Improvements in Dry Gas Meters.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Dry Gas Meters.
I, WILLIAM JOHN WARNER of the Gas Works, South Shields, in the County of
Durham, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of this invention is so to alter the construction of the diaphragms
forming in part the measuring chambers as to obviate the alteration in capacity of the
present dry meter,-first by reducing the quantity of leather or flexible surface in the
flexible band or bands, and secondly by placing them more under control, and by
giving the chambers or measures a more definite action.
This I effect by increasing the rigid and reducing the flexible quantity of material used
in the construction of each chamber in the manner as follows. Instead of forming the
flexible diaphragm of each chamber of one piece of leather I make it with an inflexible
zonal band of metal connected on one side by a band of leather to the front metal disc, and
on the other by a band of leather also to a rim fixed to the division plate of the meter,
or to a separate metal disc. In action the disc and outer band of leather passes within
the zonal band, and the inner band of leather passes over the rim attached to the
division plate, the result being a very much increased capacity of each measuring
chamber.
The same effect may be produced by attaching a metallic zonal band either on the
inside or outside of a single band of leather, so that the zonal band is thus furnished
with a flexible zone on each side of it.
For the purpose of keeping each disc parallel to the central division plate of the
meter and ensure steadiness of action I have devised the following gearage. The zonal
band may be supported from either a vertical or horizontal shaft with arms, or a bridle
connected to the zonal band by two pins or studs fixed to it and opposite each other.
The relative positions of disc and division plate to the zonal band is maintained by a
modification of the old parallel gearage. Instead of the two vertical arins working
in joints at the bottom of the body at foot of the diaphragm and passing through
slotted guides attached to the upper portion of the disc, the two arms are pierced in

page_text: the middle and work upon the zonal studs, the two ends of each arm being free to
work in slotted guides attached to the disc and division plate.-A parallel action is
thus ensured and the zonal band always maintained in the same relative position to the
division plate and disc.
That the greatest capacity of chamber with the employment of the least quantity of
leather may be obtained the zonal band may be made to cover both zones or bands of
leather, or the chamber may be made with a disc both back and front in which case
both discs with their respective zones of leather would enter the metallic zonal band,
or, the ordinary form of diaphragm may be used in this arrangement of measurer, the
zonal band being but a narrow hoop instead of the wider cylindrical form, or the zonal
band may be arranged for only a partial entering of the disc or dises. Thus the planes
of attachment of disc and rim respectively pass their planes of attachment to the zonal
band. By this arrangement as far as travel of disc is concerned the quantity of
flexible surface is reduced to half the depth of the ordinary leather band, the zonal
band taking the place of the other half. For example if the travel or stroke of the
disc is two inches, the band of the ordinary diaphragm will be two inches (excluding
the amount of slack necessary for freedom of action) but with the zonal band, it being
half the depth of the stroke or travel, only one inch is required, which is again reduced
to half for the joint on either side of the zonal band, excluding of course the slack as
before.
In action the disc and outer edge of the back rim will meet in the middle of the
zonal hand, each having a half inch leather band, and when the measure is fully
inflated the disc and back rim will be respectively half an inch beyond the edge of the
zonal band. Thus the stroke of the two inches will be maintained and the greatest
depth of unsupported leather will be but half an inch instead of two inches.
Dated this 5th day of March 1888.

page_text: I, WILLIAM JOHN WARNER of the Gas Works, South Shields, in the County of
Durham, Civil Engineer, 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 :-
The object of this invention is the construction of diaphragms to form measuring
chambers of a more determinate and unvarying capacity than has hitherto been
employed in dry gas meters. This I effect by forming the rim of the ordinary disc
diaphragm, which has hitherto been of leather, of metal and leather bands combined.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of such diaphragm-chamber and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of
it. A is a metal zonal-band connected on one side by a band of leather B to the front
metal disc C, and on the other edge by another band of leather B1, to the hoop or
rim (, soldered to the division plate of the meter. The centres and paths of action
are shown at Fig. 3 by the dotted lines. The interior of the diaphragm chamber is
shown emptied, the whole having passed from the dotted lines and closed against the
division plate or partition. In this movement the disc C, enters the zonal-bands A and
passes over the rim C, the two edges of C and C' meeting in the middle of the
zonal-band A. By the reverse action or return stroke, the chamber being inflated or
filled through a channel in the rim (, the diaphragm chamber expands, C and A
gradually receding from and also from A till the full stroke is made. these
movements being regulated and controlled by the gearage. Thus the planes of attach-
ment of disc and rim respectively pass their planes of attachment to the zonal-band.
By this arrangement, as far as travel of disc is concerned, the quantity of flexible
surface is reduced to half the depth of the ordinary leather band, the zonal-band taking
the place of the other half. In the Figs. shown, the stroke is two inches. which in
the ordinary diaphragm necessitates a band of leather two inches in depth, excluding
the slack necessary for freedom of action. With the zonal-band, as shown, it being
half the stroke or travel, only one inch is required, which is again reduced one half,
excluding the slack as before. Thus the stroke of the two inches will be maintained and
the greatest depth of unsupported leather will be but half an inch instead of two inches.
Several modifications may be made in the construction and action of this form of
diaphragm chamber. The relative proportions of the zonal-band and flexible material
may be varied, and the relative positions of zonal-band and the rims to which the
leather is attached may also be varied, the zonal-band working within instead of over
the back and front rims. The form may be changed too from a circular in front
elevation to an angular one, the front plate, enclosing band and rims having the edges
of the leather attached as is usual in framed diaphraguns such as the "Defries," the
leathers being "blocked," as by this maker, to suit the form employed. Or, the
leathers may be cut to suit the form and sewn at each angle. If the rectangular be
employed the end view of diaphragm chamber will be similar in outline to the circular
shown. In action the changes may be from a movable zonal-band to a fixedone with

page_text: two discs moving in and out of the zonal-band, one on each end of it. Or the two
discs may be fixed and the zonal-band with a gas-tight partition plate made the
movable portion of the diaphragın chamber. In this case there will be two distinct
and separate chambers, the channels or gas way into each of which would be through
a disc.
The gearage necessary for the action of these several arrangements of diaphragm-
chambers is for the support of the several moving parts and for the relative motions of
the same.
In one arrangement the disc and zonal-band have to be suspended or
supported, in another the two discs, the zonal-band being fixed, and in the third
the zonal-band has to be supported through its action, the discs being fixed. The
relative motions of the parts of the several arrangements are:-the first, the disc and
zonal-band move parallel with each other and with the division plate of the meter, and
also in the same direction but at different rates of speed; In the second arrangement
the dises move parallel with each other and the zonal-band, and each of the discs at tho
same speed but always in opposite directions. In the third arrangement the zonal-
band moves parallel with the two discs and to and fro between them. In Figs. 1 and 3
the same arrangement is shown at the two ends of the stroke. The disc is supported
in the usual way at D D by the "flag," and the zonal-band by the rod D₁ (a flag
wire) across the top of the diaphragm chamber working in metal bearings and
carrying an arm E at each end connected to the zonal-band by two studs one of which
is shown at F, the other being at the opposite side of the zonal-band. Working upon
these studs are the arms G Fig. 3, the extreme ends of which are slotted to receive
the pins fastened to the disc and rim as shown at H H. The action is shown by the
dotted lines and by which it will be seen that in travelling to C, C and A move
parallel with each other and with C and that A passes through half the distance of C,
from F to F while (passes from H to H. An arm similar to E (but not shown in
the drawing, to prevent confusion) attached to the division plate of meter and
connected to the lower part of A will prevent any tendency of A to
move from the perpendicular by turning on F. Fig. 4 is a view of the
top of a diaphragin chamber, with the top of the body or valve plate
removed, showing the rod D' and arms EE for supporting the zonal-band A, the disc
being supported at D by flag. The parallel gearage is shown by dotted lines as placed
in the interior of the diaphragm chamber. The arms G G work upon the vertical
rod F passing across the zonal-band and fixed to it, and at the extreme ends of the
arms are fastened wires working in slotted guides at H, H, H, H, the front elevation
being shown at Fig. 5. The end view of this internal genrage applied to the duplicated
disc arrangement is shown at Fig. 7, the discs being supported by D¹, D', and the
arms E, E, and joints F, F. In another arrangement the two discs are suspended by
rods and arms but the internal gearage is modified, the upper end of the vertical rod,
which is loose, is continued through the stuffing box on the top of the diaphragm
chamber, and on this rod are fastened the arms coupling the discs. The plan of gearago
for the duplex chamber arrangement is given at Fig. 6. The ordinary wire gearage
is placed in one of the chambers for the parallel action of the zonal-band, which is
sustained by a bridle, formed of the flag-rod Z and arms Y, passing under and over
the diaphragm chamber as is shown, being attached to the zonal-band by the studs X.
This bridle arrangement for supporting the zonal-band may be used also for the single
diaphragm chamber as is shown at Fig. 6, the internal gearage of Fig. 4 being
employed but with the rod placed horizontally instead of vertically, and the top con-
necting wires of the geerage at H, H, being jointed movements instead of slotted ones
as are all the others. These jointed arms support the disc and work through the
slotted guides fastened to the division plate within the back rim.
I
Advantage may be taken of this construction of diaphragm chamber to pass a greater
volume at each stroke without a material alteration of the tangent and its gearage.
prefer however a moderate depth of stroke, as what is most to be desired is a diaphragm
chamber of unvarying capacity, and unaffected by varying speeds.
In this respect
too, from its greater rigidity of parts and lessened quantity of leather, the meter may
be worked at a greater speed, and with a very small quantity of gas passing, the

page_text: lessened quantity of porous material will be an advantage. The distinguishing
features of the invention is a contracting and expanding chamber of the usual capacity
with a lessened quantity of leather, or with a much increased capacity with only the
usual quantity of leather.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. The construction of dry gas meters with metallic zonal-bands connected to the
discs and rims by leather or other flexible material, and arranged as herein described
and shown on the drawings, and
2. The construction of dry gas meters with the geerage herein described and shown
on the drawings.
Data: Al 1
רד A
1000
W. H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicant.