Improvements in or relating to Indicators for Gas Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Déc., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Indicators for Gas Apparatus.
A communication from THE UNITED GAS IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, a
Corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of
Pennsylvania, U.S.A., and having its principal place of business at
Philadelphia, in said State.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
Frequently the volume of illuminating gas generated during equal periods is not
the same and in many instances the generation of gas is intermittent. For
convenience the gas, as generated, is delivered into a relief holder and is withdrawn
therefrom at a substantially uniforin rate through a station meter, for example, by
means of a pump. Under these circumstances, and in order to ascertain the
quantity of gas generated during any given period, it is necessary to refer not only
to the station meter but also to the relative position or height of the relief holder,
and this operation is troublesome, requires time and care and involves some
calculation. In practice many illuminating gases are enriched by the addition of
oil and it is of course desirable that a constant quantity of oil should be introduced
for each unit of volume of gas in order that the quality of the gas may be uniform
and waste of oil obviated.
The principal objects of the present invention are, first: to provide an indicator
which may be located conveniently for the attendant in charge and which will
indicate at a glance the volume of gas. generated during any period, and second:
to combine with such indicator means for showing whether or not the desired
quantity of oil is added per unit of volume of gas generated.
The invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.
In the invention use is made of apparatus, ineans or mechanism by which the
rise and fall of the relief holder and the advance of the station gas meter are
communicated to, for example, the generating floor and made to operate the
pointer of a dial in such manner that it is advanced by the advance of the station
imeter and moved backward by the fall and forward by the rise of the relief
holder; the net effect of the two motions being to show the amount of gas made
during any period. The oil meter may also be geared to a second hand moving
on the same dial, so that when a pre-determined amount of oil per unit of volume
of gas is added the gas and oil hands move together. In this way the amount of
oil per unit of volume may be kept constant and at any time a glance will show
whether the amount of oil admitted up to that time is greater or less than desired.
I will now proceed to describe the best means known to my correspondent at the
present time for carrying the invention into effect, and in this connection reference
is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1, is a diagrammatic view illustrating features of the invention and
showing a relief holder, a gas meter, an oil meter, an indicator and mechanism for
connecting these parts.
Figs. 2 and 3, are respectively central sectional and rear elevational views of the
ndicator illustrated in Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 and 5, are side and rear elevational views of an indicator having a
modified arrangement of electro-magnet and its accessories.

page_text: Figs. 6 and 7 are central sectional and front views of an indicator embodying a
modification of the invention, and
Fig. 8, is a central sectional view of an indicator embodying another modification
of the invention.
In the drawings a, is a relief holder into which gas is made by way of a pipe or
condnit 6, from a generator and, for the sake of description, it will be assumed that
gas is introduced by way of this conduit b, into the relief holder a, from an ordinary
Lowe set. In such case, of course, gas is introduced into the holder a, during the
run and not during the blow or in other words, intermittently. From the relief
holder a, gas is constantly drawn or pumped by way of the conduits e and d,
through the gas meter e, which is provided with a pointer f, that indicates the
volume of gas which passes through the meter e g, is an oil ineter through which
the oil that is used for enriching the gas may be caused to pass by way of the
pipes and i, and which is provided with a pointer j, that indicates the quantity of
oil which passes through the meter. 1, is a differential indicator embodying features
of this invention and preferably located at some point convenient to the attendant
in charge. Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1-2 and 3,
this differential indicator comprises a fixed dial 2, à gas hand 3, and a support or
bracket 4. 5, is a pulley formed integral with or pinned or otherwise connected
to a revoluble sleeve 6, and a disk 7. Within the sleeve 6, is mounted so as to
turn therein a spindle 8, to one end of which the gas hand 3, is secured and to the
other end of which a ratchet wheel 9, is securel, so that the parts 3, 8 and 9,
constitute in effect one piece. The disk 7, carries a pawl 10, for driving the
ratchet wheel 9, and it may also carry a detent 11, for preventing retrograde
movement of the ratchet wheel. Motion is transmitted to the pulley 5, from the
relief holder a, by way, for example, of a cord, band, belt or equivalent device 12,
and the advancing motion of the pointer, of the gas meter e, is imparted to the
ratchet wheel 9. In the embodiment of this invention shown in the drawings
electricity is availed of for this purpose. 13, is an electro-magnet mounted,
Figs. 1, 2 and 3, on the disk 7, and having its armature mounted on the arm of
the pawl 10. From the electro-magnet 13, insulated wires 14 and 15, are
electrically connected with insulated rings 16 and 17 upon which bear brushes 18
and 19. From the brush 18, a conductor 20, leads through a battery 21, to an
insulated contact 22, in range of the index or pointer of the gas meter. From the
brush 19, a conductor 23, leads to the pointer f, which is suitably insulated. When
the pointer f, makes a revolution it completes the circuit above described by way
of the insulated contact 22, and thus energizes the magnet 13, which attracts its
armature and causes the pawl 10, to drive the ratchet wheel 9 and spindle 8, so that
the gas hand 3, is advanced in respect to the dial 2. When the relief holder a falls
it tends to turn the parts 5, 6 and 7, and with them the parts 10, 9 and 8, backward,
so that the gas hand 3, is turned backward and when the relief holder rises it tends
to turn the parts mentioned forward. In Figs. 4 and 5, the electro magnet 13 a, is
fixed and the pawl 10 a, is adapted for co-operation with ratchet teeth arranged
like the teeth of a crown wheel on the part 9. By this arrangement the brushes
and their accessories may be dispensed with and the circuit conductors 20 and 23,
are connected directly with the electro-magnet which is fixed. In Figs. 6 and 7,
the gas hand 3, is connected with or made part of an arm 26. The arm 26, is
provided at its ends with toothed wheels 28 and 29. The drum or pulley 5, is
provided with a toothed wheel 30, that turns with it and meshes with the toothed
wheels 28 and 29. The parts 5 and 30, 26 and 3, which constitute in effect one
piece are free to turn in suitable bearings depending from the support 4 a. The
ratchet wheel 9, is provided internally upon its rim with teeth 31, that mesh with
the toothed wheels 28 and 29. The electro-magnet 13 b, and its pawl 10 b, and
detent 11 a, serve to operate the ratchet wheel 9. The advance of the pointer of
the gas meter energizes the electro-magnet 13 b, and causes its pawl 10 b, to advance
the gas hand 3, through the intervention of the teeth 31, toothed wheels 28 and 29,
and arm 26. The fall of the relief holder a, turus the pulley 5, and toothed

page_text: wheel 30, which operates upon the toothed wheels 28 and 29, and arm 20,
causes the gas hand to be moved backward. The rise of the relief holder turns the-
gas hand forward in a similar manner. If desired an arbor 35, may be mounted so-
as to turn within the spindle of the gas hand, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. One end
of this arbor 35, is provided with an oil hand 36, and the other end is connected
with the pointer shaft of the oil meter g, for example, by means of a pulley 37, and
belt 38.
The mode of operation of apparatus embodying features of the invention may be.
described as follows:
The various parts are constructed, proportioned and designed in such manner
that as the station meter index advances and the relief holder falls, for example,
when the gas is being withdrawn by way of the conduit d, and no gas is
being generated for admission by way of the conduit b, the relief holder will
operate by way of the connection 12, and its connected parts to tend to move
the gas hand backward as much as the station meter index tends to advance it by
reason of the described connections from said index to the spindle 8. The net.
result of this differential action will be that the gas hand will stand still (except for
slight vibration) as long as no gas is being made into the relief holder. When
however, gas is made into the relief holder by way, for example, of the pipe b, the
net effect of the two described motions imparted to the gas hand by the rise and-
fall of the relief holder and the advance of the index of the gas meter is to show
the amount of gas made during any period. If the amount of gas generated into
the relief holder equals the amount of gas pumped from it, the relief holder will
stand still and the gas hand of the indicator will correspond with the gas meter
index or pointer. If more gas is pumped out of the relief holder than is supplied
to it, the relief holder will fall and will turn the indicator hand backward from the
position which it would occupy if operated only by the station meter. If less gas
is pumped out of the relief holder than is supplied to it, the relief holder will rise-
and thus turn the indicator hand forward further than it would be turned by the
station gas meter. The described motions are imparted to the hand more or less.
simultaneously so that its position at the time of observation depends upon their net
result, as has been set forth. The oil hand 36 is so connected, for example, by
proportioning the size of the pulley 37, and pulley on the oil meter counter shaft,
that its angular advance for a desired amount of oil per unit of gas will equal the
angular advance of the gas hand 3, for each unit of gas made. Cunsequently
the attendant-in-charge may by reference to the hands ascertain whether or not the
amount of oil admitted during any period is greater or less than desired and may
thereupon control the oil supply accordingly. When it is desired to alter the
quantity of oil per unit of gas the pulley 37, may be replaced by another of
correspondingly different size, so as to keep equal the angular advance of the gas
hand for each unit of gas made and of the oil hand for the desired quantity of oil.
introduced per unit of gas made.
In Fig. 8, is illustrated an obvious modification of the invention in which the
dial 2 a, is attached to the pulley 5 a, that is connected with the holder a, in the
manner described, and in which the gas hand 3, is advanced by means of the ratchet.
wheel 9 a, electro-magnet 13 c, and described connections to the gas meter. The
net effect of the motions of the dial and gas hand is to show the quantity of gas.
delivered during any period, as has been hereinabove set forth.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
that modifications may be made in details without departing from the spirit
thereof hence it is not to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement
of parts hereinabove set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare what I claim is:
1. In combination an indicator, a relief holder, connections between the relief

page_text: holder and. indicator for turning it forward and backward according as the relief
holder rises and falls, a gas, meter, and. connections between the gas meter and
indicator for turning it forward, for the purposes set forth.
2. In combination an indicator, a pulley adapted to respond to the rise and fall
of a relief holder and operating to turn the indicator through the intervention of a
toothed wheel, and a pawl adapted to respond to, the advance of a gas meter and
operating to turn said toothed wheel, substantially as described.
3. In combination a gas hand, a relief holder, a gas meter, and mechanism
substantially as described interposing between said holder and meter and gas hand
for causing the latter to indicate the volume of gas delivered, an oil meter,
an oil hand, and connections between the oil meter and oil hand, for the purposes
set forth.
4. In combination a gas hand provided with an arm carrying toothed wheels, a
ratchet wheel provided with teeth meshing with said toothed wheels, a pulley
provided with a toothed wheel 30, meshing with said toothed wheels, and a pawl
for said ratchet wheel, substantially as described.
5. In combination a gas hand provided with a toothed wheel, a pulley,
mechanism for imparting motion from the pulley to the toothed wheel, and
means for turning the toothed wheel independent of the pulley, substantially as
described.
Dated this 1st day of December 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.