IMPROVE- MENTS IN PARTS OF DRY GAS METERS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Harmer, of St. James Street, Lower Road,
Islington, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PARTS OF DRY GAS METERS."-Partly a communication from
abroad by William Sinderby, of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United
States of America.
Sealed the 25th November 1859, and dated the 25th May 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Harmer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
May 1859.
I, JAMES HARMER, of St. James Street, Lower Road, Islington, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PARTS OF DRY GAS METERS," partly communicated to
me from abroad by William Sinderby, of Boston, Massachusetts, in the
United States of America, and partly my own Invention, to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to the crank and parts in connection therewith
for giving motion to the valves, to facilitate adjustment thereof and of the
valves. For this purpose the crank pin, which by links or arms gives motion
to the valves, is formed of an increased diameter in relation to the crank axis,
or part thereof, so that the eyes or holes in the ends of the links connected
thereto may freely slide over such axis or part thereof, and on to and fit such

page_text: enlarged crank pin without the necessity for slitting such part of the con-
necting links or arms, as is the general practice, for the purpose of getting
these connecting links or arms on the crank pin, as well as giving facility for
the use of connecting links of stiffer metal, and the application of washers
between them; and these links are retained in position, if required, by a
collar and pin, or such like means. Also, in place of the links going direct to
the crank pin of the crank axis of such description of meters, I connect those
ends of the links to a pin from a rod, one end of which is operated by the
crank pin, whilst the other end of such rod is controlled by a guide. Also, in
place of operating on the one end of such rod by a crank pin, it is operated
by an eccentric, formed with a square (or other figure) opening through it for
the axis, by which the axis (which at that part is of a corresponding form)
may be readily drawn through, but which will cause the eccentric to rotate
with it, by which to facilitate the detaching of the links from the means of
motion thereto.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Harmer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th November 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HARMER, of St. James Street, Lower Road, Islington in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Harmer, Her special licence that I, the said James
Harmer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Harmer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PARTS OF DRY GAS METERS," partly communicated to me from abroad
by William Sinderby, of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States of
America, and partly my own Invention, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Harmer, my executors or administrators, by an instru-

page_text: ment 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 James Harmer, 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 fol-
lowing statement thereof, that is to say :-
The improvements relate to the crank and parts in connection therewith for
giving motion to the valves to facilitate adjustment thereof and of the valves.
For this purpose the crank pin, which by links or arms gives motion to the
valves, is formed of an increased diameter in relation to the crank axis, or
part thereof, so that the eyes or holes in the ends of the links connected
thereto may freely slide over such axis, or part thereof, and on to, so as to fit,
without shake, such enlarged crank pin, without the necessity for slitting or
otherwise opening such part of the connecting links or arms, as is the general
practice, for the purpose of getting these connecting links or arms on the
crank pin, as well as giving facility for the use of connecting links of stiffer
and thicker metal, and the application of washers between them. And these
links are retained in position, if required, by a collar or washer, and pin, or
such like means.
But that the nature of the improvements may be better understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same more fully, aided
by the accompanying Drawing, in the various Figures of which the same
letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a plan; Figure 2, a side view; and Figure 3, a sectional
view of a crank axis, for giving motion to the valves of a meter and parts
acting therewith, arranged according to the Invention. a is the crank axis;
b, the crank thereon, for operating the valves; and c, the crank pin; and d, d,
links for giving motion to the valves e, as is well understood by persons
acquainted with the construction of gas meters. But it will be seen, that the
crank pin c is increased in size, sufficient to admit of the ends of the links d, d,
by their eyes or holes d¹ passing freely to such crank pin c by the upper part of
the axis a, and the upper limb of the crank b. Figures 4 and 5 shew some of
the parts separately. I prefer to place between the eyes of the links d on the
crank pin a washer or collar f, to prevent the rubbing of the two parts

page_text: .
together; and I also apply another washer or collar g over the upper link,
with a pin g¹ to retain the parts in position. In place of the links going direct
to the crank pin of the crank axis of such description of meters, I sometimes
connect those ends of the links to a pin from a rod, one end of which is
operated by the crank pin, whilst the other end of such rod is controlled by a
guide. This arrangement of parts is shown by Figures 6 and 7, where it will
be seen that in place of the ends d' of the links d being connected to the
crank pin, they are connected to a pin h on the rod ¹, one end of which is
operated by the crank pin c, whilst the other end is controlled in its motion
by sliding through the stationary guide i. Sometimes in place of operating
on the one end of such rod by a crank pin it is operated by an eccentric
formed with a square (or other figure) opening through it for the axis, by
which the axis (which at that part is of a corresponding form) may be readily
drawn through, but which will cause the eccentric to rotate with it, by which
to facilitate the detaching of the links from the means of motion thereto.
.
j
An arrangement according to this adaptation is shown by Figures 8 and 9,
where is the cccentric, shewn also separately at Figure 10, and it will be
seen that the hole in the eccentric j is of a square form, though other forms
may be employed corresponding with that of the axis a passed through it, and
adapted to cause the eccentric to rotate with the axis a; and this arrange-
ment is, as will readily be understood, also applicable to operate direct upon
the links d, as shown by Figures 11 and 12.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details shown and described, so long as the
peculiar character of the improvements be retained substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Harmer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
73, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.
JAMES HARMER. (L.S.)