Improvements in Liquid-meters.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1891-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1891
[Communicated from abroad by ROGERS LIQUID METER COMPANY, of Portland,
Maine, and 164, Devonshire Street, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of
America.]
Improvements in Liquid-meters.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
This invention relates to liquid-meters, and it consists in certain novel features
of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter described with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a meter illustrating this invention, the section
being taken through the axial line of the outer casing and through the valve casings
and connecting pipes on the line 2 2 of Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on line 3 3 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end elevation with the head of the outer casing removed.
Figure 4 is a transverse section on line 4 4 of Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 5 is a partial section on line 5 5 of Figures 1 and 3.
Figure 6 is a vertical section of a portion of one end of the inner cylinder and
locking devices, and
Figure 7 is a section through one of the valve seats and showing the valve in
elevation drawn to an enlarged scale.
In the drawings A is a measuring cylinder provided at the centre of its length
with the reinforcing ring A³ upon which are formed the trunnions A' and A2, the
former fitting into a bearing in the outer casing or cylinder B while the latter is
provided with a socket to receive the inner end of the discharge pipe C which
screws into a threaded bearing in the opposite side of said outer cylinder B as shown
in Figures 2 and 4.
The ends of the cylinder B are closed by the removable heads B' B¹, and
said cylinder encloses all the working parts of the meter except the register, and
all the water to be measured enters said outer casing before entering the measuring
cylinder A.
The cylinder B is provided with the inlet pipe B³ which communicates at its
inner end with the shallow chamber a formed by the frame a3 and the perforated
plate or strainer a¹ which serves to prevent foreign substances entering the cylinder
to the injury of the working parts, or the clogging of the meter, said frame and
plate being secured in position in the cylinder B by the screws a* a* so as to be
readily and easily removable for cleaning all parts as shown in Figures 1 and 4.
The ends of the measuring cylinder are closed by the heads A each of which has
cast in one piece therewith the bent pipe a² and has mounted in a bearing in its
centre the movable plunger having the disc-like head 6' on its inner end and the
collar 6 on its outer end as shown.
The inner faces of the heads A* have formed therein annular grooves e in position
to be covered by the disc-like heads to serve as water packings to the joints
around the plungers b.
The piston D is composed of the central disc d, the cupped leather packing
rings d d¹, the follower discs d², and the central binding bolt d³, the ends of which
act alternately upon the plungers b to move them outward as shown at the left of
Figure 2.
Each of the heads A* of the measuring cylinder has formed upon or secured to its

page_text: outer face, a lug or shoulder e with which the shoulder f' on the lever f engages to
lock the cylinder A at the end which is in its most elevated position.
The levers are mounted on or,formed in one piece with rocker shafts 2 fitted to
bearings in the stands secured in fixed positions one in each end of the outer cylinder B
and having secured to their opposite ends the arms greach of which carries at its
movable end the counter weight 3 which serves to move the upper end of the
lever finward to cause the shoulder to engage with the lug e when the end of
the cylinder is in its most elevated position.
b
The levers each have formed thereon a laterally projecting ear with which the
outer end of the plunger engages to move said lever outward and disengage
the shoulders e and when said plunger is moved outward by the piston D.
Each of the levers f extend above the shoulder f' and is provided at its upper
end with the laterally projecting lug the outer side of which is inclined to
an angle of about forty-five degrees and is arranged to engage with a similarly
inclined surface on the inner face of the lug projecting laterally from the stand h
secured to the outer face of the head A, when said lever is moved outward by
the piston D striking the plunger and moving it outward, whereby the pressure
of the liquid in the cylinder A. behind the piston D is made available to assist in
tilting said cylinder as the piston approaches the end of its stroke.
The socket in the trunnion A of the measuring cylinder is provided with, the
shoulder against which the inner end of the discharge pipe C abuts, and said
trunnion has projecting therefrom upon opposite sides, the pipes i² ² which com-
municate with the interior of said socket i as shown in Figure 2.
EE are two valve casings each connected at one side to a pipe by means of a
short pipe and the coupling nut j and on the other side to pipe a² by means of
the short pipe and the coupling nut all as shown in Figure 1.
The casings E are each provided with two valve seats and the former above,
and the latter below the opening of the pipe k into said casing as shown.
F is the inlet valve fitted to the seat and firmly secured to the upper end of
the spindle
m formed in one piece with the discharge valve G and the pendent
piston or plunger H said valve G being fitted to the seat and provided upon its
upper side with a short cylindrical section n to enter the inner periphery of said
seat when said discharge valve is closed to prevent leakage past said valve
which might otherwise be caused by a slight spring or yield of the parts said
cylindrical section being of less height than the vertical movement of said valve.
Said valve G is also provided with a series of three or more upwardly projecting
ears n' n¹ the outer surfaces of which are coincident with the outer periphery of
said cylindrical section n and of such a length that they cannot be withdrawn
from the opening through the seat when said valve is open and the inlet valve
is closed.
This construction of the discharge valve is considered a very important feature
of this invention, as it has been found that with it the registration is not affected by
wide variations in the pressure, while without the cylindrical section n the
registration is very seriously affected by a considerable increase of pressure, or in
other words, while it will register accurately under a low pressure,. if a high
pressure is used it will not register as much water as is due to the number of
oscillations given to the measuring cylinder, but when said cylindrical section n is
applied to the valve as shown and described, there is no appreciable difference in
the registration whether a high or low pressure is used.
The discharge valves are closed by the lower ends of the pistons or pendent
stems H coming in contact with the bosses II formed' or secured to the interior
of the cylinder B.directly beneath said valves, when the ends of the cylinder Aare
depressed.
A lever J is pivoted at o and bears at each end upon one of the inlet valves or
the upper end of one of the stems to which said inlet valve is secured'so that when
one, end of the.cylinder A is depressed and the discharge valve at that end is, closed
by coming in contact with said boss I, the inlet valve attached to the same spindle

page_text: is opened, the end of the lever J resting thereon is raised, its opposite end is corre-
spondingly depressed, the inlet valve at the other end of the cylinder is closed, and
the corresponding discharge valve is opened, as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4.
P
The cylinder B is provided at the centre of its length and upon its upper side,
with the slotted lug which engages the movable end of the short lever q secured
upon the lower end of the vertical rocker shaft r, mounted in a packed bearing in
the shell of the outer cylinder B, through the operation of which the registering
mechanism, not shown, but which may be of any well known construction may be
operated.
The operation of this invention is as follows:
The meter being properly connected in the line of service pipe, and the outer
casing and the cylinder A being filled with water, and the several parts being in the
positions shown in the drawings, if the faucet be opened to draw water therefrom,
water from the main service pipe enters the outer casing through the inlet
passage B and the perforated plate a', and water from the interior of the outer
cylinder flows beneath the inlet valve F through the pipes k and a to the interior
of the cylinder A at the left of Figures 1 and 2, and moves the piston D towards
the right of said figures and the water in said cylinder A at the right of said
piston is forced through pipes a² and k through the valve seat 1, at the right of
Figure through the pipes, , and C to and through the faucet not shown.
The piston D when it has nearly completed its stroke towards the right of
Figures 1 and 2 comes in contact with the disc of the plunger and forces said
plunger outward and said plunger acting upon the lug or ear fmoves the free end
of the lever, at the right of Figure 1, outward thus disengaging the shoulders f
and e and causing the inclined side of lug on the lever to act upon the inclined
side of the lug on the stand which action co-operating with the weight of the
piston insures the depression of that end of the cylinder A and the consequent
elevation of its opposite end in which position said cylinder is locked by the
engagement of the shoulder/" on the lever with the lug or shoulder e at the left of
Figure 1.
When the right hand end of the cylinder A is depressed as above described, the
discharge and inlet valves at that end are moved upward so as to close the former
and open the latter by the piston or stem H coming in contact with the boss I and
at the same time through the movement of the lever J the valves at the other end
are moved downward so as to close the inlet and open the discharge when the
current of water is reversed and the piston D is moved towards the left of
Figure 1 until it strikes the disc ', moves the plunger outward thereby moving
the free end of the lever at the left of Figure 1 outward, to unlock the cylinder
and cause that end of it to be depressed, and again reverse the valves and con-
sequently the direction of the flow of the water.
It will be seen that, by the construction shown and described, the pressure of
water behind the piston acting to move it to the end of the cylinder is made
available as an assistance to the force of gravity for oscillating the measuring
cylinder and thereby effecting the necessary changes of the valves and the locking
of the cylinder A so as to hold it in its inclined position until the stroke of the
piston D is nearly completed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a water meter the combination of a fixed outer casing provided with an
inlet pipe and a segmental chamber the inner wall of which is composed of a
perforated plate or strainer; a measuring cylinder provided with trunnions at the
centre of its length and mounted in bearings within said outer casing; a movable
plunger fitted to a bearing in the centre of each head of said measuring cylinder ;
a piston fitted to and movable endwise in said cylinder and constructed and
arranged to act upon and move one of said plungers outward at the end of its stroke

page_text: in each direction; a pair of locking levers each constructed and adapted to engage
with a shoulder ou said measuring cylinder to lock it at its most elevated end and
to be disengaged therefrom by the outward movement of said plunger; and a
counter weight for insuring said locking.
Second. The combination of a fixed outer casing provided with an inlet pipe; a
segmental chamber composed of a frame and perforated covering plate removably
secured in the interior of said outer casing in position to cover said inlet passage;
an oscillating measuring cylinder provided with suitable trunnions and mounted in
bearings within said outer casing, suitable pipes and inlet and discharge valves for
controlling the flow of water to and from said measuring cylinder; a piston movable
endwise in said measuring cylinder; a plunger fitted to a bearing in each head of
said cylinder in position to be acted upon by said piston; a pair of weighted
oscillating levers each constructed and arranged to be acted upon directly by one of
said plungers and to engage with a lug or shoulder on a head of said cylinder and
lock it in its most elevated position.
Third. In an oscillating water meter the combination of a fixed outer casing;
and oscillating measuring cylinder mounted by suitable trunnion bearings within
said outer casing; a reciprocating piston in said cylinder; a reciprocating plunger
fitted to a bearing in each head of said cylinder; a locking lug or shoulder formed
upon each head of said cylinder; a stand or lug formed upon or secured to each of
said heads and having its inner and upper surface inclined as set forth; a pair of
weighted levers fulcrumed in a stand formed in or secured to the interior of said
outer casing, one at each end, in positions to be acted upon by said plungers to
move them outward, each of said levers being provided with a shoulder to engage
the locking lug or shoulder on the head of said cylinder, and with a lug having an
inclined outer and lower surface to engage the inclined surface of the lug or stand
on the cylinder head whereby the pressure of the water behind the piston is made
to aid in tilting the measuring cylinder when the piston is nearing the end of its
stroke.
Fourth. In an oscillating water meter the combination with the oscillating
measuring cylinder A, and the pipes a² ² and C; of the two valve casings E E;
the inlet valves and discharge valves G connected together by the stem m said
discharge valve having an inclined or conical seating surface, and provided with
the cylindrical section n to fit into and fill the opening through its seat, and also
provided with a series of guiding ears the outer surfaces of which are coincident
with the periphery of said cylindrical section substantially as described.
Fifth. In an oscillating water meter the combination with the_oscillating
measuring cylinder A, and the pipes a² and C of the valve casings EE; the two
pairs of puppet valves F and G, each pair connected together by the stem m and
provided with the pendent piston H, the lever J fulcrumed at its centre and resting
at each end upon one of the valves or valve stems; and the fixed enclosing casing B
provided in its interior with the bosses I I, all constructed, arranged and adapted to
operate substantially as and for the purposes described.
Sixth. In a water meter the combination of a fixed outer casing or cylinder
provided with an inlet pipe, and oscillating measuring cylinder mounted by suitable
trunnions in bearings within said outer casing; a piston movable endwise in said
measuring cylinder; a device to be acted upon by said piston to transmit motion
from said piston to the exterior of said measuring cylinder; suitable pipes and
valves for controlling the flow of water; locking devices for locking said cylinder
at each extreme of its oscillations; and cam surfaces to be operated by the
movements of said piston and aid in oscillating said cylinder substantially as
described.
Seventh. The combination of the outer casing B provided with the inlet pipe B
and the bosses I I; the measuring cylinder A provided with trunnions and mounted
in bearings in said casing; the piston D; the plunger bb; two pairs of valves F
and G each pair connected by a common stem and provided with the pendent
piston H the cylindrical hub forming part of each discharge valve G; suitable

page_text: inlet and discharge pipes; the lever J; the inclined surfaced lugs and the
shoulders e on the heads of the cylinder A; a pair of pivoted levers provided with
the shoulders, and the inclined faced lugs f; and the counter weight fƒ³, all
constructed, arranged and operating substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of September 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.