Improved Method of and Apparatus for Automatically Supplying Gas to Jets and Lighting and Extinguishing same.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 8th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Automatically Supplying Gas
to Jets and Lighting and Extinguishing same.
A communication from THE AUTOMATIC GAS LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING
COMPANY LIMITED (Hoare & Kennedy's Patent), a Company incorporated
under "The Companies' Act 1893," of Western Australia, and having its
Registered Office at No. 14, Lombard Chambers, St. George's Terrace, Perth.
Western Australia.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered l'atent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:--
At
This invention relates to supplying gas to and lighting and extinguishing
gas jets or lights at any given point from a distance from such jets by means
of utilising the increase or decrease of the pressure of the gas in the mains.
present, in many instances (especially where incandescent mantle burners are
used), the employment of a constantly burning pilot or bye-pass flame is
required while by means of this invention such bye-pass flame is in requisition
only during such time as the main flame is extinguished, and conversely when
the latter alight the bye-pass flame is extinguished. In other words a
reciprocal action is obtained by this invention as regards the main and the bye-
pass flames.
The invention essentially consists in the use and employment of a bifurcated
or Y-shaped pipe, hollow chamber or such like and equivalent form of con-
struction. The trunk of such pipe is of such a length as to project downwards
sufficiently far into a body of water or other liquid so as to ensure its lower end
to be sealed by such liquid which latter is contained in a chamber or vessel
preferably of a circular form. This liquid may be water, oil or glycerine, but
a liquid of a non-evaporative nature would be used by preference in the working
of this invention. One branch of this bifurcated shaped pipe is connected to
the gas supply main while the other branch leads to and is in connection with
the burner. For the bye-pass flame is used a secondary and similarly con-
structed bifurcated pipe which is connected to its own burner and to the gas
supply in similar manner as that of the main burner apparatus.
The chamber or vessel for containing the sealing liquid is divided into two
compartments, one of which is hermetically sealed from the outer air except
as hereinafter mentioned and this one contains the bye-pass flame apparatus
while the compartment which contains the main burner apparatus is open to
the air. This chamber as a whole may be self-contained as hereinafter set
forth, but preferably two compartments are used.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference may be made.
to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating the construction and arrange-
ment of the apparatus and in this figure the gas passage for the main burner
is shown open and the latter is illustrated as being alight, and conversely the

page_text: gas passage for the bye-pass flame is closed and such bye-pass flame is shown
as extinguished, and in this figure the sealing liquids are shown at the levels
necessary to operate for and obtain this result."
Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 except that the main burner is shown
as extinguished and the bye-pass. Hame alight, the sealing liquids being at the
altered levels necessary to obtain such opposite result as is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 illustrates an amplification or enlargement of the use of this inven-
tion in
which gas may be admitted to pipes or chambers for supplying gas to
jets at various degrees of pressure.
Figure 4 shows an alternate form of construction of this invention in which
the tunk ends are joined together in one piece so forming the apparatus as a
sch-contained chamber, and in such construction the sealing liquid is altogether
contained or confined within such trunk. In this figure the gas passage to the
main burner is shown open and the passage for the bye-pass flame is closed.
tigure is a similar view to Figure 4, but illustrating the passages in a vice-
versa condition.
In Figures 1 and 2. An ordinary cylindrical vessel is shown divided by the
partition A, whereby is formed the compartments or chambers, as A3 and A³,
in which are respectively contained the sealing liquids as B and B2
The compartment A2 is open to the air and provided with a hinged door
as A, while the compartment A³ is hermetically sealed from the outer air
except by way of the main burner and is provided with a filler as A5, having a
screwed cap as A.
In the chamber A2 is placed the bifurcated or Y shaped pipe branched appa-
ratus, whose lower end or trunk C depends down into the sealing liquid as B.
The branch C of this apparatus is connected to the main gas supply pipe and
C³ is its fellow branch for supplying the main burner D) in manner as shown
by its pipe and connections as D2.
In the sealed chamber A³ is placed the bifurcated pipe apparatus for the bye-
pass flame which apparatus is constructed in similar manner as that for the
main burner, and having the trunk as which projects into its own sealing
agent as B2, and also made with the branches E and E. E is the bye-pass
flame or pilot burner suitably connected to the branch E2 as shown. F is the
pipe leading from the gas supply main and having the two vertical extensions
as F and F, which respectively connect to the branches C² and E³.
The extension pipe is smaller than that of F for obvious reasons. G and G2
are pipes whose purpose is to regulate the predetermined levels of the sealing
liquids B and B in their respective chambers, such pipes being screwed as
at G3 for such purpose so as to be vertically adjustable. These pipes are pro-
vided with screw caps or covers as G.
Referring to the application of the invention as shown in Figure 3. J is the
pipe branch leading from the gas main. The branch pipes J2 and J³ are for
supplying the burners these three pipes being united by the trunk pipe or
junction piece J, which depends into the sealing liquid L contained in the
vessel as L².
In this figure the line 1 denotes the level which results in the cut off of the
gas from both pipes J2 and J³, while the line 2 denotes the liquid at such level
as to allow a passage for the supply of gas to pipe J while line 3 is the level
at which the supply is open to both pipes. The level marked 1 represents the
pressure at zero and the levels as 2 and 3 being respectively obtained by the
pressure being increased to such an extent as to displace the liquid to the re-
quired degree in the trunk junction as to create the gas passages to the
branches J and J³.
In Figures 4 and 5 the self-contained or united trunk M contains the sealing
liquid or agent as M2 and made with the large and small ends M³ and M4 from
which respectively branch the main burner and bye-pass flame pipes as M³

page_text: and M. N is the gas supply pipe which joins on to the chamber M by the con-
nections as N³ and N as shown.
The working and method of the use of this invention is as follows, and in
which explanation it is assumed that the sealing liquids B and B are placed
in the compartments as A and A³ to the correct predetermined levels by means
of the regular pipes G and G. Immediately upon the increased or what may
be technically termed the "night pressure" being turned on in the gas mains
from the gas works or other such central pressure controlling point, the gas
passes through supply pipes F and F and so into the branch of the bifur-
cated or shaped pipe apparatus and its pressure is concurrently exerted on
the face of that portion of the sealing liquid B which is contained within the
trunk junction piece C of such bifurcated pipe apparatus, and the gas displaces
such fluid to the necessary extent as is shown by the level in Figure 1 as to
result in the creation of a passage for the gas which now proceeds in its travel
through fellow branch and is delivered into the sealed chamber A³, from
which latter chamber the main burner D) is fed by its pipe connection 12 as
shown whereupon the burner 1 in the first instance is obviously lighted by
hand. It is also evident that as the liquid is displaced in the trunk it rises
to a corresponding level based on a ratio of area in the chamber A2 as shown in
Figure 1. The gas delivered from the branch into the sealed chamber A³,
and such gas being at the "night" pressure obviously exerts such pressure on
the face of the sealing liquid B2 in its chamber A³, with the result that such
liquid is forced up the trunk E and so effectively closes the bye-pass flame
passage in the bifurcated apparatus belonging to such bye-pass flame E. It is
further evident that upon the turning on of the "night" pressure, such pressure
is also concurrently exerted through pipe E on the face of that portion of the
fluid 12 which is contained within the trunk junction E of the apparatus for
supplying the bye-pass flame E+, but the area of such lesser portion in E being
small in proportion to the face area of the liquid B3 in the sealed chamber A³
the bye flame passage consequently remains closed.
It is now desired to extinguish the main burner D whereupon the pressure
is reduced to such a degree as to allow an opposite action to take place when
the liquid B is found to rise in the trunk C and close the main burner passage
and the liquid 132 to concurrently fall in the trunk E and open the passage
which supplies the bye-pass burner E which is ignited by the expiring flame
of the main burner D. Such lighting and extinguishing operations now suc-
cessively and automatically follow on as may be required from time to time.
The working of the invention of the alternate form of construction as shown
in Figures 4 and 5 is as follows:-
Assume that it is desired to light the main burner as in Figure 4 the pressure
being turned on through pipe N and connections, will cause the sealing liquid
to be displaced or depressed at the end 3 of the chamber M so opening the
way for the gas to proceed through the pipe M and concurrently the liquid will
rise at the end M so closing the gas from the pipe M. The necessary decrease
of pressure will result in the liquid assuming its zero-level as denoted by
line, r, closing the passage to the pipe M and such zero-level permits the
passage to be open to the bye-pass flame pipe M6, such predetermined zero-level
is obtained by placing in the chamber M the sealing liquid of the approved
quantity. It will thus be seen that a reciprocal or balance action is obtained
by this alternate construction by means of the pressure acting on surfaces of
different areas. To maintain the lighting of the main burners a pressure of
about four-tenths over and above the maximum day pressure is required.
My correspondents do not limit themselves to the exact angle of the branches
or to an arbitrary shape of the apparatus as a whole or to the materials or
general arrangement of its construction or to the nature of the liquid or fluid
which may be used as an equivalent sealing agent to those as herein before
specified, but

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I. declare that what
I claim is―
1. The herein described method of automatically lighting and extinguishing
gras jets burners or flames consisting in utilising the pressure in the gas main
or source of supply for the purpose of opening or closing a way or passage for
the gas by means of the displacement and replacement of an elastic fluid or
liquid substantially as and for the purposes herein described and set forth.
2. An apparatus consisting essentially of a bifurcated or Y shaped pipe, tube
or chamber, the trunk end of which is placed in a sealing liquid, and the other
branches being in connection with the gas main and burner respectively, the
junction of such branches and trunk providing or forming means whereby a
passage is opened or closed respectively for or against the gas current by the
utilization of the pressure in the manner as above claimed, and substantially
as and for the purposes herein described and set forth.
3. An apparatus consisting essentially of a chamber as M, in which is con-
fined a sealing agent or liquid, and such chamber having at each of its ends
a bifurcated or Y shaped tubular formation whose branches at their junction
provide means whereby a passage is opened for or against the gas current by
the utilization of the pressure substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and set forth.
4. The general arrangement, peculiar construction, and combination of the
apparatus substantially as and for the purposes herein described and set forth
and as respectively illustrated in all of the figures of the accompanying
drawings.
D
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.