Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1887
Specification Accepted, 16th Dec., 1887
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 :-
The present invention refers to an improved gas and fluid meter which is in
form of a closed chamber surmounted by a box and comprises a meter a distributor
and an indicator.
In the accompanying drawings
:-
Fig. 1 represents a plan of the apparatus showing the parts of the indicator.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the chamber on line A-B of fig. 1 and a front
elevation of the box with its cap removed. The different parts of the apparatus are
represented in the position they occupy when the valves have begun to act; the
arrows indicate the direction of the gas or fluid.
The figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are respectively a vertical section, a horizontal section and
two side elevations of the distributor.
The figures 7 and 8 are an elevation and section of the connection between meter
and indicator provided with a tight joint.
S is the casing of the apparatus, A is the cover and F is the cap, the cover is
fastened to the casing by means of four bolts B¹ and thus is formed the chamber, a
packing ring being interposed to form a tight joint.
In the upper part of the casing the chamber is of cylindrical section, the other part
may be of any other suitable form. The two ends of the chamber communicate by
means of a passage H entirely formed in the casing S and being on its upper
part in form of a truncated cone and provided with an inlet O' and an outlet 02.
The outlet consists of a ring h to the bottom rim of which is fastened a movable
diaphragm constructed as follows:-a thin ring with inner annular groove is formed
at the lower rim of the ring and clips the outer periphery of an india-rubber or
other convenient flexible ring r, a thin ring 62 with outer annular groove clips the
inner periphery of the india-rubber ring and that of a second india-rubber ring, a
thin ring b¹ with inner annular groove clips the outer periphery of the second and a
2°

page_text: third ring, and so forth down to the last which consists of a disc and forms the bottom
of this movable diaphragm.
To one of the rings about the middle of the height of the movable diaphragm are
fastened check straps E which control the expansion of the movable diaphragm. In
the middle of its interior the diaphragm is provided with a perforated disc, fixed to
one of the rings 62 or clipped in one of the rings b¹ and to this disc is fixed a vertical
rod T which operates the distributor and the indicator.
A spring R fixed at one end to the casing guides and poises by the other end the
rod and the diaphragm of the meter.
It is easy to see that the diaphragm will be folded up every time the pressure of the
fluid or the gas acts from underneath and that it will expand when the pressure acts
from above.
This meter occupies the cylindrical chamber and form an impermeable partition,
and each of its pulsations between its two extreme positions i.e. either quite folded up
or quite expanded, measures a volume represented by the difference between these
positions.
The distributor consists of a truncated cone B and its principal parts are a duplex
valve a rocking beam having a spring, and a crank having a hinged yoke a spur and a
spring.
The cone B is inserted in the upper or conical part of the passage H and is here
fixed by means of a metal ring and a screw V and forms a tight joint. The partition
which the diaphragm forms in the chamber and the partition which the distributor
forms at the upper end of the passage H divides the chamber into two parts which are
never in communication with each other except during the very small instant during
which the valves are reversed.
To the cone of the distributor are fixed :
1. A support a provided with a notch at top and bottom which serve as fulcra for
the knife edges of certain other parts of the distributor.
2. A support a² with a similar notch, and
3. Two attachments a at which hold the rocking beam and the crank of the
distributor in position.
The cone B is formed with two cylindrical passages the axes of which are in the
same plane and provided with a projecting rim at each of their ends. In these
passages are the valves the spindles of which are of triangular section rounded off at
the angles and each of which valves is in communication with one of two openings o¹
and o, o of which is for the inlet and o² for the outlet and which correspond
respectively with the openings 01 02 of the passage H.
These valves S¹ S, S¹ being for the inlet and S for the outlet, are pivotted on a
cross piece provided with an upwardly projecting piece t; and the valves being of a
triangular section leave the cylindrical passages in the cone always open and in com-
munication with their respective openings. These valves, the triangular parts of
which are a little longer than the passages in the cone are at each of their ends
provided with a leather or any other suitable packing y.
is
The valves are so arranged that when one is open at one end of the cone the other
open
at the other end of the cone and vice versa, and that they are reversed with
each oscillation of the cross piece connecting them.
The rocking beam is in form of a bridge with a single truss and one of the abut-
ments c¹ of this bridge has a knife edge working in the notch formed in the lower part
of the support a' and held in position by the attachment as while the other abutment c²
forms a hollow triangle the knife edge on the lower angle of which works in the
notch formed in the support a' and it is held in position by the attachment a*.
The bridge formed by this rocking beam has in the centre of its length and width
an opening for the reception of the projection t of the cross piece connecting the
valves. This opening limits the movement of the projection t by its sides e¹ e² and its
width can be adjusted by means of the screws vi v².
The rocking beam is provided with a spring R2 which keeps the valves indirectly in
position and accelerates their reversing. This spring has two pawls on its arbor the

page_text: upper one of which engages in the notch in the upper part of the support a and the
other which is notched moves in a notch formed on top of the abutment c¹ of the
rocking beam.
The crank is in yoke form one arm f¹ of which provided with a knife edge works
in the hollow of the triangle of the abutment c² of the rocking beam and the other
arm is provided with a pin p and a hinged yoke g¹ with a slot for the pin p and
adjusted by means of the screws v³ v4.
This crank is provided with a spring R³ for the purpose of indirectly reversing the
valves and it must for this reason be stronger than the spring R2 which merely holds
the valves in position. This spring R³ is also provided with two pawls the upper one
of which engages in the notch formed at the top of the support a¹ while the other i¹
engages in a notch formed in the crank at the foot of the arm f2.
In the hinged yoke g¹ engages the cross bar formed at the top of the rod T of the
diaphragm.
The operation of the meter and the distributor is as follows: In fig. 2 the parts are
represented in the position after the reversing of the valves; the inlet valve S¹ being
open at the top and the outlet valve S2 at the bottom, the opening o² of the cone B is
therefore in communication with the lower compartment of the chamber and the
opening o¹ of the cone in communication with the upper compartment. The pressure
of the gas or liquid will now expand the diaphragm and the gas or liquid contained
in the lower compartment will be forced out through the outlet. The expanding
diaphragm draws the rod T and with this the crank down which latter will bring
the spring R³ to its maximum.tension i.e. to its dead point which it cannot without
pass
uncoiling. At this moment the diaphragm is almost completely expanded, an instant
more and the spring R³ which is stronger than the spring R2 will uncoil itself and
accelerate the movement of the crank which will push the rocking beam over; this
latter will push the projection of the cross piece connecting the valves to the other
side and thus reverse the valves. The diaphragm has now made a pulsation and a
volume of gas or fluid has been discharged equal to the difference in the extreme
capacities of which the meter is capable. A new pulsation of the diaphragm will take
place and a fresh volume be discharged and it is only necessary to count the pulsations
to ascertain the total volume discharged.
This is done by the indicator the counting and indicating mechanism of which is of
the usual type, but is provided with a peculiar transmission of the movement to the
spindle which carries the worm ; q² is this spindle which carries two ratchet wheels ;
one of these ratchet wheels m' turns loose on the spindle and is provided with teeth
of the same pitch but not of the same depth, it has one or more teeth of a greater
depth than the others. The second ratchet wheel m² is keyed onto the spindle and is
provided with regular teeth of the same number than the wheel m¹ and the depth of
its teeth is at exactly the same distance from the centre as the depth of the deeper
teeth of the wheel m'. These wheels are provided with pawls n¹ n² and have a
common pawl K operated by forked rod passing through a stuffing box in the
lid A.
This pawl K turns the loose wheel m¹ regularly but does not move the fixed wheel m²
except when it engages with one of the deeper teeth of the loose wheel m¹.
The object of this arrangement is to diminish the great number of gearing wheels
which a meter registering small quantities would necessitate and if the wheel m¹ had
only one deep tooth it would have to make an entire revolution before it would permit
the pawl to engage with the wheel m² and move this for the space of one tooth and
thus turn the spindle q².
The connection between the indicator and the rod T of the diaphragm which operates
the indicator consists of a bell crank pivotted to the support a¹. One of the arms of
this bell crank forms a yoke for the reception of the cross head of the rod T, the other
arm carries a pin g' which operates the forked rod of the indicator. In this manner
two successive pulsations of the diaphragm will advance the wheel m³ for the space
of one tooth.
The tight joint between the forked rod of the indicator and the lid of the chamber

page_text: is made of india-rubber or other suitable material, and the rod oscillates in a perforated
plug a screwed into the hole in the lid with an interposed packing ring, this plug a
projects a little downwards around the forked rod and is held in position by a nut
screwed onto the top.
The tight joint between the forked rod and the perforated plug consists of
a small spiral spring R4 and an india-rubber tube ³ which encircle the forked rod and
the downward projecting part of the perforated plug, the tube being simply fastened
by a wire or thread which does not rot or oxidise.
It must be understood that the above described apparatus may be constructed of
any size, form or material or that the screws adjusting the opening in the rocking
beam and the screws adjusting the action of the yoke on the crank may be dispensed
with; it may also be remarked that the rings clipping the india-rubber rings of the
diaphragm may be dispensed with and that the diaphragm may be constructed of one
or two pieces only without departing from the principle of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
1. In a gas or fluid meter a movable diaphragm which forms an impermeable par-
tition in the chamber of the apparatus and comprises rings of india-rubber or other
suitable material the outer peripheries of which are clipped together by thin rings
with inner annular grooves and the inner peripheries by thin rings with outer annular
grooves, and a disc which forms the bottom; this diaphragm being provided with
check straps which keep it away from the inner walls of the chamber and limit the
expansion of the said diaphragm which is further provided with a rod guided and
poised by a suitable spring which rod operates the distributor and the indicator; in
short a movable diaphragm being capable of two extreme capacities according as to
whether it is expanded or folded up which measures at each pulsation a volume of gas
or fluid represented by the difference between the two extreme capacities and which
works without any friction and is impermeable, so as to prevent escape either way,
substantially as and for the purpose specified and represented in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a gas or fluid meter a distributor forming a tight joint at the upper end of
the passage connecting the upper and lower parts of the chamber, the body of the
distributor being formed with two passages with projecting rims in permanent com-
munication the one with the inlet and the other with the inlet, in which passages work
the valves of triangular section with rounded angles and provided with suitable
packing and the reversing of which also reverses the feeding and discharge; the
said distributor further comprising a movable rocking beam working on knife
edges which moves the cross piece connecting the valves by means of projections with
set screws and which is provided with a suitable spring carrying pawls to hold the
valves in position and to reverse them at the proper moment; the said rocking beam
not acting on the cross piece connecting the valves until it has brought its spring to
the greatest tension; the distributor comprising further a crank, one of the arms of
which is provided with a knife edge and works in a notch of the said rocking beam
while the other arm is provided with a stud passing through a slot of a hinged yoke
with set screws, the crank being provided with a similar spring to that of the rocking
beam for the purpose of accelerating the movement of the said crank at the moment
of the reversing of the valves; the distributor reversing the valves instantaneously;
in one word a distributor the movable parts of which are of great sensitiveness and
do not permit of any escape of gas or fluid in either direction, substantially as and
for the purpose specified and represented in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a gas or fluid meter an indicator of the usual construction but provided with
a second ratchet wheel which turns loose on the spindle with the worm and is provided
with one or more teeth of extra depth so as to prevent the pawl to turn the driving
ratchet wheel unless it engages with one of the deeper teeth; in one word an indicator
which reduces the number of gearing wheels necessary for meters registering small

page_text: quantities to the usual number substantially as specified and represented in the
accompanying drawings.
4. The connection provided with a tight joint between the indicator and the rod of
the meter, comprising a bell crank pivotted to the distributor one arm of which is
formed with a slot in which engages the rod of the meter and the other arm provided
with stud to operate the forked end of the rod which carries the pawl of the indicator
the tight joint consisting of a perforated plug with a projecting rim round the opening
and fixed on suitable packing in the lid of the chamber, the rod of the indicator
passing through the perforated plug the tight joint being formed by means of a small
spiral spring surrounding the said rod and the projecting rim of the plug the whole
surrounded again by an india-rubber tube fastened in any suitable manner sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified and represented in the accompanying
drawings.
5. In a gas or fluid meter the arrangement of each particular part as also the
combination of the whole of them substantially as and for the purpose specified and
represented in the accompanying drawings.