Improvements in and connected with Gas Meters.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890
Improvements in and connected with Gas Meters.
We, SAMUEL GLOVER and THOMAS GLOVER, both of the Gas Works St. Helena
in the County of Lancaster, Gas Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to gas meters and it has for its object to secure the
automatic cut off of the supply of the gas as soon as a predetermined quantity
has passed through the meter.
In carrying out our Invention, we control the inlet, or preferably the outlet of
the meter by means of a valve or cock which is closed by the action of the
counting mechanism. The closing of this valve or cock may be effected by
means of a weight or springs released or operated through the agency of the
counting apparatus when the counting apparatus would in the ordinary course
indicate that a previously determined quantity of the gas has passed through
the meter. The release of the weight or spring which controls or closes the
cock or valve, may be effected by a trigger released by an adjustable pin or stop
carried on one of the counting wheels or on a wheel carried thereby. This pin
or stop is adjusted so as to come into contact with the trigger when the passage
of the predetermined quantity of the gas through the meter has just been com-
pleted. The valve or cock may however in some cases be preferably operated
by the direct action of the counting mechanism. In this case, we gear with one
of the counting wheels and preferably with the hundreds wheel, an additional
wheel capable of being made fast or loose upon its spindle by means of a clutch
or equivalent device. The spindle has fixed upon its projecting front end, an
index which moves over a suitable dial. The back end of the spindle carries a
wheel which gears with a wheel or pinion on the spindle of the valve or cock.
By this means the passage will be cut off through the closing of the valve or
cock by the direct motion of the counting apparatus. The wheel gearing with
the wheel or pinion on the valve or cock spindle may have a number of its teeth
removed so that the motion of the valve or cock instead of being continuous, may
be limited to a short period before and during the cessation of the supply.
ILAHI, 9nd day of Anvil · A D 1889.
WILLIAM E. HEYS.
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in and connecteu
We, SAMUEL GLOVER and THOMAS GLOVER both of the Gas Works St. Helens
in the County of Lancaster, Gas Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention relates to gas meters and it has for its object to secure the
automatic cut-off of the supply of gas as soon as a predetermined quantity
has passed through the meter.
In carrying out our Invention we control the inlet or preferably the outlet of
the meter by means of a valve or cock which is closed at the proper time by the
action of the counting mechanism. The closing of the valve or cock may be

page_text: effected by means of a weight or spring released or operated through the agency
of the counting apparatus when this apparatus would in the ordinary course
indicate that a previously determined quantity of the gas had passed through the
meter. The release of the weight or spring which controls or closes the cock or
valve may be effected by a trigger released by the contact of an adjustable pin
or stop carried on one of the counting wheels or on a wheel driven thereby.
This pin or stop is adjusted so as to come into contact with the trigger when
the passage of the predetermined quantity of gas through the meter has just
been completed. The valve or cock may however in some cases be preferably
operated by the direct action of the counting mechanism. In this case we gear
with one of the counting wheels and preferably with the hundreds wheel, an
additional wheel mounted on a shaft which may be rotated independently of
the wheel but so that the motion of the counting gear is communicated to the
shaft. This is accomplished by means of a clutch or similar device as herein-
after more particularly described with reference to the drawings. The shaft or
spindle has fixed upon its projecting front end, an index finger which moves
over a suitable dial and indicates the number of feet paid for but unconsumed.
The back end of the shaft may carry a wheel gearing with a wheel or pinion
fixed on the spindle of the valve or cock, but we prefer to mount upon the back
end of the shaft an arm which is capable of coming into contact with and moving
an arm mounted on the valve or cock spindle. By this means the passage of
the gas will be cut off automatically by the direct motion of the counting
apparatus. When a wheel on the back end of the shaft is used gearing with
a wheel or pinion on the valve spindle, a number of the teeth of each of the
wheels may be removed so that the motion of the valve or cock instead of being
continuous may be limited to a short period before and during the cessation of
the supply.
We will further describe our Invention with reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 a side elevation;
Fig. 3 an elevation of the wheel-work; and Fig. 4 an elevation of the arrange-
ment for operating the valve which we prefer to employ. In each of the Figures
similar parts where they are represented, are denoted by similar letters of
reference.
A is the outlet of the meter B: Cis the valve; D is the wheel gearing with
(preferably) the hundreds wheel E: F is a friction disc or clutch secured to the
wheel and which may have its face serrated as shewn in Fig. 3; G is a set of
arms concentric with the wheel D and tending by their natural springiness to
engage with the part ; these arms are secured to the wheel H or to the shaft I
on which both the wheel H. and the wheel 1) are mounted; K is a pinion gear-
ing with the wheel H: L is an arm fixed on the back end of the shaft I; M is
an arm fixed on the valve spindle and provided with the curved slot P; O is a
stud fixed to the framing and entering the slot P; N is a pin or stud on the
arm L so fixed as to come into contact at the proper time with the arm M: Q is
an index finger mounted on the front end of the spindle I and moving over the
graduated dial S. The dial S is graduated (when the gearing is as hereinbefore
described), to indicate hundreds of feet, and the index is represented in Figure 1
as in the zero position.
To set the apparatus for the supply of a given quantity of gas, the pinion K is
rotated by a suitable key nutil the finger indicates 10, when by the rotation
of the arm the stop thereon will have come into contact (at R Fig. 4) with the
valve arm M and by its continued movement have opened the valve. If it be
required to supply 1000 feet, the finger is left at the 10, if however a smaller
quantity such as five hundred feet are paid for, the finger is moved backwards
by means of the key until the finger is over the "5" or other figure indicating
the number of hundreds of feet paid for by the consumer. The passage of the
gas through the meter operates the counting wheels in the usual manner and
their motion is communicated through the wheels. E and D) to the shaft I the

page_text: rotation of which closes the valve by means of the arms L M when the finger Q
has returned to zero.
The spindle of the wheel K has a socket of any peculiar shape in its front
end into which a key having a corresponding shape may be inserted for the
purpose of rotating the shaft I in setting the apparatus, or a similar device may
be employed for securing that the wheel K can be rotated only by a particular
key, and, as an additional precaution, the opening to the socket or similar device
is closed after the apparatus has been set, by means of a lead or other seal.
It will be understood that the apparatus is enclosed during use by a casing or
cover which cannot be removed by the consumer without disconnecting the meter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is,
(1) The combination with the counting mechanism of a gas meter, of apparatus
constructed and arranged substantially as herein before described for the purpose
of closing the valve or cutting off the supply of gas as soon as a predetermined
quantity has passed through the meter.
(2) In apparatus for cutting off the supply of gas as soon as a predetermined
quantity has been consumed, the construction combination and arrangement of
an additional wheel gearing with one of the wheels of the counting mechanism.
a clutch or equivalent device, a second wheel connected to the first wheel through
the clutch, means for rotating the second wheel and setting the apparatus, an
indicating dial and finger, an arm or wheel on the shaft of the first and second
wheels and an arm on the valve spindle; substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
f Tan AD 1990
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.