IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS."
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Crosley, of No. 16, Westbourne Park, in the
County of Middlesex, and 103, Southwark Bridge Road, in the County
of Surrey, Gas Meter Manufacturer, and George Goldsmith, of Leicester,
in the County of Leicester, Gas Meter Inspector, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Crosley and
George Goldsmith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 19th April 1856.
We, WILLIAM CROSLEY, of No. 16, Westbourne Park, in the County of
Middlesex, and 108, Southwark Bridge Road, in the County of Surrey, Gas
Meter Manufacturer, and GEORGE GOLDSMITH, of Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Gas Meter Inspector, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar arrangements of certain parts of
wet gas meters, whereby a more efficient wet gas meter is obtained, and one.
less liable to be fraudulently tampered with than the gas meters at present in-
ordinary use.
The improvements consist, first, of a self-acting arrangement for compen-
sating for the evaporation of the water in the meter, by which arrangement

page_text: the true water level is constantly and invariably maintained, whatever may be
the ordinary evaporation of the water. This is effected by the employment of
any rotatory apparatus suitable for raising water, which apparatus delivers the
water so elevated from a supply reservoir into a reservoir communicating with
the water in the measuring chamber, which latter reservoir we term for
distinction the "water line reservoir." The water supply reservoir is fitted
with an overflow pipe, regulated a little below the true water level, and dipping
into an hydraulic seal, in which seal the gas syphon pipe also dips, so that
if the meter be overcharged with water the water will rise up the gas
syphon pipe, and prevent the passage of gas. The rotatory water-elevating
apparatus rotates in a separate supply reservoir distinct from the measuring
chamber, and at each revolution it takes up a small quantity of water, which
passes into the water line reservoir communicating with the measuring
chamber, and maintains the level of the water in the measuring chamber
constantly up to the edge or lip of the overflow pipe in the water line reservoir,
so long as there is a sufficiency of water in the supply reservoir. Any excess
of supply over and above the absorption by evaporation is allowed to run off by
the overflow pipe, and circulate back again into the supply reservoir. This
rotatory water elevating apparatus may be driven or rotated by any suitable
arrangement of wheelwork from the axis of the measuring drum.
The second head of our Invention relates to the supplying the meter with
water, and consists in connecting the water supply pipe with the tube through
which the upright shaft passes, whereby one pipe only is required to dip into
the water.
The third head of our Invention relates to the adjustment of the height of
the overflow pipes, which adjustment is effected by a screw thread made on
the outside of the overflow pipes, and working through a corresponding nut or
screwed platė.
The fourth head of the Invention relates to the venting of the waste.water
chamber, and consists in making an air passage in the thickness of the metal
forming the discharging spout or nozzle, such air passage communicating by a
pipe with the upper part of the waste water chamber, and is so made as to be
closed by a washer on the discharge plug.
The fifth head of the Invention relates to an arrangement for stopping the
supply of gas through the syphon pipe of ordinary wet gas meters, should the
water line be raised above the proper level. This is effected by placing an
inverted cup or cap over the top of the syphon pipe, which will be sealed by
the water if it rises too high, and which cup or cap is made adjustable
vertically. In order to prevent the meter from being detached from the pipes

page_text: in connection with the main and fittings, a leaden or other soft metal impressed
seal may be connected to the union or coupling joint by a string or wire, so
that the coupling cannot be unfastened without removing or destroying the
impressed seal. For the purpose of preventing the drum of ordinary wet
meters being perforated, we propose to apply a hard metal shield to the
underside of the outlet pipe, which will allow of free egress of the gas
whilst it will effectually prevent access to the drum.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
the said William Crosley and George Goldsmith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
CROSLEY, of 16, Westbourne Park, in the County of Middlesex, and 103,
Southwark Bridge Road, in the County of Surrey, Gas Meter Manufacturer,
and GEORGE GOLDSMITH, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Gas Meter
Inspector, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her inost Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Crosley and George Goldsmith, Her special license that we, the said
William Crosley and George Goldsmith, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said William Crosley and George Goldsmith,
our executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Crosley and George
Goldsmith, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 we, the said William Crosley and George Goldsmith,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner.

page_text: 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 :-
Our said Invention relates to certain peculiar arrangements of certain parts
of wet gas meters, whereby a mere efficient wet gas meter is obtained, and
one less liable to be fraudulently tampered with than the gas meters at present
in ordinary use.
The improvements consist, first, of a self-acting arrangement for compen-
sating for the evaporation of the water in the water, by which arrangement
the true water level is maintained, whatever may be the ordinary evaporation
of the water. This is effected by the employment of any rotatory apparatus
suitable for raising water, which apparatus delivers the water so elevated from
a supply reservoir into a reservoir communicating with the water in the
measuring chamber, which latter reservoir we term for distinction the "water
line reservoir." The water supply reservoir is fitted with an overflow pipe,
regulated a little below the true water line, and dipping into an hydraulic seal,
in which seal the gas syphon pipe also dips, so that if the meter be overcharged
with water the water will rise up the gas syphon pipe, and prevent the passage
of gas therethrough. The water-elevating apparatus rotates in a separate
supply reservoir distinct from the measuring chamber, and at each revolution
it takes up a small quantity of water which passes into the water line reservoir
communicating with the measuring chamber, and maintains the level of the
water in the measuring chamber constantly up to the edge or lip of the over-
flow pipe in the water line reservoir, so long as there is a sufficiency of water
in the supply reservoir. Any excess of supply over and above the absorption
by evaporation is allowed to run off by the overflow pipe, and circulate back
again into the supply reservoir. This rotatory water-elevating apparatus may
be driven or rotated by any suitable arrangement of wheel work from the axis
of the measuring drum.
The second head of our Invention relates to the supplying the meter with
water, and consists in connecting the water supply pipe with the tube through
which the upright shaft passes, whereby one pipe only is required to dip into
the water.
The third head of our Invention relates to the adjustment of the height of
the overflow pipes, which adjustment is effected by a screw thread made on
the outside of the overflow pipe, and working through a corresponding nut or
screwed plate.
The fourth head.of the Invention relates to the venting of the waste water
chamber, and consists in making an air passage in the thickness of the metal

page_text: forming the discharging spout or nozzle, such air passage communicating by a
pipe with the upper part of the waste water chamber, and is so made as to be
closed by a washer on the discharge plug.
The fifth head of our Invention relates to a peculiar construction or arrange-
ment of overflow pipe, whereby the water is drawn off below the actual lip or
edge of the overflow pipe after it has ceased to run over the top of the same;
and whereby the water is prevented from mounting above the edge or lip of
the overflow pipe after it has once ceased to run; this is effected by placing
a small syphon near the top of the overflow pipe, the mouth of the short leg
being outside the pipe, and slightly below its edge or lip.
The sixth head of our Invention relates to an arrangement for stopping the
supply of gas through the syphon pipe of ordinary gas meters, should the water
line be raised above the proper level. This is effected by placing an inverted
cup or cap over the top of the syphon pipe, which will be sealed by the water
if it rises too high, and which cup or cap is made adjustable vertically.
In order to prevent the meter from being detached from the pipes in con--
nection with the main and fittings, a wax, leaden, or other suitable impressed
seal may be connected to the union or coupling joint by a string or wire, so
that the coupling cannot be unfastened without removing or destroying the
impressed seal, and provision is made for screwing the meter down to the shelf
or boarded floor, and for sealing over the heads of the screws to prevent the
removal of the meter without the knowledge of the gas company.
For the purpose of preventing the drum of ordinary wet gas meters being
perforated, we propose to apply a hard metal shield to. the underside of the
outlet pipe, which will allow of free egress of the gas, whilst it will effectually
prevent access to the drum.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose we shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a vertical section of the front portion
of our improved meter; Figure 2 is a corresponding section of the same, taken
along the line 1, 2, at right angles to Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a horizontal
section of the meter taken along the line 3, 4. A, A, is a rotatory water-
elevating apparatus, composed of two curved pipes fitted on to the boss B on
the hollow or tubular spindle C, shewn in the sectional detail, Figure 4. A
rotatory motion is imparted to this water-elevating apparatus by the toothed

page_text: wheel gearing into a second
During the rotation of the
wheel D on the axis of the measuring drum, this
toothed wheel E fast on the hollow spindle C.
curved arms A in the direction of the arrows, they dip into the supply reservoir
F, which is always kept supplied with water, and scoop up a small quantity of
water therefrom, which as the arms rotate trickles down the inside of them
and passes into the hollow spindle C, whence it discharges itself from the back
open end of the spindle into the water line reservoir G, which reservoir is quite
distinct from the supply reservoir F, but is in communication with the
measuring chamber H containing the measuring drum. By this means the
proper water level will be always maintained in the measuring chamber, what-
ever may be the ordinary amount of evaporation. I is the overflow pipe for
the supply reservoir; this pipe is adjusted a little below the true or proper
water level in the measuring chamber, and dips at its lower end into the
hydraulic seal J. A small syphon pipe K is fitted into the edge or lip of the
overflow pipe, so that a certain quantity. of water may be drawn off from
the supply reservoir below the edge of the lip, for the purpose herein-before
referred to. L is an overflow pipe, for carrying off from the water-line
reservoir any excess of water supplied thereto over and above that required to
compensate for the amount of evaporation going on. This excess of water re-
enters the supply reservoir by means of the overflow pipe L and the branch
pipe M, which are made to communicate with the supply reservoir, as shewn
at Figure 1. The gas syphon pipe N also dips at its lower end into the
hydraulic seal J, so that, should the meter be overcharged with water, the water
will rise up the gas syphon pipe to such a height as to prevent the passage of
gas therethrough.
Figure 5 represents a vertical section of an overflow pipe, shewing the mode
of adjusting or regulating the height of the same, which is effected by the
nut O, which works on the screwed portion P of the pipe. This mode of
adjustment may be applied to any or all of the overflow pipes used in wet
gas meters, whether of the ordinary construction or of our improved arrange-
ment. Qis the water supply pipe, which opens into or is connected with the
tube R, through which the upright shaft which gives motion to the "index"
or registering apparatus passes.
Figures 6 and 7 represent respectively an enlarged vertical section and
corresponding plan of the water supply pipe and tube. By this means a shorter
supply pipe may be used, as it need not dip into the supply reservoir, the
object being attained by the tube R, which thus forms a continuation of the
supply pipe, and must necessarily be always partially immersed in the supply

page_text: reservoir, so that only one of the two pipes needs to dip into the water. S is
a small baffle plate or stop inside the supply pipe, to prevent the introduction
of a cotton wick syphon into the supply reservoir, for the purpose of drawing
off the water therefrom, whilst at the same time the presence of the upright
shaft inside the tube R will serve as a further barrier against the introduction
of a cotton wick, for the purpose above referred to. The venting of the waste
water chamber T is effected by means of the air passage U, (see sectional detail,
Figure 8,) made in the metal of the discharging nozzle V. This air passage
communicates with the upper portion of the waste water chamber by means of
the pipe or passage W inside the same. The screw plug X, which closes tho
discharging nozzle, is fitted with a leather ring or washer, which, when the
plug is screwed up tight, closes also the air passage U and opens the same
when the plug is removed to run off the waste water. The box, forming the
hydraulic seal J, is made with openings at its upper edge, to allow any super-
abundant water to run off therefrom into the waste water chamber in which
the seal is enclosed. Y is a float, connected with the gas inlet valve Z; and is
so arranged by being submerged in the water in the supply reservoir, that the
valve will always remain open so long as the water is sufficiently high in the
supply reservoir to be caught by the arms of the revolving water clevator A,
and carried up thereby. When the water in the supply reservoir is so low
that the float is no longer buoyed up thereby, the float will fall and will close
the valve Z, thereby shutting off the gas from the meter.
Figure 9 of the Drawings represents a vertical section of the front chamber
of an ordinary wet gas meter, shewing our mode of stopping the supply of gas
through the syphon pipe, should the water line be raised above the proper level
necessary for the accurate measurement of the gas. We accomplish this by
means of the inverted cup or extinguisher a, shown detached at Figure 10,
on an enlarged scale. This cup fits over the top of the syphon pipe b, the
mouth of which pipe will be sealed by the water coming in contact with
the lip of the cup, should too much water be poured into the meter. The
adjustment of this cup to any desired height is effected by the screwed
shank c and nut d. The other parts of this meter are of the ordinary and
well-known construction.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
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 confine or restrict
ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without

page_text: deviating from the principles or main features of our said 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,-
First, the general constructions and arrangements of certain parts of wet gas
meters, as herein-before described.
Second, the mode of compensating for the evaporation of the water in wet
gas meters, by keeping the measuring chamber in such meters constantly sup-
plied with water from a separate supply reservoir, by means of any convenient
and suitable self-acting rotating water elevating apparatus.
Third, the mode of causing the superfluous water in the measuring chamber
to flow back into the supply reservoir. when more water has been brought into
the measuring chamber than is required to supply the loss from evaporation,
as herein-before described.
Fourth, the connecting the water supply pipe with the tube through which
the upright shaft passes in wet gas meters.
Fifth, the mode of adjusting the height of any one or more of the overflow
pipes in wet gas meters, as herein-before described.
Sixth, the mode of venting the waste water chamber in wet gas meters, as
herein-before described,
Seventh, the application of a small syphon to any one or more of the over-
flow pipes of wet gas meters, in the manner and for the purpose herein-before
described.
Eighth, the mode of stopping the supply of gas through the gas syphon pipes
of such wet gas meters as have the gas syphon pipe raised above the water
line when the level of the water in the meter rises too high, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Crosley and George Goldsmith,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Eighteenth day of October
. One thousand eight bundred and fifty-six.
WILLIAM CROSLEY.
(L.B.)
GEORGE GOLDSMITH. (L.S.)