IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF GAS TO PUBLIC AND OTHER GAS LAMPS OR BURNERS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Solomon Hyams, of the Parish of Saint Peter Port in
the Island of Guernsey, Photographer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF GAS TO PUBLIC AND OTHER
GAS LAMPS OR BURNERS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Solomon Hyams at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th May 1883.
SOLOMAN [sic] HYAMS of the Parish of Saint Peter Port in the Island of Guernsey
Photographer "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF
GAS TO PUBLIC AND OTHER GAS LAMPS OR BURNERS."
My Invention relates to improved apparatus for automatically controlling the
supply of gas to public and other gas lamps or burners in such manner that
the light shall be turned up and down at predetermined hours which may be
varied at will thus rendering the daily lighting and extinction of such lights
unnecessary.
The Invention consists in the combination with the cock that controls the gas
supply of a clock provided with hands suitably constructed and adjusted and of
intermediate mechanism in connection with the gas cock and adapted to be acted
on by, the hands of the clock at given times for the purpose of turning the cock
full on or partially off as the case may be.
This intermediate mechanism consists mainly of a lever arrangement connected
with the gas cock and in proximity to the face of the clock and provided with
pins or other projections or parts that stand in the paths of the long and short
hands respectively so that each hand in turn comes in contact with its appropriate.
pin or projection and thereby imparts the necessary motion to the lever arrange-
ment to produce the intended effect.
The hours at which the light is turned up and down may be varied as required.
by shifting the hands of the clock accordingly.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Solomon Hyams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th November
1883.
SOLOMON HYAMS, of the Parish of Saint Peter Port, in the Island of Guernsey,
Photographer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF
GAS TO PUBLIC AND OTHER GAS LAMPS OR BURNERS"
My Invention relates to improved apparatus for automatically controlling the
supply of gas to public and other gas lamps or burners in such manner that the
light shall be turned up and down at predetermined hours which may be varied at
will thus rendering the daily lighting and extinction of such lights unnecessary.
The Invention consists in the combination with the cock that controls the gas
supply of a clock provided with two hands so arranged that both make one revolu-
tion in 24 hours and of intermediate mechanism in connection with the gas cock
and adapted to be acted on by the hands of the clock at given times for the purpose
of turning the cock full on or partially off as the case may be.
This intermediate mechanism consists mainly of a lever arrangement connected
with the gas cock and in proximity to the face of the clock and provided with pins
or other projections or parts that stand in the paths of the long and short hands
respectively so that each hand in turn comes in contact with its appropriate pin
or projection and thereby imparts the necessary motion to the lever arrangement
to produce the intended effect. The hours at which the light is turned up and
down may be varied as required by shifting the hands of the clock accordingly.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation and figure 2 a side elevation of the clock, parts of
the case being removed to show the interior of which so much only is represented
as is necessary to illustrate the Invention. A B are respectively the long and short
hands of the clock. C is a lever pivoted at c and extending across the face of the
clock and carrying two pins a b which project in the paths of the hands A B
respectively The free end of this lever works in a guide slot in the frame F to
which its other end is pivoted. D is the cock which controls the supply of gas
to the burner and d is a lever arm rigidly attached to the plug of the cock. E is
a connecting rod jointed at one end to lever C and at the other to the end of said
arm d whereby the motion of the lever C is transmitted to the gas cock.
The long hand A travels quite close to the clock face and the appropriate pin a
extends quite close to the clock face (but without touching it) so that the hand A
will come in contact with and move it once at each revolution, the length of this
hand and the distance of the pin from the centre of the dial being relatively such
that the hand will strike the pin when the lever C is in the dotted position shown
in figure 1 and will escape from it when it has raised it to the full line position.
The short hand B is not long enough to strike the pin a and it has a bend outwards
in order that it may come in contact with its appropriate pin b which is not long
enough to come in the path of hand A and is situated at such a distance from the
centre of the dial and at the opposite side thereof to the pin a that the short hand
will strike it when the lever Coccupies the full line position and escape from it
when the lever is moved to the dotted position. I do not however limit myself
strictly to the proportions or relative situations of the parts herein shown as they
may be varied without departing from my Invention. The thoroughfare. of the
gas cock D is so situated relatively to the arm & that when the latter and conse-
quently the lever C occupies the full line position, the gas will be turned down
without being quite extinguished and when moved to the dotted position the gas
will be turned full on.

page_text: The hands A, B, are both fast on the same arbor, the clock train being suitably
arranged to cause this arbor to make one revolution in 24 hours as will be readily
understood by any clockmaker. The hands are strongly made and are secured
upon their arbor by a nut by which they are fixed tightly and prevented from
shifting under the resistance opposed to them by the gas controlling mechanism.
By slackening the nut the hands may be separately adjusted on their arbor to
enable the times of turning the gas on and off to be varied as hereafter described.
Or instead of being fixed by a nut the hands may be fixed on their arbor by a
strong spring rigidly enough to overcome the resistance of the gas controlling
mechanism and yet allow of the hands being forcibly shifted when required to
adjust them. Or the hands may be adjusted from the back by providing additional
wheels or mechanism for the purpose.
The clock has a lever escapement and balance wheel so that it may be placed in
any convenient position, and to adapt an existing clock I remove the ordinary
hands and fix the two hauds A B upon the hour hand arbor which has a screw
thread cut upon it to receive the nut by which the hands are tightly fixed thereon,
and the balance wheel is weighted or replaced by another sufficiently heavier to
make the clock go at half its usual rate so that the two hands A B will both
revolve once in twenty four hours.
In adjusting the apparatus it is necessary to calculate in how many hours from
the time of setting, the gas is required to be full on and to move the hand B back
or forward until it occupies such a position that it will have about that number of
hours to travel before it reaches the point at which after striking pin b and moving
lever C it is about to escape from said pin b
Similarly the number of bours from the time of setting to the time when the gas
is to be turned down must be calculated and the hand A. turned back or forward
accordingly so that it will have about that number of hours to travel until it
reaches the point at which after striking pin a and moving lever C it is about to
escape from said pin. The hands having been once set will continue to turn the
gas on and off daily at the same hours without any other attendance than winding
the clock which may be made to go for say 16 days. When any change in the
hours of turning the gas on or off is required it is only necessary to readjust the
hand or hands accordingly. The clock dial is divided into 24 divisions representing
hours and the train is driven by a spring barrel the whole apparatus being
contained in a suitable case and fixed in any suitable position in proximity to the
gas cock.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is :
The combination with a cock of mechanism whereby said cock is automatically
turned on and off at required times respectively once in 24 hours said mechanism
consisting of a clock train actuating two hands at the same speed, and of a lever
connected with the cock and adapted to be moved in opposite directions' by the
two hands at predetermined hours substantially as herein described and shown in
the drawings for the purpose specified
In witness whereof I the said Solomon Hyams have hereunto set my hand and
seal this thirteenth day of November A.D. 1883.