IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METER INDICES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE JOSLIN of Beverley Road, Colchester, in the County of Essex,
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GAS METER INDICES" to be as follows:—
This invention has for its object the construction of gas meter indicos in such
a manner as will admit of their accuracy being tested in situ, or otherwiso, much
more easily and rapidly than is possible to test indices as commonly made at the
present time.
The invention in reference to a dry meter index consists in elongating the spindle
that carries the pinion driving the units decimal wheel, so that it projects a little
beyond the front face of the frame. This spindle has a groove turned in it near its
end, so as to receive one end of a forked spring or piece of metal, the other
extremity of the spring or piece of metal being fastened to the front frame. The
effect of the application of this spring is to draw the pinion out of gear with the
units decimal wheel Near the forked end, the spring, or piece of metal, has a hole
in it through which passes a screw, which on being turned presses the spring closo
to the plate or frame, and in so doing thrusts the pinion into gear with the units
decimal wheel. The spring or piece of metal, or both, may be placed inside the
frame if found more convenient.-Attached to the front and back of the frame,
beneath or above one of the wheels carrying a pointer there are two bearings made
to receive a removable pinion or key.
For application to a wet meter index the foregoing requires to be slightly
modified. It is well known that the upright shaft of a wet meter has a worm near
its top that drives & worm-wheel, which in using this invention is put out of gear
with the upright shaft, but the pinion of the worm-wheel is not, if it carries
a pointer. In this case the spring or piece of metal, or both, is placed within the
frame and operates for the same purpose upon the spindle of the worm-wheel, or
other wheel or pinion in contact with the decimal wheel, with the same result as
described in the last paragraph. The screw that passes through the spring or piece
of metal and frame, or frame and spring, in both cases being surrounded with
a small hoop or rim to receive a seal, so that the screw cannot be tampered with
without showing it.
The action of the apparatus is exceedingly simple, and is as follows. When it is
desired to test an index all that has to be done is to turn the screw until the pinion

page_text: driving the units decimal wheel, or the units decimal wheel itself is drawn out of
gear. The pinion key is then thrust into the bearings beneath the frame, or above
it, as before described when the pinion or key will become engaged with the wheel
before mentioned. The pointers are then set to zero and the pinion or key turned
with the hand, when by continuing to turn for about half a minute the whole of
the pointers will have made one or more complete revolutions, and again stand at
zero if the index is accurate, but if they do not stand at zero it is a proof the index
is wrong and requires to be rectified. On concluding the test the pinion key is
withdrawn, the screw turned until the pinion or wheel is thrust into gear with the
units decimal wheel, or the worm on the upright shaft, as the case may be, and
a seal may then be applied to secure it from interference. By these means indices
may be verified with great rapidity.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, GEORGE JOSLIN of Beverley Road, Colchester, in the County of Essex,
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GAS METER INDICES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo
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 -
This invention has for its object the construction of gas meter indices in such
a manner as will admit of their accuracy being tested in situ or otherwise much
more easily and rapidly than is possible to test indicies as commonly made at the
present time.
In order that the invention may be more easily understood drawings are attached
hereto. Fig 1 is an elevation of an index suitable for a dry meter with the
improvements applied the pinion being out of gear with the units deciinal wheel.
Fig 2 is a plan of the same, and Fig 3 is a key to be applied when testing or
adjusting the index. Fig 4 is an elevation of a wet meter idex with the dial plate
removed and Fig 5 is a plan of the same index with all the pinions and wheels in
gear. Fig 6 is an elevation of an index adapted for a larger wet meter with the
worm wheel drawn out of gear, and Fig 7 is a plan of it the units drum L of Fig 6
being removed in order to show the parts beneath. In Figs 2 and 3 the spring or
piece of metal D is placed outside the frame of the index while in Figs 4. 5. 6 and 7
the said spring is placed within the frame as shewn.
The invention in reference to a dry meter index consists in elongating the
spindle C that carries the pinion driving the units decimal wheel, so that it projects
a little beyond the front face of the frame. This spindle has a groove turned in it
near its end so as to receive one end of a forked spring or piece of metal D the
other extremity E of the spring being fastened to the front frame. The effect of
the application of this spring is to draw the pinion F out of gear with the units
decimal wheel G. Near the forked end, the spring or piece of metal has a hole in
it, through which passes a screw A which on being turned presses the spring close
to the plate or frame and in so doing thrusts the pinion F into gear with the units
decimal wheel G. The spring or piece of metal, or both may be placed inside the
frame if found more convenient. Attached to the front and back of the frame
beneath or above one of the wheels carrying a pointer there are two bearings B
made to receive a removable pinion or key Fig 3.
For application to a wet meter index the foregoing requires to be slightly modified.
It is well known that the upright shaft of a wet meter has a worm, shown in dotted
lines at H Fig 4 near its top that drives a worm wheel J which in using this
invention is put out of gear with the upright shaft H but the pinion of the worm
wheel J Fig 7 is not, if it carries a pointer. In this case the spring or pieco of
meter D or both is placed within the frame and operates for the same purpose upon
the spindle of the worm wheel J, or other wheel or pinion in contact with the
decimal wheel, with the same result as described in the last paragraph. The screw A
that passes through or presses upon the spring or piece of metal and frame, or frame
and spring in both cases being surrounded with a small hoop or rim K to.receive
a seal, so that the screw cannot be tampered with without showing it,

page_text: The action of the apparatus is exceedingly simple and is as follows. When it is
desired to test an index all that has to be done is to turn the screw A, Fig 2 until
the pinion F driving the units decimal wheel G or the worm wheel J Fig 7 is drawn
out of gear. The pinion or key Fig 3 is then thrust into the bearings B through,
beneath, or above the frame as before described when the pinion or key will become
engaged with the wheel before mentioned, or the wheel may be made to rotate by
the application of the finger. The pointers on the dial plate are then set to zero
and the pinion or key turned with the hand, when by continuing to turn for about
half a minute the whole of the pointers will have made one or more complete
revolutions and again stand at zero if the index is accurate, but if they do not
stand at zero it is a proof that the index is wrong and requires to be rectified.
On concluding the test, the pinion or key is withdrawn, the screw A turned until
the pinion F Fig 2 or wheel J Fig 7 is thrust into gear with the units decimal
wheel or the worm on the upright shaft, as the case may be, and a seal may then be
applied within the hoop K and over the screw A to secure it from interference.
By these means the decimal parts of an index may be verified with great rapidity.
The foregoing describes the application of the invention to such indicies as are
shown, but the arrangement may sometimes have to be slightly modified to suit
other particular forms.