IMPROVEMENTS IN LIGHTING WITH COMPRESSED GAS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES, SHIPS, BUOYS, AND ISOLATED BUILDINGS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bower and Anthony Spencer Bower, both of Saint
Neots, in the County of Huntingdon, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LIGHTING WITH COMPRESSED GAS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES,
SHIPS, BUOYS, AND ISOLATED BUILDINGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Bower and Anthony
Spencer Bower at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th
February 1880.
GEORGE BOWER and ANTHONY SPENCER BOWER, both of Saint Neots, in the
County of Huntingdon. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIGHTING WITH COMPRESSED GAS
AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY
AND OTHER CARRIAGES, SHIPS, BUOYS, AND ISOLATED BUILDINGS."
Ordinary lighting gas of either high or low illuminating power is employed, and
is compressed into suitable receivers. The improvements above mentioned refer
particularly to,―
1st. The regulator, which is employed to preserve one uniform low pressure of
gas at the burner or burners, though the pressure in the receiver may vary from
300 lbs. or more per square inch down to nearly that required at the burners, and
this uniform low pressure may be varied at will anywhere between a 1/2"th and a
12" column of water, where it will remain perfectly constant until the pressure in
the receiver be almost nil.
2nd. The valves for charging the receiver with high pressure gas and for the
distribution of the same.
3rd. An arrangement for carburating common gas of a low illuminating power
on the low pressure side, or after it has passed through the regulator from the
receiver and has been reduced to the proper pressure for economical consumption.
The regulator is constructed in the following manner, viz. :-A rectangular box
is provided, the body of which may be composed of cast iron; its front end is
removable, and two of its sides are formed with openings closed with wrought iron
plates. Between the box and these wrought iron sides are tightly screwed leather
diaphragms, which also form tight joints with all sides of certain plates, forming
flexible hinges at one extremity, and therefore enclosing gas tight spaces, with the
Price Bd31

page_text: exception that holes are provided through the sides communicating with the
external atmosphere. The hinged plates are connected together by a system of
levers, one of which, together with a small crank and its counterbalance, oscillates
about a fixed point as the plates move about their hinges.
The crank is connected by a flat link to a valve, the tail piece of which is
triangular in section, so as to allow gas to pass into the regulator when the conical
head of the valve is raised off its seat.
A flat spring is applied to one of the hinged plates, tending to cause the said
plate to move inwards about the hinge. The spring is rivetted to one of the sides,
and its tension is varied by a thumb-screw, which also varies the uniform low
pressure which it is desired to maintain between the before mentioned limits, a
lock nut being added in order to prevent the thumbscrew from moving after the
desired pressure at the burner is obtained. The apparatus operates in the following
manner :- -When the high pressure gas, fluid, or liquid enters by the high pressure
inlet through the valve it exerts a pressure exceeding that of the atmosphere, and
therefore tends to move the hinged plates outwards towards the holes against the
spring. The said plates acting through the intervention of the levers with the
crank lower the valve upon its seat, and vice versa, according to the requirements
of the lights which are burning, and drawing off gas at the low pressure outlet.
The valve is placed so that the receiver pressure tends to close it with this
important result. When the receiver pressure is high the valve must naturally
occupy a lower position than when the former is reduced, so as to keep the flow of
gas constant, and nevertheless equilibrium is maintained, because extra pressure
exists upon the head of the valve, which is counteracted by the extra compression
of the spring, and thus the burner pressure still remains perfectly constant.
Moreover the whole of the working parts of the apparatus are balanced and work
in opposite directions, so that no possible shaking can influence the valve, and thus
a perfectly uniform burner pressure is maintained under all circumstances, so long
as any gas above this pressure remains in the receiver.
The distributing valves are constructed in the following manner, viz. In the
case of the valve connected with the regulator the high pressure gas pipe leading
from the receiver communicates with the valve by means of a suitable pipe. Soft
lead or metal seats are provided, and into the pipe is screwed a gland, forming an
abutment for one of the metal seats or rings when a spindle, which passes through
the gland, and a small piston thereon are screwed up to it. The gland forms a
gas tight joint with the pipe by means of a ring also of soft lead or metal, or of
other suitable material. A device is attached to the spindle by a pin in order to
enable the valve to be opened and shut by means of an ordinary guard's railway
carriage door key inserted in a suitable opening. The valve is shut when the
piston makes a joint with one seat, and open when it makes a joint with the other,
the gas passing to the regulator.
A small
In the arrangement of the valve for filling the receiver from the station supply
pipe, a pipe in communication with the receiver is put in communication with the
station reservoir by means of a hose pipe. A hose coupling is provided, which
when screwed up make a tight joint by means of a lead or metal washer.
feather tailed valve is forced upon its seat by a spring when the coupling is
loosened, but when the latter is tight it is always kept open. The pipe in com-
munication with the receiver is provided with a valve acting in precisely the same
manner as the distributing valve hereinbefore described in connection with the
regulator.
The following is the manner in which the receivers are filled when applied to
the lighting of railway carriages:-The pressure of gas previously accumulated by
pumping into the station reservoirs being turned on to the hose pipe, the coupling
is screwed tight up lifting the one valve, then the other valve is opened, and the
gas passes into the receiver until the pressure in it equals that in the station
reservoir. The receiver being full the last mentioned valve is closed, the coupling
is disconnected, the other valve preventing any escape of gas. By the improved

page_text: arrangement of valves a gas tight joint is obtained without the use of stuffing
boxes. An ordinary low pressure cock may be employed with a groove cut round
the plug, so that the lights can never be put entirely out without first shutting
off the high pressure gas from the regulator; this cock is placed between the
burners and the low pressure outlet, so that the guard of a train shall have control
over the lights between two limits only, and so that he may be able to reduce
the quantity being consumed in case of need; the higher limit is fixed by the
regulator, and the lower one by the groove in the low pressure plug.
A pressure gauge is also provided which may have the number of hours that
the gas will burn marked upon it instead of pounds per spuare inch, so that the
guard may see plainly when his carriage will require charging with gas.
According to another part of our said Invention we apply to an ordinary railway
roof lamp an apparatus for enriching and beating common coal gas as ordinarily
supplied at railway stations.
A taper plug is employed kept down to its seat by a spiral spring; this plug
when in one position admits of the gas passing direct through an aperture in
the plug, and through connecting pipes to the burner. The carburetting liquid
is conducted by a pipe through an opening in the plug round a steel spindle fitted
in its centre, thence through an opening controlled by the extremity of the spindle
into the main aperture in the plug. The liquid then mingling with the gas passes
with it through a retort in the lamp which is heated by the burner, it is there
vaporised and is burned with the gas at the burner, giving a very brilliant and
economical light.
A small receptacle is provided on the foot of the burner for the reception of
any deposit of liquid which may pass over and escape evaporation in the retort
over the burner, on first starting the light when the said retort is cold; but this
deposit in the vessel below the burner will be gradually absorbed by the passing
gas, as it is evaporated by the heat afterwards conducted to it from the lighted
burner. For railway carriage lamps we prefer to employ a conical chimney above
the light, as we have found that this keeps the light steadier than any other form
when the train is in motion. It should be understood that both the gas and the
carburetting liquid are shut off or turned on together by the plug of the tap, and
that the steel spindle is adjusted to allow the proper amount of carburetting liquid
to pass through the hole, when it will never afterwards require to be touched, and
in all cases it will be placed out of the control of train attendants.
A piece of cotton wool between discs of wire gauze is placed in the pipe
conducting the carburetting liquid, in order to prevent any possibility of dirt
gaining access to the small hole in the plug.
By means of this part of the Invention the carburation is effected of common gas
when used under high pressure, after it has passed through the regulator, and has
had its pressure reduced to that necessary at the burner, upon railway or other
carriages, in ships or other structures by the evaporation of petroleum or other
liquid, or solid hydrocarbon by heat from the burner, the vapour of the liquid being
mixed intimately with the gas and consumed at the burner, the heat given off by
the said burner being sufficient to evaporate the said hydrocarbon liquid, all as
herein before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Bower and Anthony Spencer Bower in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th August 1880.
GEORGE BOWER and ANTHONY SPENCER BOWER, both of Saint Neots, in the
County of Huntingdon. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIGHTING WITH COMPRESSED GAS
AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY
AND OTHER CARRIAGES, SHIPS, BUOYS, AND ISOLATED BUILDINGS."
Our said Invention relates to improvements in lighting with compressed gas by
employing ordinary lighting gas of either bigh or low illuminating power, and
compressing the same into suitable receivers.
The Invention is particularly adapted for use in railway and other carriages,
ships, buoys, and isolated buildings, but it is also applicable to the lighting of other
places or objects.
The Invention comprises the following features, videlicet:
First. The use of a peculiar regulator for maintaining one uniform low-pressure
(which may be varied at will) of gas at the burner or burners whatever may be
the pressure in the receiver.
Second. Improved valves for charging the receiver with high pressure gas and
for the distribution of the same.
Third. A peculiar arrangement of apparatus for carburetting common coal gas of
a low illuminating power on the low pressure side or after it has passed through
the regulator from the receiver and has been reduced to the proper pressure for
economical consumption at the burner.
And in order that, our said Invention may be fully understood we 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 corresponding Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings represent vertical sections taken
respectively at right angles to each other of a regulator constructed according to
the first part of our said Invention, and Figure 3 is a vertical section drawn to a
smaller scale, shewing also a distributing valve appertaining to the regulator;
Figure 4 represents a vertical section of another distributing valve, videlicet, that
employed for filling the receiver from the station supply pipe. The valves shewn
in Figures 3 and 4 form the subject of the second part of our said Invention ;
Figure 5 represents a vertical section of a railway roof lamp embodying the
arrangement for carburetting common coal gas of a low illuminating power in
accordance with the third part of our said Invention; Figure 6 is a sectional plan
of the lamp, and Figure 7 is a detail shewing a developement of the wire gauze in
the carburetting chamber hereinafter referred to.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, the regulator (which forms the subject of the
first part of our said Invention) is constructed and arranged in the following
manner :-
1, 2, 3, 4, is a rectangular box, consisting of a cast iron body with two of its
sides, videlicet, 1, 2, and 3, 4, formed with openings, closed with wrought iron plates,
and with its front a removable. Between the body of the box and these wrought
iron sides are tightly screwed leather diaphragms b, b, which also form tight joints
with all sides of two plates 5, 8, and 7, 6, formning flexible hinges at the parts 5, 6,
and therefore enclosing gas tight spaces 5, 8, 9, and 6, 7, 10, with the exception that
holes 11 and 12 are provided through the sides 1, 2, and 3, 4, communicating with
the external atmosphere.
The plates 5, 8, and 6, 7, are connected together by a system of levers 13, 14, 14,
15, and 15, 16, one of which, videlicet, 14, 15, together with a small crank 17, 18,
and its counter balance 29 oscillate about the centre 17, as the plates 5, 8, and 6, 7,
move about their hinges 5 and 6.

page_text: The crank 17, 18, is connected by a flat link 18, 19, to a valve 19, 20, 21, the tail
piece of which is triangular in section so as to allow gas to pass into the regulator
when the conical head 21 of the valve is raised off its seat at 20.
23 is the high pressure inlet, and 24 the low pressure outlet to the burners;
25 is a flat spring rivetted or hinged at 27, and tending to cause the plate 6, 7, to
move inwards about the hinge 6; the tension of this spring is varied by a thumb
screw 26, which also varies the uniform low pressure which it is desired to
maintain between the limits of, say, a 1/2th inch and a 12 inch column of water;
28 is a lock nut to prevent the thumb screw moving after the desired pressure at
the burner is obtained.
The apparatus operates in the following manner :-
When the high pressure gas, fluid, or liquid enters by the pressure inlet 23
through the valve 19, 20, 21, it exerts a pressure exceeding that of the atmosphere,
and therefore tends to move the plates 5, 8, and 6, 7, outwards towards the holes 11
and 12 against the spring 25; the said plates acting through the intervention of
the rods or bars 13, 14, 14, 15, 15, 16, and 18, 19, with the crank 17, 18, lower the
valve 21 upon its seat 20, and vice versa, according to the requirements of the
lights which are burning and drawing off gas at 24.
The valve 21 is placed so that the receiver pressure tends to close it with the
following important result, videlicet:-When the receiver pressure is high the valve
must naturally occupy a lower position than when the former is reduced so as to
keep the flow of gas constant, and nevertheless equilibrium is maintained because
extra pressure exists upon the head of the valve, which is counteracted by the
extra compression of the spring 25, and thus the burner pressure still remains
constant and uniform. The whole of the working parts of the apparatus are
balanced and work in opposite directions, so that no possible shaking or vibration
can influence the valve 21, and thus one uniform burner pressure once fixed is
maintained under all conditions, so long as any gas above this pressure remains in
the receiver.
In Figure 3 we have shewn the distributing valve appertaining to the regulator,
and which forms in part the subject of the second part of our said Invention.
C is the high pressure gas pipe, communicating with the receiver and with the
valve by means of the pipe d; e, f, are soft lead or metal seats; g is a gland
screwed into the pipe d, and forming an abutment for the ring f when the spindle h
and small piston i are screwed up to it. The gland g forms a gas tight joint with
the pipe d by means of a ring k, also of soft lead or metal or of other suitable
material; is an appliance which is fastened to the spindle h by a pin m to enable
the valve to be opened and shut by means of an ordinary guard's railway carriage
door key inserted at n. The valve is shut when the piston i makes contact
with e, as in the Drawing, and open when it is in contact with the gland g, the gas
passing direct from the pipe d to the pipe o and thence to the regulator.
Figure 4 shews the valve for filling the receiver from the station supply pipe.
1 is a pipe in communication with the receiver; 2 is a chamber in communication
with the station reservoir by means of a hose pipe 3; 4 is a hose coupling which,
when screwed up at 7, makes a tight joint by means of a lead or metal washer 6;
5 is a small feather tailed valve which is forced upon its seat by a spring 9 when
the coupling 4 is loosened, but when the latter is screwed on tight the valve is
always kept open by the face 7, as shewn in the Drawings. A valve is provided at
8, 9, 10, acting in precisely the same manner as the valve previously described with
reference to Figure 3.
The following is the manner in which the receivers are filled when applied to the
lighting of railway carriages
The pressure of gas accumulated by pumping into the station receiver or reservoir
being turned on to the hose pipe 3 the coupling 4 is screwed tight up, lifting the
valve 5, then the valve 10 is opened and the gas passes into the receiver on the
carriage until the pressure in it is equal to that in the station reservoir.

page_text: The receiver being full the valve 10 is shut off, the coupling 4 is disconnected,
and the valve 5 prevents any escape of gas from the hose pipe. By the improved
arrangements of valves a tight joint is obtained without the use of stuffing boxes.
Attached to or near the lamp is an ordinary low pressure gas cock with a groove
cut round the plug, so that the lights can never be put entirely out without first
shutting off the high pressure gas from the regulator. This cock is placed between
the burner and the low pressure out-let of the regulator, so that (when the Invention
is applied to railway carriages) the guard of a train shall have control over the
lights between two limits only, and so that he may be able to reduce the quantity
being consumed in case of need; the higher limit is fixed by the regulator, and the
lower one by the groove in the low pressure plug.
A pressure guage is provided and attached to the pipe communicating with the
receiver, the said gauge having the number of hours that the gas will burn marked
upon it, instead of the pressure in pounds for square inch, so that the guard may
see plainly at all times when the carriage receiver will require to be charged
with gas.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate an ordinary railway roof lamp fitted with an apparatus,
constructed and arranged according to the third part of our said Invention, for
enriching and heating common coal gas as it is ordinarily supplied at railway
stations.
a is an annular reservoir or retort protected from external cold by an outside
casing b, b, the space between the two being filled with felt, silicate, cotton, or other
imperfect conductor of heat.
The bottom c of this reservoir is made of sheet copper, and is pierced with small
holes, two of which are shewn at c¹, c'. The plate c is brazed or rivetted to the
chimney d, d, sides e, e, and reflector f.f; holes for the passage of the warm air
are made all round the sides, as shewn at g and f¹. h is the inlet for the gas to be
carburetted, and i the outlet for the carburetted gas. The carburetting agent
employed (which is by preference naphthaline, but may be any other solid or liquid
rich in carbon) is placed in the annular reservoir or retort a, a, and is prevented
from splashing by strips of bent wire gauze placed all round inside the reservoir, as
shewn in plan at k in Figure 6, and in contour in Figure 7.
7 is the filling plug for the reservoir, and m is the cold air inlet to the lamp.
As soon as the gas is lighted heat is given out to the carburetting agent employed
(say, for example, naphthaline) by conduction from the chimney through the copper
plate c, while the exterior air is also warmed by radiation from the same chimney;
heated products of combustion also pass through the holes f¹ in the reflector f, and
through the holes cl in the copper plate c. By these means the naphthaline is readily
raised to and maintained at the temperature necessary for carburetting common
coal gas, so as to give a clear white light with a consumption of, say, from 1 to 1%
cubic foot per hour. The height of the resevoir above the burner may be varied
according to the quantity of gas that it is found convenient to burn, it being under-
stood that as the naphthaline must be kept as near as possible at one uniform
temperature, where more gas is burnt than one cubic foot per hour the reservoir
should be raised, and vice versa.
It will be observed that according to our said Invention the carburetting agent is not
conveyed continuously from a holder to a receiver, both arranged below the burner,
as has been previously proposed, but the carburetting agent is contained in a reservoir
above the burner, and there raised by the heat of the burner to a sufficient
temperature to carburate the gas.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, we
would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The balanced regulator, constructed and arranged so as to operate
substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before described.

page_text: Second. The high pressure valve and hose coupling valve, whereby all stuffing
boxes are dispensed with, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawings.
Third. The peculiar arrangement of lamp for the lighting of railway carriages and
other purposes, substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Bower, on behalf of myself and the said
Anthony Spencer Bower, have to this our Specification set my hand and
seal, this Twenty eighth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
eighty.
GEO. BOWER. (L.S.)