Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Cutting-off and for. Opening the Gas Supply to Gas Lamps or Burners.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1899-Accepted, 17th June, 1899
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Cutting-off and for.
Opening the Gas Supply to Gas Lamps or Burners.
We, WILHELM FRENZ, Merchant, and WILHELM HEINRICH AUGUST SIEVERTS,
Teacher, both of Schulweg, Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to an arrangement for automatically cutting-off and for
opening the gas supply in gas lamps by the direct effect of the altered gas pressure
in the day time compared with that prevailing at night. The arrangement is
intended to take the place of the ordinary gas tap or cock.
According to this invention we arrange between the gas supply and the burner
a vessel charged with a liquid into which dips the end of one or more bent or syphon
tubes; or a float having two or more outlets may be used. The arrangement is
such as to form a water seal during the daytime by which the gas supply to the
burner is cut off owing to the low pressure in the main. The increased pressure
towards night causes. the water seal to be destroyed thus enabling the gas supply
to reach the burner where it becomes ignited by the constantly burning pilot
flame. The extent of immersion of the bent tube can be adjusted to suit the
difference of pressures and the pressure at which it is desired to destroy the water
seal..
In order that the invention may be clearly understood we will refer to the
accompanying drawings the figures of which are hereinafter referred to and in
which several forms of apparatus embodying the invention are shown.
A very simple apparatus for the purpose. is shown in Figure 1 which consists
of a vessel a containing the liquid and fitted with a cover b and a bottom c. This
vessel is filled with a suitable liquid say water or glycerine up to the line d'd into
which dips a bent supply pipe e secured in the bottom c.. The cover is provided
with an outlet, socket f having external screw threads. To the supply pipe is
suitably connected a small tube g for the pilot flame. The apparatus is interposed
between the gas supply and the burner. The gas forces the liquid out of the pipe e
but the latter dips far enough into the liquid to ensure a small portion of the
column remaining and forming a seal for the reduced gas pressure during the
daytime.
On the pressure increasing at night the gas however escapes and finds its way
into the burner where it is ignited by the pilot flame.
The amount of dip of the bent supply tube e is regulated in accordance with the
difference in the day and night pressures of the gas. One apparatus may be used
in connection with a group of street lamps by having several pipes e.
Furthermore by raising the pressure more or less the flame may be regulated to
its maximum or to any degree of incandescence, that is to say, to burn with a full
flame, a medium, or a reduced flame.
Figure 2 shows a similar arrangement but with the difference that the pipe
is enlarged at the end where it dips into the liquid and has a float i disposed

page_text: upon
therein which under the increase of pressure descends and forces the valve k
its seat so cutting off the supply of gas from the pilot flame, not however before
the main burner has been lighted. The subsequent reduction of pressure in the
main causes the valve of the pilot flame to re-open before the gas is cut off in the
main burner.
The liquid (water, glycerine or the like) naturally evaporates in time and in order
to avoid too frequent replenishing, or where the difference in the day and night
pressures is rather small it is advantageous to employ the apparatus shown in
Figure 3 which is constructed to suit the aforementioned conditions. The ends
of the small tubes m are fixed to a float n and are thus always at a uniform dis-
tance from the level of the liquid. The float n is formed by a hollow vessel having
a neck by which it is placed in an inverted position over the gas supply pipe e,
there being no replenishing required until the vessel comes to rest upon the
pipe e.
Figure 4 shows an arrangement similar to that shown in Figure 3 but provided
with a cut off device, similar to that shown in Figure 2, for extinguishing the pilot
flame, such device being however slightly modified by having the pilot gas pipe r
formed with an enlarged portion op into which enters at the continuation
of
the pilot pipe and which forms a seal for the latter. The piper for the pilot flame
is fastened to the main float and thus gradually descends with the latter as the
liquid evaporates.
In the various forms of apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 4 the single vertical
dip pipe may be replaced by a submerged horizontal annular pipe s see Figure 5
which may be connected with the gas supply pipe either in a direct manner as
indicated in Figures 1 and 2, or in an indirect manner through the float n as shown
in Figures 3 and 4. This annular pipe is provided with a number of small holes
either at its lower portion or at the sides through which the gas escapes only during
high pressure. The vessel is filled with liquid either through a filling cock
arranged below the bottom, or through a short inlet in the cover of the vessel, such
inlet being normally closed by a suitable plug. In connection with the first named
arrangement for filling use is made of a light filling can t which by means of a
flexible rubber tube is brought into communication with the vessel a, see Figure 6,
and according to the vertical position of which relatively to the vessel a liquid
may be filled into or drawn off from the said vessel and by this means the level
of the liquid therein may be regulated as required, this being especially of great
importance with respect to the forms of apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Where for want of space it is inconvenient to interpose any one of the apparatus
shown in Figures 1 to 5 between the gas supply pipe and the burner a connecting
socket u Figure 7 may be interposed with connections for the inlet and the draw
off pipe from the apparatus which in that case is located at the side.
Figure 8 shows a float n in which the gas does not enter direct as in the float
shown in Figures 3 and 4, the float being in this case connected to an inverted
cylindrical receiver closed at one end and which by its other end is placed over
the
gas supply pipe e. The connection between the float n and the cylindrical
receiver may be of any suitable kind. The float thus carries the cylindrical
receiver and always supports it at the same relative level with the level of the
liquid so that the gas has always to overcome the same column of water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. Apparatus for automatically cutting-off from or opening the supply of gas to
gas burners through the direct action of the difference in the relative gas pressures by
day and night, characterized by a vessel interposed between the gas supply pipe
and the burner and containing liquid into which dips one, or several, bent tubes in
the form of a syphon, or a float having one or more dipping tubes may be used to
receive the gas, the arrangement being such as to cause the increase in the gas

page_text: pressure to force out the liquid and allow the gas to reach the burner, while a
reduction in the gas pressure causes the liquid to form a seal cutting off the gas and
extinguishing the main flame.
2. A form of apparatus of the kind claimed in Claim 1, which is characterized by
having the mouth of the dip pipe e or of the float arranged to enclose a second float
adapted to cut off the gas from the pilot flame after the lighting of the main flame
at high pressure, and to re-open the gas supply to the pilot flame before the
extinguishing the main flame at a reduced pressure.
3. A form of apparatus of the kind claimed in Claim 1, which is characterized by
a float n Figure 8 which in itself does not serve as a gas receiver but which is
connected to a cylindrical receiver v placed over the mouth of the gas supply pipe
in such a manner as to keep the said receiver always at a constant level relatively
to the level of the liquid.
Dated thin and la..
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.