IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF GAS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Sugg, of Vincent Works, Vincent
Street, in the City of Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
Scaled the 1st March 1867, and dated the 5th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Sugg
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th September 1866.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS SUGG, of Vincent Works, Vincent Street, in the City
of Westminster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF GAS," to be as
follows:-
These improvements relate to the construction of governors or regulators,
parts of such improvements being applicable to governors or regulators
generally, but are more especially adapted to such as are used for regulating
the supply of gas to public lamps.
The improvements consist, firstly, in casting the cases of metal [by pre-
ference of a mixture of zinc, or lead, tin, and antimony] in brass or other
metallic moulds, whereby a certain degree of perfection is ensured, and the
labour in finishing them greatly diminished.
Secondly, in casting orifices and channels through the said cases in such
manner as to allow of ample space for the gas to flow without interruption

page_text: and at the same time afford great facility for cleansing or removing any
deposit that many collect therein.
Thirdly, for moulding the leathers or gutta percha covered fabric for the
diaphragms into a curved surface and impressing them with a number of con-
centric indentations or rings, whereby the rising and falling of the diaphragms
with the pressure of this gas is rendered more easy and gradual in their
action.
Fourthly, the mode of securing the diaphragms to the lower part of the
cases by means of flat metallic rings screwed on their peripherics.
Fifthly, in the mode of attaching the valves to the diaphragms by means of
metallic shields, nuts, and washers.
Sixthly, in the mode of fastening the upper and lower cases by screws
passing through a hollow D-shaped piece of metal, which while it serves as a
connecting conduit also affords means for securing the cases together.
And, seventhly, in the mode of constructing the burner, the upper part of
which is made both internally and externally of a parabolic form.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Sugg in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS SUGG, of Vincent Works, Vincent Street, in the City of Westminster,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Thomas Sugg, Her special licence that I, the said William Thomas
Sugg, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Thomas Sugg, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS POR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OP GAS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Thomas Sugg, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thomas Sugg, do hereby
declare the nature of said 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 had to the accompanying Drawing, and
to the letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
These improvements relate to the construction of governors especially
adapted for regulating the supply of gas to public lamps, and consist, firstly,
in casting the cases of metal [by preference of a mixture of zinc or lead, tin,
and antimony,] in brass or other metallic moulds, whereby a certain degree
of perfection is ensured, and the labour in finishing them greatly diminished.
Secondly, in casting orifices or channels through the said cases in such
manner as to allow of ample space for the gas to flow without interruption,
and at the same time afford great facility for cleansing or removing any
deposit that may collect therein.
Thirdly, for moulding the leather or gutta percha prepared material for the
diaphragm into a curved surface, and impressing it with a number of con-
centric indentations or rings, whereby the rising and falling of the diaphragm
by the pressure of the gas is rendered more casy and gradual in its action.
Fourthly, the mode of securing the diaphragm to the lower part of the case
by means of a flat metallic ring screwed on its periphery.
Fifthly, in the mode of attaching the valve to the diaphragm by metallic
shields, nut, and washers.
And, sixthly, in the mode of fastening the upper and lower cases by screws
passing through a hollow D-shaped piece of metal, which while it serves as a
connecting conduit also affords means for securing the cases together.
But in order to convey a more accurate idea of the construction and action
of the apparatus Drawings are attached hereto, of which the following is a
description.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section. A, B, are the upper and lower parts of the
metallic case. The bottom part C is screwed to fit on to a connecting piece
attached to the stand or service pipe of the lamp column. Above this part it
will be observed that the orifice is constracted so as to form a seat, against
which the valve D works. In the interior of the lower portion of the case a
narrow ledge is formed to support a piece of perforated metal E. Above the
ledge just spoken of another ledge is made whercon the outer edge of_the

page_text: leather diaphragm F rests, which is kept securely gas-tight in its place by
means of a brass ring G, which has a thread on its periphery, and screws into
a thread formed on the interior of the case, a cardboard ring or washer being
introduced between the leather and the brass ring to prevent the leather from
being damaged by the operation of screwing it down, and also to afford greater
security for the tightness of the joint. It will be seen that the valve D is
carried by a spindle, the upper portion of which is screwed. This screwed
part has a flange whereon to rest metallic and card washers; above those is
placed a light metallic shield having an orifice in its centre, and over that lies
the diaphragm, which has also a small hole in the middle through which the
screwed spindle passes. Upon the diaphragm another metal shield is placed,
and this is surmounted by a card washer and brass nut, which upon being
screwed down secures the perfect gas tightness of the attachment of the
diaphragm to the valve. On the lower portion of the case a projection II is
cast, for the purpose of forming a channel I through which the gas passes on
its way to the outlet; a similar projection J is also cast on the upper portion
of the case, which has a channel K for the same purpose. A hollow piece of
metal L of the shape shown is screwed on to these projections and over the
channels I and K before mentioned; this piece of metal while it is used to
connect the top and bottom portions of the cases also serves as a conduit for
the gas from the lower to the upper part of the governor, and thence to the
burner. A paper or card washer is placed between the picce of metal L and
the projections II and J to ensure the soundness of the joint. On the opposite
side to the projections I and J another slight projection U is cast, through
which a screw passes into A for the purpose of more effectually connecting the
top and bottom cases together. To the top of the upper portion of the case
the brass tube M (commonly called a cono) is screwed, and to which the
burner is attached.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the interior of the lower portion of the case, one part of
which exhibits the diaphragm F, the metallic shield O, the brass nut P, and
the brass ring G. The other part shows the interior of the case with the
diaphragm and rings removed, so as to display the perforated metal disc E on
which the diaphragm rests when not in action.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the interior of the upper part of the case with the
channel or gasway K dotted in; R and S are two small holes drilled through
the case to admit the atmospheric pressure to the upper side of the diaphragm,
without which the latter would become inoperative. Any burner may be
used with this governor, but that preferred for street lamps produces a form
of flame commonly known as the "bat's-wing," and is made of steatite or

page_text: lava. And although great improvement is made by varying the shape of that
part of the burner from which the gas issues I do not claim it as part of my
Invention.
The action of the apparatus is exceedingly simple. The arrows indicate
the direction in which the gas passes. Now supposing the pressure of the
gas at C to be more than necessary to give the required size flame, the gas
will pass between the valve and its scat, press upon the under side of the
diaphragm, which as it rises will operate upon and tend to close the valve and
thereby diminish the pressure at the outlet or burner. Thus whatever the
excess of the pressure may be at the inlet the pressure at the outlet will
remain constant. The adjustment of the governor to produce any given
pressure at the outlet is made by increasing or reducing the leaden weight T
attached to the upper side of the diaphragm.
The governor or regulator described as above, and shown on the Drawing,
refers only to street lamp governors, but regulators made upon exactly the
same principle, although upon a larger scale, are equally adapted to the use of
consumers generally.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this Invention,
and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that I do not confine myself to the precise details
described or referred to, as variations may be made without deviating from
the general means by which these improvements are produced; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction
of gas governors or regulators substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Sugg, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
WILLIAM T. SUGG. (L.S.)