An Improvement in Gas Meters.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 31st Jan., 1890-Accepted, 1st May, 1890'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Gas Meters.
We THOMAS THOBP of Whitefield Engineer and THOMAS GARDINER MARSH of
Elie Cottage Lytham, Engineer both in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows
-
This improvement relates to both wet and dry Gas Meters and its object is to
enable the maker to sell and the consumer to obtain an equivalent in gas to the value
of coins placed in a receptacle in or near the meter.
In carrying out our invention as applied to wet meters we make use of one or more
cogs or their equivalents' projecting from the periphery of the drum and as the"
drum-rotates they engage into teeth in a wheel placed in a chamber above the drum."
This wheel communicates motion through a train of other wheels to a rack preferably
placed in a vertical position having at its upper end a comical or other suitably shaped
valve so that as the drum rotates the valve lowers and gradually by entering a seating :
stops the supply of gas.
I
One of the wheels of the train, however, is not rigidly fixed to the arbor but is
held in position by friction obtained preferably by causing the wheel near its periphery
to press against one or more springs fixed to the arbor; the effect of this being that d
the wheels and rack between the friction wheel and the train can be moved without
affecting the other wheels of the train. I .
11
The arbor on which the friction wheel, as well as one of the wheels of the train are
placed, carries also another wheel, which we call the friction wheel, having a deep
✓ groove in its periphery into which an arm or lever having a.similar shaped-end
engages. This arm or lever has its fulcrum near its inner extremity and is weighted.
at the other. The fulcrum is preferably a pin projecting laterally from the end of a
lever secured to a shaft into which the arbor carrying the V shaped wheel enters, the
shaft itself passing through a stuffing. box in the casing of the chamber above the t
drum and carrying at its other and outer end another lever between the end of which
and the side of the chamber or its equivalent, the coin for which an equivalent-in gas
is required, must pass; but in forcing the coin past the end of this lever by means of
a push conveniently placed above it, the lever becomes depressed & so causes the
grooved wheel to slightly rotate & at the same time the rack with valve is
lifted.
The grooved wheel is not however affected by a reverse movement as the wedge-
shaped end of the lever slides in the groove.
To the lever past which the coin is forced, is attached one end of a rod, the other
end sliding in a slot formed in the push in such a manner that whilst the lever can be
lifted up by means of this rod when the push is raised, it cannot be depressed by
the same means without the intervention of a coin of the particular diameter
suitable to the apparatus.
In order to adjust the distance which the valve will move for each coin pressed r
into the apparatus, we preferably make use of a screw actuated from the outside.
This screw forms a stop against which the lever or a projection from it abuts when the...
push is lifted before the next coin is inserted.
After the coins have passed the lever they enter a receptacle which is locked.*
and sealed and is only opened by collector.
In order to make a meter fitted with our improvement available for use in the
ordinary way without removing the chamber containing the apparatus, the shaft of
one of the wheels of the 'train rest in a sliding bearing, this sliding bearing being
actuated by a screw or slide through a stuffing box so that the train may be put in or ⟫>
out of gear as the case may be.

page_text: In applying our improvement to dry meters, we fix the toothed wheel which in the
case of wet meters is driven by a cog or cogs on the drum, over the tangent wheel, or
one of the levers so that as the motion of the same proceeds, motion is also given to
the toothed wheel
Dated this 29th day of April 1889
THOMAS THORP,
THOMAS GARDINER MARSH,
Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Gas Meters.
We THOMAS THORP of Whitefield in the County of Lancaster Engineer and
THOMAS GARDINER MARSH of Lytham also in the said County Gas Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
This improvement relates to both wet and dry meters and its object is to enable
the maker to sell and the consumer to obtain an equivalent in gas to the value of coin
or other tokens placed in a receptacle in the meter.
In order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the accompanying two sheets of drawings, referenc
being had to the figures and letters thereon marked
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views
Fig 1 is a sectional elevation drawn through line D. D. showing our improvement
applied to wet meters when it is desired to adjust the distance which the valve K 1-
lifted for each coin or token used as hereinafter described
Fig 2 is a sectional elevation of the same through line E. E. showing the relative
positions of the coin or token, with the actuating parts of the apparatus hereinafter
described at the time the coin is inserted
Fig 3 is a sectional elevation of the same through E E showing the positions of
the coin or token, with the actuating parts hereinafter described at the time-the com
1s just falling into the receptacle
Fig. 4 is a plan of the top of the apparatus
Fig. 5 is a sectional plan through CC.
Fig. 6 is a sectional plan through B B
Fig 7 is a sectional plan through A. A
Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation through H H. of our improvement as applied to wet
meters where it is not required to adjust the distance which the valve K is lifted for
each coin or token used as hereinafter described.
Fig 9 is a sectional plan through G. G.
Fig. 10 is a sectional plan through F. F
Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation of a part of our improvement as applied to dry
meters.
A is the drum of a wet meter to which this improvement is applied, having one
or more cogs A actuating the star wheel B which is mounted on a shaft b' having a
worm gearing into a wheel C on the shaft c and having also a worin D near its
upper end.
The worm D gears into the friction wheel d. E is the handle or push
having the slot e into which a pin e¹ on the rod Fenters: a pin fon the other end of
the rod F enters a hole in the arm G. This arm has a prolongation g which abuts
against the screw or slide g'.
H is the shaft on which the arm G is secured as also the arms h
is the stuffing box; I is the weighted lever which engages into the V grooved
wheel and rests at its lower end on the gravity catch the grooved wheel is
secured to a shaft J carrying the wheel, into which the rack K having at its upper
end the valve k, gears
I is the sliding bearing actuated by the screw when it is

page_text: desired to put the worin wheel b into or out of gear with the wheel C M is the
receptacle preferably secured by means of a soft metal rivet m which is punched each
time the recepticle is cleared and renewed, being impressed at each end with the
collector's number or other suitable device Qis the aperture for the insertion of
coins or tokens and L' the gas outlet R is the casing or chamber above the meter
into which the apparatus is placed. In Fig 11, a' is the tangent pin of a dry meter
actuating the shaft P¹ on which are the arms p and p¹ the latter of which engages
into the star wheel B.
In a modification shown in Figs 8 and 9 N is a ratchet wheel and O a pinion
gearing into the wheel o, the worm rack k¹ being hollow and sliding upon the
upright rod P
In carrying out our invention as applied to wet meters we make use of one or more
cogs a or their equivalents, projecting from the periphery of the drum A, so that, as
it rotates the star wheel B placed immediately above the drum A becomes rotated also,
to the extent of one tooth for each tooth a on the drum. This star wheel com-
municates its motion through other gearing to the rack K, preferably placed in a
vertical position having at its upper end a conical or other valve k of suitable shape
so that as the drum A rotates, the valse lowers and by entering the seating
eventually stops the supply of gas
In Fig. 1, 2, 3, and 4 when the handle E is pulled up, the arm, being in connection
with it through the shaft H, arm G, and rod F, rises and allows the gravity catch
to engige into the star wheel B and thus prevents its rotation until a coin or token is
put into the aperture Q when it falls into the position shown in Fig 2, the handle E
now being pushed down forces the coin or token, preferably a penny, edgeways
between the casing R and the end of the arm G
Now as
In doing this the arm becomes depressed as also the aims and weighted lever I
and so causes the grooved wheel, shown in Figs 1 and 6, to partly rotate
the rack K with the valve is geared into the wheel and as this wheel is secured
to the shaft J carrying the grooved wheel, the valve is lifted out of its seating *
and allows gas to pass to the outlet L', the rack K being also in connection with the
star wheel B through the beforementioned gearing this star wheel is caused to
rotate as the gas escapes, when the valve gradually lowers. By these means the
gas is eventually shut off, unless in the meantime another coin or token has been
inserted and forced into the receptacle M
By preference the weighted lever I is formed with very fine teeth so as to engage
into the grooved wheel in the manner of a ratchet
In the form of apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 7 the rack K is not in positive com-
munication with the star-wheel B one of the wheels of the train which we denote the
friction wheel d being fitted on to an arbor or shaft J and held in position preferably
by a spring a pressing against it near its periphery.
This
In order to adjust the distance which the valve is required to move for each coin or
token used & thus determine the quantity of gas equivalent to it, which this form of
the apparatus admits of, we preferably use a screw y actuated from the outside
screw forms a stop against which the arm g between which and the side of the
chamber the coin or token passes, abuts when the handle is lifted
Now it is obvious that when it is not required to adjust the height to which the
valve is lifted for each coin or token used, a ratchet wheel with a suitable number of
teeth may
take the place of the V grooved wheel In such a case we make use of
one which is moved preferably to the extent of one tooth for each coin or token used
the rack also being preferably in the form of a screw, which being actuated direct
from the star-wheel as shown in Fig. 8 dispenses with the friction wheel.
In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the rack k¹ with valve being lifted as before described, is
lowered by the action of the rotation of the star wheel B on the pinion O and so
on to the wheel o, and worm rack k', the ratchet wheel N is caused to partly rotate
by the depression of the arm G in the manner hereinbefore described.
In applying our invention to dry meters, we fix the apparatus contained within the
case R preferably over the tangent arms as shewn in Fig 11 so that motion will

page_text: be communicated from the tangent pin A¹ to an arm p attached to a shaft P¹ passing
through a stuffing box S. The arm p' attached to shaft P' actuates the star wheel B.
which communicates motion to the rack K or worm rack k¹ and valve k as herein-
before described in the case of wet meters.
In order that meters fitted with our improvement may be available for use in the
ordinary way, we cause the shaft b₁ of the star wheel B preferably to rest in a sliding
bearing L at one end as shown in Fig. 7. This is actuated by a slide or screw / from
the outside, and so puts the train of wheels into or out of gear as circumstances
direct. To prevent tampering with the apparatus by pulling up the handle E for
any other purpose than the insertion of a coin or token, we fix a gravity catch 11
actuated by the weighted end of the lever I having a ✓ shaped end in one form of
the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1 or the ratchet arm has shown in Fig 8 in the
other form of the apparatus, so that when the handle E is lifted and consequently
the arm or lever G, the gravity catch engages into the star wheel B and prevents
the drum A or the tangent arm p' rotating until a coin or token is passed into the
receptacle
It will readily be seen that the form of the apparatus can be varied to a con-
siderable extent without affecting the nature of the invention as e.g. the rack and valve
need not be lowered in order to close the gas supply but can be fixed under or on its
side, or the valve may be made to slide a simple re-arrangement of the gearing being
all that is necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
--
The application to both wet & dry meters of an apparatus'in which a valve is opened
for the passage of gas by the forcing of coins tokens or their equivalents past an arm
or lever to an extent according to the number used, and closed by the rotation of
the drum or tangent pin in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herem
described and shown on the accompanying two sheets of drawings.
Dated this 28th day of January 1890.
THOMAS THORP,
THOMAS GARDINER MARSH,
Applicants.