Improvements in Gas Meters.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1899-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1899
Improvements in Gas Meters.
I, JAMES COOPER SUTHERLAND, Engineer, of 35, Copeley Hill, in the City of
Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to gas meters, and its object is to produce an effective
and simple meter, having great capacity for small bulk, easily operated at low
gas pressure, and free from the disadvantages of the ordinary wet and dry gas
meters.-
į
My invention consists in a gas meter having a radially movable diaphragm or
diaphragms forming the measuring device, which radially movable diaphragm
or diaphragms is or are furnished with projections to pass into a space forming
a liquid seal. The chamber produced by the diaphragm and the part projecting
into the liquid seal is balanced internally by a balance weight operating within
the casing forming the seal. The chambers communicate with valves actuated
from a rotating spindle operated by the chambers. Oil is preferably used for
the purpose of the seal.
In carrying my invention into effect according to one modification, I provide
two moving chambers pivoted at opposite sides, and the one placed above the
other in order to take up the minimum of space. These moving chambers
operate within fixed chambers, one above the other, and divided one from the
other by a suitable partition plate. Each moving chamber operates from a
The
horizontal pivot or axle, and moves to and fro through any convenient arc.
side edges of the chamber dip into a recess; the front edge is struck from the
centre of oscillation; and the oil seal at that part is preferably made of the
same curvature. The back edge, near the axle dips, into a shallower continua-
tion of the oil or other liquid seal. The chamber thus moves up and down in
the liquid seal, furnishing a perfectly air tight joint. Within the oil or other
liquid channel forming the seal I provide an enclosure containing a balance
weight pivoted upon a lever. One end of the lever communicates by a link
with the upper part of the moving chamber, and the other end of the lever
holds the balance weight. The chamber containing the balance weight opens
A passage
by a suitable aperture to the inner side of the moving chamber.
leads from this inner side to one of the meter valves. Another passage leads
from the outside of the moving chamber to the same valve. Both chambers
are similarly arranged with corresponding passages. The oscillating axles are
provided with levers at their outer ends, and these levers connect by links to a
crank pin upon a crank disc. The connection is so made that the two chambers
operate at right angles to each other on the crank pin. They thus provide a
driving force operating at all times round the circle as in a dry meter.
crank disc drives a bevil wheel, which gears into another bevil wheel, and
operates a vertical shaft. The vertical shaft is thus rotated, and hy
pin or eccentric or other connection, it actuates two slide valves operating on
ports arranged as in steam engine ports, that is, with three ports, one in the
middle, and two outside. A slide valve operates the three ports exactly as in
The
crank

page_text: the steam engine. When gas is passed through the meter it actuates the two
moving chambers, causing each. chamber to alternately rise and fall, admitting
gas on
one side, and discharging it on the other alternately. Suitable pipes
connect from both sides of each moving chamber to each valve.
By my invention the meter operates with a minimum of friction, and mea-
sures with great accuracy. The horizontal oscillating spindles are packed in
any usual manner, and supply and discharge plugs are arranged to fill in oil or
other liquid required for the purpose of the liquid seal.
My invention may be carried into effect in various ways but one feature con-
sists in radially moving chambers applied as described.
101 1
1000
MARKS & CLERK,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Gas Meters.
I, JAMES COOPER SUTHERLAND, of 35, Copeley Hill, in the City of Birming-
ham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
-
My invention relates to gasmeters, and its object is to produce an effective
and simple meter having great capacity for small bulk absorbing a minimum
amount of energy easily operated at low gas pressure, and free from the disad-
vantages of the ordinary wet and dry gas meters.
My invention consists in a gas meter having a radially movable diaphragm or
diaphragms forming the measuring device, which radially movable diaphragm
or diaphragms is or are furnished with projections to pass into a space forming
a liquid seal. The chamber produced by the diaphragm and the part projecting
into the liquid seal is balanced internally by a balance weight operating within
the casing forming the seal. The chambers communicate with valves actuated
from a rotating spindle operated by the diaphragms when driven by the gas to
be measured. Oil is preferably used for the purpose of the seal.
Referring to the accompanying two sheets of drawings:-
Figure shows diagrammatically an elevation partly in section of one form
of the meter, and
Figure 2 shows a sectional elevation of the same, the section being taken on
the line X Y, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a front elevation with the outside part of the meter case removed,
and showing the method of obtaining rotary motion for operating the distri-
buting valves and recording train.
Figure 4 is a sectional plan on the line S T, of Figure 3. It shows the dis-
tributing slide valves and their connections.
In carrying my invention into effect according to one modification, I provide
two moving chambers a and b pivoted at opposite sides at a¹ and b', and the one
placed above the other in order to take up the minimum of space. These
moving chambers operate within fixed chambers c and d, one above the
other and divided one from the other by a suitable partition plate c. Each
moving chamber operates from a horizontal pivot or axle, and moves to and fro
through any convenient arc, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1. The
side edges of the chamber dip into recesses a² and 6 respectively; the front
edges 3 and 63 are struck from the centre of oscillation; and the oil seals at

page_text: these parts are preferably made of the same curvature. The back edge near
the axle dips into a shallower continuation of the oil or other liquid seal. The
chamber thus moves up and down in the liquid seal, furnishing a perfectly gas-
tight joint. Within the oil or other liquid channel forming the scal I provide
enclosures and containing balance weights a and b pivoted upon levers a
and 66. At one end the levers communicate by links and b with the upper
parts of the moving chambers a and b respectively, and at the other end the
levers hold the balance weights a5 and 65. The chambers containing the balance
weights are open to the inner side of the moving chambers respectively. A
passage f¹ (see Figures 2, 3, and 4) leads from the inner side of the upper
chamber to the port f at one end of the valve f. Another passage f³ leads
from the outside of the moving chamber a to the port fi at the other end of the
same valve. The centre port fo communicates with the outlet pipe of the
meter and the chamber over the valve is connected to the gas inlet pipe i.
Both chambers are similarly arranged with corresponding passages.
The
Thus the inner side of the lower chamber 6 is connected to the port g2 at one
end of the valve by the passage g¹. Another passage g³ leads from the outside
of the moving chamber 6 to the port g at the other end of the valve g.
centre port similarly communicates with the outlet pipe h of the meter, and
the chamber over the valve g is also connected to the gas inlet pipe i.
The oscillating axles a and b are provided with levers ; and k respectively
at their outer ends, and these levers connect by links ¹ and k¹ to a crank pin
upon a crank disc m. The connection is so made that the two chambers operate
at right angles to each other on the crank pin. They thus provide a driving
force operating at all times round the circle as in a dry meter. The crank disc
drives a bevil wheel », which gears into another bevil wheel n¹, and operates a
vertical shaft o. The vertical shaft o is thus rotated, and by a crank pin such
as por eccentric or other connection, it actuates the two slide valves f and g
connecting the ports which are arranged as in steam engine ports. Each slide
valve operates the three ports exactly as in the steam engine. When gas is
passed through the meter it actuates the two moving chambers a and b causing
each chamber to alternately rise and fall, admitting gas on one. side, and dis-
charging it on the other, alternately.
This
By my invention owing to the diaphragm working radially and my special
arrangement of parts the meter operates with a minimum of friction, measures
with great accuracy and causes only a very small fall of gas pressure.
meter I find will operate with a pressure of about three tenths of an inch of
water. The horizontal oscillating spindles a¹ and b' are packed in any usual
manner, and supply and discharge plugs 9 and r are arranged to fill in oil or
other liquid required for the purpose of the liquid seal.
Indicating mechanism of any usual type is driven from the moving diaphragms
and shows the gas passed through the meter.
My invention may be carried into effect in various ways, for example the
balance weights may be connected by other systems of linkage to the moving
chambers without departing from my invention, but one main feature consists
in radially moving chambers applied as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
i
1. In gas meters internally balanced, liquid sealed diaphragms operated radially
under the gas pressure in suitable fixed chambers, and adapted to measure out
gas substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
2. In gas meters double acting radially operating and internally balanced
liquid sealed diaphragms adapted to measure out gas, substantially as described.
3. In gas meters the combination of the double acting, radially operating,

page_text: internally balanced, liquid sealed diaphragms with rotating mechanism for
operating the distributing valves and recording gear, substantially as described.
4. The improved gas meter herein before described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of July 1899.