IMPROVE- MENTS IN SELF-GOVERNING GAS-BURNERS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Beverley Fenby, of the Parish of Sutton Coldfield,
in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SELF-GOVERNING GAS-BURNERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Beverley Fenby at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th March-1881.
46
JOSEPH BEVERLEY FENBY, of the Parish of Sutton Coldfield, in the County of
Warwick, Civil Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-GOVERNING GAS BURNERS."
The object of this Invention is to make self-governing gas burners without the
use of any leather, silk, or other similar material, and also without the use of any
liquid; and further, to govern the gas by means of mechanism which shall not be
liable to stick by reason of particles of dust or other impurities.
Beneath the nib of the burner I fit a cylinder. The lower end of this cylinder
fits into a collar, and this collar screws on to the gas pipe through which the supply
comes. On the upper end of the cylinder is a cap or nozzle into which the nib
fits.
Inside the cylinder, at or near its lower end, is a plate which fits the cylinder
gas tight. This is hereinafter called the cut-off plate. In the centre of this plate
is a hole, and through this hole a small tube passes freely, but nearly fitting the
said hole. The lower end of this tube is closed by a small plate or plug, and just
above this plate or plug is an aperture in the side of the tube sufficient to allow a
full supply of gas to pass up through the said tube when the pressure in the supply
pipe is low.
The tube beforementioned projects upwards into the cylinder for some distance,
and a small gas holder, hereinafter called the bell, is fixed on the upper end of the
tube. This bell is of a cylindrical shape, with a flat, domed, or conical top. The
bottom of the bell is open, and its bottom edge is serrated to allow the gas to pass
when the bell is down on the cut-off plate. Near the upper end of the tube are
holes in its side to allow the gas which passes up the tube to fill the bell. The boll
does not fit the cylinder, but allows as much windage as is necessary for the proper
supply of gas to pass to the burner. The larger the flame required, the more
Pine B

page_text: windage is allowed; and this windage gives the beforementioned freedom from
liability of the mechanism to stick fast by reason of any fouling. At the upper end
of the cylinder is a cover plate, having in its centre a tapped hole, and in this hole
is a small set screw. By means of this screw the bell is prevented from rising too
high, as the screw serves as a stop capable of accurate adjustment. In the cover
plate are small holes for the passage of the gas.
The action of the above described mechanism is as follows:-
When the pressure of the gas in the supply pipe rises, the action of the gas raises
the bell, and with it the tube dependent therefrom. In so doing the bell draws
the tube more or less up-through the hole in the cut-off plate; but this sliding up
of the tube partly closes the gas passage before mentioned as being cut in the tube
near its lower end. Therefore the rising of the bell checks the passage of the gas,
and the bell will only rise to the extent necessary to bring the pressure of the gas
in the bell to an amount equal to the suspension of the weight of the bell and tube
plus the small back pressure of the gas above the bell. If exstreme accuracy of 1
pressure be required at the point of ignition, I make the bell with a conical top,
and use a set screw, having a hole through its length. The conical top of the bell
then acts as a valve, and the hollow set screw as a seat, and the rising of the bell
controls the gas both at the bottom by the cut-off plate and tube, and at the top by
the above mentioned conical top of the bell and the hollow set screw. In this case 2
there are no holes through the cover plate, except the tapped centre hole through
which the set screw passes.
When for a large flame, it is needful to allow such an amount of windage that
the gas would cause the bell to rock or oscillate rapidly in rising, and so cause a
jumping motion in the flame, I steady the bell by means of one or more small balls 2
resting on the top of the bell. The bell being in this case domed or conical on the
top, these small balls always roll outwards, and leaning against the side of the
cylinder effectually steady the bell.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Beverley Fenby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th September 1881.
JOSEPH BEVERLEY FENBY, of the Parish of Sutton Coldfield, in the County of
Warwick, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-GOVERNING GAS BURNERS."
The object of this Invention is to make self governing gas burners without the
use of any leather, silk, or other similar material, and also without the use of
liquid; and further, to govern the gas by means of mechanism which shall not be
liable to stick by reason of particles of dust or other impurities.
Beneath the nib of the burner I fit a cylinder. The lower end of this cylinder
fits into a collar, and this collar screws on to the gas pipe through which the supply
comes. On the upper end of the cylinder is a cap or nozzle into which the nib fits.
Inside the cylinder, at or near its lower end, is a plate which fits the cylinder gas
tight. This is hereinafter called the cut off plate. In the centre of this plate is a
hole, and through this hole a small tube passes freely, but nearly fitting the said
hole. The lower end of this tube is closed by a small plate or plug, and just above
this plate or plug is an aperture in the side of the tube sufficient to allow a full
supply of gas to pass up through the said tube when the pressure in the supply
pipe is low.
The tube before mentioned projects upwards into the cylinder for some distance,
and a small gas holder, hereinafter called the bell, is fixed on the upper end of the
tube. This bell is of a cylindrical shape, with a flat, domed, or conical top. The
bottom of the bell is open, and its bottom edge is serrated to allow the gas to pass
when the bell is down on the cut-off plate. The bell does not fit the cylinder, but
allows a certain amount of windage to give passage to the gas, and to guard against
sticking. The larger the flame required the more windage is allowed.
At the upper end of the cylinder is a cover plate, having in its centre a tapped
hole carrying a set screw. By means of this screw the rising of the bell is so far
controlled as to prevent the gas from being quite cut off when the pressure of the
gas is very rapidly rising. This screw gives an accurate means of adjustment to
the action of the cut-off.
In the cover plate are small holes for the passage of the gas.
The action of the above described mechanism is as follows:-
When the pressure of the gas in the supply pipe rises, the action of the gas
raises the bell, and with it the tube dependent therefrom. In so doing the bell
draws the tube more or less up through the hole in the cut-off plate; but this
sliding up of the tube partly closes the gas passage before mentioned as being cut
in the tube near its lower end. Therefore the rising of the bell checks the passage
of the gas, and the bell will only rise to the extent necessary to bring the pressure
of the gas in the bell to an amount equal to the suspension of the weight of the
bell and tube, plus the small back pressure of the gas above the bell. If extreme
nicety of governing action be required, I make the bell with a conical top, and use
a set screw having a hole through its length. The conical top of the bell then acts
as a valve, and the hollow set screw as a seat, and the rising of the bell controls
the gas both at the bottom by the cut-off plate and tube, and at the top by the
above mentioned conical top of the bell and the hollow set screw. In this case
here are no holes through the cover plate except the tapped centre hole through
which the set screw passes.
Instead of the above mentioned conical top to the bell, the cut-off tube may be
continued through the top of the bell, and pass some distance up the hole in the
hollow set screw. In this case the set screw is not drilled right through, and it is

page_text: provided with small side ports by which the gas passes to the burner nib. The
upper end of the cut-off tube controls the gas by sliding up or down within the
hollow set screw.
In the accompanying Drawings the various modifications of construction are
shewn, and like parts are indicated by the same letters and numerals. Fig. 1
shews a governor burner with the. bell, cut-off tube and cut-off plate as described,
and having a set screw in the cover plate.
a is the base collar fitting on to the gas pipe; b is the bell; c is the cylinder;
d is the cut-off tube; e is the cut-off plate; f is the cap for the nib of the burner;
g is the top plate; g² are the holes in the same; h is the set screw; d¹ is port in
the cut-off tube; d is the hole for allowing the gas to pass when the pressure
is low.
Fig. II. shews the construction with the conical top to the bell and the set screw
drilled through for the passage of the gas. In this case there are no holes. in the
cover plate g.
"
Fig. III. shews the construction with the cut-off tube carried through the top of
the bell: h¹, h¹, shews the side ports through the set screw h. In this construction
there are holes e in the cut-off plate to admit gas to the bell.
I claim as my Invention the construction of self-governing gas burners, substan-
tially as set forth in the foregoing description and the Drawings, or any colourable
imitation of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Beverley Fenby, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JAGODIT DEVEDI EV TENRV (7.0)