CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
FRIEND DICKINSON, of the Borough and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Sharebroker, and JOHN FALKOUS, of the same place, Gas Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS we did, by Petition, humbly represent unto Her most Excellent
Majesty Queen Victoria that we had invented " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS
METERS," and Her said Majesty being willing to give encouragement to all arts
and inventions which may be for the public good, was graciously pleased, by
Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and forty-six, in the tenth year of Her
reign, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, to give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Friend Dickinson and John Falkous, our exccutors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that we or they, by ourselves or themselves, or by our or their
deputies, servants, or agents, or suck others as we or they should agree with,
and no others, during the term of fourteen years from the date of the said
Letters Patent, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend our
Invention within that part of Her said Majesty's Dominions called England,.

page_text: Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner
as to us, our executors, administrators, and assigns shall seem meet, and as
that we or they shall enjoy the whole profit and advantage arising by reason of
the said Invention during the said term of fourteen years; and for that end
Her said Majesty requires and strictly commands all Her subjects whatsoever,
within England, Wales, and Berwick-upon-Tweed aforesaid, that they shall
not, neither directly or indirectly, make, use, or put into practise our said
Invention, or any part thereof, nor in anywise counterfeit, imitate, or resemble
the same, or make any addition thereto or subtraction therefrom, whereby to
pretend himself or themselves to be the inventor or inventors thereof. And
whereas the said Letters Patent contain a proviso obliging us, the said Thomas
Friend Dickinson and John Falkous, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us, and to cause the same to be enrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said 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
John Falkous, for myself and for the said Thomas Friend Dickinson, do
hereby declare that our said Invention is described and ascertained in manner
following, and by the aid of the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, that is
to say:-
Our said improvements relate to gas meters of the kind most commonly in
use, which were originally invented by Mr. Samuel Clegg, and formed part of
a gas apparatus for which he had a Patent in December, One thousand eight
hundred and fifteen, and which meters, although since much simplified and
greatly improved upon that original, and under the said Patent, nevertheless
operate nearly in the same manner, viz:-A hollow wheel or drum, with its
axis horizontal, is enclosed in an air-tight box or case, so as to be capable of
revolving easily on pivots, and the interior capacity of the revolving drum is
divided into compartments by partitions radiating from the centre to the cir-
cumference, and the lower part of the box or case contains water, the surface
of which ought to stand above the level of the centre or axis of the drum. The
gas, which is to be measured by the meter, is introduced into it by an entrance
pipe, which first enters into the box or case beneath the level of the surface of
the water therein,, and, after passing horizontally through a circular hole at the
centre of an additional end plate at one end of the drum (but without touching
the circumference of that hole so as to cause any friction), the said entrance

page_text: pipe turns upwards with an elbow bend to rise above the surface of the water
and give issue to the gas through its upper end, which is open, and thereby
gas is continually supplied to the space between the said additional end and
the real end of the drum, and from the said space gas is admitted into that
compartment of the interior of the drum which is beginning to rise above the
surface of the water (in consequence of the revolving motion of the drum), but
which compartment will be full of water, until the gas entering gradually into
that compartment at one extreme corner thereof, through a suitable entrance
passage, expels the water from the said compartment through a suitable exit
passage which is at the opposite extreme corner of the same compartment, and
is then beneath the surface of the water, so that the gas cannot follow or
accompany the water which is so expelled, and the said introduction of gas
into the said compartment that is rising above the water keeps up the revolving
motion of the drum, and that motion causes a preceeding compartment of the
drum, which has been already filled with gas in manner aforesaid, to begin to
descend beneath the surface of the water, and therefore the water causes the
gas to pass out from that compartment through the exit passage therefrom,
which is beginning to rise above the surface of the water; and the gas which
so passes out of the said compartment enters into the box or case wherein the
revolving drum is enclosed, and from the upper part of the said box a pipe
conveys away the gas to its destination. All the gas which is so conveyed
away by that pipe must have previously passed through the several compart-
ments of the revolving drum in succession, each compartment, after having
been filled with gas coming from the entrance pipe during the ascending of
that compartment above the surface of the water, being immediately after-
wards emptied of that gas during the descending of the same compartment
beneath the said surface; wherefore, according to the number of such fillings
and emptyings of the compartments which have taken place, and to the capacity
of each compartment, so is the quantity of gas which is brought to the meter
by the entrance pipe and carried away therefrom by the conveyance pipe; and
the axis of the revolving drum gives motion to a train of wheelwork with
hands and dials similar to those of a clock, which keep register of the quantity
of that has passed, according to the number of revolutions that the drum
has made.
gas
The above description is sufficient to identify the kind of gas meter to
which our said improvements relate, and the object of our said improve-
ments is to prevent such meters from measuring incorrectly, which they
are liable to do if the surface of the water in the box or case is not kept
nvariably at its intended proper level; for, in case of the water standing

page_text: either higher or lower than the proper level, it will cause the measurement
to be inaccurate; and if the water becomes deficient so as to be much
below that proper level, then the gas may make its way through the meter in
greater quantity than will be recorded by the said dial work. The meters
in common use are provided with means of overflow for the water in case of
an excess, so that its surface will not rise above the proper intended level;
but, in case of the box or case containing the meter being tilted or lifted up at
the back so as to put the axis of the drum considerably out of its proper
horizontal position, then the surface of the water (preserving its natural hori-
zontal plane) will in such case become deficient in respect to that end of the
axis of the drum which has been raised up by the tilting, and will consequently
allow gas to pass through the meter in greater quantity than will be recorded
by the dial work, in the same manner as in the case already mentioned of the
water being deficient in the box or case of the meter as aforesaid when it is
not tilted. And our improvements are to prevent any improper use being
made of a meter by tilting it in order to get a greater quantity of gas to pass
through it than is indicated by its dial work; for, in case of a meter which is
constructed according to our improvements being improperly tilted, it will not
allow any gas at all to pass through it. The manner of performing this is
explained by the Drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation, shewing the
front part of the meter open; Figure 2, a vertical section through the axis of
the drum; and Figure 3, a like section, to shew the effect of tilting the meter.
1, 1, 2, 2, is the exterior box or case of cast iron supported on four feet.
The front end or plate 2, 2, is fastened to the other part 1, 1, by screws.
The shape of the box or case 1, 1, 2, 2, is immaterial, so that it is sufficient
to contain the revolving drum 3, 3, within it. 4, 4, is the horizontal axis of
the drum sustained on pivots at its ends, so as to revolve freely together with
the drum without touching any part of the exterior case. The revolving
drum 3, 3, with its axis 4, 4, and the manner of sustaining the same, being con-
structed as in ordinary gas meters (and as herein-before briefly explained), does
not require any more detailed description; and so of the wheelwork, which is
put in motion by an endless screw on the front end of the axis 4, acting in the
teeth of a worn wheel on the lower end of the upright axis 5, at the upper end of
which is another endless screw acting in the teeth of the first wheel 6 of the train
of wheelwork for the several dials, as appears in Figure 1. The front end or
plate 2, 2, has a chamber 7, 7, in front of it for the reception of other parts, and
the chamber has a door fastened on in front by screws, so as to be removable
when required. The interior of the chamber-7, 7, is divided by a partition
8, 9, 10, Fig. 1, the space beneath the lowest part 8 of that partition being

page_text: for water, which communicates freely with the water in the lower part of the
box or case through two oblong openings 11, 11, and the space above the
partition 8 being for gas; but the latter space is divided into two by the
upright part 9 of the said partition 8, 9, 10. And there is an exit valve 12
fitted to an opening in the part 10 of the partition, with a floater 13 fastened
.to the lower end of the tail of the valve, so that when the surface of the water
is at its proper intended level, as shewn, then the floater 13 will lift up and
open the valve 12 in order to allow gas to pass freely upwards through the
partition 10 in its way to the exit pipe which is to convey it away from the
meter; but if there is a deficiency of water, so that its surface is below the
intended level, then the floater 18 will let down and close the exit valve.12,
so as to stop the said passage for the exit of gas. 14 is an upright pipe with
a screw stopper at its upper end, through which when opened water can be
poured in as may be required, so as to enter the space beneath the partition 8
in order to fill the lower part of the box or case 1, 1, 2, 2, to the proper
intended level, as shewn; but any excess of such water will overflow in the
manner herein-after explained, without standing higher than that level. And
thus far the parts are much the same as those of ordinary gas meters, and
numeral characters have been used for reference to those parts, but the
following parts are different, and letters of the alphabet are used for referenco
to those parts, namely,-A, Figure 2, is the entrance pipe for bringing the
gas to the meter. It descends close to the end of the box or case 11, and
communicates with the elbow pipe B, which enters through the end of the
box into the interior thereof below the level of the surface of the water, and
also passes through the contral hole of the additional end plate c, c, at the end
of the revolving drum 3, 3, but without touching the circumference of that
hole, which circumference being wholly below the surface of the water will
not allow gas to pass through the said hole, and the upright part of the elbow
pipe B stands up in the space between the additional end plate c, c, and
the real end of the drum and the open end of B is level with or only a very
little above the surface of the water, so that the said open end will introduce
gas into so much of the said space as is above the level of the water. And
note, the said elbow pipe B, and the manner of its introduction as aforesaid
into the space between the additional end c, c, and the real end of the drum,
is the same as in other gas meters, except as to the position of those parts,
which position is at the front end 1, 1, in ordinary meters, but must be at the
back end of the meter constructed according to our improvements. D is a.
continuation of the entrance pipe A downwards behind the end of the box or
case of the meter; then d is a further continuation beneath the lowest part

page_text: thereof, and then e is a still further continuation up again before the front
end 2, 2, and there is a small hole always open at f. Any excess of water
that may be poured (or otherwise introduced) into the box or case 1, 1, 2, 2,
will overflow into the open upper end of the elbow pipe B at the back end of
the meter, and run down through that pipe into D, d, e, making its escape
at the hole f at the front end of the meter, so as not to stand higher in D
than the level of the hole f, and therefore making no obstruction to the
entrance of gas from A into B, although D, d, e, remaining always full of
water, that water will prevent any gas descending into d. But in case of the
meter being tilted backwards by lifting up the front end 2, 2, then the water
in the box or case 1, 1, 2, 2, (although there is only a proper quantity of
water therein) will begin to overflow at the back end of the meter into
the upper open end of the clbow pipe B, in consequence of the tilting; and
also the escape hole f at the front end of the meter being raised in con-
sequence of the tilting, it will retain the water in D to the same level
to which the hole f is become raised, and thereby cause the water to
stop the passage from the entrance pipe A into the horizontal part of
the elbow pipe B so as to prevent any entrance of gas from the pipe A
into the meter, and consequently all operation thereof will be suspended
The gas which, during the revo-
so long as the meter remains tilted.
lution of the drum 3, 8, is discharged from its several compartments in
succession into the upper part of the box or case 1, 1, 2, 2, in the usual
manner of ordinary gas meters, as already stated, passes therefrom, through an
opening E, into the space above the partition 8, 9, already mentioned, and
then enters through a protection valve at I into an elbow pipe G, and, after
descending in the vertical part thereof, then turns horizontally to pass through
the upright part 9 of the partition, very nearly at the lowest part of that
partition, so as to conduct the gas into the space above the water, where the
floater 13 is situated; and from that space the same gas descends through the
exit valve 12 (if that valve is open) into the space above the partition 10 and
valve 12, and thence from that space into the exit pipe J, which passes along,
as shewn by dotted lines in Figure 2, over the upper part of the box or
case 1, 1, to the back end thereof, in the same manner as the supply pipe A
is at that back end; wherefore the junctions, by union joints of the two pipes
, with the meter at A and at J, are at the back end thereof, which is more
convenient than at the front end. And in case of the meter being tilted
forwards by lifting up the back end 1, 1, as represented in Figure 3, then the
water in the box or case 1, 1, 2, 2, although there is only a proper quantity
of water therein, will (in consequence of the elbow pipe B, which is the

page_text: overflow, being at the back end of the meter) rise in the front part of the
meter within the space beneath the partition 8, 9, 10, and against the upright
part 9 of that partition; so that the water will cover up and stop the orifice of
the elbow pipe G where the same passes through the lowest part of the said
upright part 9, and thereby the passage of gas through the elbow pipe G will
become stopped in consequence of the said tilting forwards of the water.. The
protection valve I answers the same purpose as the aforesaid operation of the
lower part of the elbow pipe G. That valve I is fitted to the upper orifice of
the elbow pipe G; where the gas is to enter, so as to close that orifice and stop
the passage of gas when the valve is closed. The stem of the valve I is
connected by a joint with a short pendulum i, which hangs on a joint pin at its
upper end, and has a ball weight at its lower end, which weight, when the
meter is tilted forwards (as in Figure 3), will, by its tendency to place the
pendulum i in a vertical position, cause the protection valve I to close and
stop the passage of gas into and through the elbow pipe G, although when the
meter stands in its proper horizontal position, as in Figure 2, then the pen-
dulum i, hanging vertically, will open the valve I, as appears in that Figure,
to allow free passage for the gas. And note, although the protection valve. I
is represented as being used in the same meter as the lower part of the
elbow pipe G, it is not necessary to use both those improvements together,
because (as already mentioned) they answer the same purpose one as the
other; and some meters may be made with the elbow pipe G, without the pro-
tection valve I, and other meters with the protection valve I and its pendulum i,
without the said lower part of the elbow pipe G; that is to say, without the
5 said lower part being so. low as that the orifice thereof in the part 9 of the
partition will become covered with water when the meter is tilted forwards as
above described, but the lower horizontal part of the elbow pipe G, and the
orifice thereof in the upright part 9 of the partition, may (in case of the pro--
tection valve I being used) be as high up in that partition, and as near to the
o part 10 thereof as is convenient. And note, there is a small air passage
at K in the nosle at the upper end of the upright pipe 14, to permit air to
escape from the interior of the meter when water is poured into it through the
orifice at the upper end of the said upright pipe 14, after the screw stopper
thereof has been removed from the nosle in order to fill the box or case 1, 1, 2, 2,
35 to the proper intended level. The said air passage is a small hole bored
vertically through the metal of the nosle by the side of the orifice, into which
the screw stopper is fitted, which airhole descends into the space above the
partition 8, 9, 10, to allow air to escape therefrom as fast as water is poured
in at the nosle, that water being conducted down by the upright pipe 14 to

page_text: the space beneath the part 8 of the partition. When the screw stopper is
inserted with a washer of leather or india rubber beneath its shoulder and
screwed fast down in its place, the small orifice of the said air passage will be
closed at the same time as the orifice of the upright pipe 14. And note,
meters of any of the sizes commonly used may be constructed according to
our improvements, in manner aforesaid.
Having now described our said improvements, I, the said John Falkous, for
myself and for the said Thomas Friend Dickinson, do hereby declare that the
new Invention whereof the exclusive use is granted to us by the Letters
Patent herein-before in part recited, consists in the means herein-before
described and represented by those parts of the Drawings which are marked
with letters of the alphabet for reference to those parts, by which said means
the gas meter becomes stopped, so as not to allow any gas to pass through it
in case of any attempt to make an improper use of the meter by tilting the
whole meter backwards by lifting up its front end 2, 2, so as to raise the
surface of the water within at the back end of the meter above its proper
intended level. For in such case the passage from the entrance pipe A into
the horizontal part of the elbow pipe B will become stopped up by the water.
whercof the surface is so raised above its proper intended level, as already
explained, and which result is obtained in consequence of the new position
given to the said elbow pipe B, at the back of the meter instead of at the
front thereof, but the escape hole f for overflow of water being nevertheless
in front of the meter in consequence of the continuation d of the pipe A, D,
beneath the lower part of the box or case 1, 1, at d. Also, in case of the
whole meter being tilted forwards by lifting up its back end 1, 1, as in
Figure 3, then, by means of either the water rising above the orifice at the
lower part of the elbow pipe G in the upright partition 9, which is in front
of the meter, although the pipe B, which is the overflow, is at the back of the
meter, or else by the pendulum i, closing the protection valve I, then, by one
or other of those means, the passage for the gas to make its way from the S
interior of the meter to the exit conveyance pipe J will become wholly
stopped.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Falkous, for myself and for the
said Thomas Friend Dickinson, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Fifteenth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and forty- 3
seven.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifteenth day of June, in
the tenth year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said John
Falkous came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and
acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
Fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Fifteenth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and