Improvements in Fluid Meters.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1891
Improvements in Fluid Meters.
Communicated from abroad by FREDERICK GODFREY HESSE, of Oakland,
in the County of Alameda and State of California, one of the United States
of America.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, London,
in the County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fluid meters,
and it is an extension and improvement of the invention for which Letters Patent
of the United States No. 282,985 were granted to my foreign correspondent
Frederick G. Hesse, under date of August 14th 1883 for an Improvement in
Fluid Meters."
My present invention consists in an improvement of the mechanism so as to
relieve the measuring wheel of the work required to drive the registering mechanism,
such improvement consisting in substituting for the hellows employed in my previous
invention, a supplementary jet wheel, operating independently of the main or
velocity measuring wheel. Also in an improved packing gland whereby recipro
cating motion of the driving mechanism under water pressure can be transmitted
through the walls of the body of the meter to the registering apparatus, on the
outside, without frictional resistance, or nearly so.
In the drawings herewith :-
Figure 1 is a vertical central section through one of my improved meters,
exposing to view in part the interior works.
Figure 2 is a top view of the devices contained in the second or upper water
chamber of the meter, for actuating the recording mechanism.
Figure 3 is a vertical view on line ex of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the deviating line yy of Figure 2 through the
vertical shaft to operate the registering mechanism, and the gland to prevent water
from passing into the registering chamber.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line
of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a top view showing the dial plate and the outer case of the meter.
Figure 7 is a top view of the registering works.
In place of an elastic diaphragm to produce the reciprocating registering move-
ment, as in my previous Letters l'atent hereinbefore referred to, employ in my
present invention a tangential jet wheel acted upon alternately by two jets of water
discharged through small nozzles, arranged to produce reverse movement of the
wheel and consequent reciprocal motion of the mechanism to operate the registering
apparatus. The pressure required to operate the jet wheel being regulated by a
weighted valve governing the flow from the first to the second chamber of the meter,
the same as in the case of my previous Letters Patent above referred to.
Referring now to the drawings, the letters of reference thereon indicate corre-
sponding parts in the different figures.
The case, containing the various parts of my fluid meter, consists of three sections
or divisions (1, 2, 3), Figure 1. The lower section (1) contains a jet measuring
wheel (4), revolved by the passing water. The second division (2) contains a
smaller jet wheel (18) for operating the registering mechanism and the division (3)
contains the registering or recording mechanism to show the amount of fluid passing
through the meter.

page_text: The fluid enters at (5) and passing up into the two tubes (6 and 7), impinges on
the vanes of the measuring wheel (4), then passes up through the loaded valve (8)
into the division (2) and the whole escapes at (9), as indicated by arrows.
As the revolutions of the wheel (4) are a measure of the volume of liquid passing
through the meter, these are registered without offering any appreciable resistance
to this wheel in the following manner.
The axis of the wheel (4) passes up through the plate (10) into the division (2)
as shown in Figure 4 and on its top carries a screw (11) which meshes into the spur
wheel (12) on the spindle (13) causing a slow and positive rotation of the same
with reference to the wheel (4). On the spindle (13) are two semi-circular
discs (14 and 15) that intercept alternately, and equally, two jets of fluid issuing
from the pipes (16 and 17) as shown in Figure 2.
These jets, being alternately interrupted by discs or flanges (14 and 15), impinge
on the wheel (18), causing it to rotate alternately, right and left, in definite rate
with respect to revolutions of the spindle (13) and consequently of the measuring
wheel (4).
The pressure required to produce the jets from the pipes (16 and 17) or the
difference in pressure between the divisions (1 and 2) is produced by a weighted
valve (8) so arranged that its resistance will cause the required pressure at
(16 and 17).
The curved plate (29) partially surrounding the valve (8) is to deflect the current
of fluid, passing through the valve, toward the escape orifice (9) and thus prevent
the current from, in any way, affecting the motion of the jet wheel (18).
On the bottom end of the axis of the jet wheel (18) is a spur pinion (27) engaging
the sector (19) seen in Figure 2, so that alternate rotations, right and left, of the
wheel (18) causes a reciprocating motion of the lever (20), and this again a similar
but shorter reciprocating movement of the lever (21), by reason of the pin and
slot (22) connecting the two together.
The lever (21) is fastened on a spindle (23) which extends up through the
plate (28) and into the upper division (3) as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and com-
municates motion to the lever (24) and pawl (25) turning the crown wheel (26) and
from it the train of counting wheels shown in Figure 7.
The friction of the spindle (23) in the packing gland (26) is nearly eliminated in
the following manner.
The packing gland for the stem or spindle (23) is of peculiar construction con-
sisting of a shell or cylinder of soft, flexible material, preferably of vulcanized
india rubber, that effectually seals the joint and permits an oscillating movement of
the spindle (23) without any relative movement between the packed surfaces. This
spindle (23) fits loosely in the sleeve (30). This sleeve (30) fits closely in the
plate (28) and is provided with a stationary packing gland where it passes through
the top of the chamber (2) as shown at (31) Figure 4. The flexible shell (26) is
attached firmly to the bottom of the sleeve (30) and made long enough to permit,
by its flexure, the required oscillation of the spindle (23). The bottom end of this
shell (26) is made thin at (32), so as to nip the spindle (23) at that point, and thus
form a perfectly close joint, regardless of the pressure that may exist in the
chamber (2). Above the close fitting portion at (32) the shell (26) is chambered
around the spindle (30), so that being supported at the ends only, the torsional
flexure is uniform throughout.
In this way it may be seen there is no movement between the packed surfaces
at (32), consequently no frictional resistance to the oscillating movement of the
spindle (23). The force required to overcome torsional resistance of the cylinder (26)
is almost inappreciable within a range of three degrees, the required movement in
the present case.
The action of the lever (24), the pawl (25), crown wheel (26) and the connected
train of wheels (33, 34, 35, 36), shown in Figure 7, with the index pointers and
counting dials, shown in Figure 6, are of the common kind employed for meter or

page_text: other apparatus, and is so arranged and rated with reference to the operating parts,
heretofore described, as to indicate in gallons, cubic feet, or other measure, the
volume of fluid passing through the meter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, communicated to me as aforesaid, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
:-
1. In a fluid meter, the auxiliary jet wheel (18) in combination with the measuring
wheel (4) and a registering apparatus to indicate the revolutions of the wheel (4)
operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes specified.
2. In a fluid meter, the semi-circular discs (14 and 15) to produce alternating
rotation, right and left, of the wheel (18) by intercepting the. propelling jets; in
combination with registering mechanism, to indicate the volume of liquid passing
through a meter, operating substantially in the manner specified and for the
purposes set forth.
3. In a fluid meter, the supplementary oscillating wheel (18), intercepting
dises (14 and 15), and a loaded valve (8), the latter arranged to produce the
required pressure in the tubes (16 and 17), the whole connected and operating
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein specified.
4. In a fluid meter, the measuring wheel (4), a supplementary recording
wheel (18) and the intercepting discs (14 and 15) so arranged as to produce an
alternating movement of the wheel (18) in a definite ratio to revolutions of the
measuring wheel (4) and transmit the same to recording mechanism, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes specified.
5. In a fluid meter, the measuring wheel (4) connected by positive gearing with
the spindle (13) intercepting discs (14 and 15), a supplementary oscillating wheel (18),
to produce a reciprocating recording movement by means of a sector (19) and
levers (20 and 21), connected and operating substantially in the manner and for the
purposes set forth and described.
6. In a fluid meter, the flexible shell (26) in combination with an oscillating stem
or spindle (23) and a sleeve (39), so arranged that the flexure of the shell (26) will
permit an oscillating movement of the stem (23) without sliding or frictional move-
ment between the packed surfaces, arranged and operating substantially in the
manner and for the purposes specified.
Dated this Nineteenth day of January 1891.