IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC REGULATORS FOR CALCIUM LIGHTS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JAMES BOWIE, of 46 Bryantwood Road, Drayton Park, Holloway, London, N.,
Optician, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AUTOMATIC REGULATORS FOR CALCIUM LIGHTS" and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My Invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for automatically
regulating the flow of gas from cylinders of steel or other metal, into which it
is compressed by a suitable pump, for the purpose of producing the calcium light
in its various forms.
The apparatus consists essentially of a pressure gauge with curved hollow spring
and pointer which registers the pressure on an engraved dial, the motion of said
pointer being produced by toothed wheels connected with the spring. The gauge
is that known as the Bourdon principle and registers to 225 pounds to the square
inch. It is screwed into a suitable pipe for connecting with a reservoir of gas and
has a slot cut in its case for the purpose of allowing a riser to pass through. This
riser is attached to the free end of the hollow spring at bottom, its top being
attached to a lever to bo presently described. A fulcrum is screwed to the back
of the gauge case and to this is attached a lever which is also connected with the
riser previously mentioned. It is continued forward to meet a rod attached to
another lever connected with two screw valves which open or close the orifice in
entrance pipe, connection being made or broken by a thumbscrew in front of lever.
The rod is provided with two ball and socket joints to allow perfect parallel motion.
The aperture in exit pipe is closed by a taper valve with screw spindle and hand
wheel which passes through an open seat valve provided with a lever arm to which
the rod before mentioned is secured. The arm is continued forward to allow of a
movable weight being employed to overcome the friction of the screw spindle of
open seat valve. Each valve is provided with a stuffing box. The screw spindle
of taper valve has a thread of twenty-eight to inch; that of open seat valve twelve
to inch; the lever arm is two inches long, the rod being connected in centre, the
other inch being used as a support for the movable weight.
I call this combined apparatus the automatic regulator. It is placed in &
mahogany case with plate glass front. A sliding catch is provided at back of
case to secure the lever arm of open scat valve during such time as the taper valve
is being actuated by hand.

page_text: The accompanying Drawings show the various parts of the apparatus as described
in the above Specification. I do not confine myself however to the precise details
of construction as shown or described. Some slight modifications may be introduced
without departing from the principle of my Invention.
Figure 1. Front view. A, pipe leading from cylinder or reservoir containing
gas. B, pressure gauge on the Bourdon principle registering to 225 pounds to square
inch. The interior arrangements are shown by dial being cut, the continuation
of spring by dotted lines. C, riser attached to hollow spring of gauge. D, movable
head of riser with screw having milled head to secure it to lever. E, lever,
connected to a fulcrum at f by a screw, to riser C by milled head screw at D,
and to rod H by a thumbscrew G. H, rod connecting lever arm of valves with
lever E. This rod is provided with two ball and socket joints. One is shown at h
the other is near bottom. I, upright brass rod to steady lever E, which is slotted
at e to allow up and down motion. K, taper valve connected to screw spindle kk.
L, stuffing box. M, hand wheel. N, open seat valve. O, stuffing box. P, lever
arm attached to valve N. Q, movable weight. R, mahogany case.
Figure 2. Section. A, inlet pipe. B, case of pressure gauge. C, riser. D, milled
head. (Movable joint it clamps is shown by dotted lines.) E, lever, attached to
fulcrum at f, to riser at D, and to lever from valves at p. It is slotted at e.
F, fulcrum. H, top of rod connecting upper and lower levers. I, steadying rod.
k, spindle of valve K Fig. 1. L, stuffing box. M, hand wheel. N, spindle of open
seat valve. O, stuffing box. P, lever arm of valves connected at p with rod.
Q, movable weight. ✗, outlet pipe.
To use the regulator for what is known as the oxy-hydrogen lime light, whero
the gases oxygen and hydrogen are mixed in a small chamber before issuing from
a blowpipe jet on to a cylinder of lime, two metal cylinders are necessary. The
hydrogen cylinder is connected to the inlet pipe of a regulator by a short length
of india rubber hose provided with screw-up metal connectors and from the outlet
pipe to jet in a similar way. The oxygen cylinder is coupled to another regulator
in the same way, and also to jet. The thumbscrew on front of lever is next
loosened, the taper valve securely screwed home, and the lever attached to open
seat valve secured by the sliding catch. The valves on top of both cylinders are
now opened wide. So soon as this is done the gauges indicate the pressure in each
cylinder, and at the same time the lever is lifted. The rod is now secured to lever
by thumbscrew. The taper valve of the hydrogen regulator is now slightly opened
by the hand wheel and a light applied at blowpipe aperture of jet, a lime cylinder
having previously been placed in position. When it is thoroughly warmed the
valve is still further opened and the oxygen supply being slowly admitted the light
is produced. When it has attained its utmost brilliancy the sliding catches are
withdrawn. As the pressure in cylinders diminishes the gauge springs contract
and actuating the levers cause the valves to gradually open wider as gas is consumed
thus maintaining a perfectly steady light till gauges register 25 pounds to the
square inch, below which it is unadvisable to work.
.
In various other forms of lime light jets where the flame producer is spirits of
wine, ether, carburetted hydrogen taken from the house supply, or the like, only
one cylinder and one regulator will be required, only oxygen gas being necessary.
Connection is made in a similar way to that described in preceding paragraph to
the oxygen part of apparatus.
I do not claim novelty in the form of gauge employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. The application of a pressure gauge on the Bourdon principle for
actuating a riser connected to its hollow spring, the riser being attached to a
lever working on a fulcrum, which lever is placed in communication with an
upright rod connected to the lever arm of a screw valve by a thumbscrew. The
pressure is indicated at same time by wheelwork, pointer and dial.

page_text: Second. The riser with its sliding arrangement and screw to keep it central
to spring; and the lever it is connected to, with its fulcrum, steadying rod and
thumbscrew.
Third. The upright coupling rod to connect upper and lower levers, with its
double ball and socket joints to secure parallel motion.
Dated this Eighth day of Cantanha-7001