IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS AND OTHER MEASURES BY APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE PASSAGE OF GAS AND OTHER BODIES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Brown, Gas Meter Index Maker, residing
at No. 7, Beaumont Place, Edinburgh, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GAS METERS AND OTHER MEASURES BY APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE
PASSAGE OF GAS AND OTHER BODIES."
Sealed the 25th June 1869, and dated the 18th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th January 1869.
I, GEORGE BROWN, Gas Meter Index Maker, residing at No. 7,
Beaumont Place, Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS AND OTHER MEASURES BY APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING
THE PASSAGE OF GAS AND OTHER BODIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the production of indicating and registering
apparatus applicable to all kinds of gas and other meters or measures

page_text: of time, motion, quantities, or numbers, by which certain advantages
are gained in space and cost of ordinary manufacture.
My Invention consists, first, in making any indefinite number of
index pointers to move or turn in the same direction relatively to each
other, either from right to left or from left to right, as may be desired.
Also that any pointer or pointers in the index may be moved or turned
in an opposite or contrary direction from any other pointer in the
same index by means of wheels and endless screws geared into each
other.
Secondly. That the front end of the cylinder spindle moves or turns
in a hole which is stuffed or packed so as to prevent water from leaking
through the hole.
Thirdly. The tube or channel, commonly known as the filling tube
for conducting water into the meter, is made of cast iron, the said
tube or channel being cast in one piece with the other compart-
ments, into which the front box of the meter case is divided, or to
he cast in separate pieces, the material in either case being cast
iron.
Fourthly. That the tube or channel, commonly known as the water-
line tube, through which the surplus water flows out of the cylinder
compartment into the waste or surplus water box is made of cast iron,
the said tube or channel being cast in one piece with the other com-
partments into which the front box of the meter case is divided, or
to be cast in separate pieces, the material in either case being cast
iron.
That the compartment, commonly known as the waste or surplus
water box, is divided into two distinct compartments by means of a
wall or partition made of cast iron, the said wall or partition being
cast in one piece with the other compartments, into which the front
box of the meter case is divided, or to be cast in separate pieces, the
material in either case to be cast iron, and the said two compartments
composing the waste or surplus water box communicating with each
other by means of a hole at the lower part of said wall or partition
after the manner of the U tube generally employed as pressure
gauges.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Brown in the Great Seal Patent Offico
on, the 16th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I GEORGE
BROWN, Gas Meter Index Maker, residing at No. 7, Beaumont Place,
Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North, Britain,, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of January,. in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in
the thirty-second year of Her reign,, did,, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto. me,, the said George Brown, ller
special licence that I, the said George Brown, my executors,, adininis-
trators,, and assigns, or such others. as I, the said George Brown,
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, excroise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IF GAS METERS AND OTHER MEASURES BY APPARATUS 78
REGISTERING THE PASSAGE OF GAS AND OTHER BODIES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Brown, my exccutors or adminis-
trators, 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 George Brown, 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:-
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1, is shewn the front box of the

page_text: which serves the purpose of conducting water into the meter through
a hole at P; C, O, C, is the cylinder at the back of the front box; B is
an endless screw fixed to the cylinder spindle; N is a toothed wheel
fixed to the upright spindle H; D, D, is a tube or channel made in cast
iron, and known as the upright spindle tube, which serves the purpose
of letting the upright spindle H project upwards into the index 'box I.
The lower end of the tube D, D, dips into the water in the meter to
prevent gas from escaping, while its upper end projects into the index
box I to prevent the overflow of water. A, A, is a tube or channel
made in cast iron, and known as, the water-line tube, through which all
surplus water flows out of the cylinder compartment into the waste
water box W, W. The water-line tubo A, A, is cast so as to form
a distinct tube or channel rising up from the compartment W of
the waste-water box into the compartment E. The dotted lines M; M',
is the middle wall or partition which divides the waste-water box W,
W, into two compartments. There is a hole in the middle wall.or
partition at M, through which; water. flows from one compartment
of the waste-water box into the other. L shews the place for a
hole in the front or name plate, through which all surplus water
flows out of the meter; K is a hole in the compartment W, through
which gas flows into the cylinder C, C, C, by a bent tube projecting from
it into the cylinder. V is the valve which is connected to the float F by
a bent wire; X, X, X, X, are the screw nails for fixing the front box
of the meter case to the back box or pot which contains the cylinder;
F, F, is the water-line or surface of the water in the cylinder com-
partment; L, I, is the water-line or surface of the water in the two
compartments W, W, of the waste-water box. The parts marked S
shew the flanches or surfaces on which, putty is deposited, and the
compressing of the putty by the screwing on of the front or name
plate renders the various compartments and channels gas and water
tight.
The action of the various parts is as follows:-Water is poured into
the meter through the hole at P, and falls through the filling tube G
into the cylinder compartment. The water continues to rise in the
meter until its surface reaches the level F, F. The water then overflows
through the water-line tube A, A, and falls into the waste-water

page_text: level L, L', when all surplus water flows out of the meter through the
hole in the front or name plate, shewn at L. If gas be admitted into
the meter under pressure it will flow into the compartment E through
the valve V, which is now open. The gas will' fill that part of the com-
partment E which is above the surface of the water, and will pass
through the water-line tube A, A, into the compartment W of the waste-
water box. The gas will fill that part of the compartment W which is
above the surface of the water, and will enter the cylinder through the
holo K. The pressure of the gas causes the cylinder to turn on its axis,
carrying with it the endless screw B which turns the wheel N and the
upright spindle H. The top end of the upright spindle H, as seen
in Fig. 8, terminates in an endless screw which turns the wheel i.
Concentric with the wheel i is an endless screw which turns the wheel c.
On arbour of the wheel e is fixed a triple-threaded endless screw which
turns the wheel g, having ten teeth. b, d, g. is an arbour on which is
fixed the wheel g, and the triple-threaded endless screw d, and the single-
threaded endless screw b. The triple-threaded endless screw d turns' the
wheel c, having nine teeth; the single-threaded endless screw 6 turns the
wheel a, having thirty teeth.
The arbours of the wheels c, c, and a aro
prolonged through the index dial and carry the index pointers. All
other parts of this meter which are not particularly described are 'the
same as in ordinary meters.
The particular parts in this meter which I claim as my Invention,
and as secured to me by Letters Patent arc,-
First. Making the filling tube G in cast iron.
Secondly. Making the water-lino tubo A, A, in cast iron.
Thirdly. Making the upright spindle tube D, D, in cast iron.
Fourthly. Dividing the waste-water box W, W', into two compart-
ments by means of the middle wall or partition M, M', made in cast
iron.
Fifthly. The triple-threaded endless screw and the wheel g.
Sixthly. The triple-threaded endless screw d and the wheel c.
Seventhly. The single-threaded endless screw 6 and the wheel a.
Eighthly. The arbour b, d, g, caǹying the endless screw 6 and the
endless screw d, and the wheel g.

page_text: Ninthly. The application of the afore-mentioned endless screws and
wheels to the index movements of wet and dry gas meters, water meters,
and indicators for omnibus passengers..
In witness whereof, I, the said George Brown, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine,