Improvements in Gas-meters.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1893-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas-meters.
I, EMIL HAAS, of Mayence, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to gas-meters.
The measuring apparatus known by the name of the Haas gas-meter, for lighting
gas and other gaseous substances, is substantially characterized by the arrangement
of two vertical membranes in metallic cases, the fixed walls of which offer a natural
limit to the expansion of the membranes and thus secure a constant capacity of the
measuring compartments.
The said invention comprises arrangements and details of construction of the
Haas dry gas-meter and relates more particularly to the form and operation of
the slide-valves, the device for transmitting the oscillating movements of the
metallic vanes within the measuring vessels to a shaft provided with two cranks
and which communicates its rotary movements to the registering device, and lastly
the form of the measuring vessels and the fixing of the same in the outer casing of
the gas-meter.
In all known dry gas-meters, and also in the Haas gas-meter, the slide valves
are very short proportionately to their width, and the slots or ports in the slide
face are also short and broad. For opening and closing the slots or ports it
is therefore sufficient to have but very short levers and a slight to-and-fro
movement of the slide valves. A very slight shifting of the several parts of
the operating mechanism relatively to each other and the least wear or loosening
of the joints therefore produces a deleterious effect upon the proper opening and
closing of the valves, which is the greater the shorter they are proportionately
to their width. Such slide valves cannot be guided exactly in a straight line,
and a lateral oblique displacement interferes also with the proper opening and
closing of the slots or ports in the slide face and consequently with the proper
filling and emptying of the measuring vessels and the accurate measurement of
the gas.
Moreover, the Haas gas-meter as heretofore constructed possesses the dis-
advantage that the slide valve, which is provided on one of the two measuring
vessels, is operated by the lever on the shaft of the vanes of the other measuring
vessel.
If in this case the least shifting of the two measuring vessels relatively to each
other takes place, against which inconvenience the gas-meter cannot be sufficiently
protected, the result is that on one side the port in the slide face is covered too
early and on the other side too late by the valve, thereby causing again an incorrect
measurement of the gas.
In the improved gas-meter, two slide valves are arranged side by side in the
middle upon the two measuring vessels, these valves being very long relatively to
their small width and being operated by very long levers and connecting rods.
Accordingly the slide valves, in the direction of their sliding movement, are
parallel to the measuring vessels moving them, and a shifting of the same cannot
have a deleterious effect upon the proper operation of the slide valves and upon the
accurate registration of the gas-meter.
Owing to the long slide valves a very smooth rectilineal to-and-fro movement is
obtained and the valves slide very easily (also by reason of the arrangement of
larger ports in the slide faces, which has the advantage that the sectional area of
the same becomes greater and may be in proper proportion to the sizes of the other

page_text: passages of the gas-meter), there will be less loss of gas pressure, and fluctuations
in the pressure which occur through the use of two small slide valves will be
obviated.
In the improved arrangement the two slide valves and slide faces have now only
one common chest which comprises four chambers, put in communication with
channels leading to the measuring vessels, and a centrai chamber which communicates
with the outlet pipe.
The same levers which operate the slide valves. also transmit the oscillating
movements of the partitions in the measuring vessels by means of the rods of the
vanes employed and furthermore by means of two cranks which are secured upon a
shaft supported in two blocks fixed upon a plate.
The aforesaid two cranks placed at a right angle to each other are adapted to
be adjusted on the journals of the shaft through a fork shaped opening, that is to
say they may be made longer or shorter according to the depth of the corresponding
measuring vessel and the amount of the turning movement of the above-mentioned
lever. The cranks are then fixed by means of a clamping screw.
On one of the cranks the pin is prolonged and engages with a driver or tappet
the axis of which extends through a stuffing box into the registering device
arranged in a separate box in the outer casing of the gas-meter, and transmits to
this device the movements of the gas-meter.
I also modify the form of the measuring vessels. In the measuring vessels
heretofore employed in the Haas gas-meter there is a space which is not used for
the movements of its partitions. Neither the metallic vanes nor the membrane
appertaining to the partition can be placed close against the inner walls of the
measuring vessel. When the gas-meter has to perform more work, that is to say
when a greater quantity passes through the meter, and the pressure on one side of
the partition is high relatively to that on the other side of the partition, the vanes
and also the membranes bulge out, as they are not everywhere supported, and a
greater measuring space is produced than when the duty is less, a perfectly correct
measurement is therefore not always possible.
In the improved arrangement of the measuring vessels the shafts of the vanes
rotate in a tube which near the middle of the vessel is only open far enough for the
vane to pass through.
Moreover the vessel is made of such a shape that the vane can everywhere bear
very tightly against the inner walls. The lateral flanges of the measuring vessels
extend closely to the tubes, limit these outwardly and enclose also the membrane
serving for a complete partition and forming only a short joint, so that it can no
longer bulge out according to the greater or smaller pressure of the gas acting upon
it and thus change the measuring space.
The extremely broad flanges serve for fixing the measuring vessels in channels
of the outer casing, the sides of which must be at such a distance from the above-
mentioned levers as to enable the latter to make the necessary movements.
Dated this 5th day of November 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas-meters.
I, EMIL HAAS, of Mayence, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, 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 5
statement:-
My invention relates to gas-meters.
The measuring apparatus known by the name of the Haas gas-meter for lighting

page_text: and other gases is substantially characterized by the arrangement of two vertical
membranes in metallic cases, the fixed walls of which offer a natural limit to the
expansion of the membranes and thus secure a constant capacity of the measuring
compartments.
The said invention refers to definite arrangements and details of construction of
the Haas dry gas-meter, more particularly to the mechanism of the same, that is
to say, chiefly to the slide valves, their form and operation; to the device for
transmitting the oscillating movements of the metallic vanes within the measuring
vessels to a shaft provided with two cranks and which communicates its rotary
movements to the registering device; and lastly to the form of the measuring
vessels and the fixing of the same in the outer casing of the gas-meter.
In all known dry gas-meters, as also in the Haas gas-meter, the slide valves are
very short proportionately to their width, and the slots or ports in the slide face
are also short and broad. For opening and closing the slots or ports it is therefore
sufficient to have but very short levers and a slight to-and-fro movement of the
slide valves. A very slight inaccuracy in the fitting together of the several parts
of the operating mechanism and the least wear or loosening of the joints therefore
produces a deleterious effect upon the proper opening and closing of the valves,
which is the greater the shorter the valves are proportionately to their width.
Such slide valves cannot be guided exactly in a straight line, and a lateral oblique
set interferes also with the proper opening and closing of the slots or ports in the
slide fare, and consequently with the proper filling and emptying of the measuring
vessels and the accurate measurement of the gas.
Moreover, the Haas gas-meter as heretofore constructed
possesses the
disadvantage that the slide valve, which is provided on one of the two measuring
vessels, is operated by the lever on the shaft of the vanes of the other measuring
vessel.
If in this case the least inaccuracy exists in the relative position of the two
measuring vessels to each other, against which inconvenience the gas-meter cannot
be sufficiently protected, the result is that on one side the port in the slide face is
covered too early and on the other side too late by the valve, thereby again
causing an incorrect measurement of the gas.
In the accompanying drawing:-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved gas meter.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section and,
Figure 4 is a detail view showing the arrangement of the vanes.
In my improved gas-meter, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 two slide valves vare
arranged side by side in the middle upon the two measuring vessels, these valves
Obeing very long relatively to their small width and being operated by very long
levers a and connecting rods b. Accordingly the slide valves v in their longitudinal
direction and in the direction of their sliding movement are parallel to the
measuring vessels moving them and a set or displacement of the same cannot have
a deleterious effect upon the proper operation of the slide valves and upon the
accurate registration of the gas-meter.
Owing to the long slide valves v a very smooth rectilineal to-and-fro movement
is obtained and the valves slide very easily, and (as also by reason of the formation
of larger ports in the slide faces, which has the advantage that the sectional area
of the same becomes greater and may be properly proportioned to the sizes of the
0 other passages of the gas-meter) and there will be less loss of gas pressure, and
fluctuations in the pressure which occurred through the use of two small slide
valves will be obviated.
V
The two slide valves and slide faces have only one common chest c Figure 1,
and 2,
which comprises four chambers, communicating with chanuels d, Figures
5 leading to the measuring vessels, and a central chamber which communicates with
the outlet pipe e, Figure 1.
The same levers a which operate the slide valves also transmit the oscillating

page_text: •
movement of the partitions f in the measuring vessels by means of the rods of
the vanes and furthermore by means of two cranks & secured upon a shaft the
said shaft being supported in bearings fixed upon the plate h, Figure 2. The
aforesaid two cranks k placed at a right angle to each other are adapted to be
adjusted on the journals of the shaft through a forked shaped opening that is to
say they may be made longer or shorter according to the depth of the corresponding
measuring vessel and the amount of the turning movement of the lever. The
cranks are then fixed by means of a clamping screw.
On one of the cranks & the pin m is prolonged as shown in Figure 2. This pin
engages with a driver or tappet n, the axis o of which extends through a stuffing
box into the registering device Z arranged in a separate box in the outer casing of
the gas-meter and transmits to this device the movements of the gas-meter.
I also modify the form of the measuring vessels. In the measuring vessels
heretofore employed in the Haas gas-meter there is a space which is not used for
the movements of its partitions.
Neither the metallic vanes A nor the membrane B appertaining to the partition
can be placed close against the inner walls C of the measuring vessel. When the
gas-meter has to perform more work, that is to say, when a greater quantity passes
through the meter, and the pressure on one side of the partition is high relatively
to that on the other side thereof, the vanes A and also the membranes B bulge out,
as they are not supported, and a greater measuring space is produced than when the
duty is less, a perfectly correct measurement is therefore not always possible.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 show the improved arrangement of the measuring vessels. In
these vessels the shafts p of the vanes rotate in a tube y which near the middle of
the vessel is only open far enough for the vane A. to pass through.
Moreover the vessel is made of such a shape that the vane A can bear at all
points very tightly against the inner walls. The lateral flanges r of the measuring
vessels also extend close to the tubes, limiting the same outwardly and enclosing
also the membrane B serving for a partition and forming only a short joint, so that
it can no longer bulge out according to the greater or smaller pressure of the gas
acting upon it and thus alter the capacity of the measuring space.
The extremely broad flanges r serve for fixing the measuring vessels in the
channels i of the outer casing, the sides of which must be at such a distance from
the levers a as to enable the latter to make the necessary movement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In dry gas-meters having membranes swinging upon vertical axes, and the
movements of which are definitely limited by the walls, of special shape of the
measuring compartments, the arrangement of slides which, are long and narrow,
and which, being placed together upon a lower box in the middle of the two
measuring vessels, produce very large slide ports which permit of a permanently
correct measurement of gas, facilitate the passage and obviate fluctuations in the
pressure, substantially as herein set forth.
Second. In dry gas-meters the arrangement of only two levers on the shafts of
the partition vanes-which transmit the oscillating movements of the vanes to the
registering device and effect at the same time the operation of the slide valves,
substantially as herein set forth.
Third. In dry gas-meters the special formation of the measuring vessels without
any useless space, by the arrangement of lateral tubes joining the measuring
compartments and in which are arranged the shafts of the metallic vanes, which on
the tubes being opened pass to the middle of the measuring vessel, move freely and
bear closely against the inner walls of the measuring vessel, the tubes in which the
vanes turn being preferably closed on the other side by two flanges bearing tightly:
one upon the other and enclosing the membranes, substantially as herein set forth.
Fourth. In dry gas-meters the arrangement of two channels on each wall of the

page_text: outer gas-meter casing, into which the measuring vessels with the projecting flanges
enclosing the membranes are introduced, for the purpose of always securing the
measuring vessels in a definite position relatively to each other, substantially as
herein set forth.
Doted this 7th day of July 1893
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.