IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING
LIQUIDS." A communication from abroad by Gideon Blackburn
Massey, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
Sealed the 22nd May 1869, and dated the 20th March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton-
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th March 1869.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents,. 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
MEASURING LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a meter for measuring
and registering the quantity of water consumed for manufacturing,
domestic, and other purposes when the water is supplied from reservoirs,

page_text: and also for attachment to spirit stills that the quantity of taxable
liquor manufactured may be measured as it leaves the stills, and that
correct records of the same may be preserved.
In carrying out this Invention the water or other liquid is conducted
through a pipe into an air-tight chamber, where it is discharged upon
an oscillating waterway, which guides it alternately into one of the
compartments of a double-chambered measuring vessel. The quantity
of liquid allowed to pass into each compartment is regulated by ad-
justing floats upon rods attached to a series of lever arms. These floats
when elevated to their highest point will be caught and held up by
latches extending over rests or catches. During the ascent of the float in
the filling compartment a valve opening in the opposite empty chamber
will be closed. At the instant the float in the filling chamber has arrived
at its highest point the opposite float will be released and allowed to
drop, in doing which it will raise a valve in the filled chamber, and at
the same time shift the waterway so as to guide the liquid into the
empty chamber, which latter will be receiving liquid while the opposite
chamber is discharging its contents into a small cistern or receiver
below previous to its discharge into the service cistern or other recep-
tacle. In this way the measuring chambers will be alternately filled
and emptied, and each measured quantity will be registered by suitable
mechanism operated by the rock shaft on which the waterway is
mounted.
The liquid is drawn off from the receiver through a pipe provided
with a valve and controlled by a float, such float being so arranged that
should the liquid rise high enough to obstruct the correct working of
the measuring devices it will close the discharge valve and prevent the
liquid from being drawn off. In order to close the supply pipe a ball
and socket valve is employed, and it is acted upon by the compressed
air in the air-tight chamber. Should there not be sufficient air to close
the ball valve immediately extra air may be introduced through a small
chamber communicating with the external air, the admission to and the
discharge of the air therefrom being controlled by suitable taps.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th September 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, 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 Henry Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Edward Newton,
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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS," being a com-
munication to me from abroad by Gideon Blackburn Massey, of the City
and State of New York, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors
or administrators, 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 Henry Edward Newton, 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
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):
:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a meter for measuring
and registering the quantity of water consumed for manufacturing,
domestic, and other purposes when the water is supplied from reservoirs,

page_text: and also for attachment to spirit stills so that the quantity of taxable
liquor manufactured may be measured as it leaves the stills, and correct
records of the same may be preserved.
In carrying out this Invention an oscillating waterway is employed
arranged centrally between a double-chambered measuring vessel and
the discharge orifice of a pipe through which the liquid flows into the
meter, and in combination therewith certain mechanism controlled by
the alternate rise and descent of floats applied within the measuring
chambers to cause the waterway to oscillate and turn the inflowing
stream from one measuring chamber into another. Both measuring
chambers are provided with outlets and valves, and these latter are
connected to suitable apparatus in such a manner as to alternately
open and shut their outlets, so that during the supply of liquid to one
measuring chamber the liquid in the opposite chamber will be allowed
to escape from it. The mechanism which regulates the alternate flow
of liquid into the measuring chambers is so constructed that the outlets
from the latter shall be alternately opened and closed simultaneously
with the change of position of the waterway, in order that during the
time employed supplying liquid to either one of the measuring chambers
the liquid in the opposite chamber shall be allowed free outlet, provision
being made to retain each float in the position to which it was elevated
by the rise of the liquid in its special chamber until released by the
ascent of the opposite float. In order to raise the measured liquids
above the level of the meter the measuring devices are enclosed within
a casing, the upper portion being intended to contain air under pressure
and the lower portion forming a receptacle or cistern to receive the
measured liquids before being drawn off into suitable vessels. The
lower compartment is provided with a float and valve, which will operate
to shut the orifice of a discharge pipe should the liquid from any cause
rise in the casing high enough to obstruct the working of the measuring
apparatus. An air supplying device is adapted to the lower casing for
the purpose of supplying air to the interior should it be required, and
a suitable arrangement of parts for transmitting motion from the shaft
of the oscillating waterway to certain registering mechanism is employed,
all of which will be more fully explained hereafter, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 is a partial sectional elevation of the improved meter and
casing; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the meter taken in the line

page_text: a, b, of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the meter; and Fig. 4 is a detached
sectional view of the oscillating waterway. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures. For the purpose of
elevating water or other liquid after it is measured above the level of the
measuring mechanism, and to take advantage of the head or pressure on
the liquid to effect this object, the measuring device or meter is set up
within an air chamber or globe of metal or glass B mounted upon the
upper end of an open vessel A and secured hermetically thereon. This
vessel A is intended as a receiver for the measured liquid previous to
its being drawn off through a pipe W provided at its inner end with a
valve W', and is controlled by a float O fixed upon the upper end of a
rod O', which rod is pivotted to the long arm of a lever U. The float is
so arranged that should the liquid rise too high it will shut the valve W¹
and prevent the liquid from escaping or being drawn off. Under these
circumstances the quantity of air above the liquid in the casing will be
too small, and in order to increase the quantity of air therein a chamber
K on the outside of the receiver A is employed communicating with the
external air through a pipe K and cock 2, and with the interior of the
receiver through pipe K' and cock 21. By shutting cock 2 and opening
cock 2¹ the air in chamber K will enter the casing A, B, and the chamber
will be filled with the water or other liquid; cock 2' is then shut and cock
2 opened to allow the water to escape from chamber K and air to take
its place. In this way the excess liquid can be drawn from the casing,
and the air introduced until the liquid is at a proper level. The amount
of air in the casing A, B, should be such that under the greatest pressure
to which it will be subjected it should not allow the liquid to rise above
the float O, and if such an amount of air is maintained in the casing
the air-supplying chamber K and its cocks will not be required. The
liquid is supplied through the pipe G furnished at its lower end with a
ball and socket valve u that will prevent a reflux of liquid or air from
the casing A, B, through the supply pipe G. The pipe G rises from the
bottom of the receiver A nearly to the top of the air chamber B, and is
curved at its upper end, and provided with an outlet g arranged centrally
over an oscillating chute or waterway F mounted on a horizontal rock
shaft, having its bearings in uprights f¹, f', mounted on the double-
chambered measuring vessel C. The waterway F consists of two discs
united by plates q (see Fig. 4) applied in such manner as to direct the
descending stream into one or the other of the vertical chambers of the

page_text: vessel C. To one end of the rock shaftf a short arm z is attached, and
to this arm is pivotted a pawl rod P, which descends through a tube P¹
and actuates the ratchet wheel T of the registering mechanism. An
oscillating motion given to shaft f communicates an up-and-down motion
to the pawl rod P, which turns the ratchet wheel a given distance at
every stroke. The registering mechanism is contained within a water-
tight box M mounted inside the receiver A, with its works exposed to
view. Any suitable mechanism which will keep a correot record of the
oscillations of shaft f may be adopted. The measuring vessel C is
divided by a partition D into two independent measuring chambers, each
one of which has an opening through the bottom which at certain
times is closed by a valve i. These valves i, i, are fixed to rods I, I,
rising through and guided by the cross pieces J and pivotted at 8, 8,
to the short arms of two levers m, m. The levers m, m, have their
fulcra at V upon opposite sides of a vertical standard 7, and are of equal
length. The long arms of these levers m, m, have pivotted to them the
bifurcated ends h, h, of two rods h¹, h¹, carrying floats H, H. The lower
portions of rods h', h', pass freely through the guide pieces J, and are
guided by them. The floats H, H, may be adjusted higher or lower on
rods h³, h¹, according to the height it is desired the liquid should rise in
the measuring chambers before being allowed to escape therefrom
through valves j, j. It will be seen that the valve rod I fixed to the
valve of one measuring chamber is pivotted to the shortest arm of the
lever m carrying the float H in the opposite chamber, consequently
when the float H is elevated by the rise of the liquid in its chamber it
will shut the valve i in the opposite chamber preparatory to the supply
of liquid thereto. On the rock shaft fare mounted two arms k, k, and
to the free ends of these arms k, k, are attached by studs 5, 5, two slotted
rods n, n, the outer ends of said rods being pivotted at p, p, to the outer
ends of levers m, m, so that by the alternate descent of the floats H an
oscillating motion will be given to the shaft f and the waterway F.
The inner ends of rods n, n, are slotted for the purpose of allowing the
float H to rise to its full height without acting upon the arm k, and
thus oscillate the waterway before the chamber is full, also to allow the
inner ends of said rods to drop by their own gravity far enough to press
against pins on arms k, and thus hold these arms in their proper
position during the filling of one chamber and the emptying of the other.
To the pivots 8, 8, on the short arms of levers m, m, latches r, r, are

page_text: attached, the opposite ends of which are slightly bevilled and pass freely
through slots made in the pivot heads p, p, on levers m, m, as shewn
clearly in Fig. 1. The object of these latches r, r, is to arrest each
float H when it arrives at its highest point, and retain it there until the
opposite float reaches its highest point, thereby keeping the valve i in
the chamber receiving liquid shut until this chamber receives its propor
quantity, and the valve in the opposite chamber is shut. In this manner
the measuring chambers will alternately receive and discharge a full and
equal supply of liquid. The latches r, r, catch over points of repose e¹
on pivotted rests e, having their bearings on the depressed ends of a
bridge E, and are adjusted to a nicety by means of screws es. The
bridge E is secured at its ends to the upper part of the measuring
vessel C, and crosses this vessel at right angles to the plane of the
partition D, and receives through it the rock shaft C of the water-
way F.
By reference to the Drawing, Fig. 2, and the following description the
operation of the latches r, r, will be understood. When one of the
floats H nearly reaches the termination of its ascending stroke the end
of the latch will strike against the pivotted rest e, which will be thrust
outward, and as the latch continues to ascend it will pass the rest, and
allow the latter to fall back into its place, and at the same instant the
opposite latch is detached from its rest, and its float is allowed to
drop, and the same operation is repeated alternately as the floats rise
and fall. At the same time that a latch and float drops the position of
the waterway F is shifted so as to guide the liquid into the last emptied
measuring chamber. When it is not desired to force the measured
liquid to a point above the level of the meter, as, for instance, in
measuring spirits flowing from stills, the air-tight casing A, B, may be
dispensed with, and the chambered vessel C constructed so as to be
properly attached at its upper end to a supply pipe, and to discharge the
liquid from its lower end into a suitable receiver.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The liquid is conducted through
the pipe G and discharged from its orifice 9 upon the oscillating water-
way F, which guides it into one of the compartments of the vessel C.
The quantity of liquid in each compartment is regulated by adjusting
the floats H upon the rods /'. The floats when elevated to their highest
point will be caught and held up by the latch » extending over the

page_text: rest e. During the ascent of the float H the valve opening j in the
opposite empty chamber will be closed. At the instant the float H in
the full chamber has arrived at its highest point the opposite float H will
be released and allowed to drop, in doing which it will raise the valve i
in the full chamber and shift the waterway F so as to guide the
liquid into the empty chamber, which latter will be receiving liquid
while the opposite chamber is discharging its contents. In this way
the measuring chambers will be alternately filled and emptied, and each
measured quantity will be registered by the mechanism in the box M,
which is operated by the rock shaft f acting through the medium of the 1
pawl rod P and ratchet wheel T.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by
Letters Patent as aforesaid,-
First. The arrangement of the measuring chambers C, C, and
devices H, H, above the water receiving chamber A and within the
air chamber B, as herein set forth.
1
Second. The arrangement of the device O, O', W, and the device K,
K', K2, 2, 2¹, with the measuring chamber, the water receiving 2
chamber A, and air chamber B, as shewn and described.
Third. The arrangement of the vibrating waterway F with the
measuring chambers C, C, floats H, H, and supply pipe G, and air
and water chambers A, B, as described.
Fourth. The pivotted points of repose e, e.
Fifth. The levers m applied and operated as described for lifting the
valves i.
2
Sixth. The rods n, n, connected to arms k, k, on the rock shaft of
the waterway F, and also connected to the ends of levers m, m, in
combination with floats H arranged in the double-chambered vessel C, 3
whereby the alternate descending movements of the floats will shift
the flow of liquid from one measuring chamber to the other.
Seventh. The arms r adapted for catching over supports e and holding
open the valves i.
Eighth. The slotted arms n, constructed and applied for vibrating the 3

page_text: Ninth. The devices H, H, so applied in fluid meters which have
alternately receiving and discharging chambers as to act as floats in
their ascent and as weights in their descent, and thus cause the
mechanism of the meter to operate.
Tenth. The arrangement of the adjustable pawl P upon an arm of the
waterway shaft f, and leading down from the air chamber to registering
mechanism in the water chamber A.
Eleventh. The construction and arrangement of the water discharging
and air re-supplying device K for the purpose described.
Twelfth. The combination of the slotted rods or arms n, wrist pins 5,
arms k, and stop pins t.
And, thirteenth. The combination of the guide rods h¹, adjustable
devices H, and auxiliary guides J.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.