IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Urquhart and William
Ward Andrews at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 5th November 1875..
We, JAMES URQUHART, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
and WILLIAM WARD ANDREWS, of Kingsland Road, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WET GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
The objects of this Invention are,—
Firstly. To secure the more correct measurement of gas by causing
the water or other liquid both within and without the measuring
chamber to assume as nearly as possible the same level under varying or
excessive pressures and speeds.
Secondly. The simplification of the float arrangement to be applied to
ordinary meters for cutting off the supply of gas, when the liquid is
depressed below a certain level.
Thirdly. The prevention of gas from entering the index box.

page_text: Fourthly. In an improved arrangement for opening or closing the
inlet valves, of what are commonly known as Sanders & Donovan's
compensating meters.
And, Fifthly. In improving the construction of the floats applied to
the same meters.
The first part of these improvements consists in either making orifices
in the partition which divides the front or float chamber from the drum
chamber, so that the gas in both has free access to each other, or by
retaining only such portion of the partition as is necessary to support
the shaft and other parts of the instrument or by removing the partition
altogether, and substituting strips or bars of metal so as to maintain the
parts dependent thereon in proper position. The hollow cover which
is ordinarily placed in front of the drum is removed and fixed to the
back thereof and a bent tube is inserted within the cover; the said tube
being made to stand as high as the cover when revolving will permit.
One end of this tube is as before stated within the cover, the other end
is inserted into a tube or conduit, which conveys the gas to the outlet of
the meter. Into the outlet tube or conduit is fixed a small pipe which
leads to the front of the meter, and will carry off any condensation that
may be deposited therein.
The second part of these improvements consists in making the inlet
tube of a bent form, the bottom edge forming the seat for a valve fixed
to a rod, the opposite end of which terminates in a float. The rod being
pivotted at a certain distance from its extremity, the valve will rise or
fall in accordance with the position of the float and level of the liquid.
The third part refers to a means for preventing gas from entering the
index box, and consists in the application of a stuffing box of a peculiar
form to the upright spindle that communicates motion to the index.
The fourth part of the Invention has reference to improvements upon
Sanders & Donovan's Patent componsating meters, and consists in
bending the gas inlet tube so that its bottom edge shall be opposite a
valve so suspended that by the action of the float operating through
two rods or arms the valve may be opened or closed in accordance with
the position of the float.

page_text: And the fifth part of the Invention refers to the same class of meters,
the improvements being effected by making the float of "wheel" or
"drum" metal and corrugating its surface, so that the float is rendered
less liable to corrode or collapse.