Year: 1886

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by JOSEPH ELLICOTT HOLMES, of the City of Wash-
ington, District of Columbia, and HIRAM CORNELIUS COVERT, of the City,
County, and State of New York, both in the United States of America.]
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lanc in the County of
Middlesex Follow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to improvements in thermometric governors, or instruments
employed in controlling or regulating the flow or discharge of gases while under
pressure for refrigeration, extinguishment of fires and for other purposes.
The object of my invention is to obtain an improved automatic action of a thermal
regulator in conformity to the degree of variation of temperature in the surrounding
atmosphere. This object I attain by means of the apparatus hereinafter described.
To a vessel of annular spiral or other form and made of thin metal of good heat
conducting properties is attached a branch which forms a communication between said
vessel and the working parts of the apparatus contained or carried by the main barrel
or piston chamber which is enlarged near the top and provided with a diaphragm
which separates the piston chamber from that formed in a superposed cap. Upon the
diaphragin is placed a cone or hemispherical shaped strainer preferably formed of
metal and with a fine mesh so as to prevent the passage of any foreign matter while
exposing a large area for the passage of the gas. The piston is composed of elastic
material such as rubber carried by or incorporated with wire or other coiled material
which will prevent lateral expansion but allow of elongation. The piston is secured at
one end in a seat by a hollow conical plug which will permit the interior of the piston
to be filled with the expansible liquid from the annular or other vessel. The other end
of the piston is closed by a plug and wedge ring free to move in the piston chamber
and attached to a valve rod which extends up through the diaphragm and strainer.
In the valve rod is formed a groove corresponding in length with its possible travel

page_text: the groove being graduated in its sectional area from a mere point at its upper end to
any required depth. Through said groove the gas under pressure escapes and where
refrigeration is to be effected it passes through the inlet tube to the refrigerating pipes
where its rapid expansion will produce intense cold and absorb the latent heat and
moisture contained in the chamber to be refrigerated. The quantity of gas which thus
escapes will be controlled by the position of the graduated groove in relation to the
diaphragm and this is dependent upon the expansion (or elongation) or contraction of
the elastic piston which is in turn regulated by the difference in volume of the expan-
sible liquid in the annular vessel at different temperatures. The inlet pipe from the
gas chamber or reservoir is above the strainer the discharge being below the
diaphragm.
For the purpose of adjustment a pipe is connected to piston chamber below the
piston and this is provided with a cock and plunger so that after the apparatus is filled
and the position of the parts at the desired temperature secured they can be set
accordingly and this adjustment may be facilitated by means of a suitable stop cock
upon the annular or other vessel.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thermometric Governors.
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTION of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of
this invention (a communication to me from abroad by Joseph Ellicott Holmes of the
City of Washington District of Columbia and Hiram Cornelius Covert of the City
County and State of New York both in the United States of America) and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
This invention rolates to improvements in thermometric governors, instruments
employed in controlling or regulating the flow or discharge of gases while under
pressure for refrigeration, extinguishing of fires and for other purposes.
The object of my invention is to obtain an improved automatic action of a thermal
regulator in conformity to the degree of variation of temperature in the surrounding
atmosphere. This object I attain by means of the apparatus hereinafter described and
illustrated in the drawing in which-
Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of my improved instrument showing its con-
struction and general arrangement, while Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one of the
parts thereof.

page_text: 1, is an annular vessel (made of thin metal of good heat conducting properties)
which is closed at both ends, and which is to be filled with a liquid susceptible of
great expansion under the influence of heat. It can be made in either a spiral or
annular form in such manner as to render it as sensitive as possible to the variations
of temperature and can be employed singly or otherwise according to the space to be
acted upon.
2, is a branch attached to the side of the vessel 1, forming a support and communi-
cation between the vessel and the working parts of the instrument.
3 indicates the communication.
4 is the main barrel or piston chamber connected at its lower end to the branch 2,
by a screw-joint 5, and packing 6. It is enlarged at its upper end and closed by a
chamber or cap 7, which is secured by a screw-joint 8. In this joint is placed a
diaphragm 9, which divides the chamber in the cap 7, from that in the upper end of
the piston chamber 4. On the top of this diaphragm is placed a hemispherical or cone
shaped strainer 10, (which is shown in Fig. 2 enlarged) composed of thin metal or
fine wire cloth struck up into shape (in forms prepared for the purpose) and secured
in position in the screw-joint 8, by the flange 11. The perforations or meshes in this
strainer must be of the very finest character, in order to effectually provent the
passage of any foreign substance that may be contained in the gas and at the same
time it must have sufficient area to permit the free passage of the gas under all con-
ditions. 12, is a tubular elastic piston, securely adjusted in the interior of the piston
barrel 4, which slightly exceeds it in diameter, said elastic piston being composed of
rubber or other elastic material in the walls of which are incorporated and embedded
small wire or cord closely coiled and extending from end to end to prevent any lateral
expansion, but offering no resistance to its clongation or expansion lengthwise in the
tube. It is secured at one end in a conical seat 13, formed in the lower end of the
piston chamber 4, by a hollow conical plug 14, allowing the interior to be filled with
the expansible liquid from the annular vessel 1. The other end is hermetically sealed
by a conical plug 15, and wedge ring 16,which is free to move in the valve chamber 4.
Attached to the plug 15, is a valve rod 17, extending upward through a closely
fitting orifice in the diaphragm 9, and the strainer 10, and into the receiving chamber 7.
a sufficient distance to effectually prevent it from passing through and out of the
strainer and diaphragm on its downward movement. In this piston rod is formed a
groove, corresponding in length with the travel of the rod, and graduated in its
sectional area from a mere point at its upper end to any required depth at the other
end. Through this graduated groove the gas under pressure escapes and passes
through the inlet tube into the refrigerating pipes where its rapid expansion produces
intense refrigeration, absorbing the latent heat and moisure in the chamber to be
refrigerated, the quantity of gas thus escaping being perfectly controlled by the
position of the graduated groove in relation to the diaphragm, which is dependent
upon the expansion (or elongation) and contraction of the elastic piston 12, caused by
the difference in volume of the expansible liquid at different temperatures.
19 is an inlet pipe communicating with a reservoir of compressed gas, and 20, the
discharge pipe forming a connection with pipes coiled or otherwise arranged in a
refrigerating chamber.
21 is a piston for regulating the position of the graduated groove 18, in relation to
the diaphragm 9, after the instrument is filled and connected with the gas reservoir
and refrigerating chamber. The movement of this piston upward or downward by
turning it in the threaded packing nut 22 produces a corresponding movement in the
column of liquid contained in the tubular piston 12, and with it the valve rod 17, and
graduated groove 18.
After the desired temperature is secured, it will be automatically maintained at said
point in the refrigerating chamber by the instrument acted on by the surrounding
atmosphere.
23 is a stop cock which is closed after the instrument is adjusted to prevent leakage.
25 is an air cock which is also closed after the instrument has been filled.
I am aware that instruments have been designed for the general purposes above

page_text: described and for an automatic control of the discharging valve, and I do not broadly
claim this, but―
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :—
1st. In a thermometric governor, a vessel or cylinder of annular or spiral form to
contain an expansible liquid in combination with the branch 2, the tubular elastic
piston 12, having incorporated in its walls and embedded therein, wire or fine cord
wound spirally from end to end (to effectually prevent lateral expansion but offering
no practical resistance to its elongation when acted upon by the pressure of liquids in
the interior) the conical soat 13, in the valve chamber 4, and hollow conical plug 14,
by which one end of the tubular piston is secured, the conical plug 15, and wedge
ring 16, by which the other end of the piston is hermetically sealed, having free com-
munication between the interior of the piston and annular space in the cylinder or
vessel 1, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2nd. The combination in a thermometric governor, of an elastic tubular piston 12,
with the valve rod 17, removable diaphragm 9, and strainer 10, composed of thin and
finely perforated inetal or fine wire cloth, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
3rd. In a thermometric governor the combination of the tubular, elastic piston 12,
with the regulating piston 21, stop valve 23, and air escape cock 25, substantially as
and for the purposes described.
4th. In a thermometric governor the combination of the cylinder 1 branch 2,
tubular elastic piston 12, diaphragm 9, strainer 10, adjusting piston 21, stop valve 23,
and air escape cock 25, substantially as and for the purposes set forth and described.
Dated this 24th day of May 1887.