IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATING APPARATUS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting En-
gineer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATING
APPARATUS."A communication from abroad by Myron Hopkins
Strong, Thomas Barbour, Charles Cunningham Connor, and Robert
Barbour, all of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd November 1870.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the " International Patent Office,"
Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATING
APPARATUS," a communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention is an improvement upon gas apparatus of the class
described in the Specification of Letters Patent dated May 10th

page_text: The object of the said Invention is to regulate the escaping jet of
gasoline vapor in proportion to the quantity that is being consumed in
one or more burners, and to entirely close the orifice at the extreme
upward or downward movement of a diaphragm when the burners are
shut off or when the vapor generator ceases to operate, thereby ensuring
great safety and adapting the apparatus to any number of lights within
the capacity of the parts.
From the vapor generating retort such as that described in the
aforesaid Specification, or any suitable apparatus, the gasoline or hydro-
carbon vapor is lead to one end of a tube, within which is a stem with a
valve at each end that is fitted so that it can be moved endwise, and at
the other end is a nozzle for the vapors to issue through a tube, into
which air is admitted in the proper regulated proportion; the air and
vapors pass into a holder made with a diaphragm or rising and falling
case, and this is connected by a lever and rock shaft or arm with the
aforesaid moving valve stem; hence as the diaphragm rises from excess
of vapor the conical valve at the end of the stem within the jet tube
lessens the jet orifice or entirely closes the same. On the other hand if
the diaphragm falls the jet will be increased in volume by the with-
drawal of that conical valve, therefore the supply of gasoline vapors will
be in proportion to the quantity consumed. If the retort ceases to
supply the gasoline vapor, or through accident the diaphragm falls
below its given point, the valve stem at the back end of the said stem
acts to close the inlet orifice entirely, thus rendering the apparatus safe
under all circumstances.
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th May 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN GAS REGULATING APPARATUS," a communication to me from
abroad by Myron Hopkins Strong, Thomas Barbour, Charles Ounning-
ham Connor, and Robert Barbour, all of the City and State of New
York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being made to the Drawing
hereto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
This Invention is an improvement upon gas apparatus of the class
shown in Letters Patent in Great Britain No. 1335, granted May 10
1870.
The object of this Invention is to regulate the escaping jet of gasoline
vapor in proportion to the quantity that is being consumed in one or
more burners, and to entirely close the orifice at the extreme upward
or downward movement of a diaphragm when the burners are shut off
or when the vapor generator ceases to operate, thereby insuring great
safety and adapting the apparatus to any number of lights within the
capacity of the parts.
From the vapor generating retort, as in aforesaid Patent, or any
suitable apparatus, the gasoline or hydrocarbon vapor is lead to one end.
of a tube, within which is a stem with a valve at each end that is fitted

page_text: so that it can be moved endwise, and at the other end is a nozzle for the
vapors to issue through a tube into which air is admitted in the proper
regulated proportion, and the air and vapors pass into a holder made
with a diaphragm or rising and falling case, and this is connected by a
lever and rock shaft or arm with the aforesaid moving valve stem;
hence, as the diaphragm rises from excess of vapors, the conical valve at
the end of the stem within the jet tube lessens the jet orifice or entirely
closes the same, and on the other hand if the diaphragm falls the jet
will be increased in volume by the withdrawal of that conical valve,
therefore the supply of gasoline vapors will be in proportion to the
quantity consumed. If the retort ceases to supply the gasoline vapor or
through accident the diaphragm falls below its given point, the valve at
the back end of the said stem acts to close the inlet orifice entirely, thus
rendering the apparatus safe under all circumstances.
In the Drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section at the line x, x, Fig. 2,
and Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus partially in section at the line y, y,
Figure 1; and Fig. 3 is a cross section of the valve stem in larger size.
The inclosure formed of the box a and diaphragm is to be of any
desired size or construction, and in place of a diaphragm an inverted
cylinder or gas holder may be employed, the apparatus being so
constructed that an excess of the gascous hydrocarbon shall lift the
moving end of the lever c, and when the quantity of gas becomes less
through its escape to the burners or otherwise, the lever c will be
depressed. The lever c is fastened to the end of a rock shaft d that
passes through the cape into the chamber f, and within that chamber is
the crank arm g or similar device to give an end movement to the valve
stem i. The tube k is connected with any suitable apparatus for
generating hydrocarbon vapors from gasoline or other liquid hydro-
carbon, and a tube 2 or passage passes from k into the space in which
the valve stem i slides, and this valve stem i is grooved, as in Fig. 3,
with one or more channels for the gaseous hydrocarbon to travel freely
from one end of the stem i to the other and issue from the jet nozzle o
into the pressure and commingling tube p, the jet of vapor drawing in
atmospheric air through the tube 1, mixing therewith in p, and thence
passing to the holder a, b. There may be a valve or register to regulate
the amount of air admitted to the tube l, and a check valve may be
used to prevent the escape of gaseous vapors when the issue of gaseous
vapors from the jet is stopped. Within the jet nozzle is a tapering

page_text: ་
plug 3 upon the end of the stem i, that acts as a valve within said nozzle
to regulate the quantity of gaseous vapors issuing therefrom in pro-
portion to the quantity consumed, for if the diaphragm 6 descends the
valve 3 will be opened wider, and if it rises the valve 3 will be partially
or entirely closed, hence the apparatus is automatic, and the supply is
made equal to the demand. If from any cause the diaphragm falls
below a given point the part 4 of the spindle i acts as a valve closing
against the seat 5, so that at the extremes of movement both up and
down the supply of gasoline vapor is effectually shut off, and at the
intermediate points the supply is equal to the greater or less quantity
of gas that is burned. The spring n around the rock shaft d causes the
same to make a tight joint by drawing the shoulder 8 against the inner
face of the socket or cap e. The hinged lever m and weight t are shown
in connection with the diaphragm 6 for moving the lever c.
The escape
of gasoline or hydrocarbon vapors to the mixing apparatus has been
regulated by a cock or valve, but the same being distant from the
issuing jet the speed is so much lessened as not to draw in the atmo-
sphere properly, and the pressure of the vapors in the holder is lessened.
By applying the conical plug or valve to the nozzle the quantity of
vapor issuing will be regulated by decreasing the opening, but the speed
of the jet will not be materially lessened, thereby uniformity of action is
maintained when the apparatus is working at its full capacity or at any
less point. It will be apparent that the stem i and tapering valve 3
might be outside the jet tube o and operate in a similar manner to
regulate the escape of hydrocarbon vapors or to close the orifice
entirely as the diaphragm rises, and that a separate valve may be used to
close the vapor pipe as the diaphragm reaches its extreme downward
movement.
What is claimed and to be secured by Letters Patent is,..
First. A double-acting valve stem combined with a nozzle and tube
supplying gasoline or other hydrocarbon vapors, and automatic me-
chanism for moving such valve stem, substantially as set forth, so
that the said hydrocarbon vapors are supplied in the proportion required
for consumption or stopped off at the extreme movement in either
direction.
Second. A nozzle for a jet of hydrocarbon vapor to issue and
commingle with atmosphere in combination with a conical plug or
valve, and means for moving said valve and regulating the escape of

page_text: such gaseous hydrocarbon in proportion to the amount consumed,
substantially as set forth.
Third. Two valves actuated by a moving diaphragm to close the
escape for the gaseous hydrocarbon into the gas holder at the extreme
movements in each direction of said diaphragm, substantially as set 5
forth.
Fourth. The rock shaft d for the lever c provided with a shoulder 8
and spring n, as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year 1
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
E. C. JACKSON.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)