AN IMPROVED COMPENSATING GAS METER
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Newton and Joseph Braddock, of Oldham,
in the County of Lancaster, Gas Meter Manufacturers, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED COMPENSATING GAS METER."
Sealed the 9th December 1864, and dated the 16th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Newton and
Joseph Braddock at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 16th June 1864.
We, GEORGE NEWTON and JOSEPH BRADDOCK, of Oldham, in the County
of Lancaster, Gas Meter Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED COMPENSATING GAS METER," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to wet gas meters having a vessel or chamber
containing water, acting on the principle of a bird fountain, and called a com-
pensating water box. Instead of placing the float in the fountain we place it
in the inlet chamber or front box, and also connect to the same chamber the
air tube and the orifice for supplying water to the meter from the fountain,
which arrangement is for the purpose of maintaining the water in the meter
at a constant uniform level, for if by the evaporation or other loss of the
water in the meter the bottom of the air tube becomes unsealed, the pressure
of the gas acting on the water in the compensating box causes the water to
pass through the orifice from the compensating box to the inlet chamber of
the meter until the water attains its correct level, when the air tube will be

page_text: again sealed. By this arrangement of placing the float, air tube, and orifice
for the supply of water from the compensating box in the inlet pressure this
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Newton and Joseph Braddock in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 15th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
NEWTON and JOSEPH BRADDOCK, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Gas
Meter Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said George Newton and Joseph Braddock, Her special license that we, the
said George Newton and Joseph Braddock, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said George Newton and Joseph Braddock,
our 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 "AN IMPROVED COMPENSATING GAS METER,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Newton and
Joseph Braddock, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our 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 we, the said George Newton and Joseph Braddock,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to wet gas meters having a vessel or chamber
containing water, acting on the principle of a bird fountain, and called a com-
pensating water box. Instead of placing the float in the fountain we place it
in the inlet chamber or front box, and also connect to the same chamber the

page_text: air tube and the orifice for supplying water to the meter from the fountain,
which arrangement is for the purpose of maintaining the water in the meter
at a constant uniform level, for if by the evaporation or other loss of the
water in the meter the bottom of the air tube becomes unsealed, the pressure
of the gas acting on the water in the compensating box allows the water to
pass through the orifice from the compensating box to the inlet chamber of
the meter until the water attains its correct level, when the air tube will be
again sealed. By this arrangement of placing the float, air tube, and orifice
for the supply of water from the compensating box in the inlet of the meter
this system is applicable to ordinary wet gas meters.
This Invention will be clearly understood by referring to the figures and
letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an eleva-
tion, with part in section, of one of our improved compensating gas meters,
and Fig. 2 is a similar view of an ordinary gas meter provided with our
improvements.
In both the Figures a represents the compensating box; b, the filling
plug; c, the air tube, dipping a little below the level of the water in the
meter; d, the orifice for the passage of. the water out of the compensating
box into the meter; e, the bridge; ff, the correct level of the water in the
meter; g, the overflow pipe dipping into the waste-water box, and is sealed
with water to the height of the bridge; h, a branch from the pipe 9 to convey
the gas to the measuring drum. In both meters the measured gas is con-
ducted into the waste-water box from the wheel case by the vent pipe i, and
acting on the surface of the water counterpoises the action of the inlet pres-
sure down the pipe g, and also prevents the fraudulent extraction of gas from
the syphon plug k, as all the gas in the waste-water box is measured. When
the plug 6 is removed and the meter is being supplied with water the com-
pensating box is first filled, and the water passes into the meter through the
orifice d and down the air tube c until it overflows the pipe g, and passing over
the bridge e runs out at the syphon plug k. When the water in the meter is
at its correct level the lower end of the air tube c is sealed, thus making the
compensating box air-tight; but if the water in the meter falls below its
proper level by evaporation or any other cause the lower end of the air tube c
becomes unsealed and allows the gas to pass up into the compensating box,
at the same time allowing a quantity of water to enter the meter through the
orificed until the water in the meter rises to its proper level, when the air
tube is again sealed, and the same action is repeated when required so long as
there is any water in the compensating box.
Having now described the nature and particulars of our said Invention, we

page_text: desire it to be understood that we claim, in wet gas meters, the system of
placing the air tube and orifice for supplying water to the meter in the inlet
compartment of the meter, as all such improvements are herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Newton and Joseph Braddock,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named George Newton and
Joseph Braddock, in the presence
of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
GEORGE NEWTON. (L.B.)
JOSEPH BRADDOCK. (L.S.)