Application of Electricity to the Controlling of Gas and other Cocks and Valves.
Year: 1887

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
The Application of Electricity to the Controlling of Gas and other
Cocks and Valves.
I HENRY REUBEN FISHER of 35 Waterloo Road, London S.E. Electrician, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
The object of my invention, is to provide a means which will be efficient, simple in
construction, cheap, and not liable to get out of order, for controlling the supply of
gas or water to buildings, with a view, especially, to obviating a well known source of
danger which occurs, when a building takes fire, owing to the conflagration being
assisted at the outset, by the gas escaping from melted pipes.
In carrying out my Invention, I provide a recessed flanged cap of novel construction,
preferably circular, which fits, and is secured in any suitable manner to the square
shoulder of the plug of the cock, tap or valve to which my device is to be adapted.
Upon said cap, which has a square or other shaped projection to allow of the same
key being used thereon that was originally made for the cock, is loosely fitted a lever
having two arms of different lengths, to the shorter one of which is attached a weight,
the position of which latter upon the arm is adjusted by means of a set screw or
equivalent. Upon the longer of the aforesaid arms is suspended a slotted rod, to the
lower extremity of which is fixed a tray or carrier for holding weights. Within
the upper part of the slot is fitted a sinall pulley, which, resting upon the upper
edge of the lever above mentioned, allows the carrier and weights to move freely
from one end to the other thereof. The extremity of the long arm of the lever is
hooked, and embraces a pin attached to the arinature of an electro-magnet. When
the electro-magnet is at rest, the pin aforesaid maintains the lever in a horizontal
position, and the gas or water is allowed to enter the building, but as soon as the
electric circuit is closed, by means of a contact, the armature being then attracted to
the electro-magnet, releases the pin from the lever, which latter falls, allowing the
weights to ride to the extremity thereof; the downward pull increasing with the
increasing distance of the weights from the centre.
The contacts may be placed in any or every room in a building as may be desired.

page_text: Should it be desired to apply the device according to my Invention, to a gas
meter, with a view to automatically cut off the gas in the event of the building
taking fire, fire alarms of any suitable construction may be disposed throughout the
building and so arranged that by making contact and closing the circuit, the electro-
magnet would be actuated in the same manner as by ordinary contacts as above
described. An electric bell, or electric bells may be introduced in the circuit, to give
warning of the presence of great heat, or of the outburst of a conflagration.
I may, under some circumstances, use a two way cock in conjunction with my
device, by means of which, in case of fire, simultaneously with the gas being cut off,
water may be allowed to flow through the pipes, and thus assist in subduing the
flames.
With a view to regulate the pressure of gas to a building, I drill,
or otherwise form
a number of holes in the flange of the cap above described, into which holes takes a
pin passing through a similar hole in the upper part of the collar of the lever. The
holes having been formed at distances, to suit varying requirements, the pin is
removed and the tap turned, to allow of the delivery of the required amount of gas,
and the pin is then replaced, thus, the lever is always maintained in a horizontal
position. And with a view to further facilitate the regulation of the delivery of the
gas or water, I graduate the flange of the cap, and attach an index pointer to the
lever, by which means the approximate amount of gas being delivered can be readily
ascertained.
.
As an alternative method to that above described for actuating cocks or taps by
means of a lever, I may dispense with said lever, and substitute therefor, falling
weights in combination with a pulley, crank, cam, or like suitable means.
From the foregoing it will be obvious, that by means of the device above described,
the supply of gas or water may be cut off at the meter or at the main, from any part
of a house, either automatically or by hand.
Dated this 27th day of September 1887.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
The Application of Electricity to the Controlling of Gas and other
Cocks and Valves.
I HENRY REUBEN FISHER of 35 Waterloo Road, London, S.E. Electrician, 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, reference being also had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in
which :-
Figure 1 represents an elevational view of the device or appliance arranged
according to my invention; Figure 2 is a detached view of the lever. Figures 3, 4,
and are respectively elevation, plan, and sectional elevation of the cap, Figure 6 is
an elevational view of another type of lever and Figure 7 shows the lever retained
in a horizontal position by the armature of an electro-magnet.
The object of my invention is to provide a ready means which will be efficient,
simple in construction and not liable to get out of order, for the controlling of gas,
steam, air, water and other elements with a view to obviating a number of well known
sources of danger, such for instance as a building taking fire, the overheating of an
enclosed space, ignition of materials subject to too great pressure, the difficulty of
stopping machinery in cases of accident or breakdown, the overflowing or emptying of
reservoirs, the escape of gases and other causes.
The device or appliance in accordance with my invention comprises a cap A
(Figures 3, 4 and 5) of novel construction which is so formed as to fit on to the
square head of the plug of a tap, cock or valve, and is secured thereto by means of a
screw, pin or equivalent. Upon said cap A is placed a lever B solid or hollow as may
be desired, the collar of which is free to move thereon, and may be secured thereto
by the insertion in a hole c in said collar and in the flange C of the cap A. of a
plug or pin. A weight or weights D, E, are provided upon the solid lever, capable
of adjustment, to overcome the resistance offered by the tap, cock or valve; and in
order to ensure the full fall of the lever B, the hook, fork or other device d from
which the weight D, is suspended, has a small pulley pivoted therein, by means of
which, as soon as the lever B is released by the armature of an electro-magnet, said
weight D, rides freely to the extremity of the lever carrying it to its lowest point of
travel.
The extremity of the lever B which may terminate in a rounded nose e as shown in
the drawings, or if desired, in a hook, engages with a pin or projection / formed
upon the end of the armature F, of an electro-magnet G, Figure 7 which, holds the
lever in the normal horizontal position of rest, in which position the tap, cock or
valve is open for the delivery of gas, water and the like.
In order to allow of the regulation of the supply of gas, water and the like, I
perforate the flange C, of the cap A, with a number of holes h by means of which
the tap, cock or valve aforesaid, may be turned to any desired angle, and the lever B
secured thereto by the pin or plug above mentioned, said lever retaining the horizontal

page_text: position when at rest. The tap or cock may be turned. for the purpose of regulation,
by the ordinary key which would fit on to a head a formed upon the cap A, as shown
at Figures 3, 4 and 5; and with a view to further facilitate the regulation of the
supply I engrave, stamp or otherwise form upon the flange C of the cap A, a graduated
scale, and upon the collar of the lever B I attach an index pointer whereby the
approximate supply of gas, water and the like, may be read off with great facility.
Instead of employing a solid lever with weights, as above described, I may in
accordance with my invention use a tubular chamber H, partially filled with a loose
or fluid substance, preferably mercury which as above described would perform the
same function as the movable weight or weights.
In
As an alternative method to the foregoing, for actuating the tap, cock or valve, I
may dispense with the lever or levers and may substitute therefor a falling weight or
weights in combination with a pulley, crank, cam, chain or like suitable means.
combination with the Electro-magnet G, I employ an armature F, loosely pivoted at
its upper extremity k, and having an arm m fixed at right angles to said armature.
The arm m has arranged upon its upper surface a movable weight n by means of
which the armature F is held away from the magnetic poles of the electro-magnet G
without the aid of springs. An adjusting screw o serves to vary the distance of the
armature from the poles.
A battery of any suitable type is employed to generate a current for acinating the
electro-magnet G, which when the electric circuit is closed attracts the armature F
and thus releases the lever B, allowing the latter to fall, and by this means to cut off
the supply of gas, water or the like.
Suitable contacts such as automatic thermometer, or ordinary push contacts may be
interposed in the electric circuits, whereby in the case of a rise of temperature, the
supply may be automatically cut off, or the supply may be cut off from a distance by
ordinary push or other contacts fixed in different parts of a building, the closing of
the electric circuit being indicated by the ringing of an electric bell or bells.
From the foregoing it will be obvious that by means of the appliance above
described, the supply of elements flowing through taps, cocks or valves, may be
regulated or cut off from any desired locality either by the automatic closing of the
electric circuit, or by closing said electric circuit by hand.
. Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
First In a device or appliance for the regulation of and cutting off the supply of
gas, water and the like, the employment of a solid or chambered lever B capable of
moving freely on a cap A in combination with weights D and E substantially as
herein set forth and shown.
Second The adaptation to the head of a tap, cock or valve, of a cap A, having a
graduated scale upon the flange C thereof in combination with an index pointer i
upon the collar of the lever B for regulating the supply of gas, water and the like
substantially as herein set forth and shown.
Third: In the device referred to in the preceeding claims, the employment in
combination therewith of an electro-magnet having a loosely pivoted armature
provided with a movable weight whereby the sensitiveness of said armature may be
varied as desired, substantially as herein set forth.
Fourth The improved device or appliance for controlling taps, cocks and valves
substantially as herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings."
Dated this 27th day of July 18SS