Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Regulating or Controlling the Supply of Fluids, chiefly designed for Use in connection with Apparatus for Carburetting or Enriching Gas.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1894.
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1895---Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Regulating or
Controlling the Supply of Fluids, chiefly designed for Use in
connection with Apparatus for Carburetting or Enriching Gas.
We, PHILIP CHARLES TENNANT, Secretary of The Gas, Lighting Improvement
Company, Limited, and JOHN EDWARD HALL, Engineer, both of 18, Devonshire
Street, Bishopsgate, in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improved apparatus for regulating the supply of liquids
or of gaseous fluids.
In our improved apparatus, a regulating or controlling valve is operated by the
rising and falling of a hollow float or bell partly immersed in a seal of mercury
or other suitable material, and provided with perforations, through which flows
a gaseous fluid, for instance, coal-gas, which is admitted to the apparatus below
the said float or bell and is conducted therefrom through an outlet above the said
float or bell. Our said apparatus is, moreover, so constructed that the said float or
bell will rise or fall according to variations in the difference of pressure above and
below it, and will thus open or close the regulating or controlling valve, but its
movements will not be sensibly affected by the action of the fluid the supply of
which it regulates or controls.
Our improved apparatus is applicable for regulating or controlling the supply
of various kinds of Huids. It is, however, chiefly designed for use in connection
with apparatus for carburetting or enriching gas, the object, in this case, being to
ensure that the quantity of liquid hydrocarbon admitted to the carburettor shall
always be proportional to the amount of gas flowing through the same, and
consequently the gas will always be uniformly carburetted or enriched notwith-
standing great variations in the quantity of gas being consumed.
One important feature of our said invention consists in arranging the regulating
or controlling valve in a chamber separate from or independent of the carburettor,
and adapting the said valve to regulate the supply of the liquid hydrocarbon to
the vaporizer, instead of the admission of the hydrocarbon vapor from the vaporizer
into a mixing chamber above the same as heretofore.
1 !
Our said invention further comprises other improvements hereinafter mentioned.
In applying our said invention to apparatus for carburetting or enriching gas,
we employ an independent regulating or controlling chamber through which the
gas to be enriched passes on its way to the carburettor. This chamber is divided
into two parts by means of the hollow float or bell which is partially immersed and
floats in a mercury seal, the said bell being formed with groups of perforations so
formed and arranged that the number or the collective area of those above the
level of the mercury gradually increases and diminishes as the bell rises and falls.
The gas to be enriched passes into the regulator from below the bell, and, by its
pressure, raises the same until the collective area of the perforations above the
level of the inercury is sufficient to allow the required amount of gas to pass
without further raising the bell, a certain point of equilibrium being obtained for
each rate of flow within the capacity of the apparatus. Should, however, the
consumption of gas be diminished, the bell will fall proportionately. This up-and-
down movement of the said bell is utilized to open or close a valve for supplying
liquid bydrocarbon to the vaporizer and thus control the supply proportionally to

page_text: the rate of flow of the gas through the carburettor and through the said regulating
apparatus. The said valve preferably consists of a taper pin or rod which is
attached to the said hollow float or bell, and, by its up-and-down motion, varies
the area of an aperture through which the liquid hydrocarbon flows to the
vaporizer.
To permit the adjustment of the said taper pin or rod relatively to the said
aperture, we sometimes provide for, raising or lowering. the level of the mercury in
the said seal by means of a displacer or pistón movable in a small cylinder, which
is in communication with the main body of mercury in the seal.. Or.we provide
for effecting this adjustment by raising or lowering the said taper pin or rod
relatively to the float or bell by means of suitable lock-nuts or adjusting screws or
other convenient means..
.
On leaving the said regulating apparatus, the liquid. hydrocarbon flows into the
vaporizing chamber of the carburettor, preferably passing on its way through.a
glass tube or other sight-feed device whereby the flow and level of the said
liquid may be observed. The said vaporizing chamber is provided with a coil or.a
series of tubes or other suitable heating surfaces, so arranged that steam, hot
water, or the like may be! employed to heat and vaporize the liquid hydrocarbon,
which passes thence in the form of vapor into a mixing chamber. The lower
portion of this chamber is in. communication with the vaporizer and is provided
with an inlet for the gas to be carburetted whilst its upper portion is formed with
an outlet for the carburetted or enriched gas, the intimate mixture of the gas and
hydrocarbon vapor being ensured by causing the said gas and vapor to pass between
baffle-plates or the like arranged in the said mixing chamber between the said
inlet and outlet.
In this manner we are enabled to produce an apparatus for carburetting or
enriching, gas which automatically adapts itself to variations in the rate of
consumption of the gas or the rate of flow of the gas through the apparatus, the
amount of liquid hydrocarbon vaporized and mixed with "the gas per unit of
volume thereof being practically constant whether the rate of consumption be high
or low.
Our improved apparatus is applicable for use in connection with other apparatus
in which the supply or flow of one fluid is to be controlled according to the flow
of another fluid through the said apparatus; for example in the manufacture of
coal-gas it can be used for regulating the supply of a small quantity of oxygen
for the purpose of revivifying the oxide of iron "in situ," or for regulating or
controlling the flow of water in gas-scrubbers; or for regulating the supply of oil
to retorts in connection with the manufacture of oil-gas..
It is obvious that our improved apparatus above mentioned may be somewhat
further modified without departing from the nature of our said invention.
Dated the 2011
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,.
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
:
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Regulating or
Controlling the Supply of Fluids, chiefly designed for. Use in.
connection with Apparatus for Carburetting or. Enriching Gas.
We, PHILIP CHARLES TENNANT, Secretary of The Gas Lighting
Improvement Company, Limited; and JoHN EDWARD HALL, Engineer,
both of 18, Devonshire Street, Bishopsgate, in the County of London, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what n
manner the same is to: be
COMINI DI ECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Regulating or
Controlling the Supply of Fluids, chiefly designed for. Use in.
connection with Apparatus for Carburetting or. Enriching Gas.
We, PHILIP CHARLES TENNANT, Secretary of The Gas Lighting
Improvement Company, Limited; and JOHN EDWARD HALL, Engineer,
both of 18, Devonshire Street, Bishopsgate, in the County of London, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to; be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our invention relates to improved means for regulating or controlling the supply
of various kinds of fluids according to variations in the flow of gas which is to be
carburetted thereby or manufactured therefrom or treated therewith. Our improve-
ments are chiefly designed for use in connection with apparatus for carburetting. or
enriching gas, the object, in this case, being to ensure that the quantity of liquid
hydrocarbon admitted to the carburettor shall always be proportional to the
amount of gas flowing through the same, and consequently the gas will always he
uniformly carburetted or enriched notwithstanding great variations in the quantity
of carburetted gas being consumed.
Our said invention comprises an improved method of regulating or controlling
the supply of a liquid to a carburettor or other apparatus for the treatment or
manufacture of gas, by means of a valve which is operated by the rising and falling
of a suitably perforated or slotted hollow float or bell partly immersed in a seal of
mercury or other suitable material, and through which flows the said gas, for
example, coal-gas to be carburetted or enriched. The gas is admitted to the
apparatus below the said float or bell and conducted therefrom through an outlet
above the same. The said float or bell will, therefore, rise or fall according to
variations in the difference of pressure above and below it, and will thus operate
the regulating or controlling valve; but the said valve and float or bell are so
arranged that their movements will not be sensibly affected by the action of the
fluid the supply of which is to be regulated or controlled.
Our said invention also comprises improved apparatus for carburetting or
enriching gas, one important feature of which is the arrangement of the regulating
or controlling valve in a chamber separate from or independent of the carburettor,
and in such a manner that it will regulate or control the supply of the liquid
hydrocarbon to the vaporizer, instead of the admission of the hydrocarbon vapor
from the vaporizer into a mixing chamber above the same as in some of the forms
of carburetting apparatus heretofore constructed.
And our said invention comprises other improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.―
Figure is a vertical central section showing one form of our improved
regulating apparatus, and
Figure 2 is a vertical central section illustrating a form of carburettor which we
find it advantageous to employ in conjunction with our regulating apparatus.
A is a chamber, which is divided into two parts by means of a hollow float or
bell B partially immersed and floating in a mercury seal C. The said chamber is
provided with inlet and outlet pipes D, E for the gas, the inlet D being below and
the outlet E above the Hoat or bell B. The bell B is provided with slots B¹ or
with groups of perforations, so formed and arranged that, when no gas is flowing
through the apparatus, the slots or openings in the float or bell will all be below the
level of and closed by the mercury; and, when gas is flowing through the apparatus,
the collective area of the openings above the level of the mercury will gradually
increase and diminish as the bell B rises and falls in accordance with differences
between the pressure of the gas above and below it. The gas to be enriched
passes into the regulator A through the inlet D and, by its pressure, raises the
said bell until the collective area of the openings above the level of the
mercury is sufficient to allow the required amount of gas to pass without further
raising the bell, and, after passing through such openings, the gas leaves the
regulator by the outlet E. Should the consumption of the carburetted gas be
increased or diminished, the bell will be raised or lowered proportionately. In
this manner a certain position of equilibrium is obtained for each rate of flow
within the capacity of the apparatus.
The up-and-down movement of the said bell is utilized to open and close a
valve for regulating or controlling, for example, the supply of liquid hydrocarbon

page_text: to the vapourizer hereinafter referred to, according to the rate of flow of the gas
through the carburettor and through the said regulating apparatus.
The regulating valve shown in the drawing consists of a taper pin or rod F
depending from the hollow float or bell B, and extending through the mouth or
aperture G of a supply-pipe G, through which the liquid hydrocarbon flows, by
gravitation or otherwise, from a store-tank not shown in the drawing, so that, when
the said valve is raised or lowered, it will regulate or control the flow of the liquid
into the lower part of the chamber A. The said chamber is provided with an
outlet-pipe H, H¹ for the liquid hydrocarbon, which pipe is connected, for example,
with the vaporizer hereinafter referred to.
To permit of adjusting the taper pin or rod F relatively to the aperture G¹, we
provide for raising or lowering the level of the mercury in the seal C by means of
a displacer or piston J movable in a small cylinder K, which can, when desired, be
put in communication through a cock K' with the main body of mercury in the
seal. Or we provide for effecting this adjustment by the raising or lowering of the
said taper pin or red relatively to the float or bell by means of suitable lock-nuts
or adjusting screws or other convenient devices.
The liquid hydrocarbon, as it passes through the aperture G¹, overflows into the
lower part of the chamber A, whence it flows through the outlet-pipe to the
vaporizer, passing on its way through a glass tube H or other suitable device
whereby the flow and level of the said liquid may be observed.
The carburettor shown in the drawing consists of a vaporizer L and a mixing
chamber M above the same which is connected by a pipe N with the gas-outlet E
of the regulator, and is itself provided with a gas-outlet P. The said mixing
chamber M. is, moreover, provided with baffle-plates Q secured alternately to
opposite sides of the said chamber to ensure the more effective inixing of the
hydrocarbon vapor with the gas and to arrest and return to the vaporizer any
liquid that may be carried in suspension by the vapor from the said vaporizer.
The vaporizer L comprises a hollow cylinder L' closed at its ends by tube-plates
and having tubes L extending longitudinally through it, which cylinder is enclosed
in a jacket or
casing provided with inlet and outlet apertures R, S, for the circulation
of steam or any other suitable heating medium. This cylinder is in direct
communication at its upper end with the mixing chamber M, whilst its lower end
is connected by a pipe T with the delivery-pipe H of the regulator.
The liquid hydrocarbon from the regulator flows through the glass tube H¹ and
pipes H, T into the cylinder L' of the vaporizer, and, rising in the same, is heated
by means of steam, hot water or the like circulating around the said cylinder and
through the tubes L. The liquid hydrocarbon is thus volatilized and rises in the
form of vapor into the mixing chamber M in which the baffle-plates Q ensure its
proper admixture with the gas.
If desired, other suitable forms of heating surface, such as coils or jackets, may
he employed for heating the liquid hydrocarbon in the vaporizer.
By our improvements above described, we are enabled to produce an apparatus
for carburetting or enriching gas, which apparatus automatically adapts itself to
variations in the rate of consumption of the gas or the rate of How of the gas
through the apparatus, the amount of liquid hydrocarbon vaporized and mixed
with the gas per unit of volume thereof being practically constant whether the rate
of consumption be high or low.
Our improved regulator is applicable for use in connection with other apparatus
in which the supply or flow of one fluid is to be controlled according to the flow
of another fluid through the said apparatus; for example, in the manufacture of
coal-gas, it can be used for regulating or controlling the flow of water in gas-
scrubbers; or it can be used for regulating the supply of oil to retorts in connection
with the manufacture of oil-gas.
In applying our improved regulator to an apparatus for making oil-gas, we
intercalate the regulating chamber A in the pipe which conducts the permanent
gas from the hydraulic main, or in the ascension-pipe which conducts the permanent

page_text: gas and vapour from the retort to the hydraulic main; and we connect the pipe G
with the oil-supply tank, and the pipe H with the ascension-pipe a short distance
above the retort. With this arrangement, the flow of liquid hydrocarbon into
the retort will be regulated according to the flow of the gas therefrom.
It is obvious that the construction of our improved apparatus above described
may be somewhat modified without departing from the nature of our said invention
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood
that we do not claim broadly or irrespectively of our improvements hereinabove
described, the employment of a valve operated by a perforated hollow float or
bell, as we are aware that such has already been used for the purpose of regulating
or controlling the flow of vapor from the vaporizer to the mixing chamber of a
carburettor; but what we claim is :-
First. The herein described method of regulating the supply of a liquid to the
vaporizer of a carburettor or to other apparatus for the treatment or manufacture
of gas, by means of a valve operated by a slotted or perforated hollow float or
bell which is caused to rise and fall by variations in the flow of such gas, for the
purposes above specified.
Second. A regulating apparatus in which a liquid-supply pipe opens into a
chamber provided with an outlet orifice for the liquid and with inlet and outlet
orifices for gas, and is governed by a valve operated by a slotted or perforated
hollow float or bell which is arranged above the inlet and below the outlet for
the gas, substantially as, and for the purposes, herein before described.
Third. The combination, with an apparatus for carburetting gas or for the
manufacture of oil-gas, of a separate chamber connected with the vaporizer or
retort and having inlet and outlet apertures for the gas, a valve in the said chamber
for regulating or controlling the supply of liquid hydrocarbon to such apparatus,
and a perforated hollow float or bell for operating the said valve, arranged above
the inlet and below the outlet for the gas, substantially as, and for the purposes,.
above specified.
Fourth. A carburetting apparatus comprising a vaporizer, and a mixing chamber
above the same in direct communication therewith and provided with baffle-plates.
and with inlet and outlet apertures for the gas, substantially as, and for the purposes,
above specified.
Fifth. The improved apparatus constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figure 1 of the drawing and operating as, and for the purposes, above
specified.
Dated the 191 1. CLI
1007
PHILIP C. TENNANT.
JOHN E. HALL.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.