Year: 1896

page_text: I, MYRON JOSEPH AMICK of 27, Union Square, in the City County and State
of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to regulators used to regulate the pressure and flow of
illuminating gas through the supply pipes of buildings and it has for its object to
construct such a device in a simple, compact, durable, and economic manner and
to provide a valve controlling the gas supply and capable of seating itself perfectly
even when the regulator is considerably out of plumb and which will be in a sense
a double valve, the main valve having lateral movement upon its stem and adapted
to be seated against the wall of the inlet opening of the regulator, the second
valve seating itself against the main valve to prevent the passage of gas through
the said main valve since the main valve will of necessity be more or less loosely
mounted on its stem. Another object of the invention is to construct a gas
regulator having a mercury seal and to so construct the body or casing of the said
regulator that while air may be admitted into the interior in suitable quantities
the regulator may be placed upon its side without danger of the mercury leaking
therefrom and by the introduction of a plug into the air opening of the regulator
the said regulator may be seated upon its top without spilling the mercury;
The casing of the regulator is provided with an outlet opening and nipple
at one side for attachment to the house pipe and the inlet opening is preferably in
the central portion of the bottom. A dome is formed within the upper portion of
the casing so as to leave an annular space between the two for containing mercury,
said dome being provided with an opening at top surrounded by a downwardly
extending collar. A space is left between the dome and the top of the casing
and a float extends over the top of the dome and down into the mercury so as to
practically close the central opening in said dome. The float is attached to the
upper end of a valve stem which extends down through a guide on the collar and
also through a cross bar supported by lugs above the top of the inlet aperture
and has a valve loosely mounted on its lower end having a convex upper face and
provided with a recess on its under side. A second or auxiliary valve is secured
on the extreme end of the valve stem which is likewise convex on its upper face
and is adapted to be seated in the recess of the main valve. With this construction
of valve it is evident that the regulator may be placed considerably out of plumb
and when the pressure of air in the main chamber of the regulator is sufficient to
raise the float high enough to carry the main valve to its seat the said valve will
accommodate itself to the said seat and will effect a perfect closure of the inlet
opening, especially since the lower or auxiliary valve will carry the main valve
upward and will close the recess in its bottom preventing the gas from entering
the main chamber through the opening between the main valve and its stem. The
auxiliary valve acts in the capacity of a follower compelling the main valve to
travel upward with the float.
The main valve is located in a valve casing screwing upon the left hand threaded
portion of the nipple at the inlet orifice of the regulator, a nut being swivelled
upou the lower portion of the valve casing for connection of the gas supply pipe

page_text: to the regulator. By means of this swivelling connection the regulator may first
be placed in the desired position and the connection then be made with the supply
pipe without interfering with the regulator. The casing is provided with a cap or
cover seated on a suitable packing so that a mercury tight and air tight seal may
be made at this point the connection being preferably made by passing a stud
outwards through the rear face of the casing so as to engage it with an opening on
a downwardly projecting lip on the cover. At the front face of the cover a
corresponding lip is made, provided with a screw which enters a recess made in
the outer face of the regulator casing and having an inclined upper surface by
means of which the screw is caused to bind the cover tightly upon the casing, the
head of the screw being provided with slots at diametrically opposite sides to
receive the bifurcated end of a key for the purpose of turning it.
Air in suitable quantities is admitted into the mercury chamber through the
medium of an interrupted or zig-zag channel made in the top of the casing, the
outer and inner ends of the channel being out of parallelism and vertically disposed
and the body of the channel connecting the ends being ordinarily horizontal.
With, this construction of air opening the float can not be tampered with and when
the regulator is to be stood upon its top the outer end of the air opening is stopped
up and the mercury can not then escape.
Should any mercury be carried into the main chamber through the collar it will
strike the cap and will be thrown off to the sides of this chamber and retained by
the collar which surrounds the inlet opening of the regulator.
Dated this 14th dow of Wohi 1000
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London,. Chartered. Patent Agents.
I, MYRON JOSEPH AMICK of 27, Union Square, in the City County and State
of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what mauner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to regulators used to regulate the pressure and flow of
illuminating gas through the supply pipes of buildings and it has for its object to
construct such a device in a simple, compact, durable, and economic manner, and
to provide a valve controlling the gas supply and capable of seating itself perfectly,
even when the regulator is considerably out of plumb, and which will be in a
sense a double valve, the main valve having lateral movement upon its stem and
adapted to be seated against the wall of the inlet opening of the regulator, the
second valve seating itself against the main valve to prevent the passage of gas
through the said main valve, since the main valve will of necessity be more or less
loosely mounted on its stem. Another object of the invention is to construct a
gas regulator having a mercury seal, and to so construct the body or casing of the
said regulator that while air may be admitted into the interior in suitable
quantities, the regulator may be placed upon its side without danger of the
mercury leaking therefrom, and by the introduction of a plug into the air opening
of the regulator, the said regulator may be seated upon its top without spilling
the mercury.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the
several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the
claims.

page_text: Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the regulator and its
connections with the gas supply and house service pipes;
Figure 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the body or casing of the
regulator; and
Figure 3 is a plan view of a key especially adapted for unlocking the cover
from the body of the regulator.
In carrying out the invention the body or casing A of the regulator is made of
cast metal, and may be given any desired shape, being preferably circular in
horizontal section. The body or casing is provided in one of its sides with an
outlet opening 10, in which a nipple 11 is usually secured, adapted for attachment
to the house pipe 12. The inlet opening 13 of the regulator is made preferably
in the central portion of the bottom thereof, and a nipple 14 is secured in this
opening, extending beyond the mouth and ordinarily provided with a flange 15,
adapted to receive a suitable gasket 16, or its equivalent, and the portion of the
nipple below the said flange 15 is given by preference an exterior left-hand
thread.
A done B is formed within the upper portion of the casing, the sides of the
dome being separated from the inner face of the casing proper by a space 17, of
desired width. The dome is provided with an opening 18 in the top, surrounded
by a downwardly extending collar 19, which is open at the top and bottom; and a
cross bar 20 is located in the lower central portion of the said collar. The top
of the dome B is some distance below the top edge of the body or casing A, and
the space between the casing and dome constitutes a chamber adapted for the
reception of mercury. A float 21, shaped in a suitable manner to extend over the
top of the dome and down into the mercury chamber 17, is placed over the said
dome, and therefore practically closes the upper end of the central opening in said
dome. This float at its central portion is attached in any suitable or approved
manner to the upper end of a valve stem 22, which is carried downward loosely
through an opening made in the cross bar 20, and likewise through an opening
made in a cap or a cross bar 23, supported by lugs 24 a suitable distance above the
top of the inlet nipple 14.
The cap or cross bar 23, and the upper cross bar 20, constitute guides for the
valve stem. The valve stem is carried downward through and beyond the nipple 14
at the inlet of the casing, and a valve 25 is loosely mounted on the lower end of
the valve stem, having a convex upper face 26; and provided with a recess 27 in
its bottom surface.
A second or auxiliary valve 28 is securely fastened on the lower end of the said
valve stem; and the upper surface of this auxiliary valve is likewise preferably
convex in shape, and is adapted to be seated on the recessed portion of the main
valve 25.
With this construction of valve it is evident that the regulator may be placed
considerably out of plumb, and when the pressure of air in the main chamber D of
the regulator is sufficient to raise the Hoat 21 high enough to carry the main
valve 25 to its seat, the said valve will accommodate itself to the said seat, and
will effect a perfect closure of the inlet opening, especially since the lower or
auxiliary valve 28 will carry the main valve upward and will close the recess 27 in
ts bottom, preventing the gas from entering the main chamber D through the
pening between the main valve and its stem. The auxiliary valve 28 acts in the
apacity of a follower, compelling the main valve to travel upward with
he float.
The valve 25 is located in a valve chamber, the casing or casting 29 in which
his chamber is formed being screwed upou the left-hand threaded portion of the
ipple at the inlet of the regulator; while at the lower portion of the said casing
r casting 29 of the valve chamber a screw coupling 30 is provided with an interior

page_text: right-hand thread for engagement with the correspondingly threaded surface of the
gas supply pipe 31 to which the regulator is to be secured.
The regulator may first be placed in the desired position and the connection then
be made with the supply pipe without interfering with the set position of the
regulator. Preferably the dome B and its collar 19 are cast integral with the
body or casing A, thus materially lessening the cost of construction.
A cap or cover 32 is provided for the said casing, and a smooth lower peripheral
face 33 is given to the said cap or cover, for engagement with a gasket 34, placed
upon the top of the body or casing, so that a mercury-tight and practically an air-
tight seal may be made at this point.. This tight connection between the body and
cover of the regulator is made and maintained, preferably, by projecting a stud 35
outward from the rear face of the body of the regulator, for example, the said
stud being adapted to enter an opening in a lip 36 projected downward from the
cover.
At the front face of the cover a corresponding lip 37 is made, provided with a
screw 38, and this screw is made to enter a recess 39, made in the outer face of the
body of the regulator, the upper wall of the recess being inclined, so that when the
screw is carried its full distance inward it will have traveled down the inclined
surface of the recess, binding the cover tightly upon the body; and in order that
the screw 38 shall not be removed by an ordinary screw-driver, as shown in
Figure 2 the head of the screw is provided with slots 40 at diametrically opposite
sides of the head, to receive the bifurcated end of a key 41.
Air in suitable quantities is admitted into the mercury chamber through the
medium of an interrupted or zig-zag channel 42 made in the top, the outer and
inner ends of the channel being out of parallelism, and vertically disposed, the
body of the channel connecting the ends being ordinarily horizontal. Under this
construction of an air opening the float cannot be tampered with, and wheu the
regulator is to be stood upon its top the outer end of the air opening is stopped up,
and the mercury cannot then escape.
In the event that any mercury should be carried into the main chamber D
through the collar 19, it will strike the cap 23 and will be thrown off to the sides
of this chamber and held at that point by a collar 43, which surrounds the inlet
opening of the regulator, as shown in Figure 1.
Having now, particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
inyention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,-
1. A gas regulator, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In a gas regulator, a float, a stem connected with the float, a valve capable of
lateral movement on the stem, and a second valve connected to the stem, being
adapted to seat itself against the locsely mounted valve, as and for the purpose
set forth.
3. In a gas regulator, the combination, with a mercury chamber, a float located
therein, and a valve stem attached to the float and carried through the inlet of the
regulator, of a valve adapted to be seated at the inlet of the regulator to close the
same, the said valve having a convex upper surface and being capable of vertical
and of lateral movement on the said stem, the said loosely mounted valve having a
seat in its lower face, and a second valve secured to the said stem and adapted for
engagement with the seat in the main or loosely mounted valve, as and for the
purpose specified.
4. In a gas regulator, the combination, with the body or casing of the same, of a
cover provided with an opening for the ingress of air and extensions from its
periphery, one of the extensions of the cover having an opening to receive a
projection from the body or casing of the regulator, the opposing extension of the
cover being provided with a screw and the body with a recess to receive the inner
end of the screw, the upper wall of the said recess being inclined, as and for the
purpose specified.

page_text: 5. In a gas regulator, the combination, with a casing, of a cover for the same,
the cover and casing having an air-tight connection, the said cover being also
provided with a circuitous air vent or opening, establishing communication between
the outside atmosphere and the interior of the said regulator, as and for the purpose
specified.
6. The combination, with a gas regulator, of a screw coupling adapted to connect.
the regulator with the gas supply pipe, as and for the purpose specified.
7. In a gas regulator, a body or casing, and a dome cast integral with the said
body or casing, having an opening in its upper surface, the sides of the dome being
spaced from the sides of the body, forming a chamber for the reception of mercury
and to receive the lower portion of a float, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Dated this 13th day of November 1896
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.