IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF GAS.
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fry Heather, M.A., Mathematical Master at
the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF GAS.".
Scaled the 31st October 1854, and dated the 21st June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fry Heather at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
June 1854.
I, JOHN FRY HEATHER, M.A., Mathematical Master at the Royal Military
Academy, Woolwich, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF GAS" to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of a peculiar combination of parts, by which the
pressure of gas in the apparatus regulates the flow or supply of gas to the
gas burners. For this purpose there is an outer vessel, partly filled with water
or fluid, and from this vessel the gas is conducted to the burners by a suitable
pipe. The gas enters this vessel by a pipe, which is fixed vertically within the
vessel, and it rises above the water or fluid contained in the vessel; there are
also two air tubes or passages, fixed vertically in the bottom of the vessel, and
they also rise above the water or fluid in the vessel; 'within this outer vessel
there is a hollow float, the lower part of which is at all times immersed in the

page_text: water or fluid, and such part is air-tight in all. directions; but the upper part
of the float has two hollow chambers, which are air-tight only at the top and
sides, and it is into these chambers that the air pipes or passages before men-
tioned enter; hence the air in these chambers and the outer atmosphere are
at the same pressure. The float carries a conical valve or other valve for
regulating the quantity of gas which shall be allowed to rise up the gas supply
pipe. By this arrangement the float will at all times have a tendency to rise
to its highest position, by which the valve or apparatus for regulating the-pas-
sage of gas through the gas supply pipe will, when the float is at its highest,
be most largely open, but when by reason of the gas not being consumed as
fast as the supply there is more pressure in the vessel than that it is regulated
for, such pressure will act on the float and cause it to be depressed, and the
valve or apparatus for regulating the flow of gas will be more or less closed,
and the float will be enabled to descend by the passage away of air from the
two chambers, through the air tubes or passages before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Fry Heather in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN FRY
HEATHER, M.A., Mathematical Master at the Royal Military Academy, Wool-
wich, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did,. for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Fry Heather, Her special licence that I, the said John Fry
Heather, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Fry Heather, 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 "IMPROVELIENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF GAS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Fry Heather, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,

page_text: 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 John Fry Heather, 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 (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists of a peculiar combination of parts, by which the
pressure of gas in the apparatus regulates the flow or supply of gas to the
gas burners. For this purpose there is an outer vessel, partly filled with water
or fluid, and from this vessel the gas is conducted to the burners by a suitable
pipe. The gas enters this vessel by a pipe, which is fixed vertically within the
vessel, and it rises above the water or fluid contained in the vessel; there are
also two air tubes or passages, fixed vertically in the bottom of the vessel, and
they also rise above the water or fluid in the vessel; within this outer vessel
there is a hollow float, the lower part of which is at all times immersed in the
water or fluid, and such part is air-tight in all directions; but the upper part
of the float has two hollow chambers, which are air-tight only at the top and
sides, and it is into these chambers that the air pipes or passages before men-
tioned enter; hence the air in these chambers and the outer atmosphere are
at the same pressure. The float carries a conical valve or other valve for
regulating the quantity of gas which shall be allowed to rise up the gas supply
pipe. By this arrangement the float will at all times have a tendency to riso
to its highest position, by which the valve or apparatus for regulating the
passage of gas through the gas supply pipe will, when the float is at its
highest, be most largely open; but when, by reason of the gas not being
consumed as fast as the supply, there is more pressure in the vessel than that
it is regulated for, such pressure will act on the float and cause it to be
depressed, and the valve or apparatus for regulating the flow of gas will be
more or less closed, and the float will be enabled to descend by the passage
away of air from the two chambers through the air tubes or passages before
described.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of perforining the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows the section of an apparatus having a double float; and
Figure 2 shows an apparatus having EL single float, constructed according to
my Invention, the peculiarity of which consists in the admission of air into

page_text: air vessels sealed with a fluid (by preference water), such air vessels being
supported by floats, which the pressure of the gas tends to depress into the
water, and by depressing, such floats the incoming of gas is regulated. In
Figure 1, a is the outer vessel; b is the outlet at which the gas flows to the
burners; c is the gas supply pipe, which rises to a position above the water
in the vessel; a and d is a conical valve, which fits into the opening at the
upper part of the gas supply pipe c. The valve d is connected with two floats
e, e, each having a vessel at the upper part at f, open to the external air by
two small air pipes 9, each of which pipes, either at the top or bottom, is
closed, except a very small hole, so that the air may neither be suddenly
driven through the air vessel f, nor enter very suddenly into the air vessels. In
Figure 2, a like arrangement of apparatus is shown, except that there is only
one float and one air vessel, and consequently only one air pipe, the air
entering from below, through a small hole in the chamber g, in which the
balance weight h moves. The air vessel and float is suspended in this arrange-
ment to a lever i, to the other end of which the valve is suspended. In both
these arrangements the floats tend to rise as the pressure of gas decreases in
the upper part of the vessel a, and when the incoming gas is greater than is
being consumed for the time being, the increasing pressure on the air vessel
or vessels tends to depress the float, and thus to decrease the gas passage at
the opening into the gas supply pipe. The air; by entering and being driven
out through small passages, prevents any sudden action on the floats, and the
apparatus offers little friction in action.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention. I would have it under-
stood that what I claim is, the combined apparatus herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fry Heather, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
S.. CARPMAEL.
J. F. HEATHER. (L.S.)