A NEW OR IMPROVED WATER METER
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Guy Wilson, of the Office for British and Foreign
Patents, 71, Market Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer
and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED WATER
METER." A communication from abroad by Frederick August Einenkel, of
Neudörfel, and Charles Otto Müller, of Zwickau, both in the Empire of
Germany.
Sealed the 16th September 1879, and dated the 17th March 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Guy Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th March 1879.
JOHN GUY. WILSON, of the Office for British & Foreign Patents, 71, Market
Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent. "A
NEW OR IMPROVED WATER METER." A communication from abroad by Frederick
August Einenkel, of Neudörfel, and Charles Otto Müller, of Zwickau, both in the
Empire of Germany.
This new or improved water meter consists of an enclosed vessel through which
passes a pipe which forms a continuation of the supply pipe from which the water
is required to be drawn. Inside this vessel and upon the same pipe are arranged a
pair of cocks or valves, the one cock being actuated by the person drawing off the
water by a lever handle and rod passing through to the outside of such vessel, and
the plug of the other cock being arranged horizontally in connection with a shaft
the extremity of which is capable of being operated upon from the outside by a
suitable key when it is required to reopen such cock. Between the first mentioned
cock and the bib from which the water is drawn is arranged an adjustable orifice
opening into the inside of the enclosed vessel, so that a definite portion of the
water flowing through this pipe is capable of falling into a suitable vessel suspended
from an arm branching from the shaft in connection with the second mentioned
IPrice 6d1

page_text: cock, and which suspended vessel when it becomes filled falls by its own gravity, so
closing the plug of the cock which stops off the supply, and at the same time opening
a valve to allow of the escape of its contents; the suspended vessel can only be
raised again so as to place the meter in the position of giving out a further supply
by means of the key applied to the shaft hereinbefore mentioned.
It will thus be apparent that by connecting the said shaft with a suitable counting
mechanism that a record may be obtained of the number of times the suspended
vessel falls and that by knowing the size of the orifice and the capacity of the
suspended vessel it is easy to calculate the quantity of water which has passed
through the apparatus, and that thus an effective water meter is constituted.
1

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Guy Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on' the 17th
September 1879.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the Office for British and Foreign Patents, 71, Market
Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent. "A
NEW OR IMPROVED WATER METER." A communication from abroad by Frederick
August Einenkel, of Newdörfel, and Charles Otto Müller, of Zwickau, both in the
Empire of Germany.
Figure 1 is a side sectional view, and Figure 2 a plan of a liquid meter con-
structed in accordance with this Invention; Figure 3 is a part of Figure 1 shewing
pipe (a) in section. In all the views (a), is a pipe being the continuation of the
water supply pipe passing through the enclosed metal or other box 6, and provided
with a vertical cylindrical stop cock c, the plug of which is bored out to the same
diameter as the bore of the pipe a. This stop-cock can be manipulated by the
lever d or in any other convenient manner.
The water from the main or other
source and requiring to be measured flows out of the spout e', and at the same timo
a proportionate quantity escapes through the small hole e¹ (formed at the lower side
of the pipe a), the size of which is much smaller than the spout e¹ and the area of
opening through which hole e2 can be regulated to the greatest nicety and closed
by the screw f. The water escaping through this hole e2 falls into the vessel i,
which is of a known capacity, and is vertically guided as illustrated within the
box b, and is suspended by a chain k from the lever o which is fixed to the horizontal
shaft n, the extremity of which is formed as a stop-cock. The extremity of this
lever o is filled with a spring p which is illustrated in the vertical position, the
lever o being shown in the horizontal position.
The edge of this spring is in touching contact with one arm of the double armed
lever (see detailed Drawing) the other arm of which lever carries the weight o̟,
and which is arrested by the support 8.
The two arms of the lever are so regulated, or in other words, the distance of the
centre of gravity of the weight q and that of the edge of the spring p from the centre
of the lever is such that such lever r is maintained in the horizontal position until
the instant when the vessel i has received the desired quantity of water through the
small holes e². At this instant the smallest increase of water causes it to descend
(that is to say, the lever o turns downwards and the weight q is raised owing to the
edge of the spring p leaving the end of the lever r and allowing the vessel i to
descend), so closing the stop cock and interrupting by its descent the further flow
out of water. The vessel i is filled with a weighted valve t which for the purpose
of being better guided is suspended by the cord h. This valve closes water-tight
against its seating formed in the hollow of the vessel i, when such vessel is in
its upper or highest position, and thus permits such vessel to become filled without
loss of water.
In descending the vessel i comes in contact with and rests upon the india rubber
or cushioned supports i, i, whilst the point of the valve t at an earlier instant comes
in contact with the bottom of the box b, and so permits the water to escape into
such box and from whence it flows away through the waste pipe a'. The 'shaft n
extends through the box b to the outside in order that the apparatus may be
remounted by a key after each descent of the vessel i, and which descent is indicated
by m' water flowing through the spout of the pipe a notwithstanding that the
stop-cock c is opened. In remounting the vessel i, which is effected by giving a
partial revolution to the shaft n by means of the key, the stop-cock c, the plug of
which is formed upon its end is once more opened to allow the water to pass through
the spout. Now supposing that the vessel i is capable of holding one gallon and
that that quantity of water flowing through the small hole e² is found to be
.

page_text: part of the quantity flowing out of the spout e¹ it will be readily seen that 200
gallons will escape through the spout e¹ for every descent of the vessel i.
It will be further apparent that the position of the screw f in the hole e² can be
so regulated and its head so marked with divisions (see detailed view) as that by
opening the same more or less the degree of opening being indicated upon a
properly divided scale l, the time of the descent of the vessel i can be lengthened or
shortened.
A counter is arranged under the apparatus to denote the different descendings of
the vessel, and thus it becomes possible to determine exactly the consumption
within a given time. To actuate this counter (see detailed views) a spring v is
affixed to the shaft n gearing with a toothed wheel w so that every descent of the
vessel i causes such wheel w to advance one tooth, whilst a frame a prevents the
return or backward movement of such wheel whilst the vessel is being remounted.
The party in possession of the key of the box of the apparatus has thus nothing
further to do than to note the position of the counter to find the number of descents
of the vessels i and then to multiply the same by 200 to determine the consumption,
after which he may return the counter to the zero position.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion so communicated to me as aforesaid, together with the best method with
which I am acquainted for carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be
understood that I claim, first, the method of measuring water substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings; second, the registering of a certain quantity of water by the descent of
the vessel and consequent interruption of the flow, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawings; third, the construction
and arrangement of apparatus for measuring water, substantially as herein before
described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Guy Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
TAH