MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE ACCURACY OF GAS METER INDICES
Year: 1886

page_text: Meter S.
I, GEORGE JOSLIN of Beverley Road, Colchester, in the County of Essex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE ACCURACY OF GAS METER INDICES" to be
as follows:-
This invention is based upon one for which Letters Patent No. 542 dated
February 9, 1878 were granted to me, and has for its object the testing of the
accuracy of gas meter indices with great convenience and dispatch.
In the present invention the standard index is driven by clockwork, by hand, or
other suitable motive power, as described in the specification of the patent afore-
said, and has also an extensible shaft or spindle that indicates one cubic foot for
each revolution. The said shaft has an universal joint at one end, and is fitted at
its other extremity with a sleeve that will slip over the circular part of the meter
index hand, and clip the hand itself, but for a wet meter the sleeve is fixed to the
upright shaft of the same thus forming a connection between the standard index
and the meter index to be tested.-The standard index consists of a train of four
or more wheels and pinions, mounted between plates forming a frame, each pinion
revolving ten times to one revolution of the wheel into which it gears. The spindle
of each wheel and pinion passes through the front plate whereon four or more dials
with suitable figures are described, and has a hand or pointer attached to it. Some
of the wheels have holes near their outer circumference. In front of the wheels
but behind the front plate there is a movable bar pivotted or hinged at one end,
placed horizontally, and provided with pins which when requisite enter the holes
in the wheels. The opposite end of the bar has an arm attached to it and is
provided with an appliance for stopping the train of wheels when each test is con-
cluded, the bar is also arranged to strike a bell, and announces to the ear that the
test is completed. There is a knob below the dials in the front plate that slides
upon a shaft and upon being pressed withdraws the bar and consequently the pips
from the holes in the wheels. By the turning of this knob the hands on the dials
of the standard index may be set.
The action of the apparatus is as follows, The extensible shaft having been
connected with the meter index to be tested, all the hands of which should be

page_text: placed at zero, the knob in front of the face of the standard index is pushed
towards the front plate. This movement removes the pins from the wheels, the
standard index,-The same movement of the knob also causes a stop to operate and
prevent the train from starting. The knob is then turned so as to set the dials of
the standard index to represent any desired quantity, the final adjustment being
made by turning a small knob on the ten feet dial. The knob first referred to is
then pulled out when the train will start, and the wheels and hands continue to
revolve until all the pins on the movable bar have entered in succession into the
holes in the wheels causing the stop on the movable bar to arrest its action, when
the bell will be struck, and all the hands on the standard index will point to zero.
If on completing the test all the hands of the meter index also stand at zero, it is
a proof that the meter index is correct, but if they do not do so, the index must be
rejected as unfit for attachment to a meter.
W. H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicant.
1
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Testing the Accuracy of Gas
Meter Indices.
I, GEORGE JOSLIN of Beverley Road, Colchester, in the County of Essex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE ACCURACY OF GAS METER INDICES" and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be 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 is based upon one for which Letters Patent No. 542 dated
February 9, 1878 were granted to me, and has for its object the testing of the
accuracy of gas meter indices with great convenience and dispatch.
In the present invention the standard index is driven by clockwork, by hand, or
other suitable motive power, as described in the specification of the patent afore-
said, and has also an extensible shaft or spindle that indicates one cubic foot for
each revolution. The said shaft has an universal joint at one end, and is fitted at
its other extremity with a sleeve that will slip over the circular part of the meter
index hand, and clip the hand itself, but for a wet meter the sleeve is fixed to the
upright shaft of the same thus forming a connection between the standard index
and the meter index to be tested. The standard index consists of a train of four
or more wheels and pinions, mounted between plates forming a frame, each pinion

page_text: revolving ten times to one revolution of the wheel into which it gears. The spindle
of each wheel and pinion passes through the front plate whereon four or more dials
with suitable figures are described, and has a hand or pointer attached to it. Some
of the wheels have a hole near their outer circumference. In front of the wheels
but behind the front plate there is a movable bar pivotted or hinged at one end,
placed horizontally, and provided with pins which when requisite enter the holes
in the wheels. The opposite end of the bar has an arm attached to it. and is
provided with an appliance for stopping the train of wheels when each test is con-
cluded. The bar is also arranged to strike a bell, and announce to the ear that the
test is completed.
There is a knob below the dials in the front plate that slides upon a shaft and
upon being pressed in towards the front plate operates upon a lever which with-
draws the bar and consequently the pins from the holes in the wheels, throws the
wheel of the ten feet dial out of gear with its pinion and allows the pinion with
the plate attached to it to revolve independently of its wheel while setting the
index; it also prevents the train of wheels from starting while the index is being
set. By the turning of this knob the hands on the dials of the standard index may
be set.
In order that the invention may be easily understood drawings are attached
hereto of which the following is a description. Fig. 1 represents a front elevation
of the index tester, Fig. 2 is a similar view with the front or dials plate removed,
Fig. 3 an end elevation, and Fig. 4 a plan of the apparatus. In each of the views
similar letters refer to the same parts.-A is the front part and B the back part of
the frame.-C, C, C, C are the index dials, D the ten feet dial and D¹ the one foot
dial. E, F, G, EI, X are the tran of toothed wheels, and I, J, K, L, L' their pinions
before mentioned. M, M, M, M, are the holes near the circumference of the wheels.
N is the movable bar hinged at O, with its spring P, and having pins Q which
enter the holes M in the wheels.-R is the arm attached to the opposite end of the
bar N and is continued in form shown at S, so that on its coming into contact with
the stop or catch T on the spindle of the one foot dial D¹ stops the train of
wheels. U is the knob placed in front of the plate A, and is attached to a sleeve
which has a recess turned in it and slides upon the spindle of the wheel V. This
recess receives the forked end of the lever W which throws the ten feet dial wheel X
into and out of gear with the disc Y which is attached to the pinion L and has a
pin m upon it that takes into one or other of the holes a in the wheel X-jj are
the pillars for holding the plates A and B of the frame together and at a suitable
distance apart.
zero.
The action of the apparatus is as follows. The shaft a has attached to it the
extensible shaft b with its universal joint c and sliding sleeve d which is connected
with the central shaft of the meter index e [the central spindle and only part of
the frame being shown] to be tested, all the hands of which should be placed at
The knob U in front of the face of the standard index is then pushed in
towards the frout plate. This movement through the action of the lever W removes
the pins Q of the movable bar from the holes M in the wheels and throws the
wheel X of the ten feet dial D out of gear with its pinion L, allows the pinion to
revolve independently of its wheel X and also prevents the train from starting
whilst setting the standard index by coming in contact with the stop T.-The
knob U is now to be turned and through the intervention of the wheel V sets the
dials of the standard index to represent any desired quantity, the final adjustment
being made by turning a small knob g on the ten feet dial D. The knob U is then
pulled out, the lever W putting the wheel X in connection with its pinion Land
releasing itself from the stop T on the spindle of the one foot dial, when the train
will start, and the wheels and hands continue to revolve until all the pins Q on the
movable bar N have entered in succession into the holes M in the wheels causing
the piece of metal S to come in contact with the stop T and so arrest its action,
when the bell will be struck by the spring hammer i and all the hands on the
standard index will point to zero. If on completing the test all the hands of the

page_text: meter index also stand at zero, it is a proof that the meter index is correct, but
if they do not do so, the index must be rejected as unfit for attachment to
a meter.
The power for giving motion to the apparatus is imparted to the shaft or spindle n
of the one foot dial D₁, and if clockwork be the kind of power employed, the said
clockwork is fitted into a frame behind the plate B.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,
1. The horizontal bar N with its pins Q for entering the holes M in the train of
wheels as herein described and shown on the drawings.
2. The piece of metal or stop S forming a part of the horizontal bar N for
stopping the train of wheels when the hands or indices arrive at zero, and as herein
described and shown on the drawings.
3. The knob U that slides upon a shaft on which is fixed a wheel V that gears
into the train of wheels to set the index, and as herein described and shown on the
drawings.
4. The lever W connected with the knob U and the wheel X for setting and
starting the train of wheels arranged as herein described and shown on the
drawings.
5. The knob g on the ten foot dial whereby the final adjustment of the
standard index may be made, arranged as herein described and shown on the
drawings.