IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PASSAGE OF AERIFORM AND OTHER FLUIDS.
Year: 1863

page_text: London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR REGULATING THE PASSAGE OF AERIFORM AND OTHER FLUIDS. A com-
munication from abroad by Charles Joseph Louis Meynard, of 33,
Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, France.
Sealed the 27th May 1864, and dated the 8th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th December 1863.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PASSAGE OF AERIFORM AND OTHER FLUIDS,"
communicated to me from abroad Charles Joseph Louis Meynard, of 33,
Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, France, to be as follows;-
The object of this Invention is to regulate the passage of aeriform and
other fluids, thereby controlling (with accuracy) pressure, ventilation, draft,
temperature, and other effects or conditions dependent on or connected with
the passage of fluids; and the Invention consists in employing for the purpose
apparatus worked by electric, electro-magnetic, voltaic, or galvanic agency,
which apparatus acts on a valve, slide, shutter, tap, or other moving contrivance
for opening and closing, enlarging and reducing the way through which the
fluid passes, and is itself acted on by the making or breaking of electric
contact, or the flow and interruption of electric currents, produced by the
variation of pressure, temperature, supply, or other action, condition, or effect
of the fluid to be regulated, or by a gauge, thermometer, governor, or other
appliance acted on by such variation, so that when this variation or deviation
[Price 8d.]

page_text: takes place the electric action causes the regulating apparatus to work the
valve, slide, shutter, or other moveable contrivance, and cause it to open,
close, or move to the required extent.
To explain the Invention, I proceed to describe in what manner it may be
applied, in one example, for instance, to regulate the pressure of steam. This
may be done thus:-A mercury pressure gauge is fitted to the steam pipe, and
conducting wires are carried into the tube of the gauge to a point above the
working mercury level, and thence led to an electro-magnet which works
apparatus connected with a throttle valve. When the pressure exceeds a
certain point, and the mercury rises to the wires, electric contact will be
made, and the regulating apparatus worked, thereby moving the throttle valve
till the pressure is reduced, and the mercury falls and breaks contact.
In one arrangement, to which, however, I do not restrict myself, a sliding
frame or plate carries an electro-magnet and a beam or lever, on which are
two drivers and an armature; these drivers, which I call No. 1 and No. 2,
turn ratchet wheels in opposite directions; such wheels are on an axis in gear
with the spindle of a throttle valve, only one driver being in gear at one time.
so that according as to which is engaged the direction of motion of the axis,
and hence that of the valve will be varied. When the pressure increases, and
the mercury rises to the wires, contact is made, and the electro-magnet will
attract the armature, and lift No. 1 driver out of gear with one wheel;
No. 2 driver will work the other wheel and drive the axis and the valve in
the proper direction for closing or reducing the area of inlet until the mercury
falls clear of the wires and breaks contact, whereupon the armature will be
released, and driver No. 1 will act on its wheel, and hence work the valve in
the direction for opening or enlarging the area of inlet. The motion may be
rendered continuous by a rack. A centrifugal governor may be modified for
the purpose by bringing a conducting wire into contact with the governor
spindle, the other wire being led into the course of travel of the ring, so that
when the ring rises contact will be made, and the electric-regulating apparatus
will act on the throttle valve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London Patent Agent, send
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Michael Henry, Her special licence that I, the said Michael
Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Michael Henry, my executors. administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed. should and lawfully might make, use.
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PASSAGE OF AERIFORM AND OTHER FLUIDS,"
communicated to me from abroad by Charles Joseph Louis Meynard, of
33, Boulevard Saint Martin. Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Michael Henry, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE that I, the said Michael Henry, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, as communicated to me, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
The object of this Invention is to regulate the passage of aeriform and
other fluids, for the purpose of accurately controlling pressure, ventilation.
draft, temperature, or other variable effects or conditions of, dependent on, or
connected with the passage of fluids; and the Invention consists in employing
for the purpose apparatus worked by electric. electro-magnetic, voltaic, or
galvanic agency, which apparatus acts on a valve, slide, shutter, tap, or other
moveable contrivance for opening and closing, or enlarging and reducing the
way through which the fluid passes. and is itself acted on by the making and
breaking of electric contact, or the flow and interruption of electric currents,
such making and breaking of contact, or flow and interruption of currents
being produced by the variation of pressure, temperature, or other action,
condition, or effect to be regulated, or by a gauge, thermometer, governor, or
other instrument acted on by such variation, so that when this variation takes

page_text: place the consequent production, cessation, or resumption of electric action
will cause the regulating apparatus to work the valve, slide, shutter, tap,
or other moveable contrivance, and to open, close, or move it to the required
extent.
To explain the Invention, I proceed to describe in what manner it may be
applied, in one example, for instance, to control the passage of steam. This
may be done thus: A mercury pressure gauge is fitted to the steam pipe, and
conducting wires are carried into the tube of the gauge to a point above any
desired or determined level of the mercury. The wires communicate with an
electro-magnet which works regulating apparatus connected with a throttle
valve. When the pressure exceeds its proper point, and the mercury rises to
the wires, electric contact will be made, and the regulating apparatus will act
and move the throttle valve till the pressure becomes reduced, and the mercury
falls and breaks contact.
In one arrangement for the purpose a sliding frame or plate carries an
electro-magnet and a beam or lever, on which are two drivers and an arma-
ture; these drivers, which I call No. 1 and No. 2, turn ratchet wheels in
opposite directions; such wheels are on an axis in gear with the spindle of a
throttle valve, and only one driver is in gear at one time, so that, according as
to which is engaged, the direction of motion of the axis and hence that of the
valve will be varied. When the pressure increases, and the mercury rises to
the wires, contact will be made, and the electro-magnet will attract the arma-
ture, and lift No. 1 driver out of gear with its wheel, while No. 2 driver will
work the other wheel and drive the axis and the valve in the proper direction
for closing or reducing the inlet, until the mercury falls clear of the wires and
breaks contact, whereupon the armature will be released, and driver No. 1
will act on its wheel, and hence work the valve in the direction for opening
or enlarging the inlet. The motion may be transmitted for working recipro-
cating valves by a rack. A centrifugal governor may be adapted for the
purpose of the Invention by bringing one conducting wire into contact with
the governor spindle, the other wire being led into the course of travel of the
ring, so that when the ring rises contact will be made. and the electric-
regulating apparatus will act on the throttle valve.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Figure 2 plan of a regulating apparatus

page_text: pressure gauge m, shewn in vertical section on larger scale in Fig. 3.
, wc, are positive and negative electric-conducting wires; U is the case or
framework of the regulating apparatus; A is a plate or frame caused to slide
to and fro in guide grooves in the framework U by means of an excentric F
driven by connections from the steam engine. This plate A supports the
electro-magnet E, and a beam or lever L, working on an axis or centre and
carrying two drivers or clicks D, D', which work ratchet wheels R, R'. The
beam L also carries an armature M. The wires (+) coiled round the
electro-magnet lead one to the galvanic battery P, and the other to the pressure
gauge m. R, R, are ratchet wheels toothed in contrary directions and
mounted on an axis G, which also carries a toothed wheel O in gear with a
toothed wheel S on a spindle Q, on which is mounted the throttle valve V. The
drivers D, D¹, are not in the same line, but are set over their respective ratchet
wheels, that is to say, driver D is over wheel R, and driver D¹ over wheel R¹;
only one driver and one wheel are in gear at a time, and as the wheels
are toothed in opposite directions they drive the axis G in different directions,
so that the direction of motion of the axis G, and hence that of the valve
spindle will be varied according to which driver and wheel are in gear.
c, Figure 3, is the mercury reservoir, and t, t, the tube of the pressure gauge;
r. pipe fitted with stop-cock, and communicating with the pipe T. The
positive and negative wires c, u, are led into the tube as far
as a point e, and one wire leads from the pressure gauge to the battery P,
and the other to the electro-magnet of the regulating apparatus: is the
column of mercury. The wires communicating, as before explained, with
the battery P and the electro-magnet E, and being insulated in the pressure
gauge to their ends e, which ends are left bare. it follows that when, under
the increasing pressure of steam in the pipe T, the mercury rises in
the tube sufficiently to attain and immerse the ends of the wires an
electric circuit will be made, and the electro-magnet E will attract the arma-
ture M, and thereby move the beam L on its axis, so as to put the driver D'
into gear with the wheel R. and lift the driver D free from the wheel R. and
so long as the mercury keeps the ends of the wires immersed, the driver D'
will remain in gear with its wheel R, and will drive it at every throw of the
plate A, and will thereby, through the connections G. O, S, Q. work the valve V
in the closing direction, and gradually reduce the steam way through the pipe T
until the pressure of steam therein becomes sufficiently diminished to depress
the mercury clear of the wires, whereupon circuit will be broken, and the
armature M will be released from the electro-magnet, and the beam L will
move on its axis and lift the driver D' out of gear from its wheel R', at the

page_text: same time throwing the driver D into gear with the wheel R, and causing it
to move at every throw of the frame A, thereby reversing the direction of
motion of the axes G, Q, and moving the valve V in the opening direction, or
so as to gradually enlarge the steam way through the pipe T, and this action
will continue till the pressure increases sufficiently for the mercury to again
attain the wires.
The arrangement shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6 may be applied to
apparatus for regulating the passage, and therefore the feed and pressure of
gases, vapours, or liquids. and especially the supply of illuminating gas from
the holder to the mains, also to apparatus for regulating the passage of air
or the draft in furnace chimneys and steam engines. The same mode of
regulating the passage of fluids may be applied for controlling temperature in
drying chambers, conservatories, dyeing vats, stills, and other apparatus by
substituting a thermometer for the pressure gauge, the rise and fall of the
mercury in the thermometer making and breaking the electric circuit, and
acting by apparatus arranged, as in Fig. 1 and 2, on a valve for admitting
or intercepting steam or other heating fluids; or the thermometer combined
with the regulating apparatus, Fig. 1 and 2, may act on louvres, shutters,
or other ventilating appliances to regulate the admission of cold air and
emission of vitiated air. The regulating apparatus may be combined with a
governor modified as shewn in Figure 4. The governor spindle B rests on
an insulating support s, one end of a positive wire c communicates with the
spindle B by a spring contact k, and one end of a negative wire ur leads to a
point d close to the spindle B, though not in contact with it, but so that the
end of the wire stands in the way of the ring or collar a, as the latter travels
up and down the spindle under the varying speed of the engine. The wires
communicate with an electro-magnet acting on a regulating apparatus, similar
to the one shewn in Figures 1 and 2. When the collar rises and touches
the end or contact d electric contact will be made, and the throttle valve will
be worked in the closing direction to reduce the steam way, and when it has
become sufficiently reduced to depress the collar a below the contact d circuit
will be broken, and the throttle valve will move in the opening direction.
A like arrangement may be applied to water wheels when the water travels
through cylindrical pipes fitted with throttle valves, but in other cases the
rotary motion of the axis G may be converted into the description of motion
required for acting on such valve as may be employed by any ordinary mecha-
nical means, for example, the rotary motion of the wheel O on the axis G
may be converted into reciprocating motion for driving a slide valve by
engaging the wheel with a rack N, as in Figure 5.
It may be observed that

page_text: in this Invention electricity is employed as the auxiliary occasional power,
the main working power being that of the engine.
I have shown, by way of example, certain instruments and mechanical
arrangements whereby the variation of pressure, speed, or other effect or con-
dition dependant on, or connected with the passage of fluid is caused to transmit
and interrupt electric currents, and whereby such transmission or interruption is
communicated to a valve, tap, or other contrivance for opening or closing the
way through which the fluid passes; but it must be understood that I do not
restrict myself to such instruments or mechanical arrangements for such
purposes, as the same may be varied; also I do not restrict myself to any
particular form of valve, tap, sluice, slide, or mechanical contrivance for opening
and closing the way through which a fluid passes, as the Invention may be
applied to all forms and descriptions of contrivances for such purposes.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim, the combination
of a valve, slide, tap, door, louvre, or other contrivance for intercepting the
passage of aeriform or other fluid with an instrument or apparatus acted on
by the transmission and interruption of electric currents, or the production.
cessation, and reproduction of electric action, such transmission and interrup-
tion, or production and cessation resulting from the variation of pressure,
speed, temperature, or other variable effect, action, or condition of, dependant
on, or connected with the passage of the fluid.
In witness whereof. I. the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, in the year One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
ERNEST DE RASS,
84, Fleet Street,
London.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)