I- PROVEMENTS. IN DRY GAS METERS
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
EDWARD NOONE, of Hampstead Road, in the County of Middlesex, and
Church Street, Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
"
...WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighteenth day of February, in the fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Edward Noone, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said George Edward Noone, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, and such otliers as I, the said George Edward Noone, my
executors, administrators, or assigns,, shall at any time agree with; and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make,, use, exercise, and vend; within
England, Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed; my Invention of I-
PROVEMENTS. IN DRY GAS METERS; ".in which said Letters Patent is contained:
a proviso, obliging me, the said. George Edward Noone, by. an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after. tho date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in complianco with the said proviso, I, the said
George Edward Noone, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
:-
My Invention of "Improvements in Dry Gas Meters" consists in a novel
arrangement of mechanism, by the application of which to meters of this
description the quantity of gas passing through them from the street main to
burners for the purposes of illumination may be registered or ascertained with
greater precision even at the lowest pressure to which in operation they are
likely to be submitted. The improved mechanism is, moreover, calculated to
prevent the possibility of gas passing through the meter without being regis-
tered; owing to its being placed in an inclined position it is not liable to
derangement, and is protected from the danger of becoming corroded by
the gas.
My Invention also consists in an improved mode of manufacturing the
fexiblo partition or diaphragm commonly used in such meters, for the purpose
of forming the two chambers, in each of which alternately the gas as it passes
through the meter is retained, in order that its quantity may be registered
before proceeding to the burner. The object of this improvement is to regu-
late the size of the diaphragm, so that the degree of tension in it, which is
best suited for the duc working of the meter, may bo always secured.
These improvements will, I conceive, be readily understood upon referenco
to the accompanying Drawing, and the following description thereof. Fig. 1
is a transverse vertical section of the meter, taken in the lino a, b, shewing the
parts as they would appear just at the time when the pressure of the incoming
gas upon the flexible partition or diaphragm has caused a change in the
passages; that is to say, the gas which has entered one of the chambers and
been retained there, has now a passage opened for its departure through the
exit pipe to the burner, and the opposite chamber just exhausted of gas is
free to receive a fresh supply to act in like manner upon the opposite side of
the diaphragm. In this Figuro the gas passages are shewn in red lines.
Figs. 2 and 3 are back and front sections of the meter in the lines c, d, and
c, f; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section in the line g, h, the parts being
represented in the positions they would occupy at the period just mentioned.
In all these Figures similar letters indicate corresponding parts. A and B
are the two chambers or compartments, into which the meter is divided by the
flexible partition or diaphragm a, composed of leather or other suitable

page_text: material, fastened to the casing by a ring of metal, as shewn, or otherwise, as
desired; is a jointed lever, connected with the diaphragm, through which
motion is communicated to the several working parts, placed upon the axle or
shaft c, suitably mounted in bearings at d; e is a pipe through which the gas
enters the meter from the main; and e, a pipe through which, when registered,
it is conducted therefrom to the burner; f is a passage or way communicating
with the pipe e, and (what I call the disc way g; the latter is furnished with a
plug (of the form and construction herein-after to be described), which is
acted upon by the bent lever h, through the weighted cam or tumbler i, in
such a way that the gas passages become changed cach time that tho parts are
thrown over on either side by the pressure of gas upon the diaphragm in that
direction. is a passage or way, by which the gas enters the chamber or
compartment A; and 7 is also a passage or way through which it is introduced
into the chamber or compartment B, in each instance passing through the
disc way g, as its plug is made to form a communication between one or other
of these passages and the entrance pipe e; m is a bent lever on the shaft c,
acted upon by the weighted cam or tumbler i, which lever, from its connection
with another lever n on the opposite side of the shaft c, transmits motion from
the above-named working parts to the registering apparatus.
I procced now to describe the operations of this my improved mechanism
applicable to dry gas meters. The positions of the working parts being as above
stated, that is, the communication between the main and the chamber A closed,
and the same period opened to the chamber B, supposing gas at this time to
be coming into the meter through tho pipe e, it will pass along the way f
through the disc way g, which will now permit it to. continue its course along
the passage or way into the chamber B; having arrived there it exerts a
pressure upon the diaphragm a in the direction of from left to right (in
Fig. 1), causing it to move in that direction, taking with it the lever b, which
lever setting the shaft c in motion, carries with it the weighted cam or
tumbler i; the latter having proceeded until it has passed beyond a vertical
position, falls over by its gravity on to the side opposite to that shewn in the
Drawing; the consequence of which is, that the plug in the disc way g is now
made to open a communication between the chamber B. and the pipe e*,
through which the gas passes from this chamber to the burner along the
way; a communication is now also formed between the pipe,e (leading from
the main) and the chamber A through the passages or ways f and k, when the
supply of gas continuing, the above-described operation of the working parts
is repeated from right to left (Fig. 1). It will be observed that the above-
stated movement of the cam. or tumbler i would, through the connection shewn

page_text: between it and the lever n, cause the end of the latter next the shaft c to be
depressed, occasioning a corresponding elevation to its reverse end, which,
acting upon the teeth of a small trundle wheel o (as shewn), impels it forward
a short distance. Now, on the axis of this wheel o is fitted a worm, taking
into a worm wheel, which latter is thereby made to communicate motion to
the gearing in connection with the dial plates, so graduated as to point out the
quantity of gas passing through the meter. I would just observe bere, that
the end of the lever n, which acts upon the wheel o, is jointed as at p, in order
that in returning it shall slide freely past the next tooth, but when past it
presents a rigid obstacle to the tooth, and in due time lifts it forward, as
described. It must also be stated that the wheel o is prevented from returning
by a pall and ratchet wheel.
I desire now to explain more particularly the construction of what I have
called the disc way g, which is represented full size in the longitudinal and
two transverse sectional Figs. 5, 6, and 7. Figs. 8 and 9 exhibit in plan
and elevation its plug detached with the lever h, by which it is worked. The
disc way, it will be seen, consists of a kind of hollow cross, the upper and
lower arm of which communicate with the pipes e* and e, and the two side
arms with the chambers A and B; in the centre of this cross is placed the
plug, constructed as follows:-In the first instance a regular solid plug is
formed by grinding it, so as accurately to fit the internal cylindrical surface
of the chamber or way in the centre of the cross, all the intervening portions
between the two ends or discs 9 and r are then filed away until the plug
assumes the form shewn at Figs. 8 and 9, leaving the two ends or discs q
and to steady its action. It will be perceived that by this construction of
plug there is but a small portion of its working surface exposed to the
corroding influences of the gas, only the two thin edges s, s, so that the friction
is likely to be lessened, as also the liability to derangement incidental to the
ordinary form of cocks and valves. Fig. 6 shows the position the plug would
occupy under the circumstances supposed in the description of Figs. 1, 2, 3,
and 4, and Fig. 7 exhibits its appearance at the time it is made to open the
opposite passages.
I come now to describe the means for preventing gas from passing through
the meter without being registered, in consequence of its being placed at any
angle of inclination, in order to which reference must be had to Fig. 1,
wherein t, t, are two small weighted levers, having their fulcrums at u, u, so
placed, that the upper of two pins u, v, extending from the cam or tumbler i,
(which, it will be remembered, acts upon the plug in the discway g through
the bent lever h), shall be nearly embraced by a forked or hooked end u of

page_text: either levert when the meter is in a vertical position. When, however, it is
mado to incline to either side, the weight on the lever t tilts up its forked end
w, which embraces the pin t, and prevents the cam or tumbler i from reaching
the vertical position, consequently the supply of gas to the burners is shut off
until the meter is again put upon something approaching a level; henco will
be seen the impossibility by this arrangement of obtaining gas for consumption
in a fraudulent way.
I will now speak of my improved mode of manufacturing the diaphragm, in
illustration of which I refer to Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13. Fig. 10 is a plan
or horizontal view, shewing the top of the mould, over which the flexible
material to form the diaphragm is to be stretched when in a damp state.
The mould consists of a number of segments (say four) of hard wood or other
suitable material, having joints at their extremities nearest the centre, by
means of which joints their opposite extremities may be expanded or collapsed.
These segments are so proportioned and constructed as to admit of a wedge
picce 1 (seen in the underneath plan, Fig. 11,) being inserted between them
in order to complete the hemispheroidal form required in the entire block or
mould. The flexible material is to be placed over the mould, and tied round
upon a loose metallic ring, which it encircles (as represented in the elevation,
Fig. 12); thumb-screws are then applied to the ears or lugs 2, 2, which causo
the wedge piece 1 to advance in between the segments and force them out,
until together they form the hemispheroidal figure required for the diaphragm;
the flexible material is in this stato allowed to dry, when it is finally removed
from the block or mould in the following manner:-In the first instance it is
cut round just below the tying, the wedge picce 1 is next withdrawn from
beneath the segments by the thumb-screws, when tho former will collapse,
and allow of the complete suitably formed diaphragm with the ring being
drawn over the top. It will be obvious that by this mode of manufacture the
size of the diaphragm will always be uniform, an object of considerable
importance in the construction of meters, as by means of it the evil of getting
the diaphragm so small that it shall in working become completely distended
is effectually obviated. Besides, in the manufacture of a number of (say five-
light) meters, were there a want of uniformity in the size of their several
diaphragms, a considerable difference in the registration of the gas would soon
become manifest.
Having thus described my Invention of "Improvements in Dry Gas
Meters," I would remark, in conclusion, that the arrangement of mechanism
herein-before mentioned as applicable to such might possibly in some slight
respects admit of modification with advantage, as, for instance, the cutting

page_text: off the supply of gas when the meter was placed in an inclined position might
be otherwise effected. A simple disc placed upon the shaft c with a couple
of notches cut in its circumference might, by having a slightly weighted lever
upon a fixed fulcrum to drop into one of its notches, retain the cam or
tumber i, and prevent its vibratory action to and fro: Again, the contrivance
shewn in the Drawing and described above might be applied to the lever h
directly; in other respects also trifling alterations in the arrangements of the
working parts might hereafter be found desirable in practice. I desire, how-
ever, to claim, as secured to me by the above in part recited Letters Patent,
the spirit and legitimate scope of that which as a principle of construction has
been set forth in this my Specification, excepting such parts of the apparatus
or mechanism as have been known and used before, but to which, for the sake
of perspicuity in my description, I havo necessarily alluded.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edward Noone, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
GEORGE EDWARD (L.S.) NOONE.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of August, in
the fifth year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said George
Edward Noone came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery,
and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
Gifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.