Gas distribution means

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTING AT LOW PRESSURE AND AT INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE GAS SUPPLIED AT LOW PRESSURE, IN COMBINATION, A GAS SOURCE, A LOW PRESSURE GAS STORAGE TANK CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE, A HIGH PRESSURE GAS STORAGE TANK, A CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID LOW PRESSURE TANK TO SAID HIGH PRESSURE TANK, A COMPRESSOR PUMP IN SAID CONDUIT FOR COMPRESSING GAS RECEIVED FROM SAID LOW PRESSURE TANK AND STORING THE SAME IN SAID HIGH PRESSURE TANK AT HIGH PRESSURE, A LOW PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM CONNECTED TO SAID LOW PRESSURE TANK FOR RECEIVING GAS AND DISTRIBUTING THE SAME AT LOW PRESSURE, AN INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM CONNECTED TO BOTH SAID LOW PRESSURE TANK AND SAID HIGH PRESSURE TANK FOR RECEIVING GAS THEREFROM, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO FLOW OF GAS FROM SAID HIGH PRESSURE TANK INTO SAID INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR PUMPING LOW PRESSURE GAS FROM SAID LOW PRESSURE TANK INTO SAID INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND MAINTAINING THE GAS PRESSURE IN SAID INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AT A PREDETERMINED VALUE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PUMPING DEVICE HAVING A PLURALITY OF JET TYPE COMPRESSORS OPERATING AT MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY AND OF SIZES TO AFFORD A CHANGE IN THE RATE AT WHICH GAS IS PUMPED INTO SAID INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN THE MANNER OF A GEOMETRICAL PROGRESSION, A LOW PRESSURE CONDUIT HAVING A CHECK VALVE THEREIN CONNECTING SAID LOW PRESSURE TANK TO SAID PUMPING DEVICE, A HIGH PRESSURE CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID HIGH PRESSURE TANK TO SAID PUMPING DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING HIGH PRESSURE GAS TO OPERATE SAID PUMPING DEVICE, AN INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID PUMPING DEVICE TO SAID INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING GAS AT AN INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE, REGULATING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO VARIATIONS IN THE PRESSURE OF THE GAS IN SAID INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FROM SAID PREDETERMINED VALUE FOR RENDERING SELECTED ONE OF SAID JETS OPERATIVE DEPENDENT UPON THE DIRECTION OF SAID PRESSURE VARIATIONS TO MAINTAIN SAID PREDETERMINED VALUE OF GAS PRESSURE, A BY-PASS CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID HIGH PRESSURE TANK TO SAID INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR ADMITTING HIGH-PRESSURE GAS DIRECTLY TO SAID INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND A NORMALLY CLOSED REGULATING VALVE IN SAID BY-PASS CONDUIT OPERABLE TO OPEN IN RESPONSE TO VARIABLE DOWNSTREAM PRESSURE FOR SUPPLYING GAS FROM SAID HIGH PRESSURE TANK INTO SAID INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AT A PRESSURE NOT LOWER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED VALUE WHEN SAID PUMPING DEVICE IS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN SAID PREDETERMINED VALUE OF PRESSURE IN SAID INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.