AN IMPROVED GAS REGULATOR, WHICH MAY ALSO BE USED TO REGULATE THE FLOW OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert King, of Wolverton, in the Parish of
Wolverton, County of Bucks, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED GAS REGULATOR, WHICH MAY ALSO BE USED TO REGULATE THE FLOW
OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS."
Sealed the 18th March 1873, and dated the 24th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert King at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th September 1872.
I, ROBERT KING, of Wolverton, in the Parish of Wolverton, County
of Bucks, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED GAS REGULATOR, WHICH MAY ALSO BE USED TO REGULATE THE
FLOW OF WATER AND OTHER FLUms," to be as follows:-
The object of my said Invention is to regulate the pressure of gas
between the main pipe and service pipes leading to the gas burners, and
to maintain an uniform supply to the said burners, whereby a more
perfect combustion of the gas is secured.
In carrying out my said Invention in practice I fit upon the service
pipe near the main a diaphragm enclosed in a metal or other casing to

page_text: secure it from dust and injury. The said diaphragm has depending from
it a spindle, which fits casily inside the pipe. I fit to said spindle two
or more concentric valves of different weights. The said valves are so
fitted that the lighter valve would be first acted on by a slight increase
of pressure of the gas inflating the diaphragm, and so on with the others,
which would be acted on in succession as the pressure of the gas is
increased. The effect of said valves would be to reduce the pressure of
the gas as it entered into the service pipes to an uniform pressure by
being checked in its flow.
I also propose to regulate the valves by a spiral spring acted on by
the said diaphragm, instead of the differently weighted valves previously
described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert King in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 21st March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
KING, of Wolverton, in the Parish of Wolverton, County of Bucks,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert King, Her special licence that
I, the said Robert King, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Robert King, 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 "AN IMPROVED GAS REGULATOR, WHICH MAY ALSO BE
USED TO REGULATE THE FLOW OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert King, my executors or

page_text: 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 Robert King, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being bad to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings which forms part of this Specification, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say)
--
The object of my said Invention is to regulate the pressure of gas
between the main pipe and service pipes leading to the gas burners, and
to maintain an uniform supply to the said burners, whereby a more
perfect combustion of the gas is secured.
In carrying out my said Invention in practice I fit upon the service
pipe near the main a diaphragm enclosed in a metal or other casing to
secure it from dust and injury. The said diaphragm has depending from
it a spindle, which fits casily inside the pipe. I fit to said spindle two
or more concentric valves of different weights. The said valves are so
fitted that the lighter valve would be first acted on by a slight increase
of pressure of the gas inflating the diaphragm, and so on with the
others, which would be acted on in succession as the pressure of gas is
increased. The effect of said valves would be to reduce the pressure of
the gas as it entered into the service pipes to an uniform pressure by
being checked in its flow.
I also propose to regulate the valves by a spiral spring acted on by
the said diaphragm instead of the differently weighted valves previously
described.
My said Invention may also be used to regulate the flow of water and
other fluids.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to describe the system, mode, or manner
in or by which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
offert

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an exterior elevation of the gas regulator; Figure 2 is a
plan of the same, with the convex cover or lid removed; Figure 3 is a
section of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a transverse section of Figure 3 at the
line a, b; Figure 5 shows a plan, and Figure 6 an elevation of one
weight made of lead or other suitable material; and Figure 7 shows a
spiral spring which may be used as herein-after described. Similar letters
refer to similar parts in Figures 1 to 7.
A is the inlet pipe, which is screwed or flanged to suit the ordinary
service gas or other pipes; B is the outlet pipe; C is the diaphragm, 1
which by preference I make of discs of tin or other suitable material,
which may be weighted when necessary, united at the edges by leather,
oiled silk, or other suitable materials, such as is used in dry gas meters;
D is the casing formed of metal to protect the diaphragm from dust and
injury; E is a spindle depending from the diaphragm in in the centre of 1
the pipe A; F and F 1 are two concentric valves of different sizes and
weights attached to the said spindle E; G is an internal socket having
perforations in its sides to permit the passage of gas, and it is seated in
the pipe A at G1 to prevent the passage of gas except by the valves F
and F1; H is a guide bar for the top of the spindle E; I and Il are 2
weights which may be used when necessary to regulate the resistance of
the diaphragm C.
When the gas enters at A it inflates the diaphragm C, and if the
pressure is a little above that required for burning, the spindle E is
raised and with it the valve F into its scat in the valve F1, thereby 2
reducing the pressure in the service or outlet pipe B by diminishing the
supply; and if the pressure be very great, the diaphragm is raised higher
and the larger valve F1 is raised towards its seat in the socket G, by
which the supply is toned down to the pressure required.
The number of valves may similarly be increased as may be required, 3
but in practice I find two, as shown, give a good uniform result.
In Figure 4 the valve F1 shews the openings c, d, to pass the gas
from valve F.
The socket G is screwed into the pipe A in such a manner that it
readily may be removed with the diaphragm C and the valves F and F1 3
attached for cleaning or examination.

page_text: The spiral spring shown in Figure 7 may be applied to the spindle E
between the valves F and F1, to be used conjointly with the weights I
and Il, as shown in Figures 2, 3, 5, 6, the result of which would be that
with the rise of the spindle E, as before described, the larger valve F1
would be brought up to its seat first, instead of the small valve F, as
before described. This slight modification of my said Invention is pre-
ferable in cases where it may be used to regulate the flow of water and
other fluids.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I
wish it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the particular
details given, as in practice these may be considerably modified without
departing from the principle on which my said Invention is based, and
what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is,—
1st. The arrangement of graduated concentric valves and diaphragm
for regulating the pressure of gas, water, or other fluids to an uniform
state, and
2nd. The combination of the socket with the pipes to permit it being
readily removed with the diaphragm and valves attached for cleaning or
examination without disturbing the pipes, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated on the appended Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert King, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three.