IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bristow Hunt, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS."-A communication from
abroad by George Warren Copeland, of Malden, Massachusetts,
• United States.
Sealed the 20th February 1872, and dated the 10th November 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bristow Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th November 1871.
I, BRISTOW HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS," (a communication
to me from abroad by George Warren Copeland, of Malden, Massa-
chusetts, United States,) to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of meters known as reciprocating
water meters, and it consists mainly of an air-tight floating piston and

page_text: a peculiar arrangement of ports and valves whereby a perfect reciprocal
motion is obtained which is suitably imparted to registering devices.
A first modification of the Invention is as follows:-The apparatus
consists of a cylinder in which freely moves a cylindrical air-tight piston
a little more than half its length. Above the cylinder is a casing having
a plane horizontal upper surface between which and the cylinder is a
space divided into different compartments. A semi-cylindrical cap
having an enlargement in the middle covers the surface of the casing,
within which and resting on the surface is a semi-cylindrical valve, the
bottom of which is provided with two ports and two bridge shaped
recesses, between which latter the lower portion of the valve is
open. The ends of the valve fit closely in the ends of the cap, but
between the ends the periphery of the valve is made smaller and cut
away in order to leave a greater space for water between itself and the
cap, which, as above mentioned, is likewise enlarged at this part, and
this additional water space affords sufficient convergent pressure on the
outer periphery of the valve to counteract the upward pressure of water
on the recesses and through the ports, which convergent pressure is
exerted only over the recesses and sufficient additional space adjoining
to balance the width of ports. End pieces or caps corresponding in
shape to the cross section of the cylinder and cap are connected thereto
by bolting the flanges on the ends of said cylinder and cap and on the
end pieces. Four ports are made in the surface of the casing which
connect with the ports and recesses of the valve. Two other similar
ports are made in the surface which communicate through channels
with recesses of the end pieces through two ports and passages. A valve
slides (between guides) over these two similar ports and is so arranged
as to alternately close one of the same from the top and leave the other
open, and alternately connect each with the channels from below. This
valve is actuated by the piston, a projection from the former entering a
groove in the latter, by which means the valve is moved at every stroke
of the piston a sufficient distance to reverse its position with relation to

page_text: incoming water first acts upon the semi-cylindrical or piston valve and
forces it to one end of the semi-cylindrical cap and then presses
against the piston, forcing it towards one end of the cylinder. This
motion of the piston forces the water which had previously accumulated
in the other end of the cylinder out of the latter, and it by the means
above described finds egress through the eduction pipe. This motion of
the piston reverses the position of the slide valve in relation to the two
ports, as above described, so that the incoming water now causes the
piston valve to travel back again to the other end of the cap, and then
presses the piston towards the opposite end of the cylinder, forcing out
the water which had accumulated therein upwards and through the
eduction pipe. The operation is thus continued, every passage of the
piston reversing the position of the sliding valve, thus causing a current
of water to bear on one end of the piston valve, forcing it in the opposite
direction and opening a passage from the end of the cylinder containing
the water to the eduction pipe, and maintaining a perfect reciprocation of
the sliding valve which is suitably imparted to registering devices.
In a second modification of the Invention, above the cylinder is a
casing having a plane upper surface below which is a space subdivided
by vertical partitions. The casing or cap is made with a semicircular
upper surface which covers the casing. Within the cap and resting on
suitable seats is a valve, which consists of a tube having right angled
circular flanges near the ends and wider flanges near the centre, and
between these cylindrical flanges and annular passages. The interior of
the cap is provided with semicircular bands or rests which form circles in
connection with the semicircular top or cap. Between the rests and the
bottom of the cap are spaces, which are also subdivided by vertical
partitions and are provided with ports which connect with other ports on
the surface of the casing, which latter communicate with the interior of
casing. End caps are attached by flanges to the ends of the cylinder
and cap and thereby connect the same. There are other ports in the
surface which communicate with ports in the upper part of the cylinder,
which is also provided with other similar ports communicating through
horizontal passages in the casing, and inclined passages in the end pieces
with the ends of the cap. There are other ports in the cylinder lower on
the periphery of the same than the others. Orifices are made in the
ends of the casing through which communication is had from said
casing to the ends of the cylinder through the end caps. Vertical

page_text: passages or valves run through the piston and are of sufficient width to
cover two of the ports first mentioned and bring the same into con-
nexion with each other at certain stages of the operation. These valves
are at opposite ends and sides of the piston. Narrower valves run
through the piston and occupy corresponding positions to the first valves.
The narrower valves are provided with right angled branches which lead
from the same horizontally to the sides of the piston. One of these
valves and its branch connects at certain stages of the operation with two
of the ports in the cylinder, while at opposite stages the other valve and
the branch connect two other of the ports in the cylinder. The piston
is kept in a vertical position in the cylinder by a pin which enters
a groove in the bottom of the same.
Water is admitted to the cap through the eduction pipe and port and
finds access to one end of the cylinder, and entering the same forces the
piston towards the opposite end of the cylinder, thereby forcing the
water which had accumulated in said opposite end through a series of
ports and valves and out at the eduction pipe; the piston just at the end
of its stroke operates the tube valve in such a manner as to admit the
incoming water to force the piston back and open a passage to the
eduction pipe for the water expelled by the backward motion of the
piston. The length of stroke of the tube valve being comparatively
short the time required to reverse its position and remove the water from
the opposite end of the cap by the means described is short, the
connection of the valves in the piston and ports in the cylinder
during the transit of the former being sufficient to effect the desired
result.
1+0

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Bristow Hunt, Her special licence that I,
the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter 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 WATER METERS,"
(a communication to me from abroad by George Warren Copeland, of
Malden, Massachusetts, United States,) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
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 Bristow Hunt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
:-
1. This Invention relates to that class of meters known as recipro-
cating water meters, and it consists mainly of an air-tight floating
piston working freely in a cylinder, and of peculiar arrangements of ports
and valves, whereby a perfect reciprocal motion is obtained, which is
suitably imparted to registering devices.
2. According to one modification of the improvements, namely, that
illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
the apparatus is constructed and arranged and operates substantially
as follows.
8. On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 represents a
longitudinal vertical central section, and Figure 2 a transverse vertical

page_text: the same; Figure 5 represents an inverted plan view of the upper
reciprocating valve, and Figure 6 a side elevation of one of the end
pieces.
4. A represents a cylinder in which freely moves a cylindrical air-
tight piston B which is a little more than half its length; above the
cylinder A is a casing C with a plane horizontal upper surface C³,
between which and the cylinder A is a space D divided into different
compartments. The surface C¹ is covered by a semi-cylindrical cap E
(provided with an enlargement in the middle), within which and
resting on the surface O¹ is a semi-cylindrical valve F, the bottom of
which is provided with two ports G, G', and also with two bridge-shaped
recesses H, H³, between which latter the lower portion of the valve F
is open (see Figure 5). Between the ends of the valve (which fit
closely in the ends of the cap E) the periphery thereof is made smaller,
and cut away as at F1 so as to leave a greater space for water between
itself and the cap E), which (as above mentioned) is enlarged at about
this part; this additional water space affords sufficient convergent
pressure on the outer periphery of the valve to counteract the upward
pressure of the water on the recesses H, H, and through the ports G, G¹,
which convergent pressure is exerted only over the recesses, and
sufficient additional space adjoining to balance the width of the ports.
J, J¹, represent caps or end pieces corresponding in shape to the cross
section of the cylinder A and cap E, and which are secured or con-
nected thereto by bolting together the flanges j, j¹, on the ends of
said cylinder, cap, and end pieces. K, K³, and L, L', represent four
ports in the surface O³ of the casing C, which communicate with the
ports G, G, and recesses H, H¹, of the valve F. M, M', represent two
other similar ports in the surface O¹, which communicate by means of
two channels N, N¹, ports Y, and passages Y¹, with recesses X made
in the end pieces (as shewn in dotted lines in Figures 3 and 6).
O represents a hollow slide valve (working between guides O¹), which
is so arranged and actuated as to alternately close one or other of the
ports M, M³, and to leave the other open, and thereby alternately
connect each with the channels N, N', from below. A projection P on
the valve enters a groove R in the piston B, which thus at every stroke
moves the valve a sufficient distance to reverse its position with relation

page_text: to the ports M, M'; S represents the induction pipe, and T the eduction
pipe, which enter the casing C at opposite sides; the water passes from
the former through a port U in the surface C¹. V, V, represent
orifices in the ends of the casing C which open into the end caps J, J¹,
and connect the interior of the casing with the ends of the cylinder A.
5. The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-When the parts are
in the position shewn in Figure 1, the piston B is at one extreme of its
course, having been driven thither by the water entering the cylinder A,
from the opposite end (as hereafter described), the space in said cylinder
not otherwise occupied being filled with water. It will be observed that
the upper valve F, is in contact with the opposite end of the meter to
that with which the piston B is and that the port K¹ is closed, and the
ports K, and L, L', are open, and also that the port M³ is closed from
above by the slide valve o, and the port M is open. The water enters
through the induction pipe S and passes upwards through the port U
(which is always open), filling the interior of the cap E and thus
surrounding the valve F; it passes thence through the open port M and
the channel N¹, and through the port Y, and passage Y¹, and into the
recess X of the end piece J, and impinges against the end of the valve F,
which it forces into the position shewn; then passing through the valve
F and over the bridge H³, and through the ports G¹ and K, into the
space D, flows through the orifice V, into the lower part of the end cap
J', where it presses against the piston B, and forces the same towards
the opposite end of the cylinder to that shewn. This motion of the
piston forces the water which had previously accumulated in the cylinder
out of the latter, and upward, and through the end cap J, and orifice V¹,
into the space D, whence it passes through the syphon-like passage
formed by the ports L', L, and the recess H, and passes again into the
space D, whence it finds egress through the eduction pipe T. Meanwhile
the piston B in completing its course reverses the position of the hollow
slide valve O, and causes it to cover the port M from above, and connect
the channel N¹ with the exhaust opening Z. It will therefore be seen
that the port M³ is now open, and the water from port U immediately
passes through the same and the passage N to the opposite end of the
valve F, against which it impinges, and so forces it back towards the end
cap J¹; the water between said cap and the end of the valve, passing out
through the channel N³, and under the valve o, out at the exhaust opening
Z. This movement of the valve F, connects the ports K, K³, by means

page_text: of the bridge H¹ and closes the port L, and connects the ports G and L',
through which latter the water rushes (previously over the bridge H), and
down through the orifice V¹, into the end cap J, and pressing against the
piston B causes it to move back to the opposite end of the cylinder A,
thereby forcing the water which had accumulated in said end (as above
described) out, up, and through the ports K, K¹, bridge H³, and space D,
and out at the eduction pipe T. The operation is thus continued every
passage of the piston B reversing the position of the valve O, thus
causing a current of water to impinge against one end of the valve F,
forcing it in the opposite direction, and opening a passage from the end 1
of the cylinder containing the water to the eduction pipe or tube,
and thus maintaining a perfect reciprocation of the valve o, which is
suitably imparted to registering devices.
6. According to a second modification of the improvements, namely,
that illustrated in Figures 7 to 11, on the accompanying Sheet of 1
Drawings, certain parts which were essential to the above described
modification are omitted or dispensed with, by which means friction is
reduced, and the construction of the apparatus is simplified.
7. On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 7 represents a
longitudinal vertical central section, and Figure 8 a transverse vertical 2
central section of the apparatus; Figure 9 represents a plan view with
the upper portion and ends removed, and Figure 10 an end elevation ;
and Figure 5 represents a plan view of the piston.
8. In this modification the piston B is kept in a vertical position in
the cylinder A by a pin g, which enters a groove in the bottom of the 2
same; the space D is sub-divided by vertical divisions, and the cap or
casing E which covers the casing C is formed as shown with a semi-
cylindrical upper surface. Within the cap, and resting on suitable seats,
is a valve F which consists of a tube f provided with right angled
circular flanges G, G¹, near the ends, and with wider flanges H, H', near 3
the centre, and between these with cylindrical flanges I, I', and annular
passages J, J. The interior of the cap E is provided with semi-circular
bands or rests K, K¹, L, L¹, and M, M³, which in connection with the
semi-circular top of the cap E form complete circles. Between these
rests and the bottom of the cap E are spaces, which are also sub-divided 3
by vertical partitions, and are provided with four ports N, N³, and O, O¹,

page_text: which respectively communicate with four other ports P, P¹, and R, R¹
in the surface of the casing O, and which lead to the interior thereof;
S, S¹, represent the end caps; T, the induction pipe; and T", the eduction
pipe; V, V, represent two ports in the surface C₁ of the casing C, which
communicate with two other ports W, W₁, in the upper part of the
cylinder A, which is also provided with two other similar ports X, X¹,
communicating through horizontal passages Y, Y', in the casing C, and
inclined passages Z, Z³, in the end caps S, S¹, with the ends of the cap E.
a, a³, represent two other ports in the cylinder A, lower on the periphery
of the same than those above mentioned, and the former one (a) being in
a line with the ports X and W³, and the latter one (a¹) being in a line
with the ports W and X¹; b, b¹, represent the orifices in the ends of the
casing C, through which communication is had from said casing to the
ends of the cylinder A, through the end caps S, S¹; c, c³, represent
vertical passages or valves running through the piston B, and which are
placed at opposite sides and ends thereof, as shown, and which also are of
sufficient width to cover either two of the ports W¹, X¹, or W, X, so as
to bring the same into communication with each other at certain stages
of the operation; d, d', represent narrower valves which also run through
the piston, and occupy corresponding positions to those c, c¹, and which
are provided with right angled branches e, e¹, leading horizontally from
the same to the sides of the piston. The valve d³, and its branch e¹,
respectively communicate at certain stages of the operation with the
ports X' and a¹ in the cylinder A, while at opposite stages the valve d,
and its branch e, respectively communicate with the ports X and a. The
object of running the valves c, c², and d, ď³, entirely through the piston

page_text: cap S, and as having forced the valve F towards the opposite end of the
cap E, thus leaving the ports N and P in communication with the
interior of the latter through the flanges I and H, and passage J of the
valve F, and at the same time cutting off the ports N¹ and P¹ from
communication therewith. The ports O, O¹, and R, R¹, are connected
to each other by the space i between the flanges H¹ and I', thereby
forming a syphon-like passage over the rest I'. It will therefore be
seen that the conditions are now favorable for the incoming water to
pass through the pipe T and port U, and up into the cap E, through the
flanges H and I, and passage J, and through the ports N and P, space D,
and orifice b, into the lower part of the end cap S, where it impinges or
presses against the piston B, and propels the same towards the opposite
end of the cylinder A, thereby forcing the water from such end upwards,
and through the orifice 6¹, space D, ports R¹ and O¹, space i, and over
the rest L', and then downwards through the ports O and R, and out at
the eduction pipe T¹. As the piston reaches the end of its passage
(which is limited by the pin g) towards the end piece S¹, the valve c
comes in communication with the ports W¹ and X¹ (and at the same
time the valve D with its branch e comes in communication with the
ports X and a), thus opening a passage from the port V, through the
ports W¹ and X, and passages Y¹ and Z¹, to one end of the cap E, and
the incoming water passing through port U flows through said passage,
and striking the flange G of the valve F, forces the latter towards the
opposite end of the cap E, displacing the water in the end piece S, and
forcing it downward through the passages Z and Y, into the port X,
which, as above-mentioned, is also in communication with the valve d
and its branch e, of the piston B, thus opening a passage from the
port X to the port a, through which passage the ejected water from the
cap E flows, and finds egress through the eduction pipe T. The valve F
being now in contact with the end cap S, its position with relation to the
ports P, P¹, and R, R¹, is reversed, the conditions being now favorable
for the water to flow from the cylinder A, through the ports P, N, and
N', P¹, to the eduction pipe; and for the incoming water to pass through
the passage J of the water F, and through the ports O¹ and R', into the
end cap S¹, thereby reversing the motion of the piston B, and forcing it
towards the opposite end of the cylinder A, where the valves c¹ and d
perform the same functions in connection with the ports W and X,
passage Y, and ports X' and a¹, as those of the valves c and d, with
relation to the ports W₁ and X', passage Y', and ports X and a.

page_text: relation to the ports W, W, X,X', and a, a, of the cylinder A and
passages Y, Y, and Z, Z¹, and valve F, as and for the purpose herein-
before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bristow Hunt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of our 5
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.