Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 22nd Jan., 1889
I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been communi-
cated to me from abroad by La Société Fritz Perret & Cie of La Chaux de Fonds in
the Republic of Switzerland Manufacturers to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to meters for measuring water and other liquids by the
action of pistons which are caused to reciprocato in cylinders by the pressure of the
liquid to be measured the motion of the said pistons being caused to operate any
suitable mechanism for indicating registering or recording the quantity of water or
other liquid passed through the meter.
In a meter constructed according to this invention two double acting pistons are
employed working in cylinders to which the water or other liquid is admitted at
opposite ends alternately. The admission of water to the cylinders is controlled by
valves so arranged that the valve controlling the supply of liquid to one cylinder is
operated by the piston working in the other cylinder and vice versa-With this object.
the piston in each cylinder is connected to the valve of the other cylinder by a rod so
arranged that the piston does not begin to move the valve until it has made about
three quarters of its stroke.
A convenient method of arranging the meter is to place the two cylinders on
opposite sides of a valve box with their axes in the same line or preferably with their
axes not truly in the same line but slightly displaced laterally so that the piston rod
from one cylinder is enabled to be directly connected with the slide valve of the other
cylinder when the two valves are arranged side by side in a valve box between the
opposite ends of the two cylinders. The valves and ports are so arranged that when
each piston completes about three quarters of its stroke it commences to open the
proper port for admitting liquid to operate the other piston which then moves to the
other end of the cylinder in which it works and in like manner uncovers the proper
port for admitting liquid to the opposite side of the first mentioned piston which then
returns to its original position and in so doing uncovers the port which enables the

page_text: liquid to act again upon the second piston and so on the valves being so constructed
as to uncover suitable exhaust or discharge ports at the same time as they cover or
close the admission ports and vice versa. The piston rods are arranged to slide in
sleeves on the valves and are provided with projections which are so arranged as to
enable the pistons to move through about three quarters of their stroke without
moving the valves after which the projections on the piston rods come into action and
shift the valves to the required extent.
Dated this 8th day of March 1888
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Meters for Water and other Liquids.
1, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,.
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention, which has been communi-
cated to mo from abroad by La Société Fritz, Perret & Cie of La Chaux de Fonds in
the Republic of Switzerland, Manufacturers and in what manner the same is to bo
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention relates to meters for measuring water and other liquids by tho
action of pistons which are caused to reciprocate in cylinders by the pressure of the
liquid to be measured the motion of the said pistons being caused to operate any
suitable mechanism for indicating registering or recording the quantity of water or
other liquid passed through the meter.
In a meter constructed according to this invention two double acting pistons are
employed working in cylinders to which the water or other liquid is admitted at
opposite ends alternately. The 'admission of water to the cylinders is controlled by
valves so arranged that the valve controlling the supply of liquid to one cylinder is
operated by the piston working in the other cylinder and vice versa. With this object
the piston in each cylinder is connected to the valve of the other cylinder by a rod so
arranged that the piston does not begin to move the valve until it has made about
three quarters of its stroke.
A convenient method of arranging tho meter is to place the two cylinders on
opposite sides of a valve box with their axes in the same line or preferably with their
axes not truly in the same line but slightly displaced laterally so that the piston rod
from one cylinder is enabled to act directly on the slide valve of the other cylinder
when the two valves are arranged side by side in a valvo box between the opposite
ends of the two cylinders.
It results from this construction that the pistons move alternately and separately.
except at the time required for closing and opening the passages for the liquid. In
other words neither of the pistons commences to move until the other has accomplished
three quarters of its stroke. Moreover the pressure of the water is maintained on one.
of the pistons even after it has ceased to move and during of the stroke of the other
piston that is to say until the latter has closed the distribution orifice by the aid of the
corresponding slide valve.
This action is of great importance as it ensures great regularity in the working of
the meter and an absolutely accurate indication of the volume of the liquid passed
through the apparatus.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents an apparatus according to this

page_text: invention in vertical section the section being taken longitudinally through the axes
of both cylinders and showing the valve operated by the piston in the right hand
cylinder in section on the line 13-14. Figure 2.
Figure 2 represents the meter in horizontal section on the line Y-Z Figure 1 and
Figure 3 represents a vertical section corresponding to Figure 1 but showing the
valve operated by the left hand piston in section on the line 15-16 Figure 2.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent transverse sections of the distribution passages on the
lines 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 (Figure 2) respectively.
In all these figures the left hand cylinder is marked A and the right hand
cylinder A. These cylinders are arranged on opposite sides of a distribution chamber
or valve box B and the ends of the cylinders nearest to the valve box are hereinafter
referred to as the "front" and the ends farthest from the said box as the "back."
The cylinder A contains a piston P on a rod T and the cylinder A¹ contains a similar
piston Pon a piston rod T. In the valve box B there are provided six orifices or
ports (1. 2. 3. 4. 5 and 6) through which the liquid is caused to pass to either side of
both pistons. The port 1 communicates with the front end of cylinder A' as indicated
(partly in dotted lines) in Figures 3 and 4. The connections of this and of all the
other ports with the respective cylinders may be traced by referring to the dot and
dash lines in Figure 2. The port marked 3 is connected with the back of tho right
hand cylinder A¹ and the ports marked 4 and 6 communicate respectively with the
front and back of the cylinder A. In the sections Figures 1 and 3 the passages in
connection with the ports marked and 6 and 13 are represented as being in the
same planes to facilitate the explanation although these passages are actually in
different planes as indicated in the transverse sections. The ports 2 and 5 are exhaust
or discharge ports connected with a discharge or delivery pipe at N figure 5. and
capable of being placed by the action of slide valvest and in communication with
the cylinders A and A. respectively-M figure 5 is an admission or supply orifice
enabling the water that is to be measured to enter the valve box B. which is provided
with a removeable cover C figure 4. The water or other liquid entering the valve
box at M. is directed to the front or to the back of one or the other of the cylinders A.
or A by the action of the valvest the valve t operated by the piston P in the
cylinder A. controlling the admission and discharge of water to and from the
cylinder A¹ and the valve operated by the piston P in the cylinder A' performing
the same functions with regard to the cylinder A. The slide valves t t¹ are connected
to the piston rods T T by sleeves F F attached to the valves and capable of sliding
within certain limits upon the said piston rods. These rods are provided with
enlargements projections or leads ff' figures 1 and 2 at their extremities which slide
in the sleeves FF and limit the extent to which the piston rods can slide in the sleeves
by coming in contact with shoulders or projections at the ends of the sleeves or
against the end of the hollow in the said sleeves (figure 2). This arrangement enables
each piston to move through a considerable portion of each successive stroke without
moving the valve which not being moved until the piston by which it is operated has
nearly completed its stroke is thus enabled to control the ports leading to the cylinder
containing the other piston.
The pistons may be conveniently constructed with two leather discs clamped
between two metal plates as indicated in the drawing but any other suitable con-
struction may be adopted whereby leakage is prevented. The piston rods may be in
the same straight line if preferred the arrangement of the piston rods illustrated in
the drawing being selected merely in order to diminish the length of the valve box or
distribution chamber. When the rods are arranged in line with each other the six
ports are arranged in a lino and this evidently involves an increase in the length of
the valve box.
The action of the apparatus is as follows: When the ports are in the positions
indicated in figure 2 the ports 5 and 6 are open. Water is entering at the back of
the cylinder A. driving the piston P to the right and the water at the front end of
this cylinder is escaping through the passages and ports 4 and 5 (figure 1) to the
outlet N figure 5. The piston. P¹ is pressed against the front end of the cylinder A¹

page_text: by the pressure of the water admitted through the port 3. Under these conditions
the piston P is stationary and the piston P is moved from left to right by the pressure
of the water admitted by the valve t' through the port 6 as aforesaid. When this
piston has completed about three quarters of its stroke the end or head on its rod T
comes in contact with the end of the recess or hollow of the sleeve F and moves the
valve t from left to right so as to cover the port 3 and uncover the port 1. This
places the back of cylinder A' in communication with the discharge outlet or port
through the port 3 and water under pressure is admitted through the port 1 to the
front of the said cylinder. The piston P' consequently commences to move from left
to right at about the same time as the piston P reaches the end of its stroke. This
latter piston having completed its stroke is compelled by the pressure of the water
admitted through the port 6 to remain at the front or inner end of the cylinder A until
this port is placed in communication with the escape that is to say until the piston P¹
has nearly completed its stroke from left to right. During the last quarter of its
stroke this piston P. shifts the valve t' thereby placing the port 6 in communication with
the exhaust at 5 and the port 4 is uncovered or opened to the supply. Water is thus
admitted to the front end of cylinder A and the piston P cominences to move from
right to left just at the moment when the piston P is about to stop. Having
completed about three quarters of its stroke the piston P again acts on the valve t
uncovering port 3 and placing port 1 in communication with the exhaust after which
it stops.
Water being thus admitted through the port 3 to the back of piston P¹ drives this
piston from right to left and when it approaches the end of its stroke the pistons and
valves resume the position which they occupied at the commencement of the
description and which is that represented in figure 2. The cycle of operations is then
repeated.
Any suitable registering mechanism may he placed on the valve box or otherwise
connected with the apparatus for the purpose of recording or indicating the quantity
of water or other liquid passed through the cylinders. The works of this apparatus
may receive motion from one of the pistons which may cause the hand or indicating
wheel or disc.to advance one division at each stroke for example.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In meters for water and other liquids the combination of two cylinders with a
central distribution chamber the piston in one cylinder working the valve of the other
cylinder in order to obtain an alternate and separate action of each piston the pressure
of the water being maintained on the piston which is stationary for the time being
during the greater portion of the stroke of the other piston substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In meters for water and other liquids the method of connecting tie rod of each
piston to the slide valve of the opposite cylinder by means of a sleeve in which the rod
slides during a portion of the notion of the piston so that the valve is not acted on or
moved until the piston is near the end of its stroke all substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting the improved meter for
water and other liquids substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.