IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF GAS TO BURNERS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Esplin, of No. 82, Tyre Street, Lambeth, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF GAS TO BURNERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Esplin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
February 1864.
I, CHARLES ESPLIN, of No. 32, Tyre Street, Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF GAS TO BURNERS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for regulating
the flow of gas to burners. For this purpose at the upper end of the gas
supply pipe, near where the burner is fixed, there is a vessel to contain quick-
silver. The supply pipe rises within this vessel some distance above the top
of the quicksilver, and at the upper end of such pipe there is an opening or
openings through which the gas passes; directly above the upper end of such
pipe what may be called a stationary or fixed conical valve is situated, the
base of which is downwards. An inverted vessel is placed in the vessel
containing the quicksilver, so that its lower edges dip into the-quicksilver. The

page_text: inverted vessel has in its centre a bevilled or conical hole corresponding with
the conical valve, so that when such hole rests on the fixed valve the gas will
be prevented passing. The vessel is composed of two concentric cylinders, the
inner or smaller one is of somewhat larger diameter than the upper part of
the supply pipe, hence there is a space between the interior of the inner
cylinder of the inverted vessel and the exterior of the upper end of the supply
pipe; the outer or larger cylinder of the inverted vessel simply contains
atmospheric air, and the space so occupying air is by a tube open to the outer
atmosphere. The exact position of the hole in the upper part of the inverted
vessel depends on the quantity of quicksilver, as the inverted vessel floats in
the quicksilver. The burner is fixed at the upper part of the cover of the
vessel containing the quicksilver. The gas as it passes from the supply pipe
enters the inner cylinder of the inverted vessel, and rises past the fixed valve
into the space above the inverted vessel, and consequently presses on the
upper end of the inverted vessel, tending to close it down on to the fixed
valve, which it would do but for the passage of gas away through the burner;
when a regulator is required for a large number of lights, the inverted vessel
moves on an axis at one side where there is an arm which is weighted and
capable of adjustment. The gas which passes from the supply pipe into the
smaller capacity or compartment of the inverted vessel passes into the com-
partment of the fixed vessel containing quicksilver, and presses on the upper
surface of the inverted vessel, tending to depress it by forcing the valve seat or
opening on to the stationary valve, which in this arrangement it is preferred
should not be fixed to, but simply supported by, the top of the supply pipe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Esplin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
ESPLIN, of No. 82, Tyre Street, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoris, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh 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

page_text: 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 FLOW OF GAS TO BURNERS," upon the condition.
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Esplin, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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.
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 per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention is applicable to that class of gas regulators in which are
employed inverted vessels, the lower edges of which dip into quicksilver, and
the improvements consist in so arranging and constructing such descriptions
of regulators that one side or surface of each inverted vessel shall be at all
times open to and subject to pressure of the outer atmosphere. The form of
these gas regulators may be varied, and I have in the Drawings annexed
shewn the three modifications or forms which I prefer, but I do not confine
myself thereto so long as my Invention be applied.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 shew respectively an external view, a vertical section,
and a plan of a gas regulator constructed according to my Invention. a is
the external vessel or chamber to which the inlet or supply tube or pipe is to
be fixed at 6, whilst the outlet tube or pipe is to be fixed at c; within this
vessel or chamber is a smaller vessel d, through the centre of which a spindle e
moves freely, and so as to admit atmospheric air from the exterior to pass
freely under the inverted vessel f, the lower edge of which inverted vessel dips
into quicksilver g, contained in the inner vessel d. The moveable part of the
valve h is fixed to the inverted vessel, whilst the fixed part of the valve i is
fixed to the outer vessel or chamber; where the regulator is for several lights,
a weighted lever jis used to adjust the action of the inverted vessel, but for
a single light regulator the adjustment may be readily arrived at when, making
the apparatus. The weight on the adjusting lever can be screwed to or from
the fulcrum of the lever, and thus vary the adjustment or effect of the weight
on the inverted vessel. The lever works in the opening or passage & through
k

page_text: which the atmospheric air communicates with the under side of the inverted
vessel. The gas enters the outer chamber or vessel, and passes between it
and the inner vessel, and thence outside of the inverted vessel, and thence
through between the valve h, i, and if the pressure above the valve becomes
too great it will by acting on the valve tend to close it and reduce the size of
the opening or passage through the valve, and consequently reduce the
quantity of gas which is allowed to pass the valve. If the pressure of the gas
becomes too little beyond the valve h, i, then the lever will tend to open the
valve and increase the passage between the parts h and i of the valve, and
consequently admit of a greater flow of gas through the valve, whilst one side
of the inverted vessel will be constantly subject to the action or pressure of
the outer atmosphere.
Figure 4 shews a vertical section of another form of gas regulator suitable
for pendant burners, and also where it is desired to apply a gas regulator to
the supply pipe of the gas meter in order that the gas passing from the supply
pipe or main to the burners may be regulated before it enters the gas meter.
In this modification the supply pipe or tube from the main is fixed at b, which
is at the upper part of the regulator, and the outlet pipe from the regulator is
to be fixed at c, which is at the lower part of the regulator. In this arrange-
ment a is the outer vessel, and d the inner vessel; e is the spindle or eye to
which the adjusting lever j is applied to the inverted vessel f, which dips into
quicksilver g in the inner vessel d. In this arrangement the air passage k,
within which the adjusting lever works, conducts the atmospheric air above
the inverted vessel, and the pressure thereof is constant on the outside surface
of such inverted vessel, whilst the gas is introduced from the outer vessel into
the interior of the inverted vessel, as is indicated by the arrows. In this
arrangement there is a fixed part h of the valve, whilst the part i of the
inverted vessel acts as the moveable part of the valve. The action and
regulation of this form of gas regulator is the same as that before described.
Figure 5 shews a vertical section, and Fig. 6 a plan, of another form of
gas regulator, in which the supply pipe from the main is fixed at the lower
part of the regulator, as in the one first described. The moveable part i of
the valve is connected to the inverted vessel f, which is double, and the lower
edges dip into quicksilver g contained in two annular troughs formed at the
bottom of the inner vessel d; the stationary part h of the valve is supported on
a spindle as in Figure 1, but such spindle is fixed, whilst the adjusting lever j
is fixed to the inverted vessel, which vessel is arranged to be supported at only
one point of its edge, and is free to rock on that point, the lower edge of
the vessel being unsupported at all other parts. The adjusting lever works

page_text: through the air passage, which in this arrangement, as in Figure 1, conducts
air to the under surface of the inverted vessel.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Esplin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
CHARLES ESPLIN.
(L.B.)