IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY AND. WET GAS METERS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Herbert Browne, of Theobald's Road; and
Henry Armstrong, of Manchester Street, both in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Gas Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY AND.
WET GAS METERS."
Sealed the 18th March 1868, and dated the 18th September 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Herbert, Browne
and Henry Armstrong at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 18th September 1862:
We, WILLIAM HERBERT BROWNE, of Theobald's Road, and HENRY ARM-
STRONG, of Manchester Street, both in the County of Middlesex, Gas
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DRY AND WET GAS METERS," to be as follows:--
Our Invention, as far as relates to dry meters, consists, first, in means of
causing the efficient working of the ordinary slide valves. This we accomplish
by connecting each slide valve loosely to a frame carried over or round the
valve furnished at back with a pin, which works in a hole formed in an
upright, while the other end of the frame is united to the connecting rod
whereby motion is communicated to the valve; pins also project from the fore
part of the frame and work in holes formed for their reception in other
uprights. By means of the frames the action of the valves both in advancing
and in the back stroke is the same. Second, in driving rotary valves in dry
gas meters from the lower part of such valves. For this purpose we fix eyes in

page_text: the lower part of the rim of the valve, and pass a wire or wires fast on the
valve spindle through such eyes.
Our Invention in wet meters consists in forming an enclosure, open at top,
round the aperture leading from the float case into the drum of the meter,
and in making the aperture of very small diameter, in order to prevent any
sudden pressure acting directly or without check in the float case, and thereby
forcing and keeping down the float
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Herbert Browne and Henry Armstrong in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 18th March 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
HERBERT BROWNE, of Theobald's Road, and HENRY ARMSTRONG, of Manchester
Street, both in the County of Middlesex, Gas Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said William Herbert Browne and Henry Armstrong, Her special licence
that we, the said William Herbert Browne and Henry Armstrong, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William
Herbert Browne and Henry Armstrong, our 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 DEY AND WET GAS METERS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Herbert Browne and
Henry Armstrong, or one of us, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or one of our, 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 we, the said William Herbert Browne and
Henry Armstrong, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and

page_text: ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:―
Our Invention, as far as relates to dry meters, consists, firsts, in means of
causing the efficient working of the ordinary slide valves. This we accomplish
by connecting each slide valve loosely to a frame carried over or round the
valve furnished at back with a pin,.which works in a hole formed in an
upright while the other end of the frame is united to the connecting rod,
whereby motion is communicated to the valve; pins also project from the fore
part of the frame, and work in holes formed for their reception in other
uprights. By means of the frames the action of the valves, both in advancing
and in the back stroke, is the same, that is to say, the valves are drawn in
both directions in contradistinction to their being drawn in one direction and
pushed in the other. Second, in driving rotary valves in dry gas meters from
the lower part of such valves. For this purpose we fix eyes in the lower part
of the rim of the valve, and pass a wire or wires fast on the valve spindlo
through such eyes. The main purpose of the improvements, before alluded
to, is to prevent the valves from being lifted from their seats, and thus
allowing the gas to pass unmeasured, as occasionally takes place with valves
as ordinarily fitted and constructed.
Our Invention in wet meters consists in forming an enclosure open at top
round the aperture leading from the float case into the drum of the meter,
and in making the aperture of very small diameter, in order to prevent any
sudden pressure acting directly or without check in the float case and thereby
forcing and keeping down the float.
.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2
a plan, shewing the manner in which the first part of our Invention is carried
into effect.
A is the valve, free to move to and fro on the surface framing of the ports ;
the valve is formed in a piece with side frames a, a, and b, 61, are cross bars
between the ends of the side frames; these cross bars have a hole or aperture
made about the centre to receive studs from a loose frame B, now about to be
described. This frame B is shewn detached in side elevation at Figure 8; it
is bent to fit over the valve A. c is a cross head in which one end of the
frame terminates, into which two horizontal guide pins d, d, are screwed or
otherwise fixed; & is a vertical stud, which projects both above and below the
cross head c; f is a similar but smaller cross head at the opposite end of the
frame carrying a horizontal guide pin g, and a vertical stud / projecting from
the under part of the cross head f; i is an upright carrying two eyes in which
the guide pins d, d, move to and fro; and k is a similar upright with one eye,

page_text: in which the guide pin g works; the lower part of the vertical stud h enters
the aperture formed in the cross bar b, while the vertical stud e enters the
aperture in the cross bar 61; the connecting rod is connected to the frame B
by an eye in one end thereof, through which the upper part of the vertical
stud e passes; the other end of the connecting rod is attached to a crank in
connection with the index. As many similar valves to that shewn in the
Drawings may be fitted to a dry gas meter as may be required.
The manner in which we carry the second part of our Invention into effect
is shewn at Figure 4, which is an oxtornal elevation of a rotary valve for dry
gas meters.
a, a, are the eyes, which we fix at the sides, and on the lower
part of the valve 6 is the valve spindle, and c, c, wires fast thereon, the lower
ends of which we pass through the eyes a, a.
Figure 5 is an elevation of a gas meter, the float chamber having the front
plate removed, shewing the manner in which we carry our Invention in wet
gas meters into effect. A is the float; B is a three-sided partition fitting
against the drum case and the bottom of the float chamber, but open at top;
a small aperture is made in one of the sides thereof, through which commu-
nication for the water in the float case and inside of the partition and interior
of the drum takes place; C is the overflow pipe, which we prefer to place
outside of the partition.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,―
First, constructing and fitting the valves of dry gas meters with a loose
frame, substantially in manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second, driving the rotary valves of dry gas meters from the base or lower
part thereof, as herein-before described.
And, third, fitting a partition inside the float chamber of wet gas meters,
in manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Herbert Browne, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three.