IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF GAS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Holman, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City
25
of London, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF GAS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Holman at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th March 1879.
STEPHEN HOLMAN, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London.
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF GAS."
" IMPROVE-
My Invention relates, first, to the method of controlling the discharge of gas from
the retorts in order to obviate back pressure when the lid of the retort is closed and
to prevent the return of gas when the lid of the retort is opened, and it consists in
the employment of an annular passage around the dip pipe capable of being closed
as required by a valve formed by the top of the said pipe, the arrangement being
such that during the working of the retort the valve is open, and the dip pipe
elevated for the free escape of the gas both through the dip pipe and through the
annular passage, whereas when it is required to open the lid of the retort it is
simply necessary to close the valve, thus causing its dip pipe to descend into the
water and preventing the return of the gas. In order to operate the said valvular
dip pipe I may employ an arrangement of internal and external levers, the fulcrum
spindle of which is carried in the cover above the valve, the internal lever is forked to
embrace a pin fitted or cast in the stem or head of the valve, and the ends of which
work in guides in the said cover, the external lever which may be either weighted
or otherwise, is fitted on the outer end of the said fulcrum spindle for the facility of
manipulating the said valvular dip pipe. This arrangement may be modified, and
any ordinary means may be employed for operating the valvular dip pipe by hand,
and two or more of the valvular dip pipes may be operated by means of one external
lever or connection. I may also operate the valvular dip pipe automatically by
means of a float suitably balanced for the purpose. When it is desired to dispense
with the hydraulic main the dip pipe may be closed either by means of a plug or
by a supplementary valve fitted to the said pipe.

page_text: My Invention relates, secondly, to the means of instantaneously regulating the
passage of gas through gas mains or orifices, and it consists in the employment of a
case or box fitted with duplicate slides (by preference slightly wedge shaped) having
similar bars and spaces and operated by means of a double headed cam or lever in
such a manner that by the act of moving the said cam or lever the spaces of the
said slides will be brought either opposite each other for the passage of the fluid,
or the spaces of the one slide will be brought opposite the bars of the other slide,
and the passage of the fluid thus wholly or partially cut off, as may be desired.
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Stephen Holman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
September 1879.
STEPHEN HOLMAN, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London.
" IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF GAS."
My said Invention relates, first, to the method of controlling the discharge of gas
from the retorts in order to obviate back pressure when the lid of the retort is
closed, and to prevent the return of gas when the lid of the retort is opened, and it
consists in the employment of an annular or circumambient passage around the dip
pipe capable of being closed as required by a valve formed by the top of the said
pipe, the arrangement being such that during the working of the retort the valve is
open and the dip pipe elevated for the free escape of the gas both through the dip
pipe and through the annular or circumambient passage, whereas when it is required
to open the lid of the retort it is simply necessary to close the valve, thus causing
its dip pipe to descend into the water and preventing the return of the gas.
In order to operate the said valvular dip pipe I may employ an arrangement of
internal and external levers, the fulcrum spindle of which is carried in the cover
above the valve; the internal lever is forked to embrace a pin fitted or cast in the
stem or head of the valve, and the ends of which work in guides in the said cover;
the external lever, which may be either weighted or otherwise, is fitted on the
outer end of the said fulcrum spindle for the facility of manipulating the said
valvular dip pipe. This arrangement may be modified, and any ordinary means
may be employed for operating the valvular dip pipe by hand, and two or more of
the valvular dip pipes may be operated by means of one external lever or con-
nection. I may also operate the valvular dip pipe automatically by means of a
float suitably balanced for the purpose.
My said Invention relates, secondly, to the means of instantaneously regulating
the passage of gas through gas mains or orifices, and it consists in the employment
of a case or box fitted with duplicate slides (by preference slightly wedge shaped),
having similar bars and spaces, and operated by means of a double headed cam or
lever, in such a manner that by the act of moving the said cam or lever the spaces
of the said slides will be brought either opposite each other for the passage of the
1.71.

page_text: fluid, or the spaces of the one slide will be brought opposite the bars of the other
slide, and the passage of the fluid thus wholly or partially cut off as may be
desired.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a longitudinal section of
apparatus constructed according to the first part of my said Invention for controlling
the discharge of gas from retorts; Figure 2 is a transverse section of the said appa-
ratus, and Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 1-2 (Figure 2);
Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent apparatus constructed according to the second part
of my said Invention for instantaneously regulating the passage of gas through gas
mains or orifices, Figure 4 being a vertical section taken along the line 3-4 (Figure
6), Figure 5 a sectional elevation taken along the line 5-6 (Figure 6), Figure 6 a
horizontal section taken along the line 7-8 (Figure 4), and Figure 7 a vertical
section taken at right angles to Figures 4 and 5 and along the line 9-10 (Figure 4).
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, which illustrate my improved apparatus for
controlling the discharge of gas from retorts, A is the dip pipe extending down
into and capable of being immersed at its extremity in the liquid of the ordinary
hydraulic main B. Around this dip pipe I place a casing C so as to leave an
annular or circumambient passage D which is capable of being closed as required by
a valve E formed by the top of the said dip pipe. When the valve is open and the
dip pipe elevated, as shewn in Figure 2, which is the case during the working of
the retort, both the passage D and the interior of the dip pipe A are in communica-
tion with a chamber F, leading by the pipe G from the retort, and the gas can
escape freely into the main both through the dip pipe and through the passage.
When however it is required to open the lid of the retort it is simply necessary to
close the valve E, thus causing the dip pipe to descend into the liquid, as shewn in
Figure 1, and preventing the return of the gas.
In order to operate the said valvular dip pipe various mechanical or automatic
arrangements may be adopted, but I prefer to employ the mechanical arrangement
illustrated in the Drawings and next hereinafter described.
H is an internal forked lever, the fulcrum spindle a of which is carried on the cover
I of the chamber F and extends through a stuffing box in the side of the said
chamber, for the reception on its extremity 6 of an external operating lever c which
may be provided with a weight d, or not, as required. The arms e, f of the forked
lever H embrace a pin g carried by suitable supports h, h, on the valve E, and the
ends of which pin work in guides at i, i in the cover I, I. By the act of moving
the external lever c from the position shewn in full lines in Figure 1 to the position
indicated by dotted lines in the said Figure, the valvular dip pipe A is raised into
the position shewn in Figure 2 for the free escape of the gas; and on the contrary,
by moving the lever c from the position shwn in dotted lines to the position
indicated in full lines in Figure 1, the valvular dip pipe A is lowered again into the
position represented in that Figure, thus sealing its extremity and closing the
passage D.
C
By the arrangement hereinbefore described of carrying the system of operating
levers in the cover above the valve, great facility is afforded for their removal as it
is simply necessary to detach and withdraw the cover, and the levers are removed
with it.
If it is desired that the valvular dip pipe should be operated automatically I
prefer to employ a float for that purpose, dipping into water or other suitable liquid,
and constructed so as to rise under the pressure of the gas, and fall by its own
gravity when the gas is not passing, after the manner of a gasometer.
The second part of my said Invention, which relates to means for regulating the
passage of gas through gas mains or orifices, is illustrated in Figures 4 to 7 of my
Drawings.

page_text: i
K is a case or box to be fitted to a gas main or orifice, and which may be con-
structed of any required shape and materials. In this case or box I fit two slides
k, k, which are formed with similar bars l, and spaces m, m¹, and are adapted to
guides (shewn most clearly at n¹, Figure 6) in the case or box K., so as to admit of
their being respectively moved simultaneously in opposite directions in order that
the spaces m, m', may be brought either opposite each other for the passage of the
fluid, or that the spaces m of the slide k' may be brought opposite the bars of the
slide, and vice versa, and the passage of the fluid thus wholly or partially cut
off as desired. The slides k, k¹, are operated in this manner by means of a double
headed cam or lever L adapted to recesses at o, o', in the slides, and having its axis
or fulcrum p in the cover M of the case or box K, the cam or lever being actuated
by the aid of an external lever or other operating appliance which may be fitted
upon the protruding extremity pl of the axis or fulcrum p.
By the arrangement of regulating apparatus the whole area for the passage of the
fluid may be opened or closed by a minimum movement of the slides.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The combination with a valvular dip pipe of an annular. or circumambient
passage around the said pipe, controlled by the valve thereof, substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Second. Operating a valvular dip pipe by means of a system of internal and
external levers having their fulcrum spindle in the cover of the valve chamber or
apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
Third. The employment for regulating the passage of gas through gas mains or
orifices of duplicated slides operated by a double headed cam or lever, the parts
being constructed, arranged, and combined together, substantially in the manner
hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Holman, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of September 1879.