IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I LEWIS HALLOCK NASH of Brooklyn in the County of Kings and State of
New York one of the United States of America, Civil Engineer do hereby declaro
the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS" and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
Steam engines have been constructed with an eccentrically oscillating piston
adapted to swing upon a radial abutment within an enclosing caso to divide said
case into receiving and discharging spaces in which the center of the piston
describes a circle around the center of the case. A piston adapted to have such a
movement I use in my improved water meter and the objects of my improvements
are to simplify the construction and perfect the operation of the water meter, to
effect accuracy of measurement of the water and to provide for operating said
piston with a uniform movement and without appreciablo resistance to the flow of
the water.
I use a ring-piston combined with an abutment terminating in a head. or an
enlargement within the piston around the center of the case, dividing the inlet
from the outlet of the case and adapted to form a joint with the interior wall of
the piston to divide its chamber at every point in its movement, said movement
being effected by an extorior and interior How pressure of the water thereon, by
dividing the interior of the case and the interior of the piston into receiving and
discharging spaces.
The piston oscillates eccentrically upon the abutment as a guide boaring and
divides the case into receiving and discharging spaces at all points in the piston's
movement.
This dividing function of the piston is controlled by an interior stud or studs
projecting from the case, cooperating with a stud or studs carried by the piston
and the abutment upon which it swings.
The head or enlarged end of the abutment may be of cylindrical or of other
form and adapted to be used with a piston of suitable construction to form a joint
with said abutment upon its radial part outside of the piston and upon its enlarged
head within the piston without regard to the particular means shown or their
Prine RJ1

page_text: arrangement for controlling the eccentric movement of the piston since such means
can be varied without changing the operation of the piston.
The interior wall of the case and the interior walls of the piston are of such form
as to adapt the piston to form a joint at all positions with the case and with the
abutment to divide the case and the piston for the purpose stated. The features
thus briefly described constitute my Invention and adapt the water meter for
carrying out the objects of my Invention.
Referring to the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a water meter embracing my Invention
taken on the line Z Z of Fig. 2.
Figure 2 represents a horizontal section taken on the line x-x of Fig. 1.
Figures 3 and 4 roprosent similar sections showing different forms of the
abutment the piston and the case to effect the division of the piston and of the
case into receiving and discharging spaces.
Figuro 5 represents a vertical section of the piston.
Figure 6 represents a vertical section taken on the line y-y of Fig. 2 showing
the inlet and outlet ports and passages.
Figure 7 represents a vertical section the same as Fig. 1. showing a modification
of my Invention taken on the line X X of Figure 8 which represents a horizontal
section taken on the lino y y of Fig. 7.
The case A is preferably of cylindrical form and has at one side an extension
chamber divided so as to form the inlet passage I and the outlet passage O which
connect by branch passages with the inlet ports I! I and outlet ports 01 0³ in the
cylinder heads. A radial abutment A' extends from head to head of the case,
divides the inlet and outlet ports and terminates within the piston in a head or an
enlargement A² of such form as to divide the piston 'into receiving and discharging
spaces.
The piston B shown, is of ring form, open at each end and is of such diameter
relatively to the chamber of the case and to the enlarged end or head of the
abutment as to allow the piston to have an eccentric movement within the case to
divide it and be itself divided into receiving and discharging spaces by a continuous
contact with the inner wall of the case and the outer wall of the enlarged end or
head of the abutment as shown.
It has a longitudinal slot at the side adapted to form a joint bearing by its
edges ff with the radial part A' of the abutment upon which bearing it is guided
and swings in its dividing function.
In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the enlarged end of the abutment is shown open, at the side
and its dividing function is effected by the sides or corners A³ so that the joint
will be constant with the interior wall of the piston. The eccentrically oscillating
movement of the piston is controlled by a stud or studs F¹ F or equivalent means
carried by the piston co-acting with corresponding stud or studs H₁ H* or equivalent
means carried by the case heads and the radial part A¹ of the abutment.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8, the piston studs are shown as being carried by an
arm F or bracket, extending from the inner wall of the piston so that the studs
will maintain a central relation therewith and it is to allow said studs to be carried
by said arm that the enlarged end of said abutment is made opon at the side or
has a side slot as shown. In the eccentrically oscillating movement of the piston
its stud or studs F F revolve around and in contact with the case stud or studs
said studs being of cylindrical form.
To avoid a resisting suction of the water within the case and consequent
resistance upon the piston arising from the entrance and discharge of the water
into and from the case through its head ports I provide auxiliary ports X X' in
the vertical wall of the case on each side of the abutment A' which open direct
into the case from the inlet and from the outlet passages I and O and thus afford a
free inflow and outflow into and from the case the entire height of the piston in
connection with the inflow and outflow through the head ports.
:

page_text: In Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the enlarged end or head of the abutment is shown as having
its side open the full height of the piston through which the arm of the latter
extends to carry the stud or studs F F while in Fig. 8, the abutment is shown as
having a non-divided enlargement A' provided with a horizontal oblong opening
or sloth equal in vertical width to the vertical thickness of the arm F through
which it extends and makes a joint bearing on three of its sides with the walls of
said oblong slot. The slot is of a length sufficient to allow of the movement of
the piston arm therein to accommodate the piston's movement. The slot is formed
at the inlet side of the abutment and makes a joint bearing by its curved end a³
with the side of the piston arm, while the top and bottom of the latter form joints
with the top and bottom of said alot thus ensuring an easy and steady movement
of the piston.
The means for controlling the path of the piston may be differently formed and
differently arranged and my Invention in this particular is not limited to the
co-acting studs shown as for instance, such controlling connection may be effected
by a direct crank connection with the shaft 1 of the registering mechanism and
for this purpose the piston may have a transverse web instead of the arm, or with
the arm.
In the stud H' of the upper case head is journalled a shaft 1 having at its inner
end a crank arm 2 adapted to bear upon the piston stud F while the outer end of
said shaft extends through the case head and carrios a pinion b which meshes with
a gear wheel a on the shaft & which is stepped in the head and passing through
the stuffing box of a covering plate D, has a gear wheel c which engages with and
operates any suitable registering mechanism by which the revolutions of the piston
are indicated.
In the operation of the meter the piston being in the position shown in Fig. 2,
the water enters the inlet pas ago I and passes through the ports X. 1' I³ into the
case on one side of the piston and forces it in the direction of the arrow, discharging
the water from the opposite side through the outlet ports ✗' 0' 0% into the
passage O. As the piston is passing to the position indicated by the dotted lines
in Fig. 2, the water enters the interior of the piston B from the ports I' I and
assists in the movement of the piston in the same direction. In this operation the
piston divides the case into receiving and discharging spaces while the enlarged end
or head A² of the abutment divides the piston into receiving and discharging spaces,
therefore as the piston approaches the position shown by the dotted lines the water
enters by the ports I' I and presses upon one side of the interior of the piston and
leaves the other division of the interior of the piston by the ports 0¹ 0¹.
In this movement of the piston it swings upon the abutment by its bearing
edges controlled by the cooperating action of the studs in such manner that the
piston studs revolve around and in contact with the case studs. The water entering
the inlet ports as stated causes a pressure upon the external surface of the piston
from the radial abutment to the opposite point a³ of the case and driving the
piston in the direction of the arrow 7 forces the water out from the other side of
the piston through the outlet ports. The piston moving to the position shown by
dotted lines the inlet ports will open communication with the inside of the piston
so as to cause a pressure of water within the piston from the abutment A' to the
point A³ of contact of the abutment upon the inner wall of the piston so that
there will now bo an internal pressure of water on the piston extending from the
abutment A to A³ on the inlet side of the piston.
The outlet ports have also now opened communication with the interior of the
piston upon the opposite side of the abutment A' so that the interior of the piston
is now divided into a receiving space I³ and a discharging space Os by the abutment.
bearing A³ and the interior pressure acts in connection with the exterior pressure
to move the piston in the direction of the arrow n². This interior pressure continues
throughout the return stroke of the piston until it is again returned to its original.
position shown in full lines. In this movement of the piston the exterior and

page_text: interior pressures act in unison with each other and the point of contact of the
piston with the case and the point of contact of the interior of the piston upon
the abutment is continually changing in such manner that the combined internal
and external pressures always act upon the piston in the direction of its motion.
As the interior of the piston is perpetually divided into receiving and discharging
spaces it need not necessarily form a joint at ff upon the abutment part A¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination with a case having inlet and outlet ports, and a radial
dividing abutment having a head or an enlarged end adapted to divide the piston
chamber, of a piston, and means substantially such as described for connecting it
with the case and with the abutment for controlling the eccentric movement of the
piston for the purpose stated.
2. The combination of an eccentrically oscillating piston and an enclosing case
having a radial abutment with means substantially such as described for dividing
the interior of the piston into receiving and discharging spaces and means for
connecting it with the case for controlling its movement to effect such division
for the purposo specified.
3. The combination of an eccentrically oscillating piston open from end to end,
having an interior projecting arm F and a side slot, with an enclosing case having
inlet and outlet ports divided by an abutment having an enlarged hollow end open
at the side the said arm and the said case provided with coacting means whereby
to control the eccentric movement of the piston substantially as described for the
purpose specified.
4. The combination in a water meter of an enclosing case having inlet and outlet
ports divided by an abutment having an enlarged hollow end A² with a ring
piston, means connecting it with the case for controlling its eccentric oscillating
movement and means for connecting said piston with the registering mechanism
substantially as herein set forth.
5. The combination of a ring piston having one or more central studs and a side
slot with an enclosing case having inlet and outlet ports an abutment having an
enlarged hollow end and a fixed central stud or studs adapted to form a contact
with the caso studs and a crank shaft carried by the case stud to receive and
transmit the movement of the piston as herein set forth.
6. The combination of a ring-piston having a side slot f and the central studs
with an enclosing case having inlet and outlet ports, a radial abutment having its
inner end constructed to divido the interior of the piston to form a joint therewith,
and to allow of the movement of the piston to divide the case and to form a joint
therewith and means substantially such as described whereby to control the
movement of the piston.
7. The meter case having inlet and outlet head ports divided by an abutment
as described and having the ports X X' in its vertical wall on each side of said
abutment combined with a piston having a side slot adapted to form a bearing
upon said abutment the said wall ports having direct communication with the case
chamber the full height of the piston as shown for the purpose stated.
8. In combination in a water meter the abutment A' A2 the piston B having
an interior arm F and the studs F¹ F H'H' constructed and arranged for operation
as herein set forth.
9. The meter caso having the abutment A¹ A* the part A having an open side
and hollow, combined with a piston open from end to end having an interior arm F
and studs carried by the case and by the piston as herein set forth.
10. A meter case having interior wall bearings, a ring piston having interior and
exterior wall bearings and an interior arm combined with an abutment A¹ A¹
having side or corner bearings and studs F¹ F¹ H³ H³ all constructed and arranged
for operation as herein set forth.

page_text: 11. In a water meter, an eccentrically oscillating piston controlled by means
which connect it with the case to form a joint with and divide the latter into
receiving and discharging spaces combined with an abutment adapted to form
a joint with and divide the piston into receiving and discharging spaces such
division being effected at every point in the movement of the piston as herein
set forth.