Improvements in. Liquid Meters.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1895-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in. Liquid Meters.
I WILLIAM MILES FOWLER of Stamford in the County of Fairfield and State of
Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in liquid meters in which a plurality of
cylinders are provided with valves at their ends under the control of independently
moving pistons within the cylinders, to keep the flow of water constant froin one or
the other of the cylinders, the movement of one of the valve rods serving to register
the passage of a predetermined quantity taken as a unit of measurement.
In the form in which I have herein presented my invention, the valves at the ends
of the cylinder are connected by valve rods exterior to the cylinders themselves, and
extending along the inlet and outlet passages which conduct the liquid to and from
the opposite ends of the cylinders.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a fongitudinal section along the plane intermediate of two companion
cylinders;
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken vertically through one of the cylinders;
Fig. 3 is a horizontal, longitudinal section through the companion cylinders.
Fig. 4 is a transverse, central, vertical section.
Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section through linera of Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a transverse, vertical section through line y y of Fig. 1.
Fig. 7 is a transverse, vertical section through line of Fig. 1. In each of the
transverse sections, the observer is supposed to be looking towards the left, as the
figures stand on Sheet One.
The cylinders are represented by A and A. They are unbroken throughout their
interior concave surface by any port or projection, and may be made of glass, metal,
or any other suitable material. They are closed at their opposite ends by heads B, B',
the heads B forming a closure for the corresponding ends of the two cylinders A A',
and the head B' forming a closure for the opposite corresponding ends of the said
cylinders. These heads B, B', contain ports and passageways, which will be herein-
after more particularly referred to. Exterior to the heads B B¹, chambered cap
pieces CC are located. The heads, the cap pieces, and the cylinders, are held securely
in assembled adjustment by through-bolts D, D', D2, D3; their positions being clearly
shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and two of them being shown in elevation in Fig. 2. In
addition to these belts, the caps C, C are secured to the heads B, B' by bolts d, d', d², d³,
tapped into the heads."
Intermediate of the cylinders A A', and extending longitudinally thereof, there is
located an upper tube E and a lower tube E', having their corresponding ends
connected by heads B. B', which connect the cylinders A A¹, as above noted.
Centrally at the opposite ends of each of the cylinders A A', and seated in the
heads B, B, are piston valves. The piston valves at the opposite ends of the cylinder A
are denoted by F, F1, and those at the opposite ends of the cylinder A' by G G¹.
The valves G G₁ are connected to move together by means of arms 9, 9', which
xtend from their outer ends through chambers H, H', in the caps C, C, to a
connecting rod I, located within the upper tube E. The valves F, F, are similarly
onnected by arms f, f', located in the chambers h, h', formed in the caps C, (", with
гр.: 071

page_text: a rod I in the tube E'. In position to be operated by the rod I, there is a registering
mechanism K, of any well-known or approved form.
A piston
a within the cylinder A is free to travel from end to end of said
cylinder, and a similar piston a¹ is free to travel from end to end of the cylinder A¹.
In the head B, there is an upper chamber b, always in communication with the
interior of the upper tube E, and with the chamber H in the cap C, and a lower
chamber always in communication with the interior of the lower tube E', and with
the chamber h in the cap U. In the head B', there is an upper chamber 6, always
in communication with the interior of the upper tube E, and with the chamber H' in
the cap C, and a lower chamber always in communication with the interior of the
lower tube E', and with the chamber h' in the cap C¹.
Within the head B, there are ports, one, L, leading from the outer chamber b,
through the valve seat of the valve F, and thence to the passageway M, to the end
of the cylinder A', and another L' opening from the chamber through the valve
seat of the valve G, and thence to a passageway M leading to the end of the
cylinder A.
In the head B¹, there are ports land leading respectively from the chambers 63, 6³,
through the valve seats of the valves G¹ and F, and thence along passages m and m
respectively to the cylinders A A'.
The inlet is through a pipe O in communication with the chamber H¹ and the
cap C, and hence, through the tube E, with the chamber H of the cap C, and with
the upper chambers 6 and 62 of the heads B, B'. The outlet is through a pipe O¹ in
communication with the chamber h of the cap C, and hence, through the tube E',
with the chamber h of the cap C, and with the lower chambers b¹³ of the
heads B B.
In operation: The piston a (Fig. 3), by its engagement with the valve F, has
shifted the valve, and opened the port L from the chamber b in the head B to the
passage M, thereby admitting the flow of the liquid from the inlet to the cylinder A³,
and the piston a' has started on its course from right to left, and is represented in
Fig. 3 as just having reached the point where it engages the valve G¹. The same
movement of the valve F simultaneously moves the valve F1, because of the
connection between the two, into position to open communication through the
chamber, by way of the passageway m' (see Fig. 6), and thence to the outlet,.
so that the liquid in advance of the piston a' has been discharged while the
cylinder A was being filled.
As the piston a completes its movement to the left, it will operate the valve G',
and hence the valve G connected therewith. The movement of the valve G will
open communication between the inlet chamber b (see Fig. 5), and the passage-way M
leading to the cylinder A, and while the pressure still remains upon the pistons a
in the cylinder A', tending to hold it to the left, the liquid will enter the cylinder A,
and move its piston a from right to left, discharging the contents of the cylinder A
through passageway m (see Fig. 6), and into the outletting chamber 63, the valve G
which moved simultaneously with the valve G, having closed the port 7 leading to
the chamber 2, and opened communication with the outlet chamber 6³.
As the piston a completes its stroke to the left, it will engage the valve F¹ and
move it, together with the valve F, into position to open communication between
the inlet chamber 62 (see Fig. 6) and the passageway m' leading to the left hand
end of the cylinder A', and the piston a' will begin its movement to the right
discharging the liquid, therein through the passageway M (see Fig. 5), and into the
outlet chamber, with which it is now in open communication. As the piston a
reaches the limit of its stroke to the right, it will engage the valve G, and move
it, together with the valve G', so as to open communication between the inle
chamber 62 (see Fig. 6) and the passageway m leading to the cylinder A. The
piston a will then begin its travel to the right, discharging the liquid in advance o
it, through the passageway M', into the outlet chamber b', as first above named
From this point the operation will repeat itself as above described, until the flow
of liquid is stopped.

page_text: At each stroke of the connecting rod I in one direction, it will operate the
registering mechanism, and the record of four cylinders full of liquid discharged
will be noted.
It is obvious that, knowing the contents of each cylinder, the number of units
registered will indicate the quantity of liquid which has been discharged.
It will be observed that the valves and their connecting rods are at all times
water-sealed and lubricated, and that there is no joint or bearing for the movable.
part which requires packing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A liquid meter, comprising a plurality of cylinders, a piston for each cylinder
free to move within said cylinder, valves at the opposite ends of each cylinder, an
inlet conduit in communication with the opposite ends of each cylinder, an outlet
conduit in communication with the opposite ends of each cylinder, a connection
between the valves and the opposite end of one cylinder, and extending along the
inlet conduit, a connection between the valves of a companion cylinder, the said
connections extending along the outlet conduit, the valves at the ends of each
cylinder being under the control of the piston in that cylinder, to admit liquid to.
the companion cylinder, and means for recording the strokes of the pistons,
substantially as set forth.
2. A liquid meter comprising a plurality of cylinders, each provided with a piston
free to move within the cylinder, cylinder heads provided with ports and passage-
ways for interconnecting the ends of the cylinders, chambered caps exterior to the
heads, and having their interiors in communication with the said interconnecting
passageways in the heads, an inlet conduit in communication with said chambered
caps and heads, an outlet conduit in communication with said chambered caps and
heads, valves at opposite ends of one of the cylinders, a connection between said
valves extending along the inlet conduit, valves at the opposite ends of the
companion cylinder, a connection between said valves extending along the outlet
conduit, and a registering device engaged with one of said valve connections,.
substantially as set forth.
LCNT 1806
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant..