AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR TRANS-, MITTING GAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF LIGHT AND HEAT
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MILNE, of Edinburgh, Brass Founder and Gas Meter Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by : Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirteenth day of July, in the second year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James
Milne, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege, and authority, that J,
the said James Milne, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the.
said James Milne, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,.
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years.
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR TRANS-,
MITTING GAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF LIGHT AND HEAT;" in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso, that I, the said James Milne, shall cause a particular.
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery:
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto.
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Milne, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the.

page_text: the inlet pipe C. N is the cover or lid of the valve seat D, and both surfaces
of N and D are made quite flat or true. In some cases I apply two valves,
one smaller than the other, as shewn in Figure 6; the smaller valve is placed
in the centre of the valve N; the plug P, or male cone of this valve, is fixed
to the centre-piece of the arms M of the float L, L. To the lid N three arms
are attached, meeting in a round piece in the centre, with a hole in it through
which the pin R of the small valve P is made to move easily. Below the
arms S, S, the pin R is enlarged, forming a shoulder T, on which the centre
pieces of the arms S, S, rest.
The effect of this arrangement is by the same float to bring both valves into
operation; in this way I nearly obtain a perfect equalization in the supply of
gas, whether it be for a greater or a smaller number of lights, and obtain com-
plete steadiness in the action of the machine. The action of these valves may
be thus explained:-The water being filled to its proper height, as hereafter
explained, say, shewing half an inch on the guage for an one-inch pressure of
the gas, the float will rise, carrying with it the valve P; when the shoulder T
reaches the centre-piece of the arms S, S, the float will then raise the lid N of
the valve D, should more gas be required for the burners then can pass
through the valve P; for it will readily be understood that as soon as the
pressure of the gas is let on, the surface of the water in the inside of the gas
holder K will be pressed down, and the float will follow. If the consumption
of the gas. .is greater than the valve P will supply, both valves will be open, as
in Figure 6; the small one will be full open, and the valve D, N, so far only
as will supply the required quantity of gas; and when the consumption is
diminished, the under valve D, N, will shut, as represented in Figure 7, and
all the gas wanted will pass through the small valve P. When the consumption
is farther reduced, the pressure of the gas within the gas holder becomes
greater, depressing the surface of the water in the vessel K still lower, the
float sinks with it, and the small valve P being a fixture to the float arms
M, M, is thereby lowered, diminishing the aperture of the valve, which will
then discharge no more gas than is actually required. The guage at this time
will indicate a pressure of about one inch; the water inside of the gas holder
having by the pressure of the gas descended about half an inch, and gone up
the same distance on the outside into the vessel A by the use of two valves;
it will be evident, that a regulator constructed according to my Invention may
be used for a house or premises, where sometimes a Jarge number of lights
are used, and at other times only a few lights are used, for, by the small valve
P, the flow of gas for a small number of lights may be obtained without
having to open the large valve D, N. The above description applies to

page_text: apparatus for regulating the flow of gas on a small scale, such as may be used
in dwelling-houses, shops, and other places lighted with gas.
Regulating apparatus for gas works and street mains are made on the same
principle, but varying a little in form and construction, as is represented in
Figures 3, 4, and 5, and 7. The same letters refer to the same parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal or vertical section of a regulator for a gas work
or street main; as both the inlet and outlet pipes are at the bottom of the regu-
lator the outlet pipe J is made semicircular, in the inside of equal area with the
inlet pipe C, terminating in the outside in an oblong square pipe of equal area
with the pipe of supply. The outer cylinder A, A, B, B, and C, C, C, C, J, J, J,
with their flanges a, a, a, a, is made in one casting. The inlet pipe C is
bored or turned out conically at the top to receive the valve seat D. The out-
side of the lower part of the valve seat is also turned to fit air-tight into the
upper part of the pipe C; the top or cover and its cylinder K are made as
described in Figure 1, with the exception of the outlet pipe C passing through
it, as is the case in Figure 1. The diameter of the cylinder or gas holder K is
determined as before directed, deducting the space occupied by the semicircular
outlet pipe J, as well as the inlet pipe C, so that the space occupied by the water
inside of the gas holder K may be equal to the space of vessel A occupied
by the water outside of the gas holder. O is a cylindrical float, made of tin
or any other suitable metal, and kept in a perpendicular position by the
spindle passing through guide stays fixed to the cylinder K, as shewn; the
spindle attached to this float passes through the cover, and is terminated by a
button top b, to indicate by its elevation above the cover the pressure the
regulator is set to, as will be seen in the Figures 3 and 5; when this float is
not in use, the button may be pressed down, and the catch or cover c turned
over it for protection. The dotted lines in Figure 4 represents the forms of
the entrance and exit pipes. The apparatus described at Figures 1, 2, and 6
is to be placed perpendicular and fixed gas tight to the supply pipe, the union
joint at the bottom; the pipe C is to be made fast to the gas company's service
pipe, and the top union screw of the pipe J is to be affixed to the pipe leading
to the burners.
It will readily be understood that this apparatus may be set to burn gas at
any degree of pressure below that in the gas mains. If, for instance, it is
wished to work the regulator at three-quarter inch pressure, and supposing
the apparatus to contain more water than will suit that measure, let off water
at the cock till it indicate three-eighths of an inch on the scale, turn on the
gas, and the water inside the gas-holder will go down nearly three-eighths

page_text: of an inch, and will rise nearly three-eighths of an inch outside, and will
indicate in the guage nearly three-fourths of an inch, the pressure required.
If a greater pressure is wanted, pour in water as directed without turning off
the gas, till the water in the guage shows on the scale the elevated point
desired, and if a less pressure is desired, draw off water by the cock till the
guage indicate the pressure brought. But I have found that the better way
of regulating the flow, to obtain the most beneficial consumption of the gas,
is, that the whole of the burners should be lighted when the flow of gas is
fully on from the gas main or supply pipe, and having water in the regulator
in excess of the pressure at which the gas will burn with a full and efficient
light; then, by degrees, and very slowly, draw off the water at the cock E,
observing the effect produced on the lights as the pressure decreases, until the
light obtained is satisfactory. By this means it will readily be ascertained at
what degree of pressure the gas will burn with full effect, and when once the
proper degree of pressure is obtained, the apparatus will allow the gas con-
tinually to flow from the eduction way, and with great regularity, and if a less
number of lights be required, the apparatus will adjust itself thereto, as
above explained. The regulators, Figure 3, will be in general put under-
ground, and being placed on a solid stone or brick base, and set quite level,
they are to be attached to the gas mains or pipes by castings, having at one
end an oblong hole and flange, and terminating at the other end with a
circular hole to fit the gas mains. Water is to be filled in as before directed,
and the pressure will be indicated by the rise of the button 6 through the top,
which may be measured; should the supply in the main leading from the
regulator be different, more water will be added. The pressure in large
regulators will be adjusted by a separate pressure guage attached to the exit
main of the regulator, or to a pipe proceeding from the main. By observing
the height, the button 6 on the top of the float rises, and noting the difference,
if any, between what it and the pressure guage indicates, data will be obtained
sufficiently accurate for practical use.
Both valves are nearly shut till the water rises above the zero point or
bottom of the scale in Figure 1, and till the button on top of the float in
Figure 3 rises from the plane of the top or cover to reduce the pressure in
Figure 3 to one-eighth or one-sixteenth to resist the atmospheric pressure in
the day time, or when the mains are not supplying gas; and to facilitate the
drawing-off of the water, a vessel of proper size may be placed alongside the
regulator, the bottom being two or three inches above the level of the water
in the regulator; by putting the suction pipe of a small hand pump or syringe
into the hole F, the water may be pumped into the said vessel. This vessel may

page_text: be made a little conical in the bottom, with a pipe and stop-cock leading from
it, and attached to the regulator below the water line. By turning the cock,
the same water pumped out will be returned to the regulator when required.
It will be seen on examining the Drawings, aided by the description here given,
that the gas holder or vessel K does not float or move, and that the valves
open upwards; and on regulating the pressure of the gas, the float rises and
falls with the water, which is acted on by the pressure of the gas, and thus is
the flow of gas through the pipe J regulated.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would remark that I make no claim to the parts
separately, and the forms or figures of the apparatus may be varied without
departing from my Invention; and, further, I do not confine myself to the
use of water as the medium for floating the vessel L, though I believe water
to be the cheapest and best for general purposes. And I would have it under-
stood that what I claim as my Invention is, the mode of constructing regulating
apparatus for transmitting gas for the purpose of light and heat, as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Milne, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of January, 'One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-nine.