Improvements relating to Gas Holders.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements relating to Gas Holders.
We FRANK LIVESEY of The South Metropolitan Gas Company, 709 Old
Kent Road, Southwark, Civil Engineer, and WILLIAM THOMAS SUGG of Regency
Street in the City of Westminster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to prevent the freezing of the seal water of the
lifts of telescopic gas holders, and the invention consists in a novel arrangement of
apparatus (several of which are to be adapted to each lift) in which water is boiled,
and from which the boiling water is automatically injected into the seal water.
A fresh supply of cold or cooler water to be boiled is then automatically drawn
into the apparatus, and, as the sequence of operations in the working of the apparatus
is continuous, a proper circulation of the water in the gutters is effected, and the
object of the invention is secured.
In carrying out this invention, we provide a boiler which may be fixed or
moveable, and to the bottom of this boiler is fixed a tube which projects into the
gutter below the level of the seal water. The lower end of this tube is supplied
with a valve chamber having valves which open in opposite directions, so that the
discharge may take place, say, to the left hand, while the fresh supply is drawn
from the right hand, thus ensuring the drawing in of the cold water, and thus
keeping up the circulation.
Inside the boiler, we provide a syphon arrangement, consisting of an elongated
inverted cap, and a tube inside connected with the discharge tube.
The boiler is heated by a ring of gas jets, which will be provided with a pilot
light, or a bye-pass, whichever is most convenient, for a purpose to be presently
explained.
The apparatus is provided with a gas governor and a suitable cut-off valve,
and is enclosed in a casing having convenient air passages. The casing containing
the apparatus is bolted or otherwise secured to the top of the lift of the holler at
the bend where it turns over to form the dipping flange.
When the boiler is movable, which it may be in a vertical direction, we counter-
weight it, and we connect the weight (or it may be a spring) with the gas cut-off
valve by means of a rod suitably placed and arranged.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-The boiler is filled, through a
conveniently-placed funnel, with water, which overcomes the weight or the
tension of the spring, and opens the main gas supply. The gas is then lighted
by the pilot or bye-pass, and, playing on the bottom of the boiler, causes the
water therein to boil and produce a pressure of steam.
When this pressure is
increased to a certain limit, the syphon is set going, and the bulk of the boiling
water, with some of the steam, is discharged into the gutter. The weight of the
boiler being now reduced, it rises under the influence of the weight or spring, and
the main gas supply is entirely cut off. The free steam in the boilor theu
condenses more or less rapidly, producing a vacuum in the boiler. There being
now no resistance, the pressure of the atmosphere forces a fresh supply of water
from the gutter into the boiler to fill up the vacuum that has been produced.
The weight of the water now in the boiler overcomes the counterweight or the

page_text: tension of the spring, causes the boiler to descend, and opens the gas valve, so that
a full supply of gas passes to the burner, which immediately lights up from the
pilot, and the operation goes on as before, boiling, discharging, and refilling.
When the boiler is fixed, I may make use of a small meter or other apparatus
80 arranged as to temporarily cut off, the gas the continuous working of the meter
being caused by the gas passing to the pilot, or through the bye pass.
The time the gas is full on, will be sufficient to boil and discharge the water, and
the time the gas is cut off will be sufficient to effect the condensation of the steam
and refill the boiler.
We may, however, state that the kind of dovice for cutting off the gas is of
secondary importance, the requirement being that the main supply of gas shall be
temporarily cut off, so that the coudeusation which is necessary to the proper
working of the apparatus shall have time to take place.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.
We FRANK LIVESEY of The South Metropolitan Gas Company, 709 Old
Kent Road, Southwark, Civil Engineer, and WILLIAM THOMAS SUGG of Regency
Street in the City of Westminster, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provent the freezing of the scal water of the
lifts of telescopic gas holders, and the invention consists in apparatus, to be adapted
to each lift, in which water is boiled, and from which the boiling water is auto-
matically injected into the seal water. A fresh supply of cold or cooler water to be
boiled is automatically drawn into the apparatus, and as the sequence of operations
in the working of the apparatus is continuous, a proper circulation of the water in
the scal cups is effected, and the object of the invention is secured.
In carrying out this invention, we provide auy convenient number of the apparatus
to each lift, such apparatus consisting of a boiler (fixed or movable) from which a
tube projects into the seal cup below the level of the scal water. This tube, which
extends inside the boiler nearly to the bottom, acts as a syphon pipe, the pressuro
of the steam arising from the boiling water forcing the water over the bend, and
thus causing the syphon to work.
The boiler is heated by a ring of gas jets, which will be provided with a pilot
light or a bye-pass, whichever is most convenient, for a purpose to be presently
explained.
The apparatus is provided with a gas governor and a suitable cut-off valve, and
is enclosed in a casing having convenient air passages. The casing containing the
apparatus is bolted.or otherwise secured to the top of the lift of the holder, at the
bend, where it turns over to form the dipping flange.
When the boiler is movable, which it may be in a vertical direction, we
counterweight it, and we connect the weight (or it may be a spring) with the gas
cut-off valve by means of a rod suitably placed and arranged.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-The boiler is filled through a
convently placed funnel with water, and its weight being thereby increased, it
overooines the weight or the teusiou of the spring, and opens the maiu gas supply.
The gas is then lighted by the pilot or bye-pass, and playing on the bottom of the

page_text: boiler, causes the water therein to boil, and produce a pressure of steam.
When
this pressure is increased to a certain limit, the syphon is set going, and the bulk of
the boiling water, with some of the steam, is discharged into the seal cup. The
weight of the boiler being now reduced, it rises under the influence of the weight
or spring, and the main gas supply is entirely cut off. The free steam in the boiler
then condenses, due to the rapidly diminishing temperature, producing a vacuum in
the boiler. There being then no resistance in the boiler, the pressure of the
atmosphere forces a fresh supply of water from the seal cup into the biler by way
of the syphon pipe, to fill up the vacuum that has been produced. The increase in
the weight of the boiler, due to the inflow of the water, now overcomes the
counterweight or the tension of the spring, causes the boiler to descend and raises
the cut-off, which opens the gas valve, so that a full supply of gas can pass to the
burner, which immediately lights up from the pilot, and the operation goes on as
before, boiling, discharging, and refilling.
When the boiler is fixed, we may make use of a small moter or other apparatus
BO arranged as to temporarily cut off the gas, the continuous working of the meter
being by the gas passing to the pilot, or through the bye-pass.
The time the gas is full on, will be sufficient to boil and discharge the water, and
the time the gas is cut off will be sufficicut to effect the condensation of the steam,
and-refill the boiler.
We may, however, state that the kind of device for cutting off the
gas is of
Becondary importance, the requirement being that that the main supply of 1
gas shall
be temporarily cut off, so that the condensation which is necessary to the proper
working of the apparatus shall have time to take place.
And in order that our invention may be clearly understood, we will now
proceed to more fully describe it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,
in which
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus;
Fig. 2 is a seotional plan view; and
Fig. 3 a side elevation, shewing the apparatus applied to a lift of the gas
holder, with the seal cup in section.
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation shewing a cut-off and go ernor on an enlarged
scale.
A is the upper lift of a gas-holder, the lower edge of which is curled or bent
up to form the seal cup A' in the usual way.
B is the lower lift, the top edge of which is curled or bent over to form the
dipping flange B' in the usual way.
Cis the casing, which contains the apparatus the subject matter of this
invention, the said casing being secured at the bend B' of the lower lift B in any
convenient manner. The casing is provided at top with a removable ventilating
cover C of any convenient construction.
D is a boiler of any suitable construction, which is preferably suspended from
one arm of a beam E, having its fulcrum in suitable bearings attached to the
casing C. The other end of this beam E carries a weight G, and is connected to
the cut off, as will be presently explained.
The boiler D is provided with a filling pipe D, and also with a syphon pipe D',
the long arm of which extends downwards into the seal cup, the said pipe moving
with the boiler.
The boiler D is provided with external lugs D', which, when the boiler is full,
rest on lugs Cattached to the casing C, and form a support or seat for the boiler
in its normal position. H is the gas out-off valve, which is operated by the weight G
through the beam E, with which the valve is connected by the rod or stem H.
Jis a governor, and K the burner.
The cut-off valve and the goveruor may be of any construction, the essential
point being that there should be such devices.
Wo have, however, found the cut-off device shewn at Figure 4 eminently suitable
for the puposes of our invention, and will now proceed to describe it.

page_text: The cut-off consists of a boll L carried by the stem H', which bell dips into an
annular mercury seal L' around the gas inlet pipe L. When the bell is raised
out of the mercury, as shown in Figure 4, there is a free way for the gas to the
outlet L.
To avoid the use of a stuffing box for the stem H, to prevent the escape of gas,
we provide the stem with a second bell M and mercury seal, as shown. By this
means, friction on the stem will be entirely avoided.
The governor J will be a mercurial governor, the particular construction of which
will be readily understood from the drawings, and does not need further description,
the requirement being, that it will reduce the pressure of the gas from 8 or 10 inches
in the holder, to about 1 inch at the burner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The means as herein shewn and described, for preventing the freezing of the
scal water of the lifts of telescopic gas holders.
2. In apparatus for preventing the freezing of the seal water of telescopic gas
holders, the combination of a boiler, means for automatically discharging and
refilling the same, and means for automatically turning off and on the heating
medium, as set forth.
3. The apparatus for preventing the freezing of the seal-water of telescopic
gas-holders, constructed, arranged, and operating as herein shewn and described.
4. The mode of preventing the freezing of the seal water of telescopio gas holders,
which consists in the following continuous sequence of operations, tiz.:-boiling water
in a vessel to produce a pressure of steam therein; automatically discharging the
boiling water into the seal cup under pressure of the steam; withdrawing or shutting
the beating medium, thereby reducing the temperature in the vessel and condensing
the steam remaining therein, thus producing a vacuum; automatically refilling the
boiler with cold seal water, under the pressure of the atmosphere; and again
applying the heating medium to the vessel, all as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of February 1897.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.