IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER, ALCOHOL, AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Siemens, of No. 3, Great George
Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER, ALCOHOL, AND OTHER
FLUIDS." Partly a communication from abroad by Dr. Werner Siemens,
of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia.
Sealed the 3rd September 1867, and dated the 7th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William Siemens
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th March 1867.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM SIEMENS, of No. 3, Great George Street, West-
minster, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER, ALCOHOL,
AND OTHER FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
In fluid meters of the class known as "inferential meters" as at present
constructed where the fluid produces the required rotary motion by reacting
upon the curved passages of a small turbine, or where it impinges in the
form of jets upon rotating vanes or blades, or upon helical surfaces, the
accuracy of measurement is very much dependent, first, upon the form and
proportions of such vanes, blades, or passages, and, secondly, upon theabsence
7

page_text: from the fluid of all impurities that might cause obstructions in the apertures
for passages, or might contract the waterways thereof by gradual deposits.
The present improvements have for their principal object so to construct
fluid meters that their accuracy shall not be impaired by such contraction of
or obstructions in the inlet passages due to deposits from the fluid. For this
purpose in one arrangement a spindle connected to the counter of the meter
is provided with a number of vanes or blades situated inside a cylindrical
chamber. In the sides of this chamber on a level with the vanes are a
number of comparatively large oblique openings, through which the fluid
enters; such fluid entirely fills the chamber, and by its oblique action on
entering it causes the whole of the fluid contained in the lower part of the
chamber to revolve, which is thereby made to carry with it the vanes and
thus causes the spindle to rotate. The outlet orifice of the chamber is in the
upper part thereof, and as the fluid passes up towards it its rotation is checked
by a series of stationary vanes projecting from the sides of the chamber,
which vanes are capable of adjustment so as to regulate somewhat the speed
of rotation of the lower body of the fluid. In order to equalize the speed of
rotation of the lower vanes according to the quantity of fluid passing through
the meter other rotating vanes are fixed to the spindle in the.quiescent fluid
above the stationary vanes, whereby any tendency to an increase of speed of
the lower vanes disproportionate to the increase in the flow of the fluid is
counteracted by the increased resistance to rotation offered by the upper
vanes.
By the above-described arrangement it will be seen that the fluid entering
the meter does not act directly upon the rotating vanes, but only through the
medium of the rotating body of the fluid, and that consequently the con-
traction of the entrance passages by deposit of impurities from the fluid
therein would not have any effect on the accuracy of the meter. The whole
of the mechanism of the meter is contained within the before-mentioned
chamber, which is so arranged inside the casing of the meter that upon
removing the cover of the latter the entire mechanism can be drawn out,
thus obviating the necessity existing in the present arrangements of dis-
connecting the entire meter from the service pipes when required to be
examined or repaired.
The above-described improved meter is equally well adapted for measuring
large or small quantities of fluid, the dimensions of the meter being made
proportionate to the amount of fluid to be measured; as, however, a meter
of this construction when adapted for measuring a considerable flow of fluid
would not register with the same accuracy very minute quantities of fluid

page_text: passing through I prefer to combine with the large meter a dwarf ineter
operating in connection therewith in the following manner :-Between the
inlet pipe of the meter and the supply pipe for the fluid I establish a dirt box
consisting of a closed casing, in the lower part of which is a perforated
chamber; the fluid has to pass from the supply pipe into the interior of this
chamber through the said perforations before issuing from an opening in the
top of the chamber into the upper part of the casing and thence into the
meter; such opening is provided with a cover or valve, which is kept closed
either by a spring or by its own weight in such a manner that it is only when
the pressure of the fluid is such as to force open this valve that it can find
it way into the meter. The perforated chamber is furthermore in free
cominunication with a dwarf meter, which may be of precisely the same
construction as the large meter and the outlet pipe of which communicates
with the outlet pipe of the latter. From this arrangement it will be seen
that if the quantity of fluid passing into the dirt box is so small that the
pressure is not sufficient to open the before-mentioned valve the whole of
such fluid will pass through and be registered by the dwarf meter, but when
the pressure is increased to such an extent as to open the valve the fluid will
pass through the large meter, a portion thereof however still passing through
the dwarf meter, and the indications will cousequently have to be read off'
both meters in order to ascertain the entire quantity registered. This
arrangment of a large and dwarf meter made to act in combination by
means of a valve chamber in order to register accurately both large and
small quantities of fluid may also be applied to meters of any known con-
struction that are not well adapted for fulfilling these conditions. The
revolving drum meter, such as was described in the Specification to certain
Letters Patent granted to Samuel Crossly, and dated 1st February 1825,
No. 5088, does not, however, suffer from this disadvantage, nor is its accuracy
affected by deposits in the inlet passages, but in the arrangement described in
the said Specification the rotation of the drum is necessarily very gradual,
and the power exerted by the fluid to produce rotation is comparatively feeble,
so that any undue friction of the spindle of the drum and registering
mechanism might produce a temporary stoppage, whereby the fluid in rising
slightly in the central compartment might again flow through the inlet of the
segmental compartment that has just been filled, and thus cause an inaccuracy
of measurement. To obviate this defect I do not immerse the lower part of
the drum in the fluid, as described in the said Specification, and I form the
segmental compartments in such a manner with oblique instead of radial par-
titions, that as each one is filling the centre of gravity of the drum moves.

page_text: first gradually to one side of the vertical centre line, and thus the drum is
caused to revolve gradually until the inlet of the compartment that is being
filled has been raised above the level of the fluid in the central compartment,
and such fluid begins to fall through the inlet of the next compartment; by
this the centre of gravity is shifted suddenly so much farther on one side that
the drum turns rapidly so as to bring the last-uamed compartment nearly into
its lowest position, thus also bringing the outlet passage of the compartment
that has just been filled into such a position that the fluid escapes therefrom
into a tank or receptacle in which the drum is suspended, and whence the
fluid passes away through a discharge pipe. The said outlet passage of the
compartment is so formed that before its orifice has assumed a sufficiently low
position for the fluid to escape therefrom the inlet orifice of the compartment
has been raised to such a height that it would be practically impossible for
the fluid in the central compartment to reach it again through a temporary
stoppage of the drum, as for it to do this the quantity of fluid entering the next
compartment would shift the centre of gravity of the drum to such an extent
as to afford a very powerful leverage for turning the drum still further
round.
The present improvements consist further in adapting the just described
form of meter for measuring the quantity of absolute alcohol contained in
any spirituous liquor passing through it. For this purpose the spirituous
liquor is first caused to flow into a vessel containing a float, formed of thin
hollow metal and filled with absolute alcohol; this float is suspended by
means of links from the end of a spring, or rod controlled by a spring, so
that according as the per-centage of absolu te acohol in the liquor flowing into
the vessel alters the consequent greater or less buoyancy of the float will
cause the spring to rise or fall and to impart its motion by means of a link
and lever to a long index or pointer mounted on a spindle. The casing of the
float is so formed that the alcohol in the same is free to expand and contract
according to the temperature of the liquor in the vessel, thus compensating
for any variation in the specific gravity thereof consequent of any change of
temperature. Upon the spindle of the drum of the before-described meter is
fixed a pinion communicating motion to an ordinary counter, whereby the
quantity of spirituous liquor passing through the meter is measured. The
spindle carries furthermore a cam of the form of a circular disc having as
many deep indentations in its circumference as there are compartments to the
measuring drum; upon this cam rides a truck carried by the short arm of a
bell-crank lever, the other arm of which is of a peculiarly curved form; this
bell-crank lever is loose upon the spindle of a large ratchet wheel, which

page_text: spindle also carries a pinion communicating motion to a second counter for
registering the quantity of absolute alcohol passing through the meter; as the
before-mentioned cam revolves with the measuring drum it communicates a
backward and forward motion to the bell-crank lever, which in its turn com-
municates its forward motion only to the ratchet wheel by means of a series of
spring pawls attached to the short arm. The before-mentioned iudex or
pointer is, however, so arranged and actuated by the float that when moved
thereby into certain positions corresponding with certaiuper-centages of alcohol
in the liquor it strikes against certain points of the curved arm of the bell-
crank lever as this falls forward, and consequently prevents its performing
more than a certain proportion of the full extent of the motion it would other-
wise have, and this proportionate motion only is therefore imparted through
the ratchet wheel to the second or "quality" counter.
The pointer and curved arm are so formed and arranged that when absolute
alcohol is passing through the meter the former allows of the full motion of
the latter, which only comes in contact with the, pointer at the end of its
forward motion, such point of contact being marked with the number 100 on
the curved arm; if, on the other hand, fluid containing no alcohol is passing
through the meter the pointer assumes such a position as to intercept all
motion of the lever, and the contact point is in this case marked on the curve
arm with zero. The intermediate points of contact resulting from different
per-centages of alcohol in the liquor are marked on the curved arm in a corre-
sponding manner, whereby it will be seen that the per- centage of alcohol passing
through the meter will be coutinually indicated upon the curved arm for every
compartment of the meter that is filled, while at the same time the second or
"quality" counter is set in motion each time to such a proportionate extent
as to indicate only the amount of absolute alcohol contained in the liquor
passing through. As the spirituous liquor flowing into the receptacle con-
taining the float has a tendency to separate into layers having different per-
centages of alcohol, and consequently of different specific gravities the liquor is
made to flow into the receptacle through a series of pipes so arranged that
the liquor of greater specific gravity flows into the upper part of the vessel,
while that of a less specific gravity flows into the lower part of the vessel, the
entrance of the liquor into the vessel being in such case effected through per-
forations formed in annular pipes so as to be equally distributed in the vessel.
As the heavier and lighter liquors enter the former endeavours to pass down
to the lower part of the vessel, while the latter endeavours to pass up, and thus
they become effectually mixed; as, however, some slight difference of specific
gravity may still exist in the upper and lower part of the vessel, the fluid is

page_text: conducted thence to the meter through two other annular perforated pipes
situated respectively in the upper and lower part of the vessel, so as to insure
that liquor of average specific gravity shall pass to the meter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditious of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles William Siemens in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, CHARLES
WILLIAM SIEMENS, of No. 3, Great George Street, Westminster, in the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles William Siemens, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
William Siemens, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
1, the said Charles William Siemens, 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
Britian and Ireland, the Chaunel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER, ALCOHOL, AND OTHER
FLUIDS," the result partly of a communication made to me from abroad by
Dr. Werner Siemens, of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, and partly of an
Invention and discovery made by myself, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Charles William Siemens, 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 Inven-
tion, 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 Charles William Siemens do bereby
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 thereof, referencebeing had tothe accompanying Drawings,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
In fluid meters of the class known as "inferential meters
"
as at present

page_text: of
constructed, where the fluid produces the required rotary motion by reacting
upon the curved passages of a small turbine, or where it impinges in the form
of jets upon rotating vanes or blades, or upon helical surfaces, the accuracy
the measurement is very much dependent first upon the form and proportions
of such vanes, blades, or passages, and, secondly, upon the absence from the
finid of all impurities that might cause obstructions in the apertures or passages,
or might contract the waterways thereof by gradual deposits.
The present improvements have for their principal object so to construct
fluid meters that their accuracy shall not be impaired by such contraction of
or obstructions in the inlet passages due to deposits from the fluid. For this
purpose, in one arrangement, a spindle connected to the counter of the meter
is provided with a number of vanes or blades situated inside a cylindrical
chamber; in the sides of this chamber on a level with the vanes are a number
of comparatively large oblique openings, through which the fluid enters; such
fluid entirely fills the chamber, and by its oblique action on entering causes
the whole of the fluid contained in the lower part of the chainber to revolve,
which is thereby made to carry with it the vanes, and thus causes the spindle
to rotate. The outlet orifice of the chamber is in the upper part thereof, and
as the fluid passes up towards it its rotation is checked by a series of stationary
vanes projecting from the sides of the chamber, which vanes are capable of
adjustinent so as to regulate somewhat the speed of rotation of the lower body
of the fluid. In order to equalize the speed of rotation of the lower vanes
according to the quantity of fluid passing through the meter other rotating
vanes are fixed to the spindle in the quiescent fluid above the stationary vanes,
whereby any tendency to an increase of speed of the lower vanesdisproportionate
to the increase in the flow of the fluid is counteracted by the increased
resistance to rotation offered by the upper vanes.
By the above described arrangement it will be seen that the fluid entering
the meter does not so much act directly upon the rotating vanes, but more
through the medium of the rotating body of the fluid, and that consequently
the contraction of the entrance passages by deposits of impurities from the
fluid therein would not have any effect on the accuracy of the meter. The
whole of the mechanism of the meter is contained within the before-mentioned
chamber, which is so arranged inside the casing of the meter that upon
removing the cover of the latter the entire mechanism can be drawn out,
thus obviating the necessity existing in the present arrangements of discon-
necting the entire meter from the service pipes when required to be examined
or repaired.
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings show the

page_text: construction of the improved meter; Figure 1 shows a vertical section of the
same, and Figure 2 shows a sectional plan on line X, X, Figure 1.
Inside the casing A of the meter is placed the chamber B containing the
working parts, which chamber it can be seen can be on removal of the cover C
of the casing be readily drawn out of the latter for inspection or repairs. In
the circumference of the lower part of the chamber are formed a number of
large oblique openings D, D, through which the fluid passing into the meter
through the inlet E enters the chamber; the fluid in the chamber has rotary
motion imparted to it in the direction of the arrows, Figure 2 on account of
the oblique manner in which it enters, and it is thus caused to carry round
with it the vanes F upon the vertical spindle G, to which rotary motion is
consequently imparted by this means. As the fluid passes up from the lower
part of the chamber in order to issue from the side openings B' towards the
outlet H its rotary motion is checked by the stationary adjustable vanes I
carried by projecting brackets I¹ formed on the chamber, so that the fluid in
the space J above these vanes is in a comparatively quiescent state; in this
space other vanes K are fixed to the spindle G, which vanes in revolving in
the quiescent fluid have the effect of regulating the speed of the lower vanes
and of the spindle according to the flow of fluid, as before described. Such
regulating effect may also be attained by forming in the lower part of the
chamber other oblique passages having a contrary direction to those at D), but
having comparatively minute orifices, so that when a small quantity of fluid is
passing through the meter the counteracting effect of the currents passing
through such small passages would be hardly perceptible, while when the
quantity of fluid is large their effect would be greatly increased, so as to
produce the requisite proportionate retardation of the rotary motion of the
fluid, and consequently of the vanes and spindle. The upper end of the
spindle G passes into the closed compartment L, where it imparts motion to
the registering mechanism of the usual construction.
The above-described improved meter is equally well adapted for measuring
large or small quantities of fluid, the dimensions of the meter being made
proportionate to the amount of fluid to be measured; as, however, a meter of
this construction, when adapted for measuring a considerable flow of fluid,
would not register with the same accuracy very minute quantities of fluid
passing through I prefer to combine with the large meter a dwarf meter
operating in connection therewith in the following manner :-Between the
inlet pipe of the meter and the supply pipe for the fluid I establish a dirt box
consisting of a closed casing, in the lower part of which is a perforated chamber;
the fluid has to pass from the supply pipe into the interior of this chamber

page_text: through the said perforations before issuing from an opening in the top of the
chamber into the upper part of the casing and thence into the meter; such
opening is provided with a cover or valve which is kept closed either by a
spring or by its own weight in such a manner that it is only when the pressure
of the fluid is such as to force open this valve that it can find its way into the
meter. The perforated chamber is furthermore in free communication with a
dwarf meter which may be of precisely the same construction as the large
meter, and the outlet pipe of which communicates with the outlet pipe of the
latter; from this arrangement it will be seen that if the quantity of fluid
passing into the dirt box is so small that the pressure is not sufficient to open
the before-mentioned valve the whole of such fluid will pass through and be
registered by the dwarf meter, but when the pressure is increased to such an
extent as to open the valve the fluid will pass through the large meter, a
portion thereof, however, still passing through the dwarf meter, and the
indications will consequently have to be read off both meters in order to
ascertain the entire quantity registered. This arrangement of a large and a
dwarf meter made to act in combination by means of a valve chamber or dirt
box in order to register accurately both large and small quantities of fluid may
also be applied to meters of any known construction that are not well adapted
for fulfilling these conditions.
Figure 3 on Sheet II. of the Drawings shows a vertical section of a dirt
box, with spring cover, of the before-described arrangement, and Figure 4
shows a Diagram of the combined large and dwarf meters. The casing M is
divided into an upper compartment m and a lower compartiment m¹, of which
the latter is in communication by means of the inlet N with the main U,
while the former is in communication with the large fluid meter by means of
the outlet O; in the partition P dividing the two compartments is fixed the
chamber Q closed at bottom and having perforated sides as shown, while the
upper end thereof which opens into the compartiment m is closed by means of
a cover or valve R kept down on its seat by means of the spring S, and
working between guides T; the interior of the perforated chamber Q com-
municates by means of an aperture, not shown on the Drawing, with the
branch U conducting to the dwarf meter V, the outlet of which is again
connected to the main U on the other side of the large meter by means of a
branch U2; from this arrangement it will be seen that if the quantity of fluid
passing into the compartment m¹ and entering the chamber Q through the
perforations is so small as not to exercise sufficient pressure to open the
cover R the whole of such fluid will pass through the branch U to the dwarf

page_text: meter and will be registered thereby, and whence it will flow back into the
main through the branch U2; if, however, the current is sufficiently powerful
to force open the cover R the fluid will pass partly through the compart-
ment m and outlet O to the large meter, and partly, as before described, to
the dwarf meter, and the combined registration of the two meters will then
give the total quantity of fluid flowing through the main. It will be seen that
by removing the cover W the chamber Q may be readily drawn out and the
interior of the casing cleansed.
The present Invention has, furthermore, reference to the revolving drum
fluid meter, such as was described in the Specification to certain Letters
Patent granted to Samuel Crossley, and bearing date the First February 1825,
No. 5088. In the arrangement described in the said Specification the form of
the compartments and the disposition of the inlet and outlet apertures is such
that the power exerted by the fluid entering them to produce rotation is
comparatively feeble, so that any undue friction of the drum spindle and
registering mechanism might produce a temporary stoppage, whereby the
fluid in rising slightly in the central compartment might again flow through
the inlet of the segmental compartment that has just been filled, and thus
cause an inaccuracy of measurement. To obviate this defect I do not
immerse the lower part of the drum in the fluid, as described in the said
Specification, and 1 form the segmental compartments in such a manner with
oblique instead of radial partitions on the side next the exit orifice that while
the lowest compartment is filling the centre of gravity of the drum remains
in its vertical centre line, and consequently no rotation is produced, but as
soon as the compartment is filled the fluid begins to rise in the central
chamber and reaches the inlet aperture of the next compartment to be filled,
and in entering this the centre of gravity is shifted suddenly so much on one
side of the vertical centre line that the drum is caused to turn rapidly, so as
to bring the last-named compartment nearly into its lowest position, while at
the same time the outlet passage of the compartment that has just been filled
is brought into such a position that the fluid escapes therefrom into a tank
or receptacle in which the drum is suspended, and whence the fluid passes
away through a discharge pipe; the said outlet passage of the compartment
is so formed that before its orifice has assumed a sufficiently low position for
the fluid to escape therefrom the inlet orifice of the compartment has been
raised to its highest position, or nearly so, thus rendering it practically impos-
sible for the fluid in the central compartment to reach it again through a
temporary stoppage of the drum, as for it to do this the quantity of fluid

page_text: entering the next compartment would shift the centre of gravity of the drum
to such an extent as to afford a very powerful leverage for effecting the
rotation of the drum.
sanie.
Another part of this Invention consists in the combination of the just
described form of fluid meter with other apparatus for the purpose of
measuring the quantity of absolute alcohol contained in any spirituous liquor
passing through it, independently of the volume of the spirituous liquor in.
which such alcohol is contained, while the volume of such liquor is also
measured thereby. Figures 5 and 6 on Sheet III. of the accompanying
Drawings show the construction of such apparatus; Figure 5 shows a per-
spective elevation, and Figure 6 shows a longitudinal section through the
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in both Figures.
The measuring drum A constructed by preference of galvanized sheet
copper is divided into three equal compartments I., II., III., each of which
is capable of containing a definite quantity of spirituous liquor, say one
gallon. The liquor flows into the drum through the tubes G and H, the
latter of which is provided with perforations, as shown, in order to cause the
fluid to pass regularly into the central chamber B, whence it enters the seg-
mental compartments through the apertures a¹, a², a³, and from which it
passes through the flat outlet passages. 61, 62, 63. The measuring drum is
carried by the axis C revolving in bearings on the framing D, D, situated
inside the tank E, into which tank the liquor flows from the drum, and whence
it passes away through the pipe F. The centre of gravity of the drum when
empty lies in its axis; but when liquor is flowing in the centre gravity is
shifted downwards, remaining however in the vertical centre line of the drum.
As soon as the lower compartment of the drum is filled the liquor entering
the central chamber rises in the same until it reaches the opening a³, through
which it passes into the next compartment II. By this means the centre of
gravity of the drum is suddenly moved to the left-hand side of the centre
line, whereby the drum is caused quickly to perform one-third of a revolution,
thus bringing the outlet passage into such a position that the. liquor flows
through it from the compartment I. into the tank E. The spirituous liquor.
before entering the measuring drum, as described, is first made to pass
the mixing vessel I, through a series of tubes c.f, d, e, d, e'. In the vessel I is
an alcohol meter or float J, constructed with thin sheet brass, filled with strong.
alcohol, and sealed hermetically. Its object is first to actuate the index or.
pointer K, and, secondly, by its greater co-efficient of expansion to compensate
for the effects of variations of temperature, the form of the float being such as.
to: allow of considerable expansion and contraction as its. temperature rises.
into.

page_text: or falls; this float is supported in the mixing vessel partly by the liquor con-
tained therein, and partly by the spring arm L, and up-and-down motion of
which (according as the float rises or falls) is imparted to the index K by
means of a link M connected to a lever N on the same spindle O as the
index K. The spring arm L is carried by a. spring P, both the length
and height of which are rendered adjustable by means of screws Q. The
system of inlet tubes c, d, e, f, is employed to counteract the tendency of
the spirituous liquor to separate into strata of different density in the vessel I.
When weaker liquor than the mean of that in the mixing vessel reaches the
chamber from the condenser through the tube c the same will by reason of
its greater specific gravity fall into the inner compartment m, and rising
thence through the tubee will pass into the vessel Iat top through perforations
in the annular tube e¹, as indicated by the arrows. The size of these per-
forations increase the farther the are away from the junction of the ring el
with the tube e in order to cause an equal influx of the spirituous liquor all
round. If, on the contrary, stronger liquor than the average of that in I
enters the vessel 7, it will rise by virtue of its lesser specific gravity through
the tube, whence it falls into the funnel n, and thence passes down through
.the tube d, and enters the vessel I at bottom through perforations in the
annular tube d¹, as indicated by the arrows.
The eflux arrangement consisting of the two tubes g, h, with perforated
annular tubes g, h, serves to insure that spirituous liquor of mean strength
shall reach the measuring drum. For this purpose the weaker and consequently
heavier liquor passes into the annular tube g¹ and tubey, while the stronger and
consequently lighter liquor passes into the annular tube hand tube h, and the
two meeting and commingling in the chamber i pass thence through the tubej
into the funniel k, whence the liquor passes through the tube G to the mea-
suring drum. Upon the spindle C of the measuring drum is a cam R of the
form of a circular disc, having three deep recesses cut in its circumference;
upon this cam rides a truck S carried by the short arm T¹ of a bell-crank
lever, the other arm T of which is of a peculiarly curved form, as shown; this
lever is loose upon the spindle of the ratchet wheel U, upon which is also the
first wheel V of the mechanism or counter W for registering the quantity of
absolute alcohol. The bell crank carries two sets of spring pawls t, t, which
take into the ratchet wheel U in such a manner that the backward motion
only of the bell crank is communicated to the ratchet wheel, and by it to the
counter W.
From the form of the cam R it will be seen that as it revolves
with the drum the arm T¹ of the bell crank will alternately be raised upon
one of its three leaves, and will then fall down into the next recess, thus

page_text: imparting to the curved arm T a backward and forward motion, the former of
which is imparted to the counter W, as stated. The index K is, however, so
placed relatively to the curved arm T, that when it is in its lowest position
(which it would occupy when the fluid flowing through the vessel I contained
no alcohol) the point thereof will strike against a point so low down on the
curved arm T as to prevent any backward and forward motion thereof, in
which case no registration will be effected on the counter W; when, on the
other hand, the index assumes its highest position (which it will occupy when
pure alcohol is flowing through the vessel I) it will allow of the full backward
and forward motion of the arm T, whereby the entire quantity of fluid con-
tained in one compartment of the drum will be registered on the counter W.
From this it will be readily understood that if the index is in any intermediate
position between those above referred to, corresponding to a certain per-
centage of alcohol contained in the liquor flowing through the vessel I, it will
in allowing the arm T to perform a corresponding proportion of its entire
backward and forward motion cause a registration to be effected upon the
counter W, representing the corresponding volume of absolute alcohol con-
tained in the liquor in one compartiment of the drum. The various points of
contact between the index K and arm T are marked by a scale upon the
latter, as shown, so that the per-centage of alcohol in the liquor may be read
off from the same for every compartment of the drum, while the absolute
quantity is indicated by the counter W. Upon the spindle C of the drum is
the first wheel of a second counter X, which at the same time registers the
total quantity of the spirituous liquor flowing through the apparatus.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, what I claim is,-
First, constructing fluid meters in which a number of vanes fixed to a
spindle inside a chamber are carried round by a rotating body of fluid inside
the chamber, which retation of the fluid is caused by its entrance through
oblique side apertures in the chamber, and is afterwards checked on its
upward passage to an exit orifice by means of stationary vanes, above which
other vanes are fixed to the aforesaid spindle, in order by their rotation in the
more or less quiescent fluid to regulate the motion of the spindle in proportion
to the quantity of fluid passing through the meter, substantially as herein-
before described, with reference to Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet I. of the
accompanying Drawings.
Second, so arranging the mechanism of the said fluid meter within the
casing thereof that on removing the cover of the casing the entire mechanism
can be removed without detaching the casing of the meter, substantially as

page_text: herein-before described, with reference to Figure 1 on Sheet I. of the
accompanying Drawings.
Third,combining with a fluid meter of large capacity a fluid meter of small
capacity or dwarf meter through the medium of a dirt box having a spring
cover or valve, and so arranged and connected to both meters that when only
a small quantity of fluid flows into the dirt box such entire quantity passes
thence directly into the dwarf meter without opening the said cover or valvein
order to enter the large meter, while when a large quantity of fluid enters the
dirt box it forces open the said cover or valve so as to pass simultaneously
through both the large meter and the dwarf meter, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet II. of the
accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, so constructing the compartments of rotary drum fluid meters with
oblique partitions on the one side that the centre of gravity of the drum will
remain in a vertical plane through its axis while the lowest compartiment is filling,
but will shift suddenly so as to cause the druin to turn with a jerking motion
as soon as the fluid begins to enter the next compartment; also extending the
outlet passage of each compartiment to such a distance than when the orifice
thereof is in its lowest position the inlet aperture to the same compartment
is in its highest position, or nearly so, substantially as herein-before described,
with reference to Figures 5 and 6 on Sheet III. of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fifth, constructing fluid measuring apparatus for registering the quantity of
absolutealcohol contained inspirituous liquorflowing throughit independently
of the volume of the spirituous liquor in which the alcohol is contained,
arranged and operating as herein-before described, with reference to Figures 5
and 6 on Sheet III. of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles William Siemens, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
C. W. SIEMENS. (L.s.)