An Improved Liquid Meter.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Lelt, 2nd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Liquid Meter.
I, FRANCIS GEORGE WRIGHT of 184 Cambridge Road, Kilburn, London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention is a contrivance or contrivances for securing an accurate positive
measurement of water or other liquid passing through a meter.
This object is obtained by transmitting the pressure of the liquid from one side
of pistons working in cylinders to the other side and ensuring the complete filling
up of the cylinders.
The liquid enters into a meter and passes through an entrance valve and at the
same time closes an exit valve.
The entering liquid then passes if desired through a valve constructed to stop
back pressure and passes to cylinder chamber there operating on one side of a
piston which moves to and fro in a cylinder in the meter. There are two cylinders,
each furnished with a piston, these pistons operate at each end of the cylinder on
levers. The levers are so arranged that when the piston of one cylinder is at one
end the levers open the entrance valve of the other cylinder and when the piston is
at the other end the entrance valve for the one cylinder is closed and the entrance
valve of the other cylinder is opened. Consequently the piston in each cylinder
remains stationary till the other cylinder is filled with liquid. Each cylinder is
furnished with two exit ports and one exit port in each cylinder is closed by the
entering of the fluid through the entrance valve of either cylinder. As each piston
moves it forces open one exit valve and the liquid is delivered outside the meter by
suitable channels. If found necessary the action of the exit or delivery valves in
the cylinder may be aided as follows. In a pipe in the passage communicating with
the space above the exit valve is a ram or other contrivance which is moved by the
piston levers so as to tend to cause a small vacuum above the exit valve or valves
which are to be opened. The indicating apparatus may be of any suitable kind
connected to any moving part of the apparatus.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1892.
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Liquid Meter.
I, FRANCIS GEORGE WRIGHT, of 184 Cambridge Road, Kilburn, London,
Engineer, 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 :-
My invention is a contrivance or contrivances for securing an accurate positive
measurement of water or other liquid.
This object is attained by causing the liquid to flow into one of two measuring
chambers alternately, and by causing the piston of one chamber to operate levers,
rods, and valves, which control the supply into and the exit from the other
chamber.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through chamber A.
Fig. 2 is a similar section through chamber B.
Fig. 3 is plan showing arrangement of valves.
Fig. 4 is elevation showing one pair of valves and water passages.
Fig. 5 is plan showing one relief ram and connecting pipes.

page_text: 4
The two measuring chambers A and B are arranged horizontally side by side
with a valve box on the outside of each chamber. A is fitted with piston or plug C,
and B with piston D. These pistons are moved to and fro in their respective
chambers by the pressure of water supplied through valves. The piston C in A
operates levers E and F fulcrumed at J and K respectively. The end of the stroke
of pistons is defined by stops P¹ at both ends of both chambers and shown in Fig. 1.
These levers E and F push against the spindle N at opposite ends. The middle
part of spindle N is enlarged into a cradle O, in a slot of which cradle moves the
crank or attachment R₁ of rod or spindle R, which operates the valves T and U
controlling the supply to chamber B. In like manner the piston D in chamber B
operates levers G and H, which pull the spindle P at opposite ends. G and H are
fulcrumed at L and M respectively. The crank S₁ of spindle S moves in the
enlarged piece or cradle Q, and S operates the valves V and W controlling the
supply to chamber A. The spindles N and P move beyond the half stroke before
a valve is opened. Therefore supply to one end of the barrels is closed before
being opened to the other end. As shown in Fig. 4 at the half stroke both valves
are closed.
In Figs. 1 and 2 the piston D in chamber B is shown just finishing its stroke,
and the piston C in chamber A just commencing its stroke. Piston D is pushing
lever H, which draws spindle P and cradle Q, which causes crank S¹ to move and
turn spindle S. Spindle S is attached to rocking lever Q', which is itself attached
to valves V and W, so that the tilting of Q' closes valve V and opens valve W.
Piston C has already acted on lever E, spindle N, cradle (), crank R₁ and spindle R,
so as to open valve U and close valve T. There is consequently, as afterwards
explained, free communication from inlet E' to chamber B, but no movement takes
place in B while the piston C in chamber A is moving.
Water entering the meter through inlet pipe E¹ flows into the space G₁ com-
municating with the four valves T, U, V, and W, passes through valve W and
presses down the ram X, thus closing the outlet port H' in chamber A. The top
of the ram should be of larger area than the bottom. The water then passes in
direction shown by arrows through back pressure valve Z into the lever chamber A¹
and so into measuring chamber A. The pressure thus set up on piston C causes it
to move towards the opposite side, forcing the water already in A through outlet
port J by raising the ram Y. The water passes into delivery chamber C¹ which
has free communication with the outlet L¹. When the piston Ċ has nearly reached
the end of its stroke it operates the lever F, spindle N, cradle O, crank R', and
spindle R, so as to close valve U, and open valve T, allowing supply into chamber B.
The pressure thus set up forces D to move in the opposite direction. In the meantime
piston C rests till B has nearly finished its stroke.
There are thus four phases in the complete cycle of movement of the pistons.
These can be clearly understood from the diagrammatic Figs. 6-9. In Fig. 6 the
piston D being near the end of its stroke is moving suitable levers for working
the valves starting the piston C. Piston D will finish its stroke and remain
stationary till the piston gets near the end of its stroke. In Fig. 7 piston C is
finishing its stroke and moving levers to work the valves for starting D. C will
then remain stationary till D has nearly finished its stroke. In Fig. 8 piston D is
finishing its return stroke and is starting C. In Fig. 9 piston C is finishing its
return stroke and is starting D.
Z' is back pressure valve for inlet through V. F1 is frame of machine. The
arrangement of rocking lever, valves, and rams for supply into and exit from B is
exactly similar to that shown in Fig. 4 for A.
The pistons being arranged to work as thus described a continuous flow of liquid
is obtained through the meter, and a suitable pause is allowed in the working of
each piston to allow the measuring chamber to be accurately charged with liquid
at any pressure; the liquid filtering through the back pressure valve till the same
pressure is obtained in the measuring chamber as the supply, the supply valve
remaining fully open until shortly previous to the return stroke, and the back

page_text: pressure valves automatically closing themselves as soon as liquid ceases to flow
through them. The pauses also allow the discharge valves to be automatically
closed by the rams.
In order to assist, if desired, in closing and opening the valves and rams, I have
a small relief ram M₁ moving in passage over the rocking lever Q¹. This ram is
operated by piece D¹ fixed on rocking lever Q. The passage or groove com-
municates by pipes N' and O' to spaces beneath valves V, and W, that is to say
pipe N' communicates with space under V, and pipe O' with space under W. In
closing the valve W, the piece D' pushes the ram M₁ towards N¹, and forces a
little water into space below V, thus helping to keep closed the ram Y, and open
the back pressure valve Z. At the same time, by moving the ram M' from the
other end of the passage, a vacuum is created, and a little water is drawn from
beneath the valve W by pipe O'. This action assists in raising the ram X, and
in keeping closed the valves W and Z. A similar arrangement is employed in
connection with the valves for supplying B.
The indicating apparatus may be of any suitable kind, connected to any moving
part of the apparatus, and is no part of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. An absolute liquid meter in which two measuring chambers are employed,
into which the liquid enters, and from which it is discharged by plugs or pistons
working in the said chambers, with inlets and outlets in the said chambers so
contrived and operated, that the piston in one chamber is at rest while the other
is discharging and refilling.
2. The combination of measuring chambers, pistons, levers, valves, and rams,
substantially as described and shown in Figs. 1-4.
3. In the apparatus covered by Claim 2, the relief ram M¹ employed for the
purpose specified and shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1892.
TTY
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TTATTO
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for Applicant.