IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS, WHICH MAY ALSO BE EMPLOYED AS A MOTIVE POWER ENGINE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS, WHICH MAY ALSO BE EMPLOYED
AS A MOTIVE POWER ENGINE."-A communication.
Scaled the 16th May 1856, and dated the 19th November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald'
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th November 1855..
I,, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent, Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS, WHICH MAY ALSO BE
EMPLOYED AS A MOTIVE POWER ENGINE," (communicated to me by a foreigner
residing abroad,) to be as follows:-
This Invention is for certain improvements in apparatus for measuring
water under the pressure of the column, and is also applicable as a motive
power. The principle involved differs materially from the old plans proposed
for this purpose, and is to be distinguished from them by the fact that the
measuring vessel, or, in case of a motive power, the mechanism used to
transmit the force of the water, is operated in compressed, air or some other

page_text: elastic fluid. At A is seen the case containing the measuring vessel; this may
be of any convenient shape and size; it must be air and water tight, and
capable of sustaining the pressure of the whole column of water. In the
upper part of the case is shewn at B one form of a measuring vessel, of
which there may be various kinds. This one is a shallow cup, having an
inclined or trough-shaped bottom, and resting upon an axis placed where the
two inclined planes meet at the centre, as shewn at C. The cup is divided
into two parts by a vertical partition D. Immediately over the axis C is an
aperture in the top of the case A, through which the water enters. Above
the opening is a second vessel E, called the retarding vessel, partially divided
by a plate, and above this is the receiving pipe F. The only use of this is to
break the force of the entering water, and cause it to fall into the measuring
cup with as little momentum as possible, and this may be accomplished by
various devices. When the apparatus is employed as a motive power this
retarding of the water is not required. At G is the delivery pipe, which
ascends and passes through the building to distribute water in the usual way...
The operation will be understood as follows:-Suppose the case A to bo
empty of water and contain only air of the ordinary atmospheric pressure:
letting the water on through F, it falls into one side of the measuring cup B,
because, the axis being below the centre of gravity, it will always be tilted over
to one side or the other until arrested by one of the stops a, and the top of
the partition D will then stand, so that the water can only flow into one side.
As soon as sufficient water has entered to overcome the weight of the opposito
half it will tilt over and discharge, the water flowing then into the compart-
ment opposite, and the action so continuing. As a measure, it is of course
only necessary to know how much water is required to overbalance the empty
compartment. The discharges are registered by the vibrations of the cup acting
upon any suitable train of clock-work and indexes, in a manner well known.
As the cock G remains closed, the water accumulates in the case, and the air
therein becomes gradually compressed as the water rises, until such com-
pression is équivalent to the force due to the height of the column; water will
then cease to enter, and it is intended that the measuring vessel be always in
this compressed air space. On opening the cock G to draw water, the pressure
being thereby relieved, the air will expand, and of course the water will enter
through F, and operate the measuring cup as before. To maintain the air
space, it is well known that, as the pressure increases, water can be made to
absorb more air than it contained under the ordinary condition of the atmo
sphere. In the conditions under which this instrument operates, the air might
also be absorbed and carried off by the delivery pipe, in which case the

page_text: measuring vessel would cease to work. Aqueduct water, however, carries
along with it much air in bubbles, and these it is believed.will be sufficient to
keep up the supply; but if otherwise is found to be the case, it is only neces-
sary to empty the case A of the water and open an air cock for a new supply,
as occasion may require. c, c', represent such air stops. By closing F and G,
and opening c, c, water will run out of c¹, and air in at c, until the case A is
recharged; but there are several ways of effecting this by automatic arrange-
ments. A good one is to attach a small slide valve over the aperture c', the
stop being removed and the vibrations of the cup to operate the same; thus,
a few drops of water might be discharged by the opening, and the space in the
hollow of the valve being replaced by air, that would be carried within on
the return movement. When applied as a motive power, some of the various
kinds of water wheels may be substituted for the measuring cup. In this
case the retarding vessel E will not be used, as the full momentum of the
water will be required. It will be seen that the power is obtained by the
passage of the water through the condensed air medium, therefore it is
still available for other purposes, as it will issue with undiminished pressure
through G.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Offico
on the 19th May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign.
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others.
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time'
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS, WHICH MAY ALSO BE

page_text: .
EMPLOYED AS A MOTIVE POWER ENGINE," (communicated to me by a foreigner
residing abroad,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of 'the said Letters Patent.
• NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
leclare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for measuring liquids
under the pressure of the column, and which is also applicable as a motive
power. The principle involved differs materially from the plans hitherto pro-
posed for the purpose, and is distinguished from them by the fact that the
measuring vessel, or (in case of motive power) the mechanism used to transmit
the force of the water, is worked in compressed air, or some other elastic fluid.
The manner in which the Invention is carried into effect is shewn in the
annexed Drawing, which is a sectional elevation of an apparatus for measuring
liquids constructed according to the present improvements. A is a case con-
taining the measuring vessel. This may be of any convenient shape and size;
it must be air and water tight, and capable of sustaining the pressure of the
whole column of water. B is the measuring vessel, placed in the upper part of
the case.
The Inventor does not confine himself to the form shown in the
Drawing, as any other suitable form may be adopted. The vessel shown in
the Figure consists of a shallow cup, having an inclined or trough-shaped
bottom, and resting upon an axis C, placed where the two inclined planes meet
at the centre. The cup is divided into two parts by a vertical partition D.
Immediately over the axis C is an aperture 6 in the top of the case A, through
which the water or other liquid enters. Above the opening is a second
vessel E, called the "retarding vessel," partially divided by a plate d. F is the
supply pipe, which opens into the vessel E. The use of the retarding vessel
is to break the force of the water entering, and cause it to fall into the
measuring cup with as little momentum as possible; this may be accomplislied
by various means. When the apparatus is employed for motive power pur-
poses the "retarding" of the water is not required, and the vessel F may be
dispensed with. G is the delivery pipe, which ascends and passes through the

page_text: building to distribute water in the usual'way; this pipe' is furnished with a
cock G. The operation is as follows:-Supposing the case A to be empty of
water and to contain only air of the ordinary atmospheric pressure, the water is
admitted through the pipe F, and falls-into one side of the measuring vessel B,
because, the axis being below the centre of gravity; it will always be tilted over
to one side or the other until arrested by one of the stops a, a,, and the top of
the partition D will then be in such a position that the water can only flow
into one side. As soon as sufficient water has entered to overcome the weight
of the opposite half, the vessel will tilt over and discharge its contents, tho
water then flowing into the compartment opposite, and the action so con-
tinuing. As a measure, it is of course only necessary to know how much
water is required to overbalance the empty compartment.. The discharges are
registered by the vibrations of the measuring vessel acting upon any suitable
train of clock-work and indexes in any well-known manner. As the cock G¹
remains closed, the water accumulates in the case A, and the air therein
becomes gradually compressed as the water rises, until such compression
becomes equivalent to the force due to the height of the cclumn; water will
then cease to enter; and it is intended that the measuring vessel be always
in this compressed air space. On opening the cock G¹ to draw water, the
pressure being thereby relieved, the air will expand, and of course the water
will enter through F and act on the measuring cup as before.
I now proceed to describe the methods adopted for maintaining the air
space. It is well known that, as the pressure on it increases, water can be
made to absorb more air than it contained under the ordinary conditions of the
atmosphere. In the conditions under which this apparatus operates, the air
might also be absorbed and carried off by the delivery pipe, in which case the
measuring vessel would cease to work. Aqueduct water, however, carries
along with it a quantity of air in bubbles, and the air thus conveyed will, it is
believed, be sufficient to keep up the supply, but if found not to be the case,
it is only necessary to empty the water out of the case A and open an air cock
to obtain a new supply as occasion may require. c, c', represent air vents
intended for this purpose. On closing the pipes F and G, and opening c, c',
water will run out of c', and air will enter at c, until the case A is recharged.
There are several other ways of effecting this by self-working arrangements;
for example, a small slide valve may be attached over the aperture c¹, and the
stop removed, the vibrations of the measuring vessel working it; thus, a few
drops of water might be discharged by the opening, and the space in the hollow
of the valve being replaced by air, the air would be carried within on the
return movement.

page_text: To apply this Invention as a motive power engine, some one of the various
descriptions of water, wheels is substituted for the measuring cup. In this
case the retarding vessel E is not used, as the full momentum of the water
will be required. It will be seen that the power is obtained by the passage of
the water through the condensed air medium, therefore it is still available
for other purposes, as it will issue with undiminished pressure through the
passage G.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the improvements
in apparatus for measuring liquids and for motive power purposes, berein-before
described, and represented in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set, my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six..