IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATING BURNERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
GAS REGULATING BURNERS, a communication to me from abroad by Walter
Marsh Jackson, of Providence, United States of America, Doctor of Medicine, and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improvement in gas burners, the object being to
provide simple cheap and convenient means for automatically regulating the
pressure of gas between the point of combustion and the ordinary stop cock by
which the gas is turned on or off for lighting or extinguishing, and with these
ends in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction
and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in
the claims.
In the accompanying drawing, which represents a view in section of the
improvement, B represents a shell made in two sections a, b, adapted to be
clainped, screwed or otherwise securely held together gas tight, the said shell
presenting a globular appearance.
Each section of the shell is provided with a shoulder c between which when
the sections are secured together is tightly held a diaphragm A, made of any
suitable material, but preferably of cloth rendered gas tight by coating it with
thin rubber and immersing it in a solution of glycerine and gelatine. This
diaphragm is centrally provided with a small hole or perforation adapted to receive
a small pipe g, which is closed at its lower end, provided at its upper end with
the external screw thread, below which thread is formed a shoulder or flange f.
Upon the upper end of this pipe fits a nut e and when screwed down securely
holds the diaphragm between itself and the shoulder f, or if desired the thread
may be dispensed with and a sliding nut employed. The pipe or tube g below
the diaphragm is provided with a small hole h, and to its lower end is secured
the vertical rod i, adapted to pass freely through the opening o in the lower end
of the section b of the shell. To the lower end of this rod I secure a valve k

page_text: hanging below said opening o and preferably formed in the shape of a cone,
the sides of the opening o being inclined in accordance therewith, and forming
a valve seat.
The lower end of the section 6 is provided with a male screw thread which
meshes with a female screw thread formed in the upper end of a suitable shank C
which latter is adapted to secure the device to any suitable fixture, the upper end
of the section a being provided with a neck a¹ for the reception of any ordinary
gas tip D. If desired this neck may be threaded for the purpose of attaching an
Argand or other burner.
Having set forth the construction and relative arrangement of the several parts
of this improvement, I will now describe its operation. When the stop cock is
opened the gas rushes up past the valve k into the space or chamber below the
diaphragm, through the small hole h in the pipe g, out into the chamber above
the diaphragm to emerge at the burner, where it may be lighted, the outlet of
said burner being of larger calibre than the hole h in the tube g, a difference in
pressure on either side of the diaphragm is always assured. Again the bole h
in the tube g, is of such size as to allow a sufficient quantity of gas to pass
through it under the lowest pressure at which it is deemed advisable to burn gas
in order to obtain the greatest illuminating power from a given quantity. When
thus constructed the diaphragm is inactive and the burner emits its normal
quantity of gas. But if the pressure be increased the diaphragm will be forced
upwardly, the tube g, nut e, spindle i, valve k, and the back pressure of the gas
in the chamber above the diaphragm, counteracting a part of this upward pressure.
Now as the pressure below the diaphragm vibrates between the standard of low
pressure, and any degree of high pressure, the diaphragm actuated by the difference
between the pressures in the chambers above and below it rises and falls thus
closing or opening the valve in the lower end of the gas to the section b and
automatically checking or opening the supply of the gas to the burner.
Since the back pressure above the diaphragm is less than the pressure below
when the main gas pressure is higher than the lowest standard, it follows that the
diaphragm must always be actuated to perform its function, and by making the
hole h of a desired size to allow of the passage of a given quantity of gas under a
certain pressure and by forming the aperture in the burner of larger capacity than
the hole in the tube, there is under higher pressure always a force to actuate the
diaphragm and automatically supply a uniform quantity of gas to the burner.
It will be seen from the foregoing description, that although the valve may
constantly rise and fall, varying the flow of gas into the shell, said valve cannot
come into actual contact with the seat and therefore is not liable to adhere and
close the hole entirely or to fasten itself and refuse to operate when the gas is
turned on.
The invention is exceedingly simple in construction, is durable and efficient in
use, and can be applied to any ordinary gas fixture at a small initial cost.
I am aware that it has been proposed in a prior patent to construct a gas
regulator with a shell divided into two compartments by a flexible diaphragm
having a regulating valve connected therewith, gas opening being provided through
the valve stem for the flow of gas from one chamber or compartment to the other
and hence I make no broad claim to such construction and arrangement of parts.
In this improvement the opening in the valve stem for the passage of gas from
the lower chamber to the upper chamber is of less capacity than the gas opening
in the burner tip, and yet of the proper capacity to allow the gas at its normal
pressure to flow freely from the lower chamber into the upper chamber and out
through the burner tip without actuating the regulating valve. By providing the
valve stem with a gas passage or conduit of less capacity than that through the
burner tip, the pressure on the underside of the diaphragm will exceed that exerted
on its upper side, and thus force the diaphragm upwardly and retain it under a
tension sufficient to prevent the regulating valve being actuated by slight variations

page_text: in the pressure of the gas which would result in a flickering flame of the burner,
and insure a constant and practically uniform flow of gas at the burner tip.
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
In a gas burning regulator, the combination with a shell provided with a gas
tip, of a flexible diaphragm dividing the shell into upper and lower gas chambers, a
valve connected with the diaphragm and adapted to regulate the passage of gas
into the lower gas chamber, the valve stem connection being provided with an
opening or openings of less capacity than the gas exit opening in the tip of the
burner, for regulating the position of the valve by the differential pressures of gas
in the two gas chambers, substantially as set forth.