IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS
Year: 1884

page_text: We JOHN BENJAMIN STONER of 117 Blackfriars Road, Southwark, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, and THOMAS BEDDOE of 4 Dockley Road, Bermondsey
in the same County, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a simple apparatus for measuring
water, but the invention is applicable to the measuring of other liquids.
The apparatus, which is placed at one end of the main cistern and above the
water line, consists of a scale beam, onto one end of which we hang a vessel of
specified cubical contents to hold the liquid. On the other end of this beam we
secure a weight equal to that of the specified quantity of liquid, plus the weight of
the vessel.
The fulcrum of this beam is on a line below the fulcrum on which the vessel is
hung, which is also below the weight, by which arrangement the movement of the
beam is accelerated when it begins to move, and the power is increased.
An opening is made in the bottom of the vessel, which is closed by a valve, the
stem of which projects through the opening.
The vessel is connected in any convenient manner with a cock or valve on the
supply pipe, and the rising or falling of the vessel opens or closes the cock or valve
as the case may be, and opens or closes the supply.
A convenient distance below the vessel is arranged a slightly inclined shelf or
tray, which is connected with a well in which a float is arranged for a purpose to
be hereafter explained.
Let it be supposed the vessel is in the raised position, being brought thereto by
the weight; the supply cock or valve will thus be opened, and the water will be
running into the vessel.
When full, the weight of the vessel will overcome that at the end of the beam;
the beam will be rocked on its fulcrum, and by reason of the position of the several
fulcra, the vessel will be caused to descend with considerable speed and force, the
stem of the valve will strike on the shelf and raise the valve, and the water will be
discharged onto the shelf.
The discharged water will run down into the well and raise the float contained
therein. This float is connected with and actuates a catch, which, so long as the
well is full, will hold the vessel down until the whole of the water has rụn out,

page_text: A small overflow hole is made in the side of the well, and when the water has fallen
to that level, the float, which will have fallen with it, will release the catch, and
allow the vessel to rise under the influence of the weight. The rising of the vessel
will open the supply cock or valve, and the refilling will take place.
A counting mechanism of any convenient kind will be employed to register the
number of times the vessel rises or falls, as may be arranged.
When the water in the cistern has risen to a certain height, the catch will be
maintained by the float in the position to hold the vessel down, and so long as no
water is drawn from the cistern, the vessel will continue to be held down, and the
action of the apparatus will be stayed, so that the overflowing of the cistern will
be impossible.
A suitable stop arrangement will be provided, which will restrict the movement
of the beam within limits sufficient to properly effect the working of the apparatus,
and guides will be provided to ensure the vessel being maintained in a vertical
position.

page_text: We JOHN BENJAMIN STONER of 117 Blackfriars Road, Southwark, in the
County of Surrey Engineer and THOMAS BEDDOE of 4 Dockley Road, Bermondsey
in the same County Engineer do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple apparatus for measuring
water but the invention is applicable to the measuring of other liquids.
The apparatus may be contained in a water tight case made of any suitable
material and fitted with a lid to be secured by a padlock and conveniently placed
in relation to the main cistern, or may be placed at one end of the main cistern
above the water line in which case it must be secured from being tampered with,
in any convenient manner.
In the accompanying drawing Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections taken at
right angles the one to the other of an apparatus constructed according to our
Invention and enclosed in a water tight case and Fig: 3 is a sectional plan view.
A is a water tight case or tank of any convenient size provided with a lid A¹
which is arranged to be secured by a padlock or in any other convenient manner.
This case is provided with an outflow cock or pipe and is placed in close proximity
to and above the main cistern.
At the upper part of the tank A is fulcrumed a double scale beam B in any
convenient manner and from one end of this beam is suspended a vessel or
bucket C of specified cubical contents, the other end of the beam carrying a
weight C¹ equal to the weight of the vessel C plus the specified quantity of liquid
it is intended to hold.
The fulcrum of this beam B must be lower than the point of suspension of the
vessel C which is also below the weight, by which arrangement the movement of
the beam is accelerated when it begins to move and the power is increased.
In the bottom of the bucket C an opening is made which is closed by a valve D
the stem of which projects through the opening.
The bucket is connected by the rod a, or in any other convenient manner with a
cock or valve E of any suitable construction on the supply pipe and the rising or
falling of the vessel C opens or closes the cock or valve as the case may be to let in
or shut off the supply of water.
At a convenient distance below the bucket C is arranged a slightly inclined
shelf or tray F which is connected with a well G in which a float H is placed.
Connected with the float H by means of the rod H is a bell crank I one end
of which is formed with a catch I to take over the edge of the bucket C as will
be hereafter explained.-The beam B is connected by the rod B₁ with a counting
mechanism J of any suitable construction. Pivotted to the bucket C and also to
the side of the tank A are a pair of levers K which serve as guides to keep the
bucket in its proper place.
The working of the apparatus is as follows. The bucket C is in the raised
position, being brought thereto by the weight C the supply cock or valve E will
thus be opened and the water will be running into the bucket C.
When full the weight of the bucket and the water will overcome the weight C¹
at the end of the beam B the beam will be rocked on its fulcrum and by reason
of the position of the several fulcra, the bucket C will be caused to descend with

page_text: considerable speed and force, the stem of the valve D will strike on the shelf F
and raise the valve and the water will be discharged onto the shelf.
The discharged water will run down into the well G and cause the float H to
rise. This rising of the float will cause the catch I to engage over the top of the
bucket which so long as the well is full will be held down until the whole of
the water has run out of the bucket. A small overflow hole L is made in the side
of the well and when the water in the well shall have fallen to that level, the float
which will have fallen with it, will release the catch I¹ and allow the bucket C to
rise under the influence of the weight C-The rising of the vessel will open the
supply cock or valve E and the refilling will take place.
The counting mechanism J will register the number of times the bucket C rises
or falls as may be arranged and thus the quantity of water entering the tank will
be readily ascertained.
When the water in the main cistern or in the tank A has risen to a certain
height say to the dotted line x. x. the float H will be raised and the catch I¹ will
be maintained by the float in the position to hold the bucket C down, and so long
as no water is drawn from the cistern or the tank A the bucket will continue to be
held down and the action of the apparatus will be stayed so that the overflowing
of the cistern or tank A will be impossible but when water is drawn off and the
level of the water in the tank falls below the opening L the float I will descend
disengage the catch I' the empty bucket will rise under the influence of the
weight C and the apparatus will continue to work until the level of the water in
the tank A or the cistern again rises above the opening L.
A stop M is provided which will restrict the movement of the beam B within
limits sufficient to properly effect the working of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed We declare that what
we claim is
The apparatus for measuring liquids substantially as herein shewn and described
or any mere modification thereof.