Improved Means for the Automatic Extinction of Gas Lights.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for the Automatic Extinction of Gas Lights.
I ALFRED THOMAS FLETCHER of 31 Church Street Leigh in the County of
Lancaster Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention is designed principally for the automatic extinction of all the
street lamps or gas lights in a town or district, at one and the same time, by
means under the control of the engineer or other official at the gas works or
office or other convenient place, but the same invention may also be applied to
buildings and other places where it is desirable to extinguish a number of gas
lights at the same time.
The principal novel feature of the invention consists in the utilization for the
purpose of extinguishing the lights of any increase of the pressure beyond the
maximum pressure used for illuminating purposes, so that all the person in charge
has to do, when it is required to extinguish the lights, is to turn on an increase
of pressure by means of the governor or otherwise.
It will be evident that the apparatus employed for causing the increased
pressure, to automatically cut off the supply of gas and thus extinguish the
lights, may be varied considerably without departing from the principal feature
of novelty above named, but I will here describe by way of illustration an auto-
matic apparatus which I have invented for that purpose, which is exceedingly
simple and fulfils all conditions required, so as not only are all the lights
extinguished as soon as the pressure exceeds the maximum, but there is no after
escape of gas on the reduction of the same to the normal pressure.
The apparatus which is to be applied to each lamp between the gas supply
pipe and the outlet or burner where the light is produced, consists principally of
a small gas chamber, divided by partitions so as to form an inlet and an outlet
compartment.
Above the inlet compartment is a well or cup in which is a bell (sealed by
mercury or other fluid) and from this bell is suspended a valve, the rod of which
passes down through a tube into the outlet compartment. This valve is preferably
formed in the shape of a cup which surrounds the lower edge of the tube before
mentioned, and contains a sufficient quantity of mercury to seal the lower end of
the tube whenever the gas bell rises in the well or cup owing to the increased
pressure of the gas.
On the other hand, whenever the pressure is decreased to or below the maximum
point, the bell would descend and unseal the end of the tube and thus let the gas
pass into the outlet chamber, and on to the burner or burners.
But in order that this action may not take place after the lights had been put
out, and thus cause an escape of gas through the burner or burners, I prolong the
valve rod above the top of the bell, and I provide it with a head or projection
which is automatically caught by a self acting detent, whenever the bell rises and
extinguishes the lights, so that the bell and valve are prevented from falling
again.
To this detent is connected a small lever by means of which the lamp lighter
can set free the detent and thus allow the valve to open when he wishes to relight
the lamp.
Any convenient form of "governor" may be applied to the outlet compartment

page_text: of the gas chamber above named, so as to limit the consumption of gas to any
required number of feet per hour.
Dated this 14th day of April 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for the Automatic Extinction of Gas Lights.
I ALFRED THOMAS FLETCHER of 31 Church Street Leigh in the County of
Lancaster, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention is designed principally for the automatic extinction of all the
street lamps or gas lights in a town or district, at one and the same time, by
means under the control of the engineer or other official at the gas works or office
or other convenient place, but the same invention may also be applied to buildings
and other places where it is desirable to extinguish a number of gas lights at the
same time.
The principal novel feature of the invention consists in the utilization, for the
purpose of extinguishing the lights, of any increase of the pressure beyond the
maximum pressure used for illuminating purposes, so that all the person in charge
has to do, when it is required to extinguish the lights, is to turn on an increase of
pressure by means of the governor or otherwise.
It will be evident that the apparatus employed for causing the increased pressure
to automatically cut off the supply of gas and thus extinguish the lights, may be
varied considerably without departing from the principal feature of novelty above
named, but I will here describe by way of illustration an automatic apparatus
which I have invented for that purpose, which is exceedingly simple and fulfils all
conditions required, so as not only are all the lights extinguished as soon as the
pressure exceeds the maximum, but there is no after escape of gas on the
reduction of the same to the normal pressure; and in order that the same may
be more clearly understood I have annexed hereto a sheet of drawings illustrative
thereof.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the said apparatus in section, Fig. 2 is a front
elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through about the line A-B
in Fig. 1.
The apparatus which is to be applied to each lamp between the gas supply pipe a
and the outlet or burner 6 where the light is produced, consists principally of a
small gas chamber, divided by partitions so as to form an inlet compartment c and
an outlet compartment c¹.
Above the inlet compartment is a well or cup d in which is a belle (sealed by
mercury or other fluid as shown) and from this belle is suspended a valvc f the
rod g of which passes down through a tube into the outlet compartment c'. This
valve is preferably formed in the shape of a cup which surrounds the lower edge
of the tube before mentioned, and contains a sufficient quantity of mercury to seal
the lower end of the tube whenever the gas bell e rises in the well or cup d owing
to the increased pressure of the gas (see dotted lines Fig. 1).
On the other hand, whenever the pressure is decreased to or below the maximum
point, the belle would descend and unseal the end of the tube and thus let the
gas pass from the inlet compartment c through the passage c* and the tube h
into the outlet chamber c', and on through the passage 6x to the burner 6 (or
burners).
But in order that this action may not take place after the lights have been put
out, and thus cause an escape of gas through the burner 6 or burners, I prolong

page_text: the valve rod g above the top of the bell e and I provide it with a head projection
or shoulder g* which is automatically caught by a self-acting detent i as shewn by
the dotted position Fig. 2) whenever the bell rises and extinguishes the lights, so
that the belle and valve fare prevented from falling again.
To this detent is connected, by a pin or peg k or otherwise a small lever k¹ by
means of which the lamp lighter can set free the detent i by raising the said
lever k¹ and thus allow the valve f to open when he wishes to relight the lamp.
Any convenient form of "governor may be applied to the outlet compart-
ment c' of the gas chamber above named or to the pipe 6' leading to the burner b
so as to limit the consumption of gas to any required number of feet per hour.
I prefer to provide the end of the valve rod g with a suitable flange or
shoulder g' upon which a weight or weights may be placed to weight the bell e as
desired.
m is a cover enclosing part of the valve rod 9 and the detent mechanism.
•
I also fix or form upon the lever k¹ a projecting arm so formed that when the
lever is raised it will press slightly upon the end of the valve rod 9 and ensure the
opening of the valve f.
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 combination with the gas supply pipe and burner of a gas lamp for public
streets or other places, of a gas admission valve so arranged that it will be closed
by any increase of the pressure of the gas supplied to the said lamp beyond the
maximum pressure used for illuminating purposes.
2. The combination with a gas burner and supply pipe of a valve so arranged
that it will be automatically closed when the pressure of the gas in the supply pipe
exceeds a certain limit, a catch or detent for retaining it when closed irrespectively
of the said pressure, and a lever or other equivalent device for releasing the said
catch or detent and opening the valve substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The construction and arrangement of apparatus substantially as herein before
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of January 1893.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.