Year: 1886

page_text: I, LEWIS HALLOCK NASH, residing at 379, Gates Avenue, Brooklyn, in the
County of Kings and State of New York, in the United States of America,
Mechanical Engineer, 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:—
My improvement relates to that class of water meters in which a piston having
a number of bearing points and recesses operates within a case having an equal
number of bearing points and recesses, and in which each of the piston bearing
points is perpetually in contact with corresponding case recess and each case
projection in perpetual contact with corresponding recesses of the piston during
the entire movement of the latter whereby to divide the case and piston recesses
into enlarging and contracting measuring spaces.
Each case recess is provided with an inlet and discharge port which in the
operation of the piston have alternate communication with the enlarging and con-
tracting measuring spaces of the case and of the piston. This construction renders
it unnecessary to control the flow through either of these supply or discharge
ports, because the piston makes a joint forming contact with the case, separating
the inlet from the outlet ports in all positions of its movements.
It is important that the enlarging and contracting spaces shall have free com-
munication with the inlet and outlet ports so that there shall be no dead spaces
into and from which there is no communication in order that the piston may
operate with perfect freedom and my improvement is directed to the accomplish-
ment of this result as I will hereinafter describe and point out in the claim.
My improvement also embraces a construction and arrangement of ports whereby
to relieve the crank connection of the piston from wear caused by the action of the
water in forcing the piston away from contact with the case walls and also a con-
struction and arrangement of ports so as to afford ample capacity for the free
filling and discharging of the measuring spaces to avoid resistance to the flowing
streams.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of my improved meter taken on the line y-y
of Fig. 2, which represents a horizontal section on the line x-x of Fig. 1, while
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are identical horizontal sections showing the piston in different
positions to illustrate its dividing function in the case.
Fig. 6 shows the construction of the case projections and ports, the piston being
removed

page_text: Fig. 7 shows a modification in which the case ports are symmetrical and also by
diagram illustrates the action of a meter having symmetrical inlet and discharge
ports, while
Fig. 8 shows a similar diagram illustrating the action of the water with
differently formed ports in forcing the piston against the case whereby to relieve
the piston crank connection from side pressure and wear.
The enclosing case, A, with its head-plates A¹ and C, form the measuring
chamber which communicates through ports in the bottom plate, A¹, with the
inlet passage, H, and with the discharge chamber, E, through ports in the top
head, C.
The bottom head plate has the open inlet ports, a, a¹, and the recess ports, b³,
while the top head-plate has the open outlet ports, b, b', and the recess ports, a², of
the same shape and size which operate with corresponding wall ports of the case.
The case chamber is formed with bearing projections, c³, c, c, within the vertical
walls of which are formed the inlet and outlet ports, a, and b, which communicate
respectively with the inlet and discharge ports and between these port containing
walls recesses, d¹, d, d³, are formed.
The piston has projecting bearing points, e¹, e³, e³, adapted to operate within the
case recesses and make perpetual contact therein and these projections form
recesses, ff, fs, within which the case projections make perpetual contact in
every position of the piston. Hence there is always a point of contact between
the piston and the case separating the inlet ports, a, a¹, from the outlet ports, b, b',
in all positions of the piston.
The case projections terminate in bearing points, 2, 3, etc. joined by a convex
bearing surface n, which coact with the concave bearing surface, r, of the piston
recess, while the piston projections terminate in bearing points, h¹, h², etc. joined
by the convex bearing surface, e¹, etc. adapted to coact with the interior walls of
the case recesses.
Referring now to figures, 4, and, 6.—The acting edges of the inlet and discharge
ports are determined by the position of the piston at the instant the measuring
chambers are changing from a receiving to a discharging space as in figure, 4, at
chamber, d¹. In this position the piston point, h², is shown as having just made
contact with the edge, z, of port, a, and just closed the edge, 2, of port, a, a¹, & is
on the point of opening the edge, 2, of port, b, & the edge, 22, of part, b', of port,
b, b¹, the outline, z, corresponding with the conformation of the piston bearing
projection, e¹. The inner edges, 23, of the said ports operating the interior piston
spaces, f¹, etc. are determined by the position of the piston as shown in figure, 2,
wherein the bearing point, is shown as just having closed the edge 23, of
port, a¹, & just about to open the edge, 23, of port, 61, made contact at, i³, & about
to break contact at ', so that in both cases the instant communication is closed
with the inlet port, it is opened with the outlet port & thus prevent the crowding
or pressing of the water in the measuring spaces.
In Fig. 7 the ports are shown as changing from inlet to outlet the instant the
measuring spaces are at their greatest capacity and therefore the wall port
edges, z, z, are of equal projection and the head port edges, 22, 23, are also of equal
projection, while in the other figures the change from inlet to outlet is made after
the measuring chambers have begun to contract in volume and therefore the wall
port edges, z, z, are of unequal projection and the head port edges, 2³, 2³, are also
of unequal projection, for reasons which will be more fully hereinafter explained.
I have stated that the inlet ports, a, a¹, are located and formed so as to admit
the water to the measuring chambers after the latter has begun to contract and
that the outlet ports, b, 61, are located and formed so as to open the instant the
inlet ports close, and it will be understood that this latter action is a necessity on
account of the swift movement of the piston and that but for such operation of
the ports, the piston would act against a closed body of water in the spaces closed.
This action of admitting the water after the chambers have begun to contract
is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 and as thus shown, is effected by extending the

page_text: headports, a¹, further into the chamber spaces than the head ports, 61, and by
widening the ports, a, and correspondingly narrowing the ports, b, as shown in
Fig. 6. The meter can be used with the same results with the ports, a, and, b,
or, a¹, and b, or with these ports combined as shown. The recess ports, a³, in the
top plate, C, are formed of the same port outline as the corresponding ports, a¹, in
the lower head and they communicate with the ports, a, formed by the vertical
walls of the case projections so that the water can flow through said recesses. In
such action, the ports, a, serve as passages connecting the inlet passage, H, with
the ports, a³, and thus secure an entrance for the water from the ports in the
upper and lower heads at the same time. The recess ports 62, in the lower head
are formed and act in the same manner in relation to the ports, a, as the upper
head-recess ports.
To make plain the operation of the ports I will state the action of the meter
with reference to the several figures. When the piston is in position Fig. 2 at the
time when any interior piston-chamber as, f¹, is about to change from a receiving
to a discharging chamber, the bearing ends, h1, h2, of the piston projection, c', are
both in contact with the walls of the recess chamber, f¹, and at the same
time, the piston ends, h¹, and h³, have covered the head ports, a¹, and b¹, so that the
communication with the chamber, f¹, is cut off until the piston has moved toward
the position of Fig. 3 to open communication between the chamber, f¹, and the
outlet ports, b, b¹, as shown in said figure. When the piston is in position so that
any case chamber as, d', is about to change from a receiving to a discharging
chamber as d', in Fig. 4, the piston arms, h2, h3, have closed all communication
between said chamber, d', and the inlet and discharge ports a, a¹, and b, b¹, and, as
soon as the piston continues to move toward the position Fig. 5, the water escapes
through ports, b, 61, as shown by the arrows.
It will be seen that the vertical ports, a, and b, formed by the arms of the case
projections, operate in the same manner as the head ports, a¹, and 6', and that by
adding the ports, a¹ and b', 1 obtain the advantage over the use of the ports, a
and b, alone, of a much greater capacity to the entrance ports and hence the water
can flow into and out of the measuring chambers with a much easier motion and
less resistance whereby the pressures upon the moving piston will be greatly
lessened and consequently there will be greater accuracy of measurement and less
wear of the parts.
The object of the described arrangement of ports will be clearly seen from an
examination of the action of the pressures of the water upon the pistons in the
diagrams, Figs. 7 and 8.
Fig. 7 shows ports of symmetrical form arranged to change from inlet to outlet
at the instant the measuring spaces are at their greatest capacity.
The piston being in the position shown in this figure, the arrow, 2, will show the
line normal to the contacting surfaces of the piston and the cylinder, and the
arrow, l, shows the direction of the movement of the piston at the time which
direction is at right angles to the normal line, 2.
In order to show the action of the pressures of the water upon the piston
between the various receiving and discharging chambers, the two points of contact
between the piston and case which separate a filling space from a discharging
space are joined by the dotted lines, 1, 3, 73. These lines represent the surface of
the piston which is subjected to pressure which pressure acts at right angles to the
said lines.
In order to determine what part of these pressures are exerted to drive the
piston in the direction of the arrow, l, and what part of the pressure is exerted in
the direction of the dotted line, 2, either in pressing the piston in contact with
the case or in forcing the piston away from contact with the case, the dotted
lines, 81, 82, 83, are drawn parallel to the arrow, l, and the dotted lines t¹, s, t, are
drawn in the direction of the line, 2. Now by the well known laws of the triangle
of forces the algebraic sum of the pressures on the lines, 81, 82, 83, represents the
force acting to move the piston in the direction of the line, 2.,

page_text: To clearly show the action of the water upon the piston in all positions of its
movements a dotted circle, 3, is drawn around the figure which circle represents
the zero line from which all the pressures normal to the motion of the piston, are
measured and from this line is measured off the line, t, equal to the algebraic sum
of the pressures upon lines, 81, 82, 83, and in the direction of said pressures. This
line,, represents the resultant pressure tending to move the piston in the direction
of the arrow head, 9, and line, t. Similarly the lines, to, to, etc. are found showing
the action of the pressures upon the piston for other portions of its movement
and these points are connected by the curved line, 4.
Hence this curved line, 4, shows what the normal effect of the water is upon the
piston for every position of its movement. When the line, 4 is outside of the
zero line, 3, it shows the effect of the pressure to force the piston against its case
and away from the central bearing. On the other hand if the curved line, 4, is
within the zero line, 3, it shows the effect of the normal pressure to force the
piston away from the case and against the piston central connection.
Thus it will be seen that in the movement of the piston from one bearing point
to another it is held against the case by the pressure of the water during one half
its movement but that for the other half of said movement it is pressed away
therefrom by the pressure. I may however avoid all the inward pressure upon
the piston by forming the ports as shown in the other figures, in which the inlet
ports remain open after the measuring spaces have begun to contract and the outlet
ports open the instant the inlet ports close. The effect of the pressures under
these conditions is shown in Fig. 8 in which the diagram shows that the pressures
are all outward and that the piston is held against its case in all positions but my
invention may be carried out by constructing the meter in either way.
The operation of the meter is as follows:-
The piston being in position Fig. 2, water enters from ports, a, and a¹, into
chambers, d¹, d, f, driving the piston in the direction of arrow 7, and the water
escapes from chambers, d³, f³.
At the time piston chamber, f¹, is cut off from both inlet and discharge but
as soon as the piston moves toward the position of Fig. 3, the water enters
chambers, d, d, f, d, f, and escapes from chambers, d³, f', f³, through the
ports, b, b', as shown by arrows, driving the piston into the position, Fig. 4. In
this figure, chamber, d, is closed and water enters chambers, d³, f; f³, and escapes
from chambers, f¹, d³, d², as shown by the arrows driving the piston into position
Fig. 5, at which time the water enters chambers, d, f, d³, fs, and escapes from
chambers, d, f, d³, f³, as shown by the arrows moving the piston into the same
relation with regard to chamber, fs, as shown in Fig. 2 in relation to chamber, f¹,
and the action of the piston continues as before.
The registration is effected through the crank-shafts, l, and, m, to the mechanism
contained in the box, F, depending in the outlet passage, as shown in Fig. 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination, in a water-meter, of a revolving non-rotating piston having
the bearing points, h, h¹, etc and recesses, f¹, f, etc with a case having an equal
number of coacting bearing points and corresponding recesses and the inlet and
exhaust ports, a, and b, bounded by and having the edges, z, z, and, .il, ³, etc
whereby the piston points are caused to open communication between the
measuring spaces the instant communication is closed with the inlet ports, a, to
effect the free inlet and discharge of the water into and from the measuring spaces,
as stated.
2. In a water-meter, the combination of a revolving non-rotating piston having
projections formed with bearing points, h, h¹, etc connected by convex surfaces, e¹,
etc and having the concave bearing surfaces, r, with a case having an equal
number of projections having coacting bearing points, 1, 3, etc connected by the

page_text: convex bearing surface, n, case recesses corresponding to the convex conformation
of the piston projections, e¹, etc and suitable inlet and exhaust ports in said case,
as described.
3. In a water meter, the combination of a revolving non-rotating piston having
projections formed with bearing points, h, h', etc connected by a convex surface, e¹,
etc and having concave bearing surfaces, 7, with a case having an equal number of
projections having coacting bearing points i, ¹, connected by the convex bearing
surfaces, n, and inlet and exhaust ports, a, and b, bounded by and having the
edges, z, z, and i, i, etc and the case recesses corresponding to the convex
formation of the piston projections, e¹, etc as described.
4. The combination of a revolving non-rotating piston having bearing pro-
jections, h, h', etc and, e, e', etc and concave bearing surfaces, r, with a case having
bearing projections, i¹, i³, etc, n, and z, z, the inlet and exhaust ports, a, and b, the
inlet bottom passage, H, communicating with the ports, a, and the outlet top
passage, E, communicating with the ports, b, as described.
αι,
5. In a water-meter, the case heads, A and C, each having the inlet ports, a¹,
and the outlet ports, 61, 68, outside of the bearing points of the case projections, in
combination with a case and the piston having equal number of bearing projections
making perpetual joint forming contact with corresponding recesses in both piston
and case whereby the piston and case projections operate to separate the inlet
from the outlet ports in all position of the piston, in the way described.
6. In a water-meter the case heads, A and C each having the inlet ports, a,
prolonged to form the ports, a¹, and the outlet ports, b¹, in combination with a
case having the wall bearing projections containing the ports, a, and b, and a piston
having equal number of bearing projections corresponding, with case recesses,
whereby the piston and case projections perpetually separate the inlet from the
outlet ports, as stated.
7. The combination with the case and the piston having equal number of
bearing projections making perpetual joint forming contact with corresponding
recesses in both piston and case, of the inlet ports, a, a¹, and the outlet ports, b, b',
the inlet ports being located and formed to admit the water to the measuring
chamber after the latter begins to contract and the outlet ports located and formed
to open the instant the inlet ports close, as described.
8. The case having the extended inlet ports a¹, and the correspondingly
contracted outlet, ports b¹, and the ports, a, and b, formed in the case wall
projections, in combination with the piston having equal number of projections
making perpetual contact with the case, as described.
9. The case having the inlet ports, a, of greater width of opening than the
outlet ports, b, in the case wall projections, in combination with a piston having
equal number of projections making perpetual contact with the case, in the way
set forth.
10. The case having the inlet ports, a, a¹, of greater width of opening than the
outlet ports b, 61, in combination with the piston having equal number of projections
making perpetual contact with the case in the way described.
11. The case having the vertical inlet ports, a, and b, bounded by the bearing
points ¹,, etc and, z, z, and the head port edges, 22, 22, the said bearing points, z, z,
being of unequal projection, in combination with the piston having equal number
of projections making perpetual contact with the case, in the manner set forth.
Dated this 16th day of February 1886