Automatic Thermal Apparatus for Regulating, Controlling, and Indicating Temperatures.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 13th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Thermal Apparatus for Regulating, Controlling, and
Indicating Temperatures.
1, CARL AUGUST PORGES, of No. 8 Kaiserstrasse, Vienna, Austria, Captain
in the Imperial and Royal Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
nvention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an automatic thermal apparatus for controlling the
temperature of the locality in which it is situated, and for other purposes, such
apparatus being based upon the fact that saturated vapours at a definite temperature
exert a corresponding definite pressure so that by varying the pressure, the
temperature of boiling point can also be varied.
The invention consists essentially in the use of an hermetically closed expansible
vessel filled to a certain extent with a more or less volatile liquid such vessel being
subject externally to a regulatable yielding pressure resisting its expansion, and
connected by a rod, lever or other device either to a valve closing a passage through
which hot or cold fluid is made to flow, or otherwise communicating the motion of
the expanding or contracting part of the vessel to an appliance whereby the
temperature of a locality can be controlled, or whereby an indication of such motion
can be given upon a dial or signalling apparatus, or again the said rod lever or
other device actuated by the closed vessel may be made to open or close an
electrical circuit the current of which is made to operate the said devices.
Thus it will be seen that if the said vessel be more or less filled with a volatile
liquid, such as chloride of ethyl, ethylmethyl ether, aldehyde &c. that boils at a
certain comparatively low temperature, then by putting a certain external yielding
pressure upon the vessel resisting the expansion thereof by the internal pressure
exerted by the vapours, the boiling point of the liquid can be raised to any desired
degree, and thus the temperature at which the apparatus is made to act upon the
valve or other device controlling the supply of hot or cold air or other fluid can be
correspondingly raised, so that by this means the apparatus can be made to auto-
matically maintain the locality at a definite temperature to which the apparatus
has been adjusted.
The apparatus can be constructed in a variety of ways for the purposes of this
invention; thus according to one construction, one or more such before mentioned
closed vessels with flexible sides may be connected on the one side at their centre
to a stud on which bears a weighted lever, while the other side bears against an
adjustable abutment. The lever is connected by a rod to the valve or other device
by which the temperature of the locality is regulated.
Thus when the temperature of the locality rises beyond a certain point the
pressure of the vapour of the liquid in the vessel or vessels, in overcoming the
compressing action of the weighted lever, will, in expanding the vessel, move
the lever and cause it to open or close the valve as the case may be. According to
another arrangement, the flexible vessel is supported on its underside by a central
pin fitting a recess in an adjustable screw support carried by the casing. On the
upper flexible side is fitted a central strengthening disc on the centre of which
bears the one end of a vertical rod, the other end of which passes up through the
casing and bears against the valve in the passage for the hot or cold or combustible
fluid.
The lower end of the rod has a screw thread on which is screwed a collar upon
which bears the lower end of a helical spring whose upper end bears against the
upper end of the casing, so that the spring presses the rod down upon the flexible
top of the closed vessel with a pressure that can be regulated by screwing the collar

page_text: up or down on the rod. The regulation of the pressure can also be effected by the
bottom screwed support on which the flexible vessel rests, and this support may
have a pointer fixed to it by which it is turned and which indicates the amount of
pressure on a circular scale.
The rotation of the flexible vessel, when turning the support, is prevented by a
pin fixed to the underside of the vessel sliding in an opening in the casing.
As the rod which actuates the valve has to pass through the supply pipe, such
passage must be so arranged as to let the rod work without friction while at
the same time preventing leakage of steam or other fluid.
For this purpose the rod is enclosed in a small metal tube the upper end of which
is fixed to the supply pipe in which the valve is situated while the lower end
has attached to it one end of a piece of flexible tubing, the other end of which
is fixed to a collar on the rod. Any steam that may escape into the tube from
the supply pipe cannot escape out of the tube, but will be condensed therein.
The flexible tube, while allowing the rod perfect freedom to move up and down,
may be strengthened against any internal pressure that may be put upon it, by
metal hoops. In like manner, a flexible diaphragm may be used in place of a
tube.
According to another modification the above described arrangement is inverted,
the flexible vessel being placed at top, with a stud on its underside bearing upon a
flexible diaphragm that closes an opening in the top of the supply pipe, the valve
of which is in contact with the underside of the diaphragm; a helical spring
situated within the supply pipe bears with its upper end against the underface
of the valve, tending to keep it away from its seat and consequently acting
against the pressure of the vapour in the flexible expansion vessel which tends
to keep the valve closed.
The lower end of the spring bears upon a disc that is raised or lowered by
a screw so as to regulate the upward pressure of the spring.
Two or more of the closed expansion vessels can be placed one above the other
so as to act simultaneously upon the valve. When it is required that a slight
motion of the said vessels shall enable a comparatively large volume of air or
other gas to be admitted to a space, such as for supplying cold air to a refrigerating
chamber, the valve and its seat are made of gridiron form, so that a small lift of
the valve will give a large area of opening.
According to another application of the said closed expansion vessels, they are
.made to act upon a lever or arm so as to cause it to make or break a contact on an
electric circuit, according as the temperature rises or falls at the locality where the
apparatus is situated, and the current thus re-established or interrupted in the
circuit may be utilised in a variety of ways, either for the opening or closing of
valves, or ventilating flaps, or for actuating an electro motor for driving a
ventilating fan, or for actuating signalling or recording apparatus.
The contact lever is controlled by an adjustable spring or weight so that by
regulating the tension of the spring or position of the weight the exact temperature
at which the expansion vessels will open or close the circuit can be determined.
The said lever may also be employed either directly as an index or for imparting
motion to an index or marking style for registering the temperatures.
The above described thermal apparatus may be employed for regulating
temperature either by controlling the supply of combustible gases to heating
apparatus, or by controlling the supply of hot or cold fluids flowing through pipes,
or by controlling the supply of air to the heating or cooling chamber, or it may be
used for indicating temperatures either alone or in conjunction with the regulating
action.
Dated this 8th day of June 1892.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Thermal Apparatus for Regulating, Controlling, and
Indicating Temperatures.
I, CARL AUGUST PORGES, of No. 8 Kaiserstrasse, Vienna, Austria, Captain
in the Imperial and Royal Engineers, 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:-
My invention relates to an automatic thermal apparatus for controlling the
temperature of the locality in which it is situated, and for other purposes which
apparatus is based upon the fact that saturated vapours at a definite temperature
exert a corresponding definite pressure, so that by varying the pressure the
temperature of boiling point can also be varied.
I will describe the construction of the said apparatus with reference to the
accompanying drawings which shew various constructions and applications thereof.
The essential features of the apparatus consist in :
(1) The framing A Figure 1.
(2) The expansion capsules or drums B, which are provided with flexible or
elastic sides or membranes m either on one or on both sides, and which contain the
vaporisable liquid f, and are always situated in the locality in which the temperature
requires to be maintained constant. The expansion capsules are permanently closed,
being preferably soldered or brazed.
The membranes m are in many cases strengthened at the centre by plates p
which serve to transmit the pressure exercised thereby.
In the detached section of a capsule shewn at Figure 1A, e is a stoppered
opening for filling in the liquid; n is a central pin on the underside for centrally
securing the capsule on its support, the capsules being by preference so arranged
as to be readily placed in position and removed.
(3) The pressure regulator C which is made adjustable and which is preferably
constructed either of a loaded lever, as shewn at Figure 1, or as a spring, as in
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6.
The pressure regulator may also be so arranged that its action varies in the
course of time, for example by replacing the solid weight on the lever by a vessel
suspended therefrom, into or from which liquid is made to flow.
(4) The closing or indicating device D, which is always connected with one of
the membranes m in such manner that it partakes of the movement thereof.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Assuming that the liquid of boils,
under normal barometric pressure, at a temperature t (for instance 12° C.) then if
the capsule B were not loaded by the pressure regulator C, and the tension of the
membrane were inconsiderable, then at the said temperature t the pressure of the
vapour would be such that on the slightest increase taking place the membrane
would be expanded and consequently made to actuate the closing device D.
If however the capsule is loaded by the pressure regulator C to such an extent
that such pressure can only be overcome by a pressure of the vapour in the capsule
which is produced at a higher temperature t¹ (for instance 16° C.) then the closing
device will only be actuated at such higher temperature t¹, or, more accurately
when that temperature is slightly exceeded.
If the pressure regulator C consists of a spring, as shewn at Figure 3, then the
closing device will not be at once actuated to the full extent, because the spring
when first acted upon by the expanding capsule will have to be gradually com-
pressed until its tension is such as to balance the pressure exerted by the capsule.
In this case therefore the valve D would begin to be actuated at the temperature
of t¹ (16° C.) and such actuation would terminate at a temperature t* (say 20° C.).
It will be seen that the apparatus as described must always act at temperatures
that are above the boiling point of the liquid f, or at any rate just below such

page_text: boiling point. The latter is rendered possible if the capsule contains some air in
addition to the liquid, because in that case the pressure within the capsule, in
accordance with Dalton's law, is composed of the pressure of such air and that of
the confined vapour.
Figure 2 shews an arrangement which allows of the apparatus being made to act
even considerably below the temperature of boiling point. For this purpose the
pressure regulator is made to act in the contrary manner on the capsules, that is
to say, tending to expand them, and consequently in the same direction as the
internal pressure of the vapour, such pressures being counteracted by the external
atmospheric pressures. The plates p must of course in this case be fixed to the
membranes.
I will now describe some special applications of the apparatus. Figure 3 shews
a thermal apparatus applied as regulator of temperature for localities heated by
steam, hot air, or other heating fluid. If the temperature in the said locality
rises so high that the vapour pressure within the expansion capsule B (of which
there may be several) can overcome the pressure of the pressure regulator and of
the atmosphere, the closing of the valve D in the steam or hot air supply pipe
will begin, and the supply of heating fluid to the beating pipes will be propor-
tionately decreased, or entirely cut off, as the case may be.
If on the other hand the temperature of the locality sinks below the normal, the
valve D will be opened to a corresponding extent.
The
Thus the temperature can be so regulated as to be practically constant.
capsule B acts upon the valve D by means of the discs p, screwed stem j and rod
passing through a tube t fixed at top to the casing.
g
On the threaded stem j is screwed a nut upon which rests a disc that
receives the pressure of the lower end of the spring C, the upper end of which
bears against the casing as shown. Thus by screwing the nut j¹ upward on the
stem the pressure of the spring upon the capsule will be increased, and conse-
quently the valve D will only be closed at a corresponding higher temperature,
that is to say, the apparatus will be adjusted to maintain a higher normal
temperature in the locality. The regulation may also be effected by means of a
screw screwing through the base of the casing and supporting the underside of
the capsule, so that by screwing upward, or downward, the capsule will be raised
or lowered, and thus the tension of the spring C be increased or decreased, while
at the same time the valve D will be adjusted nearer to or further from its seat.
Thus every adjustment.of the screw h, (which is indicated by the pointer Z,
attached thereto, upon a circular scale on the casing) will correspond to a definite
temperature to be maintained. The rotation of the capsule B on the turning of
the screw is prevented by a pin i on the underside thereof bearing against a bar
of the framing.
The rod having to pass into the interior of the supply pipe for the heating
fluid, it is necessary to provide an effective closure against the escape of such
fluid.
If a stuffing box were used for this purpose, the friction caused thereby would
interfere with the accuracy of the action. The tube t is therefore provided at its
lower end with a caoutchouc or other flexible extension k which is attached to a
bush fixed on to the rod l, and which is protected against the steam pressure by a
winding of wire, or by wire gauze, so that such caoutchouc joint allows of the
vertical adjustment of the rod while maintaining a steam or air tight closure. The
tube t will, in the case of steam, always be filled with water of condensation from
the steam leaking through, so that the caoutchouc tube will thus always be
protected from the heat. In the case of hot air or other gases the tube may be
filled with suitable liquid in the first instance.
When the apparatus is to be used for regulating the temperature of dwelling
rooms, the liquid for the expansion capsule may suitably consist of chloride of
ethyl, or ethyl-methyl ether; also aldehyde can be employed if used with due
precaution.

page_text: Fig. 4 shews a thermal regulator for stoves heated by combustible gas. The
adjustment of the spring regulator C is in this case effected by the screw g. The
other parts correspond to those of the preceding arrangement, and are indicated
by the same letters. In order to avoid the use of a stuffing box, the chamber on
the gas supply pipe is closed by a flexible diaphragm g against the underside of
which bears the centre of the shut off valve D while the stem of the capsule B bears
on the upper side thereof.
Such diaphragm being without tension, it has no effect upon the action of the
apparatus.
For maintaining a small flame at the gas burner when the valve D is entirely
closed, either a small by-pass may be provided or a simple notch u may be made in
the seat of the valve.
If the locality is to be maintained at a constant low temperature by the admission
of refrigerated air, the apparatus only requires to be so arranged that the valve D
is more or less closed when the temperature sinks below the normal, and opens when
it rises.
Fig. 5 shews an arrangement in which an electrical contact D on a circuit is
made or broken when the temperature rises above or falls below a certain degree in
the locality. The establishment or interruption of the electric current thus effected
can be utilised in various ways thus for example it may be made to effect the closing
or opening of valves, ventilating flaps &c., or for actuating an electromotor for
ventilating purposes, or for actuating signalling or recording apparatus, &c.
By properly determining the size of the expansion capsules B, or by placing
several thereof one above the other, or by duly proportioning the strength of the
spring C and the length of the lever D, which may also carry an adjustable weight,
the apparatus may be readily so adjusted that with a variation of temperature of
only degree the contact may be made to move several millimetres, so that the
accuracy of the apparatus would not be affected by the ordinary burning away of
the contact points within certain limits.
The said automatic thermal apparatus can also be employed for indicating or
registering temperatures by employing a lever such as D either directly as index,
or as a working style in combination with a travelling graduated surface, or by
causing it to actuate suitable registering mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what 1 claim is :-
1. An automatic thermal apparatus consisting essentially of the combination of a
casing A, one or more expansion capsules B charged with vaporisable liquid a
pressure regulator C and a closing actuating or indicating device D the latter being
so connected to the membrane m of the expansion capsule B as to cause the device D
to be automatically actuated at any variation of temperature that may occur in the
locality where the apparatus is situated, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus such as is referred to in the first claim, the construction of
expansion capsule B with two membranes m, and the arrangement of two or more
such capsules one above the other for obtaining increased motion, also the arrange-
ment of the capsules in such manner as to be readily exchangeable, substantially as
described.
3. The use as filling liquid for the capsules B referred to in the preceding claims
of chloride of ethyl, ethyl methyl ether, or aldehyde, substantially as described.
4. Arranging thermal regulators such as are referred to in the preceding claims
so that the pressure regulator acts in the same direction as the vapours within the
capsules substantially as described.
5. The arrangement of thermal regulators such as are referred to in Claims 1 to 4
so as to effect the regulation of steam or hot air heating apparatus, substantially as
described.
6. The arrangement of thermal regulators such as are referred to in Claims 1 to 4

page_text: so as to effect the regulation of apparatus for heating by the combustion of gas,
substantially as described.
7. The application of thermal apparatus such as are referred to in Claims 1 to 4
as regulators of temperature in localities heated by means of liquids gases or vapours
substantially as described.
8. The application of thermal apparatus such as referred to in Claims 1 to 4 as
regulator of air supply substantially as described.
9. The application of thermal apparatus such as referred to in Claims 1 to 4 as
regulators of temperature for refrigerating apparatus worked by means of liquids
gases or vapours, substantially as described.
10. The application of thermal apparatus such as referred to in Claims I to 4 for
making and breaking electrical contacts substantially as described.
11. The application of thermal apparatus such as is referred to in Claims 1 to 4
as indicators of temperature by employing the part D as index or by the combina-
tion of this part with indicating or registering mechanism substantially as described.
12. In thermal apparatus such as referred to in the preceding claims, the use in
lieu of stuffing boxes of caoutchouc tubes or diaphragms protected against bursting
strains, substantially as described.
13. In thermal apparatus such as referred to in the preceding claims the use of
pressure regulators C that are either adjustable, or whose pressure is made to vary
in course of time, substantially as described.
14. In thermal apparatus such as referred to in the preceding claims, the use of
regulating screws h which raise or lower the expansion capsules, these being
prevented from rotating by guide pins i, substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of March 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicant.