IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO WATER METERS, AND TO INDICATING AND REGU- LATING THE FLOW AND PRESSURE OF FLUIDS GENERALLY, AND IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FROM THE SAME
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ramsbottom, of Accrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO WATER METERS, AND TO INDICATING AND REGU-
LATING THE FLOW AND PRESSURE OF FLUIDS GENERALLY, AND IN OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER FROM THE SAME."
Sealed the 27th May 1859, and dated the 27th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ramsbottom at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
November 1858.
I, JOHN RAMSBOTTOM, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO WATER METERS, AND TO INDICATING AND
REGULATING THE FLOW AND PRESSURE OF FLUIDS GENERALLY, AND IN OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER FROM THE SAME," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate, firstly, to an improvement in apparatus for mea-
suring water, and obtaining motive power from the same, for which the-present
Inventor, and one John Charles Dickinson received on the Thirtieth day of
November 1855, Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, the novelty of which
patented Invention mainly consisted in a peculiar valvular arrangement, and
the mode of actuating the same, the object of which was to obtain uniformity
of supply unaccompanied by shock, concussion, or counteraction.

page_text: Now, that portion of the present contrivance relating to water meters has
similar objects in view, and aims at effecting these objects in a more complete
and efficient manner by so constructing the valve and waterways, whether
such valve be flat or plug-shaped, that relatively to each other these supply
and exit ways shall be open whilst the valve shall traverse over one-third more
space than was accomplished in the former mode of construction, which
improvement will render this contrivance applicable to meters or other hydraulic
apparatus, whether such apparatus be actuated by flexible or rigid moving parts.
In the second part of these improvements it is intended to construct the
valve in a slightly different manner, and use the same inverted as a seating,
upon which shall rotate a boss containing a cavity of suitable size into which
cavity the fluid shall pass during a certain portion of the revolution, and out
of which it shall escape for use during another portion of such revolution.
The said boss must be suitably ground upon the seating aforesaid, and carry a
wheel worked by a worin or pinion situated at right angles, such worm or
pinion to be actuated by any suitable motion, and the arrangement may be
thus available for lubricating purposes, or for supplying definite quantities of
fluid matter for any use required.
The third part of my improvements consists in an improved arrangement of
actuating valves by the expansive force of a series of two or more metals,
which are acted upon differently by the same temperature.
A series of copper, brass, or other suitable metallic rods are attached to a
series of iron, steel, or other suitable metallic bars, and the difference of
motion obtained in consequence of the unequal expansion is made to operate
on any suitable valve or valves, for the purpose of regulating the flow of fluids
by means of the difference of expansion of different metals, the accumulated
difference of expansion of a number of rods of different metals being made
available for this purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ramsbottom in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3
27th May 1859. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RAMSBOTTOM, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Ramsbottom, Her special licence that I, the said John Rams-
bottom, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Ramsbottom, 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
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO WATER METERS, AND TO INDICATING AND
REGULATING THE FLOW AND PRESSURE OF FLUIDS GENERALLY, AND IN OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER FROM THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Ramsbottom by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 John Ramsbottom, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement (that is to say): :-
These improvements relate to machinery or apparatus for measuring water
and obtaining motive power from the same, being further improvements on the
Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me and one John Charles
Dickinson, dated the Thirtieth day of November One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five, No. 2700, the novelty of which patented Invention mainly
consisted in a peculiar valvular arrangement, and the mode of actuating tho
same, the object of which was to obtain uniformity of supply unaccompanied
by shock, concussion, or counteraction.
Now the first portion of the present Invention relating to water meters has
similar objects in view, and aims at effecting them in a more complete and
efficient manner by constructing the valve and waterways so that, whether the
valve be flat or plug-shaped relatively to each other, the supply and exit ways
shall be open whilst the valve shall traverse over one-third more space than
was accomplished in the former mode of construction, which improvements will
render this contrivance applicable to meters or other hydraulic apparatus,
whether they be actuated by flexible or rigid moving parts.
The second part of these improvements consists in constructing the valve
in a slightly different manner, and using it inverted as a seating, upon which

page_text: a boss shall rotate, containing a cavity of suitable size, into which the fluid shall
pass during a certain portion of the revolution, and out of which it shall
escape for use during another portion of the revolution. The said boss must
be suitably ground upon the seating, and carry a wheel worked by a worm
or pinion situated at right angles, such worm or pinion to be actuated by any
suitable motion, and the arrangement thus made available for lubricating
purposes, or supplying definite quantities of fluid matter for any use required.
The third portion of my said improvements consists, of an improved arrange-
ment of actuating valves; by the expansive force of a series of two or more
metals, which are acted upon differently by the same temperature. A series
of copper, brass, or other suitable metallic rods are attached to a series of
iron, steel, or other suitable metallic bars, and the difference in motion
obtained, in consequence of the unequal expansion, is made to operate on any
suitable valve or valves for the purpose of regulating the flow of fluids by
means of the difference of expansion of the different metals. The accumulated
difference of expansion of a number of rods of different metals being made
available for this purpose.
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, with the letters of reference thereon.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my improved valve of the plug form, and also
the waterways forming the first part of my improvements; and Fig. 2, a sectional
plan of the same, placed in the seating or barrel, in which a represents the
feed ports, the exit ports, and c the seating or barrel. The fluid enters the
meter, and passes to the valve which regulates the supply and exit to and
from each side of the actuating chambers respectively.
The second part of my said improvements relates principally to improved
modes of regulating the supply of lubricating matter in small definite quan-
tities, one arrangement being shewn at Fig. 3, in which there is a plug d,
attached to or forming part of the containing vessel e, the said plug having
orifices in its interior, and ground upon the plug is a hollow boss f containing
two apertures. The fluid by gravity enters the hollow boss from the cup e
through the lower orifice, in the direction of the arrow, and the air escapes
through the upper one. Teeth are cut in the periphery of the boss, and
geared therein is a worm g. On suitable motion being imparted, the boss is
caused to revolve on the plug until the apertures in the boss communicate
with those in the plug leading downwards when the fluid is liberated for use;
Fig. 4 is another arrangement for the same purpose. Within or attached to
cup h is constructed a chamber containing two valves and l, one com-
municating with the chamber, and the other with the delivery aperture m.
the

page_text: Passing through the interior of the cup is a spindle n with a projection thereon,
which during its revolution comes in contact with the projections on the valve
spindles, causing them to move alternately from their seatings to which they
may be otherwise retained by slight springs. The chamber thus alternately
receives and delivers a supply from the cup enclosing or attached to it. Fig. 5
shews an arrangement intended to apply to cases where a supply of lubricating
matter is required under extreme pressure. The hollow plug o is ground into
the cup p, the spindle passing outwards through the stuffing box q.
An aper-
ture passes through the plug, admitting steam into the upper portion of the
cup through the tubes; the cavity in this plug is filled through the aperture o,
and becoming reversed during its revolution, the fluid is discharged down the
delivery pipe t, the steam in the meantime descending through the tube w' and
the aperture v, which is then uppermost; wis the feed cock through which the
cup is supplied.
In the third part of my said improvements for regulating the flow of fluids
by actuating valves through the difference of expansion in different metals
Fig. 6 shews a bar of iron a, adapted at its extremities to receive two strips of
brass y, y, as the brass expands more than the iron with increase of heat, and
the strips of brass not being free to elongate, they bend or deflect and furnish
the motive power required. If the middle bar be made of brass, and the
strips y, y, of steel artificially bent into position as shewn in the Drawing, the
brass by expanding most will permit the steel strips to become straight, and
thus furnish the necessary motion in the reverse manner.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth, as such
may be varied or modified without departing from the principle thereof; but
I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge and belief
has not been hitherto used within the realm,-
Firstly, the use of the improved valve applied for measuring water, or
obtaining motive power, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
Secondly, the construction and use of a rotating chamber or cavity within
an external vessel for lubricating purposes.
Thirdly, the arrangement, use, and mode of actuating the apparatus
shewn in Fig. 3.
Fourthly, the arrangement, use, and mode of actuating the apparatus shewn
in Fig. 4, attached internally or externally.
Fifthly, the arrangement and use of the apparatus shewn in Fig. 5.

page_text: And, sixthly, the peculiar mode of arranging a series of metallic bars as a
means of actuating valvular apparatus for regulating the flow of fluids, as all
such improvements are herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ramsbottom have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JOHN RAMSBOTTOM. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named John Ramsbottom, in the presence
JOHN RAMSBOTTOM. (L.S.)
igned, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named John Ramsbottom, in the presence
of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.