A NEW MODE OF. CONSTRUCTING WATER METERS CAPABLE OF SERVING AT THE SAME TIME AS PRIME MOVERS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Dülken, of Dusseldorf, Prussia, Engineer, for
the Invention of "A NEW MODE OF. CONSTRUCTING WATER METERS
CAPABLE OF SERVING AT THE SAME TIME AS PRIME MOVERS."
Sealed the 20th October 1877 and dated the 9th May 1877..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Dülken at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th May 1877.
:;
AUGUSTE DULKEN, of Düsseldorf, Prussia, Engineer. "A NEW MODE OF CON-
STRUCTING WATER METERS CAPABLE OF SERVING AT THE SAME TIME AS PRIME
MOVERS."
The water meter which forms the subject of the present Invention consists
mainly of a pair of cylinders arranged at right angles, or so as to cross each other,
and are
and placed within a fixed casing in which they are arranged excentrically,
capable of rotating therein on pivots or trunnions provided for the purpose, and
running in suitable bearings in the casing. Each of these cylinders is provided
with a piston and piston rod which passes through both ends of the cylinder, and
carries at its ends small antifriction wheels which run on rings or circular guides
within the excentric casing.
To one of the journals of the cylinder is adapted a cylindrical valve provided
with openings or passages communicating with the two ends of each cylinder,
and also with openings communicating with the water supply pipe and the exit
pipe.
The other journal is connected with the registering mechanism, whereby the
quantity of water which passes through the meter is indicated.
When water is admitted into one of the cylinders so as to fill the same, the
cylinder (being mounted excentrically in the casing) will be tumbled over by the
weight of the water, and thus carry round its journal so as to change the position of
the water passages of the valve and admit water into the second cylinder, the first
having been brought into the position to discharge its water to the exit opening and
receive another supply on the other side of the piston. This operation will go on
alternately in both cylinders, so that a continuous rotary motion will be produced,
and as the cylinders are known to hold a certain given quantity of water, it follows

page_text: that by counting the rotations of the shaft the exact quantity that passes through
the meter will be indicated.
If the head of water which supplies the meter extends to a considerable height,
then the pressure in the cylinder will be great, and the apparatus may be used as a
motor, for which purpose one or both of the journals may be prolonged beyond the
casing, so that a pulley or pulleys may be keyed thereon in order to receive a band,
whereby their rotary motion may be communicated to any machine or apparatus
which requires to be driven.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Auguste Dülken in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th November
1877.
AUGUSTE DULKEN, of Düsseldorf, Prussia, Engineer. "A NEW MODE OF CON-
STRUCTING WATER METERS CAPABLE OF SERVING AT THE SAME TIME AS PRIME
MOVERS."
The water meter which forms the subject of the present Invention consists mainly
of a pair of cylinders arranged at right angles, or so as to cross each other, but in
different planes, and placed within a fixed casing, in which they are arranged
excentrically, and are capable of rotating therein on pivots or trunnions provided
for the purpose and running in suitable bearings in the casing. Each of these
cylinders is provided with a piston and piston rod, which latter passes through both
ends of the cylinder and carries at its ends small antifriction wheels, which run on
rings or circular guides within the excentric casing.
To one of the journals of the cylinders is adapted a cylindrical valve provided
with openings or passages communicating with the two ends of each cylinder,
and also, with openings communicating with the water supply pipe and the
exit pipe.
The other journal is connected with the registering mechanism, whereby the
quantity of water which passes through the meter is indicated.
When water is admitted into one of the cylinders so as to fill the same, the
cylinder (being mounted excentrically in the casing) will be tumbled over by the
weight of the water, and will thus carry round its journals, so as to change
the position of the water passages of the valve and admit water into the second
cylinder, the first having been brought into the position to discharge its water to
the exit opening and receive another supply on the other side of the piston. This
operation will go on alternately in both cylinders, so that a continuous rotary
motion will be produced, aud as the cylinders are known to hold a certain given
quantity of water, it follows that by counting the rotations of the shaft or journals
on which the cylinders are mounted the exact quantity that passes through the
meter will be indicated on the dial.
If the head of water which supplies the meter extends to a considérable height,
then the pressure in the cylinder will be great, and an apparatus constructed on the
same principle may be used as a meter, for which purpose one or both of the journals
may be prolonged beyond the casing, so that a pulley or pullies may be keyed
thereon in order to receive a band, whereby their rotary motion may be commu-
nicated to any machine or apparatus which requires to be driven.
In the accompanying Drawing,—
Fig. 1 is an internal view of the apparatus with the two cylinders.
Fig. 2 is a back view of the apparatus shewing the joints for the supply and
discharge pipes.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken through the outer
casing and the cylinders, also through the mechanism of the valve and the chamber
of the indicating apparatus; Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the same part.

page_text: Fig. 6 is diagram representing the formation of the curve of the internal motion
and the groove which serves as a guide to the pistons.
Fig. 1 represents the face of the valve for the introduction and discharge of
the water.
.'
Fig. 4a is a top view of the coupled cylinders detached from the other parts.
The apparatus is composed of the following principal parts:-
(1.) The external casing, which is made of cast iron, and is divided into three
pieces. At the front part is a small compartment which is closed in by a glass, and
is intended to receive the registering or counting mechanism. At the hinder part
are the joints for the supply pipe G and the discharge pipe H. The central part A
with its base rests upon the foot or foundation part of the apparatus, and carries
internally the two rings or ways B, which are constructed on the principle indicated
in the diagram, Fig. 6, and by means of which the motion of the pistons in the
cylinders is effected. The three parts A, A, and A¹ are firmly secured together
by means of screw bolts, and all the surfaces of contact are made perfectly water-
tight.
(2.) The two cylinders C, C¹, which are arranged at an angle of ninety
degrees of each other, but are cast in one piece, and rotate upon a common shaft D.
To the cylinder C are adapted the valve for governing the supply of water, and the
inlet and discharge passages u, u.
Each cylinder is provided with a piston J (made
of brass), and a piston rod K. To the two ends of these rods are adapted (by means
of cross pins n) the small brass rollers l, l. In the covers s of the cylinders are
fixed brass rings which serve as water-tight stuffing boxes for the piston rods.
!
(3.) The stationary supply valve E, a front view of which is shewn at Fig. 1, and
in section at Figures 4 and 5. This valve is on one side in connection with the
pipes G and H, and on the other side it regulates the introduction and discharge of
the water through the passages u, u, and serves at the same time as a bearing for
the cylinders.
(4.) The brass bearing F, which also serves as a support for the cylinders, and is
diametrically opposite to the valve E. At the side nearest the registering mechanism
a little stuffing box is adapted to this bearing for the purpose of preventing any
leakage of water through the bearing into the registering or counting chamber.
The other parts will not require any very minute explanation, as their use and
functions will be easily understood by an inspection of the Drawings. It only
remains for me to explain the characteristic features and the operation of the
apparatus, and to set forth its advantages. As will be seen by the Drawings the
cylinders are arranged excentrically in the cylindrical casing, and rotate on a
common axis.
Immediately that the water is allowed to enter by the pipe G, the cylinder
having the passage corresponding with the opening in the valve will fill with
water, and its centre of gravity being altered in consequence of the pressure
and weight of the water it will be set. in rotation. When this takes place, the
opening to the passage of the second cylinder will be brought opposite the supply
opening of the valve, and this second cylinder will begin to fill. During this time
the exit opening of the first cylinder will have reached the discharge pipe H and
the mouth of the valve, and will begin to empty or discharge its contents from one
side of the piston. At this moment the second passage presents itself to the supply
opening, and the cylinder begins to fill on the other side of the piston. This operation
is repeated twice for every cylinder and at each revolution, so that for each rotation
there is measured four times the contents of a single cylinder. The movement of
the pistons is produced by the excentric arrangement of the axle of the cylinders,
for in consequence of the rotation of these last the small rollers 1, 1, at the ends of
the piston rods will be forced to follow with exactness the form of the interal rings,
ways, or rails B, B, in the internal part of the casing, and at each turn they pass once
by the shortest axis of the excentric and once by the longest axis. It is owing to
this that the pistons are made to work in the cylinders. If the race of the way B, B,
inside the apparatus was concentric with the axle of the cylinders, the movement or

page_text: action of these latter would be impossible, for the axis passing through the line c, d,.
of Fig. 2, is shorter than that which passes through the line a, b, consequently, the'
lower half of the way must approach a curved form in order to obtain at the same
time a regular rotation of the cylinders and the proper direction for the small piston
rod rollers. The construction of the curve is shewn in the diagram, Fig. 6, and
owing to this peculiarity of construction the rollers are always kept in contact with
their ways or guides.
It is well known that various water meters of other constructions allow the water
to pass through them even when they are not at work, and it is evident that such
apparatus cannot measure with exactness, or even approximately.
My improved apparatus, on the contrary, possesses the great advantage that it
does not allow the smallest quantity of water to pass through without being
measured, for the passage of the water without the rotation of the cylinders is
absolutely impossible, and immediately the cylinders rotate the water will be
measured. The measurement is just and exact, as the cylinders contain on each side
of the pistons a precise and definite quantity, such as half a pint, one pint, or several
quarts. In fact, the cylinders may be made of any desired capacity, and marked
with the quantity they will contain. The cylinders of the apparatus shewn in the
Drawing are one-quarter the real size, and would contain exactly one-quarter of a
litre, consequently the apparatus at every rotation would measure four times a
quarter of a litre, or one litre of water.
The apparatus, at a mean pressure of from four to five atmospheres, and with a
supply pipe of thirteen millemetres internal diameter, will give forty revolutions per
minute. I would here remark that the apparatus constructed in the manner shewn
and described requires very little power or pressure to work it, because the pressure
is the same in and around the cylinders. The pressure required for working the
apparatus is about one-eighth of an atmosphere.
I would observe that the apparatus may be used at the same time as a
meter and as a motive-power engine, or it may be separately used for either of
these, purposes.
Having now described my Invention, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid, the improved apparatus above shewn and .described, and
consisting mainly of two cylinders coupled together and placed at an angle of ninety
degrees to each other, and mounted on a common axle arranged excentrically in a
cylindrical casing, in combination with pistons and piston rods which work therein,
and are actuated by the rotation of the cylinders, as and for the purpose herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Dülken, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven