IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS OR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick George Leeder, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS OR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER"
Cooled the 7th A 1070 and dated the 2th Mah 1070
SANKAW NAT
Sealed the 27th August 1979, and dated the 5th March 1978.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick George Leeder at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th March 1878.
FREDERICK GEORGE LEEDER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS OR
OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER."
This Invention relates to measuring or motive-power apparatus of the cylinder
and piston class, and consists in constructing or arranging the parts thereof in an
improved manner.
In one modification of the improved apparatus two pairs of single-acting
cylinders are placed at right angles to each other, and passages for the water or
other fluid are made in communication with the outer ends of such cylinders.
The two pistons of each pair are connected by a frame, inside one end of which
there is jointed a link or short connecting rod, and the two pairs of pistons by
means of the links of their connecting frames impart rotation to a crank pin, which
at one end acts on the counting mechanism in the case of a meter, or turns a
crank shaft or first-motion shaft in the case of a motor; or the connecting frames
of the pistons may act on the crank pin by means of transverse slots. The other
end of the crank pin turus a valve piece which is in the form of a slightly tapered
or nearly cylindrical plug, fitting in a similarly shaped cavity. The cavity has
ports communicating with the cylinder passages, and two additional ones communi-
cating with the inlet and outlet pipes respectively. The plug or valve piece is
rb..
077

page_text: formed with two annular grooves facing, one the inlet port, and the other the
outlet port, and from these annular grooves passages are formed in the body of the
plug to two diametrically opposite ports in. positions to communicate in succession
with the ports of the cylinder passages as the plug rotates.
At the larger end of the plug or valve piece there is a small concentric cylin-
drical cavity, having in it a small packed piston with a conical point at its outer
side, which point bears against the inside of the cover of the valve cavity.
A small passage causes the inlet fluid pressure to act in the concentric cavity,
and this cavity being of a suitable diameter causes the plug or valve piece to be
pressed towards the smaller end of the main plug cavity just sufficiently to keep
the working surfaces tight with the least possible friction.
More than two pairs of cylinders may be combined in a similar way, the cylinders
being arranged equidistantly round the centre.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick George Leeder in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th September 1878.
FREDERICK GEORGE LEEDER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS OR
OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER."
My said Invention relates to fluid measuring or motive-power apparatus of the
cylinder and piston class, and consists in constructing or arranging the parts thereof
in an improved manner, as herein-after described.
In one modification of my improved apparatus two pairs of single-acting cylinders
are placed at right angles to each other, and passages for the water or other fluid
are made in communication with the outer ends of such cylinders.
The two pistons of each pair are connected by a frame, inside one end of which
there is jointed a link or short connecting rod, and the two pairs of pistons by
means of the links of their connecting frames impart rotation to a crank pin, which
at one end acts on the counting mechanism in the case of a meter, or turns a crank
shaft or first-motion shaft in the case of a motor. The other end of the crank pin
turns a valve piece, which is in the form of a slightly tapered or nearly cylin-
drical plug fitting in a similarly shaped cavity. The valve plug and its cavity
are formed with ports and passages, arranged so that as the plug rotates it directs
the water to and from the cylinders in the proper manner.

page_text: A small piston is applied in a cylindrical cavity formed in the larger end of the
valve plug in such a way as to keep the working surfaces tight, but with the least
possible friction.
More than two pairs of cylinders may be combined in a similar way, the cylinders
being arranged equidistantly round the centre.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I hereunto append two Sheets of explanatory
Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing one modification of my
improved apparatus. In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to
mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figures 1 and 2, on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, are horizontal and
vertical sections of one modification of my improved apparatus arranged as a water
meter, and Figure 3 on Sheet 2 is a plan of the meter.
to.
The other Figures show separate details, and are herein-after specially referred
The body of the meter is a casting formed with four cylinders 10, arranged
horizontally and equidistantly from and round the same centre, the cylinders being
by preference lined with brass when the body is of cast iron. The body casting
has also formed in it passages 11 to cominunicato with the outer ends of the
cylinders and with a valve box 12, which is fixed centrally beneath the cylinders
in a cavity formed for it in the body casting. Covers 13 are fixed on the outer
ends of the cylinders 10, and are formed with cavities to cover the outer ends of
the passages 11, so that these passages do not cut into the sides of the cylinders.
Each cylinder 10 is single acting, and is fitted with a piston 14, packed with small
brass rings (or by cup leathers, or by rings of lignum-vitæ, or by other efficient
appliances). The pistons 14 are connected in pairs by frames 15, which, whilst
causing the two pistons of a pair to steady and guide each other, admit of simplified
connections with the other parts. In the case of one pair of the pistons the con-
necting frame 15 is single and in that of the other pair it is double, the single
frame working between the parts of the double frame. Each connecting frame 15
is cast on one of the pistons, and is fixed to the opposite piston by a screw bolt.
To one piston 14 of the pair with the single or middle connecting frame 15, there
is jointed a link or connecting rod 16, and a pair of such links 16 is jointed to one
piston of the other pair. The other ends of the several links 16 are jointed on one
crank pin 17 which is fixed adjustably in a crank cheek 18, and this crank cheek 18
is fixed on a central spindle formed on the inner end of the valved piece 19. The
crank pin 17 is fixed in a rectangular block fitted into a short radial slot in the
crank cheek 18, and is adjusted in position in such slot by screw pins acting on
each ond of it. This arrangement admits of the length of stroke of the pistons
being altered or adjusted so that each revolution of the crank pin may correspond
to a precise quantity of water passed through the meter.
The valve piece 19 is of a conical form, and rotates in a conical recess formed for
it in the valve box 12. The inlet pipe is to be connected at 20, and communicates
by a passage formed in the body casting and indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2,
and by a port in the conical recess or valve seat with a channel or groove 21;
formed completely round the valve piece or plug 19 near its inner and smaller end.
A similar channel 22, formed near the outer and larger end of the plug, is in com-
munication with a port in the seat, a passage from which, indicated by dotted lines
in Figure 2, proceeds to the outlet pipe which is to be attached at 22.
Figure 4 on Sheet 2 of the Drawings is a section of the plug 19, as at the inlet
channel 20.
Figure 5 is a section as across the middle of the plug, and also shows the
passages 11 leading to the cylinders 10.
Figure 6 is a section of the plug as at the outlet channel 21, and Figure 7 is a
section as through the axis of the plug.
J

page_text: .
At the middle of its length the plug 19, is formed with two recesses or channels
23; 24, separated from each other by a diametrical partition, and communicating
one, 23, with the inlet channel 20, and the other, 24, with the outlet channel 21,
so that as the plug or valve piece 19 rotates the effect is to put the several cylinder
passages 11 in succession in communication with the inlet and outlet alternately.
The unequal pressure in the two recesses 23, 24, is balanced, or nearly so, by means
of shallow cavities 25, into which water of the inlet pressure has access by small
holes from the spaces 20 or 23. Water has access from the inlet channel 20 by a
. small hole through the end of the plug into the central space between the several
pistons, and thereby causes the difference of pressure on opposite sides of the
*pistons to be extremely small and the risk of leakage past the pistons proportionally
small. The pressure in the central space and also in the channel 20; and recesses
23, 25, tends to move the plug 19 outwards, but an opposite pressure is applied
by means of a piston 26, fitted with a cup leather into a cylindrical recess 27
formed in the larger end of the plug. The inlet water has access to the cylindrical
recess 27 by small passages shown in Figure 7, and acts between the inner side of
tlie piston 26 and the plug, and as the piston 26 bears by a rounded boss on its
outer side against the piece 28, closing the valve chamber, and which piece is the
sole of the meter whilst the space outside the piston communicates by a small hole
with the outlet channel 21, the pressure tends to force the plug towards the
.smaller end of its seat. The parts are proportioned so that the unbalanced pressure
is just sufficient to keep the plug tight with the least possible friction. A spring 29
is applied between the piston 26 and the plug, to hold the parts in position when
not acted on by the water pressure.
The counting mechanism of the meter, which may be of any convenient known
kind, is represented as contained in a box 30, fitted to the central part of the top
of the body casting, the movement being communicated to the counting mechanism
from the crank pin 17 by a curved arm or crank 31 attached to a spindle 32,
passing through a bushed hole in the bottom of the box 30. A conical boss is
formed on the bottom end of the spindle 32 to form a tight joint, and the spindle
is pressed or held up with its boss in close contact with the bushing of the hole by
nlight spring 33.
i
Instead of the connecting frames 15 of the pistons 14 being connected to the
crank pin 17 by links 16, as herein-before described, they may act on that pin 17
by means of cross slots, as shown in Figure 9.
"
When the apparatus is arranged for motive-power purposes it may be placed
with the axes of the cylinders 10 in a vertical plane, and the crank pin 17 may
be attached to a horizontal shaft which passes out through a stuffing box at the
side opposite to that where the valve piece 19 is situated
The apparatus may also be arranged to drive a crank shaft in any required
position.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details
lierein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original,
and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent' is,―
.
1. The arranging or combining together of the parts of apparatus for measuring
fluids or obtaining motive power, substantially in the improved manner herein
described and delineated.
2. The combination of two or more diametrical pairs of single-acting cylinders
with a crank pin connected to a single rotating conical valve piece, arranged to
control all the cylinder passages, substantially in the improved manner herein-before
described.
3. The constructing of the rotating conical valve piece, as herein described and

page_text: delineated, and more particularly the fitting of it with a piston (26) by which the
endway pressure on it is determined in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick George Leeder, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
F. G. LEEDER. (L.S.)