Improvements in Apparatus for Measuring Liquids and for Checking Quantities Delivered.
Year: 1887

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Measuring Liquids and for Checking
Quantities Delivered.
1 EARNEST LATHAM of A' Southwark Bridge Road in the County of Surrey,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
:-
The invention relates to apparatus such as is used in railway stations and public
places for the automatic delivery of goods.
The objects are to ensure accurate measurement more especially of liquid delivered
in small quantities and to obtain a correct register of the total quantity measured
and delivered and of moneys paid therefor.
The invention consists First-In the combination of a liquid container with an
entrance way or ways, displacers of the requisite size, or a displacer with weights,
and an overflow vessel or chamber provided with a draw off way or by preference a
draw off tap or the equivalent of either of these.
Second In the combination of the improved measuring apparatus above set forth
with apparatus for controlling the motion of the displacers by means of the deposition
of coins or tokens.
Third In combining two or more liquid containers with one displacer supply or
coin or token depositary.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Measuring Liquids and for Checking
Quantities Delivered.
I ERNEST LATHAM of A1 Southwark Bridge Road in the county of Surrey
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 :-
The invention relates to apparatus for the delivery of measured quantities of liquid
goods.
The objects are to ensure accurate measurement more especially of liquid delivered
in small quantities and to obtain a correct register of the total quantity measured and
delivered and of moneys paid or due therefor.
The invention consists First. In the combination of a liquid container with an
entrance way or ways displacers of the requisite size, or a displacer with weights and
an overflow vessel or chamber provided with a draw off way or by preference a draw
off tap or equivalent of either of these.
Second. In the combination of the improved measuring apparatus above set forth
with apparatus for controlling the motion of the displacers by means of the disposition
of coins or tokens.
Third. In combining two or more liquid containers with one displacer supply or
coin or token depository.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan, fig. 2 a vertical section and fig. 3 a view part in elevation, and
part in section of apparatus under my invention for delivering wines spirits and other
liquids in measured quantities for sale. 1. cask or container placed under the
counter 2 or in any other covenient position, 3 metal ring secured to the cask or
. container. 4 carrying flange of the apparatus secured to the ring and container.
by set screws 5 so as to make a tight joint. 6 inlet way leading from a storage
vat or reservoir to the container 1. 7 metallic chamber depending from the flange 4
within the cask or container 1. 8 perforations in the bottom of the chamber 7
to allow the liquid in the cask or container to freely enter the chamber 7. 9 door
through which displacers are removed from the chamber 7. Wire netting or a bag
or a net of any suitable material so arranged to be readily removable may be used
instead of the metallic chamber above set forth. 10 spherical glass displacers. The
displacers may be in the form of discs cubes eggs or desired shape and may be of
wood metal ebonite or other material of greater specific gravity than the liquid and
which will not be effected by or act injuriously on the liquid. The displacers are of
such sizes as to accurately displace amounts of liquid equal to the contents of various
measures used in the sale of liquids. 11 vertical parallel tube rising from the

page_text: 13 over-
flange 4. 12 vee shaped orifice out of which the displaced liquid flows.
flow vessel large enough to hold the largest bulk of liquid discharged by any
displacer. 14 syphon for delivery at a convenient speed the liquid suddenly forced
by the displacer into the overflow chamber. Ordinary measures or glasses may be
used to receive the liquid from the syphon. 15 valve for admitting displacers to the
tube 11. The valve 15 is drum shaped, is in light contact with the tube 11 to seal
the outlet way, is free to turn on its axis and is made with a cavity 16 to receive the
displacers, and with a weight 17 to cause the said valve to rest with the cavity 16 in
position to receive displacers. 18 way through which displacers are fed to the valve 15.
19 grid to prevent the introduction of liquid to the container 1 through the displacer
feed way.
The container 1 may be formed with the rest of the apparatus, the tube 11 and
way 18 may be of any desired length, and the valve 15 may be modified to suit
various sizes and shapes of displacers.
Fig. 4 is a plan, fig. 5 a vertical section fig. 6 an elevation, and fig. 7 a detail
view of apparatus under my invention for delivering specified quantities of liquid for
coins or tokens of certain value deposited in the apparatus. 20 casing of apparatus.
7 liquid containing chamber, 9 door for removal of displacers. 13 overflow vessel,
14 syphon delivery pipe. 6 inlet way to the container 7. 18 way containing dis-
placers. The ways 6 and 7 are locked to prevent access. 10 disc shape displacers.
21 plunger for pushing displacers from the way 18 into the container 7. 22 rod
attached to the plunger 21 and formed with collars 23, 23 which fit within a
cylinder 24. The cylinder 24 is made with a coin or token passage 25 leading to the
slit 26 in the case 20. The cylinder 24 is attached to and is moved by a rod 27
projecting through the casing. 28 balance weight and lever for causing the rod 27
cylinder 24 and plunger 21 to resume their normal position after a displacer has been
pushed into the chamber 7. 29 guide for the rod 27. 30 cover for the slit 26.
When a coin is inserted through the slit 26 it travels down the passage 25 until it
rests on a ledge or on studs or equivalent devices in front of the collar 23. The rod 27
is then pushed and moves the coin and with it the rod 22 and plunger 21 forward
until a displacer enters the chamber 7. The weight 28 then causes the rod 27 and
cylinder 24 to travel back to the plunger 21 remaining at rest until the collar 23* is
acted on, this arrangement allows the coin to be freed from the collar 23 and drop
into the casing. When the plunger and rod have returned to their normal position
another displacer of the column falls behind the plunger. It will be obvious that
many modifications of mechanism might be used to cause the deposition of a coin in
the apparatus to enable a displacer to be deposited in the chamber 7.
Fig. 8 is a vertical section, fig. 9 a plan, and fig. 10 an elevation of apparatus under
my invention for delivering minute quantities of liquid such as drops of medicine or
chemicals for medicinal photographic or other purposes.
The same letters of reference denote parts equivalent to those in the previous
figures. The main difference between this apparatus and that described in figs. 1, 2,
and 3 is that no overflow chamber is used and that the delivery pipe 14 proceeds
directly from the chamber 7, and that the chamber 7 is fitted with a cap 31 having a
piston and tube 32 free to slide within a cylinder 33 so that by depressing the piston
air is compressed over the liquid in the chamber 7 so as to force all the displaced
liquid out of the said chamber through the pipe 14. An india-rubber ball or
other convenient means might be used to obtain the requisite air pressure. The
chamber is filled with liquid and the displacers are inserted through the tube 32.
33 is an air escape valve.
Fig. 11 is an elevation of apparatus under my invention in which several liquid
containers 7 are combined with a displacer reservoir 33. The same letters refer to
like parts as in previous views. The apparatus is here used for oiling the bearings of
a shaft, the overflow pipes 14 leading from the containers 7 to the bearings 34. It
will be evident that any bearing may be oiled at any time without approaching the
bearing, and that the quantity of oil delivered to the bearing will vary with the size
of the displacer used. It will further be evident that this apparatus may be adapted

page_text: for oiling machinery in any position however complicated or dangerous to approach
when in motion.
Apparatus under my invention may be used for many purposes besides those
mentioned, such as for the sale of scents or milk, the supply of liquid fuel to furnaces
lighthouses, and lamps the flushing of water closets and many other purposes. It
will be evident that the quantity of liquid delivered can at any time be ascertained
by counting the displacers used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
First. The combination of a container entrance way, displacers and overflow sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The combination of liquid measuring apparatus with apparatus for con-
trolling the delivery of the said liquid by means of coins or tokens substantially as
set forth.
Third. The combination of two or more liquid containers with one displacer supply
or reservoir substantially as set forth.
Fourth. Apparatus substantially as herein described and illustrated for the purpose
*set forth.
1
1
P T 1
1000
Per pro J. T. KING,
J. Johnson, Agent.