IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF GAS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Esplin, of 21, Windmill Street, Church
Street, Lambeth, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF GAS."
Sealed the 1st February 1856, and dated the 27th August 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Esplin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th'
August 1855.
Ì, CHARLES ESPLIN, of 21, Windmill Street, Church Street, Lambeth, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF GAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for regulating
the supply of gas. For this purpose the gas is introduced by a supply pipe
into one compartment or chamber of the apparatus; from this chamber the gas
passes into a second compartment or chamber, but its passage is regulated by
means of a valve, which is caused to close or open the passage (between the
two chambers) more or less, according to the pressure of the gas. In these
particulars the apparatus does not differ from other gas regulators. The valve
for regulating the passage of the gas between the inlet and the outlet chambers
or compartments of the apparatus is carried by a cover with turned down
edges, which enter a trough containing a fluid (by preference quicksilver).
and this cover moves on points or axes at one end, such points or axes being

page_text: below the fluid.
And in order to compensate for the varying quantity of the
edges of the cover which is from time to time immersed in the fluid, a tube
containing fluid, by preference quicksilver, is fixed on the moveable cover of
the apparatus in such manner that the fluid in the tube is for the most part
at the end of the tube most distant from the axis of motion of the cover
when the valve is required to be most open, and so that the fluid in the tube
may flow more and more towards the axis of motion as the valve is more
and more closed by the lifting of the cover by the pressure of the gas in the
apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Esplin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
ESPLIN, of 21, Windmill Street, Church Street, Lambeth, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Esplin, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Esplin, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Esplin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF GAS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Charles Esplin, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
Jarly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Esplin, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:

page_text: This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for regulating
the supply of gas. For this purpose the gas is introduced by a supply pipe
into one compartment or chamber of the apparatus; from this chamber the
gas passes into a second compartment or chamber, but its passage is regulated
by means of a valve, which is caused to close or open the passage (between
the two chambers) moro or less, according to the pressure of the gas. In
these particulars the apparatus does not differ from other gas regulators. The
valve for regulating the passage of the gas between the inlet and the outlet
chambers or compartments of the apparatus is carried by a cover with turned
down edges, which enter a trough containing a fluid (by preference quick-
silver), and this cover moves on points or axes at one end, such points or axes
being below the fluid. And in order to compensate for the varying quantity
of the edges of the cover which is from time to time immersed in the fluid, a
tube containing fluid (by preference quicksilver) is fixed on the moveable
cover of the apparatus in such manner that the fluid in the tube is for the
most part at the end of the tube most distant from the axis of motion of the
cover when the valve is required to be most opened, and so that the fluid in
the tube may flow more and more towards the axis of motion as the valve is
more and more closed by the lifting of the cover by the pressure of the gas in
the apparatus.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of a gas-regulating apparatus con-
structed and combined according to my Invention'; Figure 2 is a transverse
section thereof. a, a, is a box or case, having an outer cover b, fixed by screws
or otherwise. On the interior there is a cover c, turned down all round at the
edges, and such turned down edges enter a trough d, d, formed all round the
interior of the box or case. e, e, are two points or axes on which the inner
cover c moves freely, or other forms of axes may be used. In the trough d, d,
quicksilver is placed, so as to form a gas-tight joint, to prevent the passage of
gas in that direction, and yet allow the inner cover c to move freely on its
axes or points e, e, which it will be seen are also below the surface of the fluid
in the trough. The inner moveable cover c has attached to it the valve f, so
that by the rising of the inner cover c, the valve will lessen the passage of gas,
and ultimately close the opening 1, if the cover c be raised sufficiently by the
pressure of the gas. The gas is admitted into the chamber or compartment a¹

page_text: by the opening g or h, there being a screw plug i to close the opening not
used; the gas outlet is at j, and communicates with the chamber or compart-
ment a, and the compartments a, a, are divided from each other by the
partition k, through which the gas passage is formed. In order to com-
pensate for the varying quantities of the inverted edges of the inner cover c
in the quicksilver at different times, the glass tube m is employed, having
within it a quantity of quicksilver, which will flow towards the axes when the
other end of the cover c is raised by the pressure of the gas, and, on the other
hand, when the pressure of gas admits of the cover c descending, the quick-
silver in the tube will flow toward the end of the cover c most distant from its
axes, and aid by the additional weight in pressing that end more into the
quicksilver in the trough.
I would state that ordinarily I prefer that the inner cover should move on
its points or axes as near as possible to its one end, but this is not essential, as
the points or axes may be further from the one end than is shewn by the
Drawing, taking care in all cases that the points or axes are below the surface
of the quicksilver in the trough. n is a weight of lead or other metal, placed
in the inner cover c, to regulate the pressure of the gas; such weight simply
rests on the cover c, and may be moved more and more from the axes as it is
desired to work with more pressure.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it
understood that what I claim is, the mode herein described of combining a
cover with inverted edges with the valve, and suspending such cover on points
or axes below the surface of the fluid in the trough, together with the applica-
tion of the tube m, as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Esplin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
GEO. PITT,
4, Old Square:
CHARLES ESPLIN. (L.S)