IMPROVED MEANS FOR INDICATING THE PASSAGE OF WATER THROUGH WATER METERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, THOMAS CAINK of 2 Westbourne Terrace Malvern Link in the parish of Leigh
in the county of Worcester Sanitary Engineer and Surveyor do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for IMPROVED MEANS FOR INDICATING THE PASSAGE
OF WATER THROUGH WATER METERS to be as follows:-
The apparatus which is intended to be used in connection with Water Meters or
with other apparatus which is set in notion by the flow of water is as follows. To
some portion of the meter to which motion is given by the flow of the water, such
as a pinion or wheel or wheel or movable dial or any similar contrivance, a
projection or series of projections is affixed which projections are made to revolve
in connection with such pinions or wheels, or the teeth of one of the wheels may
be employed as such projections or the spaces between the projections may be
occupied by some insulating substance forming an even periphery. These pro-
jections are in electrical connection with the meter.
To some other part of the meter but electrically insulated from it is a conductor
led off to one pole of a galvanic battery and an electric bell connected therewith;
the other pole of the battery being connected to earth or to some other terminal for
substantially the same purpose, or what I prefer, to some portion of the water
service fittings, the bell being fixed in some convenient place within the hearing of
the consumer. This conductor is so placed in the meter that the before mentioned
projections while revolving successively make contact with them thus completing
through the medium of the meter and service pipe (if a single line of wire be used)
an electrical circuit in consequence of which the bell strikes. (If a double line of
wire be used both conductors must be insulated from the meter). The bell may be
arranged to give a single stroke or ring continuously while the circuit is closed,
that is, until the projection has passed away from the other conductor. Or the
arrangement here mentioned may be inverted, that is, the fixed conductor may be
in electrical connection with the meter and the revolving one insulated.
The number of projections may be so arranged in connection with the dial work
of the meter that the bell shall strike at any required quantity consumed, as for
instance at every 10. 20. 50. 100 or 1000 gallons consumed thus announcing to the
consumer the rate of consumption and detecting waste by striking when water is
not being consumed or striking more frequently than the legitimate consumption

page_text: should warrant. It will be seen that from whatever source a waste of water may
occur on the consumer's side of the meter whether from a defective ball tap or from
a hidden burst pipe underground (a very fruitful cause of water wastes) or from
any other cause whatever it will be immediately detected instead of the consumer
being compelled to wait until the inspection of the meter has been made and the
mischief done.
The mechanical details by which the above is accomplished will vary somewhat
with the various constructions of different forms of meters or other apparatus to
which it may be applied but will be substantially as hereinbefore described what
I claim as new is the application of the Electric bell or alarm to water meters and
other similar apparatus as before mentioned to and for the purpose of detecting
waste of water either in consumers service pipes tanks and fittings or in public
and other water mains this invention being obviously applicable to the latter also
where meters are used-and of indicating the rate of consumption thereof sub-
stantially as herein set forth. The magnet of the bell or a separate magnet may
also be arranged to actuate the indices of a dial which shall indicate the actual
consumption for any given time, and this may be further connected with any self
registering apparatus by which the automatic registration of the consumption may
be effected in the house or office instead of immediately at the meter as at present
practised.
a
A-1 100.1

page_text: I THOMAS CAINK of No 2 Westbourne Terrace Malvern Link in the parish of
Leigh in the County of Worcester Sanitary Engineer and Surveyor do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for JaPROVED MEANS FOR INDICATING THE
PASSAGE OF WATER THROUGH WATER METERS and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The Apparatus which is intended to be used in connection with water meters or
other instruments which aro set in motion by the flow of water is as follows:-To
some portion of the meter (or other instrument to which the apparatus is applied)
to which motion is given by the flow of the water such as a pinion or wheel or
moveable dial or any similar contrivance, a projection or series of projections is
affixed which projections are made to revolve in connection with such pinion or
wheel or the teeth of one of the wheels may be employed as such projections.
These projections are in electrical connection with the meter, To some other part
of the meter but electrically insulated from it, is a conductor led off to one pole of
a galvanic battery and an electric bell connected therewith, the other pole of the
battery being connected to earth or to some other terminal for substantially the
same purpose, or what I prefer to some portion of the water service fittings, the
bell being fixed in some convenient position within the hearing of the consumer.
This conductor is so placed in the meter or other instrument as before mentioned
that the said projections while revolving, successively make contact with it, thus
completing through the medium of the meter and service pipe (if a single line of
wire be used) an electrical circuit in consequence of which the bell strikes. The
bell may be so arranged as to give a single stroke or ring continuously while the
circuit is closed, that is, until the projection which closed the circuit has passed
away from the other conductor. The number of projections may be so arranged in
connection with the dial work of the meter that the bell shall strike at any
required quantity consumed as for instance at every 10, 20, 50, 100 or 1000 gallons
consumed thus announcing to the consumer the rate of consumption and detecting
waste by striking when water is not being consumed or striking more frequently
than the legitimate consumption should warrant. It will be seen that from
whatever source a waste of water may occur on the consumer's side of the meter
whether from a defective ball tap or from a burst pipe hidden underground or from
any other cause whatever it will be immediately detected instead of the consumer
being compelled to wait until the inspection of the meter has been made and the
mischief done.
The mechanical details by which the above is accomplished will vary somewhat
with the various constructions of different forms of meters or other apparatus to
which it may be applied but will be substantially as hereinbefore described.
The Electric bell may be substituted by or used in conjunction with any of the
usual forms of electrical indicators to indicate whether or not contact has been
made within any given time and a dial may be employed to indicate the number of
contacts and so indicate the consumption.
This arrangement would be useful in connection with district water meters
inasmuch as by means thereof the automatic registration of the consumption may
be effected in a house or office instead of immediately at the meter as at present
practised.

page_text: The same bell and battery may be employed as house bell or for other purposes
a distinction being indicated by making the connection with the meter give a
single stroke and for other purposes continuous ringing or vice versa.
.
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
1 The use or employment of the Electric bell or other electrical indicator in
conjunction with water meters or other apparatus to which motion is given by the
flow of water substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
2 The use or employment of electricity in conjunction with district water meters
whereby the consumption of water may be registered at a point distant from the
meter, or there otherwise indicated.