IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO GAS METERS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Smith, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Brass and Britannia Metal Finisher, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO GAS METERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
September 1861.
I, GEORGE SMITH, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Brass and
Britannia Metal Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of tho said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO GAS METERS," to be as follows (that is to
say) :-
This Invention has for its object a simple contrivance whereby a ready
means is obtained for regulating wet gas meters with great nicety after the
external case is completely soldered up. Heretofore it has been the general
practice to regulate the quantity of water the meter is required to contain to
cause the index to register correctly the measurement of gas passed through
the instrument by adjusting the height of the fixed vertical syphon or overflow
pipe by cutting it down to the required or supposed required height before
closing in the external casing. Now it has been found by experience that
although the instrument may register perfectly accurately before the outer case
is permanently closed up, its accuracy is often seriously effected upon being
soldered up. The object of this Invention is to obviate this very serious
defect, and is equally applicable to meters as at present constructed or to the
construction of new instruments, and in all cases the water regulating screwed
plug on the side of the charging plug chamber may be dispensed with.

page_text: To apply this Invention to a wet gas meter as now generally constructed a
small horizontal branch pipe is connected to the present fixed vertical syphon
or overflow pipe at a position either above or below the connecting branch
pipe which communicates with the drum chamber of the meter, from the
horizontal branch pipe springs a vertical pipe which runs parallel to and
a little distance from the ordinary fixed syphon or overflow pipe. This
suplemental vertical pipe is constructed lower, or at all events not higher
than the minimum height of the water required to be in the meter. On this
fixed vertical supplemental pipe is fitted an external pipe which is capable of
being slid up and down thereon within a given range, like the slide of a tele-
scope. This sliding tube is actuated by a rack and pinion or bands working
round or over a small pully on an horizontal spindle, or by a lever motion, or
their mechanical equivalent, all of which are to be worked by a key from the
side, bottom, top, or back of the external casing of the meter. The vertical
sliding tube may be fitted on to the vertical suplemental pipe, on which it
slides, so as to be perfectly water-tight; but as the action of the water in
which the pipe is immersed may cause it after a time to work stiffly, it is
preferred not to fit the sliding tube too tight, and forming one or more annular
grooves on the outer surface of the inner fixed tube for holding a suitable
packing to make good the joint between the two pipes, or the grooves for
containing the packing may be formed in the inner side of the sliding tube.
In the construction of new meters the horizontal branch pipe and the
supplemental vertical pipe springing therefrom may be dispensed with by
cutting down- the ordinary syphon or overflow pipe to the lowest point of or
below the water line and fitting the sliding tube thereon in the same way as
done in applying it to the vertical supplemental pipe described, and actuating
the sliding tube through the same mechanical means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
March 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SMITH, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Brass and Britannia Metal
Finisher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of

page_text: Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Smith, Her special licence that I, the said George Smith,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
APPLICABLE TO GAS METERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Smith, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
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 George 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 follow-
ing statement (that is to say) :-
This my said Invention has for its object a simple contrivance whereby I
obtain a ready means for regulating wet gas meters with great nicity after
the external case is completely sodered up. Heretofore it has been the
general practice to regulate the quantity of water the meter is required to
contain, to cause the index to register correctly the measurement of gas passed
through the instrument, by adjusting the height of the fixed vertical syphon or
overflow pipe, by cutting it down to the required or supposed required height,
before closing the external casing. Now, it has been found by experience,
that although the instrument may register perfectly correctly before the outer
case is permanently closed, its accuracy is often seriously effected upon being
sodered up; the object of this my said Invention is to obviate this very serious
defect, and is equally applicable to meters as at present constructed, or to the
construction of new instruments; and in all cases the water regulating screwed
plug on the side of the charging plug chamber may be dispensed with.
To apply this my said Invention to a wet gas meter as now generally con-
structed, a small horizontal branch pipe is connected to the present fixed
vertical syphon or overflow pipe, at a position either above or below the con-
necting branch pipe, which communicates with the drum chamber of the
meter; from this horizontal branch pipe springs a vertical pipe, which runs
parallel to and a little distance from the ordinary fixed vertical syphon or over-

page_text: flow pipe. This supplemental vertical pipe is constructed lower, or at all
events not higher than the minimum height of the water required to be in the
meter. On this fixed vertical supplemental pipe I fit an external pipe, which
is capable of being slid up and down thereon within a given range like the slide
of a telescope. This sliding tube I actuate by a rack and pinion or bands
working round or over a small pulley on an horizontal spindle, or by a lever
motion, or their mechanical equivalent, all of which are to be worked by a key
applied from the side, bottom, top, or back of the external casing of the meter:
The vertical sliding tube may be fitted on to the vertical supplemental pipe on
which it slides, so as to be perfectly water-tight; but as the action of the water
in which the pipe is emersed may cause it after a time to work stiffly, I prefer
not to fit the sliding tube too tight, and to form one ore more annular grooves
on the outer surface of the inner fixed tube for holding a suitable packing to
make good the joint between the two pipes; or the grooves for containing the
packing may be formed in the inner side of the sliding tube.
In the construction of new meters the horizontal branch pipe and the sup-
plemental vertical pipe springing therefrom may be dispensed with by cuttind
down the ordinary syphon or overflow pipe to the lowest point of or below the
water line, and fitting the sliding tube thereon in the same way I do in apply-
ing it to the vertical supplemental pipe described, and actuating the sliding
tube through the same mechanical means.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
I have hereunto annexed Drawings of so much of the parts of a wet gas meter
constructed in the ordinary way, as are necessary to illustrate a modification of
one of my modes of applying my improvements thereto, and the plans I prefer
to adapt in applying the Invention in the construction of new meters. "Like
letters and figures marked on the Drawings are used to denote similar parts
in the various Figures.
Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of a wet gas meter with the front plate
removed, for exposing to view the syphon or overflow pipe of the ordinary
description, to which is added my improved water line regulator, and Figure 2
is a partial transverse sectional elevation of the same; Figure 3 shows a side
elevation of one of my improved water line regulators, which is adjustable with
a key from the front of the meter, and Figure 4 is a vertical sectional elevation
of another of my improved water line regulators, which is adjustable from the
side of the meter.
A, the external casing of the meter; B (Figures 1 & 2), the ordinary
syphon pipe, from the side of which springs C, an horizontal hollow arm, from
-which-rises-D,-a-short-stand-pipe, over which works E, the sliding tube, the

page_text: side of which is formed with a rack, into which gears F, a small toothed pinion
mounted on G, a pillar, the side of which is fitted with H,'a stuffing box, into
which passes I, the pinion spindle, the end of which is formed square to receive
K, the key for adjusting the regulator; L, a fixed horizontal tube extending
from the stuffing box (H) to the external casing, through which the adjusting
key (K) is placed on the square end of (I), axle of the pinion (F).
B' (Figures 3 & 4), are stationary syphon pipes, which do not rise above
the minimum of the water line of the meter, and on to which are fitted E',
sliding tubes, the height of which are adjusted from the exterior of the meter,
by means of the key (K)..
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and how I believe the same may be best carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood, that I do not confine myself to the precise
details, relative proportions, or dimensions herein-before described and set
forth, as it will be readily seen that the same may be considerably varied
without departing from the Invention; but what I do claim is, the construc-
tion and application to wet gas meters of syphon or water line regulating pipes
which are capable of being adjusted from the exterior of the meters, substan-
tially and in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and set
forth, or any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and affixed niy seal, this Twenty-fifth day of March, One thou-
sand eight hundred and sixty-two.
5 Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
GEORGE (L.S.) SMITH.