IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER AND OTHED LIAKING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Dixon, of High Bridge, Newcastle-upon-Tyne;
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
MEASURING WATER AND OTHED LIAKING"
Sealed the 22nd December 1856, by Order of the Lord Chancellor, and dated
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dixon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd May
1856.
I, JOHN DIXON, of High Bridge, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
MEASURING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for measuring
water and other liquids; for which purpose two vessels are used, and are
combined together. Each vessel has a flexible diaphragm or partition to
divide it into two compartments. These vessels are, by preference, each
formed of two sections or parts of a sphere bolted together, fixing the edges
of the flexible diaphragms between them. On either side of each of the flexible
partitions or diaphragms is a passage for the water or liquid. Over the water
or fluid passages of each vessel there is a slide valve, and the slide valve of
one vessel is actuated or moved by the piston rod of the other vessel, such
piston rod giving motion to a lever or to an arm, the lever or the arm giving
motion to the slide valve. To each diaphragm is affixed a piston rod, which
works through a stuffing box. The two vessels are inclosed in a case, having
suitable inlets and outlets for the water or fluid. The movements of the parts
may be recorded by a suitable counting or recording apparatus, as heretofore,
by which the quantity passed through the apparatus may be ascertained at
any time.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of the above Order, by the said John Dixon in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
DIXON, of High Bridge, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Dixon, Her special licence, that I, the said John Dixon, my executors;
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Dixon, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING
WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Dixon, my executors or administrators, 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 on or before the Twenty-second day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Dixon, do hereby declare 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
thercof, that is to say:
This Invention bias for its object improvements in apparatus for measuring
water and other .liquids; for which purpose two vessels are used, and are
combined together. Each vessel has a flexible diaphragm or partition to
divide it into two compartments. These vessels are, by preference, each
formed of two sections or parts of a sphere bolted together, fixing the edges
of the flexible diaphragms between them. On either side of each of the
flexible partitions or diaphragms is a passage for the water or liquid. Over
the water or fluid passages of each vessel there is a slide valve, and the slide
valve of one vessel is actuated or moved by the piston rod of the other vessel,
such piston rod giving motion to a lever or to an arm, the lever or the arm
giving motion to the slide valve: To cach diaphragm is affixed a piston rod,

page_text: which works through a stuffing box. The two vessels are inclosed in a case,
having suitable inlets and outlets for the water or fluid. The niovements of
the parts may be recorded by a suitable counting or recording apparatus, as
heretofore, by which the quantity passed through the apparatus may be
ascertained at any time.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section of apparatus combined according to my
Invention; and Figure 2 is a plan thereof. A and B are two vessels, each
composed of two sections of spheres. These two vessels A and B, I prefer
to be made in three castings, as shewn in Figure 1, the central casting
consisting of one-half of each of the vessels A and B. These two halves are
placed back to back, the water or fluid ways a and b being formed in the
central casting, as shown. The two outer castings are made each with its
water or fluid way as indicated at a, b. Each of the vessels A and B is
divided by a flexible partition or diaphragm c, c; and I would here remark
that, I am aware that water or fluid meters have before been made, each
consisting of two vessels, divided by flexible partitions or diaphragms; I do
not, therefore, claim the same, except when combined in the manner herein
described, and so as to work valves by apparatus such as are herein explained.
The flexible material in each vessel constituting the diaphragm or partition is
held securely, by being shut between the castings forming the vessels A and B
respectively, and also by the casting forming the valve box or chamber Cover
the upper part of the vessels A and B, as is clearly shown by the Drawing.
C¹ is the cover to the valve box, which is fixed by screws and washer so as
suitably to close the valve box water-tight against the pressure of the water
supplied to the meter; D is a slide valve, which works over the water passages
a, a', of the vessel A; .and such valve D is moved to and fro by means of the
flexible diaphragm or partition in the vessel B in the following manner:-
d is a connecting rod, attached by a pin joint to the valve D, and such rod d
passes through a stuffing box at the end of the valve box, and is at its outer
end connected by a pin joint to one end of the lever d', the other end of the
lever d¹ is connected to the piston rod of the flexible partition or diaphragm
in the vessel B, so that as the flexible partition is moved to and fro by the
water or fluid in the vessel B, the valve D will be moved to and fro on its
seat. E is a slide valve over the fluid passages band to the vessel B, and
such valve E is moved to and fro on its seat by the piston rod attached to the

page_text: flexible partition or diaphragm in the vessel A, which gives motion to the
arm e, which at its upper end is fixed to the connecting rod of the slide
valve E. I would here remark that, I am aware that the valves of fluid
measuring apparatus have before been worked by the piston in one vessel
actuating the valve of the other vessel; I do not, therefore, claim generally
so to act on the valves of fluid meters. The water or fluid to be measured
is introduced into the valve box by the inlet passage f, from which the water
passes respectively into the vessels A and B by the passages a, a¹, and b, b,
when they are respectively uncovered by the slide valves D and E. Tho
water or other fluid, in passing from the measuring apparatus by the passages
a, a¹, and b, b, enters into the water way g, g, under the slide valves, such
way being formed in the central casting, as shewn, and the outlet his
connected with such water way. 9, 9, as is indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 1.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would remark that I make no claim to any of the
mechanical parts separately. In order to record the quantity of fluid
measured by apparatus such as above described, in counting apparatus is to
be applied thereto, and is to be acted on by either of the piston rods, so as
to count and indicate the number of strokes, as is well understood. And in
order to protect the external working or moving parts, and to enclose the
recording or counting apparatus, so as to protect the same from injury, the
whole apparatus above described may be inclosed in an external case, the
inlet and outlet pipes passing through such case; or what I prefer is, that
the two outer ends of the vessels A and B, with the moving parts of the
apparatus at such ends, should alone be cased in, as is shewn by the Drawing;
what I claim is the combined apparatus herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Dixon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
HENRY WATSON.
JOHN DIXON. (L.S.)