Improvements in Liquid Meters.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 18th Feb., -1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Liquid Meters.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Build-
ings, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby the nature of this invention (as communicated to
me from
abroad by La Compagnie Generale des Compteurs (Société Anonyme), of 29,
Rue de la Bougie, Brussels, Belgium, Manufacturers), and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in liquid meters working with a single
piston of the "Kennedy" type, and particularly to certain parts of the distributing
appliance and to the form of the piston.
In order that the invention may be properly understood the whole meter is
described in the following description and the improvements constituting the
invention are afterwards particularly specified by the claims.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section of the
meter; Fig. 2 is an elevation in which the front wall of the casing for the valve motion
has been removed; Fig. 3 is a back view of the distributing appliance; Fig. 4 is
a section on the lines X Y of Fig. 3; Figs. 5 to 9 represent sundry details.
The main features of the meter are a single cylinder A in which there slides a
piston B having a caoutchouc packing ringe which rolls upon itself and thus all
friction, resistance and wear of the cylinder and piston are avoided.
The travel of the piston is limited firstly above by an annular projecting abut-
ment formed on the cylinder cover D, and secondly, below by an abutment a¹
formed on the cylinder, both abutments being of such dimensions that room is
allowed for the introduction of liquid below and above the piston. Abutment
surfaces 61, 62, corresponding with and a¹ respectively are formed on the piston.
The ports for admission of the liquid are situated on one side of the cylinder,
the bottom one being shewn at a² and the top one at a³. The cover D of the
cylinder is bolted on to the flange at of the cylinder and carries the gun metal or
other metal stuffing box E through which the piston rod F slides and which is
fixed in the cover by pressure.
This box is made sufficiently long to render the packing effective.
The gland e of the stuffing box guides the piston rod and is pressed inwards
by the screwed cap e, in which is a cavity to contain lubricant such as tallow,
oil, vaseline or the like for lubricating the piston rod.
A modification of this stuffing box is shewn at 4 in Fig. 5; it is cast in one
with the cover D, the pressing gland being screwed in and the piston rod being
separated from the casting by the inner ringe. The packing & consists of
rings of oiled leather, greased hemp, greased cotton or asbestos.
The piston rod F is of gun metal or of steel covered with copper or bronze, and
is attached to the piston in a special manner, that is to say, it is accurately turned
and fitted into the hole of the central boss of the piston in such a way that there
is no risk of fracture, whether by concussion or any other cause, the rod being

page_text: made to extend of its full diameter some distance into the centre boss b³ of the
piston, while its end fo is of a sufficiently diminished section to provide a shoulder
7 bearing on a shoulder of the piston and is secured at the end by screwing
into a nut f³.
A small quantity of minium or other suitable substance provided at fo makes
good the joint between the rod and the piston.
The cylinder cover D has cast on it supports for the caoutchouc abutments d
which are to receive the blows of the valve hammer G.
The distributing appnance H, which serves also as a part of the casing for the
moving parts, is fixed to the cylinder and to the cover by bolts, the nuts h of which
are placed inside the casing and are consequently inaccessible.
The distributor H, the ducts of which are formed in the casting, has a valve
casing fitted under pressure into the casting as shewn at Figs. I and 6. This
casing has four ports serving to conduct the liquid in and out and towards the
top and bottom of the cylinder respectively.
The distribution is effected by a rotary valve or plug I with flat partition i
which is turned alternately for admitting the liquid towards the bottom and the
top of the cylinder respectively. This valve carries a spindle passing through
the support which carries the distributing hammer G, and through a specially
arranged caoutchouc tube K which serves also to form the joint between the
hammer carrier and the distributor, as shewn on an enlarged scale in Fig. 9.
Between the caoutchouc, which is fixed to the valve I by a nut i, and the valve
spindle a small metallic wire coil L is placed so as to allow of the torsion of the
caoutchouc. The convolutions of the coil are squeezed against each other and are
of a round section to prevent the deterioration of the caoutchouc K; the latter is
strengthened by woven fabric at those parts which are submitted to pressure.
The valve 1 bears at one end against a stop m fixed in the distributor.
The hammer carrier J, which also closes the distributing valve chamber is in
one piece and has fixed to it by the bolt a steel plate N which can be regulated
by the screw n² and serves as an abutment and for regulating the valve.
This arrangement is easy of access and renders practicable the regulation of the
distributing appliance. The fastening screws m¹ of the abutment plate behind m
have holes which enable them to be sealed, thus preventing the stopping of the
meter by removing this plate, as shewn at Fig. 1.
The spindle of the valve carries fixed to its end a double lever or beam 0,
actuated by the fall of the hammer; the arms O' of this double lever O are or may
be covered with caoutchouc or some other material sufficient to deaden the shock
of the hammer. On the top part of this lever, separately shewn in Fig. 7, there
is a small weight 02 acting alternately to the right and to the left for the purpose
of preventing the rebound of the caoutchouc and thus allowing a very delicate
regulation and a high degree of mobility of the valve.
This weight 0 may be cast in one with the lever or may be mounted thereon.
It may also be moveable in relation to the lever so that the moment thereof may
be varied and the torsion of the caoutchouc effectively counteracted.
The valve is actuated by a crosshead P fixed on the end of the piston rod, which
crosshead also serves to guide the piston rod in the guide R. mounted on the
cylinder cover; a roller p facilitates this movement in the guide. The other end
of the crosshead moves the hammer G which is mounted loose on a stud projecting
from the casting J and is turned alternately to the right and to the left according as
the piston ascends or descends, and by its fall displaces the double ended lever O,
thus moving the valve I. A small friction roller p' is affixed to the end of the
crosshead which raises the hammer, and a toothed rack r also fixed to the cross-
head, transmits the reciprocating movement of the piston to the counter through
a wheel S.
The guide R, besides guiding the piston rod, serves as a support for the counter
which receives its motion from the wheel S whose reciprocating rotary movement

page_text: is transmitted as continuous rotary motion to a suitable counter by means of any
known mechanism.
The
The distributing appliance constitutes the back wall of the casing for the moving
parts; the front wall T is fixed to the lugs a cast with the cylinder cover.
side walls and the top are sheet iron plates which slide in grooves in the wall T.
The flanges prevent the introduction under the iron plates of any instru-
ment for fraudulently stopping the meter.
The front T and the distributor can be united by the top plate t in either one
of three ways.
(1) By the first method (shewn in Fig. 1) two screws V pass through the plate
which is strengthened at these points by the cups and screws into the flanges
of the castings. The cups V may receive a sealing material.
(2) The second method is shewn in Fig. 8; for the screws V is substituted a
bolt W which lies in straps on the plate w and connects the castings T and H and
has a hole in its screwed end for the passage of a wire or cord, thus allowing the
meter to be sealed.
(3) The third method is shewn in Fig. 8 and is a modification of the second
method. The straps w¹ rivetted on the top plate may or may not be retained.
No crosspiece is placed in the top part of the casing for uniting T and H in such
a way that an accident owing to the motion of the hammer is to be feared, as is
the case in other similar meters. The parts of the meter which have not been
described are the same as in the known constructions of such meters and need
therefore not be further referred to.
22
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In a liquid meter working with a piston of the Kennedy type, the pro-
vision of annular abutments such as d'a on the inside face of the cylinder cover D)
and on the bottom of the cylinder, cast in one therewith, operating in combination
with corresponding abutments such as 12 on the piston, such abutments being
of dimensions necessary to afford room for the introduction of the liquid below
and above the piston, substantially as described.
2. In a liquid meter of the "hennedy" type the special construction of stuffing
box for the piston rod e' shewn in Fig. 1 having a cavity such as e³ for holding
lubricant for the piston rod substantially as described.
3. The modified form of the stuffing box referred to in Claim 2 shewn at e¹ in
Fig. 5, being cast in one with the cylinder cover D substantially as described.
4. In a liquid meter of the "Kennedy" kind the arrangement in the interior
of the casing of the nuts h of the screw bolts which fix the distributor H so that
they are inaccessible and the_meter cannot be tampered with from the outside
substantially as described.
5. In a liquid meter of the "Kennedy" kind the special arrangement and
form of the caoutchouc tube K fitted on the spindle of the distributing valve, such
tube serving also to form the joint between the hammer carrier and the distributor,
beneath which caoutchouc tube are placed on the said spindle small metal rings
such as L in close contact with each other, substantially as described.
6. In a liquid meter of the " Kennedy kind providing a steel plate such as N
on the carrier for the hammer, such plate serving as an abutment and regulator
for the valve and being held by a bolt n and adjustable by a screw n², substantially
as described.
7. In a liquid meter of the "Kennedy" kind constructing the heads m¹ of the
screws securing the back abutment plate m of the meter, with holes for the passage
of a wire or cord that can be secured by sealing substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 1 and 1 of the accompanying drawings.
"
8. In a liquid meter of the " Kennedy kind the special arrangement and con-
struction of the doublé lever or balance arm O fixed to the end of the valve spindle

page_text: and having two arms ()¹ covered with caoutchouc characterised by the provision
on its upper side of a small weight 02 moving alternately to the right and to the
left for the purpose of counteracting the recoil of the caoutchouc, which small
weight is either cast in one with the lever or is mounted moveably or fixed thereon,
substantially as described with reference to Fig. 7 of the drawings.
9. In a liquid meter of the Kennedy” kind the provision of Hanges such as
on the walls of the cover and distributing appliance to prevent the intro-
duction beneath the plates of the cover of any instrument for fraudulently stopping
the meter substantially as described.
"
10. In a liquid meter of the Kennedy" kind the arrangements described with
reference to Figs. 1, 8 and 8 for connecting the part T. and the distributor by the
sheet metal covering, consisting either of the screws V passing through the
cups serving to seal the fastening, or of a screw bolt W passing through lugs
cast on T and H, and having a perforation in its screwed end for a sealed wire or
cord, which arrangement enables the ordinary transverse connecting piece to be
dispensed with, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of December 1898
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.