An Apparatus for Indicating the Extent to which Gasholders, Tanks, Wells, or other Reservoirs are Charged.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 11th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Indicating the Extent to which Gasholders, Tanks,
Wells, or other Reservoirs are Charged.
We JOHN TOMLINSON SHEARD of 6, Howard Street, Eccles New Road, in the
borough of Salford in the county of Lancaster, Gas-works Superintendent, and
SAMUEL HARRISON of 9, Slater Street, Pendleton, in the borough of Salford in the
county of Lancaster, Foreman Meter Repairer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the methods of indicating the extent to which gasholders are
charged with gas or tanks, wells or other reservoirs charged with liquid, and consists
in improved means and apparatus for the purpose.
Briefly stated, the invention consists in causing the gasholder or the surface of liquid
in a reservoir, as it rises or falls, to add to or take from the weight of a bell inverted
over and sealed in water or other liquid, and thus proportionately to increase or
diminish the pressure on the air or gas enclosed within the bell, which pressure is
transmitted to, and indicated upon the dial of, a suitable pressure gauge.
To apply the invention to a gasholder, we attach or fix to the side of the tank con-
taining the gasholder a guide-framing in which is free to rise or fall a bell-which is
a hollow vessel of metal or other suitable material, either round, square or any other
convenient shape in horizontal section, open only at the bottom-having its open end
sealed in the water of the tank and thereby enclosing a quantity of air or of gas if it
be preferred. We communicate with the air-space within the bell by means of a tube
which, having one open end situate above the surface of the water within the bell, is
continued down through the water in the bell and up on the outside thereof, and has its
other extremity attached to any suitable pressure gauge-preferably such an one as is
described in our specification No. 12893 of 1887. The pressure gauge may be placed
at any desired distance from the bell and in any convenient position, providing that an
air-tight connection is maintained between the two by means of the tube herein before
mentioned. On the top or crown of the bell wo attach or fix a receptacle-or wo
make the top of the bell itself of such a shape as to form a receptacle-for a chain at
least equal in length to the height of the gasholder when fully inflated, which being
attached at one extremity to some part of the upper surface of the gasholder, and
rising and falling with it, weights the bell more or less according to the height to
which the gasholder is charged with gas. When the gasholder is full all or nearly
all the chain will be run out from the receptacle and hanging from its support at
the top of the gasholder, and as the gasholder descends, through being emptied of
its gas, the chain will gradually collect in the receptacle at the top of the bell,
thus adding to the weight upon this latter and proportionately increasing the pressure
to which the contained air or gas is subjected. By means of the communicating
tube this pressure is transmitted to the pressure gauge and indicated upon the dial
thereof the latter being graduated to shew for each increment of pressure the
corresponding quantity of gas contained in the gasholder; or, in other words, the
extent to which the gasholder is inflated.
We neutralize the pressure upon the contained air or gas within the bell, due
to the weight of the bell itself and its chain receptacle, by means of a float, of
any ordinary suitable construction, attached to or forming part of the bell; or
instead of employing a float a suitable gas regulator or governor may be interposed
In the communicating tube between the bell and the pressure gauge, such regulator
being adjusted to close the communication until the pressure upon the air or gas
enclosed within the bell exceeds that due to the weight of the bell itself and its
hain receniacie

page_text: The chain which is employed to weight the bell may be varied in weight at different
parts of its length (by employing links differing in thickness, or attaching weighting
pieces to it, or in any other convenient manner) so that the corresponding pressure
imposed upon the air or gas within the bell shall vary proportionately with the capacity
or contents of the gasholder at different intervals of its height.
If it be required to make one pressure gauge serve as the indicator for several gas-
holders, differing from each other in size and capacity, this may be done either by
having a separate scale for each holder shewn upon the dial of the pressure gauge or
by employing for the different gasholders chains whose weights per unit of length are
proportional to the respective diameters or areas of the gasholders, when one scale will.
suffice for all the gasholders; because the same distance of rise or fall in different sized
gasholders will then be represented upon the pressure gauge by different degrees of
pressure corresponding to the respective sizes and capacities of the different gas-.
holders.
A continuous record of the state of inflation of a gasholder may be obtained by
connecting the communicating tube with an arrangement similar to that which is
commonly employed in gas-works for recording automatically the pressure or exhaust
of gas, and known as a Pressure Register. Or the same result may be obtained
by causing either the moving mechanism of the pressure gauge (when a mercurial
pressure gauge such as is described in our specification No. 12893 of 1887 is employed)
or the rise and fall of the bell itself to actuate a pencil or pen so as to mark a diagram
moving by clockwork at a fixed rate.
To apply the invention to tanks, wells or other reservoirs charged with liquid we
employ similar arrangements to those described for gasholders, subject to the following
modifications: We attach the chain to a float, rising and falling with the surface of
the liquid, and pass it over a wheel or pulley, situate above the highest level of the
liquid, to the bell, which with its guide-framing we place within a tank specially pro-
vided for the purpose outside and in proximity to the reservoir whose contents it is
required to indicate such tank being maintained with water or other suitable liquid
sufficient to seal the bell.
:
Dated this 9th day of March 1889
JOHN T. SHEARD.
SAMUEL HARRISON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Indicating the Extent to which Gasholders, Tanks,
Wells, or other Reservoirs are Charged.
We, JOHN TOMLINSON SHEARD of 6, Howard Street, Eccles New Road, in the
borough of Salford in the county of Lancaster, Gas-works Superintendent, and
SAMUEL HARRISON of 9, Slater Street, Pendleton, in the borough of Salford, in the
county of Lancaster, Foreman Meter Repairer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
Our invention relates to the methods of indicating the extent to which gasholders are
charged with gas, or tanks, wells or other reservoirs charged with liquid, and consists in
improved means and apparatus for the purpose.
Briefly stated, the invention consists in causing the gasholder or the surface of liquid
in a reservoir, as it rises or falls, to add to or.take from the weight of a bell inverted
over and sealed in some suitable liquid, and thus proportionately to increase or
diminish the pressure on the air or gas enclosed within the bell, which pressure
is transmitted to, and indicated upon the scale or dial of a suitable pressure-gauge.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
specification, in which similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a view shewing the invention as applied to a gasholder. Figure 2 is a
view of the invention as applied to a tank. Figure 3 is a view of a modification of the
invention as applied to a gasholder. Figures 4 and 5 are views in elevation (partly

page_text: sectional) shewing on a larger scale the working parts of the invention. Figure 6 is
a sectional elevation of a pressure-gauge for use in the invention.
To apply the invention to a gasholder we may attach or fix to the side of the tank
containing the gasholder a guide-framing in which is free to rise or fall a bell-which
is a hollow vessel of metal, glass or other suitable material, either round, square or any
other convenient shape in transverse section, open only at the bottom-having its open
end sealed in the water of the tank and thereby enclosing a quantity of air or gas:
but generally air will be more convenient and preferable. As however the water-line
of the gasholder-tank is liable to alteration through evaporation and other causes, we
prefer to provide a small tank A into which we place the bell B provided with its
necessary guide-framing, the whole being placed or fixed conveniently near to the gas-
holder C. Instead of employing water in the tank A wo find it better to use a
non-volatile liquid, such as mercury or glycerine, in which the bell is sealed. We
communicate with the air-space within the bell by means of a tube D which, having
one open end situate above the surface of the liquid within the bell is continued down
through the liquid within the bell and up on the outside thereof, and has its other
extremity attached to any suitable pressure-gauge E-preferably such as will be
subsequently described in this specification, or such an one as is described in our
specification No. 12893 of 1887. The pressure-gauge E may be placed at any
desired distance from the bell B and in any convenient position, provided that an
air-tight connection is maintained between the two by means of the tube D. On the
top or crown of the bell B we attach or fix a receptacle F-or we make the top of the
bell itself of such a shape as to form a receptacle-for a chain G at least equal in
length to the height of the gasholder when fully inflated, which, being attached at one
extremity to some part of the upper surface of the gasholder C and rising and falling
with it, weights the bell B more or less according to the height to which the gasholder
is charged. When the gasholder is full all or nearly all the chain G will be run out
from the receptacle F and hanging from its support at the top of the gasholder C, and
as the gasholder descends, through being emptied of its gas, the chain will gradually
collect in the receptacle at the top of the bell, thus adding to the weight upon this
latter and proportionately increasing the pressure to which the contained air is
subjected. By means of the communicating tube D this pressure is transmitted to the
pressure-gauge E and indicated upon the scale or dial thereof; the latter being
graduated to shew for each increment of pressure the corresponding quantity of gas
contained in the gas holder C or, in other words, the extent to which the gasholder is
inflated.
We neutralize the pressure upon the contained air within the bell B due to the
weight of the bell itself and its chain receptacle F by means of the counterbalance
weights H on cords or chains which passing over suitably placed wheels or pulleys are
attached to the bell B; or instead of such arrangement a float I of any ordinary
suitable construction, attached to or forming part of the bell B, may be employed.
To apply the invention to tanks, wells or other reservoirs charged with liquid, we
employ similar arrangements to those described for gasholders subject to certain nodifi-
catious as follows: We attach the chain G to a float J of any ordinary suitable
construction, rising and falling with the surface of the liquid contained in the
tank, well or reservoir K, and pass it over a wheel or pulley, situate above the
highest level of such liquid, to the bell B which with its guide-framing and tank
we place or fix in convenient proximity to the reservoir whose contents it is required
to indicate.
The chain G which is employed to weight the bell may be varied in weight
at different parts of its length (by employing links differing in thickness, or attaching
weighting pieces to it, or in any other suitable manner). so that the corresponding
pressure imposed upon the air within the bell shall vary proportionately with the
capacity or contents of the gasholder C, tank, well or other reservoir K at different
intervals of its height or depth.
A continuous record of the state of inflation of a gasholder, or of the extent to
which a tank, well or other reservoir is charged may be obtained by causing either

page_text: the moving mechanism of the pressure-gauge or the rise and fall of the bell
itself to actuate a pencil or pen so as to mark a diagram moving by clockwork at
a fixed rate.
A modification of the invention applicable to gasholders is shewn in Figure 3,
in which instead of weighting the bell by means of a chain, as previously described;
we employ a tube T equal in length to the height of the gasholder C when fully
inflated, and when the gasholder. is a telescopic one having water-sealed telescopic
joints to correspond with it. The tube T being closed at the top we seal its open
bottom end in the water of the gasholder tank. By means of the communicating-
tube D¹ we connect the air space within the tube T with the interior of the bell B₁,
which has its open bottom end sealed in some suitable liquid contained in the
tank A. We attach the tube T firmly to the side of the gasholder C so that as
the latter rises or falls through being filled or emptied of its gas the tube I moves
with it, when through the medium of the communicating-tube D the pressure of the
air contained in the bell B is decreased or increased, which is indicated by the move-
ment of the bell or by the pointer P¹.
In carrying out this invention, instead of employing the bell B, sealed in liquid
to contain the air or gas whose pressure is affected, a bellows shaped vessel (that is,
a vessel having flexible sides) may be employed; but we prefer the arrangements
shewn and described.
A pressure-gauge suitable for employment in this invention is shewn in Figure 6,
where L is a hollow casing of tinplate, sheet brass or other suitable material, to the
top side of which we attach or fix a cylinder M open at the bottom and descending to
a short distance from the bottom of the casing L. The latter is filled with glycerine,
as shewn at e, to above the open bottom end of the cylinder M when the gauge .is
placed upright. The communicating-tube D from the bell B is connected to a pipe a
which may be on either the side (as shown) or on the top or bottom of the interior of
the casing and which extends to such a distance within the interior of the casing L
that its open end is above the level of the glycerine in whatever position the pressure-
gauge may be held. The diameter of the cylinder and of the casing respectively are
so proportioned that the surface area of glycerine exposed in the former bears a
definite and known ratio to that in the latter, Into the cylinder M we place a float N
swimming on the glycerine, and attach to it a rod O passing through the top of the
casing and having a pointer P at its other end which, as the Hoat rises or falls with the
level of the glycerine within the cylinder, moves in front of the scale S. Instead of
affixing the pointer directly on the float-rod it may be attached to the shaft of a pinion,
wheel or pulley placed horizontally to the float rod, and actuated by the latter through
the medium of a rack or of a cord with counterbalance weight, or in any other well
known manner, so as to cause the pointer to move with a circular motion in front of a
circular dial. We make the top of the casing, where the float-rod passes through it,.
in the form of a narrow pipe projecting into the interior of the cylinder M so that
if the gauge be turned upside down no glycerine is lost out of the opening. The
operation of the pressure-gauge is as follows: The pressure upon the air contained
within the bell B is transmitted through the communicating tube D and pipe d to the
air contained in the casing L and depresses the level of the glycerine to which it is
exposed, at the same time causing that within the cylinder M to be elevated, which
raises the float N attached or connected to the pointer Pothus causing the latter to move
in front of the scale or dial.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner, the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is.
1. An apparatus for indicating the extent to which gasholders, tanks, wells or
other réservoirs are charged, wherein the rise and fall of the gasholder or of the
surface of liquid in a reservoir, through the medium of a chain or by equivalent
means, adds to or takes from the weight of a bell sealed in liquid or other suitable
and equivalent vessel containing air or gas, and thereby increases or decreases the

page_text: pressure upon such enclosed air or gas, the amount of such pressure corresponding
to the extent to which the gasholder, tank, well or other reservoir is charged and being
indicated by the bell or other equivalent vessel or by a suitable pressure-gauge sub-
stantially as set forth.
2. In apparatus for indicating the extent to which gasholders are charged with gas,
or tanks, wells or other reservoirs are charged with liquid, causing the rise or fall of
the gasholder, or of the surface of liquid in the tank, well or other reservoir, to increase
or decrease the pressure of air or gas enclosed within a bell sealed in liquid or within
a vessel having flexible, extendable and compressible sides, the extent of such increase
or decrease being exhibited or indicated by the movement of the bell or other vessel
or by a suitable pressure-gauge substantially as set forth.
3. In apparatus for indicating the extent to which gasholders are charged with gas,
or tanks, wells, or other reservoirs are charged with liquid, a bell sealed in liquid
or other suitable vessel enclosing air or gas whose pressure is caused to increase or
decrease by the rise or fall of the gasholder or of the surface of liquid in the tank, well
or other reservoir substantially as set forth.
4. In apparatus for indicating the extent to which gasholders are charged with gas,
a tube sealed in the water of the gasholder tank and rising and falling with the gas-
holder which communicating with the interior of a bell sealed in liquid, decreases or
increases the pressure of the air or gas within the bell as the gasholder rises or falls
substantially as set forth.
5. In apparatus for indicating the extent to which gasholders, tanks, wells or
other reservoirs are charged, a pressure-gauge constructed substantially as herein
shewn and described.
Dated this 10th dose of Doomben 1000
JOHN T. SHEARD.
SAMUEL HARRISON.