AN IMPROVED LIQUID OR WATER METER, OR WATER-POWER ENGINE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank William Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Patent Agents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, for the
Invention of. "AN IMPROVED LIQUID OR WATER METER, OR WATER-POWER
ENGINE" A communication from abroad by Henry Bostarch Hayes, of
Woburn, in the County of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, United States
of America.
Sealed the 29th December 1877, and dated the 10th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank William Haddan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th July 1877.
FRANK WILLIAM HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Patent Agents,
of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster.
"AN IMPROVED LIQUID OR WATER
METER, OR WATER-POWER ENGINE." A communication from abroad by Henry
Bostarch Hayes, of Woburn, in the County of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,
United States of America.
The improved meter or engine is substantially the same contrivance, the principal
features in either case being a piston with reciprocating motion in a cylinder induced
by the pressure and flow of the liquid or water (herein-after called water) through
the apparatus, which it enters by a hollow piston rod and inlet to the cylinder on
one side of the piston, and quits by or through a hollow piston rod and outlet from
the cylinder on the other side, the communication between the two sides being
established by certain passages in the piston itself, and controlled by valves actuated
by or from the motion of the piston, and thus rendered automatic.
In practice it is contemplated in some cases to employ springs, or weights, or com-
pressed air to work or to assist the action of the valves, and sometimes to employ
latches or detents in combination with the springs, or weights, or air cushion.
Any convenient indicating apparatus will be employed to register the number of
strokes made when the apparatus is employed as a water meter, and may also be
appended when used as a water-power engine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance. of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frank William Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
January 1878.
**
tt
FRANK WILLIAM HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Patent Agents,
of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster. AN IMPROVED LIQUID OR WATER
METER, OR WATER-POWER ENGINE." A communication from abroad by Henry
Bostwick Hayes, of Woburn, in the County of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,
United States of America.
The object of this Invention is a device or apparatus whereby a reciprocating
movement is imparted to a piston by the pressure of fluid admitted to and dis-
charged alternately from opposite ends of a cylinder by the. operation of valves
which are worked automatically by power derived from the movement of the
piston.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with
the Invention.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 1, 2, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a view showing a modification.
A is a cylinder which is provided with heads b, b, and through the latter extend
the opposite ends of a hollow piston rod ff; attached to a piston B: . The piston
rod is suitably packed, and the end f plays within the inlet pipe y, and the end f
within the inlet pipe g'. The piston B carries a suitable packing t, so as to recipro-
cate without leakage and with but little friction, and contains two passages d, d¹,
one communicating with the end f and the other with the end fof.the tubular
piston rod.
To cylindrical seats at opposite, sides of the piston are adapted cylin-
drical valves 1, 1, 2, 21, secured in pairs to two spindles m, m³, and serving to close
and open passages o, o¹, communicating with the channels d, d'. The valve stems
are connected by links to the opposite ends of a rock lever C vibrating between
studs n, n, on one side of the piston, so that both sets of valves must move simul-
taneously but; in opposite directions.....
The construction, of the, parts described is such that water flowing through the
inlet g and passing through the piston rod f, passages d, o, and into the chamber X
of the cylinder will propel the piston in the direction of the arrow and when the
position of the valves is changed, the fluid will flow through the same passages, but
into the opposite chamber X', and propel the piston. in the opposite direction,
while the water from the chamber X flows into the passages o, dl, and through the
piston rod f to the outlet pipe g¹.
If the fluid is passing rapidly through the apparatus the momentum of the piston,
bringing the projecting valve stems against the heads of the cylinder, would reverse
the valves and insure an automatic reciprocation of the piston; and for transmitting
power or as a motor the apparatus thus constructed and operated inay sometimes
be used.
1.
A different mode of operating the valves becomes necessary however when the
apparatus is to be used as á meter, owing to the facts that an operative practical
meter must register as efficiently under a low pressure and at a slow speed as at a
high pressure and rapid motion.
It will be apparent that with the construction described a slow movement of the
piston, bringing the valve spindle against the, head, would result in opening, the
valves until the water could pass, when the pressure would be relieved, the piston
would stop, and the fluid. would pass through the apparatus, without obstruction.
To meet this difficulty it has been.found most advantageous to employ a power
generated by the movement of the piston, but acting independently of the latter, to
adjust the valves at the proper intervals, thereby insuring a positive and certain
action of the valves under all circumstarices.
One mode of carrying out the Invention consists in the use of springs w arranged

page_text: to be compressed as the piston moves and is released, and suddenly acting on the
valves of the piston, reaches the ends of its stroke. The position of the springs is
not material; in Fig. 1 they are combined with rods & sliding through the piston
heads, and arranged to be struck by the valve stems, and the latter are prevented
from yielding to the spring pressure by latches t¹, which catch on collars u on the
stems, and have inclined ends v. Inclined studs p on the piston heads serve as
bearings for the ends of latches when the piston reaches either end of its stroke, and
by elevating the latches release the valve stems, which are then suddenly and
forcibly thrown inward, re-adjusting the valve and reversing the movement of the
piston. It will be apparent that this effect is produced regardless of the speed or
force with which the piston moves, and it has been found in practice that any head
of water sufficient to overcome friction and the force of the spring is sufficient to
insure the continuous operation of the meter with an accurate measurement of the
fluid, which is registered by any suitable indicating mechanism.
When arranged as shown in Fig. 1, the latches will fall into their places by
gravity, but they may be thrown inward by springs or by a weighted arın w¹
attached to the latch spindle, as shown in Fig. 3, which also illustrates a modification
in which the spring is carried by the valve shaft, the other parts being the same and
acting in the same manner as above described.
The latch catching on the collar or shoulder of the valve spindle prevents its
movement while the spring is compressed between the piston and head of the
cylinder, but releases the spindle as soon as it is raised by contact with the
inclined lug
A bow spring or rubber spring, a body of air compressed by a piston moved by
the main piston B, a weight raised by the latter, or any other means or devices for
accumulating power from the movement of the piston, to be used in adjusting the
valves through any suitable mechanism, may be employed.
I claim,
1st. The mode of operating the valves of a reciprocating piston by power generated
from the travelling piston and stored, and then automatically released and applied
to the valves governing the inlet and outlet passages, substantially as specified.
2nd. The combination with the valves regulating the inlet and outlet passages of a
spring or its equivalent, in which power is stored by the movement of the piston,
and devices operated by the piston for releasing the spring and transmitting its
power to the valves.
3rd. The combination of the piston, its valves and latches for holding the same,
devices for operating said latches and releasing the valves at the ends of the stroke,
and springs, weights, or equivalent devices in which power is accumulated by the
movement of the piston, arranged to operate the valves when released, as specified.
4th. The combination of the cylinder, its reciprocating piston, hollow piston rods
extending into the inlet and outlet pipes communicating with two passages in the
piston, and valves constructed to open each passage on opposite sides of the piston
alternately, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank William Haddan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord. 1878.