IMPROVEMENTS IN Gas METERS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William John Warner, Gas Engineer, of South
Shields, in the County of Durham, and William Cowan, Gas Meter
Manufacturer, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
.. t
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William John Warner
and William Cowan at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 13th May 1874.
We, WILLIAM JOHN WARNER, Gas Engineer, of South Shields, in the
County of Durham, and WILLIAM COWAN, Gas Meter Manufacturer, of
Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN Gas
METERS," to be as follows:-
-
The measuring drum," "wheel," or "cylinder" of a wet meter as
ordinarily constructed, is more or less affected by the variation of the
"water line," the rising of it lessening the capacity, and the lowering of
it increasing the capacity, which arises from the measurer in action being

page_text: "
but an annulus, by the water being above the axis of the wheel, henco
the variation. A portion of all wheels around the axis is constantly
immersed in the water, and thus the measuring portion of the wheel in
action becomes an annulus, varying as the centre or dead portion of the
wheel varies by the changes in the water level.
°
Our improvements consist in the construction of a wheel with an
inner wheel of a little larger diameter than the dead portion of the
wheel, within which the fluctuations in capacity of the combined
wheels may take place, by which means perfect accuracy is practically
attained, with considerable variation in the water line, and an increased
range of float.
In one form we place within the ordinary wheel an inner wheel of
the same make as the ordinary wheel, but with its inlets at the back of
the measuring wheel, and its outlets opening into the measuring
chambers or quarters of the wheel. The radius of the inner wheel is a
little more than the distance of the highest water line above the
axis of the meter; the small wheel therefore nearly corresponds with
the internal dead portion of the ordinary wheel, and the depth of the
wheel is that of half or about half the depth of the ordinary wheel.
Now as the inlets of this inner wheel are open to the case and common
outlet of the major or measuring wheel, it will be seen that as the major
wheel revolves the smaller chambers must be. filled with measured gas,
' and as the outlets open into the large chambers of the measuring wheel,
as they are filling, there must be at each revolution of the wheel a
quantity of gas brought back from the measured portion equal to the
capacity of the inner wheel; and as this varies with, and is in the same
ratio, and directly as the variable portion of measures of major wheel,
there will be no practical variation in the measurement by variation of
the water line.
1 In another form the small wheel is placed in the front part of the
ordinary wheel immediately under the cover. In this form the inlets of
small wheel are within the. chambers of major wheel, and the smaller
wheel discharges its gas into the cover.
... The construction of the chambers of the small wheel is the opposito
to, that of the usual wheel of ordinary construction, the gas being made
to pass through the small one from the back to the front, the inlet hoods
(having no hollow cover) being thus placed at the back, and the outlet

page_text: hoods at the front of this wheel.
The diameter of the small. wheel must
be such that the hoods may be always sufficiently above the water to
ensure the compensating action of this wheel. There being two forms.
of the combined wheel, one with the ends of the two wheels in nearly
the same plane at the back, and the other with the two ends at the front,
the depth and diameter of the small wheel depends upon which of the
two forms is adopted.
The combined wheel may be constructed with any convenient number
of chambers, and the inner wheel may have a greater number of
chambers than the major one, and be made in other forms than that of
the ordinary wheel. A wheel may be constructed, too, combining the
two forms, that is to say, with two small wheels placed within the major
wheel, one with its inlets open to the chambers, and the other with its
inlets external to the major wheel.
Instead of the inner or compensating wheel being within and attached
to the measuring wheel, a combination of an ordinary wheel with
another of considerably less capacity (constructed in the usual way,
the two being coupled together by spur wheels or other equivalent
mechanical means) may be used for extracting the compensating portion
of measured gas, the smaller wheel being driven by the ordinary
measuring wheel at a rate proportionate to the capacity of the com-
pensating wheel, returning the gas thus from outlet to inlet of meter.
These wheels may also be combined with Esson's or other compensating.
meters with fountains, thus permitting of a greater seal being given to
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William John Warner and William Cowan in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th November 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
0 JOHN WARNER, Gas Engineer, of South Shields, in the County of
Durham, and WILLIAM COWAN, Gas Meter Manufacturer, of Edinburgh,
in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, send greeting.

page_text: Letters Patent bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said William John Warner and
William Cowan, Her special licence that we, the said William John
Warner and William Cowan, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said William John Warner and William Cowan,
our 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, tlic Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said William John Warner and William Cowan, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describo
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 imme-,
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William John Warner and William
Cowan, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked.
thereon, that is to say :—
The measuring "drum," "wheel," or "cylinder," of a wet meter as
ordinarily constructed is more or less affected by the variation of the
"water line," the rising of it lessening the capacity, and the lowering of
it increasing the capacity, which arises from the measurer in action being
but an annulus by the water being above the axis of the wheel, hence
the variation. A portion of all wheels around the axis is constantly
immersed in the water, and thus the measuring portion of the wheel in
action becomes an annulus, varying as the centre or dead portion of the.
wheel varies by the changes in the water level.
Our improvements consist in the construction of a wheel with an inner
wheel of a little larger diameter than the dead portion of the wheel,

page_text: take place, by which means perfect accuracy is practically attained,
with considerable variation in the water line and an increased range of
float.
In one form we place within the ordinary wheel an inner wheel of the
same make as the ordinary wheel, but with its inlets at the back of the
measuring wheel and its outlets opening into the measuring chambers or
quarters of the wheel. The radius of the inner wheel is a little more
than the distance of the highest "water line" above the axis of the
meter. The small wheel therefore nearly corresponds with the internal
dead portion of the ordinary wheel, and the depth of the wheel is that
of half, or about half the depth of the ordinary wheel. Now as the
inlets of this inner wheel are open to the case and common outlet of the
major or measuring wheel, it will be seen that as the major wheel revolves
the smaller chambers must be filled with measured gas; and as the
outlets open into the large chambers of the measuring wheel as they are
filling there must be at each revolution of the wheel a quantity of gas
brought back from the measured portion equal to the capacity of the
inner whicel, and as this varies with and is in the same ratio, and directly
as the variable portion of measures of major wheel, there will be no
practical variation in the measurement by variation of the water line.
In another form the small wheel is placed in the front part of the
ordinary wheel immediately under the cover. In this form the inlets of-
small wheel are within the chambers of major wheel, and the smaller
wheel discharges its gas into the cover.
The construction of the chambers of the small wheel is the opposite
to that of the usual wheel of ordinary construction, the gas being made
to pass through the small one from the back to the front, the inlet hoods
(having no hollow cover) being thus placed at the back and the outlet
hoods at the front of this wheel. The diameter of the small wheel must,
be such that the hoods may be always sufficiently above the water to
ensure the compensating action of this wheel. There being two forms.
of the combined wheel, one with the ends of the two wheels in nearly.
the same plane at the back, and the other with the two ends at the front.
the depth and diameter of the small wheel depends upon which of the
two forms is adopted. .

page_text: The combined wheel may be constructed with any convenient number
of chambers, and the inner wheel may have a greater number of
chambers than the major one, and be made in other forms than that of
the ordinary wheel. A wheel may be constructed too combining the
two forms, that is to say, with two small wheels placed within the major
wheel, one with its inlets open to the chambers and the other with its
inlets external to the major wheel.
Instead of the inner or compensating wheel being within and attached
to the measuring wheel a combination of an ordinary wheel with another
of considerably less capacity (constructed in the usual way, the two
being coupled together by spur wheels or other equivalent mechanical
means), may be used for extracting the compensating portion of measured
gas, the smaller wheel being driven by the ordinary measuring wheel at
a rate proportionate to the capacity of the compensating wheel, returning
the gas thus from outlet to inlet of meter.
These wheels may also be combined with Esson's or other compen-
sating meters with fountains, thus permitting of a greater scal being
given to the air pipe of the fountain.
The principle of this Invention will be best understood by a reference
to Fig. 1, Sheet 1, of Drawings attached. A is the ordinary wet meter
"wheel," "drum," or "
cylinder," geared to and driving in the same
direction as itself through the action of the intermediate or middle spur
wheel, the small "wheel" or "drum" B. The construction, it will be
seen by the dotted lines, as well as the movement, is the same in both A
and B, but the arrangement of the chambers D and the inlets I and
outlets O are reversed in B; the passage of gas through this wheel is
therefore the opposite to that of the other. In A the flow of the gas is
from the cover C through the inlets I in front to the outlets O at the
back of the wheel; but in B the passage of the gas is from i at the back
to o in the front. By the cover C and spout S the wheel is in communi-
cation with the common inlet of the meter; the inlets of B it will be
seen are common to the outlet of the meter. It is therefore obvious that
as the measuring wheel A revolves and discharges its gas into the case
of meter a portion of that gas will be drawn from the outlet and
returned to the common inlet by the wheel B. Now as the depth of
this wheel is equal to that of A and the diameter rather more than that
of the "water circle or "dead portion" there will be at each entire
"

page_text: soldered to the inner wheel and made sound in the usual way, so as to
form the four measuring chambers of the wheel.
Fig. 3 shows the major wheel with cover C and front quarters
removed, by which a front view of the combined wheels is obtained..
Fig. 4 is a modification of the principle; the inner wheel is placed at
or near the front of the major wheel, the inlets i, i, being placed within
the chambers of major wheel, the gas being discharged from the inner
wheel through the outlets o into the cover chamber C.
The quantity
of gas discharged at each revolution is practically the contents of the
annulus bounded by a circle corresponding with the periphery of the
small drum, because the gas contained between the water line and that
point (in the portion of large drum which the small one does not occupy)
passes into the latter and is returned under the cover to be remeasured
along with the supply entering by the spout. It follows that any
alteration of the water level will affect both drums equally and make no
practical difference in the quantity of gas passed.
Fig. 5 is an arrangement by which the capacity of measuring wheel
may be increased without increasing the size of meter. The major wheel
is made deeper by the convexity of the cover C being considerably
reduced; space for the spout S is obtained by placing the front quarters
of inner wheel some little distance back in its rim.
In Figs. 2 and 3 the inner wheel should be rather more than half the
depth of major wheel, and of sufficient diameter for the water to be no
higher than the junction of the partitions with the inner wheel, as shown
by "water line." The depth of the wheel being rather more than half
the depth of major wheel, some allowance is made for the difference in
capacity that would otherwise arise in the same sections of wheels from
the difference in pressure at inlet and outlet by the action of meter, the
chambers of major wheel in filling being subjected to inlet pressure but
of the inner wheel to the outlet pressure.
It will be understood that a perfectly accurate equivalent volume with
every change of "water line" is not attempted to be withdrawn.
With Figs. 4 and 5 the gas may be made to simply pass through the
inner wheel, the inlets being subjected to the inlet pressure by placing
them immediately behind instead of in advance of partitions of major
wheel, the chambers of the two wheels then filling together; in this case

page_text: the diameter may be less than the other arrangement, and the depth
should be as great as can be conveniently allowed, but it will be under.
stood that we do not confine ourselves exactly to any of the proportions
given, and it may be found advantageous to make the inner wheels of
greater diameters than those specified.
The two arrangements of wheels may be combined, that is to say, an
inner wheel with its inlets external to major wheel, and another inner
wheel with its inlets internally arranged in major wheel, and its outlets
delivering into cover chamber.
In Fig. 2 the inlets i of inner wheel are not placed coincident with
the partitions P in order that the construction may be better seen; but
in wheels of Fig. 5, which is the form we prefer using, the edges of the
inlet hoods are placed as close as possible to the edges of partitions to
which the inner wheel is attached. If placed in advance of partition,
as shown in Fig. 3, the full measure of variable volume in major wheol
will not be taken out, and if placed behind it unmeasured gas alone will
pass through the inner wheel to and from the cover chamber C. In the
latter case a fan form" of wheel, as shown in Fig. 6 and 7, may be
employed as an inner wheel, it also may be used in the other forms, the
object of all being the same, the withdrawal of a portion of gas after
passing from the inlet and returning to it again more or less of the gas
in excess of the volume that should be passed to the burners.
The adjustment of the registration will be most conveniently made by
changing the relative rates of wheels in the index.
The same letters refer to the same parts in all the Drawings above
described.
"
The alteration required in a fountain meter to increase its efficiency
by its adaptation to the improved wheel is to lengthen the "air" or
'gas tube," the bottom end being thus immersed to a greater depth in
the water with the same "water line," the seal is thereby considerably
increased to the range or nearly so of variation of water line of wheel,
whereby the stability of the action of the fountain is improved and the
efficiency of the meter materially increased.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that we do not
.

page_text: confine or restrict ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which
we have described or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom
without deviating from the principles or main features of this Invention,
but what we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as
the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the construction of "wheels," "drums," or "cylinders," of wet
gas meters with an inner "wheel," "drum,” or cylinder," as herein
described and shown on the Drawings.
<
In witness whereof, we, the said William John Warner and William
Cowan, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth
day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four.