CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, CARL
LUDEWIG FARWIG, of Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, in the County of
Middlesex, Tinplate Worker, send greeting...
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain bearing date at
Westminster, the Nineteenth day of April, in the sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Carl Ludewig Farwig, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Carl Ludewig Farwig, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Carl Ludewig Farwig,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in
all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands
of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso, obliging me, the said Carl Ludewig Farwig, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Carl Ludewig Farwig, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements in gas meters consist,-
Firstly, in the adaptation of a circular series of expansible chambers or
pockets, which are caused to revolve by the pressure of the gas passing through
them, and by their rotary. movements are made to open and close the cock or
valve through which the gas proceeds into and out of the chambers.
.
Secondly, in a circular series of expansible chambers or pockets made
stationary, which are caused to expand and contract consecutively by the gas
passing through them; the actions of the flexible diaphrams of which being
communicated through crank rods to a corresponding series of toothed wheels,
cause, the valve or cock to open and close the apertures by which the gas passes
into and out of the chambers.
Thirdly, in a double series of expansible chambers or pockets placed opposite
and parallel to each other, the flexible diaphragms of which being moved reci-
procally, by the passage of the gas through the chambers, cause certain lever's
to shift the positions of the valves, whereby the ingress and egress of the gas is
effected.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents. a horizontal séction' of:
ameter having a circular series of four expansible chambers, or pockets;
Fig. 2 is a vertical' section of the "same. A, A, A, is a close air-tight cylin
drical vessel; or box, within which the series of chambers or pockets B, C, D,
and E, revolve in; a horizontal direction. These chambers may be of hemi-
spherical or any, other, convenient,shape, having a flexible diaphragm. a, a, a, a,
securely attached to, and covering the front of each chamber or pocket.. To
the centre of each of these diaphragms a plate of metal b, b; b, b, is attached,:
and to each of these plates a rod c, c, c,.c, is connected by a joint; the reverse
ends of all these rods being also connected by joints to a stationary. pin.d
placed in an excentric position near the middle of the meter. This pin dis
fixed vertically in an arm extending at a right angle from a stem e, attachedito
the upper part or cross bar of the frame f, f. The chambers or pockets B, C,
D, and E; are supported in erect positions upon the ends of cross tubes.g, 9,-9; 9,
which form the passages, for the gas,. and these tubes open into channels in the
plug of the rotary valve or cock h, in the centre of the meter; as, seen in Fig 2.
The lower part of this rotary cock or plug is inserted into a socket i,i;:through

page_text: .
which socket the passages k for the ingress and 'for the egress of the gas are
formed. The plug of the cock or rotary valve h turns upon a pivot in a
Stationary rest at bottom, and above is sustained by a cranked shaft m, the
upper
part of which turns on the stem e, above mentioned. Gas from an ordinary
gas holder, under pressure being conducted through the tube k, will pass into
the aperture of the plug or cock h, and thence proceeding by the tube g (see
Fig. 2) will enter the chamber or pocket B: The pressure of the gas
gradually increasing in the chamber B, will force out the flexible diaphragm
a, and that being resisted by its rod c, attached to the stationary pin d,
the chamber with its supporting cross tube 9, will necessarily be turned
horizontally upon its pivot at bottom. By the time that the chamber B has
become filled, and its diaphragm expanded to the greatest extent; the valve or
cock 'h' will; by turning, have shut off the supply of gas from the tube to the
chamber B, and opened the communication from the tube k, 'through the cock,
to the next chamber C, which will gradually fill and expand in like manner,
and so on with the chambers D and E, until the chaniber B comes again into
the first situation; and is filled in its turn as before. As the series of chambers,
with the cock h; revolve, the stationary pin 'd, holding the rods, causes them in
succession to compress the diaphragms of the chambers on the opposite side,
and thereby to express the gas from them, which gas.returning along the
tube-g"; proceeds through the eduction passage of the cock, and along the
tube to supply the burners; or if it, should be preferred, the tube
may be dispensed with, and the gas allowed to escape into the air-tight
case A, A; A, and be thence discharged to the burners through an aperture
in any convenient part of the box. In order to shew the manner in
which the tubes 'g, g; g. 9, are connected to the cock or rotary valve,
Fig. 3 is a horizontal, section taken through the tubes and cock, and Fig. 4 is-
a horizontal representation of the lower part of the cock, taken through the
socket i, and tubes k and l. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the cock and its
socket, shewing the manner in which it is lubricated by oil, placed in a circular
récess n; n, at top of the cock, which oil is conveyed therefrom by small
channels to the rubbing surfaces. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of another
arrangement of rotary chambers, in this instance, six in number, B, C, D, E,
F, G, or there, might be eight, or any other even number. This series of
chambers revolve in à close air-tight cylindrical box A, A, as before. They
have flexible diaphragms'a, a, a, with plates 'b, b, b, in front, like the former,
and horizontal rods p, p, p, connecting the two opposite diaphragms together,
so that as one chamber expands by the gas passing into it, the gas' from the
opposite chamber is expressed by the direct thrust of the rod p against the

page_text: plate b. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same meter. In this instance the
gas enters the meter by the tube k above, and passing through the aperture of
the cock (which in this instance) is stationary, the socket i, revolving with the
chambers) enters the chambers, B, C, and D, which, becoming filled with gas,
cause the rods to compress the opposite chambers, and the whole to pass round
like the former, but in a contrary direction. Fig. 8 is a horizontal repre-
sentation of the cock h and the tubes g, g, g, showing the manner in which they
communicate with the several chambers or pockets. These chambers, tubes,
and rods all revolve with their central axle m bearing on a step at bottom.
The lower part of this axle is bent into a looped form, through which the
excentric rods c, c, c, are enabled to work. These rods (of which there are
only three), instead of being attached to the plates of the diaphragms, as
before, are connected to three arms q, q, q, below, shown by dots in Fig. 6,
and their other ends are united on the stationary excentric pin d, seen at the
lower part of Fig. 7. The shafts of these arms stand vertically, and from
them extend other curved arms r, r, r, the ends of which are connected to the
plates of the diaphragms. On the gas proceeding from the ordinary gas bolder
through the tube k and through the cock h into the chambers or pockets, causing
the whole series of chambers to revolve, as described, the rods c, c, c, will be.
acted upon in the way first pointed out in reference to Fig. 1, that is, as one
chamber expands by becoming filled with gas, the opposite chamber contracts
by the force of the rods acting against the diaphragm, and causing them to
collapse. But as there are, in this instance, only three rods c operating upon
the chambers B, D, and F, the opposite chambers C, E, and G are, in like
manner, effected by the thrust of the upper rods p, p, p, as before explained,
which express the gas from those chambers through the eduction passage of
the cock into the close vessel A, A, whence it passes by an aperture to the
burners. Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the socket i, made hollow as a lubri-
cating vessel, from whence oil is conducted by small passages to the rubbing
surfaces of the cock and socket.
Another modification of gas meter, having rotary chambers or pockets, is
shown in horizontal section at Fig. 10, and in vertical section at Fig. 11. The
outer case or box A, A, A, is, as before, of a cylindricul form, and made air-
tight; B, C, D, and E are four expansible chambers; the gas enters the
apparatus from the gas holder by the pipe k, and passes thence into a recess z,
and through the apertures in the bottom of the hollow vertical shaft s. The
gas proceeds up this hollow shaft, from the head of which two branch pipes t, t,
lead to the valve seats u, u, and from these valves there are other branch
pipes v,,,, conducting to the several expansible chambers or pockets

page_text: B, C, D, and E. To the plates of the flexible diaphragms of the chambers
E and C, two rods c, c, are attached, and their other ends are jointed to the
stationary excentric pin d, as before. From each of these rods c there is a
connecting rod w acting upon the valves h, h, consequently, as the pockets
B and C expand and revolve, these rods c and w cause the valves to slide
round, and thereby open and close the induction and eduction passages. There are
also two forked levers x, x, mounted upon stationary fulcrums, one of the arms.
of each of which levers is jointed to one of the rods c, c, and the other arms of
the levers respectively bear against the diaphragm plates of the chambers D
and E. It will hence be seen that as the gas enters and expands the chambers.
C and E, that the gas which had previously occupied the chambers B and D.
will be expressed, and vice versâ. Fig. 12 is a vertical section of the valve
and seat; Fig. 13, a horizontal view of the seat, in which two last Figures
are seen the passages v, v, and t, and Fig. 14 is a view of the under side or
face of the valve h. From these valves the gas expressed from the chambers
or pockets passes into the box or case A, A, and thence is delivered through
the aperture to the burners. A construction of meter, having five stationary.
expansible chambers or pockets enclosed in an air-tight cylindrical box, is.
shown in horizontal section at Fig. 15, and in vertical section at Fig. 16. It
should be observed that any other number of the like chambers may be
arranged in a circular series. The gas enters the apparatus by the vertical
tube k, and proceeds through the cock or valve h, which cock or valve is
shown in two views at Figs. 17 and 18, and in horizontal section at Fig. 19.
It will be seen by the last-mentioned Figure that the plug of the cock or valve.
has a vertical partition, which divides it into two compartments. That com-
partment of the cock shown on the right hand in Figs. 16 and 19, is the.
induction aperture by which, as the cock revolves, the gas is conducted into the
several chambers or pockets; that on the left hand is the eduction aperture, by
which, as the cock revolves, the gas is discharged from the several pockets into the
air-tight box or case A, A. The gas passing through the tube k, and through
the aperture of the cock on the right hand, proceeds by the pipes g into the
expansible chambers on the right hand behind the flexible diaphragms b, and
by its pressure expanding those diaphragms, the rods c, attached to the dia-
phragm plates, will be projected forward. The reverse ends of these rods care.
severally connected as cranks to one of the horizontal wheels y, mounted on a
horizontal plate in the middle of the meter, and as these toothed wheels all
take into one central wheel fixed on the plug of the cock, it will be seen that
the cock or valve will be so made to revolve by the successive expansion of the
chambers as to admit the gas into the chambers consecutively, and also to

page_text: cause the rods c on the other side to thrust the diaphragm inward, and to
express the gas from those chambers through the eduction passage of the cock,
and discharge it into the casing or box A, A, A.
Another modification of meter is shewn in the horizontal section Fig. 20,
and in vertical section at Fig. 21. The cylindrical box or casing A, A, contains
within it five, or it may be any other number, of stationary chambers (shown
by dots in Fig. 20), which are air-tight, and each is divided across the middle
by a vertical flexible diaphragm, represented in the horizontal section Fig. 22.
The external form of one of these chambers is seen at the right hand-of
Fig. 21, and the sectional appearance with the diaphragm within it at the left
hand of the same Figure. The valves which lie on the horizontal plate
beneath the wheels, and operate upon the induction and eduction apertures,
are shown in Fig. 23, and are seen also in Fig. 21. The gas from the gas
holder passes up the vertical tube 'k, and thence along the horizontal passages
ġ to the valves. Through the valve, which always covers two of the three
openings in the plate, as shewn in Fig. 23, the gas proceeds into one of the
compartments of the chamber on one side of the flexible diaphragm, and
having there, by its pressure, extended the diaphragm, and discharged the gas
from the contiguous compartment, the movement of the diaphragm thus pro-
duced (which is communicated through the crank rod c and wheel:y) causes
the valve to be shifted. Hence, the gas is allowed to pass off from the full
compartiment into the air-tight upper part of the case; and thence through an
aperture to the burners, whilst the new position of the valve opens the com-
munication to the chamber on the reverse side of the diaphragm: These
valves are of a fan shape, turning on a centre pin, as seen in Fig. 23, and a
tappet or wiper, extending from each of the axles of the wheels y, in passing
shifts the positions of the valve so as to change the communication, and a
wiper on the centre wheel at the proper time shifts the valves back again.
An arrangement of chambers or pockets for receiving and discharging volumes
gas is shown placed in double series opposite to each other in the horizontal
section, Fig. 24. Of these chambers there may be many ranged on each side;
two only are shewn in the Figure for the purpose of illustration. Fig: 25 is a
vertical section of the same, the whole of which is enclosed within an air-tight
case or box A, A. The tube k conducts the gas from the gas holder to the
valve boxes u, u, and from flience it passes through branch' pipes g, g, to the
expansible chambers B, C, D, and E; the front of each of these chambers is'
covered by a flexible diaphragm a, with its face plate b, ás before described,
and to these plates are attached by joints the connecting arms c, c. The
reverse ends of these arms are attached to cranks upon the longitudinal
of

page_text: shaft, d, and from the said arms levers e, e, extend downwards, which, as the
diaphragms vibrate, cause, the valve f; f, to slide, so as to open the induction
aperture to the chamber, on one side, and the eduction to the opposite, chamber,
which is carried on, alternately through the tubes, 99, 99, and the gas from
the eduction rising through apertures in the upper surface of the valve: boxes
u, u, fills the air-tight case A, and is. thence, discharged by a,tube 1, above. to
the burner.. Fig, 26 represents in vertical section a similar arrangement of
expansible chambers, but in this instance the valves are constructed and
worked differently. To one of each pair of connecting arms c a vertical rod i
is attached by a joint, the reverse end of the rod being also attached to the
vibrating valve h. Hence as the arm crises, it lifts the valve, h, and thereby
changes the conimunications. The particular construction of this valve is shewn
in the two vertical sections, Figures 27 and 28, and the two horizontal sections,
Figures 29 and 30.
As in all constructions of gas meters the desired object is to ascertain the
number of times that the several chambers or vessels of any certain capacity
become filled and emptied, so as to know the measurement of the entire
volume of gas passed through the meter, it is necessary to attach to these my
improved forms and constructions of meters some kind of counting apparatus,
by which the number of times that the entire series of vessels, chambers, or
pockets have been filled with gas during a certain continuance of their working
may be correctly ascertained. I have to observe that the counting apparatus
(of whatever construction which may be found suited to the purpose) may be
attached and connected to the working parts of the meter in any convenient
way that mechanics may think fit to adopt, and to which I lay no claim. But
the Invention which I intend to claim, under the above in part recited Letters
Patent consists in the constructions and arrangements of the various kinds of
meters above described, and exhibited in the Drawings; not, however, intending
to confine myself to the precise shapes or dimensions of the parts, as they may
be obviously varied without deviating from the principle of the mechanical
constructions and arrangements which I have set out and fully explained,
sufficiently to enable, in my opinion, any workman acquainted with the manu-
facture of gas meters to construct the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Carl Ludewig Farwig, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
CARL LUDEWIG (L.s.) FARWIG.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Nineteenth day of
October, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Carl Ludewig Farwig came
before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Nineteenth day of October, in the year above written.
Inrolled the same Nineteenth day of October, in the year above written.