IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND REGISTERING WATER AND PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ramsbottom, of Accrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, and John Charles Dickinson, of Blackburn, in the
same County, Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND REGISTERING WATER AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ramsbottom and
John Charles Dickinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 30th November 1855.
We, JOHN RAMSBOTTOM, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, En.
gineer, and JOHN CHARLES DICKINSON, of Blackburn, in the same County,
Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND REGISTERING
WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS, AND OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FROM THE SAME," to be
as follows:-
Our said Invention consists principally of a peculiarly arranged valve in
connection with certain chambers, crossed by diaphragms of india-rubber,
gutta percha, metal, or other suitable flexible substance or material, so as to
divide each of the chambers into two, with a view that the fluid entering one
chamber may press the flexible diaphragm against the side of the other chamber,
and besides discharging the fluid from the latter chamber, give motion to the

page_text: valve, indices, &c. by means of a rod, one of which is attached to each dia-
phragm, and which, passing through the chamber, is connected with suitable
facilities to effect this motion.
The nature of our said machine or apparatus will be clearly understood by
reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional eleva-
tion of one form of the apparatus; a, b, and c, d, are chambers; e, the
diaphragms; f, the diaphragm rods; g, the eccentrics or cranks; h, the shaft;
j, the wheel communicating with the valve K; & L, the vertical spindle, with
wheel worked by the spiral screw m, which moves the registering apparatus
contained in the box n; o are supports for the shaft. Fig. 3 shews one form
of the valve seating, with apertures corresponding to the number of chambers,
and suitable to the arrangement just described; Fig. 2, the valve, which in
this case has six apertures, three of which o, o, o, are connected with tho
supply pipe, and alternately communicate with the feed ways leading to the
chambers. The other three P, P, P, are connected alternately with the cham-
Bers, and serve as the discharge apertures therefrom into the body of the metre
Q. from whence the fluid is withdrawn by the outlet pipe R. The mechanical
action or the mode of operation is as follows:- The fluid enters the feed ways
S, and after passing the valve and suitably constructed ways, enters one of the
chambers, say, a, passes down the diaphragm and rod, gives motion to the
crank shaft, indices, valve, &c; the fluid being discharged through one of the
exit ports of the valve into the vessel Q, and as another of the supply ports of
the valve is by this motion brought over the aperture connected with the
chamber D, the diaphragm of this chamber commences its ascent, and so the
motion is continued; the fluid being supplied to and discharged from each
chamber alternately, and the supply having commenced in one chamber
some time before it is cut off from another, and as there are two or more
diaphragms and rods, a taking-up motion, with continuous action as well as
continuous supply and delivery, is obtained.
Fig. 4 exhibits another arrangement of this principle, in which the chambers
and diaphragms are situated perpendicularly, with the horizontal rods f
standing opposite to each other, when two are used, and at right angles, or
forming a square; when four diaphragms are preferred, of course continuous
action may be communicated to the valve, &c. either directly from the rods or
through the medium of a crank, &c. The valve and fluid ways are situated at
the bottom of the vertical crank spindle V in the chest S, and communicate
with the lower portion of the chambers at each side of the diaphragms
respectively.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ramsbottom and John Charles Dickinson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
RAMSBOTTOM, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and Joun
CHARLES DICKINSON, of Blackburn, in the same County, Machine Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Ramsbottom and John Charles Dickinson, Iler special license that we,
the said John Ramsbottom and John Charles Dickinson, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Ramsbottom and
John Charles Dickinson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND REGISTERING WATER AND OTHER
FLUIDS, AND OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FROM THE SAME," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said John Ramsbottom and John Charles
Dickinson, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Ramsbottom, for and on behalf of
myself and the said John Charles Dickinson, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say):-
Our said Invention consists principally of an improved method of regu-
lating the passage of water to and from the measuring chambers of water
meters, in such a manner as to maintain an uniform supply and delivery with-
out the shock and concussion attendant upon rapid valvular changes; therefore
the structure, arrangement, and mode of actuating the valves constitute the

page_text: principal features of our Invention in connexion with certain measuring
chambers, crossed by diaphragms of india-rubber, gutta percha, metal, or other
suitable flexible substance or material, so as to divide each of the chambers
into two, in order that the fluid entering one chamber may press the flexible
diaphragm against the side of the other chamber, and besides discharging the
fluid from the latter chamber, give motion to the valve, indisces, &c. by means
of rods, one of which is attached to each diaphragm, and which, passing through
the chambers, are connected with suitable facilities to effect this motion.
The nature of our said Invention will be clearly understood by reference
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which the same letters refer to
similar parts where different views are shewn.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of the apparatus. a, b, and c, d,
are chambers; e, the diaphragms; f, the diaphragm rods; g, the cranks; h, the
shaft, the wheels communicating with the valve k; and 1, the vertical
spindle, worked by the spiral screw m, which moves the registering apparatus
contained in the box n; o are supports for the shaft. Fig. 2 shews one form
of the valve seating, with apertures corresponding to the number of chambers;
Fig. 3, the valve, which in this case has six apertures; three of which o', o', o',
are connected with the supply pipe, and alternately constitute the feed ways
leading to the chambers. The other three apertures p, p, p, are connected
alternately with the chambers, and serve as the discharge apertures therefrom
into the body of the meter q, from whence the fluid is withdrawn by the outlet
pipe R. These valves may either feed and deliver at the bottom or at the
sides, similarly to the one next described. Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section
of this valve, but having two apertures only. 0%, the supply; and p, the
delivery, shewn in connection with its seating, passages, &c. To cause this
valve to be similar in effect to a valve of six apertures, it must make three
times the number of revolutions. It will be readily seen that when rotary
motion is imparted to these valves the feed and exit ways change successively,
the diminishing supply and exit in one set of chambers being accompanied
with increasing supply and delivery in another set of chambers.
Fig. 5
exhibits another arrangement of this principle, in which chambers and
diaphragms are situated perpendicularly, with the horizontal rods standing
opposite to each other when two are used, and at right angles should four
diaphragms be preferred. The motion in either of the above forms of ap-
paratus may be communicated directly to the cranks by slotted cross heads
2 being fixed to the ends of the diaphragm rods, in which slots the crank
pins move laterally during their revolution. The dotted lines X shew tle
direction of the feed and exit ways. The mechanical action or the mode of

page_text: operation is as follows:-The fluid enters the feed ways S, and after passing
the valve and suitably constructed ways enters one of the chambers, say, a,
Fig. 1, presses down the diaphragm and rod, and gives motion to the crank
shaft, valve, indisces, &c., the fluid being discharged from 6 through one of the
exit ports of the valve into the air vessel Q; and as this motion brings the
feed ways into communication with the chamber d, the diaphragm of this
chamber commences to descend, and so the motion is continued, the fluid
being supplied to and discharged from each of the four chambers alternately;
the supply having commenced in one chamber some time before it is cut off
from another, and as there are two or more diaphragms and rods, continuous
motion with uniform supply and delivery is obtained. To prevent rust it is
proposed to deposit a coating of gutta percha on the interior of these meters.
It is obvious that the chambers may be of various shapes, and situated or
arranged in various ways on this principle; therefore we wish it to be distinctly
understood that we do not strictly confine our claims to the exact form of
chambers, neither to the exact form of valve, &c., as herein shewn and
described, though it will probably be preferred, seeing the valvular arrange-
ment may also be varied and still retain our principle. But we claim,―
Firstly, the principle of actuating any description of valve or valves in a
gradual and continuous manner by means of two or more diaphragms, as
described.
Secondly, the application to diaphragm meters of an air vessel into which
the fluid shall pass from the measuring chambers previously to its withdrawal
for use.
Thirdly, the construction and use of the within-described valve, together
with the general principle and arrangement, for the purpose of measuring and
obtaining motive power from water and other fluids or vapours.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ramsbottom, for and on behalf of
myself and the said John Charles Dickinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and flew i
JOHN RAMSBOTTOM. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-named
John Ramsbottom, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.