APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND REGISTERING THE FLOW OF LIQUIDS
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Leonard Hunt at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th March 1881.
"IMPROVED
WILLIAM LEONARD HUNT, of Princes Street, Westminster.
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND REGISTERING THE FLOW OF LIQUIDS."
My Invention relates to improved apparatus for measuring and registering the
flow of beer, wine, spirits, or other liquids, and consists, according to one
arrangement, in the use of a tap or cock, the plug of which is formed with a central
chamber of any determined size or capacity according to the quantity of liquid to
be measured, and having two holes in its circumference respectively arranged so as
to open and close communication between the chamber and the supply and
discharge pipes or passages of the tap or cock alternately. Through the shank and
handle of the plug is an air hole or passage communicating with the chamber, and
forming a guide to the stem of a valve which opens or closes the passage so as to
admit air or exclude it from the chamber as required. On the shank of the plug is
an eccentric for giving motion by means of a strap and rod formed with a rack to
a toothed segment which, in combination with a ratchet wheel, actuates in one
direction only any desired arrangement of toothed wheels or other suitable
registering gear placed on the supply pipe (lengthened for the purpose) or other-
wise, as found most suitable.
On partially rotating the plug so that one of its holes coincides with or comes
opposite to the supply pipe or passage from the barrel or reservoir containing the
liquid to be measured the liquid enters and fills the chamber, and in so doing lifts
the valve therein and closes the air passage thereto. The plug is then turned until
the other hole comes opposite to the discharge pipe or passage of the tap or cock,
when the measured quantity of liquid flows from the chamber or is "drawn off,"
and in so doing is replaced by air on the falling or opening of the valve.
Meanwhile the eccentric in turning causes a movement or vibration of the toothed
segment which is communicated to the registering gear, and the quantity of liquid
thereby registered. On turning the plug back again to be refilled the toothed
segment is moved or vibrated in the opposite direction, but (owing to the ratchet)
without affecting the registering gear,

page_text: A modified form of my Invention consists in the combination and use with a tap
or cock of a cylindrical (or other shaped) vessel, the top or outer end of which is
spherical (elliptical, or other shaped). Across and closing this spherical portion of
the vessel is arranged an india rubber or other flexible diaphragm which normally
hangs down or assumes a convex shape towards the cylindrical part of the vessel,
the size or capacity of which will be equivalent to the quantity of liquid to be
measured..
At the top of the spherical portion of the vessel projects outwardly a small
tulular or other shaped recess formed with holes through which air is admitted to
the vessel on the concave side of its diaphragm.
The orifice or passage through the plug of the tap or cock is arranged so as to
alternately open communication between the cylindrical vessel and the supply and
discharge pipes or passages of the tap or cock alternately.
The arrangement of the rack toothed segment and registering gear in this case
is similar to that before described, except that the shank of the plug is furnished
with a lever in lieu of an eccentric.
On turning the plug so as to admit the liquid to the cylindrical vessel the latter
is filled, and the contained air being driven before the liquid rises into the spherical
portion of the vessel and forces up the flexible diaphragm closely against its upper
or inner circumference, the plug is then turned so as to discharge or draw off the
*measured contents of the cylindrical part of the vessel when the diaphragm falls
and the air follows it through the holes of the tubular recess.
The advantages of my Invention are that it is not necessary to leave the liquid
standing in the measuring vessel as it can be drawn off at once. The construction
of the apparatus is also very simple and not liable to get out of order.