An Improved Gas Governor or Apparatus for Regulating or Governing the Flow of Gas.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 9th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Gas Governor or Apparatus for Regulating or
Governing the Flow of Gas.
I THOMAS STURGEON of Easby Drive Ilkley in the county of York Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Many forms of gas governors or regulators have been proposed in most of which
a valve is closed to shut off the supply of gas when the pressure rises higher than the
desired amount and the closing of this valve is generally accomplished by the rising of
a flexible diaphragm or dome shaped cup to which the valve is connected; the
pressure of the gas when it rises too high forcing up the diaphragm or dome shaped
cup and so keeping the valve closed and shutting off the supply of gas until sufficient
gas has been used or drawn off from the apparatus to reduce the pressure again to the
proper working amount.
In my invention, instead of using a valve of the ordinary type, I shut off the
supply of gas by making a joint by means of water, mercury or other suitable liquid,
and although a flexible diaphragm might be used in conjunction with my invention I
prefer to use a dome shaped or inverted cup.
In one form of my improved apparatus I use a dome shaped cup furnished with an
annular trough round the interior of its lower edge. This annular trough is partially
filled with mercury, water or some other suitable liquid and is furnished with a thin
annular projection below it which dips into a fixed trough concentric with it and
containing similar or other liquid. The lower edge of this annular projection is
always a sufficient depth in the liquid to prevent the escape of gas, and thus makes a
permanent gas proof joint at this point while the inverted cup may move to a certain
extent up or down in an easy manner without friction.
The exit pipe or passage projects up within the dome shaped cup and is. furnished
with a circular plate having a rim projecting downwards from its outer circum-
ference so that the bottom edge of this rim just stands over the liquid in the annular
trough carried by the dome shaped cup when this cup is down.
The gas is admitted between the outside of the exit pipe and the annular trough
and, when the inverted cup is down, the gas can flow under the bottom edge of the
rim into the interior of the cup and thence down the exit pipe, but should the
pressure rise beyond the proper point the cup will rise making a joint with the bottom
edge of the rim by means of the liquid in the trough and so shutting off the further
supply of gas until the pressure again falls.
If necessary weights may be added to the inverted cup or it may be connected to
one end of a scale-beam, to the other end of which weights may be applied. By this
means the pressure at which the cup lifts may be regulated to a nicety.
In another arrangement of my invention I use two inverted cups one attached to
each end of a scale-beam. For the purpose of description I will call these "Cup
No. 1" and "Cup No. 2." Cup No. 1 is furnished with a partition or midfeather
dividing it into two portions but the bottom edge of the partition or midfeather does
not come so far down as the bottom edge of the cup. The bottom edges of the cups
dip into suitable troughs containing mercury, water or other liquid capable of
making a gas proof joint and a trough is also provided into which, at times, the
edge of the partition or midfeather will dip. The gas is admitted at one side of the
partition or midfeather and the cup lifting, allows it to flow under the edge of
the midfeather to the other side whence it can freely flow into cup No. 2, and this cup
is always open to the exit pipe. In case of the gas not being used to its full extent
the pressure in this cup will rise and the cup itself lift in consequence. Cup No. 1
will be thereby lowered thus dipping the edge of the partition into the liquid and so

page_text: making a joint and shutting off the gas until the pressure again falls and the cups
resume their former position.
Weights may be added to one or other of the cups or be applied to a lever on the
fulcrum of the scale-beam for the purpose of adjusting the working pressure of the
apparatus. The partition may be cylindrical and concentric with the cup, the trough
it dips into being made to correspond. The edges of the cups dip sufficiently far into
the liquid in the troughs always to make a gas proof joint whether the cup be up or
down.
L
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Gas Governor or Apparatus for Regulating or
Governing the Flow of Gas.
I, THOMAS STURGEON of Easby Drive Ilkley in the county of York Engineer
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:
Many forms of gas governors or regulators have been proposed in most of which a
valve is closed to shut off the supply of gas when the pressure rises higher than the
desired amount and the closing of this valve is generally accomplished by the rising
of a flexible diaphragm or dome shaped cup to which the valve is connected; the
pressure of the gas when it rises too high forcing up the diaphragm or dome shaped
cup and so keeping the valve closed and shutting off the supply of gas until
sufficient gas has been used or drawn off from the apparatus to reduce the pressure
again to the proper working amount.
In my invention instead of using a valve of the ordinary type, I shut off the
supply of gas by making a joint by means of water, mercury or other suitable liquid
and although a flexible diaphragm might be used in conjunction with my invention
I prefer to use a dome shaped or inverted cup.
In one arrangement of my improved apparatus I use a dome shaped cup furnished
with an annular trough round the interior of its lower edge. This annular trough
is partially filled with mercury, water or some other liquid and is furnished with a
thin annular projection below it which dips into a fixed trough concentric with it
and containing a similar or other liquid. The lower edge of the annular projection is
always a sufficient depth in the liquid to prevent the escape of gas and thus makes
a permanent gas-proof joint at this point while the inverted cup may move to a
certain extent up or down in an easy manner without friction.
The exit pipe or passage projects up within the dome shaped cup and is furnished
with a circular plate having a rim projecting downwards from its outer circumference
so that the bottom edge of this rim just stands over the liquid in the annular trough
carried' by the dome shaped cup, when this cup is down. The gas is admitted
between the outside of the exit pipe and the annular trough and when the inverted
cup is down the gas can flow under the bottom edge of the rim into the interior of
the cup and thence down the exit pipe, but should the pressure rise beyond the proper
point the cup will rise making a joint with the bottom edge of the rim by means
of the liquid in the trough and so shutting off the further supply of the gas until the
pressure again falls. If necessary weights may be added to the inverted cup or
it may be connected to one end of a scale-beam, to the other end of which weights
may be applied. By this means the pressure at which the cup lifts may be regulated
to a nicety.
In Fig. 1. of the accompanying drawings I shew a longitudinal section of a gas
regulator constructed in this manner, Fig. 2. being an outside view of the same and
in Fig. 3. is shown a plan of the lower part of the apparatus containing the gas
passages and the fixed trough. a is the dome shaped cup. b. b. the annular
trough. c. c. the thin annular projection dipping into the fixed trough d. d. The

page_text: exit pipe or passage is shewn at e. e. ƒƒ being the plate and projecting rim. The
inlet passage is shewn at g. g. When the pressure of the gas in the inverted cup
becomes too great the cup rises and the lower edge of the projecting rim f. f.
becomes immersed in the liquid in the annular trough b. b. any further supply of gas
being thereby cut off until some of that in the inverted cup is used and the cup
again falls owing to the pressure being reduced, when the supply is again renewed.
h. h. is the cover which carries the guide i for the rod k. From this rod the inverted
cup is suspended by three cords two of which are shewn at l. l.
end of the rod k is connected to the lever m carried by the cover h. h. and to
the free end of this lever weights may be attached by which the pressure at which the
apparatus shuts off the gas may be regulated to a nicety.
The other
In Fig. 3. the lower part of the apparatus is shewn in plan, the plate f. being
removed.
By taking out the plugs n. n any water which may settle in the apparatus may be
run off.
This apparatus is intended for domestic use and is fixed on the gas pipe as near as
convenient to the meter, and between the meter and the first burner. In an apparatus
of this size the liquid used would be mercury.
In Figs. 4 and 5, I shew a slightly modified arrangement of this apparatus, Fig. 4
being a section and Fig. 5 an outside view. Here the thin annular projection c. c.
in Fig. 1. is dispensed with, the annular trough round the rim of the inverted cup
being deepened so as to project further down into the mercury in the fixed trough.
The weight of the mercury in the fixed trough will thus, to a certain extent, balance
the weight of the inverted cup. The spindle a projects through the cover and is
provided with a plate b so that if necessary the inverted cup may have extra weights
added to it.
In this arrangement the inlet passage c. c. surrounds the outlet passage d. d.
The inverted cup is here shewn in the position is occupies when cutting off the gas,
that is to say when it is up as far as it will go.
In Fig. 6 I shew a section of another arrangement still on the same principle but
modified in form and details-a. a. is a cylindrical tank containing water or glycerine.
It may be made of sheet iron or tin. b. b. is the inverted cup-c. c is the inlet pipe
and d. d. the exit pipe. The inlet pipe is bent round so that its orifice will point
downwards. A wide opening is left in the cup at e. e. this opening being closed by the
lid to the underside of which is attached the rod g carrying the cup h which is about
half filled with mercury. The object of the wide opening e. e. is, that after the
inverted cup has been placed in the right situation in the tank, the cup containing the
mercury may then be lowered carefully at one side of the inlet pipe. When
the mercury cup is lowered sufficiently far to be lower than the orifice of the inlet
pipe the lid is shifted sideways so as to bring the cup of mercury exactly under the
inlet orifice and as nearly as possible concentric with it. The lid is secured to the
other part of the cup by screws so as to make a good gas tight joint.
The lid also carries the rod or spindle i which works through the guide k. carried
on the light cross-bar l. and fixed at the ends to the two light uprights m. m. fixed to
the sides of the tank. The cross-bar . is fixed in its place after the lid has been
properly adjusted and fixed. n. n are feet attached to the bottom of the tank. The
free end of the spindle may be connected to a weighted lever or weights may be
applied direct to the spindle as circumstances may require. When the inverted cup
rises in consequence of the pressure of the gas, it carries with it the cup of mercury,
and the orifice of the inlet pipe becoming immersed in the mercury the supply of gas
is shut off and the orifice will thus remain closed until some gas is drawn off
from the apparatus and the inverted cup falls, carrying with it the cup of mercury
and so opening the inlet orifice and allowing a fresh supply of gas to enter the
apparatus. This is the form of apparatus I prefer to use for gas engines or in other
cases where the consumption of gas is large.
In Fig. 6. the apparatus is shown as constructed in its simplest form but in Fig. 7.
I shew a section of a safety apparatus which may be used in connection with this form

page_text: of gas governor. The object of this safety apparatus is to shut off the supply of gas
altogether in the event of the level of the water or other liquid becoming so low,
through evaporation or other cause, as to endanger an escape of gas. a is a ball-valve
in an enlarged part of the inlet pipe b. This valve is attached to one end of the
lever c.
To the other end of this lever is attached the float d. the casing e. e. being
carried sufficiently far down to prevent the gas escaping up the sides. When the
level of the water or other liquid gets below a safe point, the float d will sink and thus
draw up the ball valve a. against its seat and so shut off any further supply of gas. The
stoppage of the gas will notify to the attendant that the tank requires replenishing
with liquid. is the orifice of the inlet pipe. g the cup of mercury and ½ the exit
pipe.
In another arrangement of my invention I use two inverted cups one attached to
each end of a scale-beam. For the purpose of description I will call these
"Cup No. 1" and "Cup No. 2."
Cup No. 1 is furnished with a partition or midfeather dividing it into two portions,
but the bottom edge of the partition or midfeather does not come so far down as the
bottom edge of the cup. The bottom edges of the cups dip into suitable troughs
containing mercury, water or other liquid capable of making a gas proof joint and
a trough is also provided into which at times the edge of the partition or midfeather
will dip. The gas is admitted at one side of the partition or midfeather and the cup
lifting allows it to flow under the edge of the midfeather to the other side whence it
can freely flow into Cup No. 2, and this cup is always open to the exit pipe.
In case of the gas not being used to its full extent the pressure in this cup will
rise and the cup itself lift in consequence. Cup No. 1 will be thereby lowered thus
dipping the edge of the partition into the liquid and so making a joint and shutting
off the gas until the pressure again falls and the cups resume their former position.
Weights may be added to one or other of the cups or be applied to a lever on the
fulcrum of the scale-beam for the purpose of adjusting the working pressure of the
apparatus. The partition may be cylindrical and concentric with the cup, the trough
it dips into being made to correspond.
The edges of the cups dip sufficiently far into the liquid in the troughs always to
make a gas-proof joint whether the cup be up or down.
An apparatus with two inverted cups is shewn in Figs. 8. 9 and 10 Fig. 8. being
a longitudinal section Fig. 9. a plan with the inverted cups removed to shew the
gas passages and troughs and Fig. 10. an outside view. Cup No. 1 is shewn at a,
and Cup No. 2 at b, the former being divided by the partition or midfeather c.
The troughs containing the liquid are shewn at d. d. d. The scale-beam is shewn at f.
one of the inverted cups being suspended at each end by cords. The whole of the
working parts may be enclosed in a box which forms part of the apparatus and
which may be closed by a lid and secured by a lock.
b
The gas takes the course shewn by the arrows and when the pressure in the cup
rises too high this cup lifts and cup a falls thus bringing the bottom edge of the
mid feather e sufficiently down into the liquid to cut off the further supply of gas..
It may be that cup a will now tilt a little owing to the pressure on the supply side
being greater than that on the other side but if the edges dip sufficiently into the
liquid to begin with this will not affect the result. e. Figs. 9 and 10 is a little pipe
and plug communicating with the troughs by means of which the mercury in these
troughs may be run off into a cup when it is desired to remove the apparatus.
In Fig. 11. I shew a section of a modification of this apparatus. In this arrange-
ment instead of using a midfeather stretching across the inverted cup I make a
cylindrical partition as shewn in section at c. c. which dips into the annular trough d. d.
concentric with it. The passage leading to the cup No. 2 extends round the mouth
of the supply passage. The supply of gas will thus, on entering Cup No. 1, be
distributed uniformly all round as shewn by the arrows and thus prevent tilting.
I am aware that it has been proposed before, to use a valve working in liquid
to admit and shut of the gas in gas regulating apparatus and a patent was granted to
Mr. Thomas Robinson of Farnley near Leeds numbered 15,341 in the year 1885 but

page_text: in that invention the principle and arrangements were altogether different the valve
being connected to a float.
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. A gas regulator consisting of an inverted cup in combination with the arrange-
ments I have described for shutting of the gas before the pressure rises too high and
which I may call a "liquid valve."
2. A gas regulator consisting of two inverted cups on a scale-beam so arranged
that before the pressure reaches too high one of these cups will rise and cause the
other to fall and so shut off the gas by means of a liquid valve.
Dated this Eighth day of January 1890.
RYA
A AT מזCm
THOMAS STURGEON.