Means for Use in Combination with Conduits or Conductors for the Supply of Gas or other Fluid, or of Electricity, for Indicating the Time during which such Gas or other Fluid, or Electricity, has been Consumed.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Means for Use in Combination with Conduits or Conductors for the
Supply of Gas or other Fluid, or of Electricity, for Indicating
the Time during which such Gas or other Fluid, or Electricity,
has been Consumed.
I, FRANCIS GEORGE SAVAGE CURTIS C.M.G. of 40 Shaftesbury Avenue in
the County of London, Colonel retired, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
'
The object of my invention is to provide means for use in combination with
conduits or conductors for the supply of gas or other fluid or of electricity for
indicating the time during which such gas or other fluid or electricity has been
consumed. According to my invention I combine with the conduit or conductor
a time keeper which is provided with a device which can be brought into position
to stop the time keeper or into a position to release it. These operations of the
said device are effected by means of the tap, or the switch or the like by which
the supply of the gas or other fluid or of the electricity is opened or closed. The
mechanism may be enclosed in a locked case provided with a glazed front through
which the time keeper can be seen. By the indications of the time keeper
therefore it can readily be ascertained during how long a period the supply bas
been open as it is only during such time that the time keeper is in operation.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1893.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Means for Use in Combination with Conduits or Conductors for the
Supply of Gas or other Fluid, or of Electricity, for Indicating
the Time during which such Gas or other Fluid, or Electricity,
has been Consumed.
I, FRANCIS GEORGE SAVAGE CURTIS C.M.G. of 40 Shaftesbury Avenue in
the County of London, Colonel retired, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide means for use in combination with
conduits or conductors for the supply of gas or other fluid or of electricity for
indicating the time during which such gas or other fluid or electricity has been
consumed. According to my invention I combine with the conduit or conductor
a time keeper which is provided with a device which can be brought into position
to stop the time keeper or into a position to release it. These operations of the
Baid device are effected by means of the tap, or the switch or the like by which
the supply of the gas or other fluid or of the electricity is opened or closed. The
mechanism may be enclosed in a locked case provided with a glazed front through
which the time keeper can be seen. By the indications of the time keeper
therefore it can readily be ascertained during how long a period the supply has
been open as it is only during such time that the time keeper is in operation.
I will describe with reference to the accompanying drawings the best means
with which I am acquainted for carrying my invention into practical effect
•

page_text: premising however that I do not restrict myself to the arrangements described and
illustrated as variations may be made therein without departing from the nature of
my invention.
Figure 1 is a front elevation and Figure 2 a transverse vertical section illustrating
my invention as applied to the conduits for supplying gas or other fluid and
Figures 3 & 4 are similar views shewing my invention as applied to a conduit for
electricity.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 A. represents a pipe or conduit for gas or other
fluid leading from the source of supply to the place of consumption and provided
with a cock or valve B for opening and closing as required the passage for
the fluid through the pipe or conduit. This cock or valve is contained in a
box or casing C provided with a door c which when closed may be locked or
otherwise secured to prevent access to the interior of the box except. by the
person provided with the key or means for opening the door. In the hox or
case C is a clock or time keeper D in proximity to one of the wheels of which,
is a detent or catch E arranged so that one part thereof can engage with the
said wheel to stop the clock. This detent or catch is connected by a rod or
wire a to a lug on the plug of the cock or valve B so that when the plug
is turned to open the passage for the fluid through the pipe A the detent or
catch E is caused to disengage the wheel of the clock and permit of the clock
working, the said clock continuing to work so long as the plug of the cock or
valve B is in the position to open the passage through the pipe or conduit A.
When the ping of the cock or valve is turned so as to close the passage through
the pipe or conduit the connecting rod or wire a will allow the detent under
the action of a counterweight e or its equivalent to engage the wheel d and
thereby stop the clock or time keeper D. In the drawing I have shewn the
detent E as acting on the balance wheel of the time keeper but it is obvious that
it may be arranged to act on any other suitable wheel of the said time keeper.
The end of the rod or wire a which is connected to the detent E is slotted as shewn
at a to admit of the movement of the plug of the cock or valve B without
operating the detent before opening the passage through the pipe or conduit A.
The plug of the cock is shewn in Figure 1 in the position it occupies when about
to commence opening the passage through the pipe A and the detent E about to
disengage the wheel d. is a key for turcing the plug of the cock or valve B.
The arrangement for indicating the time during which electricity is consumed may
be similar to that herein before described as shewn for example in Figures 3 and 4 in
which D represents the clock or time keeper and E the catch or detent for stopping
and starting the clock which detent carries or constitutes the armature of an
electro magnet F through which the current from the source of supply flows to
the place of consumption when the switch B is caused to complete the circuit.
When the circuit is completed by the switch and consequently the electro
magnet energised the armature is attracted and the detent disengaged from the
wheel d of the time keeper so that the said time keeper will start and continue
to work so long as the circuit is complete, but when the switch B is moved so
as to break the circuit the detent, will be caused under the action of the weight e
or its equivalent to move into engagement with the wheel d and thereby stop
the clock. The time keeper and electro magnet are enclosed in the box or
casing C, the knob or handle only of the switching device projecting through
an opening to outside the box convenient for operation, the box being locked
to prevent the time keeper from being tampered with. The box or case may
be made of any suitable material, a glazed opening being provided therein
through which the time keeper may be observed without opening the box
or case.
If desired the electro magnet F may be dispensed with and the detent E be
connected to the switch so that when the switch is moved to complete the circuit
it will move the said detent out of contact with the clockwork and when the switch
is moved so as to break the circuit the detent will be simultaneously moved into

page_text: contact with the clockwork so as to stop the clock but by this arrangement should
the switch be in position to complete the circuit and the circuit be broken at some
other part of the conduit the time keeper would continue to work although the
supply be cut off, this is however prevented by the use of an electro magnet as
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with conduits or conductors for the supply of gas or other
fluid or of electricity of means for indicating the time during which such gas
or other fluid or electricity has been consumed substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The combination with a conduit or conductor for the supply of gas or other
fluid or of electricity of a time keeper and a device operated by the means for
opening and closing the passage for the supply of gas or other fluid or of electricity
so as to start and stop the time keeper substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the means for
indicating the time during which gas or other fluid has been consumed sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting means for indicating
the time during which electricity has been consumed substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 13th day of September 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.