Improvements in or relating to Water and similar Fluid Meters or Measuring Apparatus
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 9th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 9th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Water and similar Fluid Meters or
Measuring Apparatus.
I, CHARLES SCHREIBER, of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer, 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:-
The present invention relates to improvements in water and similar fluid meters
or measuring apparatus, one construction of which is represented in the accom-
panying drawings by way of example.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my apparatus.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 1-2 of Fig. 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the apparatus on line 5-6 of Figure 1 looking
to the right.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on line 3-4 of Fig. 1.
Figure 5 is a cross section of the meter on line g-h (Fig. 6) showing the valve
chest in section.
Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the valve chest on line a-b of Figure 5.
Figures 7 and 8 are also horizontal sections on lines c-d and e-f of the valve
chest shown in Figure 5.
Figures 9 and 10 are cross sections on lines x-x y-y of the valve chest shown
in Figure 6.
Figure 11 are details of the piston-rod guide.
Figure 12 is a vertical section of the rod operating the indicating mechanism.
Figure 13 shows details of the device for operating the indicating mechanism.
Figure 14 represents another arrangement for operating the slide valve.
As will be seen from Figure 1 the apparatus consists of lower chambers A
containing the operating cylinders and an upper chamber or cover B and a dividing
plate C on which is fixed a valve chest C¹
Water passes into the upper chamber through a supply opening D after having
passed through a grating or filtering cloth 6 provided to arrest dirt brought in by
the water.
In order to explain the working of the apparatus it will be assumed that the
pistons E and E' are both at the end of their stroke the two slide-valves F and Fi
opening the lower inlet-openings G and H giving access to the lower compartments g
and of the valve-chest C¹.
g
Water enters through the port G into the compartment 9 it passes through the
plate C which forms the top of the cylinders K K' and enters and fills the cylinder K
above the piston E which is at the bottom of its stroke.

page_text: The inlet opening K communicating with the lower compartment of the valve-
chest C¹ being opened by the slide valve F, water passes through the plate C
fills the annular space I¹ between the cylinder K' and the chamber A and lifts the
piston E¹.
The piston E¹ in rising causes as will be explained the slide valve F to move
through a certain angle. The latter valve then uncovers the port L of the valve
chest C¹. Water then passes into the upper chamber m thence into the annular
space between the cylinder K and the chamber A and in its turn raises the
piston E.
The piston E when rising forces water into the compartment y.
It passes
through the operation of the valve F into the chamber m¹ falls into the box N
and is discharged towards the outlet branch D¹ through the conduit D".
The piston E when rising effects the movement of the valve F¹. This latter
then puts the lower part of the cylinder K¹ in communication with the discharge
and the upper part of this cylinder in communication with the interior of the top
chamber B. Water then falls on the piston E¹ and causes it to descend. The
cycle of operation described thus continues in the same order.
As may be seen from Figures 3 and 11 the alternating movement of the pistons
is effected in the following manner. The rods of the pistous E and E' each carry
two tappets c and d. When the piston E' for instance makes its upward move-
ment the tappet d meets a tongue e on the valve F and lowers the latter by causing
it to turn about a fixed point f constituted as will be seen in Figure 7 by a screw
having a smooth conical portion. Such arrangement ensures a tight joint between
the slide-valve F and the face of the valve chest C¹ When the piston E¹ descends
again the stop c presses against the tongue e of the slide valve and the latter is
moved in the opposite direction.
The registering of the volume of water supplied is effected by means of an
escapement or pawl mechanism p arranged horizontally as indicated in Figures 1, 2,
and 13.
The escapement p is secured to a frame y fixed to part q¹ mounted on the valve
chest C¹ (Figure 13). At one end of the frame g is attached a rod r receiving its
movement from the slide valve F through another rod S the point of oscillation of
which is connected to the valve chest C' which rod is provided with a pin or
projection engaging in a cam groove as indicated in Figure 1. As may be seen
the escapement has an oscillating movement corresponding to the oscillations of the
slide valve F, and actuates a wheel t, the teeth of which so formed that each
oscillation of the slide valve and consequently of the escapement causes the wheelt
to rotate to the extent of one tooth. This wheel t is secured on a hollow spindle
(Figure 12) which is mounted on a pivot and actuates a bevel pinion v.
This
pinion transmits movement to an inclined dial train enclosed in a casing. V fixed on
the cover B of the apparatus.
น
A stuffing box u¹ ensures a tight joint between the cover B and the casing V
containing the indicating dial and mechanism.
Instead of imparting a circular movement to the slide valves F and F' they
may be caused to move vertically.
The levers F (Figure 14) on which the piston rods act are each provided with
a slot in which engages a pin f¹ secured to the corresponding slide valve.
The latter is guided in two grooves made in the wall of the valve chest.
As has been said before the rods of the pistons E and E' travel up and down
the tubes or cylinders O and O¹ which serve as guides for the piston rods. In
order to enable these rods to move easily and the air from O and O¹ to escape
I make in the upper wall of each of these cylinders or at a certain point of their
height a small orifice such as o (Fig. 11).
On the under side of each of the pistons is made a circular groove containing
elastic packing e' which presses when the piston comes to the bottom of its stroke
against the flange of a cup e" thereby deadening the shock produced by the
meeting of the two parts.

page_text: The following amongst other advantages are obtained in my improved meter
advantages which do not exist in similar apparatus.
1. The spindle actuating the inclined indicating mechanism is vertical. This
arrangement enables the casing containing the dial train to be placed directly on
the cover of the apparatus instead of placing it at the side of the latter.
2. The two orifices admitting water under the pistons are placed on one side of
the chamber and the orifices admitting water above the pistons are on the opposite
side of the chamber.
3. Water coming from the cylinders passes before escaping into a box formed in
the chamber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a water or similar fluid meter the combination of a chamber divided into
three compartments two of which contain the operating cylinders and the third
constitutes the discharge chamber with a plate provided with communicating
passages and an upper chamber into which the fluid is introduced, after having
been freed by a grating from its impurities and from which it escapes after having
passed through a valve-chest cylinders and the exhaust chamber substantially as
described.
2. In a water or similar fluid meter the arrangement of two cylinders in a
chamber between which cylinders and the walls of the chamber is provided a
space to enable the measuring fluid to arrive beneath the pistons, substantially as
described.
3. In a water or similar fluid meter the combination of a piston provided on its
under side with elastic packing and a flanged cup on the casing in order to deaden
the shocks produced at the end of each downward stroke of the piston, substantially
as described.
4. In a water or similar fluid meter having two cylinders the construction of
piston rods each provided with two tappets to actuate the side valve of the opposite
cylinder, the piston rods being guided in their travel in cylinders or tubes provided
with orifices to allow the entrance and escape of air, substantially as described.
5. In a water or similar fluid meter, of the kind described a valve chest having
vertical faces against which the side valves are pressed by means of a screw pivot
having a conical smooth part in order to ensure a tight joint the two openings for
admitting fluid under the pistons being on the same side of the chamber and the
two openings for admitting water above the pistons being on the opposite side of
the chamber, substantially as described.
6. In a water or similar fluid meter a modification consisting of imparting to the
slide-valves a vertical movement instead of a rotary movement about a screw, by
means of slots made in the levers actuating the slide valves and guides made in the
walls of the valve chest, substantially as described.
7. In a water or similar fluid meter, an escapement mechanism operated by one
of the slide-valves and communicating a rotary movement to a hollow vertical
spindle supported by the valve chest and passing through the cover of the meter
and actuating an inclined counting or indicating device placed directly on the
cover, substantially as described.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts forming a complete water meter,
substantially as described and illustrated in its various parts, or modifications, in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 9th day of Fahmu 1907
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.