An Appliance for Actuating Gas Taps.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec.. 1891
An Appliance for Actuating Gas Taps.
I, ALBERT CHARLES PAIN of No. 18, Noel Road, Edgbaston Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:-
The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus whereby the taps of gas
brackets may be actuated, and controlled from a position at which they are beyond
the reach of the operators hand.
To attain this object I attach to the cross handle of the tap by means of sēt
screws or in any other suitable manner a "fitting " carrying thereon a short arm or
lever which is capable of being readily adjusted and fixed to stand at any angle
perpendicular with the axis of the tap.
From the end of this arm or lever a cord or wire is lead to the point from which
it is desired to actuate the tap and there secured the said cord or wire being
provided at the end remote from the tap with an appliance by means of which it
inay be readily pulled taut thereby moving the arm or lever, and opening the gas
tap, or slackened thereby allowing it to close. The appliance I find most suitable
for this purpose is a length of elastic connecting the cord or wire to the point of
attachment.
**
The aforesaid fitting" attached to the gas tap further carries on a turned shank
on the lower part of it a spring box enclosing a coil spring, so arranged that when
the cord is released as aforesaid the "fitting" is caused to rotate, and the gas tap
closed.
The aforesaid spring box is also provided with a fixed stop peg engaging a slot
in the "fitting" by means of which the range of movement of the gas tap is restricted
so that the tap may not be moved too far, either forward or backward, and a further
removeable stop peg, which being inserted in another hole, also engages the afore-
said slot in the "fitting" and thereby further limits the action of the spring so that
when the cord is released the gas is not turned quite out, but a small jet left
burning..
*
By inserting the same removable peg in other holes in the spring box and
fitting the gas tap may be secured in any desired position, either full open, or
half on, if at any time the cord should be disconnected.
The aforesaid spring box also is provided with lugs on either side carrying
adjusting screws by setting which against the wall or other point of support the
spring box is prevented from itself being turned, the whole appliance adjusted in
position, and the amount of light regulated.
The advantages to be derived from this invention are that the gas tap may be
thereby actuated and controlled as aforesaid from a point at which it is otherwise
beyond the reach of the operator, and further that the degree of movement of the
gas tap is thereby regulated with certainty and precision, so that the gas may at
any time be readily turned down leaving the minimum amount of light burning, and
as readily and quickly turned full on again.
Dated this 18th day of February 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Appliance for Actuating Gas Taps.
I, ALBERT CHARLES PAIN of 18 Noel Road, Edgbaston, in the City of
Birmingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus whereby the taps of gas
brackets may be actuated and controlled, from a position at which they are beyond
the reach of the operators hand.
66
To attain this object I attach to the cross handle of the tap by means of set
screws or in any other suitable manner a fitting" carrying thereon a short arm or
lever, which is capable of being readily adjusted and fixed to stand at any angle
perpendicular with the axis of the tap.
From the end of this arm or lever a cord or wire is lead to the point from which
it is desired to actuate the tap and there secured, the said cord or wire being
provided at the end remote from the tap with an appliance by means of which it
may be readily pulled taut, thereby moving the arm or lever and opening the gas
tap, or slackened thereby allowing it to close. The appliance I find most suitable
for this purpose is a length of elastic, connecting the cord or wire to the point of
attachment; but a spiral spring is also found to answer well.
The aforesaid "fitting" attached to the gas tap further carries on a turned shank,
on the lower part of it, a spring box, enclosing a coil spring, so arranged that when
the cord is released as aforesaid the fitting is caused to.rotate and the gas tap
closed.
<<
The aforesaid spring box is also provided with a fixed stop engaging a slot in the
fitting" by means of which the range of movement of the gas tap is restricted so
that the tap may not be moved too far either forward or backward, and a further
moveable stop peg, which being inserted in another hole also engages the aforesaid
slot in the fitting and thereby further limits the action of the spring so that when
the cord is released the gas is not turned quite out, but a small jet is left burning.
By inserting the same moveable peg in other holes in the spring box and fitting, the
gas tap may be secured in any desired position either full open or half on if at any
time the cord should be disconnected.
The aforesaid spring box also is provided with lugs on either side carrying
adjusting screws by setting which against the wall or other point of support the
spring box is prevented from itself being turned; the whole appliance adjusted in
position and the amount of light regulated.
The advantages to be derived from this invention are that the gas tap may be
thereby actuated and controlled as aforesaid from a point at which it is otherwise
beyond the reach of the operator, and further that the degree of movement of the
gas tap is thereby regulated with certainty and precision, so that the gas may at
any time be readily turned down leaving the minimum amount of light burning, and
as readily and quickly turned on again.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings which illustrate the application
of my invention :-
Figure 1 shows a section of a gas tap to which my appliance has been adapted;
Figure 2 is an end elevation and Figure 3 is a sectional plan.
Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 1 of a tap specially made to act in accord-
ance with my invention, and
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively section and sectional plan of another modifi-
cation.
Figure 7 shows the application of my clastic cord connection.

page_text: In Figures 1 and 2, the tap. A has attached to it the fitting B which fitting
carries at its lowest part, on a turned shank, the spring box C held in position by
the screw adjusted lugs D. The spring box contains the coil spring E shown in
plan at Figure 3, and a projection B from the fitting B is actuated by the spring
while fixed stops shown in Figure 3 limit the extreme range of movement, and a peg
shown attached to the spring box by a chain is sometimes placed in the holes C', 'C,
and C, when it further limits the movement of the fitting B and therefore the
degree of opening of the tap. When the peg is removed, then the tap may be fully
closed by the coil spring; when placed in the hole C a small flame is produced,
which may serve as a pilot flame; when in C the flame is larger, and in C³ it gives
the full flame.
The fitting B is actuated by a cord, wire, chain or other flexible connection
attached to the lever B¹. In Figure 7 a cord G' is shown as attached at one end to
the lever B', and at the other end, to the wall or any fixed point by means of the
spiral spring G. The tap B is actuated by moving the cord G, and the springs E
and G are so adjusted with reference to each other that their opposing pull on the
cord G is nearly equal in all positions of the lever B; and in this manner, if the
operator sets the cord in any particular position it will remain there until moved
again; the gas may thus be turned up or down to any extent allowed by the range
for which the fitting B is adjusted. This equally opposed adjustment of the springs
is one of the features of my invention, and elastic material of any kind may be
utilized for the springs.
A
In Figure 4 the spring box C is cast on the gas cock, and the coil spring E is
thus conveniently arranged to act on the part B and lever B' attached to the tap A
without necessity of having the lugs or equivalent contrivance D in Figures 1 and 2.
In Figure 5 the lugs D are retained as in Figures 1 and 2, but the fitting B is made
in one with the tap A, and the peg shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 is modified.
spring piece F is attached to the spring box C, and is arranged to spring inwards.
It carries a projection F, which projection passes through a slot in the spring box
and bears against a projecting are piece B2 which projects into the spring box C
from the fitting B. This are piece B has two recesses b, b', approached by incline
or cam surfaces. The spring piece F forces its projection against the surface
of B or into either of the recesses or ', and the range of movement of the tap is
thus limited at either end, off or on, as may be desired. The recesses b, bare
so arranged that the.projection F if in either, does not come out unless the spring
piece F be lifted by hand to allow it to do so. The recesses b, 61 are arranged so
that the lever B may be actuated from either side, the coil spring being suitably
disposed. The light may thus be regulated by movement either in recess b, or b
When the cord is out of action the projection F' is snapped into either of the
positions c, c', and the tap is thus kept fully open.
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) An appliance for actuating a gas tap in which a cord, wire, or other flexible
connection is held taut by a spring arranged in opposition to a second spring, in
such manner that when the cord is moved within a certain range, it remains in
whatever position it may be left, and so sets the gas tap in any desired position,
substantially as, and for the purposes hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the
drawings.
(2) An appliance for actuating a gas tap in which a fitting as B is combined
with a spring box as C, controlled and actuated substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(3)-An appliance for actuating a gas tap in which a fitting as B is combined
with a spring box as C, together with a peg and adjusting holes as shown at
Figure 3, or its equivalent, the projection as with recesses as b, b¹ shown at
1

page_text: Figure 6, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of November 1891.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.