatus for the purpose of maintaining a
uniform.level of liquid in wet gas meters, gas regulators, and gas holders.
Instead of the fountain arrangement just described I sometimes use a
réservoir for the liquid, connected with the evaporating chamber by a pipe,
and this pipe is stopped by the rising and opened by the falling of a mercurial
valve which is. moved by a float in the evaporating chamber or in a float
chamber connected therewith: The mercury is contained in a small, vessel
made of a composition; as vulcanite or ebonite, in such, a form that reversing
the apparatus will not cause: the mercury to be spilled. This arrangement I
also apply to gas meters, gas holders, and gas regulators.
To regulate the amount of evaporation and the quantity of inflammable
liquid used I provide two separate inlets or outlets; as the case may be, the
one affording a passage for the air through the evaporating chamber, and the
other providing for the air a separate. passage. On the separate passage I
place a valve; if this valve be entirely closed all the air must necessarily pass
through the evaporating chamber, but if the valve be fully open scarcely any
portion of the air will pass through or even into the evaporating chamber, for
the reason that this valve affords the readiest passage. I can thus adjust
at pleasure the extent to which the air or any other elastic fluid shall be
impregnated with the vapours of the inflammable liquid in the evaporating
chamber.
Any considérable variation in the temperature of the inflammable liquid in
the evaporating chamber being certain to have a serious effect on the amount
of vapour absorbed by the air passing through that chamber, it is necessary to
provide against this contingency in all situations where such variations of tem-
perature are likely to occur. To meet this contingency I provide externally
a small jet of flame to beat the liquid in the evaporating chamber; this jet of
flame is increased or diminished by a valve, while it may be extinguished by a
cock. If the cock be opened and the valve entirely closed there will still be
sufficient passage to preserve a flame, but this flame will have no appreciable
effect on the temperature of the evaporating chamber. If the valve be quite
open the flame will be sufficient to heat the liquid in the evaporating chamber
very considerably. To make this valve self-acting I provide a tube, closed at
the bottom and open at the top. Within the tube. is a rod of some material
other that of which the tube is made. The tube-passes through the evaporating
chamber, to which it and the rod within are fastened at the bottom. Being

page_text: filled with some liquid the tube through its whole length, as also the rod
within it, partakes of the temperature of the liquid in the evaporating
chamber. The pipe which supplies the small jet of flame before mentioned is
fixed to the upper portion of the tube, and the regulating valve is near the point
at which the pipe is fixed. The length of the rod is adjusted by a screw, and
it is connected with this valve. If the temperature of the liquid in. the
evaporating chamber increases, the tube and the rod are slightly increased in
length, but not in the same proportion; this slight variation causes the rod to
move the valve, and the jet of flame is consequently diminished. If from any
cause the temperature should get a little too low the rod increases slightly the
aperature of the valve, the flame is increased, and the temperature raised to the
proper degree. If I wish to set the apparatus to a different temperature I
turn the screw adjustment, and thus regulate it like the pendulum of a clock.
The combination just described can also be used to preserve a uniform tempe-
rature under many other circumstances, as in stoves, ovens, hot-houses, and
the rooms of the sick.
Instead of causing the flow of air or other elastic fluid by a revolving drum,
as already described, I also accomplish the same object by using one or more
bellows. The form I prefer is a series of bellows resembling the series of
measuring chambers of a dry gas meter; these bellows are moved by a spring
or weight, as before described, except that if the reciprocating form be used
there must be a conversion of rotary into reciprocating motion.
In this case
the evaporating chamber and the contrivances connected therewith will not
necessarily differ greatly from those already described.
Dispensing with my contrivance for producing the flow of air I attach my
evaporating chamber and the contrivances connected therewith to a gas meter,
and thereby impregnate the gas with inflammable vapours to any required
extent.
I also use my apparatus to impregnate the atmosphere of a room with
any vapours or gases which may be required as perfumes, disinfectants, or
otherwise.
I use that part of my Invention which causes the flow or passage of air
through tubes or pipes for the further purpose of supplying air for organs and
instruments of music. I use it also for propelling articles or machines
through tubes or pipes, and for the purpose of transmitting power to a distance.
I utilize the power transmitted by a machine having precisely the reverse
action of the machine for transmitting the power.
Instead of the rotating drum I sometimes use one or more reciprocating
pumps sealed with liquid like the large gas receivers used for storing gas át

page_text: the works. Self-acting valves are attached to these, and they are worked by
means of a spring or weight.
But where it is required to move a great volume of air, as in an atmospheric
pressure railway, I use large reciprocating air holders moved by steam or
water power or other powerful agency.