IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING AND REGULATING THE FLOW OF GASES AND LIQUIDS FROM GASHOLDERS OR OTHER RESERVOIRS IN WHICH PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lewis of 153 Brockley Road Brockley New
Cross in the County of Surrey Mechanical Engineer for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING AND REGULATING THE FLOW
OF GASES AND LIQUIDS FROM GASHOLDERS OR OTHER RESERVOIRS IN WHICH
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lewis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th July 1883.
JAMES LEWIS of 153 Brockley Road Brockley New Cross in the County of
Surrey Mechanical Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS, IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING
AND REGULATING THE FLOW OF GASES AND LIQUIDS FROM GASHOLDERS OR OTHER
RESERVOIRS IN WHICH THE SAME ARE CONFINED UNDER PRESSURE
,,
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for automatically
governing and regulating the flow of gases and liquids from gas holders gasometers
reservoirs or other holders, my improvements being particularly applicable for
regulating the discharge of gas from vessels under pressure to gas burners for
illuminating and other purposes.
In carrying out my invention I provide the gas holder or other reservoir with a
suitable tap or discharge valve so arranged as to open very gradually and equally
and actuated by a suitable lever or connecting rod.
I provide a cylinder with a piston working therein one side of the piston being
in cominunication with the gas holder or other reservoir and the other side having
a piston rod attached thereto.
I also provide a "C" spring or any other spring that will "give" in regular
proportion to the strain placed upon it and I also provide a lever or arm in
combination with the before described spring piston rod and tap and I so arrange
the several parts or appliances herein before described that when there is no
pressure in the gas holder or other reservoir the tap or valve shall be open but that
if the gas or liquid therein contained is under pressure the pressure shall act upon

page_text: the piston and (through the medium of the piston rod and lever last referred to)
shall put a strain on the said spring which will be proportionate to the force
exerted on the piston by the pressure of the gas or liquid. The above mentioned
lever being also connected by means of a link or other suitable connecting
mechanism with the lever of the tap or valve and having a fulcrum suitably placed
will thus cause the said tap or valve to close as the pressure increases with the
result that the size of the orifice will be directly proportioned to the pressure of the
gas or liquid in the gas holder or other reservoir thus ensuring an equal outflow
whatever the pressure in the gas holder or other reservoir may be.
Instead of a cylinder and piston I may employ collapsible bellows or a closed
chamber with a moveable diaphragm and instead of using a lever as above
described I may cause the piston or diaphragm and the spring to act directly upon
the lever arm of the tap or valve.
"
Instead of using a
C" spring or other tension spring I may employ a volute
spring or other compression spring.
It is also obvious that the various joints and parts may with advantage be made
adjustable for convenience in setting and working.
Instead of a lever to communicate the motion of the piston (regulated by the
resistance of the spring as before mentioned) to the tap or valve I may in the case
of a tap furnish it with a toothed pinion or with an arm bearing a toothed segment
of a circle to be worked by a rack suitably connected with the spring and the
piston or diaphragm so as to receive motion therefrom and in the case of a valve
requiring a rectilinear motion I may connect it direct with the piston rod before
.described.
Instead of a tap with rotary motion I may employ a block with a. fine slot or
.slots to be shut off by a slide actuated by the piston and spring before described.
I have found it advantageous to enclose collapsible bellows when used for the
purposes before described in a closed cylinder or chamber containing water or
other fluid so that when the bellows are distended the water or other liquid may
flow round and support the sides thereof.
Instead of the different kinds of springs before described the differential
resistance required for the purpose of my invention as above described may be
obtained by the compression of atmospheric air or other elastic fluid in a suitable
chamber or by a suspended weight acting upon the periphery of a cam.
Other equivalents for the several mechanical movements above described will
readily suggest themselves and I do not confine myself to the mechanical move-
ments above described so long as the essential features of my invention as above
described are preserved.
The essence of my invention is the regulation of the outflow of gases or liquids
from vessels under pressure by causing the pressure of the confined gas or liquid to
act against a spring or other varying resistance and thus open or close a discharge
orifice to an extent directly proportioned to the pressure of the escaping gas or
liquid so as to ensure an equal outflow.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Lewis in the Patent Office on the 14th January 1884.
JAMES LEWIS of 153 Brockley Road Brockley New Cross in the County of
Surrey Mechanical Engineer IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING
AND REGULATING THE FLOW OF GASES AND LIQUIDS FROM GAS HOLDERS OR
OTHER RESERVOIRS IN WHICH THE SAME ARE CONFINED UNDER PRESSURE
27
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for automatically
governing and regulating the flow of gases and liquids from gas holders gasometers
reservoirs or other holders, my improvements being particularly. applicable for
regulating the discharge of gas from vessels, under pressure to gas burners for
illuminating and other purposes.
In carrying out my Invention I provide the gas holder or other reservoir with
a suitable tap or discharge valve so arranged as to open very gradually and equally
and actuated by a suitable lever or connecting rod.
I provide a cylinder with a piston working therein one side of the piston being
in communication with the gas holder or other reservoir and the other side having
a piston rod attached thereto.
:
I also provide a "C" Spring or any other suitable spring that will "give" in
regular proportion to the strain placed upon it and I also provide a lever or arm
in combination with the before described spring piston rod and tap and I so
arrange the several parts or appliances herein before described that when there is
no pressure in the gas holder or other reservoir the tap or valve shall be open but
that if the gas or liquid therein contained is under pressure the pressure shall act
upon the piston and (through the medium of the piston rod and lever last referred
to) shall put a strain on the said spring which will be proportionate to the force
exerted on the piston by the pressure of the gas or liquid. The above mentioned
lever being also connected by means of a link or other suitable connecting
mechanism with the lever of the tap or valve and having a fulcrum suitably
placed will thus cause the said tap or valve to close as the pressure increases with
the result that the size of the orifice will be directly proportioned to the pressure
of the gas or liquid in the gas holder or other reservoir thus insuring an equal
outflow whatever the pressure in the gas holder or other reservoir may be.
Instead of a cylinder and piston I may employ collapsable bellows or a closed
chamber with a moveable diaphragm and instead of using a lever as above
described I may cause the piston or diaphragm and the spring to act directly upon
the lever arm of the tap or valve.
Instead of using a "C" spring or other tension spring I may employ a volute
spring or other compression spring.
It is also obvious that the various joints and parts may with advantage be made
adjustable for convenience in setting and working.
2
Instead of a lever to communicate the motion of the piston (regulated by the
resistance of the spring as before mentioned) to the tap or valve I may in the case
of a tap furnish it with a toothed pinion or with an arm bearing a toothed segment
of a circle to be worked by a rack suitably connected with the spring and the
piston or diaphragmn so as to receive motion therefrom and in the case of a valve.
requiring a rectilinear motion I may connect it direct with the piston rod before
described.
Instead of a tap with rotary motion I may employ a block with a fine slot or>
slots to be shut off by a slide actuated by the piston and spring before described.
I have found it advantageous to enclose collapsable bellows when used for the
i

page_text: purposes before described in a closed cylinder or chamber containing water or
other fluid so that when the bellows are distended the water or other liquid may
flow round and support the sides thereof.
Instead of the different kinds of springs before described the differential
resistance required for the purpose of my invention as above described may be
obtained by the compression of atmospheric air or clastic fluid in a suitable
chamber or by a suspended weight acting upon the periphery of a cam.
Other equivalents for the several mechanical movements above described will
readily suggest themselves and I do not confine myself to the mechanical move-
ments above described so long as the essential features of my invention as above
described are preserved.
The essence of my invention is the regulation of the outflow of gases or liquids
from vessels under pressure by causing the pressure of the confined gas or liquid to
act against a spring or other varying resistance and thus open or close a discharge
orifice to an extent directly proportioned to the pressure of the escaping gas or
liquid so as to ensure an equal outflow.
And in order that my invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed
which show several arrangements of apparatus suitable for carrying my invention
Figure 1 is a vertical section of apparatus suitably arranged in accordance with
my invention for governing and regulating the flow of gases or it may be liquids
from gas holders or other reservoirs in which the same are confined under.
pressure.
a is a chamber containing a plunger b which slides up and down therein being
kept tight by suitable packing b. Between the plunger band the top or cover a¹
of the chamber a an india rubber ball a² (or other packing) is compressed so as to
resist the pressure of the gas or liquid admitted to the under side of the plunger b
by the inlet pipe or passage a³ the air being allowed to escape by holes or openings a¹
in the cover a¹.
The plunger bis connected by a rod c with the lever & moving on the fixed
centre or fulcrum d' on the support d². The end d³ of the lever d is connected by
a spring e to the chamber a whilst the other end of the lever d is connected by a
pin joint to the rod and slide valve f moving up and down in the slide box f¹. A
slot 2 is cut or formed in the slide f which works up and down against the face
of the slide box formed with a corresponding slot or port open to the chamber or
reservoir containing the gas or liquid under pressure. Any excess of pressure of
the gas or liquid by acting on the plunger b raises the end d³ of the lever d causing
the other end of the lever to act on the slide valve f to reduce the outlet or passage f²
so as to regulate the discharge of the gas or liquid from the chamber or reservoir
under pressure. As the pressure diminishes the spring e pulls the lever & back to
open the valve f and thus regulate the outflow.
is a valve, suspended from the plunger b to close or nearly close the inlet
passage to the plunger in order to arrest the pressure thereon when at its
maximum.
I would remark that the action of the apparatus is similar to that of a mercurial
gauge for regulating. the flow of gases which however can only be used in a
perpendicular position whereas the apparatus previously described can be used in
any desired position.
In place of the slide valve ƒ being formed with a slot or opening f as previously
described it may be made with transverse slots or openings such as. are known as
gridiron slide valves.
In place of the lever d being connected to the slide valve ƒ it may be arranged
so as to act upon a rotary or other suitable valve or stop cock.

page_text: The spring e acts in unison with the pressure in the reservoir to automatically
govern and regulate the discharge of the gas or liquid under pressure as may be
required to supply a series of gas burners or other like purpose the outlet being
made to the required proportions for gas or liquids.
In the arrangement shown by Figure 2 the lever d is dispensed with the rod c
attached to the plunger being hollow and passing through a stuffing box at c¹.
The hollow rod c has a slot at its upper end and as it is forced upwards a fixed pin
or plunger h attached to the outlet passage acts to diminish or close the slot in
the hollow rod c and thus reduce the flow of the gas or liquid under pressure
through the outlet passage h¹.
A spring around the pin or plunger h acts against the end of the hollow rod c
and the fixed cross piece in the outlet passage to force back the hollow rod c and
plunger b as the pressure in the reservoir is reduced.
Figure 3 shows a more simple form of apparatus suitable for being employed
when the pressure to be regulated is comparatively low j is a flexible diaphragm
dividing the chamber a. A hollow rod c is attached to the diaphragm ja valve h
being suspended therefrom to close or nearly close the inlet passage a³ when the
pressure in the reservoir is at its maximum.
The gas or liquid passes from the inlet a³ through one or more holes in the
centre of the diaphragm jat normal pressure into the hollow rod or outlet c but
when the pressure is in excess of that required the diaphragın j in rising raises the
valve h to close or nearly close the inlet passage to the chamber a and thus reduce
the supply.
In order to prevent the supply from being cut off entirely a saw cut or a small
orifice is made in the valve seat in order that a sufficient supply may be ensured.
A spring around the hollow rod c forces the diaphragm j back to its normal
position.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and the manner in which the
same is carried into practice I would remark that the arrangement and construc-
tion of the apparatus previously described may be considerably varied without
departing from the true character of my invention at the same time I make no
claim to any of the parts separately which are well known and in common use
But what I claim is :-
The improved arrangement and construction of apparatus for governing and
regulating the outflow of gases and liquids from gas holders or other reservoirs in
which the same are confined under pressure by causing the pressure of the confined"
gas or liquid to act against a spring or other varying resistance or equivalent contri-
vance and thus open or close a discharge orifice automatically to an extent directly
proportioned to the pressure of the escaping gas or liquid so as to ensure an equal
outllow thereof substantially in the manner as and for the purposes hereinbefore
fully described and illustrated by the drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof I the said James Lewis have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Fourteenth day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.
JAMES LEWIS (L.S.)