or Closing Gas Cocks. and the like.
Year: 1885

page_text: or Closing Gas Cocks. and the like.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON Fel. Inst. P.A. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and
323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED ELECTRICAL APPARATUS
APPLICABLE FOR OPENING OR CLOSING GAS COCKS AND THE LIKE (a communication
from abroad by Léon Lenaerts of Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium Inventor)
to be as follows:-
:
The arrangement for turning the gas off or on in meters which forms the object
of the present application for Letters Patent has been devised to enable the meters
of an establishment to be controlled from any given place, thus obviating the
inconvenience of having to go to the place where the meter stands (usually in the
basement or cellar) whenever the gas has to be turned off or on.
The apparatus is constructed in two modifications one actuated electrically, the
other by a mechanical movement.
The first modification is preferable for use in public buildings, theatres and the
like, as the apparatus may be erected so that the meter can be controlled from
various places by simply pressing a button.
In order to obviate the inconvenience of having all the lights extinguished as
soon as the gas is turned off by this device, the electric current which serves to
control the meter may also be employed for illuminating purposes, by means of
electric lamps which are arranged to come into action as soon as the gas is shut off
at the meter. The key of the main tap of the gas pipe is formed as a lever of
sufficient length to shut off the meter under the influence of a weight, weighing
five kilos more than is absolutely necessary to actuate the lever. This lever
moreover is so placed that it can not make more than a quarter turn. The upper
end of the lever ends in a hook which rests when the cock is open upon a thin
wire fixed between two insulated supports and in communication with the two
poles of an electric battery or with a set of accumulators. The wire is so thin
TD 031

page_text: that although in its normal condition it can support the weight of the lever, yet
as soon as it is heated to incandescence by the passage of a strong current, it breaks
under the weight.
If it is desired at any time to shut off the meter, it will only be necessary
to complete the electric circuit by pressing a button arranged in the well known
manner. The current then passes through the wire, which is promptly broken,
and the weight falls, drawing with it the lever which effects the closing of the
cock. To prevent the weight from rebounding or falling, there is placed a spring
catch which retains the lever in its lowest position. If the arrangement comprises
electric lamps intended to be lighted, upon the shutting off of the gas, they may be
intercalated in the circuit in such a manner, that they light up automatically as
soon as the wire is broken; this result is easily attained because the lamps offer a
greater resistance.
In establishments which have already an electric lighting arrangement the
commutator is so arranged that on the fall of the weight, the circuit which
includes the lamps not required is opened, whilst that which has the special lamps
is closed by the commutator. The double services might also be arranged
separately and so that a single button would close both circuits at once: the
contact-buttons are not rebounding like electric bell buttons they are arranged on
the contrary to give a permanent contact.
In view of possible fire, the positive and negative conducting wires might be
covered with some easily fusible insulating material, and twisted round each other,
in which case, as soon as the heat melted the insulating material, direct contact
would be established.
The various arrangements described above are merely intended to serve as
examples, and any arrangement for attaining like results by similar means is
obviously included in this invention.
For private houses the mechanical contrivance is preferably made use of. In
this case, the gas cock is fixed to a grooved pulley of adequate size, fixed
horizontally so that the two move together.
To this pulley is fixed a cord actuated by a bell pull mechanism and passing
over a little pulley. When the gas is turned on, the pulley in which the square
head of the gas cock is fixed, is rotated. The pulley bears a projection which then
acts upon a steel spring in one piece with the pulley axle, and stretches it.
The bell pulley mechanism is attached to a spring bolt pressing against the
lower face of the pulley which bears a rib ending in a notch. When the key
makes a quarter turn and the gas is turned on, the bolt falls into the notch and
holds the pulley in this position notwithstanding the opposing action of the spring.
In order to shut off the gas at a distance from the meter, one need only pull the
cord which is attached to the bell pulley mechanism: the bolt is drawn out of the
notch, the spring relaxes and carries the catch and with it the pulley and the cock.
From the position of the cords which actuate the mechanism, can be seen at a
glance whether the cock is open or shut.
1
1007

page_text: or Closing Gas Cocks and the like.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, Fel. Inst. P.A. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, and
323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad by Leon
Lenaerts of Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium, Inventor) and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The arrangement for turning the gas off or on in meters, which forms the object
of the present application for Letters Patent, has been devised to enable the meters
of an establishment to be controlled from any given place, thus obviating the
inconvenience of having to go to the place where the meter stands (usually in the
basement or cellars) whenever the gas has to be turned off or on.
The arrangement is represented in the accompanying drawings in two modifica-
tions, one actuated electrically, the other by a mechanical movement.
Figures 1 and 2 show the arrangement of the electric circuit and the commutators
for the one modification.
Figure 3 shows the mechanism adapted for the same purpose, to be actuated by
hand.
The first modification is preferable for use in public buildings, theatres and the
like, as the apparatus may be erected so that the meter can be controlled from
various places by simply pressing a button.
In order to obviate the inconvenience of having all the lights extinguished as
soon as the gas is turned off by this device, the electric current which serves to
control the meter may also be employed for illuminating purposes, by means of
electric lamps which are arranged to come into action as soon as the gas is shut off
at the meter.
In the accompanying drawings, A is the key of the main tap of the gas pipe;
this key is formed, as a lever of sufficient length to shut off the meter under the
influence of a weight B weighing 5 kilos more than is absolutely necessary to
actuate the lever. This lever moreover is so placed that it can not make more
than a quarter turn. The upper end of the lever ends in a hook C which rests
when the cock is open, upon a thin wire F fixed between two insulated supports
and in communication with the two poles of an electric battery or with a set of
accumulators. The wire F is so thin that although in its normal condition it can
support the weight of the lever, yet as soon as it is beated to incandescence by the
passage of a strong current, it breaks under the weight.
If it is desired at any time to shut off the meter, it will only be necessary to
complete the electric circuit by pressing a button arranged in the well known
manner. The current then passes through the wire F which is promptly broken.
and the weight B falls drawing with it the lever which effects the closing of the

page_text: cock. To prevent the weight B from rebounding on falling, there is placed at E a
spring catch which retains the lever in its lowest position. If the arrangement
comprises electric lamps intended to be lighted upon the shutting off of the gas,
they may be intercalated in the circuit in such a manner, that they light up
automatically as soon as the wire F is broken: this result is easily attained because
the lamps offer a greater resistance.
This arrangement is. represented in Figure 1; the lever carries an arm M
controlling a commutator N which when the gas is shut off by the fall of the
weight B causes the current to pass through the lamps.
In establishments which have already an electric lighting arrangement the
commutator is arranged as shewn in Figure 2.
By the fall of the weight B the circuit which includes the lamps not required
is opened, whilst that which has the special lamps is closed by the commutator N.
N' is a commutator which can be regulated by hand. The double services might
also be arranged separately and so that a single button would close both circuits at
once the contact buttons are not rebounding like electric bell buttons, they are
arranged on the contrary to give a permanent contact.
In view of possible fire, the positive and negative conducting wires might be
covered with some easily fusible insulating material, and twisted round each other,
in which case as soon as the heat melted the insulating material, direct contact
would be established.
○ The various arrangements described above are merely intended to serve as
examples, and any arrangement for attaining like results by similar means is
obviously included in this invention.
For private houses the contrivance shewn at Figure 3 is preferably made use of.
In this case, the gas cock is fixed to a grooved pulley D of adequate size, fixed
horizontally so that the two move together.
To this pulley is fixed a cord actuated by a bell pull mechanism E passing over
a little pulley F. When the gas is turned on, the pulley D in which the square
head of the gas cock is fixed, is rotated. The pulley bears a projection I which
then acts upon a steel spring R in one piece with the pulley axle, and stretches it.
The bell pulley mechanism G is attached to a spring bolt pressing against the
lower face of the pulley D which bears a rib ending in a notch.
When the key makes a quarter turn and the gas is turned on, the bolt falls into
the notch and holds the pulley in this position notwithstanding the opposing action
of the spring R. In order to shut off the gas at a distance from the meter, one
need only pull the cord which is attached to the bell pulley mechanism G: the bolt
is drawn out of the notch, the spring relaxes and carries the catch and with it the
pulley and the cock.
From the position of the cords which actuate the mechanism can be seen at a
glance whether the cock is open or shut.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The combination of parts, consisting essentially of a meter gas cock with a
weight attached which is maintained by a wire so arranged as to break on the
passage of an electric current through it, whereby the closing of the gas cock is
effected.
2. The combination of parts consisting essentially of a gas meter, the cock
whereof is controlled by a weighted key supported by a thin wire, adapted to be
broken on the passage of an electric current with a commutator actuated by the
fall of the key of the gas cock establishing simultaneously on one hand an electric
circuit containing special lamps, and breaking on the other hand the circuit of the
ordinary lamps.
3. The combination of a gas meter having a weighted stop cock supported by
9 thin in which
ha balan

page_text: commutator actuated by the turning of the stop cock aforesaid, so as to complete
an electric circuit comprising the safety lamps and interrupting on the other hand
the circuit of the ordinary lamps.
4. The combination of parts forming an electric circuit, consisting essentially of
a commutator and a thin wire stretched between two supports and supporting the
key of a gas cock, the whole arranged in such a manner that upon the closing of
the circuit either by pressure on a button or by the fusion of the material insulating
the two conducting wires of the circuit the thin wire is destroyed and the gas cock
allowed to close.
5. In combination with a gas meter the main cock of which bears a grooved
pulley provided with a cord actuated by a bell pull mechanism a spiral spring which
tends to return the pulley to its first position as soon as by means of a second
movement also actuated by a bell pull mechanism withdraws a bolt which releases
the pulley.
6. In combination with the various movements described, and serving to control
gas meters at a distance automatically or by hand, an electric indicator designed to
shew at the moment of the closing of the meter whether one or more gas burners
remain open.
The whole substantially as and for the purposes described, and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.