IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATOR OR GOVERNORS to be as follows:-
Year: 1885

page_text: I HENRY FFRENCH BROMHEAD of 58 Lombard Street in the City of London
Gas Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GAS REGULATOR OR GOVERNORS to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to an improved form of gas regulator based on the same
principles as one described in the Specification of Letters Patent No 2322 dated
23rd July 1868.
A gas governor or regulator embodying my present invention is constructed as
follows.
The body of the regulator is a funnel shaped casing, that is to say it is a hollow
truncated cone terminating in a cylindrical or tubular extension at the narrow part
which will form the bottom; at the side there is another tubular extension.
Where the conical portion joins the tube a partition or disc is provided at the
centre of which hole is drilled and serves as a seating for a conical valve
hereinafter mentioned.
The upper or wide portion of the cone has a flange upon which fits a cover
having a corresponding flange and the two flanges can be united by screws, rivets
or otherwise, as will presently appear.
Between the two flanges the edges of a flexible diaphragm are secured and a
metal or other packing ring may be placed upon or under the rim of the flange to
enable a perfectly sound joint to be more readily made. This diaphragm is of the
usual flexible impermeable material and has a hole at the centre in line with the
hole in the partition and the axis of the cone and tube. A flange is provided on
the cover and the outside of the flange is threaded and upon it is screwed a small
cap having an airhole. The flange. Within the flange on the top of the cover is a
hole in line with the aperture in the diaphragm and the other holes in line there-
with, and besides this central hole there is a small airhole also within the flange.
In the centre of the casing is mounted a spindle free to move up and down in
the same. The said spindle passes through all the central apertures and it has at its
lower end an adjustable conical valve the apex whereof extends into the valve seat.
Where the valve spindle passes through the diaphragm it is firmly connected
therewith so that no gas or air can pass between them and so that the spindle rises
and falls with the motion of the diaphragm. Above the diaphragm a tube of glass
or other suitable material encloses that part of the spindle which passes through

page_text: the cover into the cap above and this tube of glass or other smooth wear resisting
material allows the spindle to fit accurately within the hole in the cover and yet to
work with a minimum of friction.
Above the cover and in the cap a nut is placed on the spindle and serves as a
shoulder supporting one or more weights which determine the pressure for which
the governor is adapted.
In fitting up this governor or regulator the casing is first prepared the spindle
with the valve thereon is slipped in and the diaphragm fixed say by two nuts with
broad flanges. The antifriction tube is next placed on the spindle and the cover
placed over all. The latter is then firmly secured to the body by screws, rivets
or otherwise and white or red lead or other suitable material is used to make the
joint sound. The cap is not placed on until the governor is tested and the spindle
suitably loaded.
•
The tubular piece at the bottom is the inlet the tubular piece at the side the
outlet for the gas.
When the pressure in the main increases the pressure in the body will likewise
rise, the diaphragm is lifted and raises the valve towards its seat and the inlet
aperture is reduced or even entirely closed.
In some cases where a high pressure obtains in the mains a single valve is
insufficient to make the regulator sufficiently delicate in its action.
In such cases
two valve seatings of exactly similar construction are provided but no alteration
beyond the duplication of the valves and valve seats need take place.
As a convenience in manufacture I invariably make the casing with a small
flange in the lower part of the cone and if two valves are required place a disc or
plate perforated for the accomodation of the top valve on this flange and secure it
in place by say three screws and inake a tight joint with red lead or the like.
Details of manufacture may however be varied.
11
100

page_text: I HENRY FFRENCH BROMHEAD of 58 Lombard Street, in the city of London,
Gas Engineer, 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:
The present invention relates to a gas governor or regulator, the object being to
secure as even a pressure as possible in the pipes after the gas has passed the
governor notwithstanding the variations of pressure in the mains and pipes before
the gas has passed the governor.
The drawing shows a vertical section through the governor which consists of a
vessel or chamber A preferably conical as shown and provided with an inlet at B
and an outlet at C: The small chamber D serves as a reservoir and to allow free
passage of gas past the valve E; this is of great importance when the pressure in
the mains is low. The gas passes the valve E through the opening F1 in the
partition F. The valve E is fixed to the lower end of the spindle G the upper.
portion whereof is screw threaded and receives the nuts H between which the.
flexible and impermeable diaphragm I is securely held in a gas tight joint. This
diaphragm I forms a flexible cover to the chamber A and is secured upon the said
chamber in the following manner :-
The flange A¹ is turned up true and upon this is placed a thin leather washer-T;
upon this washer is the diaphragm I and upon the diaphragm another washer T.
Above this is a metal joint ring J and the whole joint is secured by countersunk
screws K, whitelead or equivalent being used to make a gas tight joint, so that the
cover A which is secured by screws V may be removed while the governor is
under pressure without any escape of gas.
An internal ring L goes round the walls of the chamber A and to this with a gas
tight joint is secured the circular plate M thus forming a chamber N separated
from A communication being obtained only by the opening M¹ which is controlled-
by the valve O secured upon the spindle G.
The plate M may be cast solid with the walls of A. but for convenience of
manufacture it is made separate.
A guide tube P of brass or other suitable material rests upon the top-nut H or
upper side of the diaphragm I, passes through an opening in the cover A³ and is
secured by a nut W upon which are the weights Q of which there are any required
number. The tube P ensures a free longitudinal movement of the valve spindle G
which would not be the case were the threads of the screw in contact with the
walls of the hole in the cover.
A small cover R fits on the top of cover A³ and may be secured there by a lock
if desired so that the weights Q cannot be tampered with. Communication between
the outer air and that within cover R and the space above the diaphragm is
established in any convenient manner as by openings S.
The action is as follows:-
The gas enters by the opening B and fills chamber D, passes valve E and
opening F, enters chamber N and passes the second valve O, and opening M¹ and
fills chamber A and raises diaphragm I and escapes by the outlet C.
If the pressure exceeds the load on the diaphragm (which as already explained
may be varied by means of the weights Q) the diaphragm rises lifting the weights

page_text: and pulling up spindle G and valves O and E thereby closing more or less the
openings M', F¹ and cutting off the gas supply until the pressure in chamber A is
reduced, when the diaphragm I falls again, opens the valves and allows more gas
to pass and enter chamber A.
It will be observed that valve O is so placed. upon the spindle G that when
valve E is entirely closed there is still passage way through M as shown by the
dotted lines in the drawing; this arrangement is adopted not because it is
absolutely necessary but because the result in manufacture and working is found
to be very satisfactory and it facilitates the true setting and operation of valve E
while the advantages of having a second valve O to assist in regulating the supply
of gas are retained. Nevertheless if required the valve O may be so adjusted as to
close the opening M¹ entirely when E is closed.
The drawing shows the position of the valves and various parts when the valves
are full open and the diaphragm collapsed there being no gas pressure under-neath
to support it. In some cases the one valve E is sufficient but generally I prefer to
use the two valves.
On account of the conical shape of this regulator it will be seen that the area of
the chambers D. N. and A. increases as the gas ascends so that any rapid motion
that it may have as it enters the lowest chamber D is absorbed in these chambers
and lost by the time it reaches the outlet C; consequently there is less likelihood
of disturbance in the pipe leading from C and a more regular pressure upon the
diaphragm I than would be the case if the vessel were cylindrical or the chambers
of uniform area. The bulbous shape and rounded walls of the entrance chamber D
are also calculated to modify and soften the impact of the gas upon the lower
valve E.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
་
:
1. In a gas regulator a vessel such as A whose area increases with the distance
from the inlet substantially as specified.
2. In a gas regulator a valve chamber such as D of greater area than the inlet
substantially as specified.
3. In a gas regulator a disc or partition such as M dividing the interior into two
chambers whereof the area of that chamber which is farther from the inlet is the
greater the intercommunicating passage M¹ being governed by a valve O substan-
tially as specified.
4. In a gas regulator the combination with the valve spindle G of a tube P
passing through the cover A2 and surrounding the threaded portion of said spindle
substantially as specified.
5. In a gas regulator the combination with a conical vessel such as described of
two partitions such as F. M. dividing the vessel into separate chambers and having
central openings FM and two valves E O carried upon the same spindle and
adapted to operate simultaneously substantially as specified.
6. The complete gas regulator substantially as specified and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
7. In a gas regulator the combination with a spindle G of two valves such as EO
so placed upon said spindle that when one valve is closed upon its seat the other
remains partially open substantially as specified.
Dated this 18th day of May 1886.