IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF GAS TO LAMPS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the invention
for IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF GAS TO LAMPS OF
RAILWAY CARRIAGES to be as follows :—
This invention relates to means for regulating the supply of gas to the lamps
of railway carriages whereby during the night while the passengers are asleep, or
desire to be, the main supply can be cut off leaving only a sufficient supply to form
a lighting jet.
This object has been generally effected by means of a special button in connection
with a suitably placed cock, but these means being independent of the working
of the blinds or curtains to be drawn across the lamp glass, it frequently occurs
that the passengers are content to draw the blind or curtain only, leaving the gas
to burn with a full flame thereby causing an unnecessary waste of gas.
One or two plans have been suggested to prevent this waste of gas but they
have not been entirely free from objection and it is the object of the present
invention to avoid these objections and provide a simple apparatus which may be
readily applied to existing lamps.
In carrying out this invention the supply of gas for the lighting jet arrives by
an independent passage, the exact quantity required being regulated once for all
by a screw placed outside the carriage and which cannot get out of order, con-
sequently there can be no extinction of the gas. The main supply is so arranged
that by opening one or other, or both of the blinds or curtains a sufficient quantity
of gas is supplied for a full flame.
The gas supply pipe is connected to a T piece, to one arm of which is fitted a
short pipe in connection with the burner pipe.
The short pipe is fitted with a regulating screw as before explained by means of
which the supply of gas necessary for the lighting jet is regulated.

page_text: The other arm of the T piece is connected by a suitable pipe with a hollow
metal block, in which are fitted a couple of cocks. This block is by means of a
second pipe connected with the burner supply pipe.
Attached to each of the cocks is a toothed sector which gears with a similar
piece formed at one end of a curved lever which surrounds the glass and carries
one blind or curtain. The holes through the cocks are of such dimensions as to
allow a full supply of gas through either of them so that the gas will not be turned
off until both the blinds are closed, and will be turned on by opening one or other
of the blinds.
The burner tube or pipe is arranged that it can be readily unshipped to allow for
cleaning the glass or for making necessary repairs in the interior of the lantern,

page_text: I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 6 Breams Buildings
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of the invention for IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY
OF GAS TO LAMPS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES" 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 means for "putting into shade" the Gas lamps, or in
other words regulating the supply of gas to the lamps of Railway Carriages,
whereby during the night while the passengers are or desire to be asleep the
main supply can be cut off leaving on a sufficient supply to form a lighting jet.
Hitherto this object has generally been effected by means of a special button in
connection with a suitably placed cock and which allows for the reduction of the
supply of Gas to the quantity strictly necessary.
These means however being independent of the blinds or screens to be drawn
across the lamp it often happens that the passengers are content to draw the blinds,
and thus "put into shade" the lamp, leaving the gas burning with a full flame,
thereby causing a waste of gas.
With a view to prevent this unnecessary consumption of gas the action of drawing
the blinds or screens has been employed to turn off the gas, and one or two plans
have been suggested for effecting this object but they have presented certain
inconveniences thus for example 1st the lowering of the gas has been effected by
the working of a single blind or screen, or by one only of two blinds or screens.
Second, the lighting jet is produced by the passage of gas through a small opening
the proper size of which cannot be easily determined or regulated, and this opening
not being accessible can become easily obstructed.
The new apparatus which forms the subject of the present Invention has none of
these inconveniences, and can be applied easily to lamps actually in use.
According to this Invention the Gas arrives at the burner by an independent
passage, and in quantity exactly sufficient for the lighting jet, while a suitable
regulating screw placed outside, determining the supply, no possibility of
derangement or extinction therefore exists.
The main gas supply is arranged in such a manner that by opening or with-
drawing one or other of the blinds or screens a sufficient supply of gas will be
obtained for a full flame.
This arrangement also obviates the use of joints in the interior of the carriage,
which will be also automatically ventilated-The apparatus is besides easy to fit
and to dismount in case any reparation is required These effects are obtained by
means of the following arrangements which are represented in detail in the accom-
panying drawing in which Fig: 1 is a vertical section of an ordinary lamp with
the new system applied thereto; Fig: 2 is a plan view of the same and Fig: 3 is
a side elevation of the blind or screen levers.
Fig 4 is a vertical section showing the action of the levers on the mechanism
for turning off the gas or "putting in shade" the lamp, as well as the arrangement
of the joints of the pipes which supply the gas to the distributing cocks. Fig: 5 is
a plan of the gas distribution and Fig: 6 shows in detail the ventilating tubes and
the mode of securing one of the supports.
As will be seen on reference to Fig: 1 the gas supply pipe a a communicates
directly at its upper part with a small pipe m placed at right angles thereto, the

page_text: upper end of which is of conical form to receive the point of the regulating screw b
which allows for the exact limitation and regulation of the gas supplied to the
burner to form a lighting jet.
The gas necessary to maintain the full flame also arrives by the pipe a a passes
along the pipe a¹ through the union joint q and descends by the pipe a¹¹ to a
double cock consisting of a small horizontal pipe k plugs i and a second horizontal
pipe h. The plugs i are actuated by the movement of the blind levers. as will be
hereafter explained. Each of these cocks will allow of the passage of a sufficient
quantity of gas to maintain the full flame so that it is necessary that both sides
of the blind or screen should be closed to effect the lowering of the flame.
From the second pipe h the gas passes to the piper and thence by the union
joint q¹ piper elbow pipe t and the pipe u to the burner .-It being allowed that
the presence of the joints in the interior of the ceiling of the carriage may cause
more or less inconvenience, it becomes therefore necessary to place them outside as
indicated at jj' and y y¹ (Figures 4 and 5).
To this end the tubes ra¹ are screwed or brazed at one end to the body of the
double cock y y and at the other end j j' to the union joints 9 9
From an examination of Figures 1 to 4 it will be seen that an escape
from these pipes will be practically impossible.
of gas
The plugs ii of the double cock hk are made conical and capable of turning
easily in their boxes and from their position are not subjected to deterioration.
These plugs are not exposed to any appreciable wear but to avoid any chance of
escape from this cause, small coiled springs xx³ are employed to keep the plugs on
their seats.
In order to prevent any smell of gas in the carriage, means for ventilating the
same are provided, such means consisting of tubes n n screwed at their lower ends
to the collar or flange of the lantern, see Fig: 6; and opening into the space formed
in the roof to receive the lamp; the upper ends of these tubes being protected by
the moulding of the cover, or in any other convenient manner from the entrance of
rain. Four V-shaped openings are provided to permit the circulation of the air.
The mechanism employed by preference for working the plugs ii is represented
in detail in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 and consists of two semicircular levers d d which
are pivotted at both ends to a ring c conveniently fixed to the carriage roof.-These
levers are provided at one end with a sector e. These sectors gear with similar
sectors ff mounted on keys carried by the support g of the cock hk. These
keys fit into recesses made in the plugs to receive them.-The two plugs ii com-
municate with the gas supply tubes khabove mentioned so that if one only of the
blinds is closed the gas will be turned off from one passage only and the section of
the passage in both plugs i i being sufficient for the full supply to the burner / it
follows that the gas will continue to burn with full flame.
If on the contrary the two blinds be drawn the supply of gas will be interrupted
by the two cocks ii and the burner will then be supplied through the passage and
valve m with only enough gas to form a lighting jet.
On the opposite ends of the arms & are secured cams oo see Fig: 3 which under
the action of springs p p maintain the blinds in the open or closed position.
The gas conduits whether for the lighting jet or for the full flame are in connection
with the pipe t to which the pipe u carrying the burner is pivotted in any
convenient manner so that the burner and pipe u may be turned up out of the
way when cleaning or repairing the lamp.
To render the adjusting of the apparatus more sure and to avoid all chance of
breaking the gas tubes ar the whole of the apparatus is secured to the lamp by
means of 6 supports S so that the lamp and apparatus complete can be placed in
position together ready to work, the usual annular ornamental moulding being
afterwards secured in place.
The new arrangement of apparatus however requires that this annular moulding
should be in two parts wz, the part w being fixed to the carriage and the part z
carried by the apparatus, which allows for the different thicknesses of roof in the

page_text: same type of carriage.-By the addition of the lugs 8 a constant passage of air
around and at the lower part of the lamp is assured.
It may be remarked that all the parts of the apparatus being independent the
one of the other and easily dismountable, the repair, maintenance and cleaning can
be effected with the greatest facility, a feature which constitutes a very important
advantage in the employment of the above described apparatus.
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
First The means for constantly feeding the lighting jet, such means being so
placed that they will not be effected by any derangement of the remainder of the
apparatus and will be readily accessible when required substantially as described.
Second: Turning off the gas in railway carriage lamps by closing or actuating
both of two blinds (no matter which blind is first moved) the flame remaining full
on while either blind remains open substantially as described.
Third: The arrangement of gas passages or conduits not only for the lighting
jet but also for the full flame such passages or conduits opening into the single
pipet whereby the parts of the apparatus are rendered independent of the burner
holder pipe u which may therefore be arranged to swing out to allow for the
cleaning of the lamp and for other purposes, such arrangement of gas passages
presenting the additional advantage of having no joints within the carriage,
substantially as described.
Fourth: The means for ventilating the carriage whereby all smell of gas, should
there be any escape, will be obviated substantially as described.
Fifth: The arrangement of the various parts independently of one another
which permits of the rapid replacement of any damaged portions and facilitates
the mounting and dismounting of the apparatus.
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