IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Smith and George Browne Smith, both of
Kennington, in the County of Surrey, Gas Meter Manufacturers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith and
George Browne Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 20th May 1865.
We, WILLIAM SMITH and GEORGE BROWNE SMITH, both of Kennington,
in the County of Surrey, Gas Meter Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS," to be
as follows:-
The first part of our Invention relates to that kind of gas meter called
compensating and on the bird-fountain plan, and it consists in the method
hereafter described of constructing the supply cistern and the apparatus in
connection therewith for ensuring an action as perfect as may be. The
cistern or reservoir is placed above the square frame of the meter, the top of
which forms the bottom of the reservoir. In this reservoir we form or place
a cup which serves the double purpose of containing the float and allowing
the water to descend from the reservoir when required by a small hole in the

page_text: centre, which also admits of the float wire passing through. On the end of
this wire is a loop or eye for receiving a bar acting on a lever, which is also
The
connected to the rod of the inlet valve by a similar eye at the bottom.
spindle tube leading to the index is the medium for charging the body of the
meter by its not reaching the top of the reservoir. In charging the meter the
reservoir is first filled, and as soon as the water reaches the top of the pipe it
At the correct water line a slot
flows down and fills the body of the meter.
is cut in the spindle pipe, which as soon as covered prevents the water from
descending from the reservoir, and when evaporation or diminution of water
takes place in the meter gas will flow through the slot in the pipe, and the
reservoir will discharge its water through the small hole in the centre of the
cup, through which the float wire works until the orifice is again closed. By
the float in the reservoir being placed in the cup the whole of the water may
leave the reservoir, and yet the float will be suspended if the cup only is
filled, and being so constructed the pressure cannot affect it in any way. The
inlet pipe through which the valve rod passes is formed with a junction or
bend for the purpose of conveying the gas first into the waste box, and from
thence through the bent pipe leading direct to the wheel, and so long as the
cup of the reservoir is charged with water the float will keep the lever bar
suspended, and the valve cannot fall.
The second part of our Invention is as follows:-Instead of a sound
reservoir on the bird-fountain plan as before, we employ an open reservoir,
which, when filled, the water will flow down the spindle pipe, fill the body of
the meter, and raise the float. In the bottom of the reservoir is a small
tube descending down to the lever bar, on which is placed a stud or buffer
acting as a valve, so that when the meter is properly charged the lever bar
will be up and close the bottom of the small tube by the stud coming in
contact with it; but as soon as the float is affected by a diminution of water
the float and lever bar fall, the stud leaves the mouth of the pipe, and the
water falls from the reservoir until the mouth of the pipe is again closed. By
this mode of constructing the meter the size of the reservoir is, of no im-
portance, as an auxiliary cistern may be placed on the same level as the
reservoir, and may be of any dimension. .
The third part of our Invention relates to the construction of compensating
meters without reservoirs. This is attained by having the water supplied to
the meter in a similar manner to that in which it is supplied to an ordinary
cistern. The float carries a second lever bar. Above or below the fulcrum a
valve is attached, and when the float rises to its proper height closes the tube
which admits water to the meter, and so holds it in check until a fresh supply

page_text: is required. Sometimes we form the connection between valve and float
in compensating or non-compensating meters by means of a tilted or
balanced rod having the valve rod united on one and the float rod on the
other side of its fulcrum. We fit the valve to the top or bottom of the
reservoir.
The last part of our Invention consists in fitting to gas meters an inclined
chamber with an aperture at its extremity, and through which the gas is free
to pass; a ball valve is placed in the chamber, and it remains at the back or
inclined portion thereof so long as the meter is kept in a vertical position, but
as soon as the meter is tilted the ball runs along the chamber, and closing the
aperture at the end thereof so shuts off the passage of gas. By this means
we prevent gas from passing through a meter unless it is in its proper position,
and consequently gas cannot pass without being measured. .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Smith and George Browne Smith in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 20th November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
SMITH and GEORGE BROWNE SMITH, both of Kennington, in the County of
Surrey, Gas Meter Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Smith and George Browne Smith, Her special licence that
we, the said William Smith and George Browne Smith, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Smith
and George Browne Smith, our 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 we, the said William Smith and George Browne Smith, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, 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

page_text: 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 we, the said William Smith and George Browne
Smith, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
The first part of our Invention relates to that kind of gas meter called
compensating and on the bird-fountain plan, and it consists in the method
hereafter described of constructing the supply cistern and the apparatus in
connection therewith for ensuring an action as perfect as may be. The cistern
or reservoir is placed above the square frame of the meter, the top of which
forms the bottom of the reservoir. In this reservoir we form or place a cup
which serves the double purpose of containing the float and allowing the
water to descend from the reservoir when required by a small hole in the
centre, which also admits of the float wire passing through. On the end of
this wire is a loop or eye for receiving a bar acting on a lever which is also
connected to the rod of the inlet valve by a similar eye at the bottom. The
inlet pipe through which the valve rod passes is formed with a junction or
bend for the purpose of conveying the gas first into the waste box, and from
thence through the bent pipe leading direct to the wheel, and so long as the
cup of the reservoir is charged with water the float will keep the lever bar
suspended, and the valve cannot fall.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a front elevation. with the face.
plates removed, of so much of a wet gas meter as will be necessary to illus-
trate how this part of our Invention may be carried into effect. a is the
square frame of the meter, and b is the cistern or reservoir; c is the cup
formed in the reservoir. A detached view of the reservoir and square franie is
given in longitudinal section at Figure 2. d is the float supported by its wire e
which works in guides f, f. The float rests in the cup c, and the aperture
through which the wire passes is sufficiently large to allow water, as hereafter
described, to pass from the reservoir b to the square frame a. The lower end of
the float wire e is looped to receive one end of a bar g, which is linked at the
other to the side of the square frame as shewn. This bar g also passes through
loop formed on the lower end of the valve rod h, carrying at the other end its
valve ', thus as the float d rises or falls a contrary motion is communicated
to the valve h'. The valve rod h passes through the inlet pipe i, which is
formed with a bend for conveying the gas first into the waste box k, and
2

page_text: thence through the pipe to the measuring drum. m is a tube surrounding
the spindle tube leading to the index; it terminates and is open at top near
the top of the reservoir 6, and at the bottom it extends nearly to the toothed
wheel on the spindle shaft; n is a slot in the tube m cut or formed at the
correct water level; o is the tube by which water is supplied to the reservoir
and meter. The spindle tube m leading to the index is the medium for
charging the body of the meter by its not reaching the top of the reservoir.
In charging the meter the reservoir is first filled, and as soon as the water
reaches the top of the pipe m it flows down and fills the body a of the meter;
as soon as the water has risen to the correct water line, that is, to the slot n in
the pipe m, it is prevented from descending from the reservoir, and when eva-
poration or diminution of water takes place in the meter gas will flow through
the slot in the pipe, and the reservoir will discharge its water through the small
hole in the centre of the cup c, seen clearly at Figure 2, and through which
the float wire e works until the orifice is again closed. By the float d in the
reservoir being placed in the cup the whole of the water may leave the
reservoir, and yet the float will be suspended if the cup only is filled.
The second part of our Invention is as follows, and is shown in front
elevation at Figure 3-Instead of a sound reservoir on the bird-fountation
plan as before we employ an open reservoir b, which, when filled, the water
will flow down the spindle pipe m, fill the body of the meter a, and raise tho
float d. In the bottom of the reservoir is a small tube p descending from the
reservoir to the lever bar g, on which is placed a stud or buffer 7 acting as a
valve, so that when the meter is properly charged the lever bar g will be up
and close the bottom of the small tube p by the stud 9 coming in contact with
it, but as soon as the float d is affected by a diminution of water the float d
and lever bar g fall, the stud q leaves the mouth of the pipe p, and the water
falls from the reservoir until the mouth of the pipe is again closed. By this
mode of constructing the meter the size of the reservoir is of no importance
as an auxiliary cistern may be placed on the same level as the reservoir, and
may be of any dimension.
The third part of our Invention relates to the construction of compensating
meters without reservoirs being attached; this is attained by having the water
supplied to the meter in a similar manner to that in which it is supplied from
an ordinary cistern. The float carries a second lever bar. Above or below
the fulcrum a valve is attached, and when the float rises to its proper height
closes the tube which admits water to the meter, and so holds it in check
until a fresh supply is required. Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal section of
a meter constructed according to this arrangement. e¹ is a second float

page_text: spindle with a lever bar g¹ passing through a loop at bottom. This lever
bar is hinged or linked at the side. of the frame as shown, and com-
municates motion to a lever g carrying a plug or stopper, which, when the
water is at its proper level, closes the pipe r leading to a tauk or other
reservoir; but when the float descends the plug is withdrawn, and water
admitted until the float returns to its proper level. Sometimes we form
the connection between valve and float in compensating or non-compensating
meters by means of a tilted or balanced rod, having the valve rod on one and
the float rod on the other side of its fulcrum; we fit the valve under the
top or bottom of the reservoir. Figure 5 is a view of this arrangement, in
which case the inlet valve is shown fitted under the top of the reservoir.
e is the float spindle, and g the lever, as before. This lever g is balanced at
93, and passed at its other end through the lower end of the valve rod h, so
that as the float moves motion is also communicated to the valve h.
Figure 6 is a view of a similar arrangement, but in which the inlet valve is
shown fitted under the bottom of the reservoir.
The fourth part of our Invention consists in fitting to gas meters an
inclined chamber under the spout with an aperture at its extremity, and
through which the gas is free to pass; a ball valve is placed in the chamber,
and the ball remains at the back of the inclined portion thereof so long as
the meter is kept in a vertical position; but as soon as the meter is tilted the
ball runs along the chamber, and closing the aperture at the end thereof so
shuts off the passage of gas. By this means we prevent gas from passing
through a meter unless it is in its proper position, and consequently gas cannot
pass without being measured. Figure 7 is a view in longitudinal section of
this arrangement. The balls is placed in the box t, and always remains at
the back thereof when the meter is set in a vertical position, and gives free
passage to the gas from the box to the drum; but if the meter is tilted
the ball closes the aperture, and prevents any gas passing until the meter is
again adjusted.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim as our
Improvements in Wet Gas Meters,"―
66
First, the construction and arrangement of the inlet valve and gas passage
whereby the gas is led direct to the meter, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the arrangement of the float and lever bar in connection. there
with, as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.

page_text: Third, forming or placing in the reservoir of a cup or cup-shaped recess to
receive the float and to allow all water to be removed from the reservoir before
the inlet valve will be closed, all substantially as hercin-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, the employment of the spindle tube as the means of filling the
meter, and also the medium of allowing air to pass into the reservoir as herein-
before described.
Fifth, the arrangement of the valve under the top or bottom of the reservoir,
as herein-before described and illustrated at Figures 5 and 6 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
Sixth, the placing in an inclined box under the spout of a valve in manner
and for the purpose described.
Seventh, the supplying of water to meters by means of a detached cistern
or reservoir, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Smith and George Browne
Smith, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of
November One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
пп.
(..)
Witness,
EDW. G. BREWER,
89, Chancery Lane, W.C.
G. B. SMITH. (L.B.)