IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Moran, of Cologne, for the Inven
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS."
Sealed the 12th April 1861, and dated the 11th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Moran
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th January 1861.
I, WILLIAM HENRY MORAN, of Cologne, do hereby declare the nature of
the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in gas meters. For these
purposes the plug at which the water is supplied to the meter communicates
with a pipe which enters the reservoir, which is of a square form suitable for
containing a supply of water, which is progressively raised into a vessel com-
municating with the drum or measuring compartment of the meter. In this
reservoir there is an overflow pipe, and such is the case. in respect to the
vessel into which the water is transferred progressively to keep up a uniform
water level in the measuring compartment. The water overflowing descends
into a suitable compartment or chamber, and may be syphoned off therefrom.
On the axis of the drum there is a disc or other suitable formed instrument
with pins or projections, which as the drum rotates acts on a bent tail or

page_text: projection on the axis of a lever scoop, which is heavier on one side of its axis
than on the other, so that when released it falls to its lowest position, and its
other end comes against and is stopped by a piece of cork or other elastic
material. The stem of the lever scoop is tubular, so that when the scoop
end is raised above its axis which is on the edge of the vessel or compartment
which communicates with the measuring compartment of the drum, the water
descends from the scoop through its stem into such vessel so as constantly to
maintain the same level of water in the measuring compartment of the meter.
The index apparatus is contained in a chamber formed above the water reser-
voir, and separated therefrom, so that the apparatus is not liable to be rusted.
In addition to the ordinary inlet valve and float, there is a second valve and
float, the two floats being kept separate and independant of each other. The
second float is in a chamber cased off from the other compartment, and such
float is arranged to act on a wire, at the upper end of which is the second
valve, and such wire descends down below the valve, and is then bent up
towards its under side.
The induction pipe enters into the upper compartment of the valve box,
which is capable of being closed by the second valve, and the ordinary valve
is arranged to close the lower compartment of the valve box.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Moran in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY MORAN, of Cologne, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Henry Moran, Her special licence that I, the said William
Henry Moran, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Henry Moran, 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

page_text: for" IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Henry Moran, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument 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 Oflice within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Moran, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed,
in which Figures 1 and 2 represent two sections of gas meters.
The Drawings represent an ordinary meter having my improvements applied
thereto. The water to supply the meter is introduced at a, by which the
chamber C, the vessel B, and the measuring compartment are supplied with
water, and any excess flows away through an overflow pipe from the
chamber C, and thence through the syphon pipe below. The vessel B is
partitioned off or separated from the chamber C, which is a water-containing
chamber or reservoir, in which is kept a supply of water, from which a
quantity is raised into the compartment or vessel B at each revolution of the
axis of the drum, and by such means a uniform water level is kept up in the
measuring compartment of the meter.
The compartment or vessel B is constructed in such manner that the water
therein may overflow when the water level would otherwise rise higher than
the proper level in the measuring chamber, and this may be effected by an
overflow pipe or in any convenient manner. In the Drawing the sides of this
chamber are at the height of the proper water level, so that any addition will
overflow into the chamber C. The compartment B communicates with the
measuring chamber by the passage through which the axis of the measuring
drum passes, so that the water level in the measuring compartment, and in
the vessel or compartment B, will be constantly the same. On the axis of the
drum a disc E, as shewn in Figure 1, is fixed, or other suitably formed instru-
ment E may be used, such as is shewn in Figure 2, with pins or projec-
tions e, e, which as the drum rotates act in succession on and then depress
the bent tail or projection f of a lever scoop F, which is heavier on one side of
its axis than on the other, so that when released it falls to its lowest position,

page_text: and its other end comes against and is stopped by a piece of cork D, or other
elastic material. The stem of this lever scoop is tubular, so that when the
scoop end thereof is raised above its axis, which is on the edge of the vessel
or compartment B, the water will descend from the scoop through its stem
into such vessel B, so as constantly to maintain the same level of water in it
and in the measuring compartment. The index apparatus is actuated in the
ordinary manner, and is contained in a chamber formed above the water reser-
voir C, which is separated therefrom, so that the apparatus is not liable to be
rusted. In addition to the ordinary inlet valve and float G, there is a second
valve and float H, the two floats G and H being kept sepárate and independent
of each other. The second float is in a chamber partitioned or cased off from
the compartment C, in which the float G is placed. The space or chamber
in which the float H is placed is open to the water in the measuring compart-
ment, the object being that should the level of the water in the measuring
compartment sink a short distance, the valve HI should close down on its seat
and stop the further passage of gas in that direction. The stem of the valve H
is bent so as to come under the float H, in order that the stem of the valve
may rise vertically into the valve chest into which the gas is first supplied, as
is shewn in the Drawings. On the disc E, Figure 1, there are two studs or
projections e, and there are four studs or projections carried by the instru-
ment E, Figure 2, but these numbers may be varied, the object being simply
to insure that sufficient water shall be constantly raised by the scoop to keep
up a constant and uniform water level in the measuring compartment of the
meter, and to accomplish which the water raised by the scoop into the vessel
or compartment B will require to be a little in excess.
From the above description it will be readily understood that so long as
there is water in the chamber C of the meter, into which the shoot descends,
a supply will be raised from the chamber C, and run from the scoop into the
vessel or compartment B, and from it into the measuring compartment of
the meter, but as the water level in the chamber C falls, the float and valve G
will descend till the valve G is at last closed so as to prevent the further
incoming of gas to the meter, the water level in the measuring compartment
of the meter being maintained so long as the scoop raises water into the
vessel B from the compartment C, and should the water level in the mea-
suring compartment from any cause descend, the float and valve H will
descend and close. the passage, and consequently the flow of gas into the
meter.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of

page_text: performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the mechanical parts separately; but what I claim is, the combined
arrangement of apparatus herein described for keeping up a constant water
level in a gas meter.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Moran, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
W. H. MORAN. (L.S.)