IMPROVE- MENTS IN METERS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Horsley, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN METERS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS,
"
Sealed the 20th February 1866, and dated the 1st September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the 'said Charles Horsley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
September 1865.
I, CHARLES-HORSLEY, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the County of Middle-
sex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN METERS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER OR OTHER
FLUIDS, PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR EXHAUSTING AIR OR OTHER GASES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates, first, to improvements in the arrangement and
construction of meters or apparatus for the purpose of correctly measuring the
quantity of water or other fluid, which is caused to pass through such appa-
ratus. For this purpose I employ a drum or cylinder mounted upon an axis,
revolving eccentrically within a case or chamber. The ends of the drum or
cylinder revolve in contact with the ends of the drum case or chamber, being
provided with suitable packing to prevent the passage of the water or other

page_text: fluid between them. The drum is formed with moveable flaps or slides, which
in their revolution fall over or are projected outwards against the inner cir-
cumference of the drum case in the space formed between the drum and the
case, the flaps or slides thus forming measuring chambers in their revolution
between the inlet and outlet passages, and also serving as blades or vanes for
the pressure of the water or other fluid to act upon and impart motion to the
revolving drum. The flaps or slides are closed or withdrawn in their move-
ment against the inner side of the drum case, the eccentric space being closed
at one point by the drum revolving in close contact with the inner surface of
the drum case. One or both ends of the axis of the revolving drum or
cylinder passes through stuffing boxes in the ends of the drum case, and
suitable counting apparatus is connected therewith in order to indicate the
number of revolutions made by the drum, by which the quantity of water or
other fluid passed through is ascertained.
The apparatus previously described is also suitable for being arranged
and employed (by giving motion to the axis of the eccentric drum) for the
purpose of exhausting or withdrawing air or gases.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Horsley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HORSLEY, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
the said. Charles
others as I, the
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Horsley, Her special licence that I,
Horsley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
said Charles Horsley, 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 lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN METERS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS,
PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR EXHAUSTING AIR OR OTHER GASES," upon the condition

page_text: (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Horsley, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument 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 Charles Horsley, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to he
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
are
This Invention relates, first, to improvements in the arrangement and
construction of meters or apparatus for the purpose of correctly measuring the
quantity of water or other fluid which is caused to pass through such
apparatus. For this purpose I employ a drum or cylinder mounted upon an
axis revolving and placed eccentrically within a case or chamber. The ends
of the drum or cylinder revolve in contact with the ends of the drum case or
chamber, being provided with suitable packing to prevent the passage of the
water or other fluid between them, the edges or circumference being also
packed if required. The drum is furnished with moveable valvular flaps or
slides, which in their revolution (acting either by their own gravity or by
means of an eccentric, cam, or other mechanical means) fall over or
projected outwards against the inner circumference of the drum case in the
space formed between the drum and the case, the valvular flaps or slides thus
forming measuring chambers in their revolution between the inlet and outlet
passages, and also serving as blades or vanes for the pressure of the water or
other fluid to act upon and impart motion to the revolving drum. The valvular
flaps or slides are closed or withdrawn in their movement against the inner
side of the drum case, the eccentric space being closed at one point by the
drum and flaps revolving in close contact with the inner surface of the drum
case. One or both ends of the axis of the revolving drum or cylinder passes
through stuffing boxes in the ends of the drum case, and suitable counting
apparatus is connected therewith (which I have not thought it necessary to
show in the Drawings, the same being well understood) in order to indicate
the number of revolutions made by the drum, by which the quantity of water
or other fluid passed through is ascertained.
The apparatus previously described is also suitable for being arranged and
employed (by giving motion to the axis of the eccentric drum) for the purpose
of exhausting or withdrawing air or gases.

page_text: And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a transverse section, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section, of
apparatus arranged and constructed according to my Invention, suitable for
measuring water or other fluid.
a, a, is a drum or cylinder fixed and mounted upon the axis a¹, which
passes through a stuffing box at one end of the drum case or chamber 6, in
which the drum or cylinder a is arranged to revolve; 61, 63, are inlet and
outlet passages for the water or other fluid (and these passages may be
placed in
any other suitable position in relation to the drum case); a³, a³, a³, are
valvular flaps or vanes hinged to the circumference of the drum a by being'
slid into grooves formed thereon, as shown; these valvular flaps or vanes fall
into recesses, so that when closed they form part of the circumference of
the drum a, and as they pass the inlet passage b¹ they fall over against the
inner circumference of the drum case. The flaps or vanes a³ will necessarily'
fall over by their own gravity into the position shown, but I prefer to actuate'
them by means of a cam or eccentric b³ fixed on the end cover of the drum
case, the surface of the cam 63 acting upon the arms or projections a³ on the
flaps or vanes a³ to force them outwards as they revolve past the inlet
passage b¹. The arms a³ pass through slots in the drum, which slots are
packed with leather or other suitable packing to prevent the passage of the water
or other fluid. c is a strip of leather or other suitable material placed between
the drum and the inner circumference of the cylinder to prevent the passage
of the water or other fluid in that direction. The ends of the drum a and
valvular flaps a³ are furnished with leather or other suitable packing, and the
longitudinal edges of the flaps a³ may also have strips of leather or other flexible
material applied thereto if required. Although the drum is shown in the
Drawings placed nearly in contact with the top of the cylinder or drum case,
and in a horizontal position, I do not confine myself to this arrangement, as
the drum may be placed in any other suitable position within the cylinder, and
the cylinder or drum case may be placed either in a horizontal or vertical'
position if desired.
In carrying out the second part of my improvements for exhausting air or
gases, a case or cylinder of suitable capacity is employed in combination with
a revolving drum fixed on an axis and placed eccentrically within the cylinder
and having two or more moveable flaps or vanes which open by centrifugal
action, or are actuated by means of an eccentric, cam, or other suitable

page_text: mechanical contrivance, the flaps being closed in their revolution by contact
with the inner circumference of the cylinder. Each flap or vane discharges
the air or gas in front of it at each revolution by closing within the circum-
ference of the drum at or before its contact with drum and cylinder,
recesses or openings being made upon the circumference of the drum to
receive the flaps or vanes. The inlet and outlet passages are so placed and
arranged that no air or gases can possibly return. Suitable packing is used
to prevent the air or gases passing the ends of the drum or flaps, and one
or both ends of the axis of the drum passes through the ends of the
cylinder through stuffing boxes, a rigger or other driving apparatus being
attached to the axis, by which means motive power may be given to the
exhauster.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into practice, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the exact details herein shown and described, but what I
claim is,―
First, the combination and arrangement of parts herein shown and
described, constituting the meter or apparatus for measuring water or other
fluids.
Secondly, I claim the combination and arrangement of parts herein described
for exhausting air or other gases.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Horsley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
CHARLES HORSLEY. (L.S.)
84, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.