Year: 1886

page_text: We RILEY HARGREAVES and JAMES BARDSLEY of the Union Brass Works
Oldham in the County of Lancaster Brass Founders and Finishers 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 and accompanying drawings :-
Our Invention relates to the apparatus employed to promote uniformity of gas
pressure by reducing excessive pressure down to a fixed regulated maximum of
pressure as is well understood. In well known forms of such apparatus bells or
flanged discs are used and it is to such regulators that our invention relates. In
such regulators the rim of the bell dips into an annular trough partly filled with
mercury and the greater or less immersion of the said rim in the mercury causes a
variation in the pressure so that it is not possible to obtain a very delicate
regulation. To obviate this defect a tumbling loaded lever has been used but we
do not find this to act perfectly. We employ for the purpose a tube or hollow lever
or chamber containing a suitable liquid and we connect this tube or chamber with
the bell or with the top of the bell spindle or we cause one end which is heavier
than the other to bear upon the said spindle so that a downward pressure is
exerted upon the bell. Principally to obtain greater accuracy in the putting
together of the parts we form the valve seating or seatings and the bearing or
bearings for the spindle in a seating shell or part which extends from the bottom
to the top chamber being preferably screwed into the partition and we employ this
shell to keep in place a cover and we also provide a valve to keep the mercury
from passing into the bottom gas passage.
Our Invention will be more fully understood when described with reference to
the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 represents a section taken on the
vertical centre line of a gas regulator constructed in accordance with our invention
and Fig. 2 represents a section of the said tube or hollow lever which we employ to
compensate for the greater or less immersion of the rim of the bell. In Fig. 1 a is
the compensating lever; b. is the bell; c. is the bell spindle; d. is the seating shell
and e. is the aforesaid cover. The lever a is in the form of a curved tube closed at
one end and provided at the other end with a screwed cap a¹. The said lever is
mounted upon a fulcrum at f. and is provided with an anti-friction wheel g. which
rests upon the upper end of the spindle c. Into this hollow lever we introduce a
suitable quantity of mercury so as to leave space for such mercury to flow from one
end of the lever to the other as the end a¹ is raised or lowered the cap al preventing
the escape of the metal. When the bell is raised by the gas pressure and as a
consequence the immersion of the bell rim is lessened the mercury in the com-
pensating lever flows away from the end a¹ as in Fig. 2 and thereby reduces the

page_text: are
downward pressure upon the bell and on the contrary when the bell is lowered the
mercury flows toward the end a² as in Fig. 1 and increases the downward pressure
upon the bell. By making the lever of suitable form and dimensions we
enabled to obtain a sufficiently exact compensation for the immersion of the bell
rim. We do not confine ourselves to the precise form of the lever a. nor to the use
of mercury therein but we consider mercury to be the most suitable fluid in
consequence of its great specific gravity as if a lighter fluid were used the lever a.
might become. inconveniently large. We might connect the lever with the spindle c.
by means of a link or other suitable connection.
The
The seating shell d. is screwed into the partition h which separates the inlet
passage i. from the space within the bell and from the outlet passage k. Openings
for the free passage of gas in the indicated directions are formed in the shell.
lower end of the spindle c. carries the reducing valve . and the seating for this
valve is formed in the lower end of the shell d. Upon the upper end of the said
spindle is secured a second valve m which when the bell is lowered takes its seat
upon the upper end of the shell d. This valve m also serves as a collar upon which
the bell b. can rest the said bell being securely held in position by means of a nut n
which is screwed upon the upper end of the spindle. Provision is also made in the
said shell for guiding the said spindle in its upward and downward movements.
The upper edge of the inner wall o. of the annular mercury trough is turned true
and on this edge is seated the cover e. which is also turned to fit the turned edge of
the said wall so that mercury cannot escape through the joint. The upper end of
the shell d. passes through the centre of the said cover and is screwed and fitted
with a nut p. whereby the cover is tightly held down upon its seat on the wall o.
It will be seen that under ordinary conditions the mercury is entirely cut off from
access to the inlet passage i. excepting through the opening at the top of the
shell d. When preparing the regulator for transport we can close the said opening
by arranging for the valve m to be held in close contact with its seating by placing
temporary packing between the end a¹ of the compensating lever and the outer
cover e. or by suitable means as for example a screw might be applied in the manner
indicated by the dotted lines at 8. and be slackened or removed when the regulator
would be fixed in position or at a suitable time. In some cases and especially in
the cases of large regulators we may use equilibrum or double valves or double beat
valves in place of the simple valve l.
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. The combination of parts forming a gas regulator substantially as set forth
and indicated hereinbefore and in and by the accompanying drawings.
2. In gas regulating apparatus a hollow lever mounted to tilt upon a fulcrum
and containing a quantity of mercury or other suitable fluid and arranged to act in
conjunction with the regulator bell substantially as set forth and indicated.
3. In a gas regulator the shell d. formed with seatings for the valves l. and m
and serving as means for securing the cover e. in position.
4. A shell formed in one piece provided with seatings for the gas valves and
serving to guide the bell spindle in connection with a cover through which the
upper end of such shell passes, the parts being fitted and secured together
substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
1000