Improv in Dry
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1896
Improv in Dry
I, FRANK WRIGHT, Gas Engineer of 19 & 21 Old Queen Street, Westminster
in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has relation to dry gas meters, and more especially has part
reference to further modifications of my Patent No. 3556 A.D. 1892 which
deals with the tin diaphragms or
" heads on to which the leather bands or bellows.
are affixed.
"
It is necessary after meters have been in use for some years when the leathers.
have become stiffened with age, or otherwise, to re-oil and soften the said leathers,
and with this object it is usual to cut a circular hole out of the front head or other-.
wise remove the patched piece by unsoldering.
1
1. My invention has relation to stamping the front head or diaphragm with a
central circular bole of sufficient size with an inward or outward projecting flange
and providing a cover for same with a corresponding flange made to fit tight and
sound after the method employed in self-opening canisters.
2. My invention has relation to stamping the front and back casing of the meter
with a similar opening with inward or outward projecting flanges, and providing
same with a suitable cover as previously described.
3. My invention has relation to stamping what is called the back plate or cover
to the valve chamber with an opening or openings of suitable size and form with
an inward projecting flange, and providing same with a suitably shaped cover or
top in like manner as previously described.
4. My invention has relation to stamping the top of the meter with a suitably
shaped opening with inward or outward projecting flange, and suitable cover or top
which may be pressed therein, and fixed by tacking with solder in one or two.
places, or by screws, as may be found expedient.
5. My invention has relation to an improved form of taugent, so made that
adjustments of the proper relation of the crank throw to the motion of the flag.
rods driven by the action of the leathers or diaphragms may be regulated, and the
stroke of same controlled. For this purpose I provide a small flanged platform of
brass having a boss with a socket or hole of such a size as to fit the top of the crank
spindle tightly, and further fitted with a screw for affixing firmly to said crank.
This small table or platform has a hole drilled eccentric to the crank spindle, and
the flanged edge of same in an opposite direction to the eccentric screwhole is
milled or knurled.
I also provide a tangent pin rivetted firmly to a small brass plate of elongated
form, and having a slotted hole in proper relation to its centre, for attachment to
the platform by a screw. That end of the plate which is nearest to the slotted
hole and away from the tangent pin is bent down and pierced with a hole and
tapped for the reception of a milled headed adjusting screw provided with a pointed
end. This upper plate or tangent is firstly attached to the platform by means of
the screw passing through the slotted hole and screwing into the tapped hole in
the platform. The milled headed adjusting screw passing through the extension
bend downwards on the end of same serves not only for locking the position of

page_text: said plate radially around said platform providing adjustment for the timing of the
valves, but also serves to draw back the tangent pin towards the crank spindle
when testing the meter, or adjusting same for rate of gas passed per revolution.
Dated this Twenty-first day of May 1895.
Improvements in Dry Gas Meters.
I, FRANK WRIGHT, Gas Engineer, of 19 and 21 Old Queen Street, Westminster
in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
My invention relates to a modification in the construction of the bellows and
valve chamber of a dry gas meter in such a manner as to save cost in their
manufacture and to give ready access for inspection and repairs, as I shall describe
referring to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a front view of the interior of a dry gas meter the front wall being
removed.
Figure 2 is a plan of the upper part.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on line X X of Figure 1. Each of the two
bellows consists of two heads d and e of sheet metal stamped and formed with a
bead g and a groove fin which the edge of the leather is secured as described in
the Specification of my British Patent No. 3556 of 1892, but, according to my
present invention, I stamp each of the heads d with a central hole having a conical
lip projecting inwards around the hole and I stamp the cover with a lip forming
a corresponding conical boss, so that when the coned part of the cover is pressed
into the coned part of the head it makes a gas tight fit, but the cover can be
readily removed when required to give access to the interior of the bellows.
In order not to interfere with this free access, instead of one central arm projecting
from each flag rod AI employ two arms B B connected to studs projecting from
the head d, the one above, the other below the central opening, the head being
supported as usual on the two side arms CC projecting up from the rocking
shaft D which is mounted below. Instead of attaching the inner heads e e to the
central partition a by solder, I fix them both to it in a detachable manner by a
central bolt and nut, to which access can be had on removing the cover h.
In forming the valve chamber E, I stamp it with an approximately oval opening
in its top having an inwardly projecting conical lip like that of the hole in the
head d, and I stamp a cover F for this opening with a corresponding conical_lip
forming a boss, which when pressed into the hole makes a gas tight fit. The
cover F can be readily removed when required to give access to the valve
chamber.
In order to facilitate the setting and adjustment in throw of the crank which is
worked from the flag rods moved by the bellows, and which has on its spindle the
crank which works the valves, I construct the spindle, its bearings and the flag rod
crank as shewn in elevation in Figure 4 and in plan in Figure 3.
K' is the bracket having a screw threaded boss K' which screws into the hole K
Figure 2 suitably bushed and threaded to receive it. The bracket has the usual
projecting arm K³ carrying the adjustable centre for the counter spindle K
The bracket K¹ forms a bearing for the crank spindle L, at the lower end of
which is the crank L₁ connected by links L' to the valves. L³ is the worm which
works the counter spindle K³. On the upper end of the spindle L, I fix a plate or
platform M and on this I fix by a screw M' passing through a slotted hole an

page_text: upper plate M³ to which is fixed the crank pin M³ for receiving motion from the
arms on the flag rods. The end of the plate M³ is bent down and has through
the bent down part a setting screw M' which bears against the edge of the plate M,
which is preferably milled. On loosening the screws M'M' the plate M can be
turned more or less round the screw M¹ as a centre and can be moved to and fro
along the plate M so as to give the crank M³ the proper setting relatively to the
crank L' and to adjust its throw so as to determine that of the bellows to be in
accord with the counter. Then, on tightening the screws M' M' the crank
plate M² is screwed in its proper position. The boss K2 being screwed into the
hole K, and the cover F of the valve box being removed the rods L can be
engaged on the pins of the valves and the links from the flag rods can be engaged
on the crank pin M³.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention.
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim in respect of dry gas meters is :-
1. The construction of the bellows heads with holes for access and conically
fitting covers, substantially as described.
2. The construction of the valve chamber with hole for access and its conically
fitting cover, substantially as described.
3. The construction of the crank spindle, with means of adjusting the setting:
and throw of the flag rod crank, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of February 1896.
ADEL & IMNAI,
Agents for the Applicant.