Improve- MENTS IN WATER METERS
Year: 1883

page_text: :
LETTERS PATENT to Oliver Imray of No: 28 Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the county of Middlesex, for an Invention of “Improve-
MENTS IN WATER METERS" communicated to him from abroad by Charles
Michel and Alphonse Frager, both of Paris, in the republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Oliver Imray at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th April 1883.
3
OLIVER IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the county
of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS" [communicated, to him from,
abroad by Charles Michel and Alphonse Frager, both of Paris, in the republic of
France]
This invention relates to improvements in Water Meters of the kind known as
the Frost Meter, in which a piston moved by the water to and fro in a cylinder,
as it approaches the extremes of its stroke moves a rod, which, by a pawl,
works the ratchet wheel of the-counter and also moves a slide governing ports
of a small subsidiary cylinder, the piston whereof works the slide of the main
cylinder.
According to the present invention, the main cylinder is separated from the
inflow cavity by a partition or cover making one joint with that of the external
cover with the cylinder; the subsidiary cylinder and its ports and passages are
so combined as to form a single piece; and the pawl which works the ratchet
of the counter is made with a tail piece, which prevents it from engaging more
than one tooth at each stroke, and with a projection, which, at each upstroke, meets-
a stop causing it to engage with a tooth of the ratchet,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Oliver Imray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st October
1883.
OLIVER IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Ohancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS " A communication to me
from abroad by Charles Michel and Alphonse Frager, both of Paris in the republic
of France.
This invention relates to improvements in Water Meters of the kind known
as the Frost Meter, in which a piston moved by the water to and fro in a cylinder,
as it approaches the extremes of its stroke, moves a rod, which, by a pawl, 1
works the ratchet wheel of the counter and also moves a slide governing ports
of a small subsidiary cylinder, the piston whereof works the slide of the main
cylinder.
According to the present invention, the main cylinder is separated from the
inflow cavity by a partition or cover making one joint with that of the external 1
cover with the cylinder; the subsidiary cylinder and its ports or passages are so
combined as to form a single piece; and the pawl which works the ratchet of the
counter is made with a tail piece, which prevents it from engaging more than one
tooth at each stroke, and with a projection which, at each upstroke, meets a stop
causing it to engage with a tooth of the ratchet.
2
shews
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a Frost Water meter embodying the improvements
mentioned above, Fig. 2 is part of a cross section, fig. 3 is a plan, and fig.
to an enlarged scale the pawl and ratchet wheel with butting piece to determine
engagement of the pawl. The main cylinder A is separated from the supply
chamber B by a partition C, which supports the valve and ratchet gear, this
partition being held in position and kept tight by screwing down the cover,―
so that there is only one external joint for both-The piston D is self guiding in
the cylinder and is made with sleeve E the end covers a a of which act as tappets
for the rod F, moving it a short distance as the piston approaches each extreme of
its stroke, and so moving the slide G. The ports o o in the face K are made very
narrow, in order to reduce as much as possible the stroke of the slide G, and each
tooth of the ratchet wheel I, being somewhat less that this stroke, the pawl H is.
sure to engage successive teeth one at a time, but it is prevented by its tail 6 from
passing two teeth at a stroke. The pawl H has a projecting arm c, which, at the
upstroke, meets the fixed stop or butting piece d, whereby the pawl is caused to
engage with the ratchet wheel if its own weight should not suffice. The dial M
of the counter is placed at an angle, so that it can be easily read. The small
cylinder, whose piston works the main slide, is made in one piece with its
Blide face.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, I
claim as improvements in Water Meters of the kind known as Frost Meters,
The separation of the cylinder from the supply chamber by the partition C, the

page_text: construction and arrangement of the pawl and ratchet wheel for working the
counter, and the construction of the small cylinder in one piece with its slide face,
as herein described.
In Witness whereof I the said Oliver Imray have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twenty ninth day of September in the year of our Lord, one thousand
eight hundred and eighty-three.