Apparatus for Enabling the Consumption of Gas to be Regulated.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application. 25th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Enabling the Consumption of Gas to be Regulated.
We, CHARLES WILLIAM REECE, of 200, Burdett Road, London, E., School-
master, and THOMAS HERBERT GASKIN, of 22, Pigott Street, London, E., Ship-
wright, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the stop-cocks used on service-pipes for the supply
of illuminating gas to dwelling houses and the like, and has for object to
enable the supply of gas to be regulated with ease and exactitude, in accor-
dance with the requirements of the consumption.
The invention consists essentially of a combined dial and radial pointer
which may respectively form an integral part of the gas cock body and of the
key or spanner by which the cock is opened or closed. The dial (which may
be either circular or semicircular) carries a scale forming an arc of a circle
and graduated in accordance with the number of gas jets supplied through
the meter; the pointer being caused by the movement of the key, in turning
the plug of the cock, to pass over the scale so that the cock may at any moment
be opened to the extent corresponding to the number of jets actually in use,
and thus unnecessary pressure in the gas meter be avoided.
In cases wherein the invention is applied to an existing cock, the dial,
instead of forming an integral part of the cock body, is provided with means
of ready attachment thereto, said means consisting of a clamping device
adapted to embrace one of the branches of the cock, or the pipe itself near to
the cock, and adjustable to fit those parts whatever their diameter; one
member of the clamp carrying an arm adjustable in length and having a
circular aperture adapted to fit over the upper end of the plug of the cock so
as to enable said arm to form a base upon which to fix the dial. The dial
plate has a circular aperture concentric with the graduated scale marked upon
the dial, said aperture being adapted to fit loosely over the plug, upon which
the dial scale may thus be centred. The dial is fixed to the arm of the clamp
by means of a set screw passing through a slot in the dial plate forming an arc
concentric with the scale and plug, so as to allow for angular adjustment of
the dial; provision being also made for fixing the dial plate (which is by
preference made approximately semi-circular) towards either side of the cock
and pipe axes so as to adapt the appliance to the exigencies of any situation.
In similar cases (i.e. wherein the invention is adapted to existing gas cocks)
the radial pointer, instead of forming an integral part of the key or spanner
by which the cock is opened or closed, is carried by the dial and adapted to
engage with the key so as to move as one therewith. To this end the pointer
is mounted upon a block capable of traversing to and fro in a slot in the dial
plate forming an arc concentric with the scale; and the pointer is provided
with upstanding arms or lugs adapted to engage the key or spanner on both
sides, so that any angular movement of the key is transmitted to the pointer
and indicated by the latter upon the scale.
D
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page_text: Apparatus for Enabling the Consumption
We, CHARLES WILLIAM REECE, of 266, Burdett Road, London, E., School-
master, and THOMAS HERBERT GASKIN, of 22, Pigott Street, London, E., Ship-
wright, 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:-
Our invention relates to the stop-cocks used on service-pipes for the supply
of illuminating gas to dwelling houses and the like, and has for object to
provide an appliance whereby the opening of the plug of the gas-cock may
be so regulated as to enable the supply of gas passing through the cock and
meter to be controlled with ease and exactitude, in accordance with the con-
sumption at any given time.
The invention consists essentially in the combination with the gas-cock of
a dial and a radial pointer respectively attached to or integral with the body
of the cock and with the key or spanner by which the plug of the cock is
rotated, the dial carrying a scale divided in accordance with the number of
jets which the gas cock and meter are adapted to supply, and being capable
of angular adjustment about the axis of the plug of the cock so that when the
position of the scale has once been adjusted to suit local circumstances, the
plug may at any moment be rotated by means of the key to a position corre-
sponding to the number of lights actually in use.
The appliance forming the subject of our invention may either be constructed
an existing
so as to be practically integral with the cock, or be applied to
cock, and in the latter case the appliance is designed specially with a view to
being fitted to the cock by an unskilled person.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view, and Figure 2 a side elevation
shewing the invention as applied to an existing cock. Figure 3 is an end
elevation of the bracket which carries the dial. Figures 4 and 5 are respec-
tively a cross-section and a part plan view shewing the invention as forming
an integral portion of the cock. Figure 6 is a detail view of a radial pointer
which may be adapted to existing cocks, and Figure 7 is a view of a combined
key and pointer suited for use in cases where the appliance is made integral
with the cock.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3, A is the body of a plug-cock such as is com-
monly fitted to the service pipes supplying gas to dwelling-houses and the
like. Upon the pipe towards either end of the cock (or it might be upon one
branch of the cock itself) is clamped a bracket 1 adapted to carry a longitu-
The bracket B forms
dinally adjustable arm C serving to support the dial 1.
a saddle partly embracing the pipe and secured thereon by means of a V-shaped
strap b, the bracket and strap being clamped on opposite sides of the pipe
by means of a pair of screws passing through pairs of lateral lugs 62, 6ª on
the bracket and strap respectively. The upper surface of bracket B forms a
flat table upon which the arm (is fixed by a screw e, the table having a pain
of undercut ledges upstanding from its lateral edges and serving to retain
the arm C in the plane of the axis of the pipe. The edges of the arm C are
bevelled to take under the ledges and the arm is fixed to the bracket B by
means of a screw e passing through a longitudinal slot c¹ in the arm so as to
permit of the bracket being clamped on the pipe at different distances from
the centre of the cock.
The arm C is made in one with a disc Chaving a central circular hole o

page_text: a diameter sufficiently large to pass easily over the plug E (and the shoulder
of the body A of the cock if necessary). From the underside of the disc C¹
at a point diametrically opposite the arm C, a saddle-shaped lug projects
downwards so as to rest upon the branch of the cock and thus maintain the
arm and disc parallel with the axis of the pipe. The dial D, which is pre-
ferably shaped as a quadrant sector as shewn in Figure 1, has a disc portion D'
similar to the disc and a central circular hole therein corresponding to
that in the latter, the dial 1) being adjustably clamped upon the disc C by
means of a plate or washer held down upon the disc C by screws c which
pass through a segmental slot formed in and concentric with the disc 1)¹.
Screw holes for the screws are provided at both sides of the disc C¹ as
indicated so that the dial D may be fixed towards either side of the centre line
of the pipe; whilst the slot is of such angular extent as to allow of the dial
being adjusted and clamped in position at any point of the whole circle.
The bracket B having been fixed in position and the dial D clamped upon it
temporarily, in the most convenient position having regard to the situation of
the cock, the pointer F (Figure 6) is fitted over the squared end e of the plug E
and the key or spanner G placed thereon. The dial D may now be adjusted,
which is done by first opening the cock fully, lighting a single gas jet, and
then reducing the supply of gas by means of the key G until only so much
gas passes through the meter as will suffice to keep the jet burning without
Haring or excessive pressure. The dial D is then turned until that division on
the scale H which indicates 1 light (see Figure 1) is directly beneath the
pointer F, when the screws are tightened; the appliance is then ready for
use, and the scale on the dial being graduated as shewn, proportionately to
the supply of gas passed through the cock at the different angular positions
of the plug E, the quantity of gas passed through the meter may at any
moment be increased or diminished in accordance with the number of lights
then burning, by moving the key G so as to bring the pointer F opposite to
the corresponding number on the scale H.
On reference to Figure 1 it will be observed that the graduations on the
scale H diminish in angular extent as the number of lights figured on the
scale increases. This is due to the fact that in almost all stop-cocks of the
kind referred to, the hole e¹ through the plug E for giving passage to the gas,
is of oval shape as shewn in Figure 4, so that equal increments of angular
movement of the plug E about its axis correspond to more than proportionate
increments of area in the opening of the passage el, and consequently equal
increments of area of the passage must be denoted by less than equal incre-
ments of angular movement of the plug about its axis.
Where the appliance forming the subject of our invention forms an integral
portion of the gas-cock as originally made, it is preferred to attach the dial
to the body of the cock as shewn in Figures 4 and 5. In this case the dial D
is made in all respects as above described and is adjustably fixed by screws
as before to one or other of a pair of lugs or brackets I I cast on the body A
of the cock towards either side of the centre line as shewn in Figure 5, and
provided each with screw holes c placed as in the former case.
In the present
instance the pointer F may conveniently be made in one with the key G¹ as
shewn in Figure 7. The mode of adjustment is identical with that already
described.
When the radial pointer F is made separate from the key G, it is preferably
constructed as shewn in Figure 6 so as to be adapted to fit the squared ends e
of plugs of different sizes. For this purpose the pointer F itself and the " "eye"
which fits over the plug of the cock are stamped up from sheet metal, each
limb of the rectangular frame constituting the eye" being made capable of
being extended or contracted within certain limits as required. The shank f
of the pointer terminates in two branches fl set at right angles to one another,
and to each of these is slidably attached one limb of a pair of right angled

page_text: plates, the other limb of each plate 2 being in turn slidably attached to
one of the limbs of a similar plate f³, so that the rectangular aperture enclosed
by the branches f and the limbs of the plates f2 and f may be expanded or
contracted to fit any square or rectangular plug within the limits of the
sliding motion of the various parts, which are connected together by a pair
of lateral lugs k formed on the end of each part and turned over so as to clip
the edges of the part in sliding contact therewith.
It is to be observed that pointer For F¹ should be so made as to lie at an
angle to the key G or G¹ as shewn, in order that the latter may not obscure
the scale H at the point where the reading is to be taken.
In order to enable the scale H to be read in all positions of the dial D, the
latter is made reversible and the scale is marked on both faces, the zero point
being towards the right hand end of the scale on the one face and towards the
left-hand end on the other face.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;-
-
1. An indicator for enabling the gas supply passing through a méter to be
regulated according to the consumption, consisting of a dial mounted on the
cock which controls the supply and a radial pointer attached to the plug of
the cock so as to rotate therewith, the dial being capable of angular adjustment
about the axis of the plug, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. Apparatus for enabling the gas supply passing through a meter to be
regulated according to the consumption, consisting of a bracket clamped upon
the supply pipe, an arm adjustably mounted in said bracket, a scale-marked
dial carried by said arm so as to be angularly adjustable about the axis of the
plug of the cock, and a radial pointer attached to the plug of the cock, sub-
stantially as specified.
Dated this 25th day of January 1900.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.