CERTAIN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MEASURING GAS, WATER, AND OTHER FLUIDS, AND IN THE MEANS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
WRIGHT, of Hales Place, South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at.
Westminster, the Seventeenth day of October, in the eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander Wright, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Alexander Wright, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Alexander Wright, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR MEASURING GAS, WATER, AND OTHER FLUIDS, AND IN THE MEANS OF
MANUFACTURING THE SAME;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso obliging me, the said Alexander Wright, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to
cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said

page_text: in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander Wright, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in a novel arrangement and construction of meter,
whereby liquids and gaseous fluids may be measured in a steady and uniform
matter. By this construction of meter a more certain method of ascertaining
the volume of fluids passed through it is obtained, also a great saving in
the cost of manufacturing the meter is effected, and the simplicity of the
machine prevents the liability of its derangement. The several Figures in the
Drawing shew different views of the improved meter. Fig. 1 is a vertical
section, taken through nearly the middle of the meter.. Fig. 2 a front view,
with part of the casing removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken at right
angles to the preceding Figure in the dotted line A, B, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a
view of the under part or bottom of the meter, shewing the passages for the
gas; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, taken a little above the cranks in the
vertical shaft. This meter consists of a metal casing, intersected by two
diaphragms, thereby forming three distinct measuring chambers A, B, and C,
in each of which the gas is alternately received and discharged through the
rotatory action of a peculiarly constructed valve D, placed in one of the
chambers. a, a, is the outer casing of the meter, which I prefer to make of
galvanized iron; 6 is the inlet pipe, and c the outlet pipe. d, d, e, e, are
conical plates, connected by rings of leather f, f, or other flexible material,
to the casing a, a, forming diaphragms. These diaphragms are supported and
guided in horizontal directions by an arm 9, shewn in Fig. 2. A vertical crank
shaft h, h, mounted in the middle of the meter, has two cranks in it, forming
an angle of 60° from each other. This vertical shaft is put in motion by the
connecting rods i, i, attached to the respective diaphragms d and e, see Figures
3 and 5. The lower end of this shaft bears upon a bridge k, over the valve D,
and by the shaft revolving, a rotatory motion is communicated to the valve
by means of the driver l. The upper end of this shaft passes through a
stuffing box, and being connected, gives motion to the counting apparatus.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, represent different views of the valve D,
detached and upon an enlarged scale. This valve, it will be seen, consists
of two parts. The upper part is shewn in plan at Fig. 9, and in sections taken

page_text: at right angles to each other in Figures 10 and 11. This part of the valve
revolves with the crank shaft h, by the means hereafter described, and the
lower part (shewn in plan at Fig. 6, in vertical section at Fig. 7, and in
horizontal section at Fig. 8,) is soldered or otherwise fastened securely to the
bottom of the meter case, where it communicates with the inlet pipe b*, the
exit pipe c*, and by means of the channels m and n (see Figs. 3 and 4) with
the side chambers B and C, as well as with the centre chamber A. The
lower portion of the valve D is formed of three tubes 6*, c*, and p, set con-
centrically; they are connected together, and by solder made fast to the
face plate shewn in Fig. 6. The outer tube p is divided vertically into three
compartments p', p³, and p³, and a portion of this tube, at the compartment p',
is cut away, in order to leave free ingress and egress for the gas to and from
the chamber A. The gas upon entering the meter at the top, by the inlet b,
passes down in the direction of the arrows, under the meter, into the centre
tube 6x of the valve D, and rising up that tube enters by an opening into
the upper part of the valve D, seen in Fig. 1. The gas then descends by
the opening (see Fig. 1), which is then over the compartment p¹, thereby
allowing the gas to flow into the chamber A, where it will force back the
diaphragms d and into the position shewn at Fig. 8, and cause the crank
shaft to make a portion of a rotation, and, by means of the driver / in the
lower end of this shaft coming against a forked stud r, projecting from the
top of the valve D, the upper portion or cover of that valve will be moved
such a distance round as to bring the opening 9 over the division or com-
partment p. In this position of the valve the gas will be allowed to flow down
the division p², and thence proceeding along the channel m (see Figs. 3 and 4)
will fill the chamber B, and in so doing will drive inward the diaphragm d to
its extended position. By the rod i being forced inward the crank shaft h will
be made to rotate, and cause the other rod i to drive outward the diaphragm
e into the chamber C; and as the valve revolves the opening q in the top of
the valve will come over the position p³, which is in communication with the
chamber C, and thus that chamber will commence filling; but in order to
permit this, the gas in the centre chamber A must be driven out, which is
effected by the positions of the cranks m, the vertical shaft h bringing the
two diaphragms nearly together, at which time the opening t in the. top
of the valve D comes over the division p', whereby a vent is made for the
escape of the gas from the chamber A, which now descends the opening
in the division p', passes up the opening t, and through the concentric tube
or annular space c, which is in communication with the exit pipe c.
gas having been forced. from the chamber A, and the B chamber being now
The

page_text: filled, the opening t will have come over the division p², and the gas in the
chamber B will flow through the opening t and the annular space c* to
the outlet pipe c, as before described; and the gas in the chamber C, as the
openings in the valves D come round, is allowed to escape in the same manner
through the passages p³, t, and c*. A plan of the upper part of the valve
and position of its openings at Fig. 1 is shewn by dots in Fig. 6. Upon the
top of the crank shaft h a pinion u (see Fig. 1) is mounted, which gives
motion to a wheel v, and thence to the series of the series of wheels and
pinions of the counting apparatus, whereby the revolutions of the crank shaft
are recorded upon the index. There are screw plugs w, w, placed at the
bottom of the meter, for the purposes of drawing off any vapour that may
enter the meter with the gas, and be condensed therein. Figs. 12 and 13
represent two views of a pattern or template, to be employed for marking
(with greater accuracy) the lines whereto the partitions of the chambers in
the wheels of wet gas meters are to be attached. Fig. 12 represents a flat
strip of metal, with a series of angular slits x made therein, corresponding
to the parts of the partitions which are intended to be soldered to the interior
of the periphery of a meter wheel. This strip of metal must be formed into
a ring, as shewn at Fig. 13, upon which the hoop of the meter wheel to be
divided is placed, as shewn by the red line. This hoop is held firmly against
the stops y on the template, and a scriber is passed along the various slits,
thereby marking the divisions on the inside of the hoop of the meter wheel.
The improvement which I desire to secure under the above in part recited
Letters Patent are,―
Firstly, the construction of three measuring chambers, formed by the
intervention of two movable diaphragms.
Secondly, the direct action of the arms or rods which connect the rotatory
crank with the diaphragms, "and" without the intervention of stuffing boxes.
Thirdly, the peculiar construction of valve above described, with reference
to Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, and its combination with the passages and the
pipes.
Fourthly, the use of galvanized iron for the construction of the casing
and other parts of a gas meter where necessary; and,
Fifthly, the apparatus described for marking the divisions upon the hoop
or periphery of the wheel or drum of a wet gas meter.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Wright, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
No text detected.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Sixteenth day of April, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Alexander Wright came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
T
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