Improvements in Gas Governors.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Gas Governors.
We, DAVID J. FARMER and SAMUEL FARMER, Manufacturers, both of Front
Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in gas governors and more particularly
refers to service or meter governors to regulate the pressure at the meter or ser-
vice pipe supplying individual consumers; but the device is also applicable for
district use, where laterals or pipes are led from the mains to a number of con-
sumers, where it is found necessary to reduce the pressure of gas for consumption.
The pressure in the mains is found in all districts to vary, depending upon
natural conditions arising from elevations and depressions of the ground through
which the mains are laid, and therefore more pressure of gas is required in one
part of a district than another, and our governor regulates the pressure in
accordance with the specific requirements of the location in which the mains are
placed and equalizes the pressure of gas supplied to the entire district. The mains
in a district also sometimes vary in size, and our improvement will effectually
regulate the local pressure for each individual main, thus supplying equal pressure
of gas to all consumers.
Much difficulty has been experienced with governors now in common use,
owing to the fact that their valve stems become coated with an accumulation
of foreign matter arising from the gas and clogged within the bearings through
which they are journaled, whereby the governor becomes inoperative. Further,
these governors become inoperative if they are not maintained in a perfectly
upright position, owing to the friction of the valve stems in their bearings.
Our improvement overcomes these difficulties and avoids all possible friction
either by any accumulation on the valve stem, or by governor not being set
upright or plumb, owing to the improved means we employ for mounting the
valve stem. Governors now in use also require weights placed on the float
attached to the valve stem to give the required gas pressure, and this construc-
tion necessitates opening the governor over the float to adjust the weights for
changing the pressure.
Our improvement obviates the necessity of opening the governor or placing
weights on the float for controlling the pressure.
The main object of our invention is to supply an apparatus so constructed that
it will operate without friction, and positively control and regulate the pressure
of gas passing from the mains to the consumer, whereby an even pressure is con-
stantly maintained. Further objects being to supply a valve that will seat
freely and accurately and to enable the consumer to regulate the pressure of gas
from the outside without opening the governor.
In the practice of our invention, we employ primarily, a cylindrical casing
having a compartment or tank therein, which tank has a cylindrical compart-
ment extended upwardly from the bottom thereof, said bottom having a valve seat
and an outlet opening formed therethrough.

page_text: Below the casing is a compartment adapted for receiving the gas. This said
compartment has a wall therein separating the outlet from the inlets.
Mounted within the compartment is a cylinder which has a series of radial
flexible arms projected therefrom. These said arms are connected to flanges of
a collar which collar surrounds the valve stem, said stem being screw threaded
throughout its entire length for engaging with nuts adapted to secure the collar
to the stem. Secured also to the stem is a float by means of nuts.
Connected to the lower end of the stem is a semispherical valve, which valve
has a socket therein for engagement with a ball forming part of the lower end
of the valve stem, whereby the valve may be seated securely within the seat,
even though the device may be placed slightly out of plumb.
Resting upon the upper end of the valve stem is a loosely pivoted swinging
weight, which said weight is mounted upon a spindle of an adjustable carriage,
said carriage being susceptible of lateral adjustment by means of a screw, which
is threaded through a collar, forming part of the carriage and is journaled within
a box extended upwardly from the head, adapted for closing the cylinder.
In the operation of the device, the gas enters either of the inlets, and thence
passes upwardly through the opening downwardly through the opening and out
through the outlet. When the pressure is too strong, back pressure will force
the float upwardly to partially close the valve, whereby pressure is reduced, the
reservoir being of course supplied with a filling of any suitable liquid for pre-
venting the gas from escaping around the float.
The object of the swinging weight is to gage the amount of pressure required
to lift the float, and the said weight can be readily adjusted for increasing or de-
creasing the leverage, by turning the screw in either a right or left hand direction.
We do not confine ourselves to the use of our device for supporting the valve
stem and regulating mechanism for small. governors, as the invention may be
applied to larger governors, such for instance, as are used at gas works, and if
found desirable, a lever may be attached to the upper end of the valve stem having
laterally movable weight thereon for adjusting and gaging the pressure instead
of swinging weight. Further, we do not wish to confine ourselves to the chains
as a means for supporting the valve stem as any other flexible support may be
used, for instance a leather arm.
a
Dated thin th
f Ontahan 1907
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
We, DAVID J. FARMER and SAMUEL FARMER, Manufacturers, Front Street,
Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.A., 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 improvements in gas governors, and more particularly
refers to service or meter governors to regulate the pressure at the meter or ser-
vice pipe supplying individual consumers; but the device is also applicable for
district use, where laterals or pipes are led from the mains to a number of con-
sumers, where it is found necessary to reduce the pressure of gas for consumption.
The pressure in the mains is found in all districts to vary, depending upon
natural conditions arising from elevations and depressions of the ground through
which the mains are laid, and therefore more pressure of gas is required in one

page_text: part of a district than another, and our governor regulates the pressure in
accordance with the specific requirements of the location in which the mains are
placed and equalizes the pressure of gas supplied to the entire district. The mains
in a district also sometimes vary in size, and our improvement will effectually,
regulate the local pressure for each individual main, thus supplying equal pressure
of gas to all consumers.
Much difficulty has been experienced with governors now in common use,
owing to the fact that their valve stems become coated with an accumulation
of foreign matter arising from the gas and clogging within the bearings through
which they are journaled, whereby the governor becomes inoperative. Further,
these governors become inoperative if they are not maintained in a perfectly
upright position, owing to the friction of the valve stems in their bearings.
Our improvement overcomes these difficulties and avoids all possible friction
either by any accumulation on the valve stem or by governor not being set
upright or plumb, owing to the improved means we employ for mounting the
valve stem. Governors now in use also require weights placed on the float
attached to valve stem to give the required gas pressure, and this construc-
tion necessitates opening the governor over the float to adjust the weights for
changing the pressure.
Our improvement obviates the necessity of opening the governor or placing
weights on the float for controlling the pressure.
The main object of our invention is to supply an apparatus so constructed that
it will operate without friction, and positively control and regulate the pressure
of gas passing from the mains to the consumer, whereby an even pressure is con-
stantly maintained, further objects being to supply a valve that will seat
freely and accurately and to enable the consumer to regulate the pressure of gas
from the outside without opening the governor..
The invention will be hereinafter fully described and specifically set forth in
the annexed claims.
In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1
is a vertical sectional elevation of our improved governor. Figure 2 is a plan
view of a detail thereof, and Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating a slight
modification.
In the practice of our invention, we employ, primarily, a cylindrical casing A,
having a compartment or tank A' therein, which tank has a cylindrical compart-
ment B extended upwardly from the bottom thereof, said bottom having a valve
seat a and an outlet opening a¹ formed therethrough. Below the casing A is a
compartment C, adapted for receiving the gas. This said compartment has a
wall c therein, separating the outlet C¹ from the inlets C and C³.
Mounted within the compartment B is a cylinder D, which has a series of radial
flexible arms E projected therefrom. These said arms are connected to flanges f
of a collar F, which collar surrounds the valve stem G, said stem being screw
threaded throughout its entire length for engaging with nuts g, adapted to secure
the collar F to the stem. Secured also to the stem G, by means of nuts.h, is a
float H.
Connected to the lower end of the stem G is a semispherical valve G¹, which
valve has a socket gl therein for engagement with a ball g² forming part of the
lower end of the valve stem, the said ball being kept in contact by the screw g³,
whereby the valve may be seated securely within the seat a, even though the
device inay be placed slightly out of plumb.
Resting upon the upper end of the valve stem G is a loosely pivoted swinging
weight I, which said weight is mounted upon a spindle of an adjustable
carriage J, said carriage being susceptible of lateral adjustment by means of a
screw K, which is threaded through a collar J', forming part of the carriage,
and is journaled within a box A2, extended upwardly from the head A³, adapted
for closing the cylinder A.
In the operation of the device the gas enters either of the inlets C³ or C³ and

page_text: thence passes upwardly through the opening a², and out through the outlet C¹.
When the pressure is too strong, back pressure will force the float upwardly to
partially close the valve, whereby pressure is reduced, the reservoir A being of
course supplied with a filling of any suitable liquid A for preventing the gas
from escaping around the float.
The object of the swinging weight I is to gage the amount of pressure required
to lift the float, and the said weight can be readily adjusted for increasing or
decreasing the leverage by turning the screw K in either a right or left hand
direction.
We do not confine ourselves to the use of our device for supporting the valve
stem and regulating mechanism to small governors, as the invention may be
applied to larger governors-such, for instance, as are used at gas works-and
if found desirable a lever may be attached to the upper end of the valve stem,
having a laterally movable weight thereon for adjusting and gaging the pressure
instead of the swinging weight illustrated in the drawings. Further, we do not
wish to confine ourselves to the chains illustrated in the drawings as a means
for supporting the valve stem, as any other flexible support may be used-for
instance, the leather arms E¹, as illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings.
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. A gas governor having a suspended valve therein, said valve being sup-
ported by radially extended chains connected to the stem thereof, substantially
as shown and described.
2. In a gas governor, the combination of chains or equivalent loosely hanging
supports, a valve stem and a sleeve surrounding the stem attached to said sup-
ports, a cylinder to which are attached the outer ends of said supports, and a
casing inclosing the said parts, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a gas governor, the combination of chains or loose flexible supports, and
a valve stem having a valve thereon, and a float attached to the stem, substan-
tially as shown and described.
4. In a gas governor, the valve having an internal ball bearing, in com-
bination with a valve stem having a ball on its lower end and an adjusting screw
to hold said ball closely in its seat as described and set forth.
5. In a gas governor, the combination of a float and a casing having a reservoir
therein, and a valve stem having a sleeve thereon, and chains for supporting the
valve stem and a valve mounted to the stem by means of a ball and socket joint,
and a laterally adjustable weight resting upon the upper end of the valve stem,
substantially as shown and described.
6. In a gas governor, the combination of a moving carriage having a weighted
lever thereon, the surface of said lever resting on and sliding over the top upper
end of a vertical valve stem for changing the leverage to increase or diminish
the pressure of gas as herein described and set forth.
7. In a gas governor, the combination of a movable carriage and weighted
lever located thereon, said weight resting on the valve stem and adapted to be
adjusted thereon laterally for changing the leverage thereof to regulate pressure
of gas, substantially as shown and described.
8. In a gas governor, the combination of the laterally movable carriage, a
pivoted lever and a threaded rod for adjusting the carriage, with the suspended
valve and stem, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1898.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.