Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating the Number of Dis- charges of Water from Cisterns or the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb. 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st Nov., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating the Number of Dis-
charges of Water from Cisterns or the like.
I, JOHN MERRILL, of Albany Road, Sheffield, in the County of York, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Premising that apparatus as now constructed for measuring water, are costly in
the first instance, and usually require frequent repairs ;
I propose to provide a simple and effective registering or indicating apparatus
to be used in cases where a cistern or other vessel discharges a known quantity
of water at intervals which may vary.
It consists of a float of any suitable construction attached to a rod or lever
working upon a joint pin, or otherwise, and arranged to work in conjunction with
and to operate a train of wheels with dials and index fingers to denote units,
tens, &c. in the usual manner, or to actuate any other construction of counter,
when the lever is lowered, or when it is raised, by filling or by the discharge of
the water.
This is accomplished according to one arrangement by means of a pawl or cutch
attached to the lever, and working upon a stud or axis which, when the lever
descends, engages with a ratchet wheel connected with the counting apparatus,
and causes the unit finger to move one point, but passes over the teeth of the
wheel on its return.
The number indicated by the counter, multiplied by the contents of the vessel
or cistern gives the total consumption.
D
11
1000
ROBT. F. DRURY, Fel. Inst. P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating the Number of Dis-
charges of Water from Cisterns or the like.
1, JOHN MERRILL, of Albany Road, Sheffield, in the County of York, Manufacturer,
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:
Before describing my invention I may state that the various apparatus for
measuring water as they are now constructed, are more or less costly and elaborate,
and frequently require repairing; I therefore propose to provide an apparatus,
simple in its construction, and effective in its action as a registering or indicating
appliance for use in cases where a cistern or other vessel discharges a known
quantity of water, at intervals which may vary very much, such as occurs in the
use of water closets.
I have illustrated my invention in the annexed sheet of drawings, representing
an elevation of the back of one form of such apparatus, the mechanism being
operated by the vertical movement of the float. It consists of a float A, which
may be of any suitable form or construction, such for example as that shown, and
in the arrangement illustrated a vertical rod or slide B, is attached to the top of
the float, and is retained in a vertical position by a part of the framework C,
through which it can easily rise and fall according to the variations of the water
level in the cistern.

page_text: The framework also carries a train of wheels and pinions D, geared together
and provided with dials and index fingers on the opposite side of the dial plate E,
arranged to denote units, tens, hundreds and so on, or if desired to denote gallons,
or two sets of wheels and dials may be provided to show the numbers of discharges,
and also the number of gallons. I do not however confine myself to the particular
construction of counter, as it is obvious this part of the apparatus may be varied.
Upon the first motion of the counter I fix a ratchet wheel F, and upon the
slide B, is fixed a pawl or catch G, which will engage with the teeth of the said
ratchet wheel.
It will be seen that when a discharge of water has been made, the float will fall,
and the pawl G drop under the next tooth of the ratchet wheel F, as shown:
when the water rises to its normal height the float will rise to the position indicated
by the dotted lines and in doing so, the pawl G, will also be raised and turn the
ratchet wheel, moving the unit index finger one point, and this operation is repeated
at every discharge.
Instead of the vertical slide B, I may use a horizontal arm attached to the
float, and working upon a pivot or joint pin, so arranged that a connected pawl will
operate the ratchet wheel F.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is or may be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
An apparatus for indicating or registering the number of discharges of water
from a cistern or like vessel, consisting of a float with connected pawl, arranged
to give motion to a ratchet wheel; and index fingers of a counter, substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated.
ROBT. F. DRURY, Fel. Inst. P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicant.