IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING, MEASURE TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS." MEASURE TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS. PROAL SP
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Wood 'Ridley, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Engineer, and John Withers, of Handsworth, in the County
of Stafford, Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING,
MEASURE TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS."
MEASURE TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Wood Ridley
and John Withers at the Office of the Commissioners of, Patents, with
their Petition, on the 30th April 1867.
We, ROBERT WOOD RIDLEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer, and JOHN WITHERS, 'of Handsworth,' in the County' of Stafford,
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN INDICATING MEASURE TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is by the means herein-after described to
construct a tap or cock for, drawing off liquids, which shall at the same time
indicate the quantity of, liquid so drawn off.
The first part of our Invention relates to the formation of the tap, and
which consists substantially of an inner hollow cylindrical body or chamber,
working with exactness in an outer cylindrical casing, placed horizontally in a
suitable framework; the said outer casing has two holes or apertures of corre
sponding size provided therein, one being the inlet passage and being by
preference at the top part of the casing, and the other the outlet passage
and being by preference at the bottom of the casing. The said inner body or

page_text: chamber is provided with one or more corresponding apertures, and the said
inner body or chamber being turned round so as to allow one of its apertures
to correspond with the inlet passage provided in the said outer casing, the
liquid is free to flow until the said inner chamber is filled, and the said inner
chamber being then turned so as to allow one of its apertures to correspond with
the outlet passage in the said outer casing the liquid will discharge itself or
run off. In this manner it will be obvious that only one of the said passages
can be open at the same time, that is to say, when the inlet passage is open
the outlet passage must be closed, and vice versa. The inner body or chamber
herein described is supposed to be equal in capacity to some known liquid
measure, so that each time it is filled and emptied a certain known quantity
of liquid shall bave passed through.
The second part of our Invention has reference to the manner of indicating
the quantity of liquid which has been so drawn off. The inner body or
chamber is turned round as required by a handle affixed to the one end
thereof. Upon its other end is affixed a small spindle or axis of just sufficient
length to project through the end-of the outer casing, upon the end of which
is fixed a plain wheel with a spring catch attached thereto, and which is so
arranged that when put in motion by the turning of the inner chamber it will
act upon a ratchet wheel attached to an indicator, upon the axis of which is
a pinion wheel giving motion to a suitable train of wheels (somewhat after
the manner of a gas meter), on the axes of the said wheels being placed
hands or pointers, which by means of suitable indices or dials indicate the
quantity of liquid drawn off, whether units, tens, bundreds, or the like.
Although only one indicating tap has been mentioned it will be apparent that
any required number may be affixed to the framework herein referred to. In
this manner it is possible to have in one apparatus several taps, all indicating
a different capacity of measurement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Wood Ridley and John Withers in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 29th October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
WOOD RIDLEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, and
JOHN WITHERS, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters

page_text: Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Robert Wood Ridley and John Wither's, Her special license
that we, the said Robert Wood Ridley and John Withers, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Wood
Ridley and John Withers, our executors, administrators, or 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 INDICATING MEASURE TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUORS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Robert Wood Ridley and
John Withers, by an instrument in writing under our 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 we, the said Robert Wood Ridley and John
Withers, do hereby declare the nature of our 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
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
The object. of our said Invention is by the means herein-after described to
construct a tap or cock for drawing off liquids, which shall at the same time
indicate the quantity of liquid so drawn off.
The first part of our Invention relates to the formation of the tap, which
consists substantially of an inner hollow cylindrical (or by preference) slightly
conical body or chamber working with exactness in an outer casing of corre-
sponding shape placed horizontally in a suitable framework; the said outer
casing has two holes or apertures of corresponding. sizė provided therein, one
being, the inlet passage and being by preference at the top part of the casing,
and the other the outlet passage being by preference at the bottom of the
casing. The said inner body or chamber is provided-with one or more corre
sponding apertures, and the said inner body or chamber being turned round
so as to. allow one of its apertures to correspond with the inlet passagè
provided in the said outer casing the liquid is free to flow until the said inner
chamber is filled, and the said inner-chamber being then turned so as to allow

page_text: one of its apertures to correspond with the outlet passage in the said outer
casing the liquid will discharge itself or run off. In this manner it will be
obvious that only one of the said passages can be open at the same time, that
is to say, when the inlet passage is open the outlet passage must be closed,
and vice versa. The inner body or chamber herein described is supposed to
be equal in capacity to some known liquid measure so that each time it is
filled and emptied a certain known quantity of liquid shall have passed
through.
The second part of our Invention has reference to the manner of indicating
the quantity of liquid which has been drawn off in the manner herein-before
described. The inner body or chamber is turned round as required by a
handle affixed to one end thereof. Upon its other end is affixed a small
spindle or axis of just sufficient length to project through the end of the outer
casing, upon the end of which is fixed a plain wheel with a spring catch
attached thereto, and which is so arranged that when put in motion by the
turning of the inner chamber it will act upon a ratchet wheel attached to an
indicater, upon the axis of which is a pinion wheel giving motion to a suitable
train of wheels (somewhat after the manner of the counter of a gas meter);
on the axis of the said wheels are placed hands or pointers, which by means
of suitable indices or dials indicate the quantity of liquid drawn off, whether
in units, tens, hundreds, or the like. Although only one indicating tap has
been mentioned it will be apparent that any required number may be affixed to
the framework herein referred to. In this manner it is possible to have in
one apparatus several taps, all indicating a different capacity of measurement.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood we shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings represents a front elevation of a series of three of
our improved indicating measure taps fitted into a suitable frame or support;
Figure 2 is a corresponding vertical section of the same, taken along the
line 1, 2, in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a back elevation showing the indicators;
and Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 3,-4, in
Figure 2. The rest of the Figures are details of the indicating or counting
mechanism which we shall berein-after more fully describe.
A, represents a frame or holder, which is intended to be screwed down or
otherwise secured to a counter or other convenient support. In this frame
we mount one or a series of our measure taps, three of such taps 1, 2, 3,
.each of different capacities being represented in our Drawings. As each tap

page_text: is precisely similar it will only be necessary to describe the construction of one
of the series. B is the quter case or body of the tap, which we prefer to
make slightly tapered, with a view to the better fitting of the plug C therein,
which plug is made hollow and forms, in fact, the measuring vessel, its
capacity being equal to any given fluid measure. On diametrically opposite
sides of the outer case B there are made two openings a and b, the one a
serving as an inlet, and the other 6 as an outlet; these openings are in
communication respectively with the inlet branch pipe D and the outlet pipe
or discharging nozzle E. The several inlet pipes D when a series of taps are
used open into one common main pipe F, which leads to the source of supply,
and if desired the several discharge nozzles E may also open into one pipe
cominon to the series. A third opening or group of openings c is made in
the case B, which serves as an air vent, as herein-after described. In the
plug C are formed two openings a¹ and 6¹, situate on the same circumference,
but at rather less than 90° from each other, or say half. the width of the
opening less. It will therefore be evident that in order to bring the outlet
opening. 6 of the plug C from the position 'shown in the cock No. 1,
(Figures 2 and 4) which is in the act of filling to the position shown by the
cock No. 8 (which is emptying), it is necessary to turn the plug rather more
than a quarter of a revolution, the object of which we will herein-after.
explain. Air holes c¹, c, are also made in the plug in such a position as to
coincide with the vent holes c in the case when the plug is turned into the
position either for filling or emptying, the object in the first case being to
allow of the displacement of the air in the plug by the incoming liquid, and
in the other case to allow the air to enter the plug as fast as the liquid flows
out. The air vents c of the series of taps communicate by means of the conical
valve chambers & and branch pipe G with the main air pipe H, which always
remains open to the atmosphere; inside each valve chamber there is provided
a conical valve e of cork or other suitable material, which valve will be raised
and will close up the mouth of the branch G so soon as the liquid which has
filled the plug commences to flow through the vent hole c, and will con-
sequently prevent any escape or loss of the liquid down the vent pipe H.
When the plug C is turned for the purpose of emptying its contents, the
valve e will be opened or forced from its conical seat by the pressure of the
atmosphere, and air will enter the hollow plug and take the place of the liquid
as it flows out. A metal cap or cover I for securing the plug C in its place
is secured on to the front end of the case B of each tap, and through the
centre of this cap passes the spindle of the hollow plug or measurer C; to
this spindle is keyed any convenient form of handle K, which is provided with

page_text: a stop pin working a segmental slot f, made in the cap or cover I in order
to prevent the plug C from being turned too far. As the hollow plug or
measuring vessel C is of a known capacity and is emptied each time the
handle K is turned downwards, it follows that by registering the number of
times such plug is emptied the aggregate quantity of liquid drawn off may be
ascertained at any time. To accomplish this we connect the plug of each
measure tap with a counting mechanism L of its own, situate at the back of
the frame, and if desired covered in so as to be under lock and key.
The peculiar counting mechanism which we propose to employ for this
purpose is illustrated by Figures 5, 6, 7, & 8, and consists of a circular
metal case 9 containing a dial with three or more circles, and a pointer or
indicator to each indicating units, tens, hundreds, and thousands if desired.
Motion is imparted to the train of wheels and pinions inside the case G by the
flattened or square end h of the hollow measuring plug C, which protrudes
through the back of the case B, and engages into a corresponding opening in
the central boss of the disc i; this disc carries spring pall k, which engages
As the plug C has to make
into the ratchet wheel 2 provided with four teeth.
rather more than a quarter of a revolution at each stroke the pall k will also
make a corresponding movement, and therefore when making its back stroke
to take the next tooth of the ratchet wheel it will pass a little beyond the
tooth, and so ensure its more certain engagement with it than if the stroke of
the pall were only equal to the length of the tooth or a quarter of a circle.
It is for this purpose we form the inlet and outlet apertures in the plug at
rather less than 90° from each other. Each time the handle K is pulled
down the ratchet wheel / makes a quarter of a revolution, and this movement
is transmitted throughout the train of wheelwork of the counting mechanism
to the pointers on the several indicating dials.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The general construction and arrangement of combined apparatus for
measuring liquids and indicating the quantity drawn off, as herein-before
described.
2nd. The system or mode of measuring liquids by the use of a tap having a
hollow plug of a certain known capacity, constructed and operating substan-
tially as herein-before described.
3rd. The combination of a hollow rotatory measuring vessel with a regis-

page_text: tering, counting, or indicating mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose
berein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Wood Ridley, for myself and
on behalf of the said John Withers have to this our Specification set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven.