IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE CONSUMPTION OF GAS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Salkeld Borradaile, of 7, Union Court, Old Broad.
Street, in the City of London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE CONSUMPTION
OF GAS." A communication from abroad by Michael Flürscheim, of Gaggenau,
in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Salkeld Borradaile at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th August 1877.
THOMAS SALKELD BORRADAILE, of 7, Union Court, Old Broad Street, in the City
of London, Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS
FOR REGULATING THE CONSUMPTION OF GAS." (A communication from abroad
by Michael Flürscheim, of Gaggenau, in the Empire of Germany.)
This Invention has for its object to enable the consumption of gas in lamps to be
either varied according to circumstances, or fixed at a uniform rate, without having
to take the apparatus to pieces in order to adjust it, or incurring any other of
the inconveniences inseparable from the ordinary constructions of street lamp
regulators.
To this end I fix upon the gas pipe a cylindrical cup or vessel, within which I fit
hermetically a hollow cylinder surmounted by a cap upon which the burner of the
lamp may be fixed, or with which it may be connected.
Within the hollow cylinder I provide a fixed horizontal, diaphragm or partition,
as well as a moveable disc fitting to the sides of the cylinder, and surmounted by a
short tube which slides up and down a circular aperture in the centre of the
diaphragm. In the sides of the cup I make some grooves, and in the sides of the
hollow cylinder and of the short tube I make suitable apertures or orifices for the
passage of the gas. These grooves and orifices I arrange in such a manner that on
making the hollow cylinder describe a certain angle within the cup, which may be
done by means of a handle or otherwise, the open space for the passage of the gas
is either enlarged or reduced.

page_text: Upon the edge of the cup I mark or inscribe a scale denoting the units of the
consumption of gas by the burner, and by marking corresponding lines upon the
edge of the hollow cylinder opposite thereto I am enabled on turning the cylinder
round a certain angle to adjust the quantity of gas to be consumed, and this
being done, the cylinder may be fixed in its position by means of one or more screws
or any other suitable appliance. In those cases in which a diminutive quantity of
gas is to be adjusted, a vernier may be applied to the aforesaid scale.
Within the hollow cylinder I perforate the sides of the short tube in one or more
places in such a manner that as the moveable disc is raised by the pressure of the
gas, the openings in the short tube are carried above the fixed diaphragm, and the
gas thus entering the space above this diaphragm I convey to the burner through
suitable openings made within the cap of the hollow cylinder.
If the moveable disc does not fit closely against the sides of the-hollow cylinder;
a small flame may be permanently kept up on the burner; and enlarged to the
requisite size by the increase of pressure in the main ; whereas, if the disc fits hermeti-
cally, the lamp must be lighted in the usual way.
In those cases in which the consumption of gas is to remain invariable for each
lamp, I prefer to suppress the cup, and screw the hollow cylinder upon a cap fixed
upon the gas pipe. In this event I arrange the hole or holes in the short tube or
else in the disc itself, in such a manner that the identical quantity of gas is
conveyed above the diaphragm at all pressures, and thus a fixity of consumption
achieved.
$
The cup and hollow cylinder arrangement, according to my Invention; may also
be adapted to other constructions of gas regulators for the purpose of varying the
quantity of gas to be consumed, according to the varying circumstances of the case.
The same, object may also be achieved,, by applying a segmental rod, passing
diametrically through the hollow cylinder, in such a way that the orifices within
the sides thereof may be opened by placing the flat side of the rod opposite the
same by turning a knob fixed at one end of the rod.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Salkeld Borradaile in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th February 1878.
.
THOMAS SALKELD BORRADAILE, of 7, Union Court, Old Broad Street, in the City
of London, Gentleman. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS
FOR REGULATING THE CONSUMPTION OF GAS." A communication from abroad by
Michael Flürscheim, of Gaggenau, in the Empire of Germany.
The object of this Invention is to enable the consumption of gas by a burner to
be either varied or kept at a fixed rate, without the necessity of taking the apparatus
to pieces in order to adjust it, or incurring other inconveniences inseparable from the
ordinary kind of gas regulators for street lamps.
To this end I fix on the gas pipe a cylindrical cup or vessel, and within this cup
or vessel I fit hermetically a hollow cylinder surmounted by a cap with which the
burner of the lamp may be directly or indirectly connected.
Within the hollow cylinder I provide a fixed horizontal diaphragm or partition,
as well as a moveable disc, fitting easily to the sides of the cylinder, and surmounted
by a short tube which slides up and down a circular aperture in the centre of the
fixed diaphragın. In the sides of the cup I make some grooves, and in the sides of
the hollow cylinder and of the short tube I provide suitable apertures or orifices for
the passage of the gas. I arrange these grooves and orifices in such a manner that
on turning the hollow cylinder round within the cup, which may be done by means
of a handle or otherwise, the open space for the passage of the gas is either enlarged
or reduced.
Upon the edge of the cup I mark or inscribe a scale denoting the units of the
consumption of gas by the burner, and on the edge of the hollow cylinder opposite
thereto I make one or more corresponding marks, so that by making the cylinder
perform part of a revolution I am enabled to adjust the quantity of gas to be con-
sumed, which being done, the cylinder may be fixed in its position by means of one
or more screws or by any other suitable appliance. A vernier may be applied to the
scale upon the edge of the cup or of the cylinder in those cases in which diminutive
quantities of gas are to be denoted.
Within the hollow cylinder I perforate the sides of the short tube in such a way
that the gas that enters the short tube through the holes in the sides thereof is
conveyed to the burner through apertures made in the top of the hollow cylinder.
By this means, the more the pressure of the gas rises,, the more the disc will be
raised, and the narrower will beome the space between the edge of the short tube
and the top of the hollow cylinder; or, in other words, the greater the pressure, the
less gas will be conveyed to the burner, and the quantity of gas reaching the burner
will be in inverse ratio to the pressure in the main.
If the moveable disc does not fit tight against the sides of the hollow cylinder, a
small flame may be permanently kept up on the burner and enlarged to the requisite
size by turning the hollow cylinder herein-before described.
In order to prevent clogging, and yet give the moveable disc sufficient guidance,
I prefer in some cases to provide a number of projections upon the circumference
of the said disc.
If the consumption of gas is to remain invariable in each lamp to which the
regulator is applied, I prefer to suppress the cup, and screw the hollow cylinder
upon a base fixed on the gas pipe. In this event I perforate the moveable disc
and the short tube in such a manner that an identical quantity of gas is conveyed
above the diaphragm at all pressures, and a fixity of consumption thus achieved.
If it be required to vary the consumption of gas, one of the holes in the disc may

page_text: he closed by a screw, a lateral portion of which has been removed so as to allow
the gas to pass through the segmental opening formed thereby. The nearer the
flat head of the screw approaches the disc, the less gas will pass through, until the
flat lead reaches the disc and closes the aperture.
The cup and hollow cylinder arrangement, according to my Invention, may also
be adapted to other constructions of gas regulators for the purpose of varying the
quantity of gas to be consumed, according to the varying circumstances of the
case.
The same object may be achieved by applying a rod, with one or more segments
removed or hollows cut, and passing diametrically through the hollow cylinder in
such a way that the orifices within the sides thereof may be opened by placing the
flat or hollow side of the rod opposite the same by turning the knob fixed at one
end of the rod.
The same object may likewise be achieved by fitting only the upper part of the
hollow cylinder into the cup, and leaving sufficient space between the lower part of
the cylinder and the cup to allow of the gas passing between them to one or more
apertures leading into the interior of the cylinder above the disc.
.
By raising or lowering the cylinder within the cup, which may be done by
screwing it into the cup in such a manner that by merely turning it it is
made to rise or descend, the quantity of gas passing between the lower edge of the
cylinder and the bottom of the cup is increased or reduced, and no gas at all is
allowed to pass, if the cylinder is so far screwed down that its edge touches the
bottom of the cup.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings I have shewn several arrangements of
apparatus constructed according to my Invention, all of them being on the scale of
twenty-four inches to the foot, and identical letters of reference denoting throughout
identical parts of the apparatus.
Figure 1 is an outside elevation of a regulator for variable consumption.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the same with the cup removed.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the same without the burner.
And Figure 4 is a sectional plan of the same taken through the line A, B, Figure 3.
A is the cup or vessel that may be screwed upon the gas pipe; the variation
scale a is shewn in Figure 1. B is the hollow cylinder fitting into A, surmounted
by the cap b, into which the burner C is fitted.
In the sides of the cup A there are grooves d, d, and in those of the hollow
cylinder there are the orifices e, e¹; fis the screw for fixing the cylinder B in its
desired position with reference to the cup A; D is the fixed diaphragm; E is the
moveable disc, surmounted by the short tube F, with the orifices g, g, for the
passage of the gas through the apertures h, h.
The gas passes from the main through the tube i into the groove d, thence
through the orifices e, e¹, g, into the short tube F, whence it is conveyed through the
apertures h, h, to the burner. The greater the pressure on the disc E, the more the
space between the top of the tube F and the bottom of the cap b is reduced, and
the less gas is admitted to the burner C. The capacity of the grooves d, d, is enlarged
or reduced for the purposes of gas consumption, by a partial revolution of the hollow
cylinder B, regulated by means of the scale a; the orifices e, e¹, being placed wholly
or partly in communication with the grooves d, d, or the communication between
them being shut off, in which case no gas can pass to the burner through this
channel.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 6 a sectional plan taken through
the line M, N, of an apparatus constructed according to my Invention, slightly
differing from the foregoing.

page_text: Here the upper part only of the hollow cylinder B fits into the cup A, into which
it is screwed in this part. From above the orifices e, e¹, downward, a circular space d'
is left free between the hollow cylinder B and the cup A. By completely screwing
the cylinder B into the cup A, the bottom edge of the cylinder is brought into close
contact with the bottom of the cup A, so that no gas can pass in this position. When
the bottom edge of the cylinder is raised by unscrewing the cylinder, a quantity of
gas proportionate to the space between the two surfaces passes through the circular
groove d¹ to the orifices e, e', and thence pursues its course to the burner.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the regulator for fixed consumption, in which
the cup A is suppressed, as herein-before set forth.
TI '
.
T.
And Figure 8 is a plan from below, of the moveable disc E, furnished with the
guiding projections k, k, slightly exaggerated for the sake of clearness. In this
case the gas passes directly through the apertures m, m, in the moveable disc E,
to the burner, by the same road g, F, b, as in the variable arrangement. The hollow
cylinder B is in this instance screwed upon the base G fitted to the gas pipe.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus constructed according to my
Invention, in which the quantity of gas to be admitted to the burner is regulated
by means of the rod H, with the hollows o, o, cut, passing through lateral apertures,
and so constructed that by turning the knob p, for the capacity of the opening is either
enlarged or reduced for the quantity of gas to be admitted; and a pointer or
index q may be attached to the knob p, denoting the consumption of gas on the
scale a upon the surface of the cup A.
In the case of the moveable disc E, Figure 10, the quantity of gas to be admitted
through a regulator for fixed consumption is similarly adjusted by means of a screw R,
flat or concave on one side, by turning which the consumption may be regulated with
the utmost nicety, the head of the screw permitting more or less gas to pass through
the flat or concave part thereof by approaching the disc less or more.
Figure 11 shews in a longitudinal section the adaptation of the cup and hollow
cylinder arrangement to Sugg's well-known membrane regulator, whereby the
quantity of gas to be admitted through this regulator may be varied indefinitely.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and illustrated the same
in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, I wish it to be understood that I do not
claim the use of moveable discs for the purpose of regulating the consumption of
gas; but what I claim is :-
Firstly. The use or employment of a moveable disc surmounted by a short
tube sliding within a fixed diaphragm, and bearing upon a flat surface above it when
worked upon by the gas pressure, and being furnished with apertures for the
passage of the gas, in the manner herein set forth, and illustrated in the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
Secondly. The use or employment of a cylindrical cup or vessel with a hollow
cylinder fitted to the inside thereof, and furnished with grooves and apertures for
the purpose of varying the consumption of gas, in the manner herein set forth, and
illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Thirdly. The use or employment of a scale for denoting the comsumption of
gas within a burner, in the manner herein set forth, and illustrated in the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
Fourthly. The use or employment of a rod with one or more segments removed,
or hollows cut, for regulating the quantity of gas to be admitted to a burner, in the
manner herein set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Fifthly. The use or employment of projections for guiding the moveable disc,
in the manner herein set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
Sixthly. The use or employment of a screw with a flat or hollow side, for the
purpose of adjusting the quantities of gas to be admitted to the burner, in the
manner herein set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.

page_text: Seventhly. The adaptation of the cup and hollow cylinder arrangement to gas
regulators constructed upon any other plan but my own.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Salkeld Borradaile, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
J. T. DANN,
126, Stockwell Park Road,
S.W.
(L.S.) THOMAS S. BORRADAILE.