Improvements in Gas Regulators.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Regulators.
We JOHN GREAVES HAWKINS and JOHN BARTON both of Peterborough in the
County of Northampton, Gas Engineers, 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 has for its object the construction of gas regulators in such a manner
as to ensure the passage of the same quantity of gas, within a given time, under all
ordinary pressures, and while suitable to regulate the gas to a number of burners, or
other apparatus requiring a considerable supply, is specially adapted for regulating the
flow to single burners.
In order that the invention may be easily understood drawings are attached hereto
of which the following is a description.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the gas burner regulator as made for a single burner, and
is drawn to the natural size, all the subsequent figs. being drawn to an enlarged
scale, unless they are applied to the regulation of a greater quantity of gas than is
usually supplied to a single burner,-such for instance as heating and cooking
stoves.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of our improved regulator as adapted to a single burner.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the burner and vertical section of the case and also shows
in elevation that part of the apparatus which we call the diaphragm or float and
cylinder.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the cylinder alone, and
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of that part of the apparatus that we call the piston which
works within the cylinder.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of a burner and regulator, the lower part of the case of which
is screwed internally to receive a male thread connection, and externally to support a
gallery.
Fig. 7 is an elevation of the same burner and vertical section of the case, with its
cylinder and piston and cup, also in section.
Fig. 8 is a similar apparatus applied to a long "cone" such as are used in public
lamps.
Fig. 9 is an alternative arrangement of cylinder and piston and Fig. 10 is a further
modification of piston, Fig. 11 being a plan of the bottom and Fig. 12 an elevation of
the cup forming part of it.
Fig 13 shows an arrangement suitable for suspension lights where the gas enters
the case from the top and is adapted by means of a bye pass to regulate either the
whole of the gas flowing through it or to only part of the same.
In each of the figs. similar letters refer to the same parts.
For the purpose of carrying out this invention we make a regulator that can be
adapted to the ordinary case A as seen in Figs. 1 and 2 the arrangement of the
regulating parts being as follows. Fitted into the lower part of the case A Fig. 3 is a
diaphragm or float B having a hole C in its centre. This float supports a cup or
cylinder closed at top but open at the bottom and formed with two diameters, the
largest being at the bottom. The cylinder fits the case and rests upon the float
closely so as to form a gas tight joint. Within the cylinder is placed a piston D
Fig. 5. Near the bottom of the piston on its outer circumference is formed a ring
or rounded flange E and a little above it there is another similar ring or rounded
flange F. The diameter of these rings or flanges are such as to fit the interior of the
lower part of the cylinder while the upper part of the piston fits the upper part of the
cylinder, but not so tightly as to prevent freedom of rising and falling within it.
Between the two flanges there are one or more holes G leading from the outside of

page_text: the piston to the inside of the piston and above the second ring there is also a hole H
or holes leading from the outside to the inside of the piston as seen in Fig. 5. The
piston is somewhat shorter than the inside of the cylinder and just above the top of
the piston when at rest there are suitable holes L in the cylinder for the gas to pass
from the inside to the outside of the cylinder, and from thence to the burner. In
Fig. 7 it will be observed that there is a cup J having a slot or slots K in its side
and is screwed into the bottom of the piston.
The action is as follows,-reference being made more particularly to Fig. 7.
The gas enters in the direction of the arrow passes through the hole C in the
float B and thence through slot in the side of the regulating cup J to the inside of
the piston. It then travels on towards the hole or holes L in the cylinder through
which it flows to the burner M. The piston is of such weight as to pass a given
quantity of gas under a given pressure. When this pressure is increased the piston
commences to ascend and in doing so it covers the holes L in the cylinder and prevents
more than the proper quantity of gas passing. It will be seen that when the piston
is in action there are two different pressures inside the regulator, one underneath
the piston and between the outside of the piston and inside of the cylinder, and the
other on the inside of the piston, the former being the greater of the two. That
being so there is a tendency for the gas flowing between the piston and cylinder to
drag the piston beyond its proper position and so derange its action. By the arrange-
ment however of the rings and holes of the piston the pressures inside and outside
it become the same, consequently no dragging such as that just alluded to takes
place the result being that the quantity of gas flowing to the burner will be the same
under all pressures. By the regulating cup at the bottom of the piston the regulator
may be adjusted to suit the quantity of gas to be passed.
In Fig. 9 is shown an alternative arrangement of the cylinder and piston in the
latter of which hollows are formed in the sides instead of projections or rings like E
and F, Figs. 5. 7, and 10, and exhibits a further modification in the form of
piston. Fig. 11 is a plan of the bottom and Fig. 12 an elevation of another form
of regulating cup adapted to auch pistons as are shown in Figs. 9 and 10 and by
means of which the regulator may be adjusted by partially turning the thumb-bit N.
Indeed the piston and cup bear the same relation to each other and act the same as
the plug and barrel of an ordinary cock. Fig. 13 is a governor with the case in
sectional elevation, and similar to the one shown in Fig. 7 but adapted for what are
called suspension lights, where the inlet for the gas is at the top and the outlet at the
bottom. The gas enters at the top and flows down the passage a part of it entering
the passage P into the regulator where the regulation takes place, and escapes by
the holes L in the cylinder, and through the passage Q to the outlet R, the remaining
portion of the gas may flow direct from the passage 0 to the outlet, the proportion
being determined by the adjustment of a screw S which upon being screwed forward
reduces the size of the passage through which the gas has to flow. This screw
arrangement constitutes a bye pass whereby a comparatively small regulator may
serve to govern the flow of a considerable quantity of gas.
In the manufacture of these regulators we do not confine ourselves to the precise
external form shown on the drawings as variations may be made therefrom to suit
particular circumstances.
We make the float, cylinder and piston of steatite or similar material, but we do not
limit ourselves thereto, as other suitable material may be employed for this purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Making gas regulators with a cylinder and piston such as we have herein
described and shown on the drawings.
2. The combination of the regulating cup such as is shown in Figs. 7, 10,
11 and 12, with pistons and cylinders made as herein described and shown on the
drawings.

page_text: 3. The making of regulators with an adjustable bye-pass arrangement as herein
described and shown in Fig. 13.
Dated thi Kth
1000
W. H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicants.