IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Ward Andrews, of the Kingsland Road,
in the County of Middlesex, General Manager of the Gas Meter
Company, Limited, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS
METERS."
Scaled the 28th June 1872, and dated the 12th January 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ward
Andrews at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 12th January 1872.
I, WILLIAM WARD ANDREWS, of the Kingsland Road, in the County
of Middlesex, General Manager of the Gas Meter Company, Limited,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN
WET GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to means by which to regulate the supply
of gas to compensating wet gas meters.
In carrying out the improvements, in place of the valve or cover to

page_text: separate therefrom and is acted upon for its closing by a part of or a
projection from the float. A ball or rolling surface capable of rolling in
a passage or chamber slightly inclined to the front is also applied, so
that in the event of the meter being tilted forwards by accident or other-
wise, such ball or rolling surface will by coming forward act on a tail
piece to the valve to cause that valve to close and stop the supply of gas.
By these means facility of construction and increased certainty in
measuring are secured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Ward Andrews in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WARD ANDREWS, of the Kingsland Road, in the County of Middlesex,
General Manager of the Gas Meter Company, Limited, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Ward Andrews, Her special licence
that I, the said William Ward Andrews, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Ward Andrews,
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 William Ward Andrews, 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 Scal Patent Office within six

page_text: a is the passage with a valve seat a' by which the gas to be measured
passes into the float chamber b, and thence to the drum with its serics of
revolving measuring chambers; c is the valve by which that valve seat a¹
may be closed by the action thereon of the float d. Heretofore in such
gas meters it has been customary to apply such valve on the float d or
on a projection therefrom, but in carrying out this part of the improve-
ments it is hung separately by pin joint c² from projections or ears c², from
the chamber e in which the valve seat a¹ is formed. The weight of the
valve c is in part compensated for by the weighted tail pieco c³ thereto.
The tendency of the valve o is however to remain open.
In Figure 1 the float is shewn in full lines in the position due to it
when the float chamber is provided with a full complement of water
for the proper sealing of the measuring chambers. The dotted lines
indicate the position which would be assumed by that float when such
water is deficient or the chamber is empty and when the outer end of
the stud fcarried by the projection y from the float & has acted on the
valve c to close it. For facility of adjustment the stud f is formed with
a screw stem by which it is screwed into the projection so that the
length of it or the period of its action may be varied. The opposite
part of the float d is also provided with a projection / so that in the
event of the valve c sticking to its scat that projection / may, when the
float comes into the position indicated by the full lines in Figure 1 act
upon a projection c* from the valve c to release it.
Figures 5 and 6 shew by a sectional side view and a sectional front
view a slight modification of the above with the inlet passage a and
valve scat a² especially adapted to cast-iron cases. In this arrangement
the same letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts to those
last described.
Figure 7 shows a modification in which the valve c is operated for tho
opening and closing of the passage through the valve scat a¹ by being
affixed to the link i with capability of adjustment therein. One end of
this link is formed with a stud or roller capable of sliding in the
slotted opening j formed in the projection j affixed to the float
chamber b, whilst the other end of the link i is formed with a slot
in it to receive a stud or roller ³ carried by the arm k, affixed to the
compensator float. The two extreme positions for the opening and the
closing of the valve are shown one by the full and the other by the
dotted lines.

page_text: Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11 show parts separately.
Figure 12 shews by front view, and Figure 13 by side view, both in
section, parts of a float chamber 6 with the inlet chamber e and
passage a¹ for the flowing in therefrom of the gas to be measured, and c
is the valve for closing the passage a¹ with an arrangement for closing
that valve when the meter is slightly inclined forwards so as to interfere
with the true level of the water in the meter and consequently of its
correct registering. In the illustration shown by these Figures the
valve c is provided with a tail c* adapted to receive the rolling weight
as indicated by dotted lines when that weight by the tilting of the
meter forwards is caused to roll up the incline m into the hollow of the
curved arm or tail picce c' when the valve c will be closed, closing the
passage through the meter.
Figures 14 and 15 shew a sectional side and a sectional end view of a
modification of this part of the Invention, in which the incline m is
formed as a part of the bottom of the chamber e, and the ball weight /
in coming forward falls into and closes the opening through the
passage a¹.
.
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it stated that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangements or adaptations of parts as
shewn and described, as the same may be varied without departing
from the peculiar character of my Invention, but what I claim is, the
adaptations or combinations of means whereby the supply of gas to
compensating wet gas meters is regulated, substantially as described in
respect to Figures 1 to 11 inclusive.
Also I claim, the application of a ball or rolling surface capable of
acting to close the passage for the gas in wet gas meters when such are
tilted forwards, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Ward Andrews, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
WILLIAM WARD ANDREWS. (L.S.)