IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Decastro, of Mortlake, in the County
Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS."
Sealed the 18th March 1873, and dated the 1st January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Decastro at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st January 1873.
I, DANIEL DECASTRO, of Mortlake, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS METERS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that form of gas meter known as the wet gas
meter, and is applicable more especially to wet gas meters constructed
according to the Specification of Letters Patent granted to James John
Shedlock, dated March 9th 1869, and Numbered 711.
The first part of my Invention consists of an improved method of
adjusting the proper height of the water level so as to ensure correct
registration.

page_text: In the Specification of James John Shedlock, already referred to, a
tube is provided having a partition fixed diagonally in the interior, and
two apertures made therein, one on either side of the partition. The
tube is held vertically at its ends by two stuffing boxes fixed on the
upper and lower parts of the chamber in which the tube is placed. The
upper end of the tube communicates with the square front of the meter,
and the lower end with the overflow or waste water chamber. The
lower part of the chamber containing the tube communicates with the
drum case below the water line, and the upper part of the tube chamber
with the gas passage from the inlet pipe.
My improved method consists in holding the said tube vertically at
its ends without the use of stuffing boxes for the purpose. In order to
do this I form the whole or part of the top and bottom of the chamber
(which I prefer to make semicircular in plan) in which the tube is
placed, of lead, pewter, or other suitable substance sufficiently flexible
and ductile, and I fix the ends of the tube into the flexible top and
bottom of the chamber described, preferably by soldering. By this
arrangement the flexibility of the top and bottom of the chamber is
sufficient to allow the tube to be raised or lowered until it has been
adjusted to its proper height, and their rigidity is sufficient to retain it
in such position when adjusted.
In order to convey the gas into the upper part of the chamber
containing the tube already described, instead of using a pipe outside
the said chamber and communicating with its upper part for the
purpose, I use an independent pipe inside the said chamber, its lower ?
end being fixed in the bottom of the chamber, and its upper end opening
into the upper part of the chamber, and in order to convey any surplus
water from the adjustable tube I attach an independent pipe to the
lower end of the tube outside the chamber, and I bend this pipe so
that its lower end may reach nearly to the bottom of the waste water
box.
The adjustable tube may be formed of two tubes fixed side by side,
having suitable openings in them, instead of one tube having a diagonal
1*1*

page_text: I form the inlet through which gas is admitted to the meter of a
short pipe having a union joint or other suitable attachment at its upper
end, and I make its lower end closed, but I form an opening from its
side into a hollow bracket (which also serves to strengthen the pipe).
This bracket is open underneath, and is situated immediately over the
inlet valve, which is regulated by a float in the usual way, as described
and shewn in the Specification of James John Shedlock already referred
to. By this arrangement the passages to the inlet valve are much
simplified, and they occupy less space, so that more room is left for the
index and the gear driving it.
Sometimes I arrange the pipe directly over the inlet valve, which
rises into it when open, and in this case I make the pipe sufficiently
large at its lower end to allow free ingress for the gas round the valve,
and I arrange partitions across the pipe to prevent the valve from being
interfered with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Daniel Decastro in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
DECASTRO, of Mortlake, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Daniel Decastro, Her special licence that I,
the said Daniel Decastro, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Daniel Decastro, 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 GAS METERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Daniel Decastro, my executors or

page_text: 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 Daniel Decastro, 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 statement and accompanying Drawing (that is to say)
This Invention relates to that form of gas meter known as the wet gas
meter, and is applicable more especially to wet gas meters constructed
according to the Specification of Letters Patent granted to James John
Shedlock, dated March 9th 1869, and numbered 711.
The first part of my Invention consists of an improved method of
adjusting the proper height of the water level so as to ensure correct
registration.
In the Specification of James John Shedlock already referred to, a
tube is provided having a partition fixed diagonally in the interior, and
two apertures made therein, one on either side of the partition. The
tube is held vertically at its ends by two stuffing boxes fixed on the
upper and lower parts of the chamber in which it is placed. The upper
end of the tube communicates with the square front of the meter, and
the lower end with the overflow or waste water chamber. The lower part
of the chamber containing the tube communicates with the drum case
below the water line, and the upper part of the tube chamber with the
gas passage from the inlet pipe.
My improved method consists in holding the said. tube vertically at
its ends without the use of stuffing boxes for the purpose. In order to
do this I form the whole or part of the top and bottom of the chamber
(which I prefer to make semicircular in plan) in which the tube is
placed, of lead, pewter, or other suitable substance sufficiently flexible
and ductile, and I fix the ends of the tube into the flexible top and
bottom of the chamber described, preferably by soldering. By this
arrangement the flexibility of the top and bottom of the chamber is

page_text: sufficient to allow the tube to be raised or lowered until it has been
adjusted to its proper height, and their rigidity is sufficient to retain it
in such position when adjusted.
In order to convey the gas into the upper part of the chamber
containing the tube already described, instead of using a pipe outside the
said chamber and communicating with its upper part for the purpose, I
sometimes use an independent pipe (one or more) inside the said
chamber, its outer end being fixed in the bottom of the chamber (or
communicating with the gas space in the drum), and its inner end
opening into the upper part of the chamber, or I sometimes make an
opening directly from the gas space in the drum to the upper part of
the chamber, and in order to convey any surplus water from the
adjustable tube I sometimes attach an independent pipe to the lower
end of the tube ouside the chamber, and I bend this pipe so that its
3 lower end may reach nearly to the bottom of the waste water box.
The adjustable tube first described may be formed of two tubes fixed
side by side, having suitable openings in them, instead of one tube
having a diagonal partition, or they may be formed of two tubes, one
above the other, the top of the lower one being widened out, and level
or nearly so with the bottom of the upper one, and the two being
connected together by suitable strips or fastenings.
The index of the meter has motion transmitted to it in the ordinary
method.
I form the inlet through which gas is admitted to the meter of a short
5 pipe having a union joint or other suitable attachment at its upper end,
and I make its lower end closed, but I form an opening from its side
into a hollow bracket (which also serves to strengthen the pipe). This
bracket is open underneath, and is situated immediately over the inlet
valve, which is regulated by a float in the usual way, as described and
shewn in the Specification of James John Shedlock already referred to.
By this arrangement the passages to the inlet valve are much simplified,
and they occupy less space, so that more room is left for the index and
the gear driving it.
Sometimes I arrange the pipe directly over the inlet valve, which rises
into it when open, and in this case I make the pipe sufficiently large at

page_text: its lower end to allow free ingress for the gas round the valve, and I
arrange partitions across the pipe to prevent the valve from being
interfered with.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawing is in illustration of my
Invention.
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section; and Figure 2 is a plan partly
in section of part of a gas meter; Figure 3 is a cross section of the inlet
pipe and passages.
E
In Figures 1 and 2 a is the adjustable tube by which the level of the
water in the drum of the meter is regulated, and is the diagonal 1
division fitted in it as described. The tube a is attached to the top c.
and the bottom d of the chamber f, which are made of sufficient
flexibility to allow the tube to be raised or lowered to the extent
required for adjustment, by means of the rod y.
In Figures 1 and 2, 9 shews the pipe by which gas is admitted into 1
the upper part of the chamber f. The pipe 7 is attached to the bottom d
of the chamber f, and at its lower extremity communicates with the
chamber (into which the gas is admitted by the inlet pipe m). The
waste water which passes down the tube a may be allowed to escape
into the waste water chamber 7 by means of the curved pipe n (shewn in ?
dotted lines) which is fixed to the bottom of the tube a, or it may be
allowed to escape down a separate tube, as shewn.
The gas inlet to the meter consists of the piper closed at its lower
end, but communicating through its side with the hollow bracket s
(Figure 3). This bracket is fixed over the inlet valve t, which is
regulated by the float was already described. x, x, are partitions which
prevent the valve from being interfered with.
In Figure 1 o shews an opening through which gas enters the
chamber from the drum case, instead of through the pipe g.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I claim, the method of attaching the adjustable
tube to the top and bottom of the chamber, substantially as described
and shewn in the Drawing.
Also the method of admitting the gas to the upper part of the said

page_text: by a pipe W
same or from the arum case, substantiany
as described and shewn in the Drawing.
Also the method of withdrawing the waste water from the adjustable
tube, as described and shewn in the Drawing.
Also the methods of arranging the inlet supply pipe and valve, sub-
stantially as described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Decastro, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
DANIEL DE CASTRO. (L.S.)