IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN MEASURING GAS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Glover, of Queen Square, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN
MEASURING GAS."
Sealed the 10th May 1861, and dated the 16th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Glover at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th November 1860.
:
I, GEORGE GLOVER, of 8, Queen Square, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
USED IN MEASURING GAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used for
measuring gas, and the same has reference to the construction of apparatus
suitable for obtaining a standard measurement of gas, in order to test gas
meters and other instruments thereby. For these purposes an inverted cylin-
drical vessel, closed at the upper end, is used, which is similar to what has
heretofore been employed; but I make such vessel of an alloy of tin and anti-
mony, or of glass or aluminium, which will not be prejudicially acted on by
gas, and at the same time its surfaces will part more readily with water than
the metals heretofore used for like purposes. On the exterior and at the oppo-
site sides of this vessel are applied or formed two graduated scales of the same

page_text: alloy of metal as the vessel. This vessel is used inverted and immersed in
water contained in a suitable tank, as heretofore, and the vessel is also sus-
pended and kept in a state of equilibrium, as heretofore. And in order to read
off the graduated scales a small micrometer in a frame on the margin of this
tank is used to each graduated scale. The cocks or valves employed in con-
ducting gas into and from the measuring vessel, are lined with alloys of the
metals before mentioned, in order that the gas may not act on any parts of the
cocks or valves, which would be prejudicially acted on thereby, and thus are
the cocks and valves rendered more constant and lasting. Two differential ther-
mometers are used, one at the outlet of the vessel, and one at the outlet of the gas
meter or gasometer, or instrument which is being tested. These thermometers
are graduated from 30° to 90° of Fahrenheit's scale on one side of the tube,
and the other sides of the tubes are graduated for percentages of error, to
indicate variations depending on temperature and the capacity of gas for
moisture.
In place of using the standard cubic foot bottle, as heretofore, I fix the bottle
in an inverted position, and connect the upper end directly and by preference
by a metallic tube to the instrument to be tested or graduated. With the
bottle thus fixed I employ a moveable cistern or vessel containing water, and
such cistern or vessel is gradually and steadily raised so that the water enters
the bottle from below gradually and without agitation, by which the air pre-
viously contained in the standard bottle is displaced and passes into the
instrument to be tested or graduated, and so soon as the upper surface of the
water in the cistern or vessel comes on a level with the upper end of the bottle
the cock of the connecting tube is then closed and a standard cubic foot of air
will have been transmitted from the bottle to the instrument to be measured
or graduated. Or in place of causing a cistern or vessel to be moved up to a
fixed standard bottle, the cistern or vessel may as well as the bottle be fixed
and water allowed to flow steadily from another cistern or vessel into the fixed
cistern or vessel till the water level in the fixed cistern and in the standard
bottle comes to the point of correct measurement, as above explained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Glover, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE 35
GLOVER, of 8, Queen Square, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Glover, Her special licence that I, the said George
Glover, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Glover, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS USED IN MEASURING GAS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Glover, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 George Glover, 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 bas for its object improvements in apparatus used for
measuring gas, and the same has reference to the construction of apparatus.
suitable for having a standard measurement of gas, in order to test gas
meters and other instruments thereby. For these purposes an inverted cylin-
drical vessel, closed at the upper end, is used, which is similar to what has
heretofore been employed; but I make such vessel of an alloy of tin and anti-
mony, or of glass or aluminium, which will not be prejudicially acted on by
gas, and at the same time its surfaces will part more readily with water than
the metals heretofore used for like purposes. On the exterior and at the
opposite sides of this vessel are applied or formed two graduated scales of the
same alloy of metal as the vessel. This vessel is used inverted and immersed
in water contained in a suitable tank, as heretofore, and the vessel is also sus-
pended and kept in a state of equilibrium, as heretofore. And in order to read
off the graduated scales a small micrometer in a frame on the margin of the
tank is used to each graduated scale. The cocks or valves employed in con-
ducting gas into and from the measuring vessel are lined with alloys of the
metals before mentioned, in order that the gas may not act on any parts of

page_text: the cocks or valves, which would be prejudicially acted on thereby, and thus
are the cocks and valves rendered more constant and lasting. Two differential
thermometers are used, one at the outlet of the vessel and one at the outlet of
the gas meter or gasometer, or instrument which is being tested. These
thermometers are graduated from 30° to 90° of Fahrenheit's scale on one side of
the tube, and the other sides of the tubes are graduated for percentages of
error, to indicate variations depending on temperature and the capacity of gas
for moisture.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 a plan of the
apparatus. All three views shew the mode of admitting the gas by means of
the taps herein-after described, and they also shew the column on the table in
connexion with the outlet of the gas holder, furnished with a thermometer of
an improved construction, to indicate the slightest change of temperature in
the gas or air passing out of the gas holder, and graduated to shew the ordinary
degrees of Fahrenheit, and also percentages of increase or decrease due to
elevation or decrease of temperature and moisture.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, A, A, represents an inverted cylindrical vessel, closed
at the upper end, and commonly denominated a bell, and similar in form to
what has been heretofore employed for the same purpose, but made of an alloy
of tin and antimony by preference, in the proportions of ten parts of the former
to 2 parts of the latter, or it may be made of glass or aluminium, which will
not be prejudicially acted upon by gas, and at the same time its surface will
part readily with the water of the cistern. This bell or inverted cylindrical
vessel is hung perfectly vertical by a jointed chain or band B, B. C, C, is a
pulley over which the jointed chain or band is conducted, and the chain has a
counterbalance weight D, D. On the pulley shaft there is fixed a cycloid
E, E, constructed on the ordinary plan, to cause the portion of the bell raised
above the water level to be truly balanced, which balancing is evidenced by the
water gauge on the top of the bell being truly level at all points of elevation of
the bell.
The Drawings shew the micrometers F, F, for reading off the graduations
on the front and rear scales J respectively, and also the thermometer G, G, in
the bell, to indicate the temperature of the gas or air employed as a measuring
material. The scales J are graduated, to indicate the cubic feet and decimal
parts thereon.

page_text: The construction of the thermometer of the bell, and also the other thermo-
meters G, G, herein mentioned, should be such as will be most sensitive to gas
or air. I construct them with bulbs of about 1% of an inch diameter and
4 inches long, and their scales are marked with percentages of error due to
temperature and moisture, as shewn half size in Figure 5, as well as the degrees
of Fahrenheit.
In Figure 4 is shewn to a larger scale the cocks or taps for admitting and
parting with the gas from the gas holder; they are constructed in such manner
as to prevent any corrosion or leakage from the effect of gas or its products.
In Figure 1 is represented the outside view of these taps, and in Figure 4 a
longitudinal section of the same. The entire surface of the plug, which has
motion, and where the gas can act upon it, is composed of a very hard and
denser alloy than that employed for the bell being by preference three parts tin
to one part antimony. The corresponding surface of the plug hole is made of
an alloy of much softer consistence, whereby the friction of the two surfaces is
reduced to a minimum, and gas or its products will cause no injurious effect.
The proportions of this lining are about two parts tin and one part antimony.
In using the apparatus when testing the correctness of a meter the meter is
to be placed on the slate table, which is to be set correctly in a horizontal
position. The pipe x of the column x is to be fixed gas-tight to the inlet of the
gas meter. The pipe y of the column y is to be fixed gas-tight to the outlet of
the gas meter. The water used in the tank of the bell is by preference to be
distilled water, though rain water or river water may be used, but whatever
water be employed, gas is to be allowed to flow through it for a time before
the bell is used for testing a gas meter.
Gas is to be allowed to flow through the gas meter till the atmospheric air
has been displaced by the gas. Care is to be observed that the joints are all
correct, and that the case of the meter is free from leakage. The cock on the
pipe leading from the bell to the meter is to be closed, and when the bell is full
of gas, the cock leading from the gas supply main is to be shut off, the cock
leading from the bell to the meter is to be opened. The pressure and the
temperature of the gas in the bell should be observed at the gauge and the
thermometer of the bell, and noted at the commencement and at the finish, and
the mean of the pressure and temperature taken as the pressure and tempera-
ture of the whole contents of the bell. The pressure in the gauge and the
temperature at the thermometer on the column a should also be taken and
noted at the commencement and finish. The pressure in the gauge and the
temperature of the gas as it flows from the meter should also be taken in like
manner at the commencement and end, and noted. Supposing the temperature

page_text: of the gas coming from the meter is higher or lower than that at which it
entered the meter, the difference of percentage indicated by the scale on the
thermometers is to be deducted or added from or to the quantity measured,
according as the gas is of a higher or lower temperature when it leaves the
meter than when it came from the bell.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
employment of a bell and measuring apparatus of the materials above
mentioned combined with thermometers such as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Glover, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
GEO. GLOVER. (L.S.)