IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Herman Kromschroeder, of 32, Princess
Terrace, Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention.
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS."
Sealed the 18th July 1862, and dated the 10th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Herman Krom--
schroeder at the Office of the Commissioners. of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 10th March 1862.
.
I, HENRY HERMAN KROMSCHROEDER, of 32, Princess Terrace, Regent's
Park, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in gas meters, and is
peculiarly applicable to that class of gas meters in which the measuring drum-
consists of a series of. excentric measuring chambers, and in which a hollow
floating cylinder is within the measuring drum. It is preferred that the
measuring drum should have five excentric measuring chambers, but this may
be varied. The floating cylinder, which is within the measuring drum, has
closed ends, so as to prevent the water in the meter from entering into the
interior of the cylinder. The axis of the measuring drum passes through the

page_text: .3.11
hollow cylinder, and is fastened to the two ends thereof. Between one end of
the drum and the end of the hollow cylinder there is a space, into which the
end of the gas supply pipe enters. The ends of the axis of the measuring
drum are supported by a lever frame, within which the measuring drum is
received. The axes or necks of the lever frame are received into suitable
bearings at the ends of the meter, and the ends of the axis of the measuring
drum are so carried by the lever frame as to admit of the axis rising and
falling in the same vertical plane. On one end of the axis of the measuring
drum is a worm, which works or gears with a long pinion on the axis of the
counting or registering apparatus of the meter. At. one end of the lever
frame is affixed a regulator, which consists of an inverted vessel, the lower or
open end of which is constantly below the water level in the meter. The
upper or closed end of the regulator is provided with a flexible valve, by
preference a hollow one, which, when the water falls too low in the meter,
comes against and closes the inner end of the outlet pipe of the meter, and
thus prevents the gas passing out of the meter. The inlet or gas supply pipe
passes into the meter at its upper part, and descends to the bottom of an
overflow vessel at the lower part of the meter. The overflow vessel or
chamber, which is in front of the meter, is divided by a partition, so as to
retain at all times a sufficient depth of water over the lower end of the gas
supply pipe to prevent gas passing, into the overflow vessel. The gas supply
pipe towards its lower end has two branches, the upper end of one of which
enters the reglator, and rises somewhat above the water level in the meter;
the upper end of the other branch passes into the measuring drum, and rises
to the point of the highest water level of the meter. The water is intro-
duced, into the méter. by a pipe, which descends to near the bottom of the
meter. The correct position of the drum is regulated by adjusting. the weights
applied at the opposite end of the lever frame to that where the regulator is
.
ingy 21.00. .
affixed.
edt
13
38 10 8:10ION SEMONA
"

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her 'reign,
did, för Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Henry Herman Krom'schroeder, Her special licence, that I, the said Henry
Herman Kromschroeder, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I; the said Henry Herman Kromschroeder, my executors, adminis-
trators; 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Herman Kromschroeder, 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.
:
117
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Herman Kromschroeder, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:
a
This Invention has for its object improvements' in gas meters, and is more
particularly applicable to that class of gas meters in which the measuring
drum consists of a series of excéntric measuring chambers, and in which
hollow floating cylinder is within the measuring drum. It is preferred that
the measuring drum should have five excentric measuring chambers, but this
may be varied. The floating cylinder, which' is within the measuring drum,
has closed ends, so as to prevent the water in the meter from entering into
the interior of the cylinder. The axis of the measuring drum passes through
the hollow cylinder, and is fastened to the two ends thereof. Between one
end of the drum and the end of the hollow cylinder there is a space into
which the end of the gas supply pipe enters. The ends of the axis of the
measuring drum are supported by 'a lever frame, within which the measuring,
drum is received. The axes or necks of the lever frame are received into'
suitable bearings at the ends of the meter, and the ends of the axis of the
measuring drum are so carried by the lever frame as to admit of the axis'

page_text: rising and falling in the same vertical plane. On one end of the axis of the
measuring drum is a worm, which works or gears with a long pinion on the:
axis of the counting or registering apparatus of the meter. At one end of
the lever frame is affixed a regulator, which consists of an inverted vessel,
the lower or open end of which is constantly below the water level in the
meter. The upper or closed end of the regulator is provided with a flexible:
stop or valve, which, when the water falls too low in the meter, comes against
and closes the inner. end of the outlet pipe of the meter, and thus prevents
the gas passing out of the meter. The inlet or gas supply pipe passes into the
meter at its upper part, and descends to the bottom of an overflow vessel or.
waste water box at the lower part of the meter. The waste water box, which
is at the front end of the meter, is divided by a partition, so as to retain at.
all times a sufficient depth of water over the lower end of the gas supply pipe
to prevent gas passing into the overflow vessel. The gas supply pipe towards
its lower end has two branches, the upper end of one of which enters the
regulator, and rises somewhat above the highest water level in the meter..
This branch passes from the supply pipe, which is at the front end of the
meter, and near the middle of that end in an inclined direction, and enters
under the front end of the regulator, and then passes in an inclined direction
towards the back end of the regulator, by which arrangement any attempt to
obtain gas from the meter without its being measured will be prevented.
The upper end of the other branch passes into the spaces in front of the
measuring drum, and rises to the point of the highest water level of the meter.
The water is introduced into the meter by a pipe applied at the front end of
the meter, which descends to near the bottom of the meter. The correct
position of the drum is regulated by adjusting the weights applied at the
opposite end of the lever frame to that where the regulator is affixed.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a diagram of a front view of a meter made according to the.
Invention, some of the parts being shewn in section; Figure 2 shows a trans-.
verse section of the same.
:
The measuring drum used is similar to what is known as Clegg's drum, it
having excentric measuring chambers. The hollow central part of the drum s
is closed at the back end, it has also a cover at the front end, which, has a
central opening through it. This opening is, however, below the water level,

page_text: so that the central portion of the drum is enclosed gas-tight. In the central
portion of the drum is a hollow float, between which and the front end of the
drum there is a space, into which the gas is conducted by a branch on the
supply pipe, which enters the opening in the centre of the front end of
the drum. The axis a of the drum is fixed in the centre of the back end 'a¹ of
the drum, and also in the centre of the front end a³ of the float. By these
means the measuring drum is fixed to and carried by the axis a. The front
end a³ of the drum is, as before stated, closed at all parts excepting at the
central opening a', which is at all times below the water level in the meter,'
both interior and exterior of the drum. The back end of the axis a of the
measuring drum is received into a bearing or hole in the frame b, which moves
in fixed axes or necks c, c, one of which is fixed at the back end of the meter,
and the other is fixed near the front of the meter above the waste water box
hereafter described. The frame b thus acts as a lever frame, the axis a of the
drum being received and supported by the frame 6 on one side of its axes,:
whilst on the other side of these axes the lever frame b is affixed to an'inverted
vessel d, which acts as a regulator. This regulating vessel is open at bottom,.
and closed at the top as well as at the sides. The front end of the axis a of
the drum passes through a slot or slit in the lever frame b, by which as the-
frame.6 moves on its axes the front end of the axis a of the drum is capable
of being at times at a greater distance from the axis of motion of the frame b
than at others; but the axis a of the drum is at all times kept correctly in
position by a vertical slit or slot in the plate or frame e above the overflow
vessel, which vessel is formed at the front end of the meter; f is a weight
which is applied to the frame b, and
being fixed in any desired position.
working of the regulating vessel and
shewn in Figure 1 of the Drawing is
nearly so. The water line in the meter may at times be higher or lower than
that which is shewn in the Diagram, but never so low as to come below the "
upper part of the opening at formed at the front end of the measuring drum,
otherwise the gas would pass out through the opening a into the case of the**
meter; g is the overflow vessel or waste water box, which is at the front end
of the meter. This vessel is divided by a partition at g', as shewn at Figure 2,
by which arrangement water will at all times be in one part of the overflow
véssel up to the top of the partition g', which will cause the lower end of the
gas supply pipe h, which is open, to be constantly closed or covered by the
water in such manner as to prevent gas passing from the supply pipe h into
is capable of being slid thereon, and of
This weight is used to adjust the correct'
the measuring drum. The water level
that when the frame b is horizontal or

page_text: the waste water box g. Any water which may overflow the partition g¹ can
be run off by the plug-hole g³ when desired. The gas supply pipe h enters the
méter at the upper part, and at the front end of the meter the pipe h is bent;
änd, as before stated, enters into and descends to near the bottom of the
overflow vessel g. The gas supply pipe h has two branches h¹ and h²; the
branch h¹ passes laterally till it comes under the front end of the inverted
vessel or regulator, then the pipe ascends in an inclined direction; so as to
come above the highest water level at the back end of the inverted vessel,
leaving, however, à distance between the upper end of the pipe h¹ and the
inner surface of the back end of the inverted vessel, so that that vessel may
rise and fall freely in the water without touching the upper end of the pipe h¹,
where it comes above the water level within the inverted vessel or regulator.
By this means it will be evident that the regulating vessel will at all times:
be filled with gas above the water level of the meter, and the rising of the
regulating vessel will tend to depress the axis a and the measuring drum!
The effect of this tendency to depress the axis of the drum is regulated by
the position of the weight on the lever frame b, before mentioned. The effect
of the branch pipe h¹ inclining from the front to the back end of the inverted
vessel will be to prevent any gas being taken from the meter by tilting the
meter backwards, as by so doing the water in the-meter would descend down
the pipe h. The supply of water to the meter is introduced through the
pipe i, which is applied at the front end of the meter; as is also the case with
the gas supply pipe h, and also the outlet pipe; and at the upper part or
top of the inverted vessel or regulator d is applied a flexible surface valve or
stop, which when it comes against the inner end of the outlet pipe will stop
the
passage of gas out of the meter. The gas from the supply pipe passes to
the measuring drum. through the branch pipe h², which enters the opening a
in the front end of the drum, and rises to the height of the proper highest
water level of the meter, so that it will be understood that this branch h² rises
to a height' somewhat less above the water than the branch h,
a height somewhat above the highest water level in the meter. The water in
the meter will be prevented standing above the top of the branch pipe h³, as
the water will, when it comes to the top of such branch h², flow down through
it into the overflow vessel; k is a worm or screw on the front end of the axis
of the drum, which takes into and drives the long pinion 7, which is on the
axis: m; by which the number of revolutions of the measuring drum is
registered in the ordinary manner. The water is drawn off from the meter at
the plug-hole n.
which rises to

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the parts separately; but what I claim is the combined arrangement herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Herman Kromschroeder, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
H. KROMSCHROEDER. (L.S.)