AN IMPROVED WATER METER
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John
Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
WATER METER."-A communication from abroad by Armand Charles
Barre, Engineer, of Valenciennes, France.
Sealed the 2nd October 1869, and dated the 20th April 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th April 1869.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of
No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED WATER METER," a communication to me from abroad by Armand
Charles Barre, Engineer, of Valenciennes, France, to be as follows:-
This apparatus is made of bronze, copper, or any other metal or alloy
non-magnetic, that is to say, having no influence on the magnetised
needle. It is composed of an annular vessel or basin, which may be

page_text: perfectly closed by means of a lid also annular. The basin and its lid
both carry lugs, which come opposite each other and are tightened
together by bolts. The lid is provided with two pipes, one of which
inclined on the lid is the adjutage by which the liquid arrives in the
apparatus and flattens and spreads out as it approaches the lid, through
which it passes by a rectangular opening occupying the entire breadth
of the annular vessel; the other pipe is circular and spreads in the valve
box, re-assuming a circular form at its upper part. The valve box carries
a wing valve made in two parts united by a joint, and it is by this
second adjutage that the liquid escapes. Within this annular basin are
two magnets and a series of wood or cork floats tied together by wooden
sectors so as to form a rigid whole of the same density as the liquid.
This arrangement may be replaced by another in which the two magnets
are bound to a circle of metal or other floats forming a solid whole of
the same density as the liquid. On the entire circumference of the
above arrangement, which is termed the "parideuse," are small rods
which while the meter is not acting abut against one of the wings of the
valve, which plunges to a certain depth in the annular basin. This
valve has a cylindrical part provided with two small semicircular orifices
intended to permit the passage of water only when the valve has risen
the entire height of this grooved cylindrical part, that is to say, when
the large wing no longer dips in the annular basin.
"
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Supposing it to be full of
water, and that the inlet adjutage is joined on to the water supply pipe
while the outlet adjutage is joined on to the discharge pipe carrying an
ordinary cock, as soon as this latter is opened the valve will rise pushed
up by the liquid, the water will enter by the inclined pipe with more
or less speed according to the size of the discharge cock, and the water
contained in the annular basin together with the "parideuse will
rotate with a speed regulated by that of the water in the inlet adjutage.
In this rotary movement the two magnets will by their magnetic power
give a similar motion to a small bar of soft iron set on a vertical axle
governing the dial. Directly the discharge or drawing-off cock is closed
the valve falls again upon its seat and stops the "parideuse" as well
as the movement of the aforesaid bar of soft iron. A reservoir of air
is placed between the cock and the discharge pipe; thus if the discharge
cock drips a depression will be produced in this reservoir and con-
sequently a suction in the valve box, and when this suction is sufficiently

page_text: powerful it will uplift the valve, and a quantity of water will be admitted
sufficient to replace that which has leaked out. This quantity of water
in passing by the valve will be registered by a slight movement of the
"parideuse."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11,
Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Ier
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Gedge, Her special licence
that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward Gedge, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
WATER METER," a communication to me from abroad by Armand Charles
Barre, Engineer, of Valenciennes, France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and

page_text: by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawing, and to the figures and letters of reference placed
thereon.
This apparatus is made of bronze, copper, or any other non-magnetic
metal or alloy, that is to say, having no influence on the magnetised
needle. It is composed of an annular basin, which may be per-
fectly closed by means of a lid, also annular. The basin and its lid
both carry lugs, which come opposite each other and are tightened
together by bolts. The lid is provided with two tubes or union pipes.
1°. The first, placed at C (see plan, Fig. 1, and vertical section, Fig. 2),
and inclined on the lid (following the direction D, E, of the vertical
section, Fig. 3), is the adjutage by which the liquid arrives in the appa-
ratus. This adjutage may have at D a ring or flange, intended to receive
the supply pipe; it has at this end a circular section of somewhat less
than an inch in diameter; this section flattens and spreads out as it
approaches the lid, through which it passes by a rectangular opening
occupying the entire breadth of the annular vessel. The succession of
the various sections is shown in the inclined section D, E, Fig. 4.
2º. The second tube or union pipe, situated at F (Fig. 2), is circular
and spreads in the valve box, re-assuming a circular section of about an
inch in diameter at its upper part G, where it may have a retaining ring
or flange. The valve box carries a wing valve made in two parts united
by a ring or flange joint. It is by this second adjutage that the liquid
escapes. Within the annular basin is immersed an arrangement, herein-
after termed "parideuse," composed of two magnets N, S, N, S¹, (shown
in red lines, Fig. 2), and of a series of wood or cork floats tied together
by wooden sectors so as to form a rigid whole of the same density as the
liquid. This arrangement may be replaced by another, in which the two
magnets are bound to a circle of metal or other floats, forming a solid
whole of the same density as the liquid. On the entire upper medium
circumference of the "parideuse" are small rods t, placed regularly
about or of an inch apart; while the meter is not acting these small
rods abut against one of the wings of the valve H (Fig. 2), which plunges
to a certain depth, say about one-sixth of an inch, in the annular basin.
On reference to Fig. 2 and to Figs. 5 and 6, which show this valve
detached, it will be seen that it has also at m, n, a cylindrical part
provided with two small semicircular orifices intended to permit the
passage of water only when the valve has risen the entire height of
this grooved cylindrical part, that is to say, when the large wing no

page_text: longer dips in the annular basin. Fig. 7 shows guide cross bar
detached.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Supposing it to be full of
water, and that the inlet adjutage C is joined on to the water supply
pipe while the outlet adjutage G is joined on to the discharge or outlet
pipe carrying an ordinary cock, as soon as this latter is opened the
valve H will rise pushed up by the liquid, the water will enter at C by
the inclined tube or union pipe D, E, with more or less speed according
to the size of the discharge cock and to the water contained in the
annular basin, and will together with the "parideuse" take a circular
rotary motion the speed of which will be regulated by that of the water
in the adjutage D, E. In this rotary movement the two magnets N, S,
N', S', will by their magnetic power give a similar motion to a small
bar of soft iron U, V, set on the vertical axle a, a', which is to govern
the dial. Directly the discharge or draw-off cock is closed the valve H
will fall again upon its seat and stop the "parideuse" as well as the
movement of the bar U, V. As shown on the Drawing a reservoir of air
is placed between the ordinary cock and the tube or outlet pipe G;
thus if the ordinary or discharge cock drips a depression will be pro-
duced in the reservoir, and consequently a suction in the valve box, and
when sufficiently strong this suction will uplift the valve H and thereby
admit a quantity of water sufficient to replace that which has leaked out
of the reservoir. This quantity of water in passing by the valve will be
registered by a slight movement of the "parideuse."
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.