AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE ILLUMINATING POWER OF GAS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Sugg, of. Vincent Works,
Vincent Street, in the Oity of Westminster, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE ILLUMINATING POWER
OF GAS."
Sealed the 21st March 1876, and dated the 24th September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Sugg
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 24th September 1875.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS SUGG, of Vincent Works, Vincent Street, in tho
City of Westminster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE ILLUMINATING POWER OP
GAS," to be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object the more ready means of deter-
mining the illuminating power of gas, and is based upon the idea that
to maintain from an argand burner a flame three inches high a quantity
of gas proportionate to its quality will be consumed within a given
time.

page_text: The Invention consists of a meter made somewhat like an ordinary
experimental meter, fitted at the top with a standard to support an argand
burner, and a frame or frames with horizontal wires and coloured glass
plate attached, to which the height of the flame is adjusted by means
of a cock having a pointer, and a quadrant or divided arc fixed to
the standard. The plug of the cock instead of having a round holo
has a slitted opening, so that when the cock is turned the free way for
thc gas shall be at all times increased or diminished in the same pro-
portion as the pointer or handle is turned. The meter has also fixed to
it two dry governors or regulators connected together, so that the
pressure of the gas by passing through both may be maintained with
greater exactitude. At the bottom of the case immediately under each
governor there may be a plug to draw off any condensation that may
be deposited; or a pipe or pipes may descend therefrom into and below
the surface of the water in the meter.
The apparatus is also furnished with a pipe or pipes and a bye-pass
or three-way cock, so that gas may be conducted from the supply
pipe through the governor to the burner, or by turning this cock the
gas supplied to the burner may be compelled to pass through both
governors and meter before reaching the point of combustion.
The mode of using the apparatus is as follows:-— -Gas being admitted to
the inlet, the drum is made to revolve, and the gas passes into the first
governor where its pressure is regulated. It then flows into the second
governor, where any irregularity of pressure that still exists is corrected,
and the gas proceeds at an uniform pressure to the standard and through
the cock before-mentioned to the burner. The bye pass is then arranged
so as to allow the gas to pass to the burner without going through the
meter when by means of the cock first mentioned the flame is adjusted
to the height of three inches. The hand or hands on the dial are now
placed at zero, and tho byc-pass turned so as to permit the gas passing a
through the meter. The hand or hands will thereupon be acted upon
by the wheel or drum of the meter, and will indicate by observations of
one minute the number of cubic feet per hour that is being consumed,
and the quality of the gas in parliamentary sperm candles, the dial
being suitably marked for that purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Thomas Sugg in the Great Seal Patent.
Office on the 24th March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS' SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS SUGG, of Vincent Works, Vincent Street, in the. City of West-
minster, send greeting..
"
a
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Thomas Sugg, Her.
special licence that I, the said William Thomas Sugg, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Thomas Sugg, my 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 "An IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE ILLUMINATING
POWER OF GAS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Thomas Sugg, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, 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 next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent. ;
NOW KNOW YE, that I; the said William Thomas Sugg, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 accom-
panying Drawing and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say
This Invention has for its object the more ready means of deter-
mining the illuminating power of gas, and is based upon the iden that
to maintain from an argand burner a flame three inches high a quantity

page_text: arc N. From this cock the gas descends to the burner O, the chimney
being marked P. Q is a small upright frame carrying a plate of coloured
glass R, and having a line marked upon it at S. T, T, are two pillars
carrying a wire or light brass bar U, which is placed at exactly the same
height as the mark S upon the glass plate. V is a box with a piece of
glass W both at back and front, and has a mark upon it denoting the
exact water level. X is the filling plug, and Y the water adjustment plug.
Z is also a draw-off plug for any condensation or liquid that may enter
the spout. a is a pipe for conveying oil to the bearings. 6 is the handle
of the bye-pass valve E, and is shown as situated when the gas is off the
meter in Fig. 1, and as on or through the meter in Fig. 2. c is the
clock key, and d, Fig. 1, is the stop to the clock. e is a tap for running
off the whole of the liquid from the meter. f.f, are pillars, whereon
may be placed a spirit level for levelling the meter with accuracy; and
g, g, are screw plugs, from which any condensation deposited in the
governors may be drawn off. Similar letters refer to the same parts in
each of the Figures.
The mode of using the apparatus is as follows:-Gas is allowed to
flow from the inlet C. through the tube H to the bye-pass E, and
from thence through the pipe F and governors in G along the tube I to
the standard K, when the gas is lighted. The cock L is then adjusted
by the handle M until on looking through the glass plate R the top of
the flame is seen to be on a level with the mark on the glass and the
bar U. During this part of the operation the handle 6 of the bye-pass
E will be in the position shown in Fig. 1, and gas will flow from the
inlet to the governors and burner without passing through the drum of
the meter. The handle 6 is now to be turned, as depicted in Fig. 2,
when the gas will flow through the drum of the meter before arriving at
the governors and burner. The gas hand is then allowed to revolve
until it stands vertically and at zero, when the handle 6 is to be shut
down again,'as in Fig. 1. The position of the clock hand is now to be
noted, and at the same time the handle of the bye-pass is to be raised,
as in Fig. 2. On the clock hand making a complete revolution the
handle of the bye-pass is to be shut down, as in Fig. 1, when the gas
hand will become stationary and point to the number of standard sperm
candles [being 6 to the pound, and consuming 120 grains of sperm per
hour] the gas is equal to when burning at the rate of 5 cubic feet
per hour.

page_text: Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have
described or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of this Invention, but
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, the construction of a combined meter and clock with governors
and burner, and all the appliances fixed thereto, arranged as herein
described and set forth on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Sugg, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.