An Improved Meter for Measuring the Flow of Liquids.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Meter for Measuring the Flow of Liquids.
We, THOMAS WILLIAM STONE of 189 Goldhawk Road, Shepherds Bush in
the County of London, Civil Engineer and WILLIAM RICHARD CLARK of
71 Danby Street, Peckham Rye, in the County of London, Mechanician do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
i
Our invention relates to apparatus for measuring and recording the flow of
liquids, and consists in an improved device of a very cheap and simple form, of
great sensitiveness of action and without gland and not liable to deterioration or
corrosion.
We adapt to a water main or to other pipe carrying a supply of any liquid a
small chamber consisting of a double cone base to base, and within this chamber
we apply a fixed internal double cone guide so that the flow of liquid is constrained
to pass through the device in an annulus of small area between the two said coned
surfaces.
We reduce the area to the minimum amount where the diameter of the chamber
is largest and from that point onwards we permit the area of the annulus to increase
so that the liquid has easy and free escape after it has passed the largest diameter.
We finish the bottom of the device with an issue pipe of suitable diameter controlled
by a cock, so that whether the flow through the device be large or small, the
chamber always remains full of liquid and its discharge, whether partial or full
causes a definite movement or current in the solid streams of liquid in the
chamber.
At the aforesaid point of largest diameter of our device we apply a freely
rotating frame provided with vanes turned upward at a suitable angle to meet the
stream of liquid passing through the said annulus.
This franie is mounted on a vertical spindle of non-corrosible material resting ou
a footstep and provided with a worm or screw at its upper extremity engaging in a
worm wheel forming the first of a train of counting wheels of known construction.
This train is accomodated in a side pocket of the main chamber and is. made of
such material as to work constantly immersed in the liquid without corrosion. This
arrangement prevents the necessity for using a gland and the records of the
counting wheels may be seen from the outsides through transparent orifices of glass
or other suitable material.
The angle and disposition of the vanes is so chosen as to give a uniform rotation
of the frame, and thus of the counting train, from the current of the passing liquid,
without the presence of disturbing back water or eddies, and at the same time with
a tendency for the weight of the frame to be lifted during rotation from its
footstep.
We have found that for long continuous friction under water without corrosion
or much wear, ivory is a most suitable substance for application to the footstep.
The area of the annulus in which the measuring wheel rotates, and the area of
the admission and exit orifices are carefully proportioned to one another so as to
produce a regular, solid and uniform current through the said measuring annulus.
If desirable we may form upon either the inner face of the outer coned chamber
or upon the outer face of the coned guide a series of strips arranged either parallel
diagonally or in a curved direction to the axis of the device, so as to guide the
flow of liquid in the annulus between the said cones in any required manner.
Dated this 11th day of May 1901
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Meter for Measuring the Flow of Liquids.
We, THOMAS WILLIAM STONE of 189 Goldhawk Road, Shepherds Bush, in
the County of London, Civil Engineer and WILLIAM RICHARD CLARK of
71 Danby Street, Peckham Rye, in the County of Surrey Mechanician, 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:-
1
Our invention relates to apparatus for measuring and recording the flow of
liquids and consists in an improved device of a very cheap and simple form, of
great sensitiveness of action, the device being without any gland and not liable to
deterioration or corrosion.
In order that our invention may be the better understood we will now proceed
to describe it in relation to the drawing hereunto annexed reference being had to
the letters and figures marked thereon. Like letters refer to like parts in the
various figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of our meter.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan on the line a Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan on the line == Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan and side view of the vaned disc which operates the counting
mechanism.
To carry out our invention we adapt to a water main A or other pipe carrying
a supply of any liquid a small chamber B consisting of a double cone base to base,
and within this chamber B we apply a fixed internal double coned guide consisting
of cones C and D disposed base to base, so that the flow of liquid is constrained
to pass through the device in an annulus of small area between the two said coned
surfaces.
We reduce the area to the minimum amount where the diameter of the chamber
is largest and from that point onwards we permit the area of the lower part of the
annulus to increase so that the liquid has easy and free escape after it has passed
the largest diameter.
We finish the bottom of the apparatus with an issue pipe A' of suitable diameter
controlled by a cock or valve which is arranged upon same, so that whether the
flow through the device be large or small the chamber B always remains full of
liquid, and its discharge whether partial or full causes a definite movement or
current in (what one may term) the solid stream of liquid in the chamber B.
We mount the cones C and D within the chamber B as follows:-On the cone C
at its lower end we form a flange C through which a series of holes E are
arranged, a flanged ring e is also provided on the exterior of the flange C¹.
The cone D is detachably supported on the flanged ring c by means of two or
more light ribs d, so made as to interfere as little as possible with the annulus.
The bases of the two cones forming the chamber B are provided with flanges b
and between these said flanges 6 the flange of the flanged ring c is disposed in a
recess together with packing washer and clamped by means of bolts or other
equivalent means. At the aforesaid point of largest diameter of our device viz. :-
directly beneath the perforated Hange C, we arrange a freely rotating frame or
disc G of non-corrosible material provided with vanes y disposed at a suitable angle
to the plane of rotation to meet the stream of liquid passing through the said holes E
in the annulus.
h
This disc G is mounted on a vertical spindle H of non corrosible material,
resting on a footstep supported within the cone D the upper end being supported
in a bearing on the cone C.
The spindle H is provided with a worm or screw K at its upper extremity
engaging with a worm wheel which forms the first of a train of counting wheels L
of known construction,
77 "

page_text: accommouda side pockCnged on one side
of the main chamber B.
The materials of which the train is constructed are such as to be constantly
immersed in the liquid without corrosion.
This arrangement prevents the necessity for using a gland and the records of the
counting wheels may be seen from the outside through transparent orifices of glass
or other suitable material arranged in the side of the pocket M upon dials situated
within the said pocket.
The angle or disposition of the vanes is so chosen as to give a uniform rotation
of the frame or disc G and thus of the counting train L, from the current of the
passing liquid without the presence of disturbing back water or eddies and at the
same time with a tendency for the weight of the frame or disc G to be lifted from
its footstep.
We have found that for long continuous friction under water without corrosion
or much wear, ivory is a most suitable substance for application to, the footstep.
The area of the annulus in which the vaned portion of the measuring frame or
disc G rotates and the area of the admission and exit orifices A and A¹ are carefully
proportioned to one another so as to produce a regular solid and uniform current
through the said annulus.
We form upon the outer surface of the cone guide C a series of ribs or strips N
so as to guide the flow of liquid in the annulus to prevent any rotary movement of
the water within the annulus which will in any way interfere with the correct
record of the quantity passed through the vanes of the measuring wheel.
These strips N may be arranged either parallel with the axis of the cone,
diagonally or in any curved direction relative to the axis of the device. They
may be equivalently arranged within the chamber B upon the interior surface
thereof if desirable.
The train of wheels L we prefer to mount upon a frame carried upon the cone
guide C so that the mechanism as a whole may be put into or taken out from the
chamber B, thus obviating the necessity of any careful setting of the independent
parts of mechanism in relation to the chamber B or to each other when the
apparatus is being put together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is-
1st. A meter for measuring the flow of liquids consisting of a double coned casing
having an inlet and outlet pipe, a double coned guide within the said casing
forming an annular passage of small area at the largest diameter of the interior of
the said casing, a disc or frame adapted to rotate and having vanes inclined at an
angle to the plane of rotation, the said vanes being so disposed relative to the
annular passage as to permit the whole of the liquid passing through the said
annular passage to impinge upon the said vanes and means for recording the
revolutions of the vaned disc.
2nd. In such a liquid meter, an outer double coned casing in combination, with
an upper and a lower coned guide, superposed upon one another a disc with inclined
vanes mounted between the said cone guides on a spindle pivotted in a footstep
carried by the lower cone guide and in a bearing upon the upper cone guide a
worm or screw on the said spindle, a train of wheels with indices and dials driven
by said worm and contained within the water space of the casing, and an aperture
covered by transparent material arranged in the outer casing through which to
read the record, substantially as described.
3rd. In such a liquid meter the combination of the outer doubled coned casing,
doubled coned guides, and disc with inclined vanes; with ribs or partitions arranged
in the upper or ingress annular space to direct the stream of liquid in a given
direction against the inclined vanes of the measuring disc.
4th. In a liquid meter a disc mounted on a spindle with a sharp point suited to

page_text: bear upon a footstep and provided with diagonal apertures at its periphery to form
a series of vanes or blades inclined at a suitable angle to the plane of rotation
substantially as described.
5th. In a liquid meter a double case forming an annular channel for the passage
of liquid, through the diagonal apertures of a revolving disc therein and contracted
to a lower exit pipe of smaller area than that of the entry pipe, substantially as
described.
6th. The construction and arrangement of a liquid meter, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of February 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.