IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO MEASURING AND REGISTERING THE QUANTITIES OF LIQUID WITHDRAWN FROM CASES OR OTHER RECEPTACLES." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Henry Robinson, of the Oity of Dublin,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS,
APPLICABLE ALSO TO MEASURING AND REGISTERING THE QUANTITIES OF
LIQUID WITHDRAWN FROM CASES OR OTHER RECEPTACLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Henry
Robinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 15th August 1878.
I, ARTHUR HENBY ROBINSON, of the Oity of Dublin, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WATER METERS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO MEASURING AND REGISTERING, THE
QUANTITIES OF LIQUID WITHDRAWN FROM CASKS OR OTHER RECEPTACLES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in water meters, applicable
also to the measuring and indicating the quantities of liquid withdrawn
from casks, cisterns, or other receptacles, with the view of preventing
or detecting fraud in the delivery or sale thereof, and consists of a

page_text: novel construction and arrangement of the cocks or valves employed
for admitting and discharging the contents of the vessel.
According to my Invention I construct a cistern of any given
capacity, of glass, metal, or other suitable material, and fit thereto an
inlet valve or cock, through which the water or other liquid enters the
cistern, such valve or cock being closed by the pressure of the
inflowing liquid, or by a spring. The valve spindle of the inlet cock
carries, in addition to the valve which controlls the admission of the
liquid, another valve or stopper situate on the outside of the cock,
which latter valve is acted upon by a moveable valve seat, or mouth
of a moveable outlet pipe, so as to open the inlet valve; such moveable
valve seat being actuated by a screw spindle, lever, or otherwise, in
connection with the registering or counting mechanism. The valve
or mouth of the outlet pipe in its normal position is open, and admits
of the contents of the cistern being withdrawn by opening a cock¨
connected to the outer end thereof; but in order to fill the cistern the
mouth or moveable valve seat on the inner end of the outlet pipe is.
raised and closed by coming in contact with the external valve or the
, inlet valve spindle by the screw spindle before referred to in the act of
opening the inlet valve, thereby proventing liquid from being with-
drawn during the time of filling.
The screw spindle which operates the valves is connected with the
counting mechanism, and indicates thereon each operation, thereby
registering the number times the cistern or vessel has been filled.
This improved apparatus is applicable to the checking and registering
the sales or deliveries of liquid at gin palaces, stores, and other places,
where a check on such is desirable; also to the prevention of waste of
water in waterclosets and drinking fountains.
In applying my improved apparatus to the checking of sales of
liquids in gin palaces, for example, I substitute for the drawing handle 3
of beer engine or pulls usually employed a treadle actuated by the
foot, for pumping or forcing the liquid into the cisterns or measuring
apparatus before referred to; such cistern being connected to the
delivery mouth of the pump by a moveable connecting pipe, having a
locked or sealed coupling, such connecting piece being also provided 3
with a strain, to prevent any foreign substance from entering the
measuring chamber.

page_text: The pumping apparatus may be dispensed with when the source of
supply is in such a position to flow into the measuring chamber by its
own gravity.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Arthur Henry Robinson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
HENRY ROBINSON, of the City of Dublin, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the 37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Arthur Henry Robinson,
Her special license that I, the said Arthur Henry Robinson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Arthur Henry Robinson, my executors, administrators, or 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 Ohannel Islands, and Isle.
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS, APPLICABLE
ALSO TO MEASURING AND REGISTERING THE QUANTITIES OF LIQUID WITHDRAWN
FROM CASKS OR OTHER RECEPTACLES," upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Arthur Henry Robinson, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Arthur Henry Robinson, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-

page_text: panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements in water meters, applicable
also to the measuring and indicating the quantities of liquid withdrawn
from casks, cisterns, or other receptacles with the view of preventing or
detecting fraud in the delivery or sale thercof, and consists of a novel
construction and arrangement of the cocks or valves employed for
admitting and discharging the contents of the vessel.
According to my Invention I construct a cistern of any given capacity
of glass, metal, or other suitable material, and fit thereto an inlet valve
or cock, through which the water or other liquid enters the cistern, such
valve or cock being closed by the pressure of the inflowing liquid or by
a spring. The valve spindle of the inlet cock carries in addition to the
valve which controls the admission of the liquid another valve or stopper
situate on the outside of the cock, which latter valve is acted upon by a
moveable valve seat, or mouth of a moveable outlet pipe, so as to open
the inlet valve, such moveable valve seat being actuated by a screw
spindle, lever, or otherwise in connection with the registering or counting
mechanism. The valve or mouth of the outlet pipe in its normal
position is open and admits of the contents of the cistern being with-
drawn by opening a cock connected to the outer end thereof, but in
order to fill the cistern the mouth or moveable valve seat on the inner
end of the outlet pipe is raised and closed by coming in contact with the
external valve or the inlet valve spindle by the screw spindle before
referred in the act of opening the inlet valve, thereby preventing liquid
from being withdrawn during the time of filling.
The screw spindle which operates the valves is connected with the
counting mechanism, and indicates thereon each operation, thereby
registering the number of times the cistern or vessel has been filled.
This improved apparatus is applicable to the checking and registering
the sales or deliveries of liquid at gin palaces, stores, and other places
where a check on such is desirable; also to the prevention of waste of
water in waterclosets and drinking fountains.
In applying my improved apparatus to the checking of sales of liquids
in gin palaces for example I substitute for the ordinary handles of beer
engines or pulls usually employed a treadle actuated by the foot for

page_text: pumping or forcing the liquid into the cisterns or measuring apparatus
before referred to, such cistern being connected to the delivery mouth of
the pump by a moveable connecting pipe having a looked or sealed
coupling, such connecting piece being also provided with a strainer to
prevent any foreign substance from entering the measuring chamber.
The pumping apparatus may be dispensed with when the source of
supply is in such a position as to flow into the measuring chamber by
its own gravity.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corre-
sponding Figures.
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) is a front elevation of the water or other liquid
meter complete; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of same; Figure 8 is
a vertical section drawn to an enlarged scale of the valve chamber as
represented in Figure 1, shewing the arrangement of the valves and parts
connected therewith; and Figure 4 is a corresponding plan of the box
or case (with the cover removed) containing the indexing mechanism,)
and shows the manner in which the indicators are operated.
A is a cylinder of glass or other suitable material adapted to contain
any required quantity of water or other liquid, which cylinder is situate
on and secured to the base or stand B, and is without any opening,
excepting that of the communicating pipe O and of an air valve D.
E, E, is the valve chamber, also situate on the base B; F is the feed or
supply pipe which communicates by means of a suitable connecting
piece, with the pump barrel, vat, or other receptacle when in use,
through which pipe the liquid enters the valve chamber. The inner end
of the pipe F carries the inlet valve case G which enters the chamber
E, E, through the bottom in the valve case G works a spindle a provided
with two valves H, I, as shewn in Figure 3, the one H of which closes the
inlet or supply, being acted upon by the pressure of the incoming liquid
or by a spring N, and the other I, which is on the outside of the valve
case G, acts as a valve or stopper to the moveable mouth piece or outlet K
which works in the stuffing box P attached to the outlet pipe O in the
back of the chamber E, E. L is a screw spindle provided with handles 6
and attached to the bow connecting rod M, which is also secured to the
moveable mouth piece or outlet K.

page_text: The apparatus operates in the following manner, videlicet:-The
spindle L is screwed down by turning the handle 6 until the moveable
mouth piece or outlet K presses upon the valve H, when the orifice in
such mouth piece K. will be closed by the contact with the valve I. The
liquid then fills the chamber E, E, and passing thence through the pipe
C which communicates with the cylinder A fills such chamber.
It will be seen that during this operation no liquid can be withdrawn,
but in order to draw off the liquid the spindle L is screwed up till the
moveable mouth piece or outlet K is removed from off the valve I, when
the liquid will be at liberty to flow through it into the outlet pipe O, 1
whence it may be drawn off as required through. the cock Q. On the
withdrawal of the pressure of the mouth-piece or outlet K from the
valve I the valve H returns to its seat, thereby effectually closing the
inlet before the outlet has become open, and thus preventing the possi-
bility of refilling the cylinder during the process of withdrawing. The 1
spindle L in descending carries with it a slotted lever R, which drives a
crank lever R³, provided with pawls S, which actuate a ratchet wheel T
fast on the pinion, which carries the unit hand of an ordinary set of
recording dials, so that cach time the inlet valve H is opened for the
purpose of filling the cylinder A the recording apparatus marks one on 2
the dial.
When the apparatus is employed for the purpose of measuring, regis-
tering, and checking the sale of spirits, ale, porter, or other liquids
passing through same it may be placed on a counter, bar, or other
suitable place in a gin palace, public house, store, or other place where a a
check on the sale of liquids is desirable. The capacity of the cylinder A
being known the proprietor is enabled to check the sale perfectly. For
example, assuming that the cylinder contains one hundred glasses of
whiskey, ale, or porter, and that one hundred are applied for early in
the day, the cylinder becomes empty, it is refilled by the attendant as
often as may be required, the dials recording the number of times, say
four times. The attendant is then accountable for the proceeds of four
hundred glasses at, say, sixpence per glass-ten pounds, which sum he
should hand to his employer as the proceeds of the day's sales minus tho
quantity if any remaining in the cylinder when the reading of the index ;
is taken, the number of glasses so remaining being easily ascertained.by
means of a graduated scale, which may be placed on the cylinder. The
only precaution necessary on the part of the operator being that the

page_text: A is a cylinder or chamber of metal, or other suitable material, con-
taining the required quantity of water; B is the inlet or supply pipe
carrying the valves H and I; C is the moveable mouth piece of the
outlet pipe F, which mouth-piece is worked by a pull lever and bow
connecting rod D. The weighted lever E maintains the outlet open,
and insures the complete flushing of the closet, while the pressure on
In
the supply valve prevents any waste when the closet is not in use.
order to fill the cistern the lever E is raised by the act of sitting on the
seat (which depresses a crank or lever, and acts upon the mouthpiece),
or in any other suitable manner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I con-
sider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent iš,–
-
First. The application and use in combination with an inlet and outlet
valve of a movable mouth piece or outlet, whereby the outlet pipe is
closed by such mouth piece coming in contact with the outlet valve in
the act of opening the inlet pipe, and opened at the time of closing the
inlet pipe, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described,
and illustrated by the Drawings.
Second. The combination with the inlet and outlet valves, and
movable mouth piece or outlet of a measuring vessel or chamber of
known capacity, and of registering or counting mechanism, which is
put into motion by the act of operating the moveable mouth piece for the
purpose of filling such measuring vessel or chamber, substantially as
herein-beforo described, and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Henry Robinson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of
February One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
ARTHUR H. ROBINSON.
(L.S.)