Improvements in Liquid Meters.
Year: 1895

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883), as allowed by
the decision of the Chief Examiner of the 23rd day of May 1896.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Liquid Meters.
I, JOSEPH BERNAYS, of 96 Newgate Street, London, E.C., Civil 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 invention relates to improvements in the construction of a meter for measuring
the consumption of water or other liquid.
I shall describe my invention referring to the accompanying drawings in all the
figures of which like reference letters are employed to donote like parts
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one mode of constructing a meter, Fig. 2 is a plan
of the lower part and Fig. 3 is a plan on a reduced scale showing the councction
of the pistons,
Fig. 4 18 a section shewing a modification in the connections for working the
valve,
Fig. 5 18 a section and Fig. 6 18 a plan of a modification, the shape of the
passages and the connections for working the valve being also modified.
Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, around a central space A, which is always
charged with liquid supplied through an inlet B, are arranged four single acting
cylinders C, C, C, C, each fitted with a piston P, P, P, P. The two pistons P
and P, are rigidly connected together by a rod R, and the pistons P, P, are also
rigidly conuected together by a rod R..
When the axes of the cylinders are all in one plane, as shewn, the rods R₁ R,
are situated the one a little above and the other a little below the centres of the
pistons which they connect so that the one rod can pass across the other with
sufficient interval between them to accommodate a connecting link L the length of
which from centre to centre of its eyes is equal to half the stroke of the pistons.
This link is jointed to the two rods R, R, by pins E₁ E, which are either fixed in
the centres of the rods connecting the pistons as in E, or may be made in one piece
with the link L and rotate in an eye in the rod as shown at E. In the central
space below the rods R, R, is a circular valve V on a seating having a central
discharge port D, and four ports F, F, F, F. circularly arranged and leading
respectively to the outer ends of the four cylinders C, C, C, C; it will be seen
that each of the ports F is situated in a line at right angles to the axis of the
cylinder with which it communicates. Thus the ports F, F, are in a line at right
angles to the axial line C₁ C₁, and F, F, are in a line at right angles to the axial
lino C, C. The two ends of the link L always travel in straight lines at right
angles to each other, and its middle point revolves in a circle; to a downward

page_text: prolongation of the spindle E, is fixed an arm M having a pin m coinciding 10
position vertically with the middle point of the link L; consequently the pin m
also revolves in a circle, and this pin being engaged in a hole in the valve V causes
the centre of this valve to move in a circular path, so that the valve as it revolves
successively uncovers for a time each of the ports F admitting fluid from A to
each cylinder C in turn and for a time covers the port putting it into communi-
cation with the discharge port D. By arranging the ports F in the positions
shewn, the alternate uucovering and covering of each port in succession correspond
respectively with the outstroke and the instroke of the piston of the cylinder with
which that port communicates. Thus while fluid under sufficient pressure to
overcome friction of the moving parts 13 supplied to the space A, the two pairs of
pistons are caused to reciprocate each receiving and discharging a quantity of fluid
equal to the contents of the space traversed by the pistons. A counter G of any
known kind worked by a spindle such as 9 passing through packing from the
space A can record the number of strokes, thus registering the expenditure of
fluid.
As shewn in Fig. 4 the link L may be made circular in shape and be surrounded
by a ring H engaged within brackets h projecting up from the valve V, which thus
18 made to receive the sanie movement as above described.
In Figs. 5 and 6 15 shewn a modification, in which the four cylinders C₁ C, C, C₁
and the central space A are formed in a body coned externally so to fit within a
conical shell K which completely closes the outer ends of the cylinders, having a
cover on removing which the meter can be raised out of the casing. A horizontal
diaphragm N consisting of segments n, n, m, n, which connect the cylinders across
the angular spaces " " " n between them separates the shell K into two com-
partments, the upper compartment communicating with the space A and the supply
inlet B formed in the shell K and the lower compartment communicating with the
discharge port D and with an outlet d through the shell K. As shewn in Fig. 6
each passage from a port F to a cylinder C is straight, and the port directly in line
with the centre line of the cylinder, consequently the movement of the valve V has
to be timed so as to be a quarter of a revolution in advance of the middle point of
the link L. This is effected by the secondary link M hung to the pin E₁ of the
main link L, Fig 5, and having the projection m by which the valve is moved as
shewn in plan at Fig. 7. The length of the secondary link M is equal to the
hypothenuse of a right-angled triangle whose sides are half the length of the main
link L, that is to say half the distance between the centres of L and E. In this
case the valve revolves in a circular recess
The spindle g for operating the counter may be worked like the valve V from the
link L, giving it rotary motion or it may be caused to reciprocate by linking it to
the piston rod R,, or as shewn to the pin E, and in this case to give motion to the
counter through a pawl and ratchet wheel.
I am aware that liquid meters have been constructed having several cylinders
fitted with pistons arranged uniformly around a central space, these pistons acting
on a crank and so operating a revolving slide valve and a counter spindle I am
also aware that meters have been made with four cylinders the piston iods of which
cross each other and are connected by a link the centre of which revolves in
a circle and gives motion to the spindle of the counter but does not work a
rotating valve, I therefore make no claim to any such construction but what
I claim is: :-
1. A liquid meter, wherein four cylinders fitted with pistons are arranged
uniformly around a central space wherein a rod rigidly connecting one pair of the
pistons opposite to one another crosses at right angles, a liko iod connecting the
other pair, and the middle point of the one rod is connected to that of the other
rod by a link, the central point of which revolves in a circle while its euds travel
with the piston rods in straight lines at right angles to one another, and wherein a
circular alide valve worked by the link governs ports leading liquid to and from the

page_text: cylinders in suitable alternation and succession, substantially as described and
illustrated, with reference more especially to Figs. 1. 5 and 7.
2 The modified construction of apparatus of the kind referred to in the preceding
claim, such that the whole is enclosed within a covered casing divided by a
diaphragm into two compartments, the one having an inlet for supply and the
other an outlet for discharge of liquid, substantially as described with reference to-
Figs. 5 and 6.
גי
1
J
1005
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.