IMPROVEMENTS IN RHEOMETRIC REGULATORS FOR GAS BURNERS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Giroud, of Paris, in the French Republic, Engineer-
merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RHEOMETRIC REGULATORS
FOR GAS BURNERS."
Sealed the 1st May 1877, and dated the 15th January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Giroud at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th January 1877.
HENRY GIROUD, of Paris, in the French Republic, Engineer-merchant.
PROVEMENTS IN RHEOMETRIC REGULATORS FOR GAS BURNERS."
"
"IM-
My improvements relate to the construction of gas regulators described in the
Specification to my former Patents, Nos. 315, of 1870, and 1953, of 1872.
According to one arrangement described in the said Specifications a metal casing
contained a metal bell dipping with its lower edge into a liquid, while at its closed
top it had, firstly, a small hole communicating with the casing; and secondly, a
conical valve serving to close more or less the opening through which the casing
communicated with the burner, the varying pressure of the gas which entered the
valve from the supply pipe through a central opening below causing the bell to rise
or fall, and thus to close the exit orifice more or less in proportion as the pressure
varied.
The casing of the apparatus consisted of a cup-shaped pipe with a central
neck projecting inwards, which was screwed on to the gas pipe, and a cover which
was screwed on to the cup and had a central neck projecting outwards, on to which
was screwed the gas jet. These parts were formerly made of copper, which metal
is expensive and difficult to cast in moulds.
According to one of my present improvements I make these parts of an alloy
composed of about 90 parts of lead and 10 parts of antimony, which alloy is almost
unoxidisable, and at the same time may be readily cast in moulds. The alloy being
rather soft, however, I prefer to fix into the neck which is screwed on to the gas
pipe a copper ring in which is cut the screw thread for receiving the pipe. The
ing may be placed in the mould for the casing and the latter be cast on to it, the
outer surface of the ring being previously roughned. The neck for the
gas burner

page_text: may, if desired, also be made of copper. The bell inside the casing requires to be
very light, and of a material which is not at all affected by the gas. For this
purpose I make it of an alloy of about 94 parts of tin and 6 parts of nickel.
In order to afford a better guide to the bell in its motion, I form ribs projecting
either from the sides of the casing against the bell, or from the sides of the bell
against the casing, and to prevent the bell resting with its entire lower edge upon
the bottom of the casing when the gas is turned off, whereby owing to the glycerine
used in the casing the bell is rendered liable to stick. I form three or more pro-
jections on the bottom of the casing on which the bell rests.
According to another arrangement of the regulator described in [the before-
mentioned Specifications, the casing contains a horizontal disc connected to a valve
closing the outlet, the gas in passing through the narrow annular space between
the periphery of the disc, and the casing on its way to the outlet being made by its
pressure to raise the disc, and thus to close the outlet more or less as the pressure
increased.
According to my present improvements the said disc is fixed to an annular slide
which slides upon a tube projecting downwards from the outlet orifice and closed at
its lower end. There is a slit at the upper part of the tube through which the gas
in the casing above the disc passes into the interior of the tube and thence to the
burner. On an increase of pressure occurring the disc with its annular slide is
raised more or less, and is thus caused to close the slide to a greater or less extent.
There is a space formed in the casing at the side of the chamber in which the disc
is situated, a hole being formed in the partition, so that the gas which enters the
space from the inlet can pass into the chamber through the said hole above the
disc as well as through the annular space between the disc and the chamber. The
size of the said hole and consequently the passage of the gas through it is regulated
by advancing a screw plug screwing through a neck in the side of the casing more
or less towards or into the hole. The outer end of the neck is closed by a
screw cap.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Giroud in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th July
1877.
"IM-
HENRY GIROUD, of Paris, in the French Republic, Engineer-merchant.
PROVEMENTS IN RHEOMETRIC REGULATORS FOR GAS BURNERS."
My improvements relate to the construction of gas regulators described in the
Specifications to my former Patents, Nos. 315, of 1870, and 1953, of 1872.
According to one arrangement described in the said Specifications a metal casing
contained a metal hell dipping with its lower edge into a liquid, while at its closed
top it had, firstly, a metal hole communicating with the casing; and secondly, a
conical valve serving to close more or less the opening through which the casing
communicated with the burner, the varying pressure of the gas which entered the
valve from the supply pipe through a central opening below causing the bell to rise
or fall, and thus to close the exit orifice more or less in proportion as the pressure
varied.
The casing of the apparatus consisted of a cup-shaped pipe with a central neck
projecting inwards which was screwed on to the gas pipe, and a cover which was
screwed on to the cup and had a central neck projecting outwards, on to which
was screwed the gas jet. These parts were formerly made of copper or brass, which
metal is expensive and difficult to cast in moulds.
According to one of my present improvements I make these parts of an alloy
composed of about 90 parts of lead and 10 part of antimony, which alloy is almost
inoxidisable, and at the same time may be readily cast in moulds. The alloy being
rather soft, however, I prefer to fix into the neck which is screwed on to the gas

page_text: pipe a copper or brass ring in which is cut the screw thread for receiving the pipe.
The ring may be placed in the mould for the casing and the latter be cast on to it, the
outer surface of the ring being previously roughened. The neck for the gas burner
may, if desired, also be made of copper or brass. The bell inside the casing requires
to be very light, and of a material which is not at all effected by the gas. For this
purpose I make it of an alloy of about 94 parts of tin and 6 parts of nickel.
In order to afford a better guide to the bell in its motion, I form ribs projecting
either from the sides of the casing against the bell or from the sides of the bell
against the casing, and to prevent the bell resting with its entire lower edge upon
the bottom of the casing when the gas is turned off, whereby owing to the glycerino
or other liquid used in the casing the bell is rendered liable to stick. I form three
or more projections on the bottom of the casing on which the bell rests.
According to another arrangement of the regulator described in the before-
mentioned Specifications, the casing contained a horizontal disc connected to a valve
closing the outlet, the gas in passing through the narrow annular space between the
periphery of the disc, and the casing on its way to the outlet being made by its
pressure to raise the disc, and thus to close the outlet more or less as the pressure is
increased.
According to my present improvements the said disc is fixed to an annular slide
or sleeve which slides upon a tube projecting downwards from the outlet orifice and
closed at its lower end. There is a slit at the upper part of the tube through which
the gas in the casing above the disc passes into the interior of the tube and thence
to the burner. On an increase of pressure occuring the disc with its sleeve is raised
more or less, and is thus caused to close the slit to a greater or less extent. There
is a space formed in the casing at the side of the chamber in which the disc is
situated, a hole being formed in the partition so that the gas which enters the space
from the inlet can pass into the chamber through the said hole above the disc as
well as through the annular space between the disc and the chamber. The size of
the said hole and consequently the passage of the gas through it is regulated by
advancing a screw plug screwing through a neck in the side of the casing more or
less towards or into the hole. The outer end of the neck is closed by a
screw cap.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section, and Fig. 2, a sectional plan of the form of
regulator first referred to above, with my present improvements applied to it.
a is the casing having a tubular core b projecting upwards within it, and covered
by the cap c screwed down on it. As the case is cast in soft metal alloy, such as
I have described above, I prefer to provide a socket f of stronger metal, such as
copper or brass to screw on to the supply pipe. This socket roughened on the
outside is placed in the mould and the soft metal case is cast on it. The cap c
which has a nipple d for connecting to the jet may also have a socket of stronger
metal cast in it. The bell g which has to be very light and to remain unaffected by
the ingredients of the gas made of an alloy of about 94 parts of tin to 6 parts of
nickel with 1 to 2 parts of copper. It carries the valve h and is pierced with the
governing hole e.
In order to guide the bell in its ascent and descent under varying pressures,
I provide ribs m projecting from the interior surface of the case a, and to prevent
it from adhering to the bottom of the case if the whole of its lower edge rested
thereon, I provide projecting ribs n on which various points on its edge rest.
Instead of casting the ribs m and projections n on the case they may be made in
a separate framing, of which Fig. 3 is a side view, and Fig. 4, a plan, consisting of a
ring & with arms projecting from it and turned upwards to form the side guides 7.
This frame being set within the casing a takes the place of the guides m and
projections n in guiding and supporting the bell g.
Fig. 5 represents a vertical section of a disc regulator to which my present improve-
ments are applied; a is the case in the bottom of which is cast or screwed a socket to

page_text: screw on the supply pipe. In the nipple b at the top is fixed a tube c projecting
down into the interior of the case and closed at the bottom by a screw plug d. The
disc p is fixed to a sleeve which can slide up and down the lower part of the tube c,
in the side of which is a slit i for passage of the gas, this slit being so situated as to
be more or less covered by the sleeve l, according as the disc p with the said sleeve
is pressed more or less upwards by the gas which has to pass through the annular
space between the edge of the disc and the interior of the case. The slit being in
plane perpendicular to the disc, it does not require the arrangements for adjustinent
to suit varying pressures, such as are necessary for horizontal apertures. To admit
a portion of the gas above the disc there provided a small chamber at the side of
the casing having between it and the case a partition k¹ with a hole o through its
upper part. Facing this hole is a hole through the side of the case covered by a
screwed cap g, and a regulating screw ? can on removing this cap be screwed more
or less forward so as to obstruct more or less the passage through the hole o.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim,—
First. Casting the cases of gas regulators of alloy of lead and antimony with
sockets of stronger metal cast thereon, substantially as herein described.
Second. Providing in bell gas regulators side ribs to guide the bell and pro-
jections for its edge to rest on, whether such ribs and projections be cast in one
with the case or made in a separate framing set in the case, substantially as herein
described.
Third. The use of an alloy of tin and nickel for casting the bells and discs of gas
regulators, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Fourth. The construction of disc regulator substantially as herein described in
reference to Fig. 5 of the accompanying Drawings, in which the disc is attached to
a sliding sleeve upon a vertical tube having the outlet aperture, and there is for the
passage of gas above the disc a side aperture which can be adjusted by a screw.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Giroud, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year, of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
CH. ARMENGAUD,
Civil Engineer,
23, Boulevard de Strasbourg,
Paris.
HENRY GIROUD. (L.S.)