Improvements in Apparatus for Regulating the Pressure of and Distributing Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1898-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1898
Improvements in Apparatus for Regulating the Pressure of and
Distributing Gas.
We, AUGUSTE LECOMTE, of 172, Avenue Victor Hugo, Civil Engineer, and
ISIDORE LOESER, of 146, Boulevard Magenta, Merchant, both of Paris, in the
Republic of France, 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 automatic gas distributor and regulator, especially
applicable to the compression appliances employed for increasing the pressure of
the gas, and intended to ensure an automatic regulation of the distribution of
the gas under pressure and an operation independent of all supervision.
In certain applications of heat, such as in soldering blow-pipes and incandescence
burners, the gas should be at a higher pressure than that at which it is generally
distributed in the mains. For this purpose, ventilators, pumps water injectors and
so forth have been utilised but all these appliances require the régulation, either
by hand or in some other manner, of the speed of the compressing apparatus, in
such a manner that this speed may always be proportioned to the volume of
gas supplied; in addition to this, if the compressing apparatus is stopped, it is
necessary to operate a bye-pass in order that the gas may continue to circulate
in the main, but if the compressor stops for any reason and there is no one present
to attend to it, the passage of the gas is interrupted and in cases in which the
gas supplies lighting appliances, the whole of the burners in the installation are
extinguished.
All these defects are obviated by means of the distributor and regulator which
forms the subject of this invention, as it automatically regulates the distribution
of the gas under pressure and requires no superintendence; it has the further
advantage of being suitable for application to compressors of all kinds.
The accompanying drawing illustrates in principle, and by way of example
only, this automatic distributor and regulator in two of its applications.
Figure 1 shows the apparatus in vertical section as applied to a mercury
exhauster.
L
1
Figures 2 and 3 are two horizontal sections through the distributor regulator
taken upon the lines 1-2 and 3-4 of Figure 1 respectively.

page_text: Figure 4 is a front elevation of the movable portion of the exhauster, the front
face of the casing being removed.
Figure 5 shows the distributor regulator applied to a water injector.
Figure 6 represents a modification of the distributor-regulator.
In these figures similar letters of reference designate like parts.
The distributor-regulator consists essentially of a vessel a in the lower portion
of which are formed two compartments b c into which lead the inlet pipe d and
the outlet pipe e respectively, both of these pipes leading from the vertical pipef;
a cock f¹ is arranged in the vertical pipe between the two pipes d and e, in such a
manner as to enable the gas to be caused to pass either through the apparatus or
directly through the vertical pipe.
The vessel a comprises an internal chamber g communicating on the one hand
with the inlet compartment b and closed at its upper portion by a valve h, which
is applied upon its seat by the action of a spring the tension of this spring is
regulated in such a manner as to admit of the opening of the valve h when the
pressure within the chest a rises above the pressure at which it is desired that
the gus should issue from the apparatus.
The interior of the vessel a communicates with the outlet compartment c by
means of the aperture j.
The valve his combined with a dome or bell immersed in mercury, or any
other liquid which is contained in the annular space provided for this purpose
within the vessel a.
The weight of the bell is regulated in such a manner that it rises under a
pressure slightly higher than the admission pressure of the gas into the apparatus
but less than the pressure at which the gas leaves the same; this bell serves to
effect the opening of the valve h in case the pressure within the vessel a falls
below a certain limit. Communication of the internal chamber g with the interior
of the vessel a may likewise be established by means of two valves h h', as
shown in Figure 6; the valve h is then submitted to the action of a spring i as
above described, and upon this spring the bell exerts no action. The second
valve h¹, on the contrary is closed and applied upon its seat by the pressure of
the gas existing within the vessel a, and opens when this pressure falls, under
the combined action of the pressure of the gas coming from the main and acting
upon its lower face, and of the weight of the bell which raises it by means of
an oscillating lever or of any other appropriate means.
It will of course be understood that this dome or bell may be replaced by a
flexible membrane, a bellows, or other equivalent device arranged in any suitable
manner. The cover or lid of the apparatus is provided with an orifice 7 in order
to permit of displacement of the air during the displacement of the bell k.
The internal compartment g is provided, in addition, with an aperture m from
which the pipe conducting the gas to the compressor leads; the gas under pressure
issuing from this latter enters the compartment of the apparatus; through the
aperture n..
The compressor may be of any suitable type and may be for example, as shown
in Figures 1 and 4, a mercury exhauster, constituted in the ordinary manner by
a cylinder o within which rotates, either in mercury or in some other suitable
liquid, a tympanum or turbine wheel p. This latter in rotating compresses the
gas successively in each of its compartments, and the gas so compressed issues
through the aperture q which is so formed as to present a raised edge or flange
in order to facilitate the liberation of the gas, and to employ only the minimum
of liquid possible for obviating any danger of the bubbles of gas passing beneath
the dividing partition and entering the cylinder o.
The turbine wheel is mounted upon an axis with a stuffing-box to which axis
motion is imparted by a small motor of any suitable kind; owing to the arrange-
ment of the distributor regulator, this axis is able to rotate always at the same
speed, whatever, may be the consumption of gas. Figure 5 shows the employment
as compressor, of a water injector.

page_text: A cock g arranged upon the water pipe permits of causing the water to enter
the injection nozzle t arranged opposite the extremity of the tube u into which
the column of water draws the gas; this tube opens into the lower com-
partment; the gas accumulates at the upper portion of this latter and is con-
ducted through the pipe w to the compartment c of the distributor-regulator ;
the compartment v is also provided with an overflow pipex.
This distributor regulator operates in the following manner:
We will assume that the ordinary pressure of the gas arriving by the vertical
pipe is 4 c/m. and that the pressure should be 16 c/m. upon leaving the distributor-
regulator; the compressor should supply the excess of pressure that is to say, a
pressure of 12 c/m.
Under these conditions, the spring i of the valve h not shown in Figure 5 is
regulated in such a manner that this valve opens when the pressure within the
vessel a exceeds 16 centimetres; the weight of the bell k, on the other hand,
is regulated so that this latter rises with a pressure of from 7 to 8 centimetres,
that is to say a pressure somewhat in excess of the ordinary pressure of the gas,
which should not be capable of raising the bell, and less than the pressure
of the spring of the valve h, so that the pressure transmitted to the interior of
the vessel a through the aperture 3, when the compressor is acting, maintains
the bell applied against the lid of the vessel a and so that the valve h is free to
move.
Everything being thus arranged, in the position of repose, the bell k and the
valve h occupy the position represented in Figure 5; when the compressor is
started, the gas enters the distributor regulator, at the same time, by means of
the apertures n; and through the compartment b and the internal chamber g,
since the valve is open. The pressure then rises beneath the bell k and exceeds
the pressure equivalent to its weight; the bell k then begins to rise, but at the
same time that the bell rises, the valve h closes under the influence of its spring
the pressure then increasing continuously. When the bell reaches a certain point
in its travel, the valve h is completely closed, the bell continuing to rise until it
touches the lid of the vessel a, then leaving the valve h entirely free.
So long as the pressure within the vessel a does not exceed 16 centimetres, all
remains in this condition, but if such pressure increases for any reason (for
example, if some of the burners supplied are extinguished) the pressure increases
beneath the bell k and the valve h acting as a regulator falls under the influence
of this excess of pressure. A portion of the gas thus returns to the compressor,
and as this latter always produces the same volume, whatever may be the con-
sumption, the pressure then falls within the vessel a and within the outlet com-
partment c until the normal pressure is re-established.
If the compressor stops, the pressure diminishing beneath the bell k, this latter
descends and causes the valve h to open; the gas then passes directly from the
chamber g to the interior of the vessel a and of the compartment c.
According to the position of the bell k, the valve h fulfils different functions
and performs in succession the office of regulating valve and of distributing valve.
The apparatus may operate with a liquid other than mercury, it is only necessary
to furnish a sufficient hydraulic protection.
This distributor-regulator produces an extremely important and novel industrial
effect, because it enables installations to be made, working with compressors
actuated in any desired manner and without superintendence; in addition to
this, it is indispensable with water injectors, because it enables these apparatus
to be caused to act with a very low gas pressure, 15 to 20 centimetres for example,
without an excess of pressure in the ejector being able to cause gas and water to
issue at the same time from the overflow pipe; now it is well known that water
injectors give a much greater yield at low pressure than at high pressure.
Generally speaking, this distributor-regulator automatically produces the follow-
ing orerations:

page_text: 1. The automatic placing in circuit of the compressor when this latter is started
and cutting-off of the gas at ordinary pressure coming from the main.
2. Maintenance of the constant pressure which the gas possesses upon leaving
the compressor, whatever may be the increase of speed of the motor, whatever
the number of burners lighted may be, and even if all the burners are turned off
(in cases in which the gas under pressure is intended to supply incandescent gas
burners).
3. Automatic cutting out of circuit of the compressor when this latter has
stopped for any reason, and at the same time, re-establishment of the direct passage
of the gas from the main at its own pressure, without restricting the section of
the passage for the gas, and without taking anything from the ordinary pressure
of the gas, the burners not being extinguished during this operation.
It will of course be understood that this distributor-regulator may vary in
form and dimensions and that its accessory arrangements may be varied according
to the various applications of which it is capable.
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. An automatic gas regulator and distributor, more especially applicable to
compressors employed for increasing the pressure of the gas and constituted in
principle by two compartments, one of which is in communication with the gas
inlet and with the pipe conducting the gas to the compressor, the other receiving
the gas compressed by this latter, and communicating directly with the distribut
ing pipe this second compartment which is of variable capacity and which con-
sists, with that object, either of a dome or bell, a flexible membrane, a bellows or
other equivalent device, being capable of communicating with the first compart-
ment when the pressure rises above the pre-determined limit, in order to enable
the gas to pass back, and also when it falls below a certain limit which is determined
by the pressure required for raising the movable part, for the purpose of per-
mitting of the direct passage of the gas, substantially as described and shown on
the drawings.
2. The automatic distributor-regulator above described, in which communica-
tion between the two compartments is established by means of a single valve,
submitted, on the one hand, to the action of a spring the tension of which is
equal to the firessure at which it is intended that the gas shall be distributed and,
on the other hand, capable of opening under the action of the weight of the
dome or bell which forms the second compartment when the pressure falls below
a certain limit in this latter, substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
3. An automatic distributor-regulator in which communication between the
two compartments is established by means of two valves, one of which is sub-
nitted to the action of a spring the tension of which is equal to the pressure_at
which the gas is intended to be distributed, whilst the other valve opens under
the action of the weight of the dome or bell which constitutes the second com-
partment when the pressure has fallen below a certain limit substantially as
described and shown in the drawings.
.
1
501
1
PT 1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.