IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER GAS METERS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Stevens, of the Darlington Works, Southwark
Bridge Road, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER GAS
METERS."
Sealed the 24th November 1857, and dated the 2nd June 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Stevens at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd June 1857.
I, JAMES STEVENS, of the Darlington Works, Southwark Bridge Road, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER GAS
METERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in water gas meters. For
these purposes, in place of employing the present arrangements of floats and
apparatus, which are defective, and readily admit of frauds being practised, by
tilting the meters and by drawing off the water therefrom, I apply a float in
each meter in such manner that, in the event of the meter being tilted, the
float and apparatus connected therewith act on an inlet valve, so as to reduce
and shut off the supply of gas to the meter, and also act on a valve to close
the hydraulic or water tube, so as to prevent the water being drawn off; and
the apparatus is also arranged so as to regulate the supply of gas to the
burners, according as more or less burners are for the time being in use. For
these objects, the float of a water gas meter is connected to one part or end of
a lever, and another part or end of such lever is attached by a suitable rod to

page_text: a valve acting on the gas-supply pipe of the meter, so that as the meter is
tilted the valve will be closed. And in order to prevent the water being
withdrawn from the meter, the float and lever act on another valve, so as to
close the hydraulic or water tube. The float and lever being acted on by the
variation in the height of the water in the meter, produced by the variation of
pressure of gas therein, regulate the supply of gas according to the number.
of burners which are for the time being in use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Stevens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
STEVENS, of the Darlington Works, Southwark Bridge Road, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Ier
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Stevens, Her special licence that I, the said James Stevens, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Stevens, 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 IN WATER GAS
METERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Stevens, 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 James Stevens, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in water gas meters. For
these purposes, in place of employing the present arrangements of floats and

page_text: has been most commonly withdrawn, the hydraulic or water tube is made to
terminate in a mouth at j, and over this mouth is a valve k, carried by an
arm 1, which is fixed at its end to the horizontal axis f; and when a partial
vacuum is produced, by sucking at the end of the hydraulic tube, this valve
closes down on the mouth of the pipe and prevents the water entering.
The arrangement of the float h is such also as to regulate-the supply of gas
according to the number of burners which may be from time to time in use;
for it will be seen that if a number of additional lights are at any moment
brought into use the result is to reduce the pressure in the exterior case, and
this causes the water to rise higher in it at the expense of the water in the
drum, that is to say, the float h is raised so as to increase the passage into
the pipe c sufficiently to deliver the requisite increased supply of gas into the
outer case; if lights are taken off the meter, then the mouth of the supply
pipe c will be more nearly closed by the valve than it was before.
In place of employing the ordinary float i, the supply pipe a may be
brought down and caused to terminate in a mouth, similar to that of the
tube c, and another arm and valve will then be carried by the axis f, the
valve being so placed as to close the mouth of the pipe a when the water
rises to any considerable extent.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Stevens, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
GEO. PITT.
JAMES STEVENS. (L.S.)