IMPROVE- MENTS IN GAS REGULATORS AND VALVES FOR THE SAME
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Wise, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the
City of Westminster, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GAS REGULATORS AND VALVES FOR THE SAME."-A communication
from abroad by Charles Massey Cresson, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States of America.
Sealed the 10th October 1865, and dated the 20th April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Wise at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
April 1865.
I, FRANCIS WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the City of West-
minster, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATORS AND VALVES FOR THE SAME," to be as
follows:-
The first part of this Invention consists in the use, in gas regulators, of a
holder of the tapering form described hereafter, so that as the said holder falls
the pressure of gas-in the outlet pipe shall be increased to compensate for the
increased friction of a large amount of gas demanded for a large number of
burners in extended gasfitting.
The second part of the Invention consists of a valve having a stem or tail,
in which are formed two or more excavations or depressions of different lengths,

page_text: and arranged substantially as described hereafter, so that on removing the
valve from its seat the longest excavation may form the communication for the
passage of the fluid prior to its escape along the shorter excavation, the
improved valve thus presenting for the escape of the gas openings increasing
in number and area as it is removed from the seat.
On reference to the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 (Sheet 1) is a vertical
section of the improved gas regulator; Fig. 2, a sectional plan of the same.
Fig. 3, a vertical section, representing a modification of the Invention.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6 (Sheet 2) are views of the improved valve; and Figs. 7,
8, and 9, sectional plans of the same on the lines indicated.
On reference to the first part of the Invention, A, Figs. 1 and 2, represent
a cylindrical casing within which is another cylindrical casing B, there being
an annular space C between the two for containing water, glycerine, or other
suitable fluid. The inner casing is closed at the top with the exception of an
opening for receiving the valve D, and another opening & communicating
with the outlet pipe E, which passes through the bottom e of the casing, there
being an opening in the latter communicating with the inlet pipe F; G is the
gasholder, which is made in the form of a hollow frustum of a cone closed at
the top, as seen in Fig. 1, and which is contained in the annular space C
between the two casings A and E, the lower edge of the holder being secured
to an annular float f adapted to, but arranged to move freely in the said annular
space C. The accurate vertical movement of the holder within the exterior
easing is insured by three guide rollers h, each of which turns in a bracket
attached to the upper end of the holder, and bears against the interior of the
casing. The valve D is suspended to a pin i attached to the top of the holder
and passes through the seat K on the top of the inner casing B, the valve
being of the peculiar construction fully described hereafter. On the top of
the holder projects a pin m for receiving the detachable weight n. Water,
glycerine, or other suitable fluid is introduced into the regulator, 9 being its
initial level, but owing to the pressure of the gas in the holder the level of the
fluid within the same will be about at a, while that on the outside of the
holder will be at y.
In order that the advantages of the Invention may be thoroughly understood
it may be well to allude here to gas regulators having cylindrical instead of
tapering holders, as described above. An ordinary regulator with a cylindrical
holder is intended to preserve an equal pressure in its outlet pipe. As a
natural consequence the supply is deficient at distant burners when all are
lighted. In other words, the ordinary regulator affords no compensation for
the loss caused by the friction of the gas in passing to distant burners. Sup-

page_text: posing the holder G to be in such a position that the line 3, 4 (an imaginary
line) coincides with the water line a, the pressure must be estimated by the
area of a circle of which the line between the points 3, 4, is the diameter..
When the pressure of the gas, however, has so far diminished that the line-
1, 2, coincides with the water level a, then the area of supporting pressure-
has increased in proportion to the difference in extent between an area of a
circle of which the line 1, 2, is the diameter and that of which the line 3, 4,
is the diameter. It will be seen, therefore, that as the bolder falls the area of
supporting pressure decreases; in other words, the pressure in the outlet
pipes is increased to compensate for the increased friction of the large amount
of gas demanded for a great number of burners in extended gasfittings.
The modification illustrated in Fig. 3 will be readily understood without
further description.
The improved valve, forming the second part of the Invention, is most
easily formed from a cylinder (Figs. 4, 5, and 6), by cutting from or forming
in its exterior surface at the base two or more pyramidal, conoidal, or wedge-
shaped pieces or depressions o, f, k, g, h, h, l, g, r, i, m, h, s, i, n, f, of different
length, so that while the excavation of or depression in the periphery of the
cylinder takes out a large segment or section at its base, the cuts or depressions
shall gradually taper out to the circumference at some point above the base
and by allowing one of these tapering excavations or depressions to extend
nearly the whole length of the cylinder, and the others to run out at points less
and less distant from the base, a valve is obtained which, as it moves from its
seat, exposes a more and more rapidly increasing area of opening without
causing the opening at any time to include the entire circumference of the
seat. By this arrangement, when the greatest delicacy of adjustment is
required, the smallest area of opening is exposed for the passage of the fluid,
and as the quantity of fluid required to be passed is increased the area of
opening is rapidly augmented by the presentation successively of the several
wedge-shaped excavations or depressions in the body or the tail of the valve.
By making the cylinder of a size that will exactly fill the opening through the
valve seat, but will not bind nor resist longitudinal motion, and by giving to
the seat a proper thickness the valve may be entirely closed, and will so con-
tinue until the apex of one (or more) of the excavated or depressed portions
shall pass through the valve seat. The closure can be rendered still more
certain by giving to the head of the valve a flange-like projection, as seen in
the Drawing, which shall rest against the seat when the valve is closed. The
advantage of this arrangement and form of valve is that with one valve
successive increments to the area of opening can be produced in the valve

page_text: seat as may be desired, in the same manner as that end is obtained by the
employment of several conical valves. The form of the head of the valve and
the shape of the valve seat may be modified without departing from the main
features of the Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Wise in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
October 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the City of Westminster, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Francis Wise, Her special licence that I, the said Francis Wise, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis Wise, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATORS AND VALVES
FOR THE SAME," a communication to me from abroad by Charles Massey
Cresson, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis Wise, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Wise, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The first part of this Invention consists in the use, in gas regulators, of a
holder of the tapering form described hereafter, so that as the said holder falls
the
pressure of
gas
in the outlet pipe shall be increased to compensate for the

page_text: increased friction of a large amount of gas demanded for a large number of
burners in extended gasfittings.
The second part of this Invention consists of a valve having a stem or tail,
in which are formed two or more excavations or depressions of different lengths,
and arranged substantially as described hereafter, so that on removing the
valve from its seat the longest excavation may form the communication for the
passage of fluid prior to the fluid escaping along the shorter excavation. The
improved valve will thus present for the escape of the gas openings increasing
in number and area as it (the valve) is removed from the seat.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of the
improved gas regulator; Fig. 2, a sectional plan view of the same.
Fig. 3, a vertical section illustrating a modification of the regulator.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent different modifications of the regulating valve;
and Figs. 7, 8, and 9, transverse sections of the valves.
On reference to the first part of the Invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2,
and 3, A represents a cylindrical casing within which is another cylindrical
casing B, there being an annular space C between the two for containing the
water, glycerine, or other suitable fluid. The inner casing is closed at the
top with the exception of an opening 6 for receiving the valve D, and another
opening & communicating with the outlet pipe E which passes through the
bottom e of the casing, there being an opening in the latter communicating
with the inlet pipe F; G is the gasholder, which is made in the form of a
hollow frustrum of a cone closed at the top, as seen in Fig. 1, and which is
contained in the annular space C between the two casings, the lower edge of
the holder being secured to an annular float f adapted to but arranged to
move freely in the said annular space C. The accurate vertical movement
of the holder within the exterior casing is insured by three guide rollers h,
each of which turns in a bracket attached to the upper end of the holder, and
bears against the interior of the casing, as seen in Fig. 2. The valve D is
suspended to a pin i attached to the top of the holder, and passes through the
seat K on the top of the inner casing B, the valve being of the peculiar con-
struction described in reference to the second part of the Invention. From
the top of the holder projects a pin m for receiving the detachable weights n.
Water, glycerine, or other suitable fluid is introduced into the regulator, the
line 9 being its initial level, but owing to the pressure of the gas in the holder
the level of the fluid within the same will be about at x, while that on the
outside of the holder will be at y.
In order that the advantages of the Invention may be thoroughly understood
it may be well to allude here to gas regulators having cylindrical instead of

page_text: tapering holders described above. An ordinary regulator with a cylindrical
holder is intended to preserve an equal pressure in its outlet pipe. As a
natural consequence, the supply is deficient at distant burners when all are
lighted. In other words, the ordinary regulator affords no compensation for
the loss caused by the friction of the gas in passing to distant burners. Sup-
posing the holder G to be in such a position that the line 3, 4, (an imaginary
line) coincides with the water line the pressure must be estimated by the
area of a circle of which the line between the points 3, 4, is the diameter.
When the pressure of the gas, however, is so diminished that the line 1, 2,
coincides with the water level æ, then the area of supporting pressure has
increased in proportion to the difference in extent between the area of a circle
of which the line 3, 4, is the diameter and that of a circle of which the line
1, 2, is the diameter. It will be seen, therefore, that as the holder falls the
area of supporting pressure decreases; in other words, the pressure in the
outlet pipe is increased to compensate for the increased friction of the large
amount of gas demanded for a great number of burners in extended gas
fitting.
The modification illustrated in Fig. 3 will be readily understood without
further description.
The improved regulating valve, which forms the second part of the Inven-
tion, and which is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, consists of a stem D,
the best form of which is cylindrical, and in this stem are made two or more
excavations or depressions which are of different lengths, and which taper
gradually from the base out to the circumference of the stem. Thus in the
valve illustrated in Figs. 4 and 7 there are four angular depressions a, all
alike at the base, but of different lengths; one, for instance, tapers out at the
circumference of the stem at the point b, another at a higher point c, another
at a still higher point d, and a fourth at the highest point e.
In the modified valve, shown by Figs. 5 and 8, there are but three depres-
sions, but as in the former instance they taper out at the circumference and
are of different lengths.
In Figs. 6 and 9 the excavations or depressions differ in form from those of
the valves described above, in fact the shape of the depressions is immaterial
providing their tapering form be maintained, and providing they terminate at
different points in the length of the stem; but a single tapering depression
would in some degree serve the desired purpose, but two or more are pre-
ferred. Each stem passes through an opening in the seat K, the stem fitting
snugly, but so as to have a free and delicate movement in the opening. As
the valve rises from its seat, openings increasing in number and area will be

page_text: presented for the passage of the gas; in other words, one valve produces such
successive increments to the area of opening in the valve seat as could not
otherwise be produced without the employment of a number of conical valves.
It will be seen that when the valves have to be applied to the modified gas
regulator, Fig. 3, they must occupy the position shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6,
but when the valves have to be applied to the regulator, Fig. 1, they must be
inverted.
Having now fully described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be conveniently carried into effect, I would have it
understood that what I claim is,---
Firstly, the use in a gas regulator of a holder of the tapering form herein
described for the purpose specified.
Secondly, a valve having a stem or tail in which there are two or more
excavations or depressions of different lengths, arranged substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Wise, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
W. LLOYD WISE,
Office for Patents,
Chandos Chambers.
Adelphi, W.C.
FRANCIS (L.S.) WISE.