IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON METERS to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: We, ARNOLD GOODWIN Junior Engineer, and CHARLES HORATIO BRAIN,
Engineer both of 56 Sumner Street, Southwark in the County of Surrey, do
hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON
METERS to be as follows:-
"
Our invention relates to improvements, in piston meters of the kind wherein the
piston of each measuring cylinder, controls the action of a slide valve, plug cock
or other form of distributing apparatus governing the motion of the piston in
another cylinder.
In the specification accompanying the application for Letters Patent filed the
13th day of June 1884 N° 8952 by one of us, viz Arnold Goodwin Junt, there
was described a piston meter wherein amongst other features, the axes of the
measuring cylinders were arranged in a straight line and the valve governing the
distribution of water or other fluid to each cylinder was actuated indirectly by
the piston of another cylinder through the intervention of a pivotted lever placed
in a chamber in free communication with and at the outer end of a measuring
cylinder.
Now according to the present invention, we arrange the measuring cylinders, so
that their axes do not coincide but are parallel with each other. Between the cylinders
(which may conveniently be of equal size) there is a chamber or valve chest.
This water chamber is provided with an inlet for water or other fluid to be
measured and with valve faces, having ports communicating with the ends of the
cylinders and with an exhaust or delivery outlet. These valve faces, of which there
is one to each cylinder, may be arranged sidewise of each other and are each
provided with a slide valve or other suitable form of distributing apparatus actuated
directly by the piston rod of a measuring cylinder the piston rod of each cylinder
being connected directly in any convenient manner to the valve governing the ports
to another cylinder the connection being, by preference, such that the valve stands
still during the greater part of the piston's stroke. The piston rods work parallel
with each other and through long holes formed in the ends of the water chamber,
the said holes being unprovided with packing stuffing boxes or glands as set forth
in the before mentioned specification. The passages leading from the ports to the
ends of the cylinder may be arranged in any convenient position and are preferably

page_text: arranged at the bottom or lower sides of the cylinders and water chamber. The
pistons, which may be of any suitable construction, may be provided with vulcanite
packing rings as described in my before mentioned specification but other suitable
form of packing may be employed.
For the purpose of indicating and recording the quantity of water or other fluid
passed through the meter we form in the cover of the water chamber, a long hole
through which a spindle or shaft, carrying a ratchet wheel on its lower end, passes,
the said ratchet wheel being actuated by a pin or projection on one of the valves,
either directly, or indirectly through a rocking pawl, at each alternate. movement
of the valve. The ratchet wheel is provided with detent or check to prevent it
moving in a backward direction upon the return motion of the valve. The motion
of the ratchet wheel is communicated to a set of recording wheels in any well
known and convenient manner, the recording mechanism being conveniently
arranged in a recess formed in the cover of the water chamber.

page_text: We, ARNOLD GOODWIN Junior, Engineer, and CHARLES HORATIO BRAIN, Engineer,
both of 56 Sumner Street, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare
the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON METERS," and in what
manner the saine is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in piston meters of the kind wherein the
piston of each measuring cylinder controls the action of a slide valve plug cock or
other form of distributing apparatus governing the motion of the piston in another
cylinder.
In the specification accompanying the application for Letters Patent filed the
13th day of June 1884 N° 8952 by one of us, viz Arnold Goodwin Junior there
was described a piston meter wherein amongst other features the axes of the
measuring cylinders were arranged in a straight line and the valve governing the
distribution of water or other fluid to each cylinder was actuated indirectly by the
piston of another cylinder through the intervention of a pivotted lever placed in a
chamber in free communication with and at the outer end of a measuring cylinder.
Now according to the present invention, we arrange the measuring cylinders so
that their axes do not coincide but are parallel with each other. Between or at
one end of the cylinders (which may conveniently be of equal size) there is a
chamber or water chest. This water chamber is provided with an inlet for water
or other fluid to be measured and with valve faces having ports communicating
with the ends of the cylinders and with an exhaust or delivery outlet. These
valve faces, of which there is one to each cylinder, may be arranged sidewise of
each other and are each provided with a slide valve or other suitable form of
distributing apparatus actuated directly by the piston rod of a measuring cylinder,
the piston rod of each cylinder being arranged to directly actuate in any convenient
manner the valve governing the ports to another cylinder the arrangement being,
by preference, such that the valve stands still during the greater part of the piston's
stroke. The piston rods work parallel with each other and through long holes
formed in the ends of the cylinders or one side of the water chamber, the said
holes being unprovided with packing, stuffing boxes, or glands as set forth in the
before-mentioned specification. The passages leading from the ports to the ends of
the cylinder may be arranged in any convenient position and are preferably
arranged at the bottom or lower sides of the cylinders and water chamber. The
pistons, which may be of any suitable construction may be provided with vulcanite
packing rings as described in my before mentioned specification but other suitable
form of packing may be employed.
For the purpose of indicating and recording the quantity of water or other fluid
passed through the meter we form in the cover of the water chamber, a long hole
through which a spindle or shaft carrying a ratchet wheel on one end passes, the
Baid ratchet wheel being actuated by a pin.or projection on one of the valves, either
directly, or indirectly through a rocking pawl, at each alternate movement of the
valve or piston rod. The ratchet wheel is provided with a detent or check to

page_text: prevent it moving in a backward direction upon the return motion of the valve or
piston rod. The motion of the ratchet wheel is communicated to a set of recording
wheels in any well known and convenient manner, the recording mechanism being
conveniently arranged in a recess formed in the cover of the water-chamber.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings Fig 1 is a front view of a
meter according to our invention with the cover removed and the cylinders and
pistons in section. Fig 2 is an end view of the said meter. Fig 3 is a transverse
section and Fig 4 is a longitudinal section on the lines A. B, and C D respectively
of Fig 1.
a. a² are the measuring cylinders arranged with their axes parallel and b is the
chamber or water chest which in the example shown is arranged at one end of
or above the measuring cylinders. c is an inlet to the chamber or chest b for
water or other fluid to be measured and d is an outlet therefor. c. el are the valve
faces on which the slide valves f. f¹ work.
These slide valves f. f¹ are each provided with ears or projections f₁. ƒ³ and ƒ³, ƒ³
against which a pin projection or collar g* on each of the respective piston rods,
alternately strikes when the piston is near the ends of its strokes. The said valves
are thus directly actuated to distribute the liquid to the cylinders a. a. 1. h¹ are
long bushed holes in one end of each cylinder a. a¹ through which the piston rods g. g'
work to actuate the slide valves f. f, the said holes being unprovided with packing,
stuffing boxes, or glands as herein before mentioned. g². g³ are the pistons working
in the measuring cylinders a. a¹ respectively and provided with packing rings g*
of leather or other suitable material. . The valve faces c. e' are provided with
ports 1, 2, 3 and k¹, 2, 3 respectively. The two inlet ports i, 2 lead to the two
ends of the measuring cylinder a whilst is the exhaust port in communication
with the outlet opening d and is placed alternately in communication with the
ports, by the movement of the slide valve f. Similarly k¹. ² are the inlet
ports to the measuring cylinder a and ³ is the exhaust port therefor in commu-
nication with the outlet d. is the cover of the chamber or chest b. m is a
spindle or shaft for driving the indicating and recording mechanism m* of any
suitable kind, arranged within a recess n formed in the cover l. One end of the
shaft m passes through, and is supported by, a long hole in the cover Z, its other
end, which is provided with a ratchet wheel o, being carried by the back wall of
the chamber or chest b. p is a pin, projection, or pawl carried by the piece g* on
the piston rod g' and arranged to actuate the ratchet wheel o, and spindle or
shaft m at each alternate movement of the piston rod or valve, the pin, projection
or pawl p being so connected to the valve or to the piece g* that it slips over the
ratchet wheel o upon each return movement of the piston rod without actuating it.
q is a detent to prevent backward movement of. the ratchet wheel o during such
return movement of the piston rod. is a perforated plate grid or strainer for
preventing the entrance of extraneous substances to the chamber or water chest b
with the liquid entering at c.
The operation of the meter is as follows: Supposing the pistons and valves to
be in the positions shown in Fig 1 and that liquid be in free communication with
the chamber or chest b then such liquid will pass through the uncovered port i to
the top of the piston g³ and depress it within the cylinder a whilst liquid beneath
the said piston will escape through the opening (Fig 3) to the port ¹ into the
cavity in the valve f through the port to the exhaust or outlet d. At the
same time liquid will be in free communication with the top of the piston g³
through the uncovered port ¹. When the piston g³ nearly reaches the end of its
downward stroke the collar g* on the piston rod g will come into contact with the
projections f³ on the slide valve f', whereupon the further movement of the said
piston rod will be communicated to the valve f¹, so as to cover the port k¹ and
place it in communication with the exhaust port and outlet d, and to uncover
the port Liquid will now pass through the port 2 to the underside of the
piston and raise it, whilst liquid above it will escape through the port,
cavity in the valve f¹, port to the outlet d. When the piston g² nearly

page_text: reaches the end of its stroke the valve f will be actuated by the collar g* on the
piston rod g coming into contact with its projections f³ whereby the port will be
covered and placed in communication with the exhaust and the port uncovered.
Liquid will then pass through the port i¹ to the underside of the piston g³ and
raise it, the liquid above it escaping through the port 2, cavity in valve f
port to the outlet d. When the piston is near the end of its upward stroke the
collar g* on piston rod g¹ will come into contact with the projections f³, f' on the
valve f¹and move this valve so that it uncovers port and covers port k³. Liquid
will then pass to the top of the piston g² and depress it, the liquid beneath the
piston g³ escaping through the port k² cavity e° in the valve f1, port ³, to the
outlet d. The valve will be again actuated when the piston g² nearly reaches the
end of its stroke, by the collar on the piston rod g coming into contact with its
projections f³, whereby the port will be uncovered and the port ¿¹ covered and
placed in communication with the exhaust.
*
Each piston after making a double stroke as just described being together with
the valves ff1 again in the position shown in the drawing the actions above
described will again take place. During the upward or return stroke of the
piston g the pawl p will take into the ratchet wheel o and rotate it and the
shaft m.
The recording mechanism m* is thus actuated by the shaft m at each
alternate movement of the piston rod g¹.
In the above description the meter has been assumed to be in a vertical position
as shown in the drawing but we prefer in practice to place it so that the measuring
cylinders shall be horizontal when in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
The improved piston meter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to and shown in the drawings.