AN IMPROVED APPA- RATUS POR REGulating the LevEL OR FLOW OF LIQUIDS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Antoine Legras, Mechanician, of Paris, a
Town of tho French Empire, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS POR REGulating the LevEL OR FLOW OF LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 9th February 1855, and dated the 28th August 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Antoine Legras
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th August 1854.
I, AUGUSTE ANTOINE LEGRAS, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE LEVEL OR FLOW OF
LIQUIDS to be as follows:-
The liquid is conducted by a pipe into the centre of the bottom of a vessel
containing a float of cork or other suitable material, which is connected to a
conical valve or stopper fitted to the inlet pipe. The position of the vessel and
float is adjusted so that the valve may be just closed by the rising of the float
when the liquid in the vessel is at the required level. The liquid is conveyed
from this regulating vessel by one or more pipes to its destination. Thus a
number of basins or vessels containing water for the supply of cattle may be
kept filled to one uniform level, or nearly so, by connecting them to this regu-
lating vessel; for as the water is consumed the float descends a little, and
immediately opens the valve, and admits more water. If the consumption of

page_text: liquid ceases, the float closes the valve. In a similar manner, if the liquid is
allowed to flow away through a pipe from the regulating vessel, its flow will be
regulated by the head or column of liquid being kept uniform by the float and
valve, whatever may be the variations of pressure in the liquid in the inlet
pipe, provided of course that the inlet pipe is always capable of supplying the
liquid faster than it flows away.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Auguste Antoine Legras in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTE
ANTOINE LEGRAS, Mechanician, of Paris, a Town of the French Empire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Auguste Antoine Legras, Her special licence that I, the said Auguste Antoine
Legras, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Auguste Antoine Legras, 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 "AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE LEVEL OR FLOW OF LIQUIDS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Auguste Antoine Legras,
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 Auguste Antoine Legras, 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 thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-

page_text: The apparatus, which may be constructed of wood, stone, metal, or other
suitable material, serves as an intermediate regulator of the level between the
reservoir of supply and the vessels, which are required to be kept filled with
liquid to a constant level, so that the water removed from them may be imme-
diately replaced. A regular or intermittent supply is thus obtained, according
as the consumption of the liquid is constant or intermittent.
The apparatus is applicable to vessels for containing water for the supply of
horses and other animals, and for supplying tubs or tanks for watering gardens,
also for the supply of water-closets, and generally in cases where it is requisite
to maintain a constant level of liquid. Figure 1 of the accompanying Draw-
ing is a vertical section, and Figure 2 is a plan, of the apparatus. The
reservoir of supply A supplies the water or other liquid to the regulating
vessel B, until the level of the liquid rises to the line 1, 2, in Figure 1. In
this position the orifice D, communicating with the reservoir A, is closed. To
effect this, a disc of cork, or a shallow close box of thin sheet metal or other
light substance C, is allowed to float on the surface of the water in the vessel B.
This float C is fixed to a rod, carrying a conical valve, which fits the orifice,
through which the water enters, so that as soon as the water rises to the
level 1, 2, the entrance is closed, and the water ceases to enter. As the water
flows aways from the vessel B, the float C descends, and the conical valve again
admits the water from the reservoir A. Any required number of tanks or
vessels (of which two are shewn at G and H) are placed in communication
with the regulator B by means of the pipe K; the communication can be
interrupted at any time by means of cocks L, M. Other cocks O, P, are
provided for emptying the vessels into the gutter or trough R.
Figure 3 is a section, on a larger scale, of a portion of the bottom of the
vessel B and the conical valve b, which is fixed to the rod e, and carries a
plate beneath it. The rod e is connected to the float C, in Figure 1, by a
small block d, and four rods h, h', h", h¹. c, in Figure 1, is a cross bar,
which guides the rod e, and also forms a stop for the block d, and thus prevents
the float from descending too low. The height of the cross bar c may be
adjusted by means of a series of holes in two vertical fixed bars g and g¹
which support it. Figure 5 is a plan, on a larger scale, of the cross bar c.
In Figure 3, j is a ring of metal, fixed to the bottom of the vessel B, and
jointed to the piece k by a ring of hemp i. m is a conical ring of caoutchouc,
which serves to completely close the aperture by its contact with the cone b.
When the cone is raised, the caoutchouc m interposes between it and the
pieces j and k, and forms a water-tight joint. I is an elbow or T shaped pipe,
which is fitted to the piece k, and closed at the bottom by a plate n, which is

page_text: secured by two bolts or screws.
and the two bolts which fix it.
as shewn by the red lines.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the pipe 1,
This pipe may be turned in different directions,
In lieu of employing cocks or taps, which frequently require repairs, the
arrangements represented in Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, may be substituted with
advantage. Figure 6 is a side view, and Figure 7 is a plan, of a tube of
caoutchouc r, with a sort of vice or nipper p for compressing it. q is a spring,
which draws the nipper away from the tube, and allows of the passage of liquid
through it; s is a catch for raising and sustaining the nipper p, when it is
desired to compress the tube r, and prevent the passage of liquid through it.
This arrangement is easily constructed, and easily replaced when necessary,
and is not liable to leak. Figure 8 is a front view, and Figure 9 is a section,
of an arrangement of valve for drawing off the liquid from the tanks. The
aperture t is surrounded with a short tube or neck of caoutchouc u, to which
is fitted a cone v, moved by the rod x, y. The vertical rod y is furnished with
a spring w and a catch or stop, which serves to fix the conical valve when
it is closed. When the tanks are intended for supplying horses or cattle, the
rod x, y, may be protected by a sheath or case, to prevent its being accidentally
injured or displaced.
By means of my Invention a constant level may be maintained in one or
several tanks or vessels, whether the quantities withdrawn from such vessels be
constant or irregular. The Invention is applicable to all sorts of liquids, and
to paper pulp and similar mixtures of liquid and solid matter.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is,
the constructing apparatus for regulating the level or flow of liquids in manner
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Antoine Legras, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
year of
Witness,
AUGUSTE ANTOINE LEGRAS. (L.S.)
CH. ARMENGAUD, Civil Engineer,
6, Rue Filles du Calvaire, à Paris.