Improvements in and connected with Inlet Regulators for Gas and Water Meters.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 7th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Inlet Regulators for Gas and
Water Meters.
We WILLIAM SLATTER of 25, Newby Street, Wandsworth Road London, S.W.
Traveller and WILLIAM JOSEPH WATKINS of 32, Vincent Road Noel Park, Wood
Green, London, W. Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in gas and water inlet regulators;
and relates to that class of regulators for which Letters Patent were granted to John
Carnaby, No. 452 in the year 1852. Such regulators are so constructed that by
turning a key or handle the main cock or tap can be more or less opened and the
inlet to the meter thereby controlled. Now it oftentimes happens that these
regulators are improperly used by persons in the employ of the owners and by
inadvertance or extravagance the regulators are turned full on when only a small
quantity of gas or water is necessary, thereby entirely marring the use for which the
apparatus is intended.
According to our invention we render such regulators incapable of this failing by
making them adjustable so that they can be set to permit of only such a quantity of
gas or water entering the meter, as in the opinion of the owner may be required.
This we do by providing the main wheel of the ordinary regulator with a stud or
projection which enters a segmental slot formed in a spur wheel which we call the
stop wheel. This stop wheel is mounted on the same axis as the main wheel, but
turns independently thereof, by means of a pinion gearing with it. The spindle
carrying the pinion is turned by means of a notched head whose interstices engage
with one extremity of a spring arm. In order to prevent access to this spindle,
except by the owner, we hinge the front cover of the regulator and provide it
with a lock, the key of which is in possession of the owner. By opening such
binged cover or door the spring arm may be lifted and the notched head on the
spindle of the pinion turned so as to adjust the stop wheel to any desired position, and
thus limit the movement of the main wheel actuating the main cock or tap. The
main wheel and the pinion are provided with pointers travelling over dials to permit
of their movements being clearly indicated.
Thus it will be seen that by the use of our invention it is possible for the regulator
to be set in such a manner that the main cock or tap admitting the inlet of gas or
water can only be turned to an extent depending upon the position of the stop wheel,
which can be determined by the owner of the regulator and a great saving in the
consumption of gas is effected and waste of water is thereby prevented.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Inlet Regulators for Gas and
Water Meters.
We WILLIAM SLATTER of 25 Newby Street, Wandsworth Road London, S.W.
Traveller, and WILLIAM JOSEPH WATKINS of 32 Vincent Road Noel Park, Wood
Green, London, Engineer 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 :-
Our invention has for its object, improvements in and connected with inlet
regulators for gas and water meters and relates to that class of regulators for which

page_text: Letters Patent were granted to John Carnaby No. 452 in the year 1852. Such
regulators are so constructed that by turning a key or handle, the main inlet cock or
tap can be more or less opened and the inlet to the meter thereby controlled. Now
it oftentimes happens that these regulators are improperly used by persons in the
employ of the owner and by inadvertence or extravagence the regulators are turned
"fuil on
"when only a small quantity of gas or water is necessary, thus entirely
marring the use for which the apparatus is intended. According to our invention we
render such regulators incapable of this failing by making them adjustable, so that
they can be set to permit of only such a quantity of gas or water entering the meter,
as, in the opinion of the owner, may be required. This we do by providing the main
wheel of the ordinary regulator with a stud or projection of sufficient length to enter
a segmental slot formed in a spur wheel, which we call the "stop-wheel." This stop
wheel is mounted on the same axis as the main wheel, but turns independently thereof
by means of a pinion gearing with it. The spindle carrying this pinion is turned by
means of a notched head or wheel, whose notches or interstices engage with one
extremity of a pivotted lever or arın controlled by a spring. In order to prevent
access to the notched head or wheel by which this spindle is turned, except by the
owner, we hinge the front cover of the regulator and provide it with a lock, the key
of which is in possession of the owner. By opening such hinged cover or door, the
pivotted lever or arm may be disengaged from the notched head or wheel on the
spindle of the pinion which may then be turned so as to adjust the stop-wheel to any
desired position and thus limit the movement of the main wheel actuating the main or
inlet cock or tap.
The main wheel and stop-wheel are each provided with a pointer or index finger
travelling over a dial, so that the movements and positions of said wheels are clearly
indicated.
Thus it will be seen that by the use of our invention, it is possible for the regulators
to be set or adjusted in such a manner that the main cock or tap admitting the inlet of
gas or water can only be turned or opened to an extent depending upon the position
of the stop wheel, which can be determined by the owner of the regulator, whereby a
great saving in the consumption of gas or water is effected.
In order that our said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed which illustrate our
invention applied to a gas regulator of the Carnaby type.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation and Figure 2 is a side elevation of the regulator as it
appears when the hinged cover or door is closed and locked.
Figure 3 is a front elevation shewing the same as it appears when the hinged cover
or door is open.
Figure is a back elevation with the back cover plate removed.
Figure 5 is a vertical cross section on the line A. B. of Figure 4 and
Figure 6 is a vertical cross section on the line A. C. of Figure 4.
a is the casing of the regulator which is closed in front by the hinged cover or
door b and at the back by the plate c; d is a division plate cast in one piece with the
casing a. el is the axis of a pinion e, the front extremity of which is prolonged
through the plate d for receiving the key or handle by which it is turned. This pinion
gears with the teeth of the main wheel f whose circumference is grooved at f1 for
the reception of the cord which leads to the cross arm or lever carried by the inlet
cock or tap and by which the opening or closing of such cock or tap is effected, as is
usual in regulators of this kind. 9. 9 are grooved pulleys for guiding the said cord.
h is a pointer or index finger carried by the spindle of the pinion i, and jis a
toothed wheel gearing with the pinion i and secured rigidly to the main wheel f, so
that when the main wheel is turned, the pointer or index finger is caused to travel over
the dial k and thus indicate the extent to which the main cock or tap is opened. So
far the regulator is similar in construction to those now in use and of the Carnaby

page_text: type, but the mechanism about to be described for determining the extent to which
the inlet can be opened, forms no part of such regulators, and constitutes our
invention.
We prolong the ordinary stud or projection f (Figs. 4 and 5) standing out from
the main wheel f¹, so that it can enter a segmental slot formed in the stop-wheel 7.
The rotation of the main wheel is limited, in one direction by the position of the
segmental slot and in the opposite direction by the projection c¹ standing out from
the back plate c (see Fig. 5). The Carnaby regulators are provided with two
projections similar to c¹ but for the purpose of our invention we dispense with one of
these, the slot in the stop wheel fulfilling its function. The axis of the stop wheel
passes freely through the boss of the main wheel and turns independently thereof, and
it has a toothed wheel rigidly connected to it. A pinion m gears with wheel and
carries a pointer or index finger n which by its position on the dial k clearly indicates
the position of the stop wheel and the extent to which the main wheel can be turned.
The stop wheel is rotated by means of the pinion o whose axis carries the notched
head or wheel which is furnished with finger pieces p' to permit of its easy rotation
by the fingers. The notched head or wheel is retained in any desired position by
means of the nose q', of the pivotted arm or lever q which drops into one or other of
its interstices or notches by the action of the spring q³ (see Fig. 3).
The hinged cover b is, as usual provided with a glazed opening b₁ through which
the pointers or index fingers and the dial may be seen when said hinged cover is
closed. 6 is the aperture through which the key or handle is inserted when it is
desired to turn on the regulator. As shewn in Fig. 3 the dial k bears a number of
divisions and figures which aid in setting the regulator, the number of such divisions
depending upon the number of notches or interstices with which the notched wheel is
provided. is a lock carried by the hinged cover and is the corresponding part
thereof carried by the plate d and with which the lock bolt engages.
will
The drawings represent the position the parts occupy when the regulator is set to
zero, or when the gas is turned off. Assuming that the hinged cover is closed and
locked it will be evident that it is impossible to alter the apparatus or to open the main
inlet to admit gas, for should any attempt be made to turn the pinion e by means of
the key or handle no movement can take place, for the main wheel is effectually
prevented from turning in either direction, by the projection thereon coming against
the extrimity 1* of the slot formed in the stop wheel and the projection c¹ on back
plate c. But should the owner, or other person in charge of the regulator, desire to set
the apparatus so as to permit of the inlet cock or tap being turned on, he will unlock
and open the hinged cover, and, by depressing the end q* of pivotted arm q,
cause the nose q¹ to be disengaged from the notches of the notched head or wheel P
and will be at liberty to turn the same. By so doing the pinion o carried by the axis
of the notched head or wheel will also turn and rotate the stop wheel to the requisite
extent, the pointer or index finger n indicating the distance that the stop wheel is
being turned. The pivotted arm g is now released and the nose g' again falls into one
of the notches in the notched head or wheel whereby it will be securely held in its new
position. The hinged cover is then closed and locked. The turning of the notched
head or wheel has caused the segmental slot, in the stop wheel, to be moved round
in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4 and has thereby left the projection ƒ³, on the
main wheel, free to move a distance depending upon the new position of the stop
wheel, and to this extent only will the main inlet cock or tap be capable of opening
when caused to do so by turning the key or handle.
Although we have described and shewn our invention as applied to a gas regulator
it will be evident that it may be equally well adapted to apparatus of like construction
for regulating the inlet of water.
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 construction of an inlet regulator. for gas and water meters. of the kind

page_text: herein described and shewn, whereby the extent to which the main wheel can be
turned, is adjustable, and the opening of the inlet cock or tap thereby limited and
controlled to any required extent.
2. In combination with a gas or water inlet regulator, of the kind herein described;
the means for controlling the movement of, and for adjusting the position of, the main
wheel, consisting in the construction and use of a stop wheel 7 provided with a slot /
in which travels the projection or stud standing out from the main wheel, and a
notched head or wheel p whose axis carries a pinion o gearing with teeth formed on
the stop wheel, the notched head or wheel being retained in any desired position by a
pivotted arin or lever a substantially as described and shewn.
3. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting our improvements
in and connected with inlet regulators for gas and water meters substantially as
herein before described and shewn by the annexei drawings.
DL: 20th
A1 1900
WILLIAM SLATTER.
WILLIAM JOSEPH WATKINS.