IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Macneill at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
July 1875.
I, JOHN MACNEILL, Knight, of South Kensington, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declaie the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS," to be as follows
In the construction of water meters in accordance with my improve-
ments a square, round, or other suitably shaped vessel of tin, iron, or
other metal or earthenware, capable of containing a few gallons of water
is employed. In this vessel a syphon is fixed along one of the sides, the
long leg of which passes through the bottom of the vessel, and the
shorter leg descends to within a short distance of the bottom of the
vessel. The top or bend of the syphon rises to within an inch or two of
the top or upper edge of the vessel, and the longer leg of the syphon
before mentioned is secured by solder or other means to keep it firmly
fixed water-tight, and extending downwards a suitable length, according
to the circumstances in which it is to be placed or used. At the lower
end of this tube or leg of the syphon a stop-cock is placed, which is

page_text: opened or closed by the manu Wuch the vessel of DICTET is useLL
families, when no tank or cistern will be required, the vessel or meter
itself answering that purpose But in large private or public establish-
ments, when a very large quantity of water is required, this stop-cock
may be opened and shut by an ordinary ball and lever, such as ordinarily
used in tanks and cisterns
Two upright brackets or arms of metal or other material are secured
to opposite sides of the vessel a short distance from the end opposite to
that where the sy phon is placed. These arms rise 2, 3, or more inches
above the top of the vessel and support a spindle or axle, which turns
freely in bearings formed therein This axle extends nearly across the
vessel, and on it is placed a pulley or wheel of two or three inches
diameter,-and-a-quarter of an inch or more in thickness. The wheel is
secured to the axle or spindle above mentioned, and has a groove liko a
pulley round the edge, in which a chain or cord attached to the wheel
runs. At one end of this chain or cord a weight is suspended, so as to
hang nearly suspended over the centre of the vessel, and at the other
end of the chain a lighter weight is suspended. The use of these
two weights I will now explain. A float of wood or metal is placed in
the vessel, so as to move vertically up and down, according as the water
flows in or out of the vessel or meter.
The tube or pipe which allows the water to flow into the vessel or
meter is to be laid so as to pass through a stop-cock fixed on the spindle
carrying the wheel before described, this axle forms the plug of the stop-
cock which allows the water to flow to the meter from the main,
which is supposed to afford a constant supply.
The float already described when the water runs out will fall and rest
on a thin plate of metal, from which a thin bar will be carried up, passing
through the float immediately under the wheel, carrying the two weights
before described. On the edge of the wheel (or it may be on a separate
wheel fixed on the same axle) a notch is cut at a convenient point into
which the bar will lock so as to prevent the wheel turning or opening
the inlet cock before described, until the float again descends to the
bottom of the vessel and pulls out the locking bar, as the float will then
begin to ascend it will touch the centre weight and raise it upwards
until the surface of the water rises in the meter a little above the top of
the syphon. When this takes place the smaller weight will have closed

page_text: the inlet cock, and the locking bar will enter the notch so as to prevent
any water entering the vessel or meter until it is completly emptied, for
the moment the water rises above the level of the syphon it will begin
to act, and will go on emptying the meter according as it is allowed to
discharge itself by the opening of the stop-cock at the bottom of the
longer leg of the syphon, either by the hand or otherwise.
A small flat spring or a weight is employed to act upon the thin plate
of metal at the bottom of the meter so as to press it upwards, and
acting upon the locking bar so as to press it into the notch in the wheel
before described, so that no water can enter until it is again emptied.
An indicator or counter is placed at the top of the meter, and is connected
by means of a lever or bar with the spindle or axle which carries the
wheel that opens and closes the inlet cock, so that at every closing of
the cock the inlet or hand on the dial of the indicator is advanced one
unit, that unit being equal to the number of gallons of water containod
in the meter.