IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING GAS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHANIEL
FORTESCUE TAYLOR, of Vauxhall, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eighteenth day of December, in the eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, my exors, admňors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, my
exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING GAS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the 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 compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention consists,-
First, of so arranging pairs of flexible partitions, and combining series of
pairs in the same meter, that the axis of each pair shall give motion to the
valves of such pair, the axes of all the pairs being combined together with
connecting rods.
Secondly, my Invention consists in gearing the axes (put in motion by
flexible partitions in meters) by means of toothed wheels; and,
Thirdly, my Invention consists of a mode of arranging the dial plate and
apparatus connected therewith, for showing the separate feet of gas passing
through a meter, to which the same may be applied.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a sectional plan of the upper part. Figure 2, another
sectional plan taken just below the valves, and Figure 3, a vertical section of
a gas meter, constructed according to the first part of my Invention. Thé
upper part of the section Figure 3 being taken through the line %, %, of
Figure 1, and the lower part being taken through the lines z, z, of Figure 2.
A is the case in which the works are inclosed. B, the inlet pipe. C, a hollow
ring, conducting the gas to the different valves. D, D', D', are the gasports
(see Figure 4). E, E, E, E, E, E, the gasways connected with the cases or
chambers marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, each of which has a separate commu-
nication with the ports D¹, D¹, from the valves. F, F, F, are three crank
shafts or axes, with their cranks for working the slide covers or valves
H, H, H. G, G, G, are the valve cover connecting rods. The slide covers
or valves are kept in their places by small wires a, a, a, a, passing through
slotted guides b, b, b, b, b, b. I, I, I, are three connecting bars, which are coupled
together and fixed on the cranks J, J, J, forming an equilateral triangle and;
combining the three axes of motion together. K, K, K, are vertical shafts 3
which pass through the plate c, and are pivoted below into a plate d.
L, L, L, are three levers, fastened each to the top of one of the vertical shafts
K, K, K. M, M, M, are small connecting rods, attached to those levers by

page_text: pin joints, and to regulating pins N, N, N, on the cranks J, J, J. O is a
shaft, passing from the index box through a stuffing box to one of the crank
axes F, on which is formed a screw wheel which takes into and drives a
pinion P on the shaft O, thereby giving motion to the train of wheelwork
for registering the quantity of gas delivered, as is well understood. R, R, R,
are levers attached to the lower ends of the vertical shapts K, and passing
through an opening in the centre of the coupling bars S, S, S, and such
coupling bars S are connected by pin joints to the shilds or plates T, T, T,
to which, and to the cases 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the flexible material Qis
affixed, forming one side of the chambers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; these chambers
measuring the quantity of gas delivered. V is the outlet pipe. In the
sectional plan, Figure 2, part of the top frame of the chambers Nos. 1 and 2
is removed for shewing the interior of those chambers. U, U, U, are three
dividing plates that separate the chambers 2 and 3, 4 and 5, 6 and 1.
Figure 4 is a plan, shewing part of the hollow ring C, with one of the valve
seats, without the valve or cover, in order that such part may be better
understood. Figure 5 shows a sectional plan of so much of another arrange-
ment of gas meter, constructed according to my Invention, as will enable a
workman to understand the difference between it and that just described, and
consisting of a mode of combining four chambers together for measuring gas.
The difference in this arrangement consisting of connecting the cranks on the
axes, giving motion to the valves by means of two parallel rods, whereby I
am enabled to give a continuous rotary motion to such axes in meters where
two sliding valves are used. The various parts are for the most part similar
to those in the arrangement just described, and are therefore marked with the
same letters, and the description here given is equally applicable. The cham-
bers 1 and 2 working as a pair, and the chambers 3 and 4 working as a
separate pair, which is caused by the peculiar arrangement of lever R on the
axis K, as shown. I would remark, that I have described a meter working
with two pairs, and a meter working with three pairs of flexible partitions,
according to the first part of my Invention; but, if desired, a larger number
of pairs may be combined together in a similar manner in the same meter.
Figure 6 represents a sectional elevation, Figure 7 is a sectional plan of the
upper part, and Figure 8 a sectional plan of the lower part of a meter, with
parts arranged according to the second part of my Invention. The letters of
reference for the most part agree with those on the Figures already described,
where similar parts are used; and it will be seen that in this case the axes F, F,
are connected together, and controlled to move together by means of the
shaft Y, which is supported in bearings from the supports F, and carries the

page_text: bevilled pinions Y', which take into the bevilled pinions F on the axes F,
as shewn; and it will be seen that in this case the shafts K, K, pass up through
stuffing boxes, so as to separate the chambers 1 and 4 from the upper chamber
containing the valves and gearing. To the shafts K are affixed the arms S, S,
one to each axis K, such arms S, S, together with the arms X, X, supporting
the plates, forming the centres of the flexible partitions, there being cross
bars S¹, carried by the arms S, with pivotted ends passing through the ends
of the links W, as shewn; the other ends of the links W being affixed to
the pins I', carried by projections from the plates I of the flexible partitions,
and there are other links W¹, carried at one end by the pins I', and at the
other end by pins S, projecting from the arms X, X, and the arms S are
connected to the arms X by having each a pin S3 projecting up therefrom
and passing through the slotted openings in the arms X, X.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention. Figure 9 shews a front
view; Figure 10, a plan; and Figure 11, a vertical section of so much of
apparatus used to indicate the quantity of gas passing through a meter as will
illustrate this part of my Invention. a is an axis, having a portion of a screw
formed thereon, by which motion is communicated to the screw wheel b, on
the axis c, and thence to suitable wheelwork for indicating the passing of one
thousand, ten thousand, &c. of feet of gas through a meter; on the axes a is
affixed the stud wheel d, which takes into and drives the pinion e, which gives
motion to the pinion f on the axis of which is affixed the finger for indicating
on the dial g the single feet of gas passing through a meter.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with for performing the same, I would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the details herein shown, provided the peculiar
character of either part of my Invention be retained. But what I claim is,―
First, the so arranging flexible partitions and combining two or more pairs
in the same meter, that the axis of each pair shall work the valves of its pair,
the whole of the axes being combined by connecting rods.
Secondly, I claim the mode of gearing the axes, worked by flexible parti-
tions, in meters, by employing toothed wheels; and,
Thirdly, I claim the arrangement of dial plate and works connected
therewith, for shewing the separate feet of gas passing through a meter.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
NATHANIEL FORTESCUE TAYLOR. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1845, the aforesaid Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in
form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose..
Enrolled the Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.