IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRUMENTS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Richards, of 17, Burton Road, Brixton
Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of
“IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRUMENTS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Richards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th November 1874.
I, WILLIAM RICHARDS, of 17, Burton Road, Brixton Road, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRUMENTS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS," to be
as follows:
These improvements consist in employing a flexible material, as
vulcanized or otherprepared india-rubber, prepared cloth, leather, or
similar substances, in the formation of flexible divisions or diaphragms
for the measurement of water or similar fluids, these flexible divisions or
diaphragms being in direct action with a crank or cranks, by which

page_text: means the distance through which the diaphragms pass is controlled
and the quantity of liquid in its passage through the meter is defined.
:
The instrument I propose by preference for the measurement of water
is a cylindrical vessel placed in a horizontal position and provided with
base or feet. Within this are two vertical flexible air-tight divisions
which divide the vessel into three distinct vertical compartments, the
centre one being larger than the others. About the centre of the vessel,
and midway between the centres of the diaphragms is a vertical shaft
or arbor, having two cranks placed at right angles to each other, which
arbor works in a suitable bearing at the bottom, and is supported by and
protrudes some distance through a stuffing box at the top. To the
cranks are connected two rods, each of which is in communication with
and actuated by its corresponding diaphragm.
On the top of the cylindrical vessel are placed two three-port slide
valves on the same plane placed at right angles to each other. The
two ports of the valves nearest -to-the-central division are in communi-
cation therewith, whilst the other two end ports communicate with the
opposite sides of the diaphragms. The centre ports are for the eduction
or conveying the liquid away after being measured.
!
On that part of the vertical arbor which protrudes through the stuffing
box is fixed a crank or excentric, which by means of suitable rods gives .
motion to the slide valves. There is also fixed on the arbor a screw or
worm working into a toothed wheel or other means for conveying
motion to the index, and recording the number of revolutions of the
arbor. The capacity of each stroke of the diaphragm or each revolution.
of the vertical arbor being known,. then by simple mechanism the
quantity of liquid passing the meter is recorded, as is well understood.
The valves and index and pipes of ingress and egress are enclosed, in
or attached to a separate case or compartment. in combination with the
vessel' containing the flexible divisions. :
According to another arrangement instead of placing the two cranks
in the centre compartment I propose to place a perpendicular arbor with
its corresponding crank in each of the end. divisions of the cylindrical
vessel, and as in the former case their ends protruding through their cor-
responding stuffing boxes and supported by suitable bearings. On the top a
of each of these arbors is fixed a crank, and these cranks are connected

page_text: together by a suitable link or rod, so that by the to-and-fro motion of
the diaphragms a rotary motion is given to both of the vertical arbors;
and on one or both of these may be placed the excentrics or cranks for
giving motion to the valves, also the worm or other means of com-
municating with the index; or there may be two link rods actuating a
crank which controls the slide valves and conveys the action to the
index.
According to another arrangement a meter may be constructed with
one diaphragm, this being attached to a rod which passes through a
stuffing box, and by the intervention of an india-rubber spring gives
motion to the valve or valves.
In constructing the flexible divisions, although any form or shape
may be employed I prefer large-metal discs of rather less diameter than
the cylindrical case. The vulcanized india-rubber or other flexible
material is arranged as a belt representing in section one or more cor-
rugations. To one side of this is attached the large disc, and the other
side of the belt is attached to a ring, which is secured to the outer
case, each diaphragm being somewhat similar in action to the circular.
forge bellows.
Another part of my Invention consists in forming the cranks in such
a manner that the part thereof called the "throw" is of such diameter:
that the rod which it actuates can pass freely over the crank on to the
throw or the seat for the rod..
To deprive the india-rubber of its odour or the taste it would convey
to the water I boil it in water for a considerable time, and if necessary
I place within the belt, or on its exterior, suitable rings of gutta percha
or other suitable material; and in order to retain the discs in the same ·
plane I place lugs thereon which work against the exterior case.
I also propose to employ the direct action of the cranks in connection
with the diaphragms, together with the arrangement of slide valves, and
the general details as described in the construction of dry gas meters.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Richards in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
RICHARDS, of 17, Burton Road, Brixton Road, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand ciglit hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Richards, Her special licence
that I, the said William Richards, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Richards, 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, usc, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN INSTRUMENTS FOR MEASURING FLUIDS," upon the condition *(amongst
others) that I, the said William Richards, my executors or administra-
tors, 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 Scal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Richards, do hereby declare
the nature of my said. Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in the formation of flexible divisions or
diaphragms of vulcanized or other prepared india-rubber, prepared cloth,
or leather controlled by cranks or levers in conjunction with suitable
valves which regulate the ingress and egress of the fluid in the operation
Mant

page_text: For measuring water by preference I employ prepared india-rubber
(this when vulcanized with sulphur is boiled in water for some time to
deprive it of its odour and taste), particularly that material known as
the "red rubber."
For the purpose of explanation I refer to the accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1 represents the section of a meter for measuring water, and
consists of an outer case a, a, a, a, provided with two flanges b, b, to
which are attached two flexible vessels or diaphragms c, c, c, c, of
prepared india-rubber. These are corrugated belts and represent in form
and action the circular forge bellows, and are of smaller diameter than
the case in order to prevent wear and tear of those parts. At the end
of each of the diaphragms is attached a disk or piston d, having four
lugs h, h, h, h, which work against the outer case and serve to retain the
piston always in the same plane. The spaces around the piston, as
shewn in Fig. 2, are to allow of the free passage of the water to and
from the chambers on the exterior of the diaphragms. At the centre of
the case is placed a shaft e having two cranks i and i¹ set at right angles
to each other and revolving in the bearing f. Two rods J, J, are con-
nected to and work freely on their respective cranks and pins h³, h¹,
which are affixed to their pistons. Thus by means of the diaphragms
the case a, a, a, is divided into three distinct compartments, one of these
being within the diaphragms, and numbered 1, 1, the others being on
the exterior of the diaphragms and numbered respectively 2 and 3.
-
In the chamber q is a rotary valve similar to thosè sometimes used in
dry gas meters, shown in detail in Fig. 3. A is the plan of the valve
seat within the case q; the four outer orifices communicate by means of
suitable channels with the compartment corresponding with their
respective numbers, and through the intervention of the cover B convey
the liquid into and from each compartment in succession. The middle
space is in connection with the outlet only. The centre orifice is to
allow the shaft to pass. Of course the surfaces of the seat and valve
are well adjusted, and the water to be measured always enters on the top
of the valve.
66
"
Above the cover of the valve is a carrier or "dog" k., fixed to the
shaft, seen in detail in Fig. 3, corresponding with the two lugs on the
cover, so by the action of the shaft the cover is caused to rotate, and
the water or other fluid when being. measured flows into a compartment

page_text: and expels that from the other side of the diaphram forming the com-
partments.
As represented in Fig. 1 the liquid is entering compartment 2 and
expelling that from 1, and when the crank 12 passes the centre the liquid
will enter compartment 3, and so on continuously, due care being
observed that the valve cover shall always have." the lead
before the axle commences to pass the centre.
"
or be closed
The quantity of liquid passing the instrument at each revolution of
the cranks being known, its constant delivery may be recorded on a dial
or index by means of the worm w and gearing, as is well understood.
Instead of the rotary valve (the rest of the instrument remaining as
described) slide valves may be employed by placing an eccentric or
crank on the shaft c, as represented in Fig. 4. The valves are placed at
right angles in order to give, a uniform and regular flow, but they may
be also placed in a straight line, one on each side of the shaft, in which
case two eccentrics set at right angles to each other will be necessary,
each eccentric controlling its corresponding slide.
".
The instrument may also be made with the case in a perpendicular
position, and the diaphragms placed horizontally. (Or the motion may be
obtained by rods or cranks placed in the end compartments which
actuate the valve or valves.
For economy in construction the meter may be made with one
diaphragm, as represented in section in Fig. 5, the piston & being attached
to a rod which passes through a stuffing box. On the top of the rod is
a button which acts on the angle barn at the end of each stroke of the a
piston. The bar n is supported by a bearing o, and works freely on its
centre p, and extending at right angles thereto and forming part of the
bar is a T piece, being angular in form at the outer part, as shewn.
The box contains. a block of prepared. india-rubber-which acts as a
spring against the T piece. 8 is a stud for the purpose of working the 8
slide of the valve. As shewn one of the passages of the valve com
municates with the interior and the other with the exterior of the
diaphragm, the outlet being shewn in dotted lines.
The action is as follows :-The piston d, as represented, is rising, and
when near the end of stroke the button presses the bar until the 3

page_text: angular part of the T piece passes the rubber block, when the bar n
suddenly changes its position to that marked in dotted lines, at the same
time the-position, of slide and the action is reversed. When the piston is
at the end of the return stroke the button acts on the lower part of bar n
and again changes the valve. Other means as tumblers and springs
adopted in dry meters having one diaphragm may also be employed.
It is obvious that the instruments described are equally applicable to
"the measurement of air or gas, and as the means of connecting the disks
or pistons direct with the crank. actuates the valve or valves instead of
indirectly as.generally adopted ensure more perfect and accurate measure-
ment. A representation of such a vessel is given in section in Fig. 6.
In this a, a, a, is the outer case, having the flanges b, b, to which are
attached the diaphragms c, c, with their corresponding disks d, d, guided
by suitable arms g¹, g¹. In the centre is the shaft e with the two
cranks i and i at right angles to each other, which receive their motion
by the arms g, g, from the disks d, d. The shaft passing through a
stuffing box above which the crank or cranks or eccentric may be
affixed to give motion to the valves, as described.
7
To protect the meters from the action of the frost when desirable I
propose to enclose them in boxes lined with felt or other non-conducting
material.
Having stated the nature of my Invention I must observe that I do
not confine myself to the particular form or shape of any part or parts,
or the precise details herein-before described, but I claim as novel and
original,―
Firstly. Constructing flexible diaphragms of prepared india-rubber and
other materials named, in combination with cranks, levers, and rods,
which actuate the valves and control the flow of the liquid and define its
measurement.
Secondly. In constructing the flexible divisions of water meters of
that description known as the "red rubber," that is, rubber vulcanized
by means of the red sulphate of antimony.
Thirdly. The formation of three distinct measuring chambers by
means of the two diaphragms, and the arrangements of giving motion to
the valves, which may be applied in the measurement of liquids and
gases.

page_text: Fourthly. In enclosing liquid meters in cases lined with felt or other
non-conducting material to avoid the ill effects of frost.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Richards, have hereunto
set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
TTM
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