Improvements in Station Gas Governors and in Apparatus for Varying the Pressure of Gas either by Hand or Automatically.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct.. 1888
Specification Accepted, 16th Nov., 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Station Gas Governors and in Apparatus
for Varying the Pressure of Gas either by Hand or
Automatically.
I, JOHN KEYS BARTLETT of 12 Queen Square, Queen's Road, Battersea in the
County of Surrey Ex Gas Works Valve-man do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention has for its object the construction of gas governors in such a manner
as to ensure the more perfect regulation of the pressure of gas in the outlet mains,
while it allows of the adjustment of the valve to its seat, with the removal of any
extraneous matter, and the admission or withdrawal of water from the float for the
purpose of adjusting the pressure, such admission or withdrawal being effected either
by hand or by automatic means.
In order that the invention may be easily understood drawings are attached hereto
of which the following is a description. Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the
governor, showing one arrangement for supplying and withdrawing water from the
Hoat. Fig. 2 shows to an enlarged scale the double joint of the rod by which the bell
is suspended, and the means for attaching it to the crown and the adjustment of the
Fig. 3 represents the apparatus for automatically increasing or diminishing
the pressure at stated times, Fig. 4 being a side elevation of the lower part of the
Fig. 5 exhibits a side view of the lower part of a modification of Fig. 3, and
Fig. 6 is a front clevation of the same.
cone.
same.
The invention consists of a casting A Fig. 1 having two chambers B and C to
which are connected the inlet pipe at D and outlet pipe at E. Within the chamber
separating the inlet from the outlet, and which has a concentric tank Frises and falls
a long hollow valve G open both at top and bottom, and the upper part of which is
somewhat taper or conical. In the upper part of the inlet chamber the valve seat H
is placed, the valve being suspended from a bell or gas holder I having an air
float J and capable of rising and falling within a tank K supplied with water in
the usual way.
The action is simple. The gas passes from the inlet, between the valve and its
seat into the bell or gas holder, and down through the hollow valve to the outlet.

page_text: If the pressure of the gas from the inlet is in excess of that required at the outlet,
the gas will cause the bell to rise, when the valve will be raised thus partially
closing the opening between the valve and its seat and so reducing the pressure
at the outlet. If on the contrary the draft at the outlet great in comparison
with the inlet pressure, the bell will descend and with it the valve, consequently
the opening between the valve and its seat will be more or less fully open, when
the gas will have also a more or less free passage from the inlet to the outlet.
In order to remove any deposit that may form upon the valve or seat, the
valve rod L by which the valve is suspended is jointed in two places at M in
opposite directions so that the valve may the better adjust itself to its seat.
The rod Figs. 1 and 2 passes through a plate N in the crown of the bell and
is screwed on that part within the bell, being furnished with a nut O and washer P.
The part of the rod that projects throngh the crown is made square for a short
distance and is furnished with a sleeve R and washer S, while the portion T of
the rod above the square is screwed and has a nut U and washer V also.
result is that, supposing any deposit should rest upon the cone G, the upper nut
may be slacked so as to admit of the application of a wrench or spanner to the
square part of the rod, whereupon the cone may be made to turn or partially
turn against its seat, and by that means grind or rub off the deposit, without
stopping the action of the governor.
The
The improved apparatus for adjusting the pressure by hand consists of a small
tank W fixed to the top of the bell of the governor, and in this tank supplied
with water there is free to rise and fall, a very small bell X the interior of which
is in communication with the bell I by means of a stand pipe, dotted in the
drawing. The bell W is of such weight as to give the maximum pressure, and
is suspended from a beam Y supported by a bracket Z, fixed to the side of the
tank, or by other suitable means. To the opposite end of the beam sundry weights a
are attached. Beneath the beam there is a weighted lever one end of which is
hung to the beam by a cord fastened between the end supporting the bell and
the fulcrum. The opposite end of the weighted lever acts as a sort of catch to a second
weighted lever c which operates on a spring valve or tap d below. When it is desired
to increase the pressure weights are removed from the beam Y, and when the pressure
has attained the maximum to which the apparatus has been adjusted, the bell will
ascend and release the catch band lever c whereupon the rod e will be raised drawing
with it the pivotted lever thus releasing the end of the lever g when the valvo by the
action of its spring will close and the water previously supplied through a syphon to
the air float of the governor will cease, the short leg of the syphon being introduced
into a well i formed near one side of the principal gas holder, and the well being in
communication with the float. The weight thus added to the gasholder has the effect
of opening the valve and increasing the pressure. When the pressure is to be reduced
weights are added to the beam Y and the cord from the catch is attached to that part
of the beam between the weights and the fulcrum. The catch is then set by hand and
the tap opened when the syphon will act and draw off water from the air float and
will continue to do so until the minimum pressure has been attained, when the small
bell will descend and set the levers in motion, and close the valve or tap again. It is
also requisite that cocks 16 for withdrawal of water and 17 for water supply to be
worked by hand be placed in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.
means the weight of the gasholder is reduced and the valve closed at the same time,
the consequence being a reduction of pressure at the outlet. It may be necessary to
observe that the air float has a pipe j with a connection j¹ each having a cock so that
communication may be made with either the atmosphere or the gas contained within
the bell. The concentric tank F is also provided with a pipe u by which liquid may
be admitted to F and allow of its height being gauged by a dipping rod.
By these
Instead of the apparatus for adjusting the pressure being fixed to the top of the
principal bell or gasholder it may be placed in any convenient position near the
governor, communication being made between the principal bell and the small bell,
and between the weighted levers and the syphon tap.

page_text: The automatic adjustment of the governor by which the pressure is varied is
effected by the use of the following apparatus. A small tank k Fig. 3 and bell
similar to those before described as mounted on the top of the governor bell, but in
this case fixed in any convenient place is provided, the bell being suspended from a
beam m, supported by a standard n and counterpoised by weights o at the opposite.
end. An ordinary clock p is provided, and to the central shaft of which is fixed two
jointed and weighted levers q and 7. According to the position in which these levers
are fixed, and indicated by the hands so do they each in their turn fall and strike one
or other of the levers s, si, Figs. 3 and 4, pivotted to the standard. The opposite end
of the lever struck has a wire or cord t fastened to it, the other end of the wire or cord
being attached to the rod or ¹ of the valve w or w¹ through which the water is
supplied to or withdrawn from the air float of the governor. The operation of the
clock is therefore to open one or other of the valves. Beneath and attached to cach
end of the beam m from which the bell is suspended there is stretched a wire upon
which a weight y is free to slide. This weight is so arranged that on sliding it strikes
against one of two arms 1 and 2 pivotted to the standard, and on one or the other
being struck, it causes by the rod or cord 3, one or other of the levers 4 and 5
to rise when the valve rod will fall and the valve be shut, and so they will
remain until again opened by the action of the clock. When the valve is opened
it is kept so by the weighted levers 6 which draws a projection 7 until it rests
under a corresponding projection 8 on the valve rod and so supports it until
released by the operation of the bell through the beam m above. In Fig. 3
there should be two weighted levers, but only one is shown to save confusion.
These are however seen in Fig. 4.
The foregoing is the form of apparatus recommended, but a modification of it,
arranged as follows, and exhibited in Figs. and 6 may under some circum-
stances be preferred. In this case the levers 1 and 2 when struck raise the rod
or cord 3 to the lower end of which there is attached a pin or peg 9. Beneath
this pin or peg there is a disc 11 having a projection or indentation on its
periphery, and there is another similar disc 12 on the same shaft. The shaft upon
which the discs are fixed has a toothed wheel which gears into another wheel
fixed on a shaft furnished with a spiral spring 13 with studs or handles 14 for
winding it. When the spring is wound up the shaft and discs have consequently a
tendency to revolve and would do so but for the pin or peg engaging with the projec-
tions on the disc 11. The other end of the shaft is fixed to the plug of a three way
valve 15 for the admission or withdrawal of water from the float of the governor.
The clock through the medium of the lever s operates upon another pin or peg 10 in
connection with the disc 12. The consequence is that according to the times at which
the clock is set so are the pins or pegs made to engage with, or be disengaged from
the disc, whereupon the water valve will be turned into such a position as to admit or
withdraw water from the float of the governor, and thus the pressure may be varied
automatically at will. It is obvious that the automatic arrangements described are
applicable to any form of governor in which water is used to load it.
The clock may be either an ordinary spring register clock, or a weighted one. The
spring clock has the advantage that by lengthening the central shaft and supporting
its outer end by a suitable standard it may be made to carry an ordinary pressure
registering disc to which the usual marking apparatus may be applied. In the drawing
the dial has only twelve hours marked upon it but it may be found desirable to divide
the face into twenty four hours.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. The hollow valve G of the form shown in Fig. 1 and arrangement of concentric
T

page_text: 3. The rod I made with the square Q and sleeve R with nut U and washer V.
4. The weighted levers b and c with the pivotted levers f and y connected to the
spring valve d.
5. The small tank W and bell X with beam Y used in combination with the parts
mentioned in claim 4.
6. The beam m with wire x and weight y.
7. The levers 1 and 2 together with cord 3 and bent levers 4 and 5 with
projections 7.
8. The jointed levers q and r with lovers s and s¹ and valve rods and having
projections 8.
9. The pegs 9 and 10 and discs 11 and 12 together with the spiral spring 13.
10. The different parts combined and arranged as herein described and shown on
the drawings.