IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF GAS IN RAILWAY TRAINS BY ELECTRICITY
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM EDWARD LANGDON of Derby in the County of Derby, Superintendent
of the Midland Railway Telegraph Department do hereby declare the nature of
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF
GAS IN RAILWAY TRAINS BY ELECTRICITY" to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a means for turning the gas employed
for illuminating railway carriages up or down as may be required.
To this end I employ an electro magnet to the armature of which I attach a stop-
cock or valve and I so arrange the armature that it shall be operated in ono
direction, that is away from the cores of the electro magnet, by means of a spring
or by gravity; and in the other direction, that is towards the cores of the armatüre,
by the magnetism imparted to the said cores by the electric current when passing
through the coils of the electro magnet. Thus by the operation of the armature
I open or shut or nearly shut as may be necessary the cock or valve through which
the gas has to pass in order to reach the gas burners placed. in the carriage.
I place one of these electro magnets and valves upon each carriage or at such
points as may be requisite for the necessary control of the consumption of the gas,
and I connect it or them by a wire or by wires electrically with a switch or
commutator and battery placed in the guards van or other convenient spot so that
the guard or other appointed officer may at his will by handling the switch or
commutator in one direction so influence the armature that it shall close or nearly
close the gas valve in connection with it, and by handling it in the opposite
direction he shall open it.
By this means I propose to place in the hands of the guard or other appointed
officer the means of turning down to a minimum, short of being absolutely turned
out, the gas employed throughout the train or any portion of it at such times as it
is not required, and again restoring it to its maximum when again needed.

page_text: I WILLIAM EDWARD LANGDON of Derby in the County of Derby, Superintendent
of the Midland Railway Telegraph Department do hereby declare the nature of
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF
GAS IN RAILWAY TRAINS BY ELECTRICITY" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particulary described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of this invention is to provide a means for turning the gas employed
for illuminating railway carriages up or down as may be required.
To this end I employ an electro-magnet to the armature of which I attach a stop
cock or valve and I so arrange the armature that it shall be operated in one
direction, that is away from the cores of the electro-magnet-by means of a spring
or by gravity; and in the other direction-that is towards the cores of the
armature by the magnetism imparted to the said cores by the electric current
when passing through the coils of the electro magnet-Thus by the operation of
the armature I open or shut or nearly shut as may be necessary the cock or valve
through which the gas. has to pass in order to reach the gas burners placed in the
carriage.
+
I place one of these electro-magnets and valves upon each carriage or at such
points as may be requisite for the necessary control of the consumption of the gas,
and I connect it or them by a wire or wires electrically with a switch or commutator
and battery placed in the guard's van or other convenient spot, so that the guard
or other appointed officer may at bis will by handling the switch or commutator in
one direction so influence the armature that it shall close or nearly close the gas
valve in connection with it and by handling it in the opposite direction he shall
open it.
By this means I propose to place in the hands of the guard or other appointed
officer the means of turning down to a minimum-short of being absolutely turned
out the gas employed throughout the train or any portion of it at such times as
it is not required, and again restoring it to its maximum when again needed.
Figure 1 is an elevation with the lids or covers removed of an apparatus
constructed according to this invention, that is to say working with a permanent
current. Figures 2. and 3 are vertical cross sections of opposite sides of the
apparatus. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a detail, Figure 5 is a diagraphic
view shewing the apparatus applied and connected to railway carriages and Figure 6
an outside perspective view of the apparatus in its box.
A Figures 1, 2, and 3 is a small box preferably formed of brass or other non
magnetizable metal, but which may be formed of any suitable material capable of
withstanding the force and nature of the gas which is required to pass through it.
A; Figures 2 and 3 is the lid or cover of the said box which is packed around its
edges by indiarubber or other suitable material and which is secured by the bolts
and nuts as shewn in the drawings. B is the inlet tube conveying the gas from
the reservoir and B₁ the outlet tube conveying the gas from the box A to the
tube serving the lamps of the carriage. CC are electro-magnetic coils having

page_text: their pole pieces or cores-carried through the side of the box A and hermetically,
sealed so as to prevent the escape of the gas within A. D is the armature
of the electro magnet pivotted at d and carrying upon its opposite end the
valve pad E Figures 1 and 3. The movement of this armature D is controlled by
the helical spring F the tendency of which is to draw it away from the cores cc
until it rests upon the pin or stop G which when adjusted is rigidly and permanently
fixed within A. Its opposite movement, that is when attracted by a current of
electricity passing through the coils C is controlled by an adjustable screw H
passing through the wall of the box A and which. is provided with a conical point
so adjusted that its point shall engage with the end of D and thus by screwing it
in or out regulate the space between D and the poles c, c or if necessary by
withdrawing still more it shall allow D to be attracted close up to the pole
pieces c c. is a check nut upon this screw.
The spring F is operated at will as regards its tension upon D by the rectangular
lever ff, the end f¹ moving with the screw I which is provided with the check
nut i. On screwing I further within the wall of A the lever f1 will be carried
forward and greater tension brought to bear upon the spring F and vice versa.
K, Figure 1 but more clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4 is a locking bar, the
object of which is to prevent any erratic movement of the armature D such as
would suppress the supply of the gas to the orifice b' of the tube B'. It is
pivotted at K' and controlled in its backward movement by the pin L, Figures 3
and 4, against which it is held by the helical spring K¹ except at such times as the
force of. this spring is overcome by the attractive influence of the pole pieces c c
when under the influence of an electric current. To K is fixed a bar M so arranged
that it shall when the locking bar K is in its normal state uninfluenced by any
magnetic attraction from c c pass under the armature D and prevent any motion
on its (D's) part. M Figure 4 has a rectangular projection at its end. When the
locking bar K is attracted towards c c this projection passes beyond the armature D
and allows D a free movement.
The coils C are connected to terminals c¹, c¹ and these are connected by wires to
the adjoining carriages as shown in Figure 5 and so on till they form connection
with a commutator and battery placed in the guard's van from which vehicle the
whole of the valves attached to each coach are worked. The commutator may be
of any suitable form and if preferred the circuit may be completed by employing
the frame work and wheels of the vehicles together with the railway metals by
placing the pole of the battery opposite that connected with the commutator or
switch and the terminal end of the circuit or line wire in connection with the
metals.
Now in its normal state as shown in the several drawings, no electric current is
flowing, and the gas from the reservoir of the carriage is free to enter by the tube B,
to pass through the box A to enter the orifice 61 of the tube B¹ and pass on to the
lamps which it is required to supply and which would consequently be at their
maximum of illumination.
Let it now be assumed that it is required to turn the lights of the several coaches
down to a given minimum. The commutator in the guard's van is thereon turned
to OFF-The battery current then flows throughout the circuit passing through
the coils C of each valve fixed upon the several coaches. On the current flowing
through C the poles c c become magnetised and remain thus so long as the current
flows; the locking bar K is attracted towards the pole pieces c c and thus sets the
armature D free. The armature D is then attracted, towards the pole pieces c c
carrying with it the valve pad E affixed to its end until the extreme end of D is
stopped by the screw H. The orifice b¹ is now nearly closed by the valve pad E
and the supply of gas to the lamps fed by B¹ reduced to the required minimum.
On the commutator in the Guard's van being turned to ON the electric current is
cut off. D is no longer attracted by the pole pieces c c and under the influence the
spring F is withdrawn to its position of rest against the stop pin G and the locking
bar K in like manner no longer held by the magnetic influence of cc is by the force

page_text: of the spring K drawn into its position of rest against the stop L and the
armature D with the valve pad E locked in the open position shown in Figure 1
allowing a free flow of gas, thereby raising the illuminating power of the several
burners to their maximum.
Figure 6. is an outside view of the valve instrument which is affixed to the
coach at any convenient position.
In the Specification of my patent dated 15th March 1884 N° 4969 I have claimed
the application of positive and negative electric currents for the opening and partial
closing respectively of a gas supply valve in a railway train.
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
I claim is
First―The application of a permanent current of electricity to the control of
the supply of lighting gas in railway trains as set forth.
Second-The construction of the armature lever D with valve pad E and spring
and the means for adjusting locking and actuating said lever substantially as set
forth.
Third-
drawings.
-The general construction and combination of parts as shown in the