A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF-REGISTERING FLUID OR LIQUID MEASURER
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathaniel Hobson Hughes, of Ashgrove House,
in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Gentleman, for the In-
vention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF-REGISTERING FLUID OR LIQUID
MEASURER."
Scaled the 21st August 1874, and dated the 27th February 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathaniel Hobson
Hughes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 27th February 1874.
I, NATHANIEL HOBSON HUGHES, of Ashgrove House, in the County
of Ayr, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF-REGISTERING FLUID, OR LIQUID
MEASURER," to be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention which relates to a new or improved arrangement or
construction of apparatus for measuring and indicating the quantity of
a liquid or fluid passed through it has for its object more especially
to measure and indicate the quantity or quantities of wines, spirits, or

page_text: malt liquors drawn off from casks or other vessels containing the same,
so as to act as a check upon the return or statement of the liquors or
fluids sold in any desired period of time in restaurants, refreshment
rooms, public houses, steamboats, or other places of public resort. It is
however to be understood that the application of this Invention is not
limited to the purposes herein-before mentioned as it may be applied to
measuring liquids or fluids generally.
The Invention consists of a bucket wheel contained inside a casing
and capable of revolving upon its axis. The liquid or fluid to be
measured passes in near the top or side of the casing so as to enter
and fill the buckets of the bucket wheel. The weight of the liquid or
fluid in some of the buckets causes the bucket. wheel to revolve and
discharge the liquid or fluid through an opening in the lower part of the
casing.
The buckets are constructed of any required capacity and their
cubical contents being known affords a basis for measurement of the
liquid or fluid which has passed into or through them so that by
observing the number of revolutions made by the bucket wheel the
quantity of liquid which has passed through the apparatus is known.
The axis of the bucket wheel is provided with a pinion for actuating
toothed gearing by means of which an arm or finger on an indicating
dial is operated; or the axis of the bucket wheel may have an arm
attached to it for actuating a stop or pointer in a volute or spiral groove,
the position of the stop or pointer in the groove affording the indication
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Nathaniel Hobson Hughes in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE, PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHANIEL
HOBSON HUGHES, of Ashgrove House, in the County of Ayr, North 3
Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the 37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Nathaniel Hobson Hughes, Her
special license that I, the said Nathaniel Hobson Hughes, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Nathaniel
Hobson Hughes, my executors, administrators, or 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF-REGISTERING FLUID OR LIQUID
MEASURE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Nathaniel Hobson Hughes, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and scal, 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 Nathaniel Hobson Hughes, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
My said Invention which relates to a new or improved arrangemont
or construction of apparatus for measuring and indicating the quantity
of a liquid or fluid passed through it, has for its object more especially
to measure and indicate the quantity or quantities of wines, spirits, or
malt liquors drawn off from casks or other vessels containing the same,
so as to act as a check upon the return or statement of the liquors or
fluids sold in any desired period of time in restaurants, refreshment
It is
rooms, public houses, steamboats, or other places of public resort.
however to be understood that the application of this Invention is not
limited to the purposes herein-before mentioned, as it may be applied
to measuring liquids or fluids generally.
The Invention consists of a bucket wheel contained inside of a
casing and capable of revolving on its axis. The fluid to be measured´

page_text: passes in near the top or side of the casing so as to enter and fill
the buckets of the bucket wheel. The weight of the liquid in some
of the buckets causes the bucket wheel to revolve and discharge
the liquid or fluid contained in the buckets through an opening in tho
lower part of the casing.
The buckets are constructed of any required capacity, and their
cubical contents being known affords a basis for measurement of the
liquid or fluid which has passed into or through them, so that by
indicating the number of revolutions made by the bucket wheel the
quantity of liquor which has passed through the apparatus is known.
The axis of the bucket wheel is provided with a pinion for actuating
toothed gearing by means of which a finger or pointer is operated and
caused to indicate upon a dial; or the axis of the bucket wheel may
have an arm attached to it for actuating a stop or pointer in a volute or
spiral groove, the position of the stop or pointer in the groove affording
the indications required.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
Figure 1 on the annexed Sheet of Drawings is a front elevation, and
Figure 2 an end elevation of the apparatus constituting my said Inven-
tion Figure 3 is a vertical section of the same on the line a, b, Figure 2,
showing more particularly the construction of the bucket wheel A;
Figure 4 is a view of the apparatus with the dial plate B (Figure 1)
romoved so as to shew more particularly the arrangement of gearing
whereby the fingers or pointers C, D, are actuated; Figure 5 is a cross
vertical section of the apparatus at the line c, d, Figure 1.
The apparatus is shewn attached to an ordinary tap or cock E
which is placed in a cask or vessel containing the liquid to be measured.
The bucket wheel A revolves on its shaft F in the interior of the
casing G. That part of the casing G which contains the bucket wheel A
is divided from the rest of the mechanism by a plate or partition H
so that any liquor that may escape from the buckets is confined to
that portion of the casing. The shaft F is supported in bearings e, f,
the bearing being attached to a cross piece I secured at each end to
the plate H. Near the extremity of the shaft F is a ratchet wheel J.

page_text: upon which works a ratchet pall K, the object of the ratchet wheel
and pall being to prevent the bucket wheel A from revolving in any
save one direction, and also to steady and equalize the revolutions of the
bucket wheel. A pinion L is fixed at one extremity of the shaft F
which gears with and actuates the spur wheel M, on the axis of which
is a pinion N gearing with another spur wheel O, on whose axis is a
pinion P which gears with and actuates the spur wheel Q carried on a
shaft R, on the end of which is an indicating finger or pointer C which
is actuated by the hercin-before described mechanism and caused to
indicate upon the dial plate B.
Beneath and gearing with the spur wheel Q is another spur wheel S,
the axis of which (supported in bearings g, h,) is also provided with a
pinion T, which gears with and actuates the spur wheel U.. Upon the
extremity of a prolonged hub or boss formed upon the spur wheel U
an indicating finger or pointer D is fixed, which being actuated by the
hercin-before described arrangement of gearing indicates upon the dial
plate B. Access may be had to the mechanism by constructing the
casing G in two parts, hinged together on one side and on the other
secured by lock and key, as shown on the Drawings. A sheet of glass is
inserted in the movable portion of the casing and in front of the dial
plate B, the indications upon which can thus be read without opening
the casing G. At the bottom of that part of the casing G which
contains the bucket wheel A a well V is formed, to the lower part of
which an outlet pipe or passage W is attached. The capacity of the
outlet passage W should be greater than the capacity of the cock E, so
that the liquid delivered by the bucket wheel A is drawn off so quickly
as not to interfere with the motion of the wheel, but the lower part of
the outlet pipe or passage W may be narrowed by the introduction of a
ring X thereinto, as shown in the Drawings, whereby the delivery is
reduced to a steady equable flow. The lower part of the cock plug k
containing the waterway is provided with an eccentric 7 which works a
stop m in and out of the casing G, whereby the bucket wheel A is
prevented from revolving when not in use.
My Invention is operated as follows:-The waterway is turned so as
to allow the liquid to pass from a cask or other vessel through the
cock E to the bucket wheel A, which is by the same movement released
from the stop m and caused to revolve by the weight of the liquid in
some of the buckets on that side of the bucket wheel to which the

page_text: liquid has access. The bucket wheel in turning deposits the liquid in
the well V, which is made of large capacity as shown, in order to allow
the liquid to fall clear of the wheel, thus preventing its motion from being
retarded by back water. From the well V the liquid flows through the
outlet pipe or passage W into any receptacle provided for it.
The cock E is provided with a cork valve Z, of which the following is
a description (reference being had to Figure 3); two cross pieces n and o
are placed in the influx end of the cock E which support and serve as
guides to a valve spindle p capable of sliding through the said guide or
cross pieces in and out of the cock E. Upon the inner extremity of
the spindle is formed a head to prevent it from leaving the guides,
while the other end is provided with a piece of cork Z; which when
the cask or vessel is full is sucked against and stops the influx end of
the cock E, no fluid being allowed to enter the cock except through the
side ports 1. When the quantity of liquid in the cask or other vessel
diminishes, the pressure or suction (which holds the cork Z against the
end of the cock E) also decreases, and the cork Z by reason of its
lightness rises and allows the liquid to enter the cock at the end as well
as by the side ports », the cock being set into the cask or other vessel at
an angle, as shewn in the Drawings, to facilitate the rising of the cork.
By the herein-before described arrangement of cork valve the velocity of
the flow of liquid through the cock E is regulated according to the
pressure in the cask or other vessel containing the liquid or fluid to be
measured.
The indicating parts of the apparatus consist of the dial plate B and
fingers or pointers C and D, which are operated in front of the dial
plate B by the hercin-before described arrangement of mechanism. The
dial plate B may be marked off into any desired number of divisions
representing any desired measure or measures, and their integral parts.
As shewn on the Drawings the shorter pointer D, to which the slower
motion is imparted, indicates the highest measure marked on the dial
plate, while the pointer C to which the quicker motion is imparted may
indicate the integral parts thereof. The cubical contents of the buckets
on the bucket wheel being known, the intermediate gearing between the
shaft thereof and the pointer in front of the dial is so arranged that
the pointers will indicate correctly upon the dial the number of
revolutions performed by the wheel and consequently the quantity of
liquid passed through the buckets thereof.

page_text: Although two indicating pointers are shown on the Drawings, one or
any greater number of pointers may be employed for the purposes of
this Invention, and instead of the pointers being made to turn, the dial
plate or dial plates may be so actuated, or instead of employing a dial
plate or dial plates and pointer or pointers, as herein-before described, the
axis of the bucket wheel may have an arm attached to it for actuating
a stop or pointer in a volute or spiral groove, the position of the stop or
pointer in the groove affording the indication required.
It is also to be understood that although I have described my In-
vention as preferably applied to the measuring of wines, spirits, or malt
liquors, drawn off from casks or other vessels, it may also be employed
upon a large scale to measure the quantity of water supplied to towns
or public works in addition to its other uses herein-before described and
shewn.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which
the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The arrangement or construction or combination of apparatus
constituting a fluid or liquid measure, substantially as hercin-before
described and shewn.
Second. The eccentric and stop m operated from the cock, as and for
the purposes hercin-before described and shewn.
Third. The arrangement and construction of the regulating 'float
valve Z as and for the purposes herein-before described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathaniel Hobson Hughes, have
hercunto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of August
One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four.
NATHANIEL HOBSON HUGHES. (L.S.)