IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING AND RECORDING THE QUALITY OF GAS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Warburton, of Hythe, in the County of Kent,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING AND
RECORDING THE QUALITY OF GAS."-A communication from abroad by
Christopher Friedleben, of Offenbach, Germany.
Sealed the 25th October 1867, and dated the 7th June 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Warburton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th June 1867.
I, JAMES WARBURTON, of. Hythe, in the County of Kent, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR.
REGISTERING AND RECORDING THE QUALITY OF GAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for registering
and recording the quality of gas. For this purpose a gas meter is employed,
in the exit pipe from which is placed a disc of platinum having a small hole
formed through it, through which the gas in escaping has to pass; if gas of a
light specific gravity is coming through the meter the gas will pass quickly
through the fine hole, whereas if the gas be of a heavier specific gravity it will
not escape so readily, and consequently the drum of the meter will make fewer

page_text: revolutions in a given period of time than when a gas of light specific gravity
is passing.
In order to record the number of revolutions made by the drum of the
meter a cam is placed on the axis of the drum, which cam is so formed
that at each revolution it first raises one arm of a lever resting upon it and
then allows it to drop suddenly. As this arm of the lever is being raised its
other arm depresses the short arm of a bell-crank lever, the longer arm of
which carries a fine needle point, and when the cam allows the lever to drop
the bell-crank lever is acted on by a spring so as to quickly shoot forward the
needle point, which then passes through a disc of paper carried by a wheel or
disc to which a slow rotating motion is given by clockwork, it being by
preference caused to make one revolution every twenty-four hours; immediately
after the point has punctured the paper it is withdrawn by a counterbalance
weight. The needle point is moveable on the arm of the bell-crank lever,
so that it may be set to puncture the paper disc at different distances from
the centre, and thus the same disc may be used for more than a single day.
The face of the disc of paper has divisions marked upon it in a similar
manner to the dial of a clock; thus the number of revolutions of the meter
in a given space of time will readily be seen by the number of perforations
made in the paper disc during that time. The meter is furnished with a
water gauge in order that the water level may be accurately maintained.
A thermograph is also applied to the inlet pipe of the meter in order to
record the temperature of the gas passing through it, and also an apparatus
is applied for registering the pressure of the gas passing to the meter.
order to maintain a regular flow of gas, and prevent the flow being affected
by currents of air, the gas after passing through the fine hole in the disc across
the exit pipe is led by the pipe into a closed vessel partially filled with water;
the end of the pipe dips below the water, and the gas in escaping rises
up through it and is led away by a pipe passing from the top of the vessel. A
constant water level is carefully maintained in this vessel by the aid of a water
gauge.
In
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Warburton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th December 1867.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Warburton, Her special licence that I, the said James Warburton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such.others as I, the said James
Warburton, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR REGISTERING AND RECORDING THE QUALITY OF GAS," a communication to me
from abroad by Christopher Friedleben, of Offenbach, Germany, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Warburton, 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 Warburton, 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 :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for registering
and recording the quality of gas. For this purpose a gas meter is employed,
in the exit pipe from which is placed a disc of platinum having a small hole
formed through it through which the gas in escaping has to pass; if gas of a
light specific gravity is coming through the meter the gas will pass quickly
through the fine hole, whereas if the gas be of a heavier specific gravity it
will not escape so readily, and consequently the drum of the meter will make
fewer revolutions in a given period of time than when a gas of light specific
gravity is passing.
In order to record the number of revolutions made by the drum of
the meter a cam is placed on or geared with the axis of the drum,
which cam is so formed that at each revolution it first raises one arm of a
lever resting upon it and then allows it to drop suddenly. As this arm of the
lever is being raised its other arm depresses the short arm of a bell-crank
lever, the longer arm of which carries a fine needle point, and when the cam
allows the lever to drop the bell-crank lever is acted on by a spring, so as to

page_text: quickly shoot forward the needle point, which then passes through a disc of
paper carried by a wheel or disc to which a slow rotating motion is given by
clockwork, it being by preference caused to make one revolution every twenty-
four hours; immediately after the point has punctured the paper it is withdrawn
by a counterbalance weight. The needle point is moveable on the arm of
the bell-crank lever so that it may be set to puncture the paper disc at different
distances from the centre, and thus the same disc may be used for more than
a single day. The face of the disc of paper has divisions marked upon it in a
similar manner to the dial of a clock; thus the number of revolutions of the
meter in a given space of time will readily be seen by the number of per-
forations made in the paper disc during that time. The meter is furnished
with a water gauge in order that the water level may be accurately maintained.
A thermograph is also applied to the inlet pipe of the meter in order to
record the temperature of the gas passing through it; and also an apparatus
is applied for registering the pressure of the gas passing to the meter.
order to maintain a regular flow of gas and prevent the flow being affected
by currents of air the gas after passing through the fine hole in the disc across
the exit pipe is led by the pipe into a closed vessel partially filled with water;
the end of the pipe dips below the water, and the gas in escaping rises up
through it and is led away by a pipe passing from the top of the vessel.
constant water level is carefully maintained in this vessel by the aid of a water
gauge.
In
A
In order that the Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
A is a box or case containing a small gas meter, the water in which may
always be maintained at the same level by a filling and drawing off apparatus b
placed outside the case A, as shewn; the water level in the meter can also at
all times be seen by the water gauge c; d is a cam driven by gearing from
the axis of the drum of the meter, against the surface of this cam rests the end
of the longer arm of the lever e; the shorter arm of this lever comes above the
horizontal arm of the bell-crank lever h; the vertical arm of this lever carries
at its upper end a small weight or hammer f; this hammer has projecting
from it a stem carrying at its end a small needle point which is to puncture
a disc of paper B, to which a slow continuous revolving motion is imparted
from the clockwork C; this clockwork is by preference constructed to run for
a considerable time without winding, say for a week or fortnight. The disc of
paper B is held between two wheels or discs k and i, which are pressed together

page_text: by a spring. The disc of paper B is also held or backed up by a spring at the
spot where it is to be pierced by the needle point. By this arrangement the,
disc of paper B upon which the marks are made must be changed..every
twelve hours or other division of time.
of
!
Figure 3 shows another marking apparatus. In this arrangement the disc
paper is divided into twenty hours or divisions, and is marked by a pencil,
or pointer which is. drawn back by the lever e, and (when' freed therefrom):
pressed forward by a spring f to cause the pencil or pointer to mark the disc ;
the pencil or pointer is at one point of the circle moved downwards from one
ring or circle to the ring or circle below it; by this arrangement the disc of
paper need only be changed once a week. The gas enters the apparatus
through a very sensitive but constant pressure gauge D, the proper working!
of which is controlled by the indicator E, the water level in which governs
the pressure in the gauge D; from the regulator and indicator the gas passes,
through the gas meter in the case A, and escapes from this through a very
small passage or opening in the glass tube m to the burner n, where it is
burnt; the opening in the glass tube can be cleaned by means of a fine needle.
In order that the overflow of water from the meter and indicator may not
occasion any inconvenience it is received in the foot o of the apparatus, which
serves as a reservoir, and this when full may be emptied by the stop-cock p.
I will now describe the mode of adjusting and working this apparatus:-
The water level in the meter and indicator should first be looked to and
brought to the correct beight; the disc of paper is then put on and the
clockwork is then wound up; as soon as the air has been driven from all parts
of the apparatus the gas is lit at the small burner; the flame burns between
two graduated scales so that its height and width can readily be seen; the
amount of light given by the flame should' then be ascertained. The lighting
power of the gas passing through the apparatus is determined with the greatest
possible care by means of the photometer, and as soon as it has been brought
into accordance with the standard measure or with the lighting power required
the pressure of gas in the apparatus should be noted down and also the height
of flame and the speed of flow as marked upon the disc of paper, and this will
be the standard; when this has been done if the apparatus be used at a
distance from the gas works it is only necessary with the same pressure of gas
passing through the apparatus to read off the register, and if this be compared
with the height of the flame the quality of the gas will at once be given.
a. If the flame is lower with an equal or slower flow the gas contains
carbonic acid or other gas heavier and not lighter than itself, and has also less
lighting power.

page_text: b. If the flame is lower with a quicker flow the gas contains lighter
carburetted hydrogen or ammonia, and has also less lighting power.
c. If the flame is higher with a slower flow the gas contains heavier car-
buretted hydrogen, and has also more lighting power.
When making use of the recording apparatus for controlling the manufacture
of gas the flame must be so placed that one of the workmen may carefully
note down its height at suitable intervals during the night.
The gas recording apparatus possesses amongst others these advantages:-
1. It enables a gas manufacturer to control the quality of gas produced and
to increase or decrease its quality as required.
2. It enables a manufacturer to judge of and control the quality of the gas
being produced.
3. It enables a gas manufacturer to prove at any time by means of his
register the quality of gas produced on any preceding day or hour.
4. It puts the authorities of towns in a position to enforce their claims.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Warburton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
J. WARBURTON. (L.S.)