An Automatic Liquid Meter and Tap.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd May, 1890-Accepted, 21st June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Liquid Meter and Tap.
I, CHARLES CHRISTIANSEN, of 2 Frederick Street, Gray's Inn Road London W.C.
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an automatik liquid metre and tap, which when set in
operation will allow only a certain quantity of liquid to pass through it and then by
an automatical arrangement will stop the running of the liquid. For this purpose
cast a case which on one end has a cylindric tube to fit in the vessel from which the
liquid is to be drawn and on the other end an escape opening to let the liquid run out.
I now put in the tube through which the liquid enters a propeller or any other suit-
able motor, which by the flowing of the liquid will be set in a rotary motion. On
the same spindle I also fix a male screw which will gear in a worm wheel. On this
worm wheel I fix a disc and both together turn loose on a spindle inside the case, so
that as soon as the propeller or motor is set in motion the worm wheel with the disc
will revolve accordingly. In the circumference of the disc I cut a notch which is
caught by a lever with a nose, so that the wormwheel with the disc and consequently
the propeller or motor with the screw attached to it can turn only when this lever is
released. The end of the lever I connect with a set or any other suitable valve so,
that when the nose of the lever is in the notch of the disc this valve will shut the
escape opening and when the lever is reloased the escape opening will be free. If I
now want this apparatus to work I simply release the lever for a moment which can
be done from the outside of the case. This action opens the escape opening and con-
sequently the liquid will run out instantaneously setting hereby the propeller or motor
with the screw attached to it in motion, which again will turn the worm wheel and
disc. As in this case there is only one notch cut in the disc the lever cannot fall
down but must rest on the circumference of the disc till the notch comes round again,
whereupon through a weight or spring the nose of the lever will fall in it, shutting
hereby the escape opening and stop the revolving of all parts. As it can be seen now
each time the lever is released the apparatus will work at once and so long till the
disc has made one turn and then stop both the working of the apparatus and the
escape of the liquid. The propeller as well as screw and worm wheel can of cause be
made so as to suit any wanted quantity and by making the disc removeable so as to put
a disc with two, four or any number of notches cut in the same apparatus will do for
several quantities. In the case of there being more than one notch in the disc the
apparatus will of cause work only so long till the nose of the lever falls into the next
notch.
Dated this and do of Inly 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Liquid Meter and Tap.
I, CHARLES CHRISTIANSEN, of 2 Frederick Street, Gray's Inn Road, in the County
of Middlesex, 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 an automatic liquid meter and tap, which, when set in
operation, will allow only a definite quantity of liquid to pass through it, the meter,
which is operated by the liquid flowing through it, automatically closing the tap when
the said meter has performed a predetermined number of revolutions.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings, I have shown how my said invention may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central section of my improved combined liquid
meter and tap.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, partly in horizontal section.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line a, a, Figure 1 showing the upper part
of my improved liquid meter and tap.
.A is the outer shell or casing, B is the inlet for the liquid, and C is the outlet. D
is a rotary liquid-meter, the revolving parts of which are mounted on a spindle E, the
liquid being admitted through the inlet-orifices D¹ and discharged through outlet-
orifices D². The spindle E has fixed thereon a worm F geared with a worm-wheel G
which is mounted loosely upon a shaft H supported in suitable bearings in the casing A.
This shaft also carries a disc I which is free to rotate thereon and which is provided
with notches I for the purposes hereinafter explained. The said disc 1 is, moreover,
provided with a tooth 12, with which a tooth J on the worm-wheel G is adapted to
engage for the purpose of rotating the said disc.
A weighted lever or arm K is fixed upon the spindle H, on which is also fixed an
arm K carrying a pawl K2 adapted to engage with the notched disc I so that, by
turning the shaft H by means of the lever K in the direction indicated by the arrow
in Fig. 1, the said disc may be partially rotated in the same direction. This weighted
lever K is covered or enclosed by a casing L pivoted upon the spindle H, and is pro-
vided with a pin or stud K³ which extends into or through a slot in the said casing.
This casing is provided with a weighted handle M. for operating the apparatus. This
arrangement of the casing and weighted lever prevents fraudulent use of, or tampering
with the apparatus. N is the controlling valve of the tap, which is connected by
links to one arm of a weighted lever P. This lever is pivoted at " to the
casing A, and its other arm terminates in a hook P2 adapted to enter one or other of
the notches I in the disc I.
The connection of the lever P with the valve N is so adjusted that, when the
hook P2 of the said lever is in one of the notches 1' of the disc I, the valve will be
closed; but when the said hook bears against the circumference of the said disc, the
valve will be open. The weight on the said lever P serves to keep the valve pressed
down upon its seat, and also to force the hook 12 into one or other of the notches I¹,
when the disc I is turned so as to bring the said notch opposite the said hook.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows, viz.-By raising the weighted
handle M, the centre of gravity of the weighted lever K is carried beyond the vertical
line extending through the centre of the shaft H, by reason of the extremity of the
slot Lengaging with the pin K³. The said lever then falls on the other side of this
line as far as the said slot will permit, and, in so doing, causes the spindle H to revolve
in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, while the pawl K² carried by the
arm Kenters one of the notches 1' of the disc I and turns the said disc upon its axis
in the same direction. The partial revolution of the disc I serves to press the hook P2
out of the notch I¹, by reason of the bevelled or curved edge of the notch pressing
against the bevelled or curved edge of the hook, as shown in the drawing, and conse-
quently causes the opening of the valve N. The liquid then flows through the
apparatus, setting up a rotary motion of the meter D and spindle E and thus causing
the revolution of the worm-wheel G. The projection on the side of the said
wheel G engages with the corresponding tooth 12 on the disc and turns the
same until the other notch 1' reaches the hook P². The weighted lever P then turns
about its pivot the hook P' entering the said notch. The valve N is thus automatically
closed and prevents flow of the liquid.
With my improved apparatus only a predetermined quantity of liquid can be drawn
off, each time the tap is, opened, the meter measuring the quantity of liquid flowing
through the apparatus and effecting the automatic closing of the tap as soon as the
predetermined amount has been drawn off.
It is evident that by varying the pitch of the screw F the number of revolutions of
the rotary meter necessary to move the disc I to the position where the hook P³ can

page_text: enter one or other of the notches I', will be correspondingly varied. Thus the meter
can be readily adjusted to permit the discharge of any required quantity of liquid after
the raising of the handle M. The said handle M, if released will simply fall back by
gravity into its normal position. Moreover as soon as the said handle is raised suffi-
ciently to move the centre of gravity of the lever K across the vertical line extending
through the centre of the spindle H, the said handle has no more control over the said
lever. Therefore the said lever cannot be so held as to allow the liquid to pass con-
tinuously through the apparatus, and only that quantity of liquid for which the meter
is arranged will be discharged each time the tap is opened.
It is obvious that the meter employed may be of any suitable construction; I prefer
however to employ a meter such as I have indicated in the drawings which is con-
structed substantially as described in the specification of former Letters Patent dated
16th June, A.D. 1888, No. 8858.
I sometimes combine, with the apparatus suitable mechanism for registering the
quantity of liquid which flows through it by indicating either the number of times the
apparatus has been put in operation, or the number of revolutions of the meter, or
the total quantity of liquid passed through the meter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A combined liquid-meter and tap so constructed that, when the tap is
opened, the liquid flowing through the apparatus will operate the meter until the latter
automatically effects the closing of the said tap, for the purpose above specified.
Second. The combination, with the meter and a weighted lever connected with the
valve, of suitable mechanism whereby the said lever may be operated to open the valve,
and whereby the meter, when it has performed a predetermined number of revolutions,
will release the said weighted lever and allow the same to automatically close the
valve, substantially as, and for the purpose, abovo specified.
Third. The combination of parts comprising the worm and worm-wheel, the
notched disc and the weighted lever having a hook or projection adapted to enter the
notches in the said disc, substantially as described, whereby I provide for the auto-
matic closing of the valve when the meter has performed a predetermined number of
revolutions, as above specified..
Fourth. The combination, with the notched disc and the lever connected with the
valve, of another lever provided with a pawl adapted to engage with the said notched
disc for the purpose of turning the same to effect the opening of the valve, substan-
tially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination, with the weighted lever K provided with the pin or
stud K, of the casing L having the slot L' and provided with the weighted handle M,
substantially as, and for the purpose, above specified.
Sixth. The combination, with a tap, of a rotary liquid-meter constructed substan-
tially as described in the aforesaid former specification No. 8858, and suitable
mechanism whereby the said tap may be opened by hand and will be automatically
closed by the said meter, as above specified.
Seventh. The improved apparatus constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings and operating as, and for the purposes, above
specified.
D
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.