IMPROVED MEANS AND APPLIANCES TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH GAS METERS FOR PREVENTING THE FRAUDULENT OR UNREGISTERED CONSUMPTION OF GAS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Frederick Lombe Foulger, of Bow, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPLIANCES TO
BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH GAS METERS FOR PREVENTING THE FRAUDULENT
OR UNREGISTERED CONSUMPTION OF GAS."
Sealed the 31st October 1879, and dated the 14th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Frederick Lombe
Foulger at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th May 1879.
GEORGE FREDERICK LOMBE FOULGER, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVED MEANS AND APPLIANCES TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH GAS
METERS FOR PREVENTING THE FRAUDULENT OR UNREGISTERED CONSUMPTION OF
GAS."
The object of this Invention is to prevent fraudulent consumption of gas now
frequently effected by disconnecting the gas inlet pipe from the gas meter, and by
connecting the said pipe directly with the outlet pipe which goes to the burners.
For this purpose I use a new construction of pipe union. I make the "cap" (or
nut) with a recess in the top for the purpose of receiving sealing wax, and I also
notch or roughen the outside of the "lining" in the corresponding part. This con-
struction of union I use for the joint over the "main cock" of the gas inlet pipe,
and for the joint of the said pipe with the meter, and generally speaking, for any
joint on the gas inlet pipe accessible to the consumer. I may also apply the same
union to the joint between the meter and the outlet pipe to the burners. The mode
of "making" this union joint is as follows:-Having soldered the "lining" to the
pipe, I tighten up the cap of the union against its packing washer or grummet. I
then place powdered sealing wax in the recess of the cap, and melt it by a blow
pipe or otherwise; or I may run it in hot; while hot, I impress therein the name,
or seal, or mark of the gas company, say, by a tongs shaped or jointed ring so
marked; for the protection of the seal I use a lid fitting over the recessed top of
the cap.
I thus prevent the aforesaid fraudulent practice, as the joint or joints
...מ

page_text: cannot be unmade without breaking or damaging the seal or seals, and the inspector
will, each time he examines the meter, only have to raise the lid off the cap of the
union for ascertaining the broken or unbroken state of the seal and joint.
Instead of or in addition to the aforesaid means, I fit the top of the meter with a
notched screwed boss or ferule, and I fit the end of a spanner placed on the inlet
union on the meter (or also if desired, a spanner fitting on the outlet union of the
meter) in the said notch, and on a peg therein. I fit a screw cap nut on the
boss, and having run sealing wax therein and impressed the seal or mark therein, I
thereby seal the spanner or spanners, and prevent tampering with the union cap or
caps.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Frederick Lombe Foulger in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th November 1879.
GEORGE FREDERICK LOMBE FOULGER, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVED MEANS AND APPLIANCES TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH GAS
METERS FOR PREVENTING THE FRAUDULENT OR UNREGISTERED CONSUMPTION OF
GAS."
The object of this Invention is to prevent fraudulent consumption of gas now
frequently effected by disconnecting the gas inlet pipe from the gas meter, and by
connecting the said pipe directly with the outlet pipe which goes to the burners.
For this purpose I use a new construction of pipe union. I make the "cap" (or
nut) with a recess in the top for the purpose of receiving sealing wax, and I also.
notch or roughen the outside of the lining in the corresponding part.
And in order that this part of my Invention may be more fully understood, I
will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Figure 1 is a section through my improved pipe union, and Figure 2 a plan of
underside of same. The cap or nut a is formed with a recess at b, and the outside
of the lining c (to which the pipe d is soldered), is formed with notches or fluting.
The recess b is to be filled with sealing wax. f is a ring lid for protecting the
sealing wax in b. Figure 3 is a section through a union of a slightly different form;
Figure 4 is a plan of same. The outside of the lining c is formed with
lefthand screw thread, and there is a ring lid f screwed onto same, and serving as a
protection to the sealing wax in the recess b.
Figure 5 shows the same principle of construction applied to a screw cap for
closing the end of a pipe, and Figure 6 is a plan of same. The closing plug c is
formed with corrugations (or it might be with smooth conical end), and is driven
into the end of the pipe e which is screwed on the outside to receive the cap a,
which is formed with a recess b as before, the sealing wax is poured into the same,
and around the square (or corrugated or roughened) upper end of the plug e. This
construction of union I use for the joint over the "main cock" of the gas inlet pipe,
and for the joint of the said pipe with the meter, and generally speaking, for any.
joint on the gas inlet pipe accessible to the consumer. may also apply the same
union to the joint between the meter and the outlet pipe to the burners.
The closing plug, Figures 5 and 6, may be used for closing any gas pipe.
The mode of " making" this union joint or closure is as follows:--Having
soldered the "lining c" to the pipe d, I tighten up the cap a of the union against
its packing, washer, or grummet h. I then place powdered sealing wax in the recess
b of the cap a, and melt it by a blow pipe or otherwise, or I may run it in hot;
while hot, I impress therein the name, or seal, or mark of the gas company, say, by a
tongshaped or jointed ring so marked, a ring shown in plan and elevation in
Figures 7 and 8 respectively will answer the purpose; for the protection of the
seal, I may use a lid f fitting on the recessed top of the cap a. I thus prevent the
aforesaid fraudulent practice, as the joint or joints cannot be unmade without
breaking or damaging the seal or seals, and the inspector will, each time he examines
the meter, only have to raise the lid f off the cap of the union for ascertaining the
broken or unbroken state of the seal and joint.
Instead of or in addition to the aforesaid means, I fit the top of the meter with a
notched screwed boss or ferrule, and I fit the end of a spanner placed on the inlet
union on the meter in the said notch, and on a peg therein I fit a screw cap nut on
the boss, and having run sealing wax therein and impressed the seal or mark
therein, I thereby seal the spanner and prevent tampering with the union cap or
caps.

page_text: Figure 9 is a side view, and Figure 10 a plan of a gas meter fitted with improved
pipe union, or with an ordinary pipe union on inlet and outlet union. ¹ is a screw
threaded boss on the top of the meter; this boss is formed with a notch b and peg
m, in and on which fits the end of a spanner 7, the other end of which fits on and
thus retains the hexagon cap a on the inlet union of the meter. The space in the
notch babove the end of the spanner his filled with sealing wax; k is a lid or cap
screwed on to the notched top of the boss le¹, and fitting on it is a cover or lid f
which serves to protect the seal. The piece on the service pipe o, and which
may serve to lead a pipe off to another meter if required, is stopped with my
improved closing cap described with reference to Figures 5 and 6.
Figure 11 shows a bye pass pipe, the cock p of which has a spanner or handle q,
the outer roughened end of which enters a cap a, which is formed with a recess 6,
as in the previous examples, and which is screwed onto a plug e screwed into the
bye pass pipe. This handle cannot be removed without breaking the scal formed in
the recess b.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, I declare
that I claim, —
Firstly. Forming the cap of a pipe union or closing piece with a recess for the
reception of sealing wax to be impressed with a seal, the lining or equivalent part
secured by the said cap or closing piece being formed with a rough or uneven or
fluted surface for the purpose of preventing the disconnecting of the parts without.
detection or damage to the seal, substantially as described.
Secondly. The mode and means for locking and sealing the end of a cock spanner
or equivalent part, substantially as described.
Thirdly. The appliance for impressing the seal, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Frederick Lombe Foulger, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of Nov., in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
CRO FREDE LOMBE FOULGER
Gal