IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE FLOW OR PASSAGE OF LIQUIDS, WHICH TAROTENENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN ORTAINING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Walker, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE FLOW OR PASSAGE OF LIQUIDS, WHICH
TAROTENENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN ORTAINING MOTIVE POWER"
Sealed the 20th October 1865, and dated the 25th April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th April 1865.
1, THOMAS WALKER, of Birmingham, inthe County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE FLOW OR PASSAGE OF LIQUIDS, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER," to be as
follows:-
My Invention has reference to the use of vanes or fans applied in an
angular or inclined direction upon the periphery of a disc, cylinder, orofa cone,
or upon other suitable surface applied in a cylindrical or other suitably formed
case so that the action of the liquid thereon in its flow or passage may cause
the axis of such series of vanes forming a rotator to revolve and thence give
motion to suitable wheelwork and index apparatus by which the quantity of
liquid passed may be indicated. And the objectof one partof theimprovements
is to direct the liquid on to such vanes or fans so as to cause it to act effectually
Price 8d 1

page_text: thereon without its at the same time impeding the free rotary notion by end
pressure. For this purpose I apply a guard over the solid end or ends or
body of the rotator, and also a guard or rim over one or both of the outer
edges of the vanes or fans, to prevent the liquid passing between the case and
the vanes or fans. I also sometimes form the channels or passages between
the different fans or vanes larger or of a different angle on the inlet than on
the outlet side. I also apply a screen of wire gauze or other reticulate open-
work to intercept any foreign matters in their passage to the rotator.
In using the apparatus to measure the flow of liquid. I sometimes cause
the liquid to flow upwards through the apparatus, and I apply the gear and
index in an air-tight chamber with a glass cover above the outlet passage,
so as to render packing of the axis or axes unnecessary; I do not, however,
confine myself thereto. I also apply one or more projections or vanes to act
by impeding the motion of the regulator to adjust its speed.
In some cases I form the vanes or fans, and the part to which they are
applied, of what is commonly called ebonite, or of other material as light as
possible.
A similar combination of parts is applicable for use as a motive power
engine.
And in order to equalize the pressure I sometimes apply two sets of faus
or vanes to the same axis arranged to incline in opposite directions, so that
the liquid may flow in between the two sets of them and act simultaneously
on both.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters l'atent, filed
by the said Thomas Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th October 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas Walker, Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Walker, my executors, administrators, and assigns,or such others as
I, the said Thomas Walker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should

page_text: 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 IM.
PROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE FLOW OR PASSAGE OF
LIQUIDS. WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Walker, 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 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 Thomas Walker, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :--
My Invention relates to meaus or apparatus for measuring the flow or
passage of liquids, in which vanes or fans are applied in an angular or inclined
direction upon the periphery of a disc, cylinder,or cone, or upon other suitable
surface applied in a cylindrical or other suitably formed case so that that action
of the liquid on such vanes or fans (forming a rotator) in its flow or passage
may cause the axis of them to revolve, and thereby give motion to suitable
wheel-work and index apparatus by which the quantity of liquid passed may
be indicated.
But that the Invention may be better understood, I will, by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings proceed to describe an arrangement of meaus
employed by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a vertical section, Figure 2 an external side view, and
Figure 3 a plan of an arrangement of apparatus according to my improve-
ments; Figure 4 shews a vertical section of the case of the apparatus taken
at right angles to Figure 1; and Figure 5 shews a horizontal section of
the same with the working parts removed. In each of these views the same
letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
a, a, is the outer frame or case; b is the inlet passage; and c the outlet
passage for the fluid to be measured; d, d, are cylinders upon which are
applied the vanes or fans d', d'; and in order to equalize the pressure of the
Figure 1 shews a vertical section, Figure
Side
ew, and
Figure 3 a plan of an arrangement of apparatus according to my improve-
iments; Figure 4 shews a vertical section of the case of the apparatus taken
at right angles to Figure 1; and Figure 5 shews a horizontal section of
the same with the working parts removed. In each of these views the same
letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
a, a, is the outer frame or case; b is the inlet passage; and c the outlet
passage for the fluid to be measured; d, d, are cylinders upon which are
applied the vanes or fans d', d'; and in order to equalize the pressure of the

page_text: liquid I prefer to employ, as shewn, two sets of these vanes or fans on the
the same axis d, and to incline those of one set at an opposite angle to those
of the other set, and to direct the liquid to flow in between the two sets so
that it may act simulianeously on both sets or series of vanes or fans. The
liquid flowing into the apparatus by the inlet passage b passes into the annular
space of the case a, thence through the passages a², a², into the compart-
ment a³, forined between the two series of vanes or fans d', d, and the liquid
is prevented entering this compartment direct from the passage b, and at
once rushing upon the vanes or fans by means of the partition a', and the
two streams thus entering simultaneously and with equal force into opposite
sides of the chamber a³ act by neutralizing each other to prevent unequal
pressure and friction on the axis of the rotator. The axis d is also provided
with a pair of cones d³, d³ placed in opposite directions one to the other, and
with a tendency to act as a guard over the solid ends or bodies d, d, of the
rotator so as to direct the liquid fully on to the vanes or fans, and, aided by
the relative sizes of the chamber at 16, 16*, cause it to act effectually thereon
without at the same time impeding the free rotary notion of the rotator by
end pressure. The arrows in each of the Figures indicate the direction of
the liquid in passing into and from the apparatus. The bearings a³, a, of
the axis of the rotator are formed to admit of endway movement of that axis,
but the tendency of the action of the liquid upon the cones, d³, in flowing
into the chamber a³ is to raise the lower end of the axis d and keep that axis
of the rotator suspended in those bearings a, a, without exerting endway
pressure. The liquid in the chamber a³ divides itself into two parts or
streams, onc passing between the lower series of vanes or fans into the
chamber a, and thence by the passages as, as, up into the chamber aº,
and the other passing upwards between the upper series of vanes. or fans
direct into that chamber a, thence the liquid passes from the chamber a',
by the passage a to the outlet c. The upper end of the axis de passes
into the chamber a", and it is there provided with a worm 4, which
receives the teeth of a wheel e, upon the axis of which is formed another
worm wheel to receive the teeth of a suitable wheel applied on the axis f,
which is also formed with a worm to receive the teeth of the wheel g,
upon the axis of which is formed another worm to receive the teeth of
the wheel / upon the axis ', which passes through the socket a¹ into the
upper chamber a³, and there by suitable gear gives motion to the hands
of the several index dials as is well understood. It will be seen that the
boss of the wheel his formed conical to fit a correspondingly conical recess
in the end of the socket a¹, or it may have other suitable packing to

page_text: prevent the passage of liquid that way to the chamber a. The chamber
is shewn to be provided with a cover a capable of turning upon a hinge i,
and of being locked by a lock j. This cover being provided with a glass /
fitted into its upper part to admit of the index dials and their hands or pointers
being clearly seen. This chamber a may be fitted with an air-tight cover
screwed or otherwise fastened upon leather or other washers, so as to render
packing of the axis passing into the chambers a" and " unnecessary, and in
such case I prefer to form the chamber a considerably larger than that
shewn, or the chambers aand a in one chamber so as to hold a sufficient
quantity of air to admit of compression thereof by the pressure of the liquid
passing into the apparatus without that air being so far compressed as to
admit the water into the upper compartment at or other upper portion of the
apparatus in which the index dials may be placed in order that that liquid
may not rise above the dials and their hands or pointers. In some cases I
apply one or more projections or vanes to the axis of the rotator to act by
impeding the motion of the rotator to adjust its speed, and in some cases I
apply a screen of wire gauze or other reticulate openwork to the pipe b, to
intercept any foreign mattor in its passage to the rotator.
I prefer to form the cylinders or other surfaces d,d, and the vanes or fans
d', d', thereon of that combination of india-rubber, gutta percha, or a com-
pound thereof cominonly called "ebonite," or of other material as light as
possible. I also sometimes form the chambers or passages between the
different fans or vanes larger or of a different angle on the inlet from that
on the outlet side.
Apparatus of the character described is also applicable as a motive-power
engine, but in such case the outer end of the axis d² may pass through a
suitable stuffing box, and have applied to it a toothed wheel or pulley, or it
may be otherwise arranged to communicate the power imparted by the
action of the pressure of the liquid employed acting on the vanes or floats d',
and index apparatus will be unnecessary. The joints of the various parts of
the case are packed as is well understood.
Oil may be applied in the chambers a¹¹ and a¹. In place of the worm
wheel being formed on or applied to the spindle d it may be separate
therefrom, and have notion communicated thereto by an arm on the axis d²
acting against an arm m on the axis of the worin d', as indicated by Figures
6, 7, and 8, and the axis h' may be similarly divided and have like motion
communicated from one part to the other, and the liquid may be caused to
flow in by the passage cand out by the passage d in the directions the reverse

page_text: of those indicated by the arrows, and the Figures on the index dials will
be set accordingly.
Having thus described my Invention and means by which I carry the
same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise arrangement of parts shewn and described, as these may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention; but what I
do claim is the adaptation or combination of means or apparatus whereby two
sets of vanes or lans are applied to the same axis with the vanes or fans of
one set inclining in opposite directions to those of the other, substantially as
explained; and also I claim the adaptation or combination of means whereby
the liquid is caused to flow between two sets of vanes or floats and act
simultaneously but in opposite directions on both, substantially as explained
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
THOS. WALKER. (L.S.)