CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Hannah, of Haughton-le-Skerne, near
Darlington, in the County of Durham, Engineer, for the Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS."
Sealed the 18th December 1868, and dated the 29th June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Hannah at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th June 1868.
I, SAMUEL HANNAII, of Haughton-le-Skerne, near Darlington, in
the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
meters for measuring fluids, and it consists of an improved arrangement
of parts for effecting that object.
In performing my Invention I make use of a tight fitting piston
which is made to travel in a circular direction by the pressure of the
fluid to be measured driving out the measured fluid, but before com-

page_text: pleting its travel the piston moves a three-ported valve, admitting an
opposite and equalizing pressure upon a second piston to which is
attached a third; these two form a double piston. The first piston
travels to and fro in the segment of an annular chamber; and the double
piston also travels to and fro in the remaining portion of the annular
chamber, these two portions of the annular chamber being divided from
each other by two fluid-tight partitions. The double piston is alter-
nately relieved from the fluid pressure upon each side and is made to
travel, driving out a second quantity of measured fluid, but before
completing its travel it moves a second three-ported valve and thus
admits fluid pressure on the opposite side of the first-mentioned piston,
the reciprocations of which, together with those of the double piston, will
by any suitable arrangement of wheels and pinions or worms and worm
wheels with registering dials indicate the quantity of fluid that has
passed through the meter.
In order that the dial may indicate the stroke of the piston, notwith-
standing that it may not have fully completed its traverse, I work the
ratchet wheel of the indicator by an additional pall having an inclined
face which by a spring forces the ratchet wheel forward until the
retaining pall has come into action.
My Invention also consists in constructing the valve adapted to the
above circular fluid meter with segmental ports and with side wings for
covering the openings through which the studs for moving the valve
pass. The segmental pistons above referred to are made fluid-tight by
leather or other packings, the edges of which are left thicker than the
other portions of the packing and are pressed against the inner surface
of the annular chamber by steel or other springs, or the packing may
consist of a circular ring of leather or other material having the springs
attached to the inner edge, or the packing may consist of ordinary
cupped leather. In making meters for hot water or other hot fluids
metallic packing may be substituted for the leather packings above
described.
My Invention may be modified by combining a segmental piston
working to and fro in the annular chamber with a double cylindrical
piston moving in a straight line, and in adapting rectangular valves
instead of the segmental valves above described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Hannah in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
HANNAH, of Haughton-le-Skerne, near Darlington, in the County of
Durham, Engineer, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Hannah, Her special license
that I, the said Samuel Hannah, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Hannah, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FLUID METERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Samuel Hannalı, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Hannah, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and. by the
following statement (that is to say) :-
The nature of my Invention consists in the combination of a piston
working segmentally to and fro in an annular chamber with a double
piston working in a section of the same annular chamber or in a straight,
line, also in the arrangements and construction of pistons, valves, and
indicators applicable thereto.

page_text: And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereupon.
Figure 1 is a plan, partly in section, of my improved fluid meter with
a portion of the top cover removed to show the valves and pistons;
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the same; Figure 3 represents my
improved ratchet arrangement; and Figure 4 shews a modification of
my improved piston packing.
A is an annular chamber (lined with vitrified enamel, and by
preference of circular section, as shewn in Figure 2, but which may
be made square or of other convenient shape) having fitted into it two
fluid-tight partitions B', B2, thus subdividing the annular chamber into
two chambers, in the larger of which the fluid-tight piston C reciprocates
to and fro, being limited in its reciprocations at each end by one or other
of the fluid-tight partitions. In the smaller chamber there are two
pistons D', D, attached to and travelling with each other and having
lips for moving the three-ported valve E, the passages F, G, under
which communicate to the chamber on each side of the piston C; the
remaining port G communicates with the outlet H. I is a second
three-ported valve having passages communicating with the sides J', J³,
of the pistons D', D2, and having its centre passage also communicating
with the outlet H; two projecting studs K', K, are attached to this
valve and pass through openings in the face into each end of the
larger chamber. The two horns M also project from this valve; these
horns act on the lever L and communicate motion to a train of worms
and wheels and wheels and pinions with an index and pointer Q.
The water to be measured is admitted through the inlet N and passes
through the mud trap O and grating O', and thence through the open
port F into the end A¹ of the larger portion of the chamber A, and
by its pressure forces the piston C to travel in a circular direction, as
shewn by the arrow, until it comes in contact with the stud K³, thus
moving the valve I so that the opposite port V of this valve is opened;
the piston C then comes in contact with the partition B' and is stopped
in its traverse. The water having access to both sides of the piston D
its pressure is neutralized or counterbalanced, whereas the opposite
attached piston D', having its one side exposed to the full fluid pressure
and the opposite side communicating with the outlet H, this piston

page_text: is made to travel and move with it. The valve E shuts the port F and
opens the port G, thus the full pressure of the fluid admitted on the
opposite side of the piston C forces it to return, and expels the fluid
that had been previously acting on the opposite side of the said piston.
The reciprocations of the pistons are transmitted as before described
through the train of wheels and worms and are registered by the
pointer Q, and consequently the quantity of water that has passed
through the meter is indicated.
In order that the dial may indicate the strokes of the pistons not-
withstanding that they may not have fully completed their traverse the
ratchet wheel of the indicator is worked by an additional pall having
an inclined face, which by a spring forces the ratchet wheel forward
until the retaining pall has come into action, as shewn in Figure 3.
The pistons are made fluid-tight by leather or other packings, the
edges of which are left thicker than the other portions of the packing,
as shown at X in Figure 1, and they may be pressed against the
inner surface of the annular chamber by whalebone, steel, or other
springs, or the packing may consist of a circular ring of leather or
other material having the springs attached to the inner edge, as
shewn in Figure 4, or the packing may consist of ordinary cupped
leathers. In making meters for hot fluids metallic packing may be
substituted for the leather packings above described.
This Invention may be modified by combining a segmental piston
working to and fro in an annular chamber with a double piston moving
in two separate cylinders (formed in the partitions B' and B²) either
segmentally or in a straight line, and in adapting the valves to corre-
spond with the pistons, or the valve I may be placed upon the top or
side of the casing of the chamber A with studs K', K², projecting into
each end of the annular chamber A, or the valve E and pistons D' and D'
may be dispensed with and the valve I worked by a weighted tumbler
lever which is raised at each reciprocation of the piston C and in falling
over reverses the position of the valve I.
Another part of my Invention consists in working the indicating
finger of the registering apparatus by a pair of differential wheels both
gearing into a worm, which worm rotates around the axis of the
pair of differential wheels. The indicating finger is fixed to the axle
of one of the differential wheels, and the other is fixed to the back of
the dial.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, I declare that I claim,--
First. The application to fluid meters of a piston working to and fro
in the arc of a circle..
Secondly. The arrangements of the valves and double pistons, as
shewn and as described, for distributing the fluid to the pistons of
annular fluid meters.
Thirdly. The improved packings for the pistons of fluid meters, as
shewn and described.
Fourthly. The application of differential wheels and pall with inclined 1
face to the registering apparatus of fluid meters.
And, lastly. The application of the weighted tumbler lever to work
the centre valve of annular fluid meters.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Hannah, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of December One 1
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
SAM. HANNAH. (L.S.).