IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY AND FOR PURIFYING GAS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Hallas and George Hallas, both of Leeds, in
the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY AND FOR PURIFYING GAS,"
Sealed the 25th September 1869, and dated the 8th April 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Hallas and
George Hallas at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th April 1869.
We, DAVID HALLAS and GEORGE HALLAS, both of Leeds, in the County
of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY AND FOR PURIFYING GAB," to he as
follows:-
The object of our Invention is to graduate the supply of gas according
to the varying requirements of each particular case. For this purpose,
in the first place, we use a tap or cock of peculiar construction; on the
face of the centre part (within which the cock turns) we place an index
Price 8d.1

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Hallas and George Hallas in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 8th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DAVID
HALLAS and GFORGE HALIAS, both of Leeds, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said David Hallas and George Hallas, Her
special licence that we, the said David Hallas and George Hallas, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
David Hallas and George Hallas, our 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING
THE SUPPLY AND FOR PURIFYING GAS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said David Hallas and George Hallas, our executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 rext and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said David Hallas and George Halias,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
The object of our Invention is to graduate the supply of gas according
For this purpose,
o the varying requirements of each particular case.

page_text: in the first place, we use a tap or cock of peculiar construction. On the
face of the centre part (within which the cock turns) we place an index
marked at given intervals to denote that when the handle of the cock is
severally opposite to them gas for the various numbers of lights which
they denote is being passed through. The rotating part of the cock
itself is made hollow and pierced at its circumference with holes of
varying size, so regulated that each is capable of supplying a given
number of lights and no more, and the gas is emitted into the supply
face of the centre part (within which the cock turns) we place an index
marked at given intervals to denote that when the handle of the cock is
severally opposite to them gas for the various numbers of lights which
they denote is being passed through. The rotating part of the cock
itself is made hollow and pierced at its circumference with holes of
varying size, so regulated that each is capable of supplying a given
number of lights and no more, and the gas is emitted into the supply
pipe.
we sometimes use
In conjunction with this cock
an additional
apparatus which further regulates the supply of gas, and which consists
of a perforated cylinder of metal floating in liquid (or if necessary it
may be dry) within a chamber through which passes all the gas to be
consumed. The perforations before referred to consist of diagonal rows
of holes at suitable distances apart, and of various diameters, the largest
being at the bottom, as when the pressure is the greatest (the cock
being turned on full) the cylinder is proportionately raised, and the gas
escapes from the fluid and passes through the holes into the chamber;
it then passes through a layer of lime or charcoal, as the case may be,
placed in the pipe communicating with the upper part for the purpose
of purifying the gas, and thence to the burners.
A slight modification of this latter arrangement is preferred where
large quantities of gas are required. This consists in having a chamber
with a closed top, its upper half being surrounded by an outer chamber
which receives the gas, the latter escaping through the perforated
In this
cylinder, and through perforations around the inner chamber.
case, however, the largest perforations of the cylinder may be in the
centre of each row and graduate either way. A packing ring of oiled
silk or tissue paper is used between the cylinder and the inner chamber
just above the perforations in the latter so that the cylinder may slide
up it, and the gus be prevented from entering above the perforatious
therein. A pressure gauge may be affixed either to the cock or tap or
above the cylinder (when it is used) to denote the pressure of the gas.
When liquid is used it is poured in at the upper end of the cylinder.
Sometimes the tap is used in conjunction with the cylinder and some-
times not.

page_text: Figure 1 is a part sectional view of a cock constructed according to
our Invention; Figure 2 is a cross section taken on line 1, 2, Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a central vertical section, and Figure 4, a front view of
the cock. The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the
Figures.
A, Figure 4, is the index or dial placed on the rotating part C of the
cock B. This dial is graduated at intervals and marked as seen to
denote that when the handle of the cock is brought opposite an index x
marked on the face of the cock B gas for the number of lights there
indicated is passing through the cock. The taper part C of the cock is
made hollow as seen, and one half of its circumference is pierced with
holes a of varying size, and the number of which corresponds with that
of the graduations or marks on the dial A. The other half of the cock C
is provided with a slot 6, the width of which varies as seen in Figure 3,
to correspond with the opposite holes a. The size of holes a is regulated
so that each shall be capable of supplying a given number of lights,
which number is indicated at the corresponding graduation on dial A,
so that when the handle is turned to bring any one of such graduations
opposite the point a the gas will pass through the corresponding hole a
and the slot 6 into the supply pipe.
Figure 5 shows a central vertical section of an additional apparatus
which we sometimes use as shown in conjunction with the cock before
described, and which further regulates the supply of gas. It consists of
a chamber D containing liquid in which the gas after passing through
the cock B arrives by a central tube d rising above the level of the
liquid. The mouth of tube D is enclosed by an inverted cap or
cylinder E, which is partially immersed in the liquid, and which rises and
falls therein according to the amount of gas required for consumption.
The sides of this cylinder are perforated with apertures e, arranged in
horizontal rows, the size of the apertures gradually increasing as they near
the bottom as seen.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The cock being turned to
any one of the indications on the dial A, according to the number of
lights required, the pressure of the gas passing through the cock and
through pipe d into chamber D will proportionally raise the cylinder E,

page_text: as shown in red lines, the gas escaping through such of the perforations e
as are thereby-raised above the surface of the liquid; it now passes out
through pipe F to the burners. The liquid may be introduced into
chamber D either through the top, or preferably through a pipe o, by
which its height may be regulated.
Figure 6 shows in central vertical section a modification of the
apparatus last described, in which the upper half of chamber Dis
surrounded by an outer chamber G, with which the burners are in com-
munication by pipe F, instead of with chamber D as before; the top
of which latter is closed. f. f, are perforations made in the sides of
chamber D by which the latter is put in communication with the annular
chamber. G. 9 is a packing ring of oiled silk, wash leather, or other
suitable material surrounding rising cylinder E, and attached to the sides
of chamber D just above the perforations f. The pressure of the gas
raises cylinder E as before, whence it escapes through such apertures
only as are between the packing ring g'and the surface of the liquid,
as the former prevents any escape of gas through the apertures which
may have risen above it. The gas then passes through perforations finto
chamber G, whence it is conducted to the burners. The apertures e
may either consist of a number of separate holes graduated in one, or it
may be both directions, or they may consist of a number of vertical slots
of varying width as shown in red lines. In any case the position of the
rising cylinder E will be adjusted automatically by the increased or
diminished pressure, as the case may be; of the gas therein, so that only
sufficient gas shall be passed to supply the burners in use. If desired
we may use the additional regulating apparatus herein-before described
in a dry state, that is to say, without the aid of liquid, by substituting
therefor a packing ring similar to that g, which packing ring would be
attached to chamber D at the level to which the liquid would rise if
employed, and to which it is similar in its action.
-
The purification of the gas is effected by means of a layer of lime or
charcoal, or it may be a sponge containing benzoline placed in the outlet
tube F at F, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. H is a pressure gauge,
which may be applied either to the cock, as shown in Figure 4, or above
the additional regulating apparatus, as shown in Figure 5, when such is
employed to ascertain the pressure of the gas.

page_text: Having described the nature of our Inveution, and the manner of
performing the same, we declare that what we claim as our In-
vention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
1st. The arrangement of cock B for regulating and indicating
the supply of gas to the burners, substantially as shown and described.
2ndly. We claim the improved gas regulating and purifying apparatus
illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the Drawings, arranged and operating
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said David Hallas and George Hallas
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-nine.
DAVID HALLAS
(L.B.)
GEORGE HALLAS
(L.B.)