CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METRES
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SMITII, of the City of London, Gas Meter Manufacturer. send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Gient Seal of Great Britain, beaning date at
Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of June, in the tenth year of Her leign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Smith, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said William Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said William Smith, 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 enjoy, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, an Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN GAS METRES," being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad;
In which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said
William Smith, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the 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 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
William Smith, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and

page_text: ascertained in aud 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):-
The Invention in improvements in gas metres, which has been communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, as aforesaid, consists in certain novel
arrangements or constructions of the working parts of meters, whereby the
construction of the meter is much simplified, and therefore less liable to de-
rangement, and if accidently put out of order may be repaired with greater
facility than gas meters of the ordinary construction. The improvements
relate principally to that description of gas meters commonly known as dry
meters, but certain of the herein-after described improvements may also be
applied to water meters if thought desirable.
Figure 1 represents a front view of a dry gas meter constructed according
to one of the improved plans, the front part of the outside case having
been removed in order to expose the interior to view; Figure 2 is a trans-
verse vertical section of the same, taken in a line passing nearly through
the centre of the metre; Figure 3 is a plan view of the meter complete,
as scen from above, and shewing the entrance and exit pipes for the passage
of the gas through the meter, and Figure 4 is a detached plan view of
the mode of working the valves. a, a, is the case of the meter, which is
divided into two chambers A, A, and B, B, by a rigid partition b, b. The
two chambers A, A, and B, B, thus formed are again divided into two
parts by the flexible diaphragms c, c, which are moved backwards and
forwards by the gas as it alternately enters and leaves the chambers; and this
reciprocating motion of the two flexible diaphragms is, by means of the con-
necting rods or arms d, d, communicated to a centre shaft e, e, which is
furmshed at its lower end with two cranks for that purpose, as shewn in the
Figure 2. The flexible diaphragms are secured at their edges in any convenient
manner to the interior of the case, and also to a concave or dish-shaped
cicular plate of metal c', and they are supported and made to work in a proper
manner by being jointed to one end of a horizontal rod f, see Figure 1,
the opposite end of which is connected by a joint to one side of the case.
lower end of the vertical shaft e, e, passes through the projecting part of the
centre partition b, in which the lower crank works; and care must be taken
to pack the hole though which the shaft passes, in order to prevent the gas
escaping from one chamber to the other The upper end of the shaft e passes
through a stuffing box made in or attached to the top of the meter, and carries
a small worm g, which, by taking into a worm wheel h, seen in Figure 4, is
made to actuate the counting apparatus, as usual. At the extreme end of the
The

page_text: shaft e, and above the worm g, is a small horizontal disc 2 (sce the detached
plan view, Figure 4,) to which the aims or 1ods J, J, which work the covers of
the slide valves k and k+, are attached, by means of a pin oi stud placed
excentrically, or on one side, and near the periphery of the disc 2, so as to
act excentrically or as a crank. The valves are constructed in the ordinary
manner, but the sliding covers are worked by the excentric pin or crank on
the disc 2, so that as the vertical shaft e is, by means of the action of the flexiblo
diaplungms c, c, made to evolve, it moves round the excentric pin or ciank
of the disc i, and alternately opens and shuts the valves & and h, as will be
well understood by gas meter manufacturers
Figure 5 is an external elevation of another description of dry meter, in
which three flexible diaphragms are employed, and the gid cential paitition
is dispensed with; Figure 6 is a vertical section, taken through the meter
near its centre; Figure 7 is a sectional plan view or horizontal section, taken
through the dome or upper part of the meter in the line 1, 2, of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is an external plan view of the meter, shewing the supply and exit
apertures for the gas. Figures 9, 10, and 11 represent various detached views
of a rotary valve which may be adapted to this description of diy gas meter;
and Tiguies 12 and 13 represent a four-way rotary valve, which may be
adapted to a meter with four measuring chambers instead of the slide valves
kand, Figure 4. Figures 14, 15, 16, and 17 shew a novel construction
01 arrangement of a counting apparatus and indicator, for ascertaining the
number of cubic feet of gas that shall have passed through the meter; and
Figure 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 represent another and more simple mode of con-
sti ucting an indicating on counting apparatus for gas meters. a, a, a, is the
outer case of the meter; c, c, c, the flexible diaphragms, which are furnished
with thin flat plates of metal c*, c, for the purpose of supporting the
diaphragms, and to which the connecting clank aims are attached; e, e, is the
centre shaft, which, as the gas flows in behind the diaphragms c, c, c, is actuated
and caused to rotate by means of the connecting crank arms d, d, d, and is
supported at its lower end by the three-legged or aimed bracket b, b, b. In
the Drawing the connecting rods or crank arms d, d, d, are represented as
jointed to the diaphragms plates c, c, but this is not essential, as I sometimes
fix them thereto and merely allow them to turn on the pin which connects
them to the cential shaft e. The lower end of the vertical shaft e carries an
horizontal arm or crank f, which has a slot made in it, as seen in the sectional
plan view, Figure 7, for the purpose of receiving an adjusting or regulating
pin g, to which the connecting rods or crank arms d, d, d, of the flexible
diapluagms c, c, are attached. This regulating or adjusting pin g is

page_text: furnished with a thumb screw at its upper end, by which it is firmly secured
to the arm fat any suitable point, and as this arm or crank is slotted, the
meter may be adjusted and regulated with the greatest accuracy by simply
moving the pin g in the slot of the aim f either backwards or forwards, as may
be required, and securing it at the proper point by the thumb screw, or, by any
other convenient manner, or by soldering the same, when the measuring capacity
of the chambers behind the flexible diaphragms will be regulated, and always
maintained at the proper point, as will be well understood by gas meter
manufacturers. The gas is not admitted into the triangular central space
formed by the three diaphragms, but it is supplied to the meter by the pipe.l,
and passes though the centre of the valve into one of the measuring chambeis
behind one or other of the flexible diaphragms, and issues therefrom through
one of the side apertures, in the valve k into the domed chamber m, fiom
whence it is carried by the exit pipe n to be consumed. The Drawing at
Figues 5, 6, and 7 represent a gas meter with only three measuring capacities,
which are formed by the spaces or chambers between the, back of the flexible
diaphragms and the internal sides of the case, and each of these chambers so
formed must be once filled and emptied for every revolution of the shaft & and
valve cover o, and as no gas is admitted into the triangular central capacity.
where the vertical shaft e and its appendages work, none of these latter can be
prejudicially acted upon by the gas, and therefore are not liable to corrode.
The valve k, which I have shewn in the Figures in connection with the above
improved aangement, and separately at Figure 9, is what is denominated a
rotary valve, and as there are thice measuring chambers, as above mentioned,,
the valve seat must of course have three ways made in it, one communicating
with each chamber, and also a centre one, which is kept always open to admit
the gas into the metic through the rotary valve cover o. Figure 9 is a top.
view of the face of the valve, the cover o being removed, so as to shew all
the orifices, the three segmental orifices being in communication with thei
respective measuring chambers, and the central cucular one, which is always
kept covered by the cover o, and always supplies the gas to one and sometimes
two of the other orifices at one time. Figure 10 is also a plan view of
the valve, but with the cover o in its place, as when in opciation, and
Figure 11 is a view of the under side of the cover o, shewing, the way in
which the gas passes from the central orifice of the valve, seat to one or two of
the side ones without interfering with the third, from which the gas will be
issuing into the dome m previous,to,leaving the meter, to supply the burners:
The vertical shaft e passes up the cential and cucular, orifice, of, the, valve /
through a stuffing box, and terminates in a square hole in the top of the

page_text: cover o, the upper extremity of the shaft e being made square' for the purpose.
The gas enters the meter, as above mentioned, by the pipe 2, by which it is con-
veyed to the circular orifice in the centre of the valve k, fiom whence it iscs
up into the chamber of the cover o' (as shown by the arrows in Figure 6), 'and
descends through one of the thee side orifices 3 of the valve into a pipe 6, com-
municating with one of the chambers formed behind the flexible diaphragms;
and as the diaphragm belonging to the chamber that is being filled with gas
advances, it causes the shaft'e to move round, and consequently carry ound
the cover o with it thereby shutting off the communication with the filled
chamber, and opening a communication with the adjoining empty one, and
while this is going on, the thud and filled chamber is emptying itself through
the orifice 4 in the valve k into the dome m, which, in order to prevent the
lights from oscillating or being affected by the sudden change of the valves,
should be made as large as it conveniently can be, so as to hold a considerable
body of gas. From the dome m the gas passes out of the meter through the
pipen to be consumed, and if more than three measuring chambers aic
employed, of course the number of orifices in the valve & must be maile to
correspond; for instance, in the 'meters shown at Figures 1, 2, and 3, there are
four measuring 'chambers, if, therefore, a rotary valve of the construction just
described is applied to this meter, in place of the one shewn in Figures 2 and
4, the valve seat and cover would be constructed as shewn in Figures 12 and
13. The counting or registering apparatus or indicator is worked by a worm
g, fixed on any convcinent 'part of the vertical shaft'e. and any well-known
suitable and convenient construction of counting or registering apparatus or
indicator may be employed in connection with the improved arrangement of
the internal paits of the meter above described, but I prefer to employ the
novel and improved registering apparatus, shewn in Figures 14, 15, 16, and
17, or that shown in Figures 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24. Figure 14 is a front
elevation of the improved apparatus, the front or face plate being removed
in order that the internal arrangement may be more clearly seen, Figure 15
is a sectional plan view, with the top plate removed; Figure 16 is an end view
of the apparatus, and Figure 17, a front view of the whole complete, shewing
the manner in which the numbers are indicated so that they may be read off
with facility The vertical shaft, which is worked directly by the action of the
flexible diaphragms, is seen at e, and carries at its upper end a horizontal
banel g, which is graduated and marked to indicate the units, or, in the place
of the barrel, a sphere or ball with the proper figuies thereon may be employed.
The vertical shafte is also furnished with a woim g, which takes into and drives
woim wheel h (Figures 15 and 16) on the axle or shaft of the spring clutch

page_text: or barrel r. This clutch is divided into two parts, r and r', one of which 7 15
connected to and revolves with the worm wheel h, and the other is mounted
loosely on the shaft, and allows the latter to revolve without carrying this part
of the clutch round with it The faces of the two parts of the clutch which
are contiguous to each other are inclined, as shewn in Figures 14 and 15, and
are kept in contact by means of a coiled spring s, which bears against the
back of the part of the clutch. This part of the clutch also cares a long
spring or lever t, the opposite end of which bears on and abuts against the
teeth of a ratchet wheel u on the upper end of a vertical shaft or spindle 6;
and it will now be seen, that as the vertical shaft e tuins 1ound, it will, by
means of the worm g and worn wheel h, cause the larger or left-hand part r
of the clutch to evolve also, and thereby push back the other end of the
clutch laterally on the shaft, and compress the spring s; but when the clutch
barrel has made an entire revolution in the direction of the arrow, and the
point has arrived at and passed the point 2 of the part, which it will do
once for overy ten revolutions of the shaft e, the springs will cause the pait
to jump forward and carry the long spring or levert with it, which will by
this action come against one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel u, and suddenly
force it round to the extent of one tooth, or one-tenth of a revolution. I would
here observe, that in taking down from the indicator the number of cubic feet
of gas which have passed through the meter, no account is taken of units or
tens, consequently no arrangement is made to mark the tens; the units are,
On the same shaft
however, found useful to prove the accuracy of the meter
as the ratchet wheel u, but at the lower end, is a peculiarly shaped wheel v
with ten teeth, which take into the teeth of another peculiarly shaped wheel w
on the lower end of another vertical shaft or spindle 7, shewn detached at
Figure 18, consequently every motion of the ratchet wheel u and its spindle 6
is communicated to the wheel w and its spindle 7, and a graduated horizontal
barrel on the upper end of this spindle will, therefore, by the figures marked
thereon, indicate the hundreds of the apparatus, as this barrel makes one
revolution for every ten of the clutch barrel r,, or for one hundred revolu-
tions of the shaft e. Just above the wheel u, and on the same spindle, is
another wheel y, which has only one tooth, as seen in Figure 14, also in the
plan view, Figure 15, and in the detached view, Figure 19. The one tooth of
this wheel is made to take into the teeth of a wheel to on the next spindle 8,
which wheel w' is precisely similar in construction to the wheel w, shewn at
Figure 18, and as the wheel y has one tooth only on the whole of its periphery,
the wheel u will be moved only to the extent of one tooth for every entire
evolution of the wheel and its spindle 7, consequently the figures on the

page_text: horizontal barrel a¹ on the spindle 8 will mark the thousands. A wheel y¹
with a single tooth, and similar in construction to that shewn at y, Figure 19,
is made to take into another wheel w³ on a third spindle 9, which is also
furnished with a graduated bariel a³, with figures thereon, which indicate the
tens of thousands of cubic feet of gas that has passed through the meter, and
is actuated to the extent of one tooth of the wheel w, or a tenth of a revo-
lution, for every entire revolution of the spindle 8 and wheels w¹, y¹. In
this manner any number of spindles and wheels may be used, according to the
nature and object of the indicator that may be required. The figures on the
graduated barrels or spheres of the spindles 7, 8, 9, are seen through apertures
made in the fi ont plate, as shewn in Figure 17, and as the barrels or spheres
are only moved periodically by jumps or flirts, the figure will always be in
the middle and perfectly legible. Upon referring to the detached plan view,
Figure 18, it will be seen that the spaces between the teeth, recesses, or inden-
tations of the wheels w, w', and w³ are concave, and are made to fit or bank
against the plain part of the wheels v, y', and y³, and therefore the wheels y
and y¹ may continue to revolve without actuating the wheels w¹ and w³, until
the single tooth of the wheels y and y³ comes round and takes into one of the
recesses or indentations of the wheels w¹, w³, when these latter will be moved
1ound one-tenth of a revolution, as already mentioned; but no part of the
mechanism connected with indicating barrels or spheres can be moved, except
by causing the alternate dilatation and contraction of the measuring chambers,
consequently fiaudulent measurement is effectually prevented. I would here
observe that the principal feature of novelty in this part of the apparatus is
the spring clutch barrel r, r, and its appendages, whereby the periodical jump
or "flirt" is given to the wheelwork; and although I have described this
improved apparatus as applied to graduated spheres, drums, or bairels
revolving horizontally, it will be evident to every intelligent gas meter manu-
facturer, that by a slight alteration in the arrangement of parts, it may be
equally well applied to drums, barrels, spheres, wheels; or discs that work
vertically, and as well to wet meters as day ones, and I would also observe
that the arrangement and construction of the wheels and parts v, w, y, y', w¹, w³,
are similar in construction and effect to corresponding parts described in the
Specification of a Patent granted to me, March the Third, One thousand
eight hundred and forty-five; I have not therefore described them as forming
part of the present Invention, but have shown them merely for the purpose of
endering the present improvements more intelligible, and in order that the
manner of adapting such improvements to existing and well-known apparatus
may be clearly understood. In Figures 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 1 have, however,

page_text: shewn different views of an improved construction of registering apparatus, which
is more simple and less expensive to manufacture than the one just described,
but yet, as far as I am aware, possesses all the advantages of the former. In place
of employing two wheels, such as w and y, to each spindle, as in the former
instance, I make one serve the double purpose of receiving motion from and
communicating motion to contiguous wheels belonging to the other spindles
on each side. Figure 20 represents a plan view of the improved and simplified
apparatus; Figure 21 is a view of one side of the wheels, arranged in their
1espective:places, but with the front plate of the apparatus removed; Figure
22.is. a similar view of the opposite side of the wheels, the back plate being
removed, Eigure 23 is a view of the front side, and Figure 24 a view of the
back of one of the wheels or discs detached. Each of these wheels or discs is
furnished.on one side with ten pins or studs, 1, 1, 1, placed equidistant round
the disc, and near itsiperiphery, as seen at Figure 23; and on the opposite side
of the wheel or disc there is a raised edge or flange 2, 2, passing nearly-all
round the edge of the disc or wheel, but leaving a gate or opening, as at 3,
which is divided into two-parts by a wiper 4, secured by 11vets, or in any con-
venient manner to the face of the disc or wheel Wheels or discs constructed in
this manner are mounted on spindles in precisely the same mariner as the wheels
w.and y in the former Figures; and indexes pointers, discs, 'barrels, or spheres,
with figues marked thereon, are niounted on the ends of these spindles, 'and
one of the pins or studs of one wheel or disc is placed inside the raised edgo
or flange of the adjoining one, as seen in the Figures, and the 'action of the parts
will be as follows.-Motion 'being communicated, either by means of a worm
and worm wheel, as in the plan above described, or in any other convenient man-
ner, from the interior working parts of the meter to the shaft 5 of the wheel v,
this wheel will be caused to revolve, having one of the pins of the 'second wheel
w within its flange, as seen by dots in Figure 22, the wheel w will, however,
remain stationary until the wiper 4 of the wheel comes round, but when
this takes place, and the wiper comes against the pin of the wheel w, it forces
the said pin forward, but at the same moment another pin belonging to w enters
the opening behind the wiper, and remains stationary within the flange until
the wiper comes round again The action of the other wheels or discs is
precisely similar, and therefore need not be more particularly described And
it will only be necessary to say, further, that for every entire revolution of the
wheel v the wheel w makes one-tenth of a revolution, and for every rotation of
this latter the wheel & makes one-tenth of a revolution, and so on, as in the
former instance It will be evident that the sping clutch banel 1, 1, of
Figures 14, 15, and 16, may be equally well applied to this construction of

page_text: indicator as to that shown in the former Figures, and.. the operation of both
airangements being precisely similar, except that indexes, needles, or revolving
discs are used in place of the spheres or banels above shewn; it will not be
necessary to give any detailed explanation of the mode of adapting it..
Having now,described. the Invention that has been communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, as aforesaid, and also the manner. of canying the
same into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that, although in order to
render the improvements perfectly clear and intelligible, I have shewn and
described certain parts of gas meters which are well known and in use, some of
which have been previously patented by me, as aforesaid; I do not by any
means intend to claim such parts as constituting part of the present improve-
ments; but that which I consider to be new, and therefore wish to claim as the
Invention secured to me under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,
consists,
Firstly, in the employment of a rigid central partition between two flexible
diaphragms, which by means of cranks are made to actuate a central vertical
shaft, as above described, and also the peculiar mode, above shewn, or any
modification of the same, for working the slides of the valves.
Secondly, the mode (shewn and described in reference to Figures 5, 6, 7,
and 8, or any other modification thereof,) of constructing gas nieters with three
or more flexible diaphragms, so that the gas to be measured is kept away from
o not allowed to come in contact with the working parts and joints, which are
not therefore so liable to conode or get out of order. I claim particularly
passing the vertical shaft e up through the centre of the valve, and working
the same direct, or without the intervention of any intermediate gearing.
Thudly, I claim the mode above shewn and described of constructing
periodical jumping or flirting indexes or counting apparatus, and also the
employment of a spring clutch banel, such as is shewn at 1, 7, or any modifi-
cation the cof, to an indicating or registering apparatus for gas meters, whereby
the wheels or moving parts are made to "flut" or jump periodically, as above
shewn and described, and I claim the exclusive right to apply a clutch banel
of this description to any and every construction of index for gas meters in
which a periodical jumping or flirting motion is requied
In witness whereof, I, the said William Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year
of our Loid One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
WILLIAM (LS.) SMITH.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-ninth day of
December, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Snuth came
before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therem 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.