Improvements in Apparatus for Regulating the Supply of Gas.to Gas Burners.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 19th Dec., .1889-Accepted, 25th. Jan., 1890 ·
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Regulating the Supply of Gas.to
Gas Burners.
We, ALCIDE GROC and ARMAND GREBEL both of La Rochelle (Charente Inférieure),
France, Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention has reference to gas burners of the kind at which a small flame is
maintained after the main supply of gas has been cut off and has for objects to
effect the lighting up and the lowering respectively of a gas flame or flames in an
automatic manner when the gas cock or valve is operated to increase or to diminish
the supply of gas to the burner or burners and also to enable the pressure of the gas
supplied to the burner or burners to be regulated.
An example of apparatus according to this invention is illustrated diagrammatically
in the annexed drawing, partly in elevation and partly in section.
This apparatus comprises as shewn a float F that is immersed in a liquid contained
in a tube or chamber C which communicates at the upper part with the gas supply
pipe A and at the lower part with another. chamber that may be parallel with the
first as shewn or be concentric therewith; this latter chamber also containing liquid
and communicating by an orifice. O with the atmosphere.
A capillary orifice o that may be controlled by a pointed screw effects communi-
cation between the supply pipe c carrying the burner and the top of the chamber C
or the gas supply pipe A. With the construction described, when the cock R of the
gas supply pipe has been closed so as to allow only a small quantity of gas to pass or
even when this cock is open, if the supply of gas has been almost wholly cut off
at the main the level of liquid in the two communicating chambers and will be
the same.
The top of the float F ends in an obturating plate or cap or with a vessel
containing a sealing liquid, which normally entirely closes the lower end of the pipe c,
and only opens it more or less in proportion to the descent of the float which descent
takes place as soon as the gas, passing from the supply tube A and not finding a
sufficient outlet through the capillary orifice o attains in the top part of the
chamber C, a pressure sufficient to destroy the equilibrium of the level of the liquids
in the two communicating vessels C, C¹.
In consequence of this difference in the levels of the two columns of liquid the
float F descends, and if the pipe D, in which the plate p moves, is conical as.in
the example shewn the pressure of the gas supplied to the burner may be regulated
to any desired extent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Regulating the Supply of Gas to
Gas Burners.
We, ALCIDE GROC and ARMAND GREBEL, both of La Rochelle (Charente
Inférieure), France, Engineers, 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 reference to gas burners of the kind at which a small flame is

page_text: maintained after the main supply of gas has been cut off and has for objects to
effect the lighting up and the lowering respectively of a gas flame or flames in an
automatic manner when the gas cock or valve is operated to increase or to diminish
the supply of gas to the burner or burners and also to enable the pressure of the
gas supplied to the burner or burners to be regulated.
An example of apparatus according to this invention is illustrated diagrammatically
partly in elevation and partly in section in the drawing filed with our provisional
specification.
11
This apparatus comprises as shewn a float F that is immersed in a liquid contained
in a tube or chamber C which communicates at the upper part with the gas supply
pipe A and at the lower part with another chamber C that is parallel with the, first
as shown this latter chamber also containing liquid and communicating by an
orifice O with the atmosphere.
A capillary orifice o that may be controlled by a pointed screw effects communi-
cation between the supply or exit pipe e carrying the burner and the top of the
chamber C. With the construction described, when the cock R of the gas supply
pipe has been closed so as to allow only a small quantity of gas to pass, or even
when this cock is open, if the supply of gas has been almost wholly cut off at
the main, the level of liquid in the two communicating chambers C and will be
the same.
The top. of the float Fends in an obturating plate or capp which normally entirely
closes the lower end of the pipe c, and only opens it more or less in proportion to
the descent of the float, which descent takes place as soon as the gas, passing fromi
the supply tube A and not finding a sufficient outlet through the capillary orifice o
attains in the top part D of the chamber C. a pressure sufficient to destroy the
equilibrium of the level of the liquids in the two communicating chambers C, C
In consequence of this difference in the levels of the two columns of liquid the
float F descends and by making the pipe D, in which the plate p moves, conical, as
shewn, the pressure of the gas supplied to the burner can be regulated to any desired
extent.
The accompanying drawing, Fig. 2 illustrates partly in vertical section and partly
in elevation, another form of apparatus for regulating the supply of
gas to gas
burners, according to this invention.
The several parts of the apparatus shewn in this figure corresponding to the parts
shewn in the diagrammatic figure, are correspondingly marked.
In this arrangement is a vessel or chamber within which is arranged a vertical
tube C so as to leave an annular space between it and the vessel and which communi-
cates at its lower end with the interior of the tube C as shewn. F is the float,
immersed in liquid as before, that partly fills the tube and annular chamber C.
The float carries at its upper end a vessel p containing liquid that seals the lower
end of the tube c when tho main supply of gas is cut off. When the supply is
turned on the liquid in the tube C, and the float F, are depressed as before, causing
the vessel pl and liquid therein to move downwards and open the tube c¹. o is a
capillary orifice the size of which can be regulated by a screw o. A is the gas
supply, passage formed in the vessel C, and R the cock for controlling the flow of
gas therethrough. The space D at the upper end of the tube C in this arrangement
is shown as cylindrical, but it can be conical, as in the diagrammatic figure, if
desired. Also the gas instead of entering. this space D at its upper part as shown
may enter it lower down as in the diagrammatic figure.
Apparatus of the kind described may be used for regulating the supply of gas to
a number of burners instead of to one only as in the example shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Apparatus as illustrated in the diagrammatic Figure and in Fig. 2 consisting
essentially of a float F immersed in liquid in a tube or chamber Û that communicates

page_text: with a tube or chamber C³ which may be annular and surround the tube or chamber Ü
as in the case of Fig. 2, or cylindrical and situated at the side of the tube or
chamber C as in the diagrammatic figure, the said float carrying at its upper part a
disc P of any form which it presses up against the opening of a tube c for conveying
the gas to the burner or burners, and being regulated for a definite pressure in such
a manner that if the pressure of the gas in the space D at the upper part of the
tube or chamber increases the level of the liquid in that tube or chamber will
sink, and the float sinking also will open the orifice of the gas tube c the arrange-
ment being such as to allow of the simultaneous lighting or extinguishing at several
burners, by increasing or reducing the pressure of the gas, sufficient pressure remaining
to maintain at the extremity of the burner a small permanent flame, supplied with gas
coming through the conduit o.
2. The special arrangement of the upper part D of the tube or chamber C
illustrated in the diagrammatic figure whereby the apparatus is adapted to act also
as a regulator the disc, in sinking, reducing the cross sectional area of the passage
for gas owing to the conical form of the said part D of the tube or chamber until
equilibrium is established between the pressure of the gas and that due to the
difference in level of the liquid in the two tubes or chambers CC'.
Dated this 19th day of December 1889
A. GROC,
Per L. W.
A. GREBEL
Per L. W.