IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE AND FRICTION of FLUIDS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE AND FRICTION of
FLUIDS." -A communication from abroad by Daniel Thomas
Casement, of Painesville, in the County of Lake, and State of Ohio,
United States of America.
-
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 6th January 1874, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 6th January 1874, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,

page_text: Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn
Declaration that it has been communicated to me from abroad by Daniel
Thomas Casement, of Painesville, in the County of Lake, and State of Ohio,
United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my
hand and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):―
This Invention consists of a pressure regulator, or controller and
equalizer, also a friction controller for all fluids under pressure, for
instance natural gas flowing from wells, or manufactured gas of gas works,
for artificial light, compressed air, steam water of artificial water supply
works for domestic and industrial purposes, and all other fluids subject
to pressure requiring to be limited, reduced, or otherwise controlled for
any purpose, which said regulator is composed of a lift valve of conical
or any equivalent form in the vertical member of an elbow of the pipe,
leading from the source to the place of use or consumption of the fluid,
which is weighted by short sections of tube or other equivalent weights
placed on the stem which is elongated for the purpose, to the pressure
of the fluid in the pipe leading from the source, less the pressure wanted
at the place of use or consumption of the fluid, said weights being made
in small pieces or sections for changing readily, and the top of the
vertical member or branch of the pipe being provided with a detachable
plug or cap for removing readily to put on or remove the weights, as
circumstances may require from time to time.
Besides the removable cap or plug in the top of the pipe, a push pin
or rod, or a spring may be used in connection with the rod of the valve,
to aid in closing the valve when the escape of the fluid is shut off, also to
prevent the valve from dancing by any irregular or pulsating motions of
the fluid, such as might be experienced in the use of the regulator on a
locomotive or a steamboat. There may also be a safety valve in the top
of the pipe above the regulating valve in some applications of it, in
which case the spring will be preferable to the push rod, as it will bc
preferable to arrange the safety valve in the centre of the plug or cap of

page_text: the pipe, where the push pin should be arranged to act on the stem of
the valve, whereas the spring can be arranged inside of the pipe below
the plug or cap, when it can properly act on the stem of the valve
without interfering with the safety valve in any way whatever.
In some cases, for example to regulate the pressure of water in the
cooking range, water back, and heating boiler of a kitchen, or regulating
the supply of gas to the burners used for illuminating purposes, only one
regulator will be required; but in other cases, say in the case of natural
gas from a well for both lighting and heating purposes, a special supply
pipe and regulator will be provided for each kind of burners, for the
heating burners will bear more pressure at the issues than the illu-
minating burners, making it necessary to weight the regulator
differently.
In the case of artificial water supply, works for cities, the mains for
different localities of the city varying in height, will each have a
special regulator gauged to vary the pressure according to the needs of
the locality.
"
as the
In the method of water supply known in the "United States "
Holly" system, wherein it is desirable to largely increase the pressure
temporarily during fires, and at the same time to so regulate it as to
guard with certainty against such undue increase as to endanger the
pipes, two regulators may be used in connection with one main; but in
separate branches, one being set for the normal pressure and the other
for the fire pressure, with cocks adapted for turning the water through
the former for ordinary purposes, and the latter when the high pressure
is required for extinguishing fires. This plan is also applicable in the
case of a steam boiler or other source where the pressure of the supply
is frequently subject to considerable but somewhat regular variation,
and it is not desired to change the weights of one valve so often; but in
this case a greater number of valves and branches may be used, and
the valves will be weighted for different pressures' in the supply. But
for a constant pressure in tho engine or other consumer, and as the
pressure in the source varies, the cocks will be changed from time to
time to send the fluid through the different regulators as the pressure
changes.
103
For the supply of several different steam or air motors requiring.
neeting ning and man

page_text: safety valve and the spring closer.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1 inverted.
Figure 4 is partly a side elevation and partly a sectional elevation of
apparatus, showing the application of the regulator to a well of natural
gas for the supply of a fire for heating purposes, also to illuminating 1
burners.
Figure 5 is a plan view of a boiler, showing an arrangement of branches
and regulators for affording regular pressure at the engine from a source
having variable pressure by changing the fluid from one to the other of
the branches to save changing the weights of the valves. It also shows 1
the arrangement for affording different pressures at the engine or at the
escape pipe from a constant pressure at the source.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents a short section of gas, water, or other pipe, as the case
may require, coupled vertically and at the lower end with the well or 2
other tube B coming from the source by the couplings C, D, E, or in
any other equivalent or suitable way; also coupled horizontally at the
upper end with the pipe F, going to the place of use or consumption by
the T, G, or any other competent means, and closed at the top by a
screw plug H, or a cap if preferred. At the lower end of said section A 2
is a truncated conical diaphragm I secured water-tight and steam-tight
between the couplings C, D, by a flange J and packing rings K. This
diaphragm has a valve seat at the top, on which is fitted the inverted
conical valve L, having a long stem M extending up to the guide N
attached to the screw plug, and when the push pin is used into a 3
socket O of the plug if preferred, the said rod being to guide the valve
in its movements in opening and closing; also to receive the weights for
loading the valve, which said weights are in this example short tubes P,
of lead, or other heavy metal. Q is the push pin, and R is a cock for
drawing off any accumulations of deposit that may occur above the a
diaphragm by condensation or otherwise.

page_text: In case the regulator is to be used for any fluid from which any con-
siderable deposit is liable to occur a tubular extension of the diaphragm
may be provided to any height needful to make room for retaining the
deposit as long as may be required.
In Figure 2 S represents the spring that is used in place of the push
rod of Figure 1 for holding the valve steady, and T represents the safety
valve, which it may sometimes be desirable to use to let off any excess
in case the pressure rises in the source of supply. A spring (as here
shown), or a lever, and weight may be used for holding the valve
closed.
In Figure 4 the plan for application of the regulator to the supply
pipes of natural gas wells for heating and illuminating burners is repre-
sented. B¹ is the main supply from the well; it is divided into two
branches B and B³, the former being to supply the heating burners D¹,
say, in a fire-place E¹, and the latter to supply the illuminating
burners F; each branch is provided with a regulator G¹. Supposing
the pressure to be twenty pounds at the well, and a pressure of one
pound be required at the heating burners D', the valve of the regulator
of the heating branch will be weighted nineteen pounds, and a third of a
pound pressure being required at the illuminating burners the valve of
the regulator of that branch will be weighted nineteen and two-thirds
pounds, and the pressure beyond the burners will be exactly equal to
the difference between the pressure of the source and the weight of the
valve, the valve being lifted just enough by the pressure below it to
allow the fluid to pass at a pressure equal to said difference, and acting
as a cut-off for the excess.
3
In practice the regulator is found to act with remarkable and entirely
satisfactory steadiness in all places where it is not subject to jars and
shocks, rising and falling with regularity and exactness proportional to
the variations of pressure below, in case of any such, and causing the
flame to be very steady. It also has the effect of greatly reducing the
friction of the fluids in the pipes beyond the regulator, and between it
and the place for use or discharge.
Tests for pressure made in long pipes have thus far failed to show any
appreciable difference between the extremes.
In Figure 5 U represents a steam boiler, compressed air holder, gas
holder, or other source from which fluid under pressure (say water) is to

page_text: be drawn for use through pipe V, say to a motor. The arrangement of
branches W, regulators X, and cocks Y in this Figure shows a plan for
utilizing the regulator for keeping an even pressure at the motor from a
variable pressure in the holder or source without changing the weights P
by changing the course of the fluid from one branch to another as the
pressure changes in the holder, the regulators of the different branches
being adjusted for different degrees of pressure throughout the range of
the variation of the boiler. This plan is more particularly applicable.
to waterworks where the height of the head is variable.
The arrangement of branches A' with the regulator B', and cocks C¹,
in Figure 5, shows a plan for discharging the fluid at different pressures
from either a constant or variable pressure at the source by causing it to
flow through different regulators set for the escape at different pressures.
This plan is applicable to the "Holly" water supply system above men-
tioned, the operation being as follows:-The pressure in the holder U
being, say, 120 pounds, one or more of the cocks, say those of the outside
branches, will be weighted 100 pounds if the normal pressure for the
regular supply to houses, factories, and other places is required to be
20 pounds, and the water will be caused to flow through said cocks, and
shut off from the other branch, say the middle one, whose regulator will
be set to 20 pounds if 100 pounds be the pressure required in case of
fires, and when they occur the cock of the middle or fire branch will be
opened, and the others shut.
•
For city gasworks the regulator will be of great value as a substitute
for the weight of the gasometer itself, for regulating the pressure at the
burners, and controlling the friction by introducing it in the main for
the gas to pass through, and be acted upon by it, at the same time
adding whatever weight to the gasometer may be needed for the maxi-
mum pressure required for sending the gas to all localitics. For this
purpose it has been found by practical tests to possess such efficiency
that no perceptible difference could be observed in the flames left
burning, while large numbers of burners connected with one supply pipe
were simultaneously lighted and shut off.
For a safety valve for a steam boiler the regulator will be found
superior to others now in use, in that by reason of the oblique angle of
the cone it is not liable to jump after rising from its seat as others do, in
consequence of the greater area exposed to pressure as soon as they are
lifted off the seat, and will therefore be steadier, and the raised valve

page_text: scat will protect the valve from sediment that the other valves are
subject to by lodging on them, but which in this arrangement falls into
the space below.
It is designed to make the conical portion of the diaphragm as thin at
the seat at it can be, and preserve the requisite strength also to make it
of steel, and harden it so that the surface for contact of the valve will be
reduced as much as possible to lessen the area subject to friction, and
thereby lessen the action of the friction in opposition to the opening of
the valve, and thus prevent sticking. Besides, the smaller the area of
the bearing surface the closer will be the contact.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,―
1st. A lift valve L with adjustable or variable weights P or their
equivalent and a diaphragm I arranged in a vertical pipe or casc A,
having a removable cap or plug to afford easy access to the valve in
combination with the supply pipe B connecting with the fluid source,
and the delivery pipe F for regulating, controlling, and limiting the
pressure and friction of fluids, substantially in the manner described.
2nd. The combination of two or more regulators and a special branch
and cock with the supply pipe and the delivery pipe for the discharge of
different currents of different pressures from a constant source, or one
current of constant or nearly constant pressure from a variable source by
differently weighted valves, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
30 Witness,
HENRY W. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)