Improvements in Water Motors and Meters, Applicable also to Engines or Motors Impelled by other Power or Force than that of Water.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug.. 1886.
Complete Left, 24th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 24th Aug., 1887
Improvements in Water Motors and Meters, Applicable also to
Engines or Motors Impelled by other Power or Force than that
of Water.
We, THOMAS MELLING of 21 Welbeck Road, Birkdale, in the County of Lancaster
Engineer and FRANOIS BUTTERFIELD of Midland Works Keighley in the County of
York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :--
This invention consists of further improvements in and upon the water meter and
motor for which Letters Patent were granted to the said Thomas Melling No. 93 of
1879 as described in the specification of same. These further improvements extend the
utility of that the said invention by accomplishing the following objects not previously
attained thereby.
The first of these objects is the adaptation of the motor and meter combined to the
driving of machinery by making it capable of producing circular or rotative motion,
as well as reciprocating rectilinear motion only, as heretofore, and this we accomplish
in manner following. Connection being made between the piston rod and a revolving
shaft by a connecting rod and crank (or their mechanical equivalent) the end to be
attained in this case is, that the valves (which regulate the inlet and outlet of the
water to and from the two ends of the cylinder alternately) shall be invariably reversed,
or changed in position (and that only) when the crank or any substitute for it is
in one exact position with respect to the "dead centre." This we effect by means
of a double cam catch, fixed on the revolving (or crank) shaft, which catch will
not permit the weight to fall and reverse the valves at any other than the proper
times. The cam does not raise the weight, but is merely a catch, the weight being
raised by the reversing lever, as heretofore. The communication between the cam
Pine 1121

page_text: catch and the weight is made by a rod which is attached to the weight at one
end of it, and to a lever at the other end. This lever has a roller at the end
opposite to that to which the rod is attached, which roller comes in contact with the
cam-catch as the pendulous arm of the reversing lever passes the vertical line. After
this, but for the cam catch, the weight would then be at liberty to fall, which it
would be liable to do irregularly, or at improper times, varying with the speed of the
motor.
To vary the length of the stroke of the main piston with ease and rapidity and to
accommodate the motor to a varying pressure of water, with a view to economy and
efficiency; so that with an increased pressure less water may be used; and with a
decreased pressure more water may be laid on, we lengthen or shorten the stroke of
the main piston by making the horizontal arm of the reversing lever, or that on which
the two tappet rollers (in connection with the piston rod) operate in two parts and
movable instead of being all in one and fixed. These two parts or arms are jointed,
so that they can be brought nearer together or set frather apart, at pleasure. This is
done by means of a screw and two links jointed to the said screws and arms, the
screw having a hand wheel on the end of it for facility of use. When put together
the two arms form a Y shaped end to the horizontal arm of reversing lever, and as
they are opened, or closed the tappet rollers will of course reach them sooner or later
and the length of stroke be varied accordingly. For the shorter stroked class of
motors, we effect this by moving the tappet rollers instead of by using an
expanding Y end on the horizontal arm of the reversing lever. In this arrangement
the tappet rollers are brought closer together, or set further apart, by means of a
screw spindle between them, with a hand wheel on the top of it, such screw spindle
having a right handed thread on one end, and a left handed thread on the other end,
and as the pitch of these threads is exactly alike, it follows that the tappet rollers,
wherever moved by the screw spindle will always be kept rigidly accurate in position,
that is, equidistant vertically from a centre line passing horizontally through the pin,
or axis on which the reversing lever rides. The length of stroke can be varied with
the greatest ease and celerity, and that even whilst the motor is working. This im-
provement of varying the length of the stroke of piston, may be applied to the rotative
as well as to the reciprocating motor by a preparation in the former for setting the
crank pin nearer to or further from the centre of crank shaft at pleasure, or if
substitutes for a crank be used, then by an equivalent arrangement for the purpose.
But this end we effect in rotative motors in another, and what we consider superior
manner, as it can be used not only without stopping the motor, but also made
automatic in its action as well. In this case a lever is interposed between the
piston-rod and connecting-rod to which they are both gearod on the same side of its
fulcrum or axis, one of them to a fixed point, the other to a movable one.
generally attach the piston rod to the fixed point, and the connecting rod to the
movable one, but this arrangement is not arbitrary and may be varied at pleasure.
We
The connecting-rod boing attached to the crank of course is constant in the
space through which it travels, but the length of stroke it will communicate to the
piston-rod will of course vary as its distance from the centre or fulcrum of the lever
is made greater or less. The lever is grooved and contains a sliding block after the
fashion of the link in the ordinary valve-link motion. To this block the connecting
rod is yoked, and from it (the said sliding block) a rod proceeds to a governor or
regulator which renders its action automatic. Of course such governor or regulator
may be made dependent either upon the speed of the motor, or pressure of the driving
medium, by any of the numerous contrivances applicable to such purposes.
From the previously described mode of yoking the piston-rod and connecting-rod
to a lever, another and important end results on rotative motors, the thrust of the
piston rod, connecting rod and crank being never all in a straight line with the shaft,
there are no "dead centres" and the motor, though only a single cylinder one will
consequently start from any point. In the rotative motors, we employ arrangements
alternative to those described in this and specifications of the before mentioned Patent
for working the valves from the crank shaft, instead of from the piston rod. This we

page_text: do, either by an eccentric on the shaft, with a rod from it to the reversing lever
of the motor, or by a cam on the shaft operating in a forked pendulously weighted
lever connected to the valve gear. The former is, of course, more gradual, the cotter
more instantaneous in its action. We have also to mention that, for both meters and
5 motors, whereas in the aforementioned patent No. 93 of 1879, the valve motion or
gearing for changing the positions of the valves is shown with a link motion in which
a lever intervenes between the link and the weight or its substitutes. We now
propose as an alternative to attach the link directly to the weight, or its substitute
without the intervention of the pivoted or rocking lever.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water Motors and Meters, Applicable also to
Engines or Motors Impelled by other Power or Force than that
of Water.
We, THOMAS MELLING of 21 Welbeck Road, Birkdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and FRANCIS BUTTERFIELD, of Midland Works, Keighley in the County
of York, 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:-
This invention consists of further improvements in and upon the water meter and
motor, for which Letters Patent were granted to the said Thomas Melling No. 93
of 1879 as described in the Specification of same. These further improvements
extend the utility of that the said invention by accomplishing the following objects
not previously attained thereby.
The first of these objects is the adaptation of the motor and meter combined, to
the driving of machinery by making it capablo of producing circular or rotative
motive as well as reciprocating rectilinear motion only as heretofore, and this we
accomplish in manner following. Connection being made between the piston rod
and a revolving shaft by a connecting rod and crank (or their mechanical equivalent)
the end to be attained in this case is, that the valves (which regulate the inlet and
outlet of the water to and from the two ends of the cylinder alternately) shall be
invariably reversed, or changed in position (and that only) when the crank or any
substitute for it is in one exact position with respect to the "dead centre." This we
effect by means of a double cam catch, fixed on the revolving (or crank) shaft,
which catch will not permit the weight to fall and reverse the valves at any other
than the proper times. The cam does not raise the weight, but is merely a catch,
the weight being raised by the reversing lever, as heretofore. The communication
between the cam catch, and the weight is made by a rod which is attached to the
weight at one end of it, and to a lever at the other end. This lever has a roller
at the end opposite to that to which the rod is attached, which roller comes in contact
with the cam catch as the pendulous arui of the reversing lever passes the vertical
line. After this but for the cam catch, the weight would then be at liberty to fall,
which it would be liable to do irregularly or at improper times varying with the
speed of the motor.
This improvement acts fairly well for slow speeds, and can be understood without
drawings, and as the plan bereafter described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings is a better one in our opinion for both slow and quick speeds, we have not
thought it worth while to further enlarge upon this one.
To vary the length of the stroke of the main piston with ease and rapidity, and to
accommodate the motor to a varying pressure of water, with a view to economy and
efficiency, so that with an increased pressure less water may be used, and with a

page_text: decreased pressure more water may be laid on; we have tried, with success, the plan
of making the horizontal arm of the reversing lever or that on which the two tappet
rollers (in connection with the piston rod operate) in two parts, and movable instead
of being all in one and fixed. These two parts or arms were jointed, so that they
could be brought nearer together, or set farther apart at pleasure. This was done
by means of a screw, and two links, jointed to the said screws and arms, the screw
having a hand wheel on the end of it, for facility of use. When put together the
two arms form a Y-shaped end to the horizontal arm of reversing lever, and as
they were opened or closed the tappet rollers of course reached them sooner or later,
and the length of stroke was varied accordingly.
This plan we have improved upon in the following manner, the improvement being
especially valuable for the shorter stroked class of motors.
By our new improvements we move the tappet rollers instead of by using the
expanding Y-end on the horizontal arm of the reversing lever. In this arrange-
ment the tappet rollers J, J, (Figure 1), in the drawings, are brought closer together
or set further apart by means of a screw spindle A between them, with a hand wheel B
on the top of it, such screw spindle having a right handed thread on one end, and a
left handed thread on the other end, and as the pitch of these threads is exactly
alike, it follows that the tappet rollers J, J, whenever moved by the screw spindle
will always be kept rigidly accurate in position, that is equidistant vertically from a
centro line passing horizontally through the pin or axis Con which the reversing
lever D rides. The length of stroke can be varied with the greatest case and celerity,
and that even whilst the motor is working. This improvement of varying the
length of the stroke of piston E may be applied to the rotative, as well as to the
reciprocating motor by a preparation in the former for setting the crank pin nearer to
or further from the centre of crank shaft at pleasure, or if substitutes for a crank be
usod, then by an equivalent arrangement for the purpose. Where we adopt this
plan of moving the crank pin we prefer to fix a disc on the crank shaft with a
radial slot in which the crank pin slides being formed as a block at one end to fit
the slot. Loose on the shaft and adjoining the other disc is a second disc with a
volute slot also fitting the crank pin. The loose disc has teeth on its periphery in
which gears a wheel connected with the governor. If the two discs are driven at the
satue speed the crank pin is stationary, but if the governor drives its disc slower or
quicker than the crank shaft, the crank pin is forced by the volute slot nearer or
further from the centre. There are some disadvantages connected with this plan,
chiefly this, that the crank pin is apt to have too much play or wear loose.
therefore prefer the plan set forth in the drawings, Figures 2 and 3 being
longitudinal and transverse section respectively. In this case a lever G is interposed
between the piston-rod F and connecting-rod H to which they are both geared on the
same side of its fulcrum or axis I, one of them to a fixed or nearly fixed point, the
other to a movable one. We generally attach the piston-rod to the fixed or nearly
fixed point, and the connecting rod to the movable one as shown, but this arrangement
is not arbitrary and may be varied at pleasure.
We
The connecting-rod H being attached to the crank K of course is constant in
the space through which it travels, but the length of stroke it will communicate
to the piston-rod will of course vary as its distance from the centre or fulcrum
of the lever is made greater or less. The lever is grooved at L and contains a
sliding block M after the fashion of the link in the ordinary valve link motion. To
this block M the crosshead F1 of the piston rod is yoked (the connecting rod H
being pivoted to the lever G) said lever being adjusted by a lever N on the
reversing shaft N' which being connected with a governor or regulator, renders the
action of lever G automatic. Of course such governor or regulator (one form of
which is shown in Figures 5 and 6, being longitudinal and transverse sections
respectively) may be made dependent, either upon the speed of the motor or pressure
of the driving medium, by any of the numerous contrivances applicable to such
purposes. As, when the point of junction of the connecting rod is not in line with
the shaft centre and the piston rod, the action of the valves has to be slightly different

page_text: to that required when the whole engine is in line, we couple the eccentric ☐ to the
valve, by means of a link or lever P connected with the valve rod lever T (which
may if desired be curved approximately to the centre of the crank-shaft), and we
connect the eccentric rod O' to the governor (through the medium of the reversing
shaft N') so that its mean obliquity shall not be altered by the varying obliquity of
the connecting rod which changes according to the length of stroke. This is set
forth in Figure 4 in which T is the valve rod, lever, P link attached thereto, and 0¹
is the eccentric rod attached to the link P at p. In the rotative motors we employ
arrangements alternative to those described in this, and Specifications of the before
mentioned Patent for working the valves from the crank shaft, instead of from the
piston rod. This we do, either by an eccentric on the shaft, with a rod from it to a
link on the reversing levor of the motor, or by a cam on the shaft operating in a
forked pendulously weighted lever connected to the valve gear. The former is of
course more gradual, the latter more instantaneous in its action. We have also to
mention that for both meters and motors, whereas in the aforementioned Patent
No. 93 of 1879 the valve motion or gearing for changing the position of the valves is
shown with a link motion, in which a lever intervenes between the link and the
weight or its substitutes, we now propose as an alternative to attach the link
directly to the weight or its substitute without the intervention of a pivoted or
rocking lever.
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.
1. A complete meter or motor formed substantially on the principles set forth in
my former herein mentioned Patents but containing any of the new alternative
improvements sut forth in the present specification, substantially as described.
2. In a meter or motor the improvement in regulating the power which consists
in connecting the crank connecting-rod, or its equivalent to a radius link or its
equivalent, to which the piston rod is linked, in such manner that while the stroke of
the crank remains constant the stroke of the piston can be varied as desired or as
controlled by the governor.
3. The alternative arrangement for regulating the stroke of the piston to suit the
power required to be utilised, which consists in regulating the distance between the
crank pin and the crank shaft centre substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1887.