AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS
Year: 1884

page_text: We ROBERT HARKNESS TWIGG of Lilford Villa, Defoe Road, Tooting in the
County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, and JAMES GIBB of 23 St Mary Axe in the
City of London Merchant do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS," to be as
follows:-
The chief object of this invention is to measure the quantity of water supplied
to consumers but the invention is also applicable to the measuring of liquids
generally.
In carrying out this invention we employ an auxiliary cistern of specified
cubical contents which we fix over or in close proximity to the main cistern.
Water may be supplied to this auxiliary cistern intermittently but of constant
volume, and flows from the same cistern in a continuous stream of constant but
considerably less volume than the supply; or the water may be supplied con-
stantly and in small volume and be allowed to run off intermittently in larger
volume.
Means will be provided to shut off or turn on the supply as required and also
to actuate a counting mechanism which will register the number of times this
cistern is refilled. This cistern. being of specified cubical contents the quantity of
water supplied may be readily calculated by multiplying the contents by the
indications on the counting mechanism allowance being made when necessary for
any water passing out of or into the auxiliary cistern during the refilling or the
emptying of the latter.
When the supply to, is of greater volume than the exit from, the auxiliary
cistern we prefer to employ as a supply cock or tap a modified form of the self
closing tap described in Patent No 3918 of the year 1875, or any other suitable
cock may be used by which the supply will be turned on or shut off instan-
aneously.
In the cock above referred to a flexible diaphragm is employed to close
and open the water way, such diaphragm being actuated by a push button
and stem.

page_text: In the modified form we dispense with the push button and lengthen the stem
and make therein a long slot in which works the shorter arm of a bell crank lever
which has its fulcrum in a standard conveniently secured to the cock. The longer
arm of the bell crank is attached to a ball or float, the whole being so arranged
that the cock shall not be closed or opened until the auxiliary cistern is either full
or empty. The outlet cock will be provided with a ball cock by which it will be
turned off when the main cistern is full.
When the inflow is smaller than the outflow we employ a supply cock of any
ordinary description, the outlet being by means of a syphon of any convenient
construction but of larger dimensions. When the main cistern is full the water
supply will be turned off by means of a ball or float placed in the cistern acting on
a suitable cock or valve.

page_text: We ROBERT HARKNESS TWIGG of Lilford Villa, Defoe Road, Tooting in the
County of Surrey, Civil Engineer and JAMES GIBB of 23 St Mary Axe in the
City of London Merchant do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
The chief object of this Invention is to measure the quantity of water supplied
to consumers but the Invention is also applicable to the measuring of liquids
generally.
In carrying out this Invention we employ an auxiliary cistern of specified
cubical contents which we fix over or in close proximity to the main cistern.
Water may be supplied to this auxiliary cistern continuously in small volume
and be allowed to run off intermittently in large volume or the water may be
supplied intermittently but of specified volume and flow from the same cistern
in a continuous stream of specified but considerably less volume than the supply.
Means will be provided to shut off or turn on the supply as required and also to
actuate a counting mechanism which will register the number of times this cistern
is refilled. This cistern being of specified cubical contents, the quantity of water
supplied may be readily calculated by multiplying the contents by the indications
on the counting mechanism.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig: 1 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus
as employed when the supply is continuous and the discharge intermittent
Figures 2 are respectively a vertical section and plan view of the discharging
tube and Fig: 3 shows in sectional elevation the apparatus employed when the
supply is intermittent and the discharge continuous.
A is the main cistern and B an auxiliary cistern which we prefer to place above
the main cistern. The cistern B is provided with a cover which is secured by
a padlock or in any other convenient manner to prevent tampering with the
apparatus. C is the supply pipe which is connected with the cistern B at any
convenient point and is provided with a ball cock D or other means whereby the
inflow may be shut off when and so long as the main cistern is full. The dis-
charge from the cistern B is by preference effected by a syphon of any convenient
construction.
We prefer to employ a syphon of the kind known as "annular" which we'
somewhat modify to adapt it to our system of measuring liquids.
The longer limb E of the syphon is made in two parts as shewn whereby we are
enabled to obtain a proper adjustment of its length to discharge a specified quantity
of water. Inside the upper and just below the edge we secure a small V-shaped
trough a (see Figs 2) from which depends a number of V-shaped shoots al-As the
water rises in the cistern above the mouth of the limb E it will gradually trickle
down into the trough a. from which it immediately runs down one or more of the
troughs a¹ and in dropping from these troughs displaces the air in the limb E and
creates a vacuum which starts the syphon.
By constructing the mouth of the limb E with the troughs a. a' as just described
we obtain nearly the full area of the pipe E for the discharge which is thus very
rapid.
To adjust the length of limb the cistern B is filled with the specified quantity of
water say two gallons and the upper part of the limb is lowered until the water
begins to trickle over the edge the water is then drawn off and the upper part of

page_text: the limb E is soldered to the lower part. Above the highest level of the water a
counting mechanism F of any suitable construction is placed, which will be actuated
by a ball or float in any convenient manner.
It will thus be seen that so long as the water in the main cistern A is below
a certain point water will be supplied continuously to the cistern B and will
be discharged periodically each discharge being registered by the counting
mechanism.
When the inflow to the cistern B is intermittent and the outflow continuous we
employ as a supply cock or tap a modified form of the self closing tap described in
the Specification of Letters Patent No 3918 of the year 1875.
In the cock above referred to, a flexible diaphragm is employed to close and
open the water way, such diaphragm being actuated by a push button and stem.
In the modified form we dispense with the push button and lengthen the stem b.
and make therein a long slot in which works the shorter arm c. of a bell crank
lever which has its fulcrum on a standard d. conveniently secured to the cock
the longer arm c' of the bell crank being provided with a ball or float see
Fig 3. By this arrangement the cock will not be closed or opened until the
specified quantity of water enters or is discharged from the auxiliary cistern B.-
If desired the outlet c. which is of considerably smaller area than the inflow
may be provided with a ball cock-by which it may be closed when the main
cistern is full but we prefer to shut off the supply pipe by means of the ball cock D
as before mentioned.
To adjust the apparatus we measure the quantity of water which runs out
while a specified quantity of water say two gallons is entering the cistern B we
deduct the outflow from the inflow and mark the height the remainder of the
water would rise to in the cistern and then regulate the length of the slot in the
stein b. so that the inflow shall be shut off by the action of the ball cock directly
the water rises to that height.
A counting mechanism F of any suitable construction is so placed that it may
be actuated by the rising of the ball or in any other convenient manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1st In apparatus for measuring liquids the use of an auxiliary cistern of specified
cubical contents to which the liquid is supplied continuously in small volume and
from which it is allowed to flow intermittently and in large volume, or is supplied
intermittently in large volume and allowed to flow. out continuously in small
volume, in combination with a counting mechanism whereby each discharge of the
specified quantity of liquid will be registered substantially as set forth.
2nd The arrangements of apparatus for measuring liquids substantially as herein
shown and described.
AT