A MACHINE, APPARATUS, OR INSTRUMENT TO ASCERTAIN AND REGISTER THE QUANTITY, SPECIFIC GRAVITY, AND TEMPERATURE OF CERTAIN FLUIDS IN TRANSIT, PART OR PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION IS OR ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BRUNTON, of Lombard Street, in the City of London, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourth day of December, in the ninth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Brunton, Ilis special licence that I, the said William Brunton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Brunton, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and also in all His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Inven-
tion of "A MACHINE, APPARATUS, OR INSTRUMENT TO ASCERTAIN AND REGISTER
THE QUANTITY, SPECIFIC GRAVITY, AND TEMPERATURE OF CERTAIN FLUIDS IN
TRANSIT, PART OR PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION IS OR ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said William Brunton, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause tho
same to be enrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Brunton, do declare the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the samo is performed, are described and ascertained in manner
following:-
I measure and register certain fluids in transit by passing them through a
cylinder, with a piston and rod, nozzle and valve, or cock, in all respects like
those of a steam engine, excepting that I prefer to pack the piston with
leather when the fluid to be measured does not exceed eighty degrees of heat
by Fahrenheit. The fluid, by its static pressure against the piston, moves it
with sufficient force to raise a weight upon an inclined plane during the whole
range of the impulse, and thus generating a power which, at the termination
of the impulse, is capable of moving the valves or cock, and reversing the static
pressure on the piston, which causes a new impulse in the opposite direction,
during which the weight is again raised. Thus each impulse generates a
power capable of changing the position of the cock or valve, and produces a
continuity of motion expressive of the quantity of fluid discharged. a, b,
(Figure 1) represents the cylinder, which I prefer to be laid horizontally, with
the nozzles upwards, in order that air (if there should be any) may readily
escape on the introduction of the fluid to be measured. c and d (Figure 2)
are the guides for the piston rod, the cross bar of which works in the slits, at
the ends of which are adjusting screws which prevent the piston from moving
beyond its proper limits. e and e are two guards, which, being placed
immediately under the range of the pin of the roller f, prevent it from falling
until it it has attained the ends of the guards e, c, which are adjusted to suit
the same limits of stroke as the pins in the guides c and d. The roller f and
connecting rod 9 are mado sufficiently heavy, either in their own substance
or by weights added thereto, to move the cock or valve freely when acting
upon the ends of the reciprocating lever h..
To ascertain and register the specific gravity of fluids in transit, I suspend or
fix a cistern or vessel upon the end of a beam or balance, having the pipes which
convey the fluid to and from the said vessel extended to the centre line of the
balance, and there united to the conveyance pipes by two flexible joints. To the
opposite end of the said beam a weight is suspended, capable of balancing the
cistern when filled with a fluid of mean specific gravity of that particular fluid
which is intended to be assayed. To any convenient part between the centre of
the beam and the end I suspend or attach a plunger of glass, ivory, or other
suitable material, a part of which is immersed in mercury, so that if the fluid
in the cistern be heavier or lighter than the balance weight at the opposite
end, the equilibrium will be restored by the immersion or emersion of a portion

page_text: of the plunger. The point at which the beam will be in equipoise will therefore
be expressive of the specific gravity of the fluid contained in the cistern or
vessel. For the purpose of ascertaining and registering the temperature of
fluids in transit, I construct what I call an operative thermometer, by uniting
several discs or circular plates of thin copper or brass alternately by the
edges and middles. Through the centre of the united plates I make a small
hole, which forms a communication through the whole series of discs, and
constitutes a metallic cellular vessel capable of some degree of expansion and
contraction, by the elasticity of the plates of metal. This vessel is united to a
coil of pipes capable of containing from fifty to three hundred times more than
the contents of the cellular vessel or discs. I fill the coil of pipes and the
cellular vessel with spirits of wine, linseed oil, or any other suitable fluid
possessing sufficient expansibility by heat, and close the same perfectly tight.
The coil is then inclosed, in a cistern or chamber, through which that fluid
passes the temperature of which is to be ascertained, and in its transit com-
municates its temperature to the fluid contained in the coil, and causes an
expansion or contraction of its volumn (similar to that in the mercury of an
ordinary thermometer), which increase or diminution is forced into the cellular
vessel or drawn from it, and will cause it to expand or contract accordingly,
and thereby to express the temperature of the fluid surrounding the coil
contained in the cistern or chamber.
Having explained the respective methods by which I ascertain the quantity,
specific gravity, and temperature, I now proceed to describe and ascertain the
manner in which they are combined, and constitute one machine, apparatus, or
instrument, as shown by Figure 3, the particulars of which are more clearly
exhibited in Figures 4, 5, & 6, in all of which the respective parts are repre-
sented by the same letter or letters. I construct a frame or balance A, A, B, B,
Figure 3 and 4, which is suspended on the centres a, b. To the end A of the
said frame or balance is fixed the cistern C, with the operative thermometer E,
also the measurer D, as already described in Figure 1. From the exit branch
of the cock is extended a bended pipe c, terminating against or upon the centre
line or axis within the balance frame, in a glass mouthpiece covering the end
of a perpendicular pipe of glass d. standing up in the middle of a cup of
mercury e, in which the mouthpiece is inserted so far as to resist the statical
pressure of the fluid within. Another pipe 9 connects the cistern C with the.
induction branch of the cock, through which the fluid enters the cylinder D.
Another pipe k extends from the cistern to the centre line of the balance
frame and there terminates in a glass mouthpiece inserted in a cup of mercury,
in all respects like that already described, only connected with the induction
pipe f. I attach to the balance frame as at a plunger m, suited in its shape

page_text: and section to the nature of the fluid it is intended to weigh or assay, which
plunger is inserted in the mercury contained in the cup n. To the end B of
the balance is attached a weight sufficient to counterpoise the end A with its
appendages when filled with fluid of mean specific gravity of that for which
the machine is intended.
It will now be manifest that if the machine be thus constituted, and spirituous
liquor be poured through the pipe f, it will fill the chamber C, and then through
the pipe 9 will fill the ends of the cylinder alternately, and will ultimately run
out at the pipe P. That the air may be perfectly expelled from the machine
when it is set to work, the cock p must be shut, and the small air cocks 7, 7,
on the pipes c & k opened, until a small quantity of the liquor rise through
them, when they must be shut, and the cock p opened. The machine being
supplied with spirituous liquor will by the number of the strokes of the piston
indicate the quantity passed through the machine. The preponderance of
either end of the balance frame, indicated by the pointer on the scale r, will
express the specific gravity of the liquor, and the thermometer E will, by its
expansion or contraction, indicate the temperature of the liquor as it passed.
I will now describe the manner in which these particulars, viz, the quantity,
specific gravity, and and temperature, are registered. I construct upon the
sector of the cock or the valve a pair of pallets, which work into and turn
round tooth by tooth the wheel upon the end of the shafts, which extends
to the centre line of the balance frame (see Figures 1 and 2), and there, by a
screw, communicates motion to the wheel t and the cylinder u, on the outside
of which is fixed a paper, Fig. 4. This cylinder is supported upon two centre
points, screwed into the top and bottom of the cylinder frame F, G. Fig. 6,
the same frame; and in the centre line of the balance frame are fixed two
guides w and x, with internal grooves, as shewn in the plan, Figure 4, to guide
two pencils parallel with the surface of the paper, to indicate the temperature
and specific gravity. At a short distance from the lower end of the cylinder
is suspended the lever V, into which is fastened a pencil, pressing against
the surface of the paper on the cylinder. From the middle part of the
lever extends upward a rod and loop, which rests upon a small cam or
excentric on the shaft s, which by every revolution raises the pencil of
the lever V a short distance, and letting it fall again makes the paper
an indented line, thus,
expressive
of so many gallons or other specific measures, according to the capacity
of the measuring cylinder and the number of teeth in the wheel r. Near
to the upper part of the cylinder another pencil is fixed into a socket, easily
moveable between the guides w and x, and occupying the grooves nearest to
the cylinder u. This socket is connected by a rod to the end of the lever II,

page_text: which communicates motion by the expansion or contraction of the thermo-
meter E to the pencil, which will describe upon the revolving paper a line
expressive of the temperature of the liquor of which the lever V marks the
quantity. Another pencil is fixed into a socket, easily moveable between the
guides w and x, and occupying the grooves farthest from the cylinder u.
This pencil is connected by the connecting rod to the lever I, supported upon
the upper end of 1. The other end of the lever I is attached to the fixed
point y by the rod I. Then, as either end of the balance frame prepon-
derates, the lever I will move the pencil between the guides w and x, and upon
the revolving paper will describe a line, more or less elevated, expressive of
the specific gravity of the liquor the quantity of which is marked immediately
under. The paper, before it is put upon the cylinder, I rule with lines suited
to the strength and temperature of the liquor to be assayed. Thus, to express
the specific gravity of spirits, I draw a strong line at the same height from the
bottom of the paper as the pencil of the machine would mark if the machine
were filled with proof spirits. Also, to shew the temperature, by ruling a
strong line at the height where the machine would mark sixty degrees
Fahrenheit. Then on each side of these lines, at proper distances, I draw
parallel lines, expressive of the higher and lower degrees of the specific gravity
and temperature, which may be found practically useful. The value of the
lines drawn by the machine are rendered easily determinable by their falling
between or intersecting these preparatory lines of known import.
In the application of part or parts of this Invention to other purposes, I
construct an instrument, by combining the motion of the balance frame and
that of the operative thermometer to effect one index or pencil, and to indicate
or register the strength of the spirits, as if the whole were sampled at one tem-
perature. For which purpose I divide that portion of the plunger m, Figure 7,
which I intend shall work in and out of the mercury, into one hundred equal
parts, with subdivisions, by which all the varieties of specific gravity from distilled
water to alcohol shall be indicated. I then construct another plunger, which
I distinguish from the other by the appellation of the compensation plunger,
of the same length, and divide it in the same manner, and I make its sections
at these divisions proportionate to the expansibility (by heat) of spirits of the
various specific gravities expressed by these divisions. The compensation
plunger works in the same cup with the other plunger, and is attached to the
lever (a, b), the fulchrum of which is in the centre line of the axis of the
balance frame, and its other end connected to the operative thermometer, so
that its motion between the point at which it stands at thirty degrees Fahren-
heit and that at which it stands at eighty degrees shall be sufficient to emerse
or immerse a portion of the plunger, and thereby move the balance frame so

page_text: as to indicate or register an expression of the specific gravity as a compensa-
tion for the expansion or contraction of the spirits in the machine by their
temperature being above or below the degree of heat at which it is intended
to register their strength. The two instruments specified above are only
applicable to what are known by the name of spirituous liquors at some
intermediate temperature between thirty degrees and eighty degrees Fahren-
heit. I also ascertain and register the quantity and temperature of water for
feeding steam engine or other boilers, by the application of the measuring part
of the above specified apparatus, with the revolving cylinder and the operative
thermometer, without any part of the apparatus which respects the specific
gravity. In this application I prefer the piston to be packed with flax or
hemp. I also measure the quantity of spirituous liquors, wine, or other
fermented liquors, by the application of the measuring part of the apparatus
only. I also regulate the heat or temperature of the inside of still heads,
worms, or other vessels which it is desirablo to maintain at an equable heat,
and to which my operative thermometer may be applicable, by inserting the
coil of the operative thermometer into the still head, worm, or vessel, and
connecting the expansive or contractive force of the instrument to the shutting
and opening of the steam cock or valve through which such vessel may be
heated, or to the shutting and opening of the damper of the fire by which such
vessel may be heated, or to the opening and shutting or regulating the water
cock or valve by which the uniformity of the temperature of such vessel may
be maintained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Brunton, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand oight lundred and twenty-nine