AN IMPROVED SELF- ACTING GAS COCK, FOR CHECKING THE SPREAD OF CONFLAGRATIONS
Year: 1884

page_text: I GEORGE NOBES of 27 Dudley Grove, Harrow Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "AN IMPROVED SELF-
ACTING GAS COCK, FOR CHECKING THE SPREAD OF CONFLAGRATIONS" to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to prevent the access of ordinary gas from the
mains to burning buildings, by providing means for shutting off the same
automatically when an accidental fire occurs.
At a convenient part of the main supply pipe to the building, and preferably
between the meter and the street main, I fit a conical seat in a T piece, in a vertical
position, the bottom end of the T piece is plugged or capped, and the upper end is
made aufficiently large to enclose a suspended conical plug quite clear of the
through-way of the supply pipe, so as to leave the latter entirely uninterrupted,
and the gas free to travel to the metre.
The plug is made of solid metal, and accurately turned so as to fit into the
valve seat and entirely shut off the supply when it is dropped into the seat, and,
in that position, no gas can enter the metre or the building.
In ordinary circumstances the plug is suspended in the upper part of the T piece,
the diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the plug, to prevent
friction. The plug may be suspended by an attached rod, wire, or chain; and any
ordinary means of forming a stuffing box or packing with indiarubber or other
suitable material or with one or more elastic diaphragms, is or are provided, in
order that the plug may be readily dropped into its seat in case of an accidental
fire occurring, and such action is or may be assisted by springs or weights at or
near the plug or its attachments.
The means of retaining the plug in a suspended state above its seat and clear of
the supply pipe, consist of one or more strings, cords, lead wire, or other combustible
or fusible material, in a state of tension, and carried by means of pullies, bell-
cranks, or similar devices from room to room, and so placed that, in case of a fire
occurring in any part of the house, the rupture thereof by burning or melting will
immediately let the plug drop into its seat, and instantly stop the access of gas to
the building.

page_text: I GEORGE NOBES of 27 Dudley Grove Harrow Road in the County of Middlesex,
Plumber do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for AN IMPROVED SELF-
ACTING GAS COCK FOR CHECKING THE SPREAD OF CONFLAGRATIONS and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to prevent the access of ordinary gas from the
mains to burning buildings by providing means for shutting off the same
automatically when an accidental fire occurs.
At a convenient part of the main supply pipe to the building, and preferably
between the metro and the street main, I fit a conical scat in a T piece, in a vertical
position, the bottom end. of the T piece is plugged or capped and the upper end is
made sufficiently large to enclose a suspended conical plug quite clear of the
through-way of the supply pipe, so as to leave the latter entirely uninterrupted,
and the gas free to travel to the metre.
The plug is made of solid metal, and accurately turned so as to fit into the
valve seat and entirely shut off the supply when it is dropped into the seat, and, in
that position, no gas can enter the metre or the building.
In ordinary circumstances the plug is suspended in the upper part of the T piece
the diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the plug to prevent
friction. The plug may be suspended by an attached rod, wire, or chain; and any
ordinary means of forming a stuffing box or packing with india rubber or other
suitable material or with one or more elastic diaphragma, is or are provided, in
order that the plug may be readily dropped into its seat in case of an accidental
fire occurring, and such action is or may be assisted by springs or weights at or
Dear the plug or its attachments.
The means of retaining the plug in a suspended state above its seat and clear of
the supply pipe consist of one or more strings, cords, lead wire, or other
combustible or fusible material, in a state of tension, and carried by means of
pullies, bell-cranks, or similar devices from room to room, and so placed that in
case of a fire occurring in any part of the house the rupture thereof by burning or
melting will immediately let the plug drop into its seat and instantly stop the
access of gas to the building.
My said Invention may also be utilized as a regulator, or as a stop cock,
for regulating or entirely shutting off the gas, when desirable; the means for
effecting such objects being carried to any one or more of the rooms, such means
consisting of the aforesaid strings, cords, lead wire, or other combustible or fusible
material; or of additional cords specially arranged for such purpose.
And in order that my said invention may be more particularly described and
ascertained reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings in which
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation shewing the gas cock open, and Figure 2 is a
sectional elevation shewing the same shut is the T piece, b is the conical plug,
which fits into the seat, b¹. c is a rod which is screwed into the plug b.-d is a
heavy cap or cylinder, which fits easily to the outside of the flange at a!.

page_text: The upper end of the rod c is screwed gas tight through the cylinder cover at d'—
d is a hole for attaching the wire to the gas cock.-³ is a thin flange screwed to
the lower end of the cylinder to act as a guide and retain the rubber packing ring
in its place.-e is the rubber packing ring, which rolls freely between the surfaces
of a and d, with both of which it is in contact, and forms a gas-tight joint.—
Other forms of packing may be substituted for the rubber ring.
Instead of the arrangement above described the plug may be fitted to an elastic
cylinder formed with rings and elastic material and suitably weighted.
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. The application of the suspended plug b, capable of being raised from the
scat b, to secure the unobstructed flow of gas under ordinary circumstances, (as
shewn in Figure 1 of the Drawings) and adapted to stop such flow of gas in case
of accidental fire, (as shewn in Figure 2) substantially as herein before described
2. The method of and means and appliances for automatically shutting off the
supply of gas for checking the spread of conflagrations substantially as herein before
described and shewn on the drawings.
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.