US1089730A - Gas-meter. - Google Patents

Description

H. H. SPRAGUE.

GAS METER.

urmonmn FILED JUNE 23, 1904.

1,089,730. Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. H. SPRAGUB.

GAS METER. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 23, 1904.

1,089,730. Patented Mar. 10, 191i 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: TOR2 IN V w. G m 2- 5. LW- BY W U iATTORNEY ITED STATES PAT OFFICE.

GAS-METER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Application filed June 23, 1904. Serial No. 213,846.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. SPRAGUE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas- Meters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gas-meters, its object being to prevent any tampering with the meter that would causethe valve and the registering mechanism to travel backward and not properly indicate the amount of gas passing through the meter, and also to hold and maintain the valve firmly on its seat and to prevent its lifting when its backward rotation is arrested.

To enable others to understand my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 represents an upper plan view of a valve-seat with an eccentrically operating valve mounted thereon, and a portion of the dial registering mechanism connected therewith: Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the valveseat, valve, and mechanism shown at Fig. 1,

also broken view of a meter crank-shaft:

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the valve and end elevation of a part of the recording mechanism looking in the direction of arrow a of Fig. 2: Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the valve and sectional view of a part of the registering mechanism through line b of Fig. 2, showingthe valve locked against backward rotation: Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the valve, detail view of the worm-shaft connected with a part of the recording mechanism. an arm projecting from said shaft engaged by a projection of the valve to rotate said shaft, and a pivoted stop: Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the arm of the worm-shaft lifting the stop: Fig. 7 is a broken view of the frame of the recording mechanism with the arm of the wormshaft brought against the opposite side of the stop, and the valve locked against backward rotation: Fig. 8 is an upper plan view of a concentrically operating valve and its seat, sectional .view of the worm-shaft and stop, showing a drive-pin engagedwith the straight arm of said shaft, said pin eccentrically placed with respect to center of the valve: Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the valve and seat shown at Fig. 8, broken view of the valve operating shaft, and elevation of a part of the recording mechanism,

showing the stop lifted through the rotary movement of the valve: Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the concentrically operating valve locked against a straight stop, and sectlonal view of the arm having an angular foot: Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 except that the stop is provided with an angular foot.

It is a fact known to some users of gas that, when the current of the gas is reversed, z. e. caused to run backward through the meter, the gas will not only pass through the meter without being recorded, but it will return the hands of the recording mechanism back to their starting point and thus disturb the record of amount of gas passing through the meter. This is usually accomplished by the surreptitious reversal of the gas-intake and outlet pipes. The purpose of my in vention, as before mentioned, is to check this backward current and it is applicable to all valves rotating on a horizontal plane.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 2 3 4 5 6 and 7, the device is applied to an eccentrically operated valve fully set forth and described in the patent granted to me March 10th 1903, #723,390. A brief description of this valvc may be necessary in order to show its connection with my present device.

1 is the valve-seat having three triform intake-ports, two-2 and 3 being uncovered. The valve 4: has an eccentric movement on the seat through the medium of the crankshaft 5, Fig. 2, having the arm 6 on its end.

7 is a driving-pin on the end of this c'rankarm adapted to enter a hole in the center of the valve, which hole extends into the driver or projection 8 rising from the upper surface of the valve, but not extending though said projection or driver. It will be understood that the rotary movement is imparted to the crank-shaft 5 by mechanism not shown within the body of the meter.

9 is a frame having the shaft 10 journaled therein whose projecting end is adapted to be connected to the shaft of the recording mechanism-not shown. This shaft carries the worm-gear 11 to register with the worm 12, on the vertical shaft 13. This shaft is directly in the center of the valve-seat 1 and is provided with the straight arm 14 projecting at right angles therefrom. This arm lies on the path of the projection or driver 8, which driver is directly in the center of the valve so that, when the valve is rotating, as indicated by arrow 0, it will engage the away from said frame, for its movement in the opposite direction is checked by the frame-as shown at Fig. 4. The stop shown at Figs. 1 2 3 and 4 is provided with the inclined foot 16, the purpose of which will hereinafter be explained. When, therefore,

the arm of the worm-shaft or the driver of the valve-in its forward rotary movementsreaches this stop it will simply lift it-see Fig. 3and pass by, without retard- I ing the forward movement of the valve.

When the rotary movement of the valve is reversed,'it will move away from the arm of the worm-shaft in the direction of arrow e-Fig. 4c-until it brings up against the bottom of the inclined foot 16 of the stop which checks the further backward travel of the valve, for it will be observed that the lowest point of this footis below the top of the driver, cgnsequently, it cannot pass under, and is locked against further backward travel by such contact and the engagement of the stop with the frame 9.

The engagement of the inclined foot with the driver of the valve will exert such a downward pressure on the valve that it cannot be lifted or tilted by the upward pressure of the gas from below so that, while the valve is thus halted, no gas can escape.

InFigs. 5 6 and 7 the same principle is carried out with a slight modification or arrangement of the elements. views, the stop has no angular or inclined foot, this, as willbe observed, is transferred to the worm-shaft, and, to avoid confusion, will be designated by the numeral 17. When the valve is moving ,forward, the driver 8 of the valve engages the inclined foot 17 of the worm-shaft as shown at Fig. 5, lifting the stop 15 as shown at Fig. 6. When, therefore, the valve starts to rotate backward, it will leave the foot 17,- make a complete revolution, engage the foot from the opposite side and carry said foot against the stop 15. As soon as the foot strikes this stop, further backward movement is impeded. The driver 8 will lie under the inclined face of the foot 17 and be engaged therewith with the same beneficial results as when the inclined foot was located in the stop,

' Figs. 8 9 10 and 11 represent a valve adapted to have a concentric rotary motion on its seat with the worm-shaft directly in line with the center of the valve and seat. 18 is the valve-seat having the ports 18. 19 the valve, 20 the rotary valve-shaft whose upper end is so securedto the valve that the valve is rotated with said shaft. As the valve has a circular or concentric movement In these 4 on its seat, the driver-pin 21 is eccentrically located with respect to the center of the valve and the worm-shaft so as to en age the arm or foot projecting from said s aft and rotate it. The sto in either of the constructions shown at Figs. 1 and 8 will lie in the path of the traveling drivers and the result is the same in both cases. In Figs. 8 9 and 11 the incline. is on the stop and in Fig. 10 it is connected with the worm-shaft,

The stop for checking the backward movement of the valve is shown supported on the frame of the recording mechanism, but it can be supported at any other convenient place.

My device, as before mentioned, is applicable to all rotary valves whether their path of-rotation is eccentric or concentric, and, for the purpose of my invention, the term rotary will, therefore, apply to both.

From the foregoing description it will readily be seen that in one case the driver of the valve is brought directly in contact with a pivotally supported arm called the stop While in another case the arm of the worm-shaft is brought against the stop and the driver is brought in direct contact with the arm. In either case, the projection on the valve, combinedwith the stop, are the controlling factors that arrest the backward travel of the valve, while the inclineprevents the valve being lifted from its seat whether such incline is a part of the stop, or a part of the arm of the worm-shaft, or a. part of the valve or driver.

While I show the recording mechanism operated by the valve, I wish it to be distinctly understood that the recording mechanism is not a necessary. element in effecting the results sought after, as the gist of my invention lies in providing means on the valve itself to be engaged by a stop to arrest its backward movement and prevent its being lifted after such movement has been arrested Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a gas meter, a rotatable valve, a seat therefor, a stop arranged in proximity to said valve and mounted to yield in one direction of movement of said valve but limited in its movement in the reverse direction, a projecting, element carried by the valve, and. means interposed between said stop and projecting element and engaged by the latter, whereby on the reverse rotation of the valve the stop arrests the reverse rotation of said valve and the latter is -also maintained on its seat.

2. In a gas meter, a rotatable valve, a seat therefor, a stop arranged in proximity to said valve and mounted to yield in one direction of movement of said valve but limited in its movement in the reverse di rection, a projecting element carried by the valve, and an inclined foot interposed between said stop and said projecting element and engaged by the latter, whereby on the reverse rotation of the valve the stop arrests the reverse rotation of said valve and the latter is also maintained on its seat.

3. In a gas meter, means for actuating the registering mechanism thereof and including a shaft, a rotatable valve, a seat therei for, an arm carried by said shaft, a projecting element carried by the valve and adapted to contact with said arm whereby to actuate the registering mechanism, a stop arranged'in proximity to said valve and mounted to yield in one direction of movement of said valve but limited in its movement in the reverse direction, and means interposed between said stop and said projecting element and engaged by the latter whereby on the reverse rotation of the valve the stop arrests the reverse rotation of said valve and the latter is also maintained on its seat.

Signed at Bridgeport in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut this 4th day of June A. D. 1904.

HENRY I-I. SPRAGUE.

\Vitnesses:

Gaoaon \V. FINLJ, S. J. CIIAFFEE.

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