Improvements in and relating to Mechanism for Controlling the Action of Oscillating Discs, particularly applicable to Disc Water Meters.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Mechanism for Controlling the
Action of Oscillating Discs, particularly applicable to Disc Water
Meters.
I, JOHN THOMSON, of No. 190 Carlton Avenue, in the City of Brooklyn,
County of Kings, and State of New York, U.S.A., Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to mechanism for controlling the action of oscillating disks
and means for transinitting the motions thereof, and while it is adapted to disks of
many and various mechanisms, it is more especially designed to be used in connection
with disk water meters. The object of the invention is to cause the disk to
oscillate in positive contact with the frustums of its casing and to provide speed-
changing spur gear trains which shall avoid the objections due to side thrusts
ordinarily inherent to such trains, and to these ends my invention consists in the
various features of construction and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter
more fully set forth.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1, is a vertical section of a disk chamber casing showing the essential
features of my invention;
Figs. 2 and 3 are detached views illustrating the details of construction and the
principles of operation;
Figure 4 is a detached sectional view of part of the disk chamber casing and
thrust-block;
Figure 5 is also a detached sectional view of part of disk-chamber casing, but
with the disk and ball in position, showing a modification in the construction and
application of the thrust-block; and
Figure 6 is a detail view of the thrust-block and its spindle showing the principle
of construction.
Referring to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, the
disk chamber casing is formed of the upper and lower sections 5, 6, containing the
disk 7 and ball 8.
The controlling device consists of the spindle 9, having a bearing 10, through
the ball and the conical thrust-block or cap 12, connected to the spindle and having
a conical bearing 13, in the interior of the casing.
For each complete oscillation or gyration of the disk, the spindle and the thrust-
block will make one revolution.
Should the disk tend to vibrate and break contact with the frustums 14, 15, say
as indicated by the arrows 16, such action will be restrained and prevented by the
contact of the thrust-block 12, against its conical bearing, as at 17.
The leading improvement in this mechanism over that heretofore devised consists
in forming the thrust-block and its bearing to such an angle that that portion of its
surface which resists any tendency of vibration of the disk shall be parallel to the
surface or surfaces of the spindle which transmits the stress from the disk and ball.
In this wise, as see the arrows, Fig. 2, any tendency, A, of the disk to vibrate is
through B, C, of the spindle to produce a right angle action at D, which is resisted

page_text: by E, of the block, whose resisting surface being parallel to B, C, and at a right
angle to A, receives the thrust without tendency to slip either up or down. And
this at once points out the objection of previous devices of this nature; namely;
the tendency of the controlling member to slip up or down and jam the ball into its
socket, producing great friction and limiting the endurance of the apparatus.
In the primary figures of the drawing, I have shown the thrust-block with its
base, 19, formed to the spherical contour of the ball upon which it is supported.
This is regarded as a desirable construction in that ample bearing surface is
provided and any wear in the ball and socket will thus be taken up as the thrust-
block follows the ball. Still, this is not essential, as a portion of the upper
spherical socket-bearing may be formed in the disk casing, as shown at 19, Fig. 4,
that is, a portion of the bearing being in the thrust-block and a portion in the
casing. So, too I have shown the thrust-block and spindle as formed of two parts;
and the latter may be flattened, as at 20, and inserted in a slot; 21. While this is
advantageous in obtaining a ready adjustment of the angle, it is not necessary, as
both may be formed integral. Or they may be fixed together in the manner
indicated at 47 in Figure 6.
The modification shown in Fig. 5 is of especial advantage in the application of
this device to meters of large capacity. Thus, the bearing 48 for the thrust-block
is a separate bushing inserted from the outside of the disk-casing. By means of
the threaded portion, 49, the bushing may be adjusted to any vertical position
desired. When the bushing is removed the thrust-block and its spindle may also
be withdrawn without separating the disk-casings.
To relieve the action of friction, the lower surface of the thrust-block instead of
being formed to correspond to the spherical surface of the ball may be faced off
flat, as 50, at a right angle to the thrust-resisting surface E. Then by flattening
the top of the ball, or inserting a bushing, as, 52, to project above the top of the
ball, as 53, the thrust-block is caused to revolve upon the said flattened face of
limited area.
Two contingent advantages are derived from the foregoing arrangement, namely:
first, any wear at the bearing face, 52, will not affect the action of the thrust-
block in that the thrust-surface thereof, E, will move downward, parallel to the
spindle, as see lines 54, 5, of Fig. 6; while, second, as the bushing is independent,
it may be adjusted back and forth to effect the desired degree of accuracy without
regard to the relation of the ball and the thrust-block.
As indicated by the angles marked on the detail, Fig. 6, the construction may
readily be effected by ordinary machine operations.
The speed-changing spur gear train for transmitting the motions of the thrust-
block shown in the drawings is the preferred form for use in connection with the
other features of my invention, although other gear trains may be substituted and
the gear train may be used in connection with other forms of controlling device.
The gear train shown comprises three series of superimposed gears and pinions, all
disposed upon an approximately right line, the central series comprising the primary
driving and the final driven member of the train and two outer series of gears and
pinions which mesh with the central series.
Thus, the primary driving pinion 30, is fixed to a spindle 23, mounted on the
lower plate 31, and in the present instance this spindle 23, is arranged concentric
with the thrust-block and is connected thereto by means of a transverse slot, 22.
To bring the driving spindle 23, concentric with the block without cramping it or
the spindle, a cylindrical recess 24, is formed upon the outside of the disk casing
above the thrust-block, to which the cylindrical hub, 25, of the gear train is
adapted. Hence, if the spindle is not in precise alignment, the entire train will be
deflected to correct the adjustment.
Meshing with the pinion 30, are the gears 32, 33, having pinions 34, 35, fixed
thereto, revolving upon upright axles extending from the lower plate 31, to the
upper plate 41. The next transmission is from pinions 34, 35, to the central
gear-wheel 36, to which the pinion 37 is attached, and these are free to rotate on

page_text: the lower extension of a spindle, 38, of the driving gear, although they may be
independently mounted.
The next transmission is from the pinion 37, right and left to the gear-
wheels 39, 40, to which are respectively fixed the pinions, 42, 43, which act upon
the single upper center gear, 44, which thus becomes the driven member of the train
and transmits its motion to the spindle, 38, passing through a stuffing-box and
provided with a gear, 45, which operates the register of the water meter or other
device with which it may be connected.
From this construction whatever wear may take place both upon the high speed
spindle, 23, and in its bearing in the plate, it will be uniformly distributed and the
strains upon all the gears will be balanced, simplifying the construction and
improving the operation of the train.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The combination with the casing, disk, and ball, of a controlling device
consisting of a spindle acting in the ball and connected to a thrust-block acting in
a bearing in the interior of the casing.
2. The combination with the casing, disk and ball, of the thrust-block acting in
a bearing in the interior of the casing and the spindle acting in the ball, the
transmitting and resisting surfaces of the spindle and the thrust-block being in
practically parallel lines.
3. The combination with the casing, disk and ball, of the thrust-block acting in
a bearing in the interior of the casing and connected to a spindle acting in the ball,
the said ball supporting the thrust-block.
4. The combination with the casing, disk and ball, of the thrust-block resting
upon and having its base formed to the curvature of the ball.
5. The combination with the casing, disk and ball of the thrust-block having
its base formed flat and to a right angle to the thrust resisting surface E.
6. The combination with the casing, disk, ball and thrust-block of an adjustable
bearing for the thrust-block, removable from the exterior side of the casing.
7. The combination with the casing, disk and ball, of a thrust-block acting in a
bearing in the interior of the casing, and means for connecting this thrust-block
directly with the gear train and register.
8. The combination with the casing, disk and ball, of a spur gear train substan-
tially as described, and an intermediate thrust-block connecting the disk and ball
with the train, substantially in the manner set forth.
Dated this 27th day of April. A.D. 1897.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London, for the Applicant