Improvements in Meters for Fluids.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date, of Application, 24th. Sept... 1895.
Complete Specification Left, 23rd June, 1896-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1896
Improvements in Meters for Fluids.
We, JOHN GREENALL of 24 Harehills Avenue, Leeds in the County of York,
Gas Engineer, and THOMAS TANNETT HEATON of 59 Athenlay Road, Nunhead
in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this.invention to
be as follows:-
This invention consists of improvements in meters and has for its object to provide
a moter which will not be subject to the variations and uncertainties of measurement
and working which occur in the wet and dry ineters now in general use.
This
invention is applicable to the measurement of other fluids than gas, but we will
proceed to describe the same with reference to gas.
The gas is admitted from the main supply to the meter and passes through it to
the burners or points where it is consumed, stored or otherwise dealt with.
On entering the meter the gas is admitted into a valve box or valve boxes
in which a slide or other valve or. valves regulate the passage of the gas to two or
more cylinders of metal or other suitable material which do not change their form
or dimensions as is the case with the bellows of the existing form of dry gas meter.
The point where the valve rod passes through the valve box is sealed in any suitable
manner to prevent escape of the gas.
The cylinders are of circular or other form; each cylinder consists of two parts
one being the inner and one being the outer portion. The inner portion is enclosed
by the outer and the outer is closed at the top by a suitable cover. The inner
portion is shorter than the outer portion and a piston movable and actuated by the
gas or other material to be measured is enclosed between the two portions.
The piston is of hollow cylindrical or other suitable form closed at one end, gas
being admitted by the slide valve or valves into the hollow piston and preferably
through the inner portion of each cylinder. The pressure of the gas causes the
piston to move.
In order to prevent the escape of the gas from the piston into the outer portion
of the cylinder the open end of the piston is allowed to dip into mercury which is
placed between the inner and outer portions of each cylinder and which acts as a
seal. Any suitable seal may be used for this purpose other than mercury.
The closing of the ends of the outer portions of the cylinders prevents the escape
of the mercury if the meter is inverted. The convex form of the inner portions
of the cylinders prevents the escape of mercury into or through the inlet for
the gas.
The motion of each piston in one direction fills the cylinders with the gas which
is admitted to it by the slides valve, and this gas is, on the return stroke, of tire
piston (caused by the opening of the exhaust outlet by the valve and by the
admission of gas to the opposite piston) allowed to return to the valve and exhaust
itself through the outlet pipe.
It will thus be seen that the two pistons balance each other, the pressure of the
gas being admitted into one-causing an equal or approximately equal pressure of the
gasiexhausting from the other.
The valve or valves is or are of such form that the supply of gas is regular and
the flow and delivery is constant and steady."
A piston. rod is attached to each piston-and-passes through the end of the outer
portion of each cylinder.

page_text: The piston rods are attached one to each end of a lever which is suspended on a
suitable support, and the movement of the pistons causes the lever to vibrate with a
regular reciprocating motion.
The two ends of the lever are made each with a slot, screw or other suitable
arrangement by which the links attaching the piston rods to the lever can be
adjusted in such a way as to regulate the quantity of gas passed through the
cylinders by varying the stroke of the piston.
In connection with the pistons or with the lever we provide suitable counting
mechanism to record the quantity of gas passing through; the piston also serving
to actuate through a crank or other suitable means the slide valve for admitting and
cutting off the gas to the cylinders.
The slide valve and counting mechanism may be operated in the following
manner :-
Two ratchet wheels carried on suitable framework are actuated by the movement
of the lever by means of suitable pawls. These two ratchet wheels are geared
together and have therefore a continuous rotary motion. One of the ratchet
wheels drives a small pinion fixed on a crank shaft or excentric shaft and by means
of the crank or excentric gives motion to the slide or other valve or valves to
regulate the admission of the gas to the cylinders.
The other ratchet wheel actuates the dial recording apparatus, which may be of
the ordinary or of any suitable kind for recording the amount of gas or other fluid
that passes through the meter.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1895.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in Meters for Fluids.
We, JOHN GREENALL of 24 Harehills Avenue, Leeds in the County of York,
Gas Engineer, and THOMAS TANNETT HEATON of 59 Athenlay Road, Nunhead
in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manuer the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists of improvements in meters and has for its object to
provide a meter which will dispense with the use of water and will not require
leather in its construction and which will not be subject to the variations and
uncertainties of measurement and working which occur in wet and dry meters now
in general use for gas. The invention is applicable to the measurement of gas and
.other fluids but we will proceed to describe the same chiefly with reference to gas
as being sufficient to enable it to be fully understood.
The gas is admitted from the main supply to the meter and passes through it to
the burners or points where it is consumed, stored or otherwise dealt with.
On entering the meter the gas is admitted into a valve box or valve boxes in which
a slide or other valve or valves regulate the passage of the gas to two or more
cylinders or measuring boxes of metal or other suitable material which do not
change their form or dimensions as do the leather diaphragms or bellows of the
.existing form of dry gas meters.
The cylinders (which may be of circular or other suitable form) each consist of
two parts; one being the inner and the other the outer portion. The inner
portion is enclosed by the outer and the outer is closed at top by a suitable cover,
as is also the inner. The inner portiou is shorter than the outer portion and
a piston movable and actuated by the gas or other fluid to be measured is enclosed
between the two portions.

page_text: The piston is of a hollow cylindrical or other suitable form and is closed at one
end and the gas is admitted by the valve or valves either into the hollow if
the piston that is to say, only under it, or both under and above it.
The pressure of the gas causes the piston to move. In order to prevent the
escape of the gas from the inside of the piston into the outer portion of the cylinder
and vice versa the open end of the piston is sealed with mercury or other suitable
material, such for example as an amalgam of mercury and lead, which is placed
between the inner and outer portion of each cylinder.
The closing of the ends of the outer portions of the cylinders prevents the escape
of the mercury if the meter is inverted. The end of the inner portion of each
cylinder is of convex form to, prevent the escape of mercury into or through the
inlet for the gas.
The motion of each piston in one direction fills the cylinders on one side of their
respective pistons with the gas which is admitted by the valve, and this gas is on
the return stroke of the piston (caused by the opening by the exhaust outlet by the
valve and by the admission of gas to the opposite piston on the opposite side of the
same piston) allowed to return to the valve and exhaust itself through the outlet
pipe; the action of the two cylinders is alternate.
The valves we use are generally similar to those employed in the ordinary dry
meters but we may use any other suitable valve or valves."
A piston rod or flag rod is attached to each piston and passes through a stuffing
box in the outer portion of the corresponding cylinder. The two piston rods are
connected with the mechanism for actuating the valve or valves and with the
counting apparatus.
The point where the valve crank shaft or valve rod passes through the valve box
should be sealed in any suitable manner to prevent the escape of gas.
The accompanying drawings represent several ways in which our invention may
be carried into effect:
Figure 1 is a sectional plan, Figure 2 a vertical longitudinal section through the
centre of the cylinders and Figure 3 a transverse section through the centre line of
the pivot killustrating our modification.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are similar views illustrating another modification..
Figure 7 illustrates a third modification.
Referring first to the modification shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
a a are two cylinders each consisting as herein before described of an outer
portion a¹ and an inner portion a between which works a hollow piston a³ the
piston being actuated by the gas or other fluid to be measured.
The gas is admitted at the inlet into a valve box b, at the point b¹ it passes by
means of the ports c, c¹, c³ and cas regulated by the valve covers d into one or
other of the cylinders a either above or below the piston.
The gas returns through the same passages by which it has entered the cylinders
into the hollow under the valves d d through the exhaust ports e e, and into the
passage e, by which it proceeds to the outlet y.
The gas which has to enter the upper portion of each cylinder a and act upon
the top of the piston a³ passes through the port c or c¹ and the passage for f' into
the cylinder.
The gas which has to enter the bottom part of each cylinder and act upon the
underside of the piston passes through the port c³ or cand through the passage g or h
into the cylinder.
The valves are slide valves and act in the same way as the slide valves of an
ordinary steam engine or dry meter. The gas is prevented from passing from the
top to the bottom, or vice versa, of the cylinders, by a seal i which may be of
mercury or amalgain or other suitable material.
The pressure of the gas upon the pistons causes them to move first in one
direction and then in the other according as the gus is admitted by the slide valves
to the upper side or lower side of the piston.

page_text: The motion of the side valves is obtained by the following mechanism :-
The piston rods jj act upon a double lever k pivotted at k¹ and give to the lever
a reciprocating motion. This motion is transmitted by the link to the bell crank
ratchet lever which is attached by a connecting rod to a second ratchet lever
The pawls of the two ratchet levers actuate the two ratchet wheels mm and
through these give a practically continuous motion in one direction to the pinion m
which is attached to a double crank shaft which transmits the motion to the slide
valves.
The shaft n to which one of the ratchet wheels m is keyed actuates through the
coupling o the shaft o', and the shaft o' actuates mechanism of the ordinary kind
for recording by means of the usual dial plate the quantity of gas passed through
the meter.
The correctness of the measurement is regulated by means of two slots (in which
we may use screws or other suitable means of adjustment) one in each end of the
lever k.
The angle through which the lever k moves is invariable, and by fixing the
studs in the slots referred to, nearer to or further from the pivot of the lever a
variation in the stroke of the pistons is effected which regulates the quantity of gas
per stroke passed through the meter.
Referring now to the modifications shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 the arrangement
of cylinders is the same as in the modification shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and
described and the gas is admitted into and exhausted from the cylinders in a
similar way.
In Figures 4, 5 and 6 the two slide valves are placed side by side
on the same side of the crank but their position may be varied and be on different
sides. Motion is transmitted from the pistons to the valves by means of two
independent levers a a¹ actuated by the respective piston rods, a being a treble
armed lever and a' a double armed lever. In both levers there is one arm
attached to the piston rod and one arm on which is a balance weight a³ and a* to
balance the piston.
Connecting rods b 6' respectively connect the third arm a² of the lever a and one
end of the lever a¹ to one and the same stud on a lever c fixed to the double crank
shaft d which actuates the valves.
The lever c has a circular motion and is made to revolve continuously in one
direction by the pistons. In the lever c is a slot, the position of the stud in which
serves to regulate the length of stroke of the two pistons and thus enables the
exact desired quantity of gas per stroke to be correctly fixed. The said stud
being capable of adjustment in the slot.
On the end of the crank shaft d is a pinion e Figure 4 which engages with the
teeth of a wheel of the pitch circle of which is shown in Figure 5 this wheel f
actuates the counting or recording apparatus of the meter which is provided with
dials of the usual kind.
Referring now to the modification illustrated in Figure 7 it is the same as that
shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 except that the weighted levers are carried upon
rocking shafts supported upon or by the cylinders themselves.
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. The combination in a fluid meter of two cylinders or measuring boxes, two
inverted hollow or cup shaped pistons moved respectively in the two cylinders by
the pressure of the fluid admitted to the two cylinders alternately, the said pistons
being sealed with mercury or other seal, a valve or valves controlling the inlet of
the fluid to and its outlet from the cylinders, the said valve or valves being operated
by the pistons, and a counting apparatus also operated by the pistons, all
substantially as herein before described.
2. In a meter such as described in Claim 1, a suspended lever actuated by the

page_text: pistons and transmitting motion to the mechanism for working the valve or valves
and to the counting apparatus, the said lever having means of adjustment whereby
the stroke of the pistons can be varied to regulate the amount of fluid passed
through each cylinder at each stroke, substantially as herein before described.
3. The improved fluid meter constructed and working substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3.
4. The improved fluid meter constructed and working substantially as herein before-
described with reference to Figures 4, 5 and 6 or Figure 7.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1896.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.