US1187966A - Gas-meter. - Google Patents

Description

W. L. BROWN.

GAS METER- APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1. 1915.

Patented June 20, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 W. L. BROWN.

GAS METER.

APPLlCATlON man DEC. 1. 1915.

' Patented June 20, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WILLIAM LAIRD BROWN, OF LANSDOWNE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOWILLIAM E. HELME AND JOHN lVIcILI-IENNY, TRADING AS HELME & MGILHENN Y.

GAS-METER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dune 2U, 19MB.

Application filed December 1, 1915. Serial No. 64,423.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM LAIRD BROWN, a citizen of the United, States, residing at Lansdowne, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GrasMeters, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates particularly to that class of gas meters that are adapted for consumers service, and are ordinarily interposed in the pipe line between the service main and the domestic gas consuming appliances, and is directed especially to the mechanism which effects the actuation of the indicator, and specifically refers to the means for preventing the backward rotation of such mechanism.

Gas meters of the character above set forth ordinarily comprise a bellows by which the gas pressure efiects the rotation of mechanism for actuating the indicating device, and in order to prevent the malicious cheating by a dishonest consumer by reversing the connection and thereby reversing the actuation of the mechanism so as to decrease the reading of the index, said mechanism is provided with a dog or pawl, which in meter parlance is commonly termed a click, and which is so pivotally suspended in the path of the rotatable mechanism as to permit its rotation in one direction and arrest its r0- tation in the opposite direction.

As the gas in the service mains is usually of a temperature considerably lower than the consumers service pipes, the gas entering the consumers service pipes naturally rises in temperature and consequently expands, causing increased pressure which tends to force the gas back through the meter into the service main, and effecting a backward rotation of theindicating mech anism. If the mechanism happens to be in such relation-to the click when the gas is shut off at thegas consuming appliances, as to be engaged by the click, its backward movement would be prevented, and therefore equalization of the pressure of the consumers service pipes and the service main would be impossible. Such resulting difference of pressure would effect a strain on the parts of the meter mechanism, sufficient to break or permanently deform said mechanism to such an extent that it would not pass gas candthereby necessitate its removal, or the deformation might be so slight as to merely affect its accuracy.

It has been found in practice that the backward movement of the meter mechamsm due to expansion of the gas in the consumers service pipe is less than a single revolution. Therefore if said mechanism could be free to rotate backward to the extent indicated no damage could happen to the meter from such expansion.

The principal objects of my invention are to obviate the difficulties above noted by provlding simple and efficient means which will permit such backward rotation of the mechanism and arranged to yield thereto in either direction of rotation of said mechanism, and the other arm arranged to be shifted by the backward rotation of said mechanism in passing said click, into position to arrest said mechanism in its second attempt to pass sald click while rotating backward.

My invention also includes all of the various novel features of construction and arrangement as hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a gas meter with the top removed and showing the operative mechanism embodying a click conveniently constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the click and its cooperative mechanlsm per se,"F1g.

- shown in Fig. 2, as viewed from the left of further describe their operation except as said figure; and Fig. 4 is a side elevational view, similar to Fig. 2, showing the click in the position effected by the backward rotation of the cooperative mechanism and in position to prevent the further rotation of said mechanism.

In said figures the gas meter 5, which is of a w'ell'known construction comprises the oscillatory fiagrods 6 and 7 respectively carrying the flag arms 9 and 10 arranged to oscillate as shown by the arrows thereon, and having their free'ends connected by the flag links 12 and 13 with the tangent arm post 15, which is'carried by the rotatable tangent arm 16 having threads 17 by which said tangent arm post 15 may be conveniently adjusted with respect to the axis of rotation of said tangent arm 16 by means of the jam nuts 18.

. The crank-shaft 19 upon which the tangent arm 16 is carried, is provided with a worm or spiral 20, the threads of which inter-engage the teeth of the gear wheel 21 which is mounted on the horizontal axle or shaft'22 of the index mechanism 23, whose casing-afiords a bearing for one end of said shaft 22 while the other end adjacent to the gear wheel 21 is mounted to rotate in the bracket 25.

The mechanism thus far described is common and well known in the manufacture of gas meters and therefore it is not deemed necessary to dwell upon such details or to they cooperate with the click.

The click supporting bridge 26 which is carried by the king post or pedestal 27 and whichafi'ords a convenient bearing for the crank-shaft 19 as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is provided 'with the transversely extended slot 29 opening toward the direction of normal rotation of the tangent arm 16 as shown by the arrow insaid figure, and said slot has its wall 30 inclined downward toward its open end as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

As best shown. in Fig. 1, the bridge 26 is, provided with a notch or recess 32 which affords parallel bearing projections through late.

which the arbor 33 for supporting the tangent click may extend. In the structure contemplated the tangent click is formed of a balance pendulum 35 and a bellcranklever 36, the arbor 33 not only providing a pintle for the balance pendulum 35 but the bell-crank-lever being also carried by said arbor, thereby affording a common axis upon which said balance pendulum and bell-crank-lever may independently oscil- As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the bal ance pendulum 35, has its upper-end extended laterally to provide a projection37 for engaging the arms 38 and 39 of the bell-crank-lever and thereby limiting the relative movement of said balance pendulum and bell-crank-lever, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 said projection extends between said arms.

The normal operation of the meter tends to rotate the mechanism to drive the tangent arm 16 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, or anti-clockwise which tends to maintain the click in the position shown in which would efiect a backward rotation of the mechanism to cause the tangent arm to rotate in opposition to the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, or clockwise from its position shown in said figure, it would engage the arm 38 and rotate the bellcrank-lever from the position shown in Fig.

2 to the position shown in Fig. 4:, so that said arm 38 would swing free of the path of said tangent arm as indicated by the dot and dash lines in said figure, and such movement of said bell-crank-lever -would also swing the arm 39 into the path of said tangent arm and effect its arrest upon the next succeeding cycle of movement, the bellcrank-lever being prevented from rotation by engagement of its arm 38 with the inclined surface 30 of said slot 29.

My invention is advantageous in that the balance pendulum and bell-crank-lever are mounted to independently oscillate upon a common arbor.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In meter construction comprising rotary mechanism, a click having a bell-crank lever, and a balance pendulum mounted to swing independently of said bell-crank-lever and cooperative therewith tending to yieldingly maintain one arm thereof in the path of said mechanism permitting its unlimited rotation in one direction, and being oscillated by said mechanism in the first cycle of rotation in the reverse direction to shift the other arm into an unyielding position to arrest said mechanism in its second cycle of rotation.

2. In meter construction comprising rotary mechanism, a click having a bell-cranklever, and a balance pendulum mounted to oscillate upon a common axis with said bellcrank-lever, and having a projection exbeing yieldingly retained in the path of said mechanism thereby permitting its unlimited set my hand in the presence of two subscribrotitionhiii 03c 1glirecltlion, and permitting it ing Witnesses. to e s ite y t e reverse rotation to yieldingly pass said mechanism, to an un- WILLIAM LAIRD BROVVN' 5 yielding position and presenting the other Witnesses:

arm in position to arrest said mechanism. L. M. RAND,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto O. A. Ko'rTLER.

Comet of thile petemt new be obtained for five cente each, by eddressing the "Commissioner of Petente,

Wmihinmon, D. C.

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