IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF GAS OR WATER IN BUILDINGS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF GAS
OR WATER IN BUILDINGS."-A communication from abroad by Charles
Edwin Seal and Edwin Flounoy Brooks, both of Winchester, in
the County of Frederick, and State of Virginia, United States of
America.
·PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th August 1873.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR. CONTROLLING THE
SUPPLY OF GAS OR WATER IN BUILDINGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention which is designed to prevent waste of gas or water
consists in a cock or valve attached on or near the gas meter on the gas

page_text: conveying pipes, or on water supply pipes, and having a flexible
connection attaching it to valve lifting mechanism that has been arranged
in the room or apartment where the gas or water is used.
The valve chamber is constructed with two end tubes, one of which
tubes connects with the service pipe, and the other with the meter.
The valve in front is provided with guide flanges, and in the rear has a
stem which extends through a cap tube, and is transversely perforated at
the end. This cap tube screws into the mouth tube of the valve
chamber, and in order to pack the joint formed between the stem and
the cap the former is encircled with a spring, and a front concaved
sleeve or slide tube. At the front end of this tube yarn or other
analogous packing is placed, which becomes more tightly packed as the
pressure of the gas. becomes greater. A box is arranged in the chamber
or room where gas is used, in which is journalled a rock shaft attached
to a lever, by which the valve at the meter is lifted off its seat. Rigidly
attached to this lever is also a rock shaft, at one of whose ends is made
fast a knob, and at the other a pawl that works in a quadrant-shaped
rack on the box before mentioned. This lever is constructed with two
arms, to one of which is attached a spring, which, bearing against the
end of the pawl keeps it down to the ratchet, a wire being passed through
the end of the other arm, and connected directly with the end of the
valve stem, or indirectly by an intervening cord.
"
The operation is as follows:— -The box with its appendages is located
in the room or apartment in which the gas is to be used, while the wire
connection or chain attaches it to the end of the valve stem. When it
is desired to use the gas the arm on which is the pawl is moved to such
a distance on the quadrant as will lift the valve sufficiently to give the
proper supply wanted for one, two, or more burners, and no more. The
valve is then held open by the pawl and ratchet. Thus, the supply of
gas is graduated to suit the wants of the consumer, and no surplus is
kept under pressure in the house piping to escape through the joints
thereof. This device is also well adapted to churches, store rooms,
offices, and warehouses, as well as private dwellings, as it is calculated
to save a large per centage of the gas for which money is now paid, but
which is never used. When it is desired to extinguish the gas, instead
of doing so at the burner as is now customary, the pawl is held up from
the ratchet, which allows the spring which encircles the valve stem to
hold the valve securely to its seat,

page_text: Where the cock or valve is used in connection with the water supply
of a house, the inlet valve is lengthened and provided with a subjacent
recess, into which fits the centre pin of a water valve, which is held to
its seat by a suitable spring. Whenever the main or inlet valve is in
position upon its seat it forces the waste valve downward and open,
permitting the escape of all water remaining in the meter or chamber
above.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times tliereafter
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
" IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF GAS OR
WATER IN BUILDINGS," a communication to me from abroad by Charles
Edwin Seal and Edwin Flounoy Brooks, both of Winchester, in the
County of Frederick, and State of Virginia, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
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.
:

page_text: Figure 2 is a vertical section of the valve chamber and appurtenances.

page_text: ratchet; L is a wire passed through the end of arm g, and connected
directly with the end of stem 6', or indirectly by an intervening cord.
The operation is as follows:-The box with its appendages is located
in the room or apartment in which the gas is to be used, while the wire
connection or chain attaches it to the end of stem ¹. When it is
desired to use the gas, the arm H is pushed up to such a distance on the
arc as will, lift the valve sufficiently to give the proper supply wanted
for one, two, or more burners, and no more. The valve is then held
open by pawl and ratchet. Thus, the supply of gas is graduated to suit
the wants of the consumer, and no surplus kept under pressure in the
house piping to escape through the joints thereof. This device is also
well adapted to churches, store rooms, offices, and warehouses, as well as
to private dwellings and boarding houses, as it is calculated to save a
large per centage of the gas for which money is now paid, but which is
never used. When it is desired to extinguish the gas, instead of this
being done at the burner as is now customary, the pawl is held
up from
the ratchet, which allows the spring D to hold the valve B securely to its
seat.
In Figure 4, where the cock or valve is used in connection with the
water supply of a house, the inlet valve B is lengthened and provided
with a subjacent recess 0³, into which fits the centre pin m of a water
valve M that is held to its seat by a spring N. Whenever the main or
inlet valve B is in position upon its seat it forces the waste valvo M
downward and open, permitting the escape of all water remaining in the
meter or chamber thereabove.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the heroin-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
1st. The method of cutting off gas at the meter from the rooni where
used by means of a valve raised and lowered, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
2nd. The method of cutting off water, substantially as described.
3rd. The valve B, having stem b', valve chamber A, and connecting
rod L, combined with the lever G, and ratchet and pawl mechanism I, H,
¹, arranged as and for the purpose described.

page_text: 4th. The combination of a main valve B and a waste valve M provided
with opposite seats, and respectively with recess bª and centre pin m, as
and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of February, in 5
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
HENRY W. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lanc,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)