IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Beverley, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Gas. Meter Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS
METERS."
Sealed the 3rd February 1860, and dated the 31st August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Beverley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st August 1859.
I, ROBERT BEVERLEY, of Leeds, in the County of York, Gas Meter Maker,.
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WET
GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements
of the water supply pipes or passages of cast iron or tin wet gas meters,
whereby the fraudulent abstraction of unmeasured gas, and the tampering with.
the proper water level of the meter through the supply pipe is prevented.
In carrying out this. Invention, it is proposed, according to one modification,
to turn up the bottom end of the water supply pipe either up. to, or above the
proper water line, and to apply to the end so turned up a spherical or other
valve opening outwards into the meter, and capable of admitting the water
into the meter when supplied therewith, but of closing and effectually pre-
venting the exit of gas through this supply pipe should any fraudulent
attempt be made to abstract gas through that medium. These pipes may or
may not be enclosed by a partition descending to within a short distance of the
bottom of the meter.
According to another modification, the ordinary straight water supply pipe
may be used, but provided at its lower end with a valve fitted to one end of a

page_text: short lever, the other end of which carries a weight or a float which will
always tend to keep the valve closed, and prevent the passage of gas through
it, whilst the supply of water through the pipe is unimpeded.
A third modification consists in dispensing entirely with the water supply
pipe, and using only a feeding nozzle provided with a valve at its lower end,
on the spindle of which is fitted a float supported by the water in the meter.
This float and valve are enclosed by a partition descending from the upper
part of the meter to within a short distance from the bottom thereof. A
second partition extends from the bottom of the meter up to or above the true
water line, and is placed a short distance outside the first-mentioned partition.
On any attempt being made to abstract gas through the water supply nozzle,
by previously blowing down the gas inlet pipe, the level of the water con-
tained in the space enclosed by the partition above referred to will be
elevated, and the consequent rising of the float will close the valve in the
bottom of the nozzle.
According to a fourth modification, the water supply nozzle opens into a
closed box in the upper part of the square box in the front part of the meter,
which closed box communicates by means of a hole made in the partition,
which separates the body of the nieter from the front part of the meter with
an inverted syphon passage fitted inside the body, and made either with or
without a valve. If found desirable, the gas outlet pipe may be fitted over
,the closed box, and.communicate. by a suitable apperture:with the body, off the
meter. In order to obstruct the introduction of a cotton wick or syphon into
the ordinary water supply pipe of gas meters, for the purpose of abstracting the
.water thereby, I propose to make a double elbow bend in such pipe above the
water level..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Beverley in the Great Seal Patent Office 'on't
24th February 1860.
the
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
BEVERLEY, of Leeds, in the County of York, Gas Meter, Maker, send
greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her, Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, lid, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors; give and grant unto me, the

page_text: said Robert Beverley, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Beverley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Beverley, my executors, administrators, and 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 WET GAS
METERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert
Beverley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Robert Beverley, 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 follow-
ing statement:
My said Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements
the water supply pipes or passages of cast iron or tin wet gas meters,
whereby the fraudulent abstraction of unmeasured gas, and the tampering
with the proper water level of the meter through the water supply pipe, is
prevented.
In carrying out this Invention, it is proposed, according to one modification,
to turn up the bottom end of the water supply pipe either below, or up to the
proper water line, and to apply to the end so turned up a spherical or other
valve opening outwards into the meter, and capable of admitting. the water
into the meter when supplied therewith, but of closing and effectually pre-
venting the exit of gas or the water from being forced out under pressure
through this supply pipe should any fraudulent attempt be made to abstract
gas or water through that medium. These pipes may or may not be enclosed
by a partition descending to within a short distance of the bottom of the
meter.
According to another modification, the ordinary straight water supply pipe
may be used, but provided at its lower end with a valve fitted to one end of a
short lever, the other end of which carries a weight or a float, which will
always tend to-keep the valve closed, and prevent the passage of gas through
it, whilst the supply of water through the pipe is unimpeded.
A third modification consists in dispensing entirely with the water supply

page_text: pipe, and using only a feeding nozzle provided with a valve at its lower end,
on the spindle of which is fitted a float supported by the water in the meter.
This float and valve are enclosed by a partition descending from the upper
part of the meter to within a short distance of the bottom thereof. A second
partition extends from the bottom of the meter up to the true water line, and
is placed a short distance outside the first-mentioned partition. On an attempt
being made to abstract gas through the water supply nozzle, by previously
blowing down the gas inlet pipe, the level of the water contained in the space
enclosed by the partitions above referred to will be elevated, and the con-
sequent rising of the float will close the valve in the bottom of the nozzle.
According to a fourth modification, the water supply nozzle opens into a
closed box in the upper part of the square box in the front part of the
meter, which closed box communicates by means of a hole made in 'the
partition which separates the body of the meter from the front part of the meter
with a passage fitted inside the body, and provided with a valve. If found
desirable, the gas outlet pipe may be fitted over the closed box, and com-
In order to
municate by a suitable aperture with the body of the meter.
obstruct the introduction of a cotton wick or syphon into the ordinary water
supply pipe of gas meters for the purpose of abstracting the water thereby, I
propose to make a double elbow bend in such pipe above the water level.
And in order that the precise nature of my said Invention may be more
clearly ascertained, I shall now proceed to describe and refer to the several
explanatory Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a wet gas meter fitted with my
improvements, the front plate being removed to show the internal arrangement.
The rest of the Figures are full sized details and modifications which I shall
hereinafter more particularly describe and refer to. A is the body or measuring
chamber. of the meter; B the front box, and C the waste water box; D is the
water supply pipe. which is shewn in full size vertical section in Figure 2.
This pipe is provided with a nozzle and screwed plug at E, and is bent or
turned up at its lower end at F, and provided at such part with a conical disc
or other shaped valve G opening outwards into the meter so as to admit the
water into the meter freely when supplied therewith, but effectually preventing
the exit of gas or water through the supply pipe should any attempt be made
to abstract gas or water by such medium. a, a; are two transverse partitions
cast in the brass work of the feeding nozzle, and so made that their edges
project beyond or over each other, thereby preventing the introduction of a
cotton wick syphon into the supply pipe.
Figure 3 represents a full sized sectional detail of another modification of

page_text: water supply pipe having a double elbow bend made in it at H, H, in addition
to the before-mentioned. transverse partitions a, a, for still further obstructing
the introduction of a cotton wick into the supply pipe. This pipe is also turned
up at its lower end, and provided with a valve as described in reference to
Figure 2.
:
: Figure 4 represents a full sized detail of a third modification of water supply.
pipe and valve. In this case the pipe D is made straight, but is also provided
with a valve at G opening outwards into the meter; this valve is, kept closed by.
the action of the small weighted lever I, which works on a fulcrum i, and
bears against the back of the valve, so as to keep it shut; and exclude gas
from the supply pipe, whilst it will allow it to open freely when water is supplied
to the meter. In the fourth modification shewn in section at Figure 5, I
have dispensed with the ordinary supply pipe, and use only the 'feeding
nozzle E; this nozzle is intended to be made with the partitions' a, a, shewn
in Figures 2 and 8, and it is provided, with a-valve G opening into the meter,
and connected to a float K contained within the chamber L; this chamber.is
separated or divided off from the rest of the front box B by the partition.M;
which descends from the top of the-box. to within a short distance of the bottom
thereof, and outside this partition there is a second partition M', which extends
from the bottom of the box up to the proper water level.. So long, as the
water in the chamber L remains at its proper level, the float will maintain the
valve G open to admit water, but should any attempt be made. to abstract gas
or water through the water supply nozzle by previously blowing down. the gas
inlet pipe N (Figure 1), the level of the water contained in the chamber Li
will be elevated, and the consequent rising of the float K will close the, valve
in the bottom of the nozzle, and effectually prevent the passage of gas.there-
through.
.
:
**
::
(Figure 6 represents a vertical section of a fifth modification. In this case
the water supply nozzle E opens into a closed box or chamber O fitted inside.
the front box of the meter; this chamber has no connection with the interior of
the front box, excepting through the measuring chamber of the meter. This
communication is established by means of the aperture P in the partition Q,
which separates the body or measuring chamber of the meter from the front box
or part thereof. The aperture P opens into the passage R (shewn in dotted
lines) the lower end of which is provided with a hinged valve G, and weighted:
lever I acting in the manner described in reference to Figure 4. If preferred
the gas outlet pipe S may also be fitted on to the top of the closed box or
chamber O, and communicate by a lateral aperture in the partition Q with the
body of the meter. In this case a division T should be made in the closed

page_text: "
box O to prevent the gasifrom escaping by the water supply nozzle. Figure 7
represents: a modification. of this arrangement wherein the passage R is con-
tained: within the front box B in place of in the measuring chamber of the
meter, and the valve Gis fitted to the side of such passage R in lieu of at the
bottom thereof, the weighted lever I still operating so as to close the valve.
In this arrangement:the aperture P is dispensed with. Figure 8. represents a
sectional detail of a loose syphon box or waste pipe shewn in its place in the
meter at T in Figure 1. This box is' screwed into the bottom of the front
box B of the meter, and: opens into the waste water box C. U is the ordinary
gas syphon-pipe:also opening into the waste water box, and V is the float-which
regulates the gas inlet valve in the ordinary well known manner; W is an air
passage (shewn in-dotted lines in Figure 1) leading from the interior of the
body of the meter to the waste water box C, which prevents any gas being
taken away but what is measured and registered.
..:Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention; and also the mode of carrying the same into effect, I may
observe in conclusion that what I claim as novel "and original, and as the
Invention' secured: to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,
:
:
First, the general.combination of parts constituting my improved wet gas
meter as hereiüi-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second, thet application and use to and in-the-water supply pipes, passages,
or feeding nozzles of wet gas meters of valves opening outwards into the meter
in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by
my Drawings.
.
Third, the peculiar constructions and arrangements of apparatus for
admitting water into wet gas meters, and preventing the fraudulent abstraction
of gas or water therefrom as herein-before described and illustrated by my
Drawings.fre
1
In witness whereof," I, the said Robert Beverley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, 'this Twenty-second day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.