IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY GAS METERS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Hermann Kromschroeder and John Frederick
Gustav Kromschroeder, both of No. 14, Church Road, Haverstock
Hill, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DRY GAS METERS."
Kromschroeder and John Frederick Gustav Kromschroeder at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition. on the
6th June 1865.
We, HENRY HERMANN KROMSCHROEDER and JOHN FREDERICK GUSTAV
KROMSCHROEDER, both of No. 14, Church Road. Haverstock Hill, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in dry gas meters.
Heretofore, in constructing the flexible or collapsible chambers of dry
gas meters. strips or fillets of leather have commonly been used, and the
ends of the strips have been sewn or joined together so as to produce a short
tube, and in many cases the requisite length of fillet or strip has only been
obtained by joining two or more lengths together with several seams, and such
seams have been found in practice to be objectionable, by reason of their stiff-
ness or hardness, as compared with the other parts of the leather, and also by
reason of their liability to leak. In some cases seams have been avoided by
Price Sd.]

page_text: cuiting a ring of leather out of a sheet, and błocking and stretching it into a
tubular form, but when the leather is blocked it is found to wear rapidly at
the parts where it is most stretched. The end of the leather tube has usually
been closed by a circular plate or disc of metal to form the end of the chamber,
but this form is inconvenient when making the exterior case of the gas meter
rectangular, which is the preferable form.
Now, according to our Invention. in place of employing circular discs of
metal, and in place of employing strips or fillets of leather fastened or sewed
together, as is most generally the practice, the leather for forming the flexible
chamber of a dry gas meter is obtained by cutting the central portion from a
square or oblong piece of leather. The square or oblong ring of leather so
obtained is fixed to two square or oblong frames, the corners or angles of
which are rounded off. By this construction the form of the flexible or
collapsible chamber will be well adapted to work in a rectangular outer case,
besides there will be no seams in the leather, and the leather is not injured
by blocking.
In constructing a rotatory or circular valve for a dry gas meter a conical
plug is used. the side or circumference of which is, by preference, slightly
hollow in place of being formed with straight lines, as would be the case if
the plug were truly conical. On one side a recess is formed passing from the
top or widest diameter of the plug downwards to nearly the bottom; this
recess is open at top and closed at bottom. Through the opposite side of the
conical plug is a passage passing into the plug, such passage being open at the
bottom and closed at the top. The conical plug is received into and turns in
a seat, which is constructed in the following manner:-A plate is used having
a central opening through it on the upper surface there are four uprights.
which at their upper ends have a ring formed thercon or fixed to them, which
receives and supports the conical plug, and embraces it near its upper end.
The inner edges of the uprights, and the inner edge of the ring are formed
to fit the conical plug. Between the four uprights above mentioned are four
openings or passages corresponding in dimensions with the opening or passage
and the recess formed in the opposite sides of the plug.
By the use in dry gas meters of circular rotatory valves, such as above
described, comparatively large passages for the ingress and egress of gas can
be made, whilst the area of the rubbing surfaces, and consequently the friction
is small. admitting of the size or capacity of meters for given numbers of
lights being reduced.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Hermann Kromschroeder and John Frederick. Gustav
Kromschroeder in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th December
1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
HERMANN KROMSCHROEDER and JOHN FREDERICK GUSTAVE KROMSCHROEDER,
both of No. 14, Church Road, Haverstock Hill, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five. in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Henry Hermann Kromschroeder and John Frederick Gustave
Kromschroeder, Her special licence that we, the said Henry Hermann
Kromschroeder and John Frederick Gustave Kromschroeder. our exccutors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry Hermann
Kromschroeder and John Frederick Gustave Kromschroeder, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY GAS METERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Henry Hermann Kromschroeder and
John Frederick Gustave Kromschroeder, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, or their hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 we, the said Henry Hermann Kromschroeder and
John Frederick Gustave Kromschroeder, 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:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in dry gas meters.
Heretofore, in constructing the flexible or collapsible chambers of dry gas
meters, strips or fillets of leather have commonly been used, and the ends of

page_text: the strips have been sewn or joined together so as to produce a short tube,
and in many cases the requisite length of fillet or strip has only been obtained
by joining two or more lengths together with several seams. and such seams
have been found in practice to be objectionable by reason of their stiffness or
hardness, as compared with the other parts of the leather, and also by reason
of their liability to leak. In some cases seams have been avoided by cutting
a ring of leather out of a sheet, and blocking and stretching it into a tubular
form, but when the leather is blocked it is found to wear rapidly at the parts
where it is most stretched. The end of the leather tube has usually been
closed by a circular plate or disc of metal to form the end of the chamber,
but this form is inconvenient when making the exterior case of the gas meter
rectangular, which is the preferable form.
Now according to our Invention, in place of employing circular discs of
metal, and in place of employing strips or fillets of leather fastened or sewn
together, as is most generally the practice, the leather for forming the flexible
chamber of a dry gas meter is obtained by cutting the central portion from a
square or oblong piece of leather. The square or oblong ring of leather so
obtained is fixed to two square or oblong frames, the corners or angles of
which are rounded off. By this construction the form of the flexible or
collapsible chamber will be well adapted to work in a rectangular outer case.
besides there will be no scams in the leather, and the leather is not injured
by blocking.
Figure 1 is a plan of a piece of leather cut out to a suitable shape to form
the diaphragm of a dry gas meter; Figures 2 and 3 show the outer and inner
frames to which it is firmly secured by tying, as is shown at Figure 4, which
is a section through one side of the collapsible chamber of a meter; these
Figures are drawn to a reduced scale. It will be seen that the diaphragm is
produced in one piece and without a seam, whilst at the same time blocking
or irregularly stretching the leather is dispensed with. The collapsible
chamber is closed at the front and back, and is provided with gas passages
leading to the valve, as is usual in dry gas meters; and the collapsible
chambers, of which, there are usually two in each meter. are also in any
ordinary and convenient manner connected with the valve which regulates
the flow of gas to and from the chambers.
We claim, as respects this part of our Invention, the forming the collapsible
chambers of dry gas meters with diaphragms produced from a flat ring of
leather cut out of a sheet, as described, and so employed in the flat state, that
is to say, without blocking it into a tubular form.
We also claim the making the collapsible chambers of dry gas meters

page_text: having seamless flat ring diaphragms of a square or oblong form, as is
shown.
In constructing a rotatory or circular valve for a dry gas meter a conical plug
is used, the side or circumference of which is, by preference, slightly hollow
in place of being formed with straight lines, as would be the case if the plug
were truly conical. On one side a recess is formed, passing from the top or
widest diameter of the plug downwards to nearly the bottom; this recess is
open at top and closed at bottom. Through the opposite side of the conical
plug is a passage passing into the plug. such passage being open at the bottom
and closed at the top. The conical plug is received into and turns in a seat,
which is constructed in the following manner: A plate is used having a
central opening through it; on the upper surface there are four uprights,
which at their upper ends have a ring formed thereon or fixed to them, which
receives and supports the conical plug, and embraces it near its upper end.
The inner edges of the uprights and the inner edge of the ring are formed to
fit the conical plug. Between the four uprights above mentioned, are four
openings or passages, corresponding in dimensions with the opening or passage
and the recess formed in the opposite sides of the plug.
By the use in dry gas meters of circular rotating valves, such as above
described, comparatively large passages for the ingress and egress of gas can
be made, whilst the area of the rubbing surfaces, and consequently the friction.
is small, admitting of the size or capacity of meters for given numbers of
lights being reduced.
Figure 5 is a side view, Figure 6 a plan, Figure 7 an under side view,
Figure 8 is a horizontal section of a valve for a dry gas meter constructed
according to our Invention; Figures 9 and 10 are vertical sections, taken
respectively at the lines 1, 1, and 2, 2, in Figure 6.
a is the plug, which, as will be seen, is not truly conical, but is bounded at
the sides by curved lines; plugs thus formed will wear much better, and
reinain tight longer than valves which are truly conical and have straight
sides; a¹ is a recess or passage in the side of the plug; it is open at the top
and closed at the bottom; a² is another passage in the side of the plug, open
at the bottom and closed at the top. The seat of the conical plug consists of
a bottom plate 6', having a circular hole in it forming an opening or mouth
into the exit pipe of the meter: b, b, are four uprights springing from the
plate b, and connecting it with the upper ring of the valve seat. The valve
seat is truly bored, so that the top and bottom rings and 63, and also the
inner edges of the uprights b fit closely to the plug a when the plug is in its
The plug is in the usual way caused to rotate continuously in one
seat.

page_text: direction by the action of the gas in entering and dilating in succession the
measuring chambers or capacities of the meter. The upper part of the plug a
is surrounded with the incoming gas, being contained in a chamber connected
with the inlet pipe; this gas passes down through the passage a, and out at
the side of the plug by the spaces between the uprights b; there are four of
these spaces (the valve being suitable for a meter with two collapsible
chambers), and each communicates with a passage. Of these four passages
two adjacent ones communicate with the interior of the collapsible chambers,
and the passages opposite to each of these communicate with the gas spaces in
the case exterior of the collapsible chambers. As the passage a³ in the plug
comes opposite the spaces between the uprights b² the gas returns by it from
the corresponding measuring chambers or spaces, and passing out at the
bottom of the plug a it enters a passage leading to the exit pipe of the meter.
We claim, as respects this part of our Invention, the constructing the valve
of dry gas meters in the manner described.
Also in forming the plug of similar dry gas meter valves not truly conical,
but curved at the sides, as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Hermann Kromschroeder and
John Frederick Gustave Kromschroeder, have hereunto set our hands
and seals, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.