IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cowan, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Gas Meter Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS."
Sealed the 26th April 1864, and dated the 17th November 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cowan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
November 1863.
I, WILLIAM COWAN, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, Gas Meter Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS," to be as follows, that is
to say :-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery,
apparatus, or means for measuring the flow or passage of gas or aeriform
fluids.
The improvements especially concern the inlet valve and float action. The
gas from the main is discharged by an inlet pipe into a separate and special

page_text: inlet chamber on one side of the upper part of the front chamber of the meter,
such chamber being attached to and in the same plane as the measuring drum.
The inner diaphragm of this inlet chamber contains on its inner side the inlet
valve face upon which the inlet valve works. The aperture through the face
of the valve opens into a secondary chamber formed by a diaphragm attached
to the top of the chamber and descending into the water in the chamber.
The regulating float is placed in the main water chamber outside the diaphragm
last referred to, and it is fitted with a vertical guide on its top, passing through
a horizontal slotted guide to steady its action, or it may be guided in any
other convenient manner, or it may work without any special guide. The
valve in the inlet chamber is attached to the upper end of a differentially
curved spindle or lever working on a fixed centre in the intermediate chamber.
The lower end of this lever is curved or otherwise passed round beneath the
lower end of the immersed diaphragm herein-before referred to, and it is to
this curved end that the float is attached. According to this arrangement the
inlet pressure of the gas does not act upon the float directly, and the float and
valve action operates very delicately, whilst the connection between the float
and valve is of the simplest kind. The inlet gas passes from the valve
chamber down the intermediate chamber, and thence through an open
descending pipe to the main float chamber; thence it passes by a stritable
pipe to the measuring drum. These improvements may be adapted judiciously
to the "wet gas meter," for which Letters Patent were granted to William
Esson, of Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester, Engineer, in the year
1858, numbered 1942.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Cowan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
COWAN, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Gas
Meter Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Cowan, Her special license that I, the said William

page_text: Cowan, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Cowan, my executors, administrators, or 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
GAS METERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Cowan, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 William Cowan, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery,
apparatus, or means for measuring the flow or passage of gas or aeriform
fluids. The improvements especially concern the inlet valve and float action.
The gas from the main is discharged by an inlet pipe into a separate and
special inlet chamber on one side of the upper part of the front chamber of the
meter, such chamber being attached to and in the same plane as the measuring
drum. The inner diaphragm of this inlet chamber contains on its inner side
the inlet valve face, upon which the inlet valve works. The aperture through
the face of the valve opens into a secondary chamber formed by a diaphragm
attached to the top of the chamber, and descending into the water in the
chamber. The regulating float is placed in the main water chamber outside
the diaphragm last referred to, and it is fitted with a vertical guide on its top,
passing through a horizontal slotted guide to steady its action; or it may be
guided in any other convenient manner; or it may work without any special
guide. The valve in the inlet chamber is attached to the upper end of a
differentially curved spindle or lever, working on a fixed centre in the inter-
mediate chamber. The lower end of this lever is curved, or otherwise passed
round beneath the lower end of the immersed diaphragm herein-before
referred to, and it is to this curved end that the float is attached. According
to this arrangement the inlet pressure of the gas does not act upon the float

page_text: directly, and the float and valve action operates very delicately, whilst the
connection between the float and valve is of the simplest kind. The inlet gas
passes from the valve chamber down the intermediate chamber, and thence
through an open descending pipe to the main float chamber; thence it passes
by a suitable pipe to the measuring drum. These improvements may be
applied judiciously to the "wet gas meter " for which Letters Patent were
granted to William Esson, of Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester,
Engineer, in the year 1858, and numbered 1942.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures upon the two explanatory
Sheets of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of
showing various modifications under which my said Invention is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, and in each of the Figures of
which similar parts are indicated by corresponding letters of reference, that
is to say:
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of one form of my
improved meter, Figure 2 being a corresponding sectional plan of the same,
these two Figures being drawn so as to show distinctly the arrangement of the
valve for regulating the inlet and passage of the gas. The circular box A,
containing the measuring drum, is of the usual construction, and to its front
portion is attached the rectangular valve chamber box or casing B, containing
the regulating valve C, float D, and inlet chamber E, and vertical diaphragm F.
The gas from the main is discharged through a suitable pipe attached to the
coupling or union joint G into the inlet chamber E. On the side of the inner
diaphragm of this chamber E is fixed the valve face H, upon which the
inlet valve C works. The aperture through this, valve face II opens into a
secondary chamber F, formed by the diaphragm F, attached to the top of the
chamber B and descending into the water I in the lower part of the chamber.
The regulating float D is placed in the main or large portion of the water
chamber B, and it is fixed or attached to the bent stem or lever D', working
in the fulcrum J, and to its upper end is fixed the horizontal stud or short
arın carrying the valve C. According to this arrangement the gas when let
through the valve C passes down into the secondary or intermediate
chamber F, and thence through the open descending. pipe K to the lower
saturating chamber L, whence it finally passes up through the curved pipe M,
extending to the interior of the measuring drum N, above the water level,
from which it is discharged in the ordinary manner from the circular box A,
through the coupling pipe O. The mode of fixing the valve face or seat H to

page_text: the inner diaphragm of the inlet chamber I prefer to employ is to connect
the valve face with a projecting annular piece on the back, this piece having a
screw thread cut upon it, and when in place a nut is screwed on it, which
holds it firmly in the diaphragm. The mode of fixing the valve C to the bent
lever D', which I find best in practice, and therefore prefer to employ, consists
in forming the central piece or stud in one with the valve itself, and of
sufficient length to reach over the top of the bent lever D', on which it is
fixed by solder or otherwise. In this, as well as in all the subsequent modifi-
cations, the means or mechanism employed for indicating the consumption of
gas is similar to that in ordinary use for the same purpose, and therefore need
not be again specified. In the second modification, shown at Figures 3 and 4,
which are similar views to those shown at Figures 1 and 2, but arranged to
show distinctly the arrangement and mode of actuating the valve C in this
modification, the inlet chamber E is of a different form to that shown at
Figure 1, and the bent stem or curved lever D', to which the float D and
valve C are united, is suspended from a fulcrum J at its upper end, the valve C
being fixed on the vertical part of the stem D', and opening in the contrary
direction to that described in reference to Figures 1 and 2.
After the gas
passes through the valve C it undergoes the same process of passage and
saturation as that described in reference to the former modification, and
therefore need not be again specified.
On Sheet 2, Figures 5 and 6 represent a third modification of my Invention,
and in this arrangement there extends from the inlet chamber E the horizontal
diaphgram E', forming part of the vertical diaphragm F, which takes at its
lower end a horizontal direction, whence for some distance it turns up
vertically, thence it runs horizontally, again it turns down vertically, and is
finally attached to the further side of the chamber B by the horizontal piece F.
The valve C in this modification opens similarly to that shown and described
in reference to Figures 1 and 2, and the bent portion of the lever D' to
which the float D is attached passes through a hole in the lower horizontal
portion of the diaphragm-F, F, and into the upper horizontal portion of this
diaphragm is fixed the vertical tube P. The upper portion or chamber
enclosed by the diaphragm F, F¹, is always nearly full of water, and in this
way the float D, having a continual tendency to rise to the surface through the
intervention of the arm or bent lever D¹, keeps the valve C continually open;
the general construction of this meter being of the fountain principle, for which
Letters Patent were granted to William Esson on or about the 27th day
of August 1858, and numbered 1942, but with the valve and float arranged

page_text: according to this Invention. In this arrangement the gas enters the inlet
chamber E, and passing through the valve C enters down the pipe K
into the saturating chamber L, whence it passes up through the curved
pipe M into the measuring drum N, whence it escapes for use in the ordinary
manner.
Another modification of my Invention is shown at Figures 7 and 8, which
are respectively a sectional elevation and sectional plan of a meter constructed
under this arrangement, in which the gas first passes through a pipe connected
by the union joint G directly into the saturating chamber L, it then passes up
through the curved or bent pipe M into the measuring drum N, whence it
passes into the float chamber B, whence it passes through the valve C into the
outlet chamber E, and is finally discharged for use through the pipe Q. In
this arrangement the bent pipe serves to maintain the level of the water in
the chamber, as well as to allow the gas to pass from the saturating chamber
into the measuring drum.
Another modification is shown at Figures 9 and 10, Sheet 2, which are
respectively a sectional elevation and plan of this arrangement, in which the
gas first passes into the saturating chamber L, thence up through the ascending
pipe K into the chamber formed by diaphragm F, and the water at its lower
side; the gas fills the space above the water, and then escapes through a
curved pipe M branching from the vertical pipe K and extending into the
interior of the drum N above the water level, and when having passed through
the measuring drum it escapes into the float chamber P through the valve C
into the discharge chamber E, from which it is conducted for use through a
suitable pipe leading from the union joint Q. It is obvious that although I
have described only some particular applications of improvements, they may
still be applied to various kinds of meters not herein specified.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that I do not confine myself to the precise details or
arrangements I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations
may be made therefrom without deviating from the true principles or main
features of my Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of wet meters for
measuring fluids, substantially as herein-before described, or any mere
modification thereof.

page_text: Second, the arrangement and construction of meter valves in which the
valves work in a nearly horizontal position, as herein-before described, or any
mere modification thereof.
Third, the combination of the valve and float, substantially as herein-before
described, or any mere modification thereof.
Fourth, the application of the improved valve and float to Esson's meter, as
herein-before described, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cowan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-four.
WILLIAM COWAN. (L.S.)