IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Smith, of the Free Town of Hamburg,
Germany, Gas Meter Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WET GAS METERS."
Sealed the 17th March 1865, and dated the 20th September 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
September 1864.
I, EDMUND SMITH, of the Free Town of Hamburg, Germany, Gas Meter
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in wet gas meters chiefly relate to the method herein-
I
after described of conducting the inlet gas into the syphon pipe and drum.
make a communication direct from the valve box into the waste-water box,
to which the syphon is fixed, by which means the meter will work with much
less pressure than heretofore. In order to work the inlet valve from the
exterior of the pipe I attach the float wire to a vibrating spindle, to which

page_text: the valve is fixed; the vibrating spindle is fitted gas-tight in or through the
inlet valve box or chamber. When used with a compensating meter two
floats can be attached to the vibrating valve spindle, one float being submerged
in the supply reservoir and the other in the water in which the measuring
drum works. In this case the inlet valve is hinged to a spindle working
through the valve box, on the outer end of which spindle an arm of a
lever is attached, carrying at its outer end a float, the position of which is
regulated by the float rod being screw-threaded and its passing through an
eye formed in the end of the lever. From this lever another lever or rod
depends, passing through a guide secured to the frame and carrying a float at
its lower end. Thus the inlet valve and floats move simultaneously. Where.
only one float is used I hinge the valve spindle as before, and pass the screw-
threaded pin on the float through a loop on the end of the lever, whereby its
distance from the valve is-rendered longer or shorter as desired. The water
level in the supply reservoir is regulated by an aperture in the inlet gas pipe,
a seal being fixed to the side so that no gas can escape until the submerged
float has acted upon the inlet valve and stopped the supply of gas. This
method of regulating the water line in the inlet gas pipe can also be adapted
in non-compensating meters, in which case it will of course be in the same
water as, the measuring drum, Water is introduced by a pipe leading from
the top of the case direct to the measuring drum. I regulate the water line
in non-compensating meters by inserting a pipe between the ordinary water
pipe and the side of the frame, and cutting it down from the outside of the
square frame to the required water line.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edmund Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th March 1865. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
SMITH, of the Free Town of Hamburg, Germany, Gas Meter Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her, most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing-date the Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said Edmund Smith, Her special licence that I, the said Edmund Smith,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edmund Smith, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WET GAS METERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Edmund Smith, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing, under 'my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Edmund Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
"
:
My improvements in wet gas meters chiefly relate to the method herein-
after described of conducting the inlet gas into the syphon pipe and drum. I
make a communication direct from the valve box into the waste-water, box,
to which the syphon is fixed, by which means the meter will work with much
less pressure than beretofore. In order to work the inlet valve from the
exterior of the pipe I attach the float-wire to.a vibrating spindle, to which
the valve is fixed; the vibrating spindle-is-fitted gas-tight in or through the
inlet valve box or chamber. When used with a compensating meter two
floats can be attached to the vibrating valve spindle, one float being submerged
in the supply reservoir and the other in the water in which the measuring
drum works. In this case the inlet valve is hinged to a spindle working
through the valve box, on the outer end of which spindle an arm of a lever is
attached, carrying. at its outer end a float, the position of which is regulated by
the float rod being screw-threaded and its passing through an eye formed in
the end of the lever. From this lever another lever or, rod depends, passing
through a guide secured to the frame and carrying a float at its lower end.
Thus the inlet valve and floats move simultaneously. Where only one float
is used I-hinge the valve spindle as before, and pass the screw-threaded pin on
the float through a loop on the end of the lever, whereby its distance from

page_text: the valve is rendered longer or shorter as desired. The water level in the
supply reservoir is regulated by an aperture in the inlet gas pipe, a seal being'
fixed to the side, so that no gas can escape until the submerged float has
acted upon the inlet valve and-stopped the-supply of gas. The method.of.
regulating the water line in the inlet gas pipe can also be adapted in non-
compensating meters, in which case it will of course be in the same water as
the measuring drum. Water is introduced by a pipe leading from the top of
the case direct to the measuring drum.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a front view of a meter con-
structed according to my Invention, and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of
the same.
a is the vibrating lever, the short arm of which is united to the inlet
valve, and the long-arm.carries a float.b, which rests or floats on the water
in which the measuring drum works; c is another. float attached to a
rod depending from the vibrating lever a and submerged in the supply
reservoir d.
Figure 3 is a view in plan of the vibrating lever and inlet valve as arranged
when I use only one float. e is the inlet gas pipe, longitudinal and horizontal
sections of which are given at Figures 4 and 5; f is the aperture in the inlet
pipe by which the water level in the supply reservoir is regulated. In non-
compensating meters I regulate the water line as shown at Figure 6, which is
a view in longitudinal section of the supply pipe, valve, and float; 9 is a pipe
inserted between the ordinary water pipe h and the side of the frame, and cut
down from the outside of the square frame to the required water line; i is a
pipe by which water is admitted direct to the measuring drum. The other
parts of the meter are of ordinary construction, and being well known need
no further description.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "Improve-
ments in Wet Gas Meters, "-
First, the employment of a vibrating spindle, to which the inlet gas valve
is fixed, for communicating motion to the float or floats, whereby the inlet
valve is worked from the exterior of the inlet gas pipe, substantially in
manner herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second, regulating the water level in the supply reservoir in compensating
and non-compensating meters in manner herein before described and illus
trated in the accompanying Drawings,

page_text: Third, the particular arrangement and method of action of two floats in
combination with a vibrating lever or levers, substantially in manner and for
the purposes berein-before described.
In witness whereof,. I, the said Edmund Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.
ED. SMITH. (L.S.)