IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER, LIQUID, GAS, AND STEAM GAUGES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Charles Henderson, of the Firm of
Henderson and Company, British and Foreign Patent Agents, of
No. 6, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER, LIQUID, GAS, AND STEAM
GAUGES." A communication from abroad by the Firm of Nicolas,
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Charles
Henderson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 30th June 1873.
I, ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON, of the Firm of Henderson and
Company, British and Foreign Patent Agents, of No. 6, Southampton.
Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER, LIQUID, GAB,
AND STEAM GAUGES," a communication to me from abroad by the Firm
of Nicolas, Chamon, and Company, Builders and Contractors, of Paris,
France,

page_text: This Invention relates to apparatus for measuring water, liquids, or
gas supplied by conduits, and in the application of the principle either
as lifting apparatus or as distributers to steam, gas, or other motors.
The mechanism of the gauge consists of a shaft bearing a valve at
each end, and springs for actuating them. The shaft is quite independent,
being neither maintained by slides or guides, and is not deranged by the
pressure of the water, liquid, or gas, the valves being equally balanced,
and present neutralizing surfaces to the pressure.
A. lever furnished with movable rollers for the springs to slide on
turns on axes or otherwise actuates the shaft and valves by aid of the
rollers, as well as a shaft in communication with a ratchet wheel, which
shows the quantity of liquid or gas delivered, and a central support, the
lower end of which is connected to a membrane of metal, india-rubber,
or other substance follows the alternate movement of the latter, causing
the lever which is connected to the upper end of the support to describe
a segment of a circle, the said lever governing a dial register, whilst a
measuring capacity varying according to the nature of employment of
the apparatus represents the volume delivered at each oscillation of the
membrane.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Arthur Charles Henderson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
CHARLES HENDERSON, of the Firm of Henderson and Company, British
and Foreign Patent Agents, of No. 6, Southampton Buildings, Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Arthur Charles Henderson, Her
special licence that I, the said Arthur Charles Henderson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Arthur Charles
Henderson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: The niechanism CONSISTS,
1st. Of a shaft bearing the valves s, s³, and springs 7, 7", for
actuating them. The shaft t is completely isolated, that is to say, it is
neither maintained by slides or guides. The pressure of the water or
other liquid cannot derange it, for the valves s, s¹, which are fixed at its
ends are quite evenly balanced, as they present neutralizing surfaces to
the pressure. Thus, the surface f of the valves is balanced by tho
surface of the valve.s². There is also an equipoise between the

page_text: .
passing through the gauge. The pulley m is keyed to the shaft charged
to transmit motion to the hands of the dials. Two cams y, y¹, taking
just the form of the throat of the pulley m, are fixed, one y¹ in rear of
the mechanism n to check the pulley, and the other y mounted on the
lover v, having its fulcrum on the pulley and giving motion to the
latter.
latter.
In place of this frictional movement transmitting the motion of the
apparatus cranks, ratchets, and other combinations may be employed.
Finally, it may be mentioned that the mechanism of the gauge may as
well be placed inside, as shown by the Drawing, as externally.
APPLICATIONS OF THE APPARATUS.
8
As a Lifting Machine.-The water gauge described can be used as a
lift, sec Fig. 4, which represents in section the right organs symetrically
repeated to the left. To the mechanism of the shaft t with valves & and
springs 1, 71, of the rollers g of the lever d, are added two pistons P,
keyed to the shaft t at each uncoging movement produced by the rollers
on the springs; the shaft t draws along with it the pistons P, the water
or liquid leaving the gauge at 6 enters the funnel a, communicating
with the two pistons, which in their backward and forward movement
draw at a, to force at e, by the play of the valves c and c¹.
As Distributers to Steam and Gas Motors.-Fig. 5 shows in section
the application of the principle to these purposes. The advantage in
these special cases is the suppression of friction in distributers, eccentrics,
and stuffing boxes. The Drawing represents a full force steam dis-
tributer, but any analogous combination for producing expansion gear,
whether fixed or variable, may be employed. With this view, on the
admitting conduit a a valve is arranged, actuated by the same kind of
mechanism, and opening or closing the conduit to the movements
desired. The valves 8, 8³, instantaneously open the orifices of admission
and of emission a', immediately producing the necessary opening,
allowing the requisite quantity of steam to pass. The shaft t, by aid
of cams on the piston rod, regulates the distribution, and also actuates
the expansion valves, if necessary, but any other combination of cam can
be employed.
As in the gauge described, the force of the springs is here very slight,

page_text: '
The Drawing represents the incenamism on
ULTO
but it may indifferently occupy any other position, either on or outside the
cylinder.
7 is the lever for reversing the movement.
Whatever be the application of the Invention the essential organs of
the system are the springs of the valve shaft ;
the combination repre-
sented in the Drawings are also claimed.
In the Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the springs are straight, with ends furnished
with prisms or bodies with inclined surfaces.
In Figs. 4, 5, and 6, springs, one upper », and one lower ¹,
similarly curved, take the place of the prisms of the straight springs.
and
Fig. 7 shows two extreme and upper springs, similarly arranged, r, r,
and one lower and inverse one?.
Fig. 8 shows the springs 1, ¹, mounted on the shaft t of the valves.
In Fig. 9 the roller g is drawn along by the membranes, and descends
the length of the frame c, divided in two parts by the division b. On
pressing on the springs 7 or ¹, when the roller meets the spaces u or u¹,
it effects the uncoging, and by the lever causes the valves to change
positions.
Fig. 10 shows the combination of two spiral springs working in a
frame of the shaft t; and acting on the two cushions q, q', between
which the rollers act.
Fig. 11 shows that the rollers may be placed at the ends of the
springs, ¹, whether fixed or movable on the axis. The lever also
bears a shaft, whose section is round, square, trapezoidal, or otherwise.
Finally, the springs whatever be their profile may be fixed like those
mentioned to the same centre, or may have independent centres.
En resumé, I claim the gauge herein described and specially
characterized by the movement by springs of the admission and emission
valves mounted on a shaft, separated and entirely abandoned to the
action, of the springs, being neither guided by slides or otherwisc.
I claim also the application of my system of gauging water or other
liquids, wines, spirits, and so on, as well as for measuring gas, and as a
lifting apparatus, as also a distributor to steam and gas motors.

page_text: In conjunction with the use of the springs in the manner herein set
forth as forming part of my Invention, the right of varying the form,
dimensions, and materials of construction of the apparatus is claimed
and included.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Charles Henderson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
A. C. HENDERSON. (L.S.)