Improvements in or connected with Gas and like Fluid Meters.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Gas and like Fluid Meters.
I, JOHN GREENALL, of Harehills Avenue, Leeds, in the County of York, Gas
Engineer, 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 invention refers to gas and like fluid meters, in which two pistons are
employed for measuring the gas, and my object is to simplify the construction
and thus reduce the cost of manufacture and at the same time improve the
efficiency of the said meters.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which similar
letters refer to like parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a meter constructed according to my in-
vention, Figure 2 is a sectional plan taken on the line X, X of Figure 1 and
Figure 3 is a sectional plan taken on the line Y, Y, of the same figure.
A and B are two cylinders having inner portions A and B₁ within same,
which form annular spaces C and D at the bases of the said cylinders. Bells E
and F are situated within the cylinders A and B, and the lower ends of the said
bells are immersed in glycerine or other suitable seals contained in the annular
spaces C and D, thus preventing the gas to be measured from passing between
the opposite sides of the said bells. The bell E is suspended by a piston rod G,
which latter passes through a stuffing box G¹ and is connected by means of a
link G2 with one end of a rocking beam K, mounted on a bracket L, and the
opposite end of the lever K carries an adjustable weight K', which balances
the bell E and parts connected therewith. The bell F is suspended by
a piston rod M, which latter passes through a stuffing box M and is connected
through a link M³ with a rocking beam N, fulcrumed on the bracket L, and the
opposite end of the rocking beam N carries an adjustable weight N¹, which
balances the bell F and parts connected therewith.
The rocking beam N is formed with an arm or triangular extension N2 on its
upper side, and the rocking beam K is provided. with a similar arm K2, and the
said arms N and K³ are connected by means of connecting rods H and J with an
adjustable pin P¹ of a crank P. which latter has a circular motion and is carried
on the extremity of a crank shaft R. It will thus be seen that the rising and
falling of the bells E and F communicate motion to the crank shaft R, and as
the bell E is set half a stroke in advance of the bell F no dead point is obtained
in the crank P. The arms K2 and N2 enable the crank shaft R to be situated in
the centre of the meter, and the advantages obtained by the central situation of
the crank shaft R are hereafter set forth in this specification.
V is a valve-box in which the valves S and T are situated, and the crank
O shaft R passes into the said valve-box V through a stuffing box R3. The slide-

page_text: valves S and T are situated over their respective bells E and F, and are actuated
through connecting rods S and T" from cranks R1 and R2, which are set in
position a quarter of a revolution apart. S2 and S3 are the ports, and S the
exhaust of the valve S; and T2 and T are the ports, and 14 the exhaust, of the
valve T.
a is the inlet-pipe of the meter, which admits the gas-supply to the valve-
box V by way of a passage a¹, and the exhausts S and T communicate with an
outlet pipe b by way of a passage b¹.
The port S2 is connected by means of a passage d with the interior of the
cylinder A below the bell E, while the port S is connected with the interior of
the cylinder A above the bell E by means of a passage e. The port T is con-
nected by means of a passage f with the interior of the cylinder B below the
bell F, while the port 13 is connected with the interior of the cylinder B above
the bell F by means of a passage h, and all these passages will be best seen by
referring to Figure 2.
The passages e and are prolonged a short distance into the interior of the
cylinders A and B, for the purpose of preventing the glycerine entering the said
passages should the meter be overturned; and the passages d and f terminate
in a similar manner within the inner portions A and B for the same reason.
The inner portions A¹ and B₁ have necks A and B, and flanges A³ and B3 are
also provided for the purpose of preventing the splashing of the glycerine into
the gas ways.
The piston rods G and M are prolonged below the bells and work in guides A*
and B, the said bells being thus guided and made to work accurately in the
centres of the seals C and D.
The gas entering the valve-box V is fed alternately on opposite sides of the
bells E and F, thus causing them to rise and fall in a similar manner to that
of the pistons of a steam engine, and the movement of the bells E and F imparts
the necessary movement to the crank shaft R, and thence to the slide-valves S
and T, while the gas that is expelled through the passages to the outlet-pipe b
represents the supply from the meter after its quantity has been duly registered.
It will thus be seen that the amount of gas passed per stroke depends on the
length of stroke given to the bells E and F, and this may be regulated by ad-
justing the pin Pi in the crank P.
The movements of the crank shaft R are communicated to any suitable
counting mechanism, not shewn in the drawings, and this may be conveniently
performed by means of a slotted crank Pa and shaft P³.
The arms K and N2 enable the crank shaft R to be mounted in the centre of
the meter, and this situation of the crank shaft permits the slide valves to be
situated on opposite sides of the shaft and over their respective bells, thus making
the gas passages more direct and simplifying the construction of the meter.
The inner portions A' and B' may be made and fitted so that they can be re-
moved through the base of the meter, thus leaving the bells E and F and the
cylinders A and B open to inspection.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:―
1. The rocking beams K and N carrying arms K2 and N2, in combination with
connecting rods H and J, crank shaft R, connecting rods S¹ and T¹ and the slide
valves S and T situated over their respective bells E and F, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
2. The passages d and f entering and terminating below the inner portions A¹
and B, in combination with the necks A and B2, and flanges A³ and B3, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The guides A and B, and the prolongation of the rods G and M substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 4. The inner portions A¹ and BI made removable through the base of the
meter, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. The improved meter constructed and working substantially as described and
as shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1899
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.