1843.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



105 



is ; in fact, very frequently the whole chureh may be built or faced with such 

 stonework as cheap as with brickwork. 



" How often do we," says the Eeelesiologist, " see a simple village church, 

 consisting, it may be, of low and rough stone walls, surmounted, and almost 

 overwhelmed, by an immense roof, and pierced with some two or three plain 

 windows between as many bold irregular buttresses on each side, or having 

 a short massive tower placed at one corner, or in some seemingly accidental 

 position, which nevertheless every one confesses to be as picturesque and 

 beautiful and church-like an edifice as the most critical eye or the most re- 

 fined taste could wish to behold. And just such another church could be 

 built, perhaps, for seven or eight hundred pounds; while a modern early- 

 English design, with all its wouldtbe elegancies of trim regular built buttress, 



tripellancet, and curtailed chancel, would contain no more kneelings, cost 

 more than twice the money, and look like a ' gothick factory ' after all. And 

 why is this ? Because a lofty tower must be built instead of a simple unpre- 

 tending chancel ; or because one-half of the money is expended first in pro- 

 curing, ond then in smoothing and squaring, gTeat masses of stone, or in 

 working some extravagant and incongruous ornament, so that cast-iron 

 pillars must be placed iu the interior instead of piers and arches; whereas 

 the small and rude hammer-dressed Ashlar, or rubble work, of the ancient 

 model, has a far better appearance, and allows a larger expenditure where it is 

 most wanted, in procuring solid, handsome, aud substantial arrangements for 

 the interior." 



EDGE'S IMPROVED GAS METER. 



Considerable excitement has lately been raised 

 respecting the gas meters, in consequence of Mr. 

 Flower issuing a pamphlet accusing the gas com- 

 panies of defrauding the consumer by the false 

 registering of the meter, occasioned by filling the 

 meter above the proper level with water; when that 

 is the case, be contends that the meter is registering 

 water instead of gas, whereby the consumer is suf- 

 fering considerable loss. This did appear to us a 

 very serious charge, and in this age of improvement 

 we felt surprise that this " false registering" could not 

 be avoided, and that there was no scheme to adjust 

 the water in the meter to the proper level, so that 

 the meter should correctly register the exact quan- 

 tity of gas consumed. Upon making some inquiry 

 upon the subject, we very soon discovered that a 

 meter, combining the requisites just alluded to had 

 been invented and patented by Mr. Botten, and 

 another by Mr. Edge, the well-known manufacturer 

 of gas meters and fittings; but we consider the meter 

 of the latter the best, as it combines other improve- 

 ments. We have, therefore, much pleasure in pre- 

 senting to our readers a description and engravings 

 of Mr. Edge's meter, which appears to us to be as 

 perfect as a wet meter can well be. 



Fig. 1 is a front view of the meter, with the outer 

 casing removed to show the interior, and Fig. 2 is 

 a cross section of the front portion of the meter. 

 A is the improved index. B, patent lever valve. 

 C, syphon pipe. D, waste water cistern. E, F, 

 hydraulic sealed outlet to allow the accumulation 

 of water in the waste water cistern to be drawn off 



upon the removal of the plug at E. G, tube for filling the meter with water, 

 which dips into the water, and consequently prevents the escape of gas. 

 H, shaft and apparatus connected with index. I, inlet tube through which 

 the gas passes into the meter through the valve B, thence down the pipe C, 

 and again up into the interior or drum of the meter, as shown by the arrows 

 in the section Fig. 2. Thence through spiral chambers within the wheel, as it 

 revolves, to the outside of the wheel, and escapes into the surrounding chamber, 

 and out at the outlet tube, on the top of the meter, at the back of the index 

 box A. As the gas passes through the spiral chambers, the pressure of the gas 

 causes the wheel to which they are attached to revolve, and with it its axis, 

 which is prolonged and passes through to the front box, where, by means of 

 an endless screw on the prolonged end of the axis working into a toothed 

 wheel keyed on to the lower part of the shaft H, and a pinion on the upper 

 part of the shaft, sets in motion the clock-work of the index, which shows 

 the quantity of gas that passes through the meter. 



There are several important improvements combined in Mr. Edge's meter, 

 which we shall proceed to describe, the first and most important is an ar- 

 rangement to prevent too much water being put into the meter. This 

 is accomplished by the patent syphon C, and the waste water chamber D, 

 the value of which cannot be over estimated ; for, in the first place, it re- 

 moves the only dangerous part of the meter, viz., the outlet from the syphon 

 pipe, which is now sealed off; in the second place, it prevents the fraudulent 

 abstraction of the water, to the serious injury of the companv: and thirdly, 

 it obviates the only tenable objection to the meter alluded to in Mr. Flower's 

 pamphlet, that is, the accumulation of the water, by which the consumer is 

 deprived of his full measure. The top of the syphon pipe C being placed on 

 a line with the water level, every surplus drop must pass down it into the 

 waste water box D, thence into the pipe F below, and when the plug is 

 removed, it rises up the pipe F, and passes out at the orifice E ; and as this 

 pipe is bent downwards, it must always present an hydraulic joint to prevent 

 the escape of any gas that might accumulate in the svphon C, and which, by 

 the construction of the old meter, would escape when the plug was removed. 

 Provided too much water be collected, it would prevent the influx of anv 

 gas, consequently it must he at once detected ; the consumer' would then 

 have only to unscrew the plug E, and allow the water to run off, which may 

 1 e done without the least danger. It will be observed that there is only one 

 outlet screw, E, instead of two, as in the common meter. 



The second improvement is the patent index A, which enables the con- 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 2. 



sumer to ascertain the quantity of gas used with ease and certainty. The 

 complexity of the old method, which consists of 3 dials with the movements 

 of the hands or pointers, has been the occasion of very frequent mistakes and 

 misunderstandings, even with the inspectors, and amongst the consumers has 

 created a feeling of doubt and distrust injurious to the advancement of the 

 meter. In the improved index, the figures are made to revolve instead of the 

 hands; and as the only one figure required on each plate (to denote the number 

 of cubic feet consumed) can be seen at a time, no mistake can arise, so that 

 both parties will be satisfied. A reference to the engraving cannot fail to 

 establish its great superiority, and show how the quantity may be read off as 

 78,900 without the chance of error. 



The third improvement is the patent lever valve, B, the object of which is 

 to prevent the numerous complaints of the consumers, and the very heavy 

 losses to the companies, by the lodgment of the old valve, consequent on the 

 corrosion of the guide wires ; this lodgment can rarely, if ever, be proved by 

 ocular demonstration, as the slightest movement will cause the valve to fall 

 into its seat, but still it is proved daily, and beyond all question, by a di- 

 minished registration ; and it is not the less objectionable, as an evil, for 

 being a secret and invisible one. The lever valve completely and effectually 

 remedies this ; it also indicates a deficiency of water much earlier than the 

 old valve, and the shield protects it at once from any sudden rush of pressure; 

 it may, in fact, be considered perfect in its action, and unassailable on every 

 point. 



DRAWING SCALES. 

 Mr. Drake, of Elm-tree-road, St. John's Wood, land-surveyor, has obtained 

 a patent for making scales for laying down plans, of the same paper as that 

 on which the plan or drawing is laid down. The scales are intended to ac- 

 company the plans to which they belong, and being of the same material, 

 they consequently expand or contract, by changes of temperature, in exactly 

 the same proportion as the plan. The paper to be drawn upon is mounted 

 on linen or cotton, by means of India-rubber cement, and, on a strip of it 

 the scale is made. The under surface of the straight edge or holder, by 

 which the scale is held, whilst being u id, and covered with a 



piece of paper or linen, so as to form a space for the reception of the scale; 

 and the off-set scale, used with it. has a small metal frame at one end, which 

 works against the edge of the holder. 



