IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO MEASURING STEAM
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WATER METERS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO MEASURING STEAM." A communi-
cation from abroad by John Henry Coombs, of Boston, State of Massachusetts,
United States of America, Mechanical Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th July 1879.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO MEASURING
STEAM." [A communication from abroad by John Henry Coombs, of Boston, State
of Massachusetts, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer.]
The object of this Invention is to produce a water meter in which the recipro-
cating piston and valves shall operate without any appreciable friction, thus
obviating the liability to wear, and consequently avoiding leakage.
The Invention consists in so constructing and arranging the piston and valve,
that they shall be equilibriously balanced within their several shells or casings.
The Invention also consists in the employment within one and the same piston
of two separate and independent cylindrical hollow valves provided with ports
communicating with passages in the piston in such a manner that the said valves
shall reciprocate intermittingly in the same direction with each other, the one
being moved by the pressure of the water acting alternately on its ends, and the
other by impact of its ends against the heads of the meter.
The Invention further consists of a slotted arm pivotted at one end to the piston
on its upper side, so that as the latter reciprocates it will cause the said arm to
operate the registering mechanism.
The outer shell or cylindrical casing of the meter has heads suitably connected by
means of bolts and nuts in the usual manner; a channel or passage is formed in a

page_text: part of and cast with the shell, and leads from the inlet opening to the piston
chamber, so as to allow a full reciprocating movement in the same. The piston is
prevented-from-a-rotary movement by means of a screw in a block that slides in a
groove in the bottom of the piston.
The piston-with its-ports and passages, including the tubular casings for the
main-and-auxiliary valves, is cast in one piece.
"In the piston are two separate chambers, the lower one being the inlet, and the
upper the outlet chambers.
The area of the inlet opening in the piston is greater than the combined areas of
the inlet ports through which the water passes from the piston into the two valves,
and consequently the excess of pressure on the upper portion of chamber serves to
balance the piston and relieve it of the friction on the bottom of the shell. Within
the piston arranged to move longitudinally in suitable casings or chambers are two
hollow cylindrical valves, one the main valve and the casing or chamber in which it
moves has a head screwed to or secured at each end. The two valves are prevented
from turning in their casings or chambers by means of screws passing through the
said chambers, and fitting respectively in slots in the said valves.
The main valve is provided with two transverse outlet ports and a central
depression, which latter communicates with the exhaust port in the piston; in the
bottom of the main valve is an opening constituting an inlet port communicating
with an opening in the piston..
The chamber in which the main valve moves is provided with heads screwed to
or secured at each end, and to the inner side of each head is attached a rubber
cushion.
An auxiliary valve is provided with two transverse outlet ports and an inter-
mediate depression communication with the exhaust port in the piston. In the
bottom of this valve is an inlet port with an opening in the piston. The auxiliary
valve is longer than the chamber in which it moves, and is closed at each end, so
that as the piston reciprocates, the ends of valve will alternately strike on the heads
of the shell.
The areas of the inlet openings respectively in the bottoms of the valve are
greater than the combined areas of their respective outlet ports, and so that as in
case of the piston, the excess of pressure of the water serves to balance the said
valves, and thus relieve them of friction on the bottom of their respective
chambers.
In the centre of the piston, and between the two valve chambers of the valves,
are two passages communicating from the auxiliary to the main chamber respec-
tively. The force of the water entering the hollow valves holds them in equilibria,
and as in the case of the piston itself, friction is prevented, and the consequent
wearing of the contiguous surfaces, and as proved by practice, acting as balanced
valves. The water then passes out of the valve through outlet port into a passage,
and into the space between the end-of-the-piston and the head of the shell. The
pressure of the water then forces the piston to the opposite end of the shell, and the
end of the auxiliary valve coming in contact with the opposite head of the shell, is
forced in, causing the port to open into a passage, at the same time causing the
passage to communicate with the depression of auxiliary valve to open into exhaust
port, and conduct the water thence to the outlet chamber to the exit. The water
passing through the passage then forces the valve in the opposite direction, causing
the port to open to other passage at the same opening, the passage to the depression
communicating with the exhaust port in the main valve chamber, and thence to
chamber, and out through exit, causing the piston to reciprocate in the opposite
direction again.
The Invention may be used for the purpose of measuring the quantity or amount
of steam when employed for heating purposes.
Over the main valve chamber, and forming a part of the same, are two passages
having ports communicating with the outlet ports of the main valve.

page_text: On the upper part of the piston are two longitudinal bars.
To one of these bars
is pivotted so as to swing freely a slotted arm, the free end of the said arm resting
upon the opposite bar, and through the slot is designed to pass a pin or rod con-
necting with the registering mechanism, so that as the piston reciprocates, the
forward and backward motion of the arm will impart motion to the registering
mechanism, which latter is to be placed in a chamber at the top of the meter.
On the upper part of the piston are two longitudinal bars.
10 one of these Dais
is pivotted so as to swing freely a slotted arm, the free end of the said arm resting
upon the opposite bar, and through the slot is designed to pass a pin or rod con-
necting with the registering mechanism, so that as the piston reciprocates, the
forward and backward motion of the arm will impart motion to the registering
mechanism, which latter is to be placed in a chamber at the top of the meter.
OPERATION.
Water being admitted to the inlet opening passes down through the passage into
chamber of the piston. The pressure of the water against the upper portion of
chamber, owing-to increase of the area of opening over the escape openings, serves
to hold the piston in equilibrio, and thus relieves the bearing upon the lower inner
surface of the shell, and thereby prevents friction on the same, and the consequent
wearing of their surfaces, the same being in effect a balanced piston.

page_text: casings or chambers D¹, E¹, are two hollow cylindrical valves D, E, shewn separately
in Figures 5 and 6. D is the main valve, and the casing or chamber in which it
moves has a head M screwed to or secured at each end. The two valves D, E, are
prevented from turning in their casings or chambers by means of screws O, P,
passing through the said chambers, and fitting respectively in slots K, P, in the said
valves, as indicated in Figure 2.
The main valve D, as seen in Figure 5, is provided with two transverse outlet
ports d, d', and a central depression c, which latter communicates with the exhaust
port g in piston C; in the bottom of the main valve D is an opening constituting an
inlet port i, communicating with the opening h in piston C, as shewn in Figures 2
and 4.
The chamber D in which the main valve D moves is provided with heads M, M,
screwed to or secured at each end, and to the inner side of each head is attached a
rubber cushion N as shewn.
The auxiliary valve E in chamber E¹, are seen in Figure 6, is provided with
two transverse outlet ports a, a', and an intermediate depression b communicating
with the exhaust port m in piston C, as shewn in Figure 2. In the bottom of
valve E is an inlet port communicating with an opening O in piston C¹ (Figure 2).
The auxiliary valve E is longer than the chamber in which it moves, and is closed
at each end, so that as the piston reciprocates the ends of valve E will alternately
strike on the heads B, B, of the shell.
The areas of the inlet openings i, l, respectively in the bottoms of the valve D
and E are greater than the combined areas of their respective outlet ports d, d³, and
a, a', so that as in case of the piston C, the excess of pressure of the water, serves to
balance the said valves, and thus relieve them of friction on the botto... of their
respective chambers.
In the centre of the piston and between the two valve chambers of the valves D
and E are two passages n, n¹, communicating from the auxiliary to the main valve
chamber, as shewn in Figure 3.
Over the main valve chamber D₁, and forming a part of the same are two
passages f, f, having ports communicating with the outlet ports d and d' of the
main valve D, as shewn in Figure 4.
On the upper part of the piston C are two longitudinal bars S, S¹, shewn in
Figures 2 and 8. To one of these bars S is pivoted so as to swing freely a slotted
arm R, shewn in Figure 7, the free end of the said arm resting upon the opposite
bar S, and through the slot is designed to pass a pin or rod connecting with the
registering mechanism, so that as the piston reciprocates, the forward and backward
motion of the arm R will impart motion to the registering mechanism, which latter
is to be placed in a chamber U at the top of the meter.
OPERATION.
Water being admitted to the inlet opening F, passes down through the passage H
into chamber I of the piston C. The pressure of the water against the upper
portion of chamber I, owing to increase of the area of opening L over the escape
openings h and o, serves to hold the piston in equilibrio, and thus relieves the
bearing upon the lower inner surface of the shell, and thereby prevents friction on
the same and the consequent wearing of their surfaces, the same being in effect a
balanced piston.
The water passes from chamber Linto the valves D and E, through the ports h, i,
and o, l, respectively, as shewn in Figure 2. The force of the water entering the
hollow valves D and E, holds them in equilibrio, and as in the case of the piston
itself, friction is prevented, and the consequent wearing of the contiguous surfaces,
and as proved by practice, acting as balanced valves. The water then passes out
of valve D, through outlet port d¹, into the passage f¹, as shewn in Figure 4, and
into the space between the end of the piston and the head B of the shell. The
pressure of the water then forces the piston to the opposite end of the shell, and the

page_text: end of the auxiliary valve E coming in contact with the opposite head of the shell,
is forced in, causing port a to open into passage n, as shewn in Figure 3, and at the
same time causing the passage to communicate with the depression 6 of auxiliary
__valve E to open into exhaust port m, and conduct the water thence to outlet
chamber to the exit G. The water passing through passage n then forces the
valve D'in the opposite direction, causing the port d to open to passage fat the
same opening passage f' to the depression e, communicating with exhaust port g in
the main valve chamber, and thence_to_chamber I', and out_through_exit G, causing
the piston to reciprocate in the opposite direction again.
The Invention may be used for the purpose of measuring the quantity or amount
of steam when employed for heating purposes.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention
and the manner of carrying the same into effect; I would have it understood that
what I claim is,—
1st. The piston C, having the valve chamber D' and E', the passages n, n¹,
and exhaust ports g and m, and ports o and h, substantially as shown and de-
scribed.
2nd. The piston C provided with the inlet opening L, and having the chamber I
so constructed as to constitute a balanced piston, substantially as set forth and
described.
3rd. The combination with the piston C of the valve chambers D', E', and the
chambers I, I', with their communicating passages and ports, substantially as set
forth.
4th. In combination with the piston C, the arm R, for the purpose of actuating
the registering mechanism, substantially as described.
5th. The main hollow cylindrical valve D, provided with the transverse ports
d, d', the depression e, and inlet port i, the whole constituting a balanced valve,
substantially as set forth.
6th. The auxiliary hollow cylindrical valve E, provided with the transverse ports
a, a¹, the depression b, and inlet opening 1, the whole constituting a balanced
valve, substantially as described.
7th. In combination with the piston C, the independent cylindrical valves D
and E, provided with corresponding passages and ports, substantially as described.
8th. The combination of the valves D and E, their chambers D' and E', and the
ports f, f, the chambers I, I', and the passenger ports i, h, and o, l, as and for the
purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)