IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GAS METERS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hyam Jacob Hyams, of Stanhope Street, Hampstead
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Gas Meter Maker, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GAS METERS."
Sealed the 15th August 1856, and dated the 16th February 1856
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hyam Jacob Hyams at:
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th February 1856.
I, HYAM JACOB HYAMS, of Stanhope Street, Hampstead Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Gas Meter Maker, do hereby declare the nature of,
the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GAS METERS, to
be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of gas meters relates to
that description of gas mieter commonly called dry gas meters, and in which
the measuring compartments are formed by means of a movable or flexible
diaphragm.
The first part of my improvements consists in connecting together the rigid
parts of the movable diaphragm, so that they may be made to act together,
that is, that when one is moved by the pressure of the gas entering the meter,
it will, by being connected to the other one by means of a rigid rod or bar,
move the other one also, and assist in delivering the gas from the meter.
My second improvement relates to an improved mode of constructing the
valve, which is of that description of valve known as the rotary valve, and con-
sists in attaching the circular rotating plate of the valve to a crank, whereby it

page_text: is moved eccentrically, or in a similar manner to that of a steam engine, so as
to uncover in rotation the several apertures whereby the gas passes through the
valve from one part of the meter to another.
My third improvement relates to the application to dry gas meters of a
regulator or governor, whereby the quantity and pressure of the gas is regu-
lated in its passage through the meter. This object is effected by causing the
gas to enter a chamber fixed inside the meter, and act upon, a diaphragm or
movable partition in this chamber. To the back of the diaphragm is adapted
a spring, which is so adjusted as to yield when subjected to any increased
pressure from the gas, and thereby cut off the supply until the pressure is
removed. When the pressure of the incoming gas acts on the diaphragm, it will
move it back, and the latter being connected with a slide or other contrivance
for stopping the valve, and which works over or in the exit valve, will of course
partially or wholly close or cover up the same until the pressure is, removed,
when the spring will, by its pressure, force back the diaphragm, and by that
means draw away the slide or other stopper from the valve, and allow more gas
to enter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent; filed
by the said Hyam Jacob Hyams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HYAM
JACOB HYAMS, of Stanhope Street, 'Hampstead Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Gas Meter Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Hyam Jacob Hyams, Her special license that I, the said Hyam Jacob
Hyams my executors, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Hyam Jacob Hyams, 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 for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GAS METERS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Hyam Jacob Hyams, by an instrument in writing
'

page_text: under my hand.and seal, 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 I, the said Hyam Jacob Hyams, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what. manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of gas meters relates to
that description of gas meter commonly called dry gas meters, and in which
one side of the measuring compartments is formed by means of a moveable or
flexible diaphragm.
The first part of my improvements consists in connecting together the rigid
parts of the moveable diaphragm, so that they may be made to act together,
that is, when one is moved by the pressure of the gas entering the meter, it
will, by being connected to the other one by means of a rigid rod or bar, move
the other one also, and assist in delivering the gas from the meter.
My second improvement relates to an improved mode of constructing the
valve, which is of that description of valve known as the rotary valve, and con-
sists in attaching the circular rotating plate of the valve to a crank; whereby
it is moved excentrically or in a similar manner to that of the excentric of a
steam engine. By this means the several apertures whereby the gas passes
through the valve from one part of the meter to another are uncovered in
rotation.
In the accompanying Drawing I have given various representations of
portions of a gas meter, with my improvements applied thereto.
Fig. 1 is a plan of a dry gas meter with the outer casing removed, so as to
shew more clearly the position of the entrance and exit passages for the
gas
and the mode of operating the circular valve; Fig. 2 is a section of the meter
taken through the diaphragms, and shewing my improved mode of connecting
the rigid parts of the said diaphragms together; Fig. 3 is another section of
the meter, shewing the diaphragms in elevation. In this meter there are four
chambers a', a², a³, at; the moveable diaphragms are composed of two rigid
parts b, b, and 6, 6*, hinged together by some flexible material, as shewn in
Figures 2 and 3. The parts b*, 6*, of these diaphragms are furnished with
lugs d, d, and the parts b, b, with lugs c, c. The lugs c and d are connected
together by means of a link e, whereby a regular distance is always preserved

page_text: between the two parts and 6* of each diaphragm, and also causing them to
act properly together. The lug d is connected by a link f to an arm g,. pro-
jecting from the vertical spindle h (Figures 2 and 3). The spindle h carries at
its upper end an arm i (see Fig. 3), connected by a rod j to another arm k of
the vertical spindle !, which is provided at its lower end with a crank or excen--
tric for working the rotary circular valve m (see the detached sectional
views, Figs. 4 & 5). The valve m, as before mentioned, is circular, and by
preference is made of glass, but it may be made of any suitable material; the
valve: is placed loosely on its seat over the gas passages, and simply rests
thereon by its own gravity, which has been found sufficient to prevent the
escape of gas from between the lower surface thereof and its seat. By con-
structing and arranging the several parts in this manner, the, valve has a
double motion communicated to it, that is to say, it is moved by the crank or
excentric over the passages, so as to change alternately the direction of the
currents of gas through the different passages, and during this rotation round-
the centre of the crank it likewise turns round upon its own axis or that of the
disc of the excentric by which it is moved, which latter motion enables the
valve more readily to free itself from any extraneous matter that might tend to
produce friction between its face and the seat whereon it works. The opera-
tion of the meter is as follows:-The gas is admitted to the valve m through
the inlet pipe n, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1, and passes into the cham-
ber a' of the meter (see Fig. 2), forcing outwards the diaphragms b, 6*, towards
the chamber a², thus expelling the gas from the latter through the passage o
into the space p above the valve, from whence it passes to the supply pipe of
the burners. As the diaphragms b, bx, b, bx, are alternately moved to and fro
by the gas acting upon their different surfaces, they, by means of the con-
nections and g, cause the spindles h, k, to turn, which, by the connections
i, j, k, and l, communicate a circular excentric motion to the valve m, thereby
opening and closing successively the different passages for the ingress and
egress of the gas to and from the several chambers of the meter.
At Figure 6 I have shewn a meter baving six chambers instead of four, as
in the one above described, but as the construction and mode of operation of
the several parts would, in this case. be similar to that first alluded to, no
detailed description of the several parts will be necessary, a simple inspection
of the Drawings only being required to explain the operation of the working
parts. If it should be considered advisable to regulate the pressure of the gas
in the meter and maintain it at an uniform pressure, I cause it to pass
through a small regulating apparatus before entering the measuring chambers.
This object I propose to effect by causing the gas to enter a chamber fixed

page_text: inside the meter, and act upon a diaphragm or moveable partition in this
chamber. To the back of the diaphragm is adapted a spring, which is so
adjusted as to yield when subjected to any increased pressure from the gas,
and thereby cut off the supply until the pressure is removed. When the
pressure of the incoming gas acts on the diaphragm it will move it back, and
the latter being connected with a slide or other contrivance for stopping the
valve, and which works near or in the exit valve, will of course partially or
wholly close or cover up the same until the pressure is removed, when the
spring will, by its pressure, force back the diaphragm, and by that means draw
away the slide or other stopper from the valve, and allow more gas to enter.
I consider it advisable to cause the gas to pass through a regulator or governor
of some kind before entering the measuring chambers; but I do not intend to
confine myself to any particular form of apparatus for this purpose, but the
apparatus above described is the one I prefer to use for this purpose. I do
not, however, intend to claim it as part of the present Invention, and I would
observe that any other governor or regulator that will answer the purpose may
be employed, if preferred.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in the construction of
gas meters, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be
understood that I do not intend to confine myself to the exact form and
arrangement of parts herein shewn and described, as they may be varied with-
out departing from the nature and object of my Invention, nor do I intend to
claim all the parts herein shewn as of my Invention; but that which I claim
under the above in part recited Letters Patent, is,
Firstly, the connecting together the rigid parts of the moveable diaphragms,
so that they may be made to act together, as above described.
I also claim the construction and arrangement of the rotating circular valve,
as shewn, and also the mode of actuating the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hyam Jacob Hyams, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
FRED. WALKDEN,
66, Chancery Lane.
HYAM JACOB HYAMS. (L.s.)