An Improved Apparatus for Maintaining, Indicating, and Registering the Relative Flow of Fluids in Mains.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 11th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 11th Feb., 1887.
An Improved Apparatus for Maintaining, Indicating, and Registering
the Relative Flow of Fluids in Mains.
We THOMAS THORP of Whitefield Engineer &c. and THOMAS GARDINER MARSH Gas
Engineer 74 Lancaster Avenue, Fennel Street Manchester both in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In carrying out our invention for maintaining, indicating & registering the
relative flow of fluids in mains, we cause the whole quantity of the fluid in the larger
main to pass through a cylindrical chamber closed at both ends; the inlet & outlet
Between the inlet
being preferably contiguous & on one side or end of the chamber.
& outlet is a midfeather extending from end to end of the chamber.
Concentric with the chamber & about one-half its diameter, a ring rises from
one end of the chamber and another of the same diameter extends downwards from
the other end of the chamber but are carried forward to touch only for a short distance
opposite the inlet, the remaining portion being cut away so as to form a slot between
the two rings thus opening up a communication between the outer and inner portion
of the chamber.
For a short distance opposite the outlet the rings may be partially or entirely cut
away so as to give freer access for the fluid to pass to the outlet.
In the outer portion of the chamber a thin disc of nearly the same dimensions,
works. This disc is secured to a light lever through which a spindle fitted centrally
in the chamber is carried and is fixed thereto. This spindle projects through the ends
of the chamber and carries at its upper end a hand or pointer.
The bottom end of the spindle is screwed and enters a nut, fixed to or a portion of
the end of the chamber, This end of the spindle forms a valve in the main through
which the least quantity of fluid is required to be passed.
On the spindle and near its upper end we fit a small pulley round which a cord
passes having at its extremity a registering pen or pencil.
The fluid in the smaller main before passing the valve is preferably maintained at a
pressure considerably in excess of the pressure after passing the valve. From the
smaller main and before the valve rises a cylinder in which a piston works against a
spring with as little friction as possible.

page_text: From the centre of this piston a rod carrying a registering pen or pencil rises a
drum on which registering paper is placed from time to time is carried round by
means of clockwork and bears slightly against the said registering pens or pencils
preferably placed vertically.
In the smaller main we fit a precisely similar but smaller cylindrical chamber with
closed ends and concentric rings rising from the same and having a central spindle
fitted to a lever at the end of which is a disc. The spindle however in this cylindrical
chamber projects through the upper end only and carries a hand or pointer the lower
end being formed into a pivot on which the spindle turns.
The spindles in both the chambers have spiral or other springs or weights tending
to cause the disc and lever attached to them to approach the inlet of the chambers.
When the apparatus as described is in action the fluids which pass through the
cylindrical chambers from the outer portion to the inner and thence to the outlets
cause the discs at the ends of the levers to recede according to the quantity of fluid
passing in each and which escapes to the outlet partially round the disc but more
plentifully through the slot between the rings which is enlarged as the disc recedes
and as the hands or pointers are attached to the spindles the positions of the same
on dials previously marked from a standard indicate the relative quantities flowing
through the mains at the same time the motion of the screw on the lower end of the
spindle in the large cylindrical chamber causes the valve which is formed as aforesaid
by the end of the spindle to recede from its seating in proportion to the motion of
the disc and so allows an exact relative quantity to that passing through the larger
main to pass through the valve and smaller main and as the maintenance of this
relative flow depends entirely upon the pressure at which the fluid exists the position
of the registering pen or pencil attached to the piston rod as before described indicates
and registers on a properly marked sheet such relative flow whilst the pen at the end
of the aforesaid cord registers the quantity passing through the larger main, the
quantity passing through the smaller main being indicated on the dial of the aforesaid
apparatus through which the fluid passes.

page_text: An Improved Apparatus for Maintaining, Indicating, and Registering
the Relative Flow of Fluids in Mains.
We THOMAS THORP of Whitefield, Engineer, and THOMAS GARDINER MARSH Gas
Engineer 74 Lancaster Avenue Fennel Street Manchester both in the County of Lan-
caster 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:-
--
The objects of our Invention are (1) to maintain, (2) to indicate & (3) to register,
the relative flow of fluids in mains and it refers particularly (although we do not
confine ourselves to this particular purpose) to the introduction into the gas main, of
air, carburetted or otherwise, for the re-vivification, in situ of the oxide of iron used
in the purifiers in Gas Works.
.
In carrying out our Invention we cause the whole quantity of the gas passing in
the main to pass through a cylindrical chamber closed at both ends, the inlet & outlet
being preferably contiguous on one side or end of the chamber. Between the inlet
& outlet is a mid feather extending from end to end of the chamber.
Concentric with the chamber a ring rises from one end of it, & another of the saine
diameter extends from the other end of the chamber, but they are carried forward to
touch only for a short distance opposite the inlet, the remaining portion being cut
away so as to form a slot between the two rings; thus opening up a communication
between the outer & inner portions of the chamber.
For a short distance opposite the outlet the rings may be partially or entirely cut
away so as to give freer access for the gas to pass to the outlet.
In the outer portion of the chamber a thin disc of nearly the same dimensions,
works without friction. This disc is secured to a light lever (with balance weight at
the opposite end) through which a spindle fitted centrally in the chamber is carried &
is fixed thereto. This spindle projects through the ends of the chamber & carries at
its upper end a hand or pointer.
The bottom end of the spindle is screwed & enters a thread in the end of the
chamber. This end of the spindle forms a valve in the main through which the air
passes.
On the spindle & near its upper end we fit a small pulley round which a cord or
band passes & secured to an upright having at its extremity a registering pen or
pencil.
The air in the small main before passing the valve is maintained by a pump or other
suitable means, at a pressure considerably in excess of the back pressure.
From the air main & before reaching the valve, rises a cylinder in which a piston
works against a spring with as little friction as possible.
From the centre of this piston rises a rod carrying a registering pen or pencil.
In the air main either before or after the valve we preferably connect a precisely
similar but smaller cylindrical chamber to that in the gas main; the spindle in this

page_text: case however projects through the upper end only, the lower end being formed into a
pivot, instead of a screw, on which the spindle turns.
The spindles in both the chambers have spiral or other springs, or weights, shown on
drawings by dotted lines, tending to cause the discs & levers attached to them to
approach the inlets of the chambers.
When the apparatus as described is in action, the gas & air which pass through the
cylindrical chambers from the outer to the inner portions & thence to the outlets cause
the discs at the ends of the levers to recede according to the quantity passing in each &
as the hands or pointers are attached to the spindles, the positions of the same with
reference to dials previously marked from standards, indicate the relative quantities
flowing through the mains.
At the same time the motion of the screw on the lower end of the spindle in the
chamber through which the gas passes, causes the valve which is formed as aforesaid
by the end of the spindle to recede from its seating in proportion to the motion of the
dise & so allows an exact relative quantity of air to that of gas, to pass through the
valve & thence into the gas main; and as the maintenance of this relative flow
depends entirely upon the pressure at which the air is maintained, the position of the
registering pen or pencil attached to the piston rod as before described indicates &
registers on a properly marked sheet such relative flow whilst the pen or pencil in
connection with the spindle of the large chamber as before described registers the
quantity of gas passing; the quantity passing through the air main being indicated
on the dial of the aforesaid apparatus through which the air passes.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood & readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the accompanying sheet of drawings reference being
had to the figures & letters thereon marked-similar letters referring to similar parts
in both figures.
Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation on line A. A.
Fig. 2. is a sectional plan on line B. B.
In figure 1. A is the gas main & B the air main, C is the cylindrical chamber &
'a the midfeather, is the ring rising from the end of the chamber &c is the other
ring extending downwards from the other end of the chamber e is the slot formed
between the two rings. D is the thin disc working without friction in the outer portion
of the chamber is the light lever to which the disc D is secured & carrying at its
other end the balance weight g. is the spindle to which the lever is secured &
i is the screw on the bottom of the spindle h. kis the valve formed between the end
of the spindle & the nozzle / in the air main Bm is the pulley fitted to the spindle /
round which the cord or band passes & secured at its other end to the upright O
carrying at its extremity the pen or pencil p. E is the cylinder rising from the air
main Bin which works the piston y against the spring is the piston rod carrying
at its extremity the pen or pencil t.
F is the drum on which registering paper is placed & is carried round by the clock-
work G. His the spiral spring, one end of which is secured to the spindle & the
other to the chamber C. is the hand or pointer & the dial suitably graduated.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said Invention
& in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
Maintaining, Indicating & Registering the relative flow of fluids in mains & the
apparatus for effecting the same, substantially as herein set forth, shown & described.