Improvements in or relating to Gas and Liquid Meters.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Gas and Liquid Meters.
1, HEINRICH JENSEN, of 22, Wilhelmstrasse, Hamburg, in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This improvement relates to gas and liquid meters in which the measuring is
effected by means of bellows arranged in conjunction with the fixed walls of
the casing of the apparatus which form measuring chambers and which by their
movement extend and reduce the said chambers to allow the medium to be
measured to flow in and out.
In gas-meters of this type as heretofore known the extensible walls of the
chambers are mostly made of leather suitably folded in the form of bellows.
The disadvantages of this arrangement are that the membranes easily become
altered, that is to say they extend sometimes more and sometimes less and also
soon become cracked or split.
In view of the fact that the said disadvantages would be lessened by reducing
the membrane-surfaces efforts have been made to replace these latter by solid
plates but the constructions hitherto adopted have only given poor results.
For example solid central plates have been adopted and these have been con-
nected to the wall of the measuring chamber by a broad ring of fabric.
This type of measuring chamber is considerably improved by the present
invention inasmuch as the flexible material (membrane-surfaces) only forms a
narrow flexible ring which nevertheless admits of a sufficient expansion of the
bellows.
This technical advance or improvement in the construction of these flexible
walls for preventing any perceptible extension in the size of the material form-
ing the membrane without curtailing the necessary expansion of the chambers
is effected by the following arrangement or construction of the measuring bellows
as will be more readily understood by the following description of the improve-
ment as applied by way of example to a gas meter.
Now according to this invention the membrane of the bellows is fitted on both
sides with centrally arranged plates and in addition thereto a number of rings
arranged to surround the said plates and if desired also arranged around one
another as far as the size of the membrane will allow, by leaving narrow annular
spaces between the solid plates. The various plates are thus connected together,
so to speak, by narrow annular strips of flexible membrane which permit of the
bellows-movement of the walls of the measuring chambers.
The circular link-arrangement of the flexible walls by means of alternate solid
rings and flexible rings constitutes the improvement and the novel feature of
the arrangement while the bellows itself is of the usual form and capable of
pulsating in each direction without appreciable inaccuracy. By this invention
the pulsations of the measuring chambers are constant, but if desired may be
constructed so as to have a considerable movement.
In order to prevent undue stretching, beyond a certain limit, of the annular

page_text: hinge-joints on the pulsations of the bellows, it is advisable that the central plate
which in gas meters is usually guided at the middle, be connected to the ring, or
rings, by means of lever-links adapted to maintain the said rings in proper
position with regard to the central plate so that the narrow flexible rings be
overstretched.
1
The arrangement of the gas or liquid is not altered and may be one of the
forms generally adopted in connection with this type of measuring chambers.
In one form of the gas meter the same may be fitted with two bellows thus
forming four measuring chambers in connection with' inlet and outlet chambers
for the gas.
These last named chambers are formed by a partition wall dividing
the top space into two chambers provided with. inlet and outlet respectively.
From these chambers suitable openings controlled by valves regulate the entrance
into and the escape from the measuring chambers.
Although I have hereinbefore described the membranes of the meter as being
provided on each side with a centrally arranged plate and with a number of rings
surrounding the said plates, it will be readily understood that I may make the
meter and consequently the plates and rings on the membranes of any suitable
shape other than circular, such for example as rectangular, quadrangular,
polygonal or the like.
}
[:
improvements in or relating to Gas and Liquid Meters.
I, HEINRICH JENSEN, of 22, Wilhelmstrasse, Hamburg, 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 statement:-
This improvement relates to gas and liquid meters in which the measuring is
effected by means of bellows arranged in conjunction with the fixed walls of
the casing of the apparatus which form measuring chambers and which by their
movement extend and reduce the said chambers to allow the medium to be
measured to flow in and out.
In gas-meters of this type as heretofore known the extensible walls of the
chamber are mostly made of leather suitably folded in the form of bellows.
The disadvantages of this arrangement are that the membranes easily become
altered, that is to say they extend sometimes more and sometimes less and also
soon become cracked or split.
i
In view of the fact that the said disadvantages would be lessened by reducing
the membrane-surface, efforts have been made to replace these latter by solid
plates but the constructions hitherto adopted have only given poor results.
For example solid central plates have been employed and these have been con-
nected to the wall of the measuring chamber by a broad ring of fabric.
This type of measuring chamber is considerably improved by the present inven-
tion inasmuch as the flexible material-or membrane-surface-only forms a
narrow flexible ring which nevertheless admits of a sufficient expansion of the
bellows.
"
This improvement in the construction of these flexible walls, for preventing
any perceptible extension in the size of the material forming the membrane with-
out curtailing the necessary expansion of the chambers, is effected by the follow-

page_text: ing arrangement or construction of the measuring bellows as will be more readily
understood by the following description as applied by way of example to a gas
meter shown in the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein;
Figure 1 is a vertical cross section;
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section and
Figure 3 a horizontal section of a gas meter made in accordance with the
present invention.
According to this invention the membrane of the bellows is fitted on both
sides with centrally arranged plates and in addition thereto a number of rings c
arranged to surround the said plates and if desired also arranged around one
another as far as the size of the membrane will allow, by leaving narrow annular
spaces between the solid plates and the rings respectively. The plates and rings
are thus connected together, so to speak, by narrow annular strips a of flexible
membrane which permit of the bellows-movement of the walls of the measuring
chambers I, II, III and IV.
C
The circular link-arrangement of the flexible walls by means of alternate solid
plates 6 or rings respectively and flexible rings a constitutes the improvement
and the novel feature of the arrangement while the bellows itself is of the usual
form and capable of pulsating in each direction without appreciable inaccuracy.
By this invention the pulsations of the measuring chambers are constant, in
spite of a considerable movement of the composite membrane-walls.
In order to prevent undue stretching, beyond a certain limit of the annular
hinge-joints a on the pulsations of the bellows, is advisable that the central
plate which in gas meters is usually guided at the middle, be connected to
the ring, or rings c, by means of lever-links d adapted to maintain the said
rings in proper position with regard to the central plate so that the narrow
Hexible rings a can not be overstretched see Figures 1 and 2.
The arrangement of the gas or liquid meter in general is not altered and may
be one of the forms generally adopted in connection with this type of measuring
chambers.
In the form of the gas meter shown in the drawings the same is fitted with two
bellows thus forming four measuring chambers I, II, III, IV in connection with
inlet and outlet chambers g and h for the gas. These last named chambers are
formed by a partition wall dividing the top space into the said two chambers g
and h provided with an inlet e and outlet f respectively. From these chambers g
and suitable openings controlled by valves regulate the entrance into and
the escape from the measuring chambers I-IV.
Although I have herein before described the membrane of the meter as being
provided on each side with a centrally arranged plate and with a number of rings
surrounding the said plates, it will be readily understood that I may make the
meter and consequently the plates and rings on the membranes of any suitable
shape other than circular, such for example as rectangular, quadrangular, poly-
gonal, or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
1. In gas or liquid meters the combination of the fixed walls of the measuring
chamber or chambers with one or more bellows consisting of a membrane fitted
on one or both sides with a central solid plate and one or more solid rings
surrounding each other and the central plate respectively and leaving narrow
spaces or strips of the flexible membrane between one another, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
2. In combination with a gas or liquid meter one or more bellows the flexible
walls of which are formed by means of solid plates and rings respectively and
flexible rings or parts between the said solid plates and rings, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 3. In gas or liquid meters the combination of the measuring chambers with
bellows composed of alternate solid and flexible parts or rings respectively, and
with lever-links connecting the solid parts with one another and with the walls
of the measuring chambers, and adapted to maintain the said solid parts or
rings in proper position with regard to the central solid part, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
4. The improved gas or liquid meter constructed, arranged and operating,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 25th day of July 1900.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.