IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY GAS METERS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip le Capelain, of Blackfriars Road, in the County
of Surrey, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY
GAS METERS."
Sealed the 10th September 1858, and dated the 16th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip le Capelain at the
⚫ Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
March 1858.
I, PHILIP LE CAPELAIN, of Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey,
Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN DRY GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to the adaptation and combination of means, by
which I obtain a simple and effective dry gas meter.
I arrange the meter with three or more measuring compartments, each
compartment having an inlet and an outlet passage communicating therewith,
whilst each passage is provided with a separate valve, so that there is an inlet
valve and an outlet valve to conduct the gas to and from each compartment.
The valves used are of the lever (or what I call flute key) kind, but the hinged
ends thereof are free to admit of the valves resting fully on their seats, whilst
the other ends are operated by rods from cranks or eccentrics (one to each valve
rod) upon an axis caused to rotate by connecting rods from lever arms attached
to the axes of motion of the moveable diaphragms. The inlet valves are in

page_text: a chamber separated from the outlet valves. Each of the rods from the
cranks or eccentrics to operate the valves is during parts of the revolution of
its crank or eccentric moving without operating its valve, the valve at such
time being closed upon its seat.
The lever arms from the axes of motion of the diaphragms with their con-
necting rods to the axes of the cranks or eccentrics are in a chamber separated
from the gas.
When three measuring compartments are employed I do not require a fixed
partition. Suitable indicating and registering apparatus is employed, as is well
understood.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Philip le Capelain in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th September .1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PHILIP
LE CAPELAIN, of Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey, Gas Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Philip le Capelain, Her special licence that I, the said Philip le Capelain,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Philip
le Capelain, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY GAS
METERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Philip- le
Çapelain, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 Philip le Capelain, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say :-
The improvements relate to the adaptation and combination of means, by
which I obtain a simple and effective dry gas meter.
I arrange the meter with three or more measuring compartments, each
compartment having an inlet and an outlet passage communicating therewith,
whilst each passage is provided with a separate valve, so that there is an inlet
valve and an outlet valve to conduct the gas to and from each compartment.
The valves used are of the lever (or what I call flute key) kind, but the hinged
ends thereof are free to admit of the valves resting fully on their seats, whilst
the other ends are operated by rods from cranks or eccentrics (one to each
valve rod) upon an axis caused to rotate by connecting rods from lever arms
attached to the axes of motion of the moveable diaphragms. The inlet valves
are in a chamber separated from the outlet valves. Each of the rods from
the cranks or eccentrics to operate the valves is during parts of the revolution
of its crank or eccentric moving without operating its valve, the valve at suchi
time being closed upon its seat.
The lever arms from the axes of motion of the diaphragms with their con-
necting rods to the axes of the cranks or eccentrics are in a chamber separated.
from the gas.
When three measuring compartments are employed, I do not require a fixed
partition. Suitable indicating and registering apparatus is employed, as is well
understood.
.But that the nature of my improvements, and the means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect may be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the accompanying Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a vertical section, Figure 2 a plan in section through the
valve chamber, and Figure 3 a front view in section through the index
chamber, of a three chamber meter constructed according to my improvements.
a, a, is the outer case, b, b, the moveable diaphragms forming the partitions
between the respective measuring compartments 1, 2, 3. a¹ is the partition
between these measuring compartments and the valve chamber. The dia-
phragms b, b, I form partly of plates of metal, and partly of flexible materiali
united together in a manner such as is now commonly practised by manu-
facturers of dry gas meters, but I do not confine myself to this arrangement
or mode of constructing the moveable diaphragms.
The as to be monsuead nesses lur the

page_text: there are passages 4, 5, 6, to the measuring chambers 1, 2, 3. The passage 4
leads to the chamber 1, the passage 5 to the chamber 2, and the passage 6 to
the chamber 3, and after being measured the gas passes from the respective
chambers 1, 2, 3, by the passages 7, 8, 9, to the chamber e, thence by the
pipe for consumption. The flow into and from the respective compartments
by the passages 4, 5, 6, and 7, 8, 9, is regulated by valves 9, each of which is
of the same character, and therefore a description of one of them will suffice
as a description of the others. These valves 9 are each constructed so that the
closing of the passage is effected by its resting on the edge of its passage,
and the opening by the raising therefrom, and to insure a complete closing, I
prefer that the upper edge of each passage, and the under side of the valve to
act with it, be ground so as to form a close joint. I form each valve 9 upon
a lever g', which turns upon a fulcrum g, and in order that there may be no
binding at these parts I prefer to form them to work together freely.
The other end of each lever g¹ is formed with an opening, through which
freely passes a rod h, one end of which is connected to a crank i on the crank
shaft, whilst the other is formed with a head h¹, by which the lever g', and
consequently the valve attached thereto, will be lifted during the revolution of
its crank; but in order to give time for the valve to remain on its seat, the
knob or head h' is placed in position (which may be varied if desired), that
the crank may make a partial rotation without lifting its lever. Motion is
communicated from the partitions to the axis ¹ in the following manner :-
The movable partitions 6 are connected by links k to the lever arms / attached
to axes, upon which are affixed the arms P, which by links are connected
to a crank arm on the axis t.
Stuffing boxes are employed as is well understood, and motion is commu-
nicated from the axis to suitable index apparatus in the chamber m, as
required.
Figures 4 and 5 shew separately the passages to the respective compart-
ments; Figure 6 shows a vertical section; Figure 7 a plan in section through
the valve chamber; and Figure 8 a front view in section through the index
chamber, of a meter according to my improvements, with four measuring com-
partments, there being a vertical partition a³ to separate the two diaphragms
b, b, and there is another inlet passage 10, and an outlet passage 11, for the
extra compartments 12 thus formed.
The parts are otherwise marked with the same letters of reference..
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the means
which I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to the form or arrangement of the parts or other

page_text: of the details shown and described, as these may be varied, but what I do
claim is, the arranging and combining parts forming the valves of dry gas
meters substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip le Capelain, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
PH. LE CAPELAIN. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
Patent Agent,
78, Chancery Lane, London.