IMPROVEMENTS IN LIQUID METERS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIQUID
METERS." A communication from abroad by Joshua Mason, of
Paterson, in the State of New Jersey, United States of America.
Sealed the 28th October 1868, and dated the 15th May 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 15th May 1868.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIQUID'
METERS," to be as follows:-
T
to that desovintion of liquid meters in which

page_text: operate a primary valve that serves to control the passage of the liquid
to operate a secondary valve for the purpose of reversing the action of
the piston within the measuring cylinder or chamber. The head of the
measuring cylinder is fitted with a stuffing box to receive the piston
rod, which may be connected with any suitable indicating apparatus,
and the other end of the cylinder is connected with a valve case
containing the primary and secondary valves.. This case is made
conveniently in two parts, the division being in a line with the axes
of the valves. The primary valve consists of a hollow stem or axle
(open at both ends) upon which four discs are keyed; this valve fits
and slides in a cylindrical chamber which is open at one end to the
measuring chamber and closed at its other end by a cap plate made
fast to the valve case. The secondary valve, which suddenly reverses
the flow of the liquid throwing it alternately in front and rear of the
piston, is similarly formed and fitted in a similar cylindrical chamber,
but its stem is solid. The inner end of the secondary valve chamber
is closed by a disc valve pivotted to one end of a rock lever, the
other end of which is coupled by a swivel pin (working in slots in
the lever) to the primary valve stem. This rock lever is connected by
a coupling chain with the piston of the measuring chamber, and by
the traverse of the piston the primary valve is shifted so as to admit
liquid alternately to opposite ends of the secondary piston and thus
cause it to change the direction of the flow of the liquid in the meter.
The two valve chambers are connected together by a central opening
communicating with the inlet and by two side passages. The supple-
mentary valve cylinder is also connected by a branch passage with the
back of the measuring piston, and a port in this cylinder (governed
by the valve) connects with the front of the piston. Two other ports
on opposite sides of the central opening connect with a general outlet
and act alternately to discharge liquid thereto. The primary valve
cylinder is provided with two outlet ports at opposite sides of the
central opening. The two side passages before mentioned are governed
by the primary valve so as to throw liquid alternately to opposite
ends of the secondary valve and thus change the direction of the flow
of the liquid to the measuring chamber.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in' pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS' SHALL COME, I, ALFRED'
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign,. did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
timo 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 LIQUID METERS," being, a communication to me from
abroad by Joshua Mason, of Paterson, in the County of Passaic, State
of New Jersey, in the United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto.
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to.
say) :-
This Invention, as communicated to me from abroad; relates to. that:
description, of liquid meters in which a reciprocating piston. is used

page_text: within a measuring cylinder, and made to operate a primary valve that
serves to control the passage of the liquid to operate a secondary valve
for the purpose of reversing the action of the piston within the
measuring cylinder or chamber, and the Invention consists in a novel
and advantageous arrangement of said valves with their chambers
relatively to the measuring cylinder; also in a peculiar construction of
the valves, of a multiplied head or disk form, in combination with the
passages which they control; and in an arrangement of certain of the
ports or passages, whereby not only is the secondary valve kept shot
by the pressure of the fluid in a static relationship or action upon it,
but also by the flow of the liquid through it; likewise said Invention
further covers a chain or link-like pulling connection and thrusting
action of the piston in the measuring cylinder with and on the
primary valve and tubular stem construction to the latter to give
to the valve a balance character as it were, that is to relieve it of
objectionable end resistance or pressure.
Having thus described the object and nature of the Invention, its
description will now be proceeded with in reference to the accompanying
Drawing.
Fig. 1 represents a central longitudinal section of a meter constructed
in accordance with the improvements; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal interior
view of the opposite half of the valve case to that shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a face view of the inner end of the valve case with the
device for operating the primary valve attached; and Fig. 4 is a trans-
verse section of the valve case taken as indicated by the linc x, x,
in Figures 1 and 2.
In the Drawing A represents the measuring cylinder or chamber
of the meter, and B its piston arranged to reciprocate therein by the
pressure of the water or other liquid to be measured, alternately acting
on opposite sides or faces of it; C is a rod attached to the piston B, 1
and which may be used to work any suitable indicator for registering
the amount of liquid passed through the meter. The outer or back
end of the cylinder A is closed by a lid or bonnet D, while its inner
or front end has connected with or bolted on to it a valve box or case
made, say, in halves or sections E, E', bolted or otherwise secured together
and constructed to form cylindrical valve chambers F, F', arranged

page_text: parallel to the axial line of the cylinder A, and which may be closed at
their outer ends by a cap plate a, while the inner end of the one valve
chamber F may be closed by a plate or disk b, and the corresponding
end of the other valve chamber F left in open communication, as at c,
with the cylinder A. Flanged face plates or formations b', b', to the
sections E, E', form a lid or cover to the inner end of the measuring
cylinder. The one half E¹ of the double valve case communicates by
a passage way G with the measuring cylinder A on the front or inner
side of the piston B. This passage way connects by an opening d made
in the one section E of the valve case with the one or lower valve
chamber F", which latter has a passage way and branch e that connects
by a lower passage H with the back or outer end of the cylinder A in
rear of the piston B. The valve chamber F is also connected by
passages ff, and g with the other or upper valve chamber F, the
passage communicating by a branch I with any suitable inlet pipc,
and said valve chamber F' being further connected by ports s, s¹, made
in the one valve case, section E, with an outlet branch J. The upper
valve chamber F has openings i, i, made in the section E of the
valve case, said openings connecting that valve chamber with the
outlet branch J. Arranged within the valve chamber F is the primary
valve K made up of disks or piston heads j, j, and k, k¹, attached to
a tubular stem and working or reciprocating in a close manner to throw
its disks or heads j, j, over and to opposite sides alternately of the
passages ff, but not crossing by any of its heads j, j', and k, k',
the ports or openings i, 2, said valve K being thus operated by the
piston B as it approaches and finishes its strokes in opposite directions,
and which may be effected as follows:-L is a jaw-shaped lever
working on a fulcrum as at 1, and coupling or gearing at its upper or
jaw-shaped extremity through a cross pin m with the end of the stem
to the valve K that enters, say, the cylinder or chamber A. Pivotted
to the lever L is a stud M connected by a chain or chains N with
the piston B on opposite sides of a central steel disk or block O. The
chains N arc of sufficient length to remain slack till the piston B
approaches the back end of its stroke, when they pull on the lever L.
to throw the valve K to the position represented for it in Fig. 1, while
on the piston B returning and approaching the opposite end of its
stroke the disk or block O strikes the stud M to shift the valve K.
so as to give its heads j, j', a reversed position relatively to the

page_text: passages ff. P is a secondary and free or independant valve arranged
to play or reciprocate within the valve chamber F', and constructed with
close fitting heads or disks n, n', and r, r, the disks,, playing up
to but not crossing the passages f, f¹, and ports 8, 8', and the disk n'
crossing alternately to opposite sides of the passage way or branch e,
while the outer disk n crosses to opposite sides of the port or
opening d. This valve P may be thus limited in its throw by its stem
striking the closed ends of its chamber F. As the valves K and P are
situated in the Drawing, water entering by the inlet Í is conveyed by the
passage between the heads n and n¹ of the secondary valve P to the
branch e and along the passage H to the back of the piston B-to propel
the latter to the right, the water previously supplied to the cylinder A
at the same time passing off from or in front of the piston through the
passage way G and opening d into tlie valve chamber F' between the
heads " and " of the valve P and out through the port s¹ into the general
outlet J. On the valve K being reversed, which takes place when the
piston B arrives at the opposite end of its stroke, water entering by the
inlet I is conveyed by the passage between the valve disks n, n³, and
from thence through the opening d and passage way G into the
cylinder A in front of the piston B, while. the water in rear of the latter
escapes by the passage. H, branch e, and through the port 8 into the
general outlet J. The secondary valve P is thus suddenly changed or
reversed to alternate in opposite directions the flow of water through
the meter and to keep up the action of the latter by means of the
primary valve K as it is operated by the piston B, said primary valve
alternately connecting first the one passage f with the water inlet
passago g and passage f' with the outlet port to enter water at back
of the valve head and pass it from in front of the opposite head, to
throw the valve P to the left, and afterwards connecting the passage f¹
with the inlet passage g and passage with the outlet port i to reverse
the position of the valve P. Though the valves, it will be seen, are of
what may be termed a balance character while moving by reason of tho
incoming and outgoing water acting on opposite sides of their heads or
disks, the hollow stem to the valve K. favoring such action so far as
that valve is. concerted; yet the free or independent valve P'once shot
is subjected to the static pressure of the water on tlie outer surface of
cither of its' end. disks alternately to keep said valve in the position to
which it has been thrown, also the water in passing through- said valve

page_text: Fourth. The primary valve K operated by the piston of the measuring
cylinder, essentially as described, and having a tubular stem in open
communication with the latter as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.s.)