IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Turner at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th August
1866.
I, JAMES TURNER, of Fleming Road, Walworth, in the County of
Surrey, Gas Meter Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, first, to improvements in the arrangement and
construction of the inlet valve and valve box of wet gas meters. For this
purpose I so arrange the inlet valve box that the gas passes upwards through
the valve in its passage to the inlet pipe and measuring drum in place of
passing downwards as heretofore in meters of this construction, the pressure
of the gas acting on the upper side of the valve and float frequently causing
the inlet valve to close. The float wire passes up through a short tube or
passage formed on the under side of the valve box, the bottom of this tube or
passage is formed with a valve seat within the fountain chamber, and the
float wire carries a conical valve to close the tube or valve seat under the
valve box in order to prevent the passage of gas to the square frame or
fountain chamber when the inlet valve is lifted by the float, and whilst it
The float in this arrange-
remains open for the passage of gas to the meter.
ment is formed with a tube through its centre, into which the wire attached
to the lever valve passes, and when the correct position of the float is ascer
tained the float tube is firmly closed or fixed upon the wire, by which a ready
means is obtained of adjusting the correct buoyancy of the float.

page_text: According to another of my improvements relating to the float I pass a tube
from the bottom of the valve box through the centre of the float to con-
siderably below the water line of the meter; at the end of this tube I form
a valve seat and attach a valve to the bottom of the float for the purpose of
preventing any gas caused by sudden pressure acting upon the water so as to
cause bubbles to rise to the top of the fountain, and thus act to exhaust it, as
is the case with meters having no provision to prevent this result. In order
to prevent any tampering with the inlet valve the valve box is simply soldered
with a tube on the square frame, and part of my improvements consists in
casting or forming the inlet valve box and valve seat in one piece.
Another of my improvements, according to this part of my Invention, relates
to the construction of the lever of the inlet valve, and mounting it in a very
cheap and simple manner. For this purpose the lever of the valve is formed
by bending a piece of metal into a trough shape, thus leaving the under part
of the lever arm open to receive the end of the float wire, which is attached
to the lever by a pin to form the joint. At the back end of the arm a simple
slot is cut to receive a piece of metal soldered to the valve box with a pin to
connect the lever thereto. I prefer in this arrangement to conduct the gas
direct to the drum chamber by means of a pipe from the valve box.
The second part of my Invention has for its object the construction of wet
gas meters in such manner that the water level in the measuring drum will
always be maintained at its proper height by an improved arrangement of the
air tube and overflow pipe. In carrying out this part of my improvements
I place the overflow tube in one corner of the square frame or front chamber,
(or it may be placed in any other suitable position). I prefer to cut away
part of the circular front plate above the water line in the measuring drum
chamber, so as to form a direct communication with the measuring chamber,
both for the passage of gas and water. The air tube (by preference made of
non-corrosive or other suitable metal) is placed on a small box or chamber
enclosing the overflow tube, a small hole being formed in the air tube or in
the side of the box nearly on a line with the water level, which orifice forms
a communication with the drum chamber, the top of the air tube forming a
communication with the supply fountain. According to this part of my
improvements the air tube can be placed either in the position previously
described, or it can be placed either in the position previously described,
or it can be placed in any other convenient part of the meter; for example,
it can be placed on the outside of the square frame or on the circular
front plate of the measuring drum chamber, or it can be placed with
the overflow tube in the front part of the meter over the entrance passage of

page_text: the gas to the measuring drum. When the meter is fully charged and the
water is drawn off to its proper level, by drawing off a very small quantity of
water from the drum chamber the small orifice in the air tube will become
unseated, and gas or air will pass up the tube into the fountain chamber to
readjust the level of the water in the measuring drum.;
The third part of my Invention relates to improvement in the arrangement
of the waste water box or chamber and parts connected therewith. In
nearly all wet gas meters the water can be forced out from the waste water
chamber by means of extra pressure, or the water may be drawn off by
means of a syphon. If fraud is not attempted evaporation takes place, and
the dip tube becomes unsealed and unmeasured, gas will pass through the
inlet into the waste water chamber, and may be passed out at the overflow
plug hole without entering the measuring drum. In order to prevent
fraudulent attempts I place a valve box at the bottom of the waste water
chamber furnished with a valve carried by a float; a tube connects the valve
box with the bottom of the gas inlet passage to carry off any condensed water
therefrom. When the water from the overflow tube runs into the waste
water chamber up the dip tube to the overflow plug hole, the float will rise
and open the valve to allow any accumulated water in the condensed water
pipe to escape into the waste water chamber. Should the water be forced or
drawn out of the waste water chamber so low. as to permit the float to fall it
will close the valve in the box, and thus shut off any escape of unmeasured
gas to the dip tube of the waste water chamber, preventing any fraudulent
abstraction of unmeasured gas from the bottom chamber.
The last part of my Invention relates to the construction of the index
spindle for the purpose of reducing the cost of repairs resulting from corrosion.
For this purpose the upper end of the index spindle carrying the worm is
formed separate from the other part, and is connected thereto by a simple
clutch box or other connection, so that when it is necessary to reinstate the
lower part of the spindle this can be accomplished by disconnecting the clutch
from the upper part, thus avoiding the usual cost of supplying a new worm
in addition to the spindle.