AN IMPROVED MEANS OF FIXING DIAPHRAGMS IN GAS METERS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Meacock, of Snow Hill, in the City of London,
Gas Meter Maker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MEANS OF FIXING
DIAPHRAGMS IN GAS METERS."
Sealed the 8th July 1856, and dated the 6th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Meacock at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the
6th February 1856.
I, JAMES MEACOCK, of Snow Hill, in the City of London, Gas Meter Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MEANS
OF FIXING DIAPHRAGMS IN GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
Diaphragms are usually made of leather, and have hitherto been fixed in
their seats or frames by rivets, which means of fixing necessitated the re-
moval of the frame from the meter.in order to refit a new diaphragm for a
<lamaged one.
Now, my Invention consists in fixing the diaphragms in their seats or frames
by interposing the edges between the edge of the frame or seat, and a collar,
which I secure by means of screws passing through the collar and the edges of
the diaphragm and frame. By this means, on a diaphragm having to be
renewed, the screws are taken, out and the collar removed while the frame is
still in its place'in, the meter.

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Meacock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th August 1856:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MEACOCK, of Snow Hill, in the City of London, Gas Meter Maker,. send
greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date- the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Meacock, Her special licence, that I, the said James Meacock, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Meacock, 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 "AN IMPROVED MEANS OF FIXING
DIAPHRAGMS IN GAS METERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Meacock, 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
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent. :
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Meacock, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that
is to say:
.
Diaphragms in dry gas meters are usually made of leather, and have hitherto
been fixed in their seats or frames by solder, which means of fixing necessitated
the removal of the frame from the meter in order to refit a new diaphragm for.
a damaged one.
Now my Invention consists in fixing the diaphragms in their seats or frames
by interposing edges between the edge of the frame or seat, and a collar, which
I secure by means of screws passing through the collar and the edges of, the
diaphragm and frame. By this means, on a diaphragm having to be renewed,

page_text: the screws are taken out and the collar removed while the frame is still in its
place in the meter.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings is a front view of a diaphragm fixed and
held in its place by my improved means; Figure 2 is a section through the
line a, b, of Figure 1; Figure 3, an elevation of the frame with the diaphragm
removed; and Figure 4, a section of the same through the line c, d. The
same letters refer to similar parts in all the Figures.
A, A, is the frame or plate to which the diaphragm is secured; in this plate
a circular hole is cut, corresponding in size to the diaphragm to be fitted
thereto. Near the edge of this hole I solder, or otherwise fix, a rim of metal
B, and on the flat surface between the edge and the rim I place a metal
ring B¹; on the ring BI place a piece of leather, gutta percha, or other
suitable material e, e, which acts as a bed for the frame of the diaphragm to
rest on. C is the diaphragm; the leather of which it is composed is secured to
its frame in the following manner :-I place the edge of the leather on a
circular rim of metal D, the edge of the metal projecting a little beyond the
leather; I then cover the leather on the rim D with a collar or flat ring of
métal g, and secure the same by hammering over the projecting piece on to
the leather and metal ring g, thus fixing the leather securely between the two
metal plates. To fix the diaphragm to the frame, I place the circular rim in
which the leather of the diaphragm is secured on the bed e, e, of the frame A,
and then secure this rim to the frame by screws h, h, passing through holes in
the disc of metal D, leather C, ring g, bed e, and tapped or screwed into the
ring of metal B¹. I sometimes place a little cement between the two plates A
and B. By the above arrangement I am enabled to replace an old diaphragm
by loosening the screws h, h, withdrawing the metal disc g, taking out the
diaphragm, putting a new one in its position, and fastening it as before
described. The frame in which the diaphragm is fitted is not injured or
destroyed, and the use of the soldering iron is dispensed with.
I will now proceed to describe my improvements in the slide valve used in
gas meters.
I elongate the sides of the valve beyond the ports or apertures
through which the gas is transmitted, and give to the sides of the slide a cor-
responding elongation. The slide is worked in its horizontal motion from two
centres and has on the opposite side a guide rod.
Figure 5 is an elevation of my improved slide valve, and Figure 6, a plan
of the same.
A is the valve, the sides a, a, of which are lengthened beyond
the ports or apertures b, b; B is the valve seat, having its face elongated to
correspond with the face of the valve A; C is a forked link, each arm of the

page_text: To this link I
guidef E, and is
links being pivoted on each side of the valve A by pins cc.
attach the valve spindle or rod D, which passes through a
connected to the working part of the metre in the usual way.
side of this valve I fix another rod F working, through the guide, G
On the opposite
i
By, the above arrangement the, valve is prevented from rising or canting
during.its, backward and forward motion, and the non-registry of gas: thereby
totally prevented.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that, I claim thien fixing of
diaphragms of gas meters in their seats or frames, in the manner herein before
described and represented in the Drawings hereunto-annexed....
In witness whereof," I, the said James Meacock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
TA
UX
MES
EACOCK. (...)