IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND FOR PUMPS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Frost, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, and Manager of the Manchester Water
Meter Company, Limited, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FLUID METERS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER, AND FOR PUMPS."
Sealed the 30th June 1874, and dated the 7th May 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Frost at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th May 1874.
I, HERBERT FROST, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, and Manager of the Manchester Water Meter Company,
Limited, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER, AND FOR PUMPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a new combination of apparatus for
actuating the valves of fluid meters, water power engines, or pumps by
the fluid
pressure.

page_text: The improved apparatus consists of a casting having the necessary
ingress and egress ports in the lower or horizontal part for communi-
cating with the cylinder or measuring chambers and ports through the
vertical part for admitting fluid to and from a small supplementary
cylinder affixed to the inner side of the upright part.
In the cylinder
works a piston having a piston rod attached to it for actuating the main
valve which works on the lower or horizontal part of the casting. On
the opposite side to that to which the small cylinder is affixed is a
.double ended valve having a passage connecting the two openings near
the ends, or in some cases an ordinary D or a double D valve is used.
These valves are actuated by the rod of the main piston or otherwise from
the measuring chambers or cylinders and they are either flat on their
face or V shaped.
The passages or ports are made to suit the different forms of valves.
These several parts combined constitute the new combined mechanical
arrangement for effecting the required motion of the ingress and egress
valves of fluid meters, motive power engines, or pumps, by the fluid
pressure in a more perfect manner than has hitherto been done.
:
Another modification of apparatus consists in the use of a square
block casting, with its upper side angular or V shaped, and having a
midfeather or division plate above. A square or angular shaped movable
box is made to fit into the groove and rest on the midfeather. This box
has flanges from its outer sides to cover openings or ports in the bottom
of the groove, it is traversed to and fro by the pressure of the fluid and by
it the openings or ports are alternately opened and closed for admitting
fluid to and from the measuring chambers. A valve is also made to
work on the side of the square block for admitting fluid to and from the
movable box for giving the to-and-fro sliding motion to the same. This
valve can be worked from a rod connected to a piston, or to a square or
other shaped ram operating in the measuring chambers or otherwise.
With this improved form of valvular arrangement the ram or main
piston of the meter or motive-power engine or pump can be worked
either vertically or horizontally; the valve is made to slide vertically or
horizontally, or it may be made to swivel from a centre.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Herbert Frost in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th November 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERBERT
FROST, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, and
Manager of the Manchester Water Meter Company, Limited, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Herbert Frost, Her special licence that I,
the said Herbert Frost, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Herbert Frost, 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 FLUID METERS,
APPLICABLE ALSO TO APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND FOR PUMPS,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Herbert Frost, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their 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 I, the said Herbert Frost, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to.
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say): -
This Invention consists of certain new combinations of apparatus for
actuating the valves of fluid meters, water power engines, or pumps by
the fluid pressure.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying two

page_text: Sheets of Drawings reference being had to the figures and letters
marked thereon.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a fluid meter to which
my improvements are applied, and Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with the
top casing removed. a is the cylinder or measuring chamber, and the
b
piston working up and down in the same; c is a box forming the lid of
the cylinder a, and d is the top casing; e is the piston rod of the piston b..
This piston rod is guided above in the tube f and it is cut away at one
The
side to work the valve g, which valve will be explained hereafter.
box c contains the passages c¹ and c² for the admission and discharge of
the water or other fluid to be measured, and the passages c³ and c* to
convey the fluid to the upper and under sides of the piston b.
The improved apparatus consists of the casting h, shewn detached in.
Figs. 3 and 4, having the necessary ingress and egress parts h², h³, and h*,
in the lower or horizontal part; the passage is for communicating with
the discharge passage c³, and the passages h2 and 4, with the cylinder or
measuring chamber a and the ports ho, ho, through the vertical part of
the casting are for admitting fluid to and from the small supple-
mentary cylinder i affixed to the inner side of the upright part and the
port, communicating with the discharge passage c². In the cylinder i
works the piston j, having a piston rod attached to it which is cut out to
fit over and to actuate the main valve j', which works on the lower or
horizontal part of the casting h. On the opposite side to that to which the
small cylinder i is affixed is a double ended valve g, having a passage
connecting the two ports ³ and with the bottom port h³; in some
cases an ordinary D or a double D valve may be used instead of the
valve g, as will be described hereafter. The valve g is actuated by the
shoulders on the rod e of the main piston b, which shoulders act on the
tongue piece k, fitting above and below on the back of the valve g.
These several parts combined constitute the new improved mechanical
arrangement for effecting the required motion of the ingress and egress
valves of fluid meters, motive power engines, or pumps by the fluid
pressure, in a more perfect manner than has hitherto been done.
:
•
The mode of operation is as follows:-When the piston 6 is descending,
the fluid to be measured is entering the upper part of the measuring
chamber a from the box c through the port ² and passage c³, and the
fluid that has been measured is escaping from under the piston 6 through
b

page_text: the passage c* and port h*, valve j¹ and port h³, into the discharge pipe c².
As soon as the piston 6 arrives at the bottom of the cylinder a the
valve g is lowered to admit the fluid to the back of the small piston j
in the cylinder i through the port h, thereby moving the said piston j
in the direction of the arrow, and reversing the valve j³, and thus
uncovering the port for admitting fluid to the under side of the
piston 6 which then rises, and when up the valves are again brought into.
the positions shewn in the Drawing.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7, represent a modification of this part of my Inven-
tion. In these views the vertical part of the casting is made to suit
the double D valve g, shewn detached in Figs. 8 and 9. The ports h², h³,
and h*, are similar to those before described, but the arrangement of the
ports ho, ho, and 77, is varied to suit the port in the lower part of the
cylinder i. The D valve 9 is moved up and down by the piston rod e in
the same way as the valve g in Fig. 1.
On Sheet 2 Fig. 10 is an elevation in section of a fluid meter similar
to that described in the Specification of former Letters Patent
granted to me in conjunction with Herbert Frost, junior, on the 27th
day of May, 1867, No. 1561. In this view a is the outer casing of the
meter; b, the front lid; and c the back portion of the casing; d is the
ram or plunger which works to and fro in the frame or bearing e fixed
inside of the casing by means of screws, and above it is the movable
packing f. The casing is divided into the two measuring chambers
marked A and B by the frame or bearing e and packing f, and into a
third chamber marked C, containing the valves by the partition a². The
valve rod d¹ passes through one end of the ram or plunger d, and the
partition a¹, and is connected to the side valve g, shewn best in Figs. 12,
14, and 15; the valve works to and fro on the side face of the square
block casting h, shewn in Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15; and my present
improvements consist in the application of this side valve to the side
of the square block casting h, suitably arranged with its various ports
for actuating the movable valve box i. This movable valve box i is
similar to that described in the Specification above referred to; it fits in
the angle of the square block casting h and on the partition /', and it is
worked to and fro by the pressure of the fluid admitted and discharged
by the side valve g. The three ports j; k, and 1, shewn in Fig. 11, are
in communication with the various parts of the meter, that is to say,
the port j is in communication with the passage j', which conveys the

page_text: water to and from the chamber B, the port k is in communication with
the passage ¹ and outlet valve 2, and the port is in communication
with the passage which conveys the water to and from the chamber
A. The water enters the meter through the inlet passage m and
passes through the dirt box m¹ and grid m² into the valve chamber C.
The mode of operation is as follows, and the Drawing represents the
parts in the positions they occupy when the ram d is moving towards
the valve chamber C, as indicated by the arrow. When the ram d arrives
near the end of its traverse the ram strikes the end of the rod dand
moves the side valve g, as shewn in Figs. 14 and 15, so far as is necessary
to open the port h² and cover the port ³; the water then passes through
the port and passage ² and enters between the midfeather ¹ and the
inner side of the movable valve box i, the midfeather being a fixture.
Thus the ports 2 and 3 are brought alternately into communication
with the port *, and through it to the discharge passage k. The valve
box is thus moved by the fluid pressure in the direction of the arrow,
sce Fig. 11, thereby covering the port 7 and bringing it into commu-
nication with the outlet port % to discharge the fluid that has been
measured in the chamber A, at the same time the port j is opened to
allow the incoming fluid to pass up the passage into the chamber B.
The ram d then commences its traverse in the contrary direction and
expels the fluid from the chamber A through the ports / and /, as above
described. When the ram again arrives near the end of its traverse the
flange of the ram acting on the collar d² of the valve rod d¹ moves the
side valve g back again to the point from which it started.
Figs. 16, 17, 18, and 19, represent a modification of this part of my
Invention. In this arrangement the side valve g moves vertically and
may be actuated from the piston rod c of the main piston b, as shewn in
Fig. 1, or otherwise the midfeather is placed in the middle of the
square block casting h. The movable valve box i, which is actuated as
before by the pressure of the fluid, is made with a projection on each
side to cover and uncover the ports j, k, and to bring them alternately
into communication with the discharge ports and in the angle of the
square block casting h. The valve g in moving up and down covers and
uncovers the ports h² and ³, and brings them alternately into communi-
cation with the discharge port *..
Figs. 20 and 21, represent another modification of the same. In this
case the side valve g is made to swivel on the side face of the square

page_text: block casting / by means of the rod d¹ of the ram d, shewn in Fig. 10,
or otherwise. The ports h² and h³ are in communication with each side
of the midfeather h¹ for actuating the movable valve box i, and the
annular port h* around the fulcrum stud is in communication with the
discharge passage k¹, see Fig. 10.
C
The improvements in the arrangements of the valves above referred
to are all described and shewn as applied to water or other fluid meters;
they are however equally applicable to engines for obtaining motive
power and to pumps. When applied to these latter purposes the rod e
of the piston b is brought through a stuffing box in the top casing or
in the cylinder bottom and suitably connected to the parts to which the
power is intended to be applied, as shewn in Fig. 22, on Sheet 1, or in
any other convenient manner.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and described
✓ several modes of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I
do not claim any of the well-known parts of the machinery which are
shewn to illustrate the mode of applying my present improvements, but
that I claim,-
First. The construction and combined arrangements of the parts
forming the valvular apparatus for actuating the valves of fluid meters,
motive power engines, and pumps, by the pressure of the fluid in the
manner described in reference to Sheet 1.
Secondly. The construction and combined arrangements of the parts
marked h, with the side valves g, for actuating the valve boxes i by
the pressure of the fluid, in the manner described in reference to
Sheet 2.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert Frost, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four