Improvements in Liquid Measuring Apparatus and Checker.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Liquid Measuring Apparatus and Checker.
I, WILLIAM BRUCE Mineral Water Engineer 17, Tichborne Terrace Bruns-
wick Road Liverpool do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention is a simple form of mechanism for accurately measuring the
quantity of all kinds of liquids under every condition of pressure and in combination
with a checker accurately and automatically recording the quantity withdrawn each
time the operator draws any liquid. The mechanism of the apparatus consists of a
gravitating cylinder weighted which slides on a fixed hollow piston which piston is
fitted to the top surface of a square bodied plug tap in a vertical position for low
pressure and a disc tap preferably for high pressure. The plug of the tap is not
bored out with any holes but a groove is channeled out to cover the radius of
about one third of its circumference.
On the top square of the body of tap I affix a hollow piston the external
diameter of which is the same as the internal diameter of the gravitating cylinder
both of which are proportioned to the quantity of liquid required to be measured.
The body of tap is ported with a passage through the centre from the inlet to the
nozzle outlet of tap. Another passage is bored at right angles to this passage
and is bored to the top surface of the body of tap meeting the hollow passage in
the centre of the piston. This piston is a fixture on the body of the tap and has
a passage internally from its top surface to the plug of tap also a cupped leather
washer at its top surface. The distance the cylinder traverses in its rise & fall is
regulated by a slotted upright attachment having a winged bolt or other device to
regulate the quantity of liquid withdrawn at each operation. One quarter turn of
the handle of plug tap brings the passages in the piston into communication with
the liquid inlet end of the tap. The pressure of the liquid must be equal to
quarter atmosphere to raise the cylinder to the required height when it reaches
the desired point one quarter turn of the handle closes all the inlet passages of the
liquid to the piston & cylinder and opens the outlet from the cylinder to the
nozzle of tap.
This operation admits the cylinder gravitating down to its seating
and emptying its contents.
The cylinder is constructed with a projection at the back which slides accurately
in a V groove cut inside the slotted guide attachment. This slotted guide attach-
ment is fitted at the back of the tap truly parclell to the piston and has a V groove
both inside and outside of the slot. The projection on the cylinder works in the
inside groove and a travelling nut shaped to fit the external groove. This nut fits
a screwed bolt with a winged nut and is for the double purpose of keeping the
attachment in shape and also regulating the distance the cylinder traverses on the
piston. The high pressure cylinder is preferably fitted to a disc tap and is slung
underneath the tap in a horizontal position traversing on a hollow piston rod.
This piston rod is enlarged in the centre to fit two cupped leathers back to back.
It is solid only in the centre where the cup leathers are affixed and is bored out
from each extremity for the liquid to enter at each end of the cylinder emptying
into the barrel and also for conveying the liquid from the cylinder to the nozzle or
egress passages alternately. Two brass connections similar to those employed for
water gauge glasses are fitted to each extremity of the piston these connections
are suspended on two pipes leading from the disc tap. It will be seen from the

page_text: foregoing that the two cupped leathers fitting the cylinder divide it in two divisions
for the liquid entering in at one end expels the measured liquid from the other
half alternately by making the cylinder travel on the cupped leather plunger to
and fro.
The cylinder has two stuffing boxes one at each end through which the hollow
portion of the piston rod works and both the high & low pressure cylinders are
fitted with a toothed rack or other suitable device which gears into the cog wheels
of the checker or liquid recorder. The checker is only used when the apparatus
is required for bar counter purposes in measuring wines spirits &c. The mechanism
of counter or checker being so arranged that the rise or fall of the cylinder will
be accurately recorded according to the distance the cylinder traverses on the
piston.
The following are some of the purposes the apparatus suitable for measuring
syrups and cordials in aerated water factories also for attachment to filling
machines in place of syrup pumps. The high pressure one is also suitable for
cork filling racks aerated waters in opaque or dark coloured bottles where the
operator cannot see into and counter fountains cylinder measuring all kinds of
beverages wines or spirits &c. behind bar counters. Herb beers &c. and frothy
beverages can be measured into large glasses without any fear or uncertainty of
the right quantity not being given. In fact it is suitable for any purpose where
the liquid requires measuring accurately and rapidly in large or small quantities.
2nd July 1890.
WILLIAM BRUCE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Liquid Measuring Apparatus and Checker.
WILLIAM BRUCE Mineral Water Engineer 138 Conway Street Birkenhead
Cheshire 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
1. Having set forth the nature of my invention in the Provisional Specification
I herewith proceed to details of each separate piece of the mechanism lettered on
the attached drawings.
A. is a gravitating cylinder weighted sufficiently to overcome the friction of the
piston and contains the quantity of liquid required to be measured each time the
tap is operated on.
2. B is a hollow piston screwed into the body of the tap externally same
diameter as the inside of the gravitating cylinder. The piston is fitted with a cupped
expanding leather at the top extremity and a 3" tube passes through its centre
into the body of the tap to convey the liquid into the cylinder when being
operated on.
3. C. is the square body of a plug tap. The top square has a 3" tube D.
screwed into it conveying the liquid into the cylinder and also out and the fixed
hollow piston B also screws into the body on which the gravitating cylinder travels.
On the left square of the body is the nozzel or outlet and slotted guide E. and on
the right side of square is the inlet shank of tap flanged & screwed with a back
nut and nut & tail pipe as shown.
4. D is a tube passing through the hollow piston and screwed into the body
for conveying the liquid into and out of the cylinder.
5. E is the slotted guide for regulating the quantity of liquid to be admitted
into the cylinder and also to enable the cylinder to travel truly on the piston.
6. F is the nozzel of the tap.
7. G. is the slide with thumb screw and nut for regulating the quantity of

page_text: liquid to be measured and It traverses in HL V shaped groove
guide E.
8. H. is the flanged screwed shank of the tap with the dotted inlet passage
shown.
9. I. is the plug of the tap slotted on one side only. The size of this slot is
regulated to cover two ports in the body of tap alternately at each quarter turn of
the handle when in operation.
10. J in No. 1 is shown the hole or opening where the plug fits into and also
shows the inlet & outlet ports from the shank to the tube D. and from the cylinder
to the nozzel F.
11. K. is a brass back nut to fasten the tap to a wood or other bracket.
12. L. is the nut and tail piece to attach the supply pipe to from a reservoir
fixed four feet or more higher. Suitable mechanism is affixed to the back of the
tap that is operated on by the rise or fall of the cylinder in such a manner
to accurately record the quantity of liquid withdrawn by the operator. This
mechanism is not shown by drawings in consequence of the different designs of
counters or checkers in present use but the principle I adopt is to fit a toothed
rack on to the gravitating cylinder which gears into a ratchet cog wheel in such a
manner as to only operate on the recorder one way that is either when rising or
falling. The cog-wheel is mounted on a small pinion shaft held in position by
being bracketed on to two upright attachments.
An endless tape can be substituted in place of a dial checker and would be
wound up a certain distance every time the tap was operated.
For high pressure I substitute a four ported disc tap in place of an ordinary
plug tap either with a leather washer seating or the disc face of the plug ground to
the disc face of the body of the tap as shown by lettered parts on sheet of
drawings.
13. M is the high pressure disc body of tap showing by the dotted lines the
internal passages numbered 1. 2. 3. 4. the arrows showing the inlet and outlet
passages. Underneath this is suspended a shaft N having a small passage from
each extremity to near the centre. About 2" of this shaft is solid in the centre
and is externally screwed so as to affix two cupped leathers O back to back by
means of two back nuts. These cupped pump leathers O are about 2 to 2"
diameter or more and on them and the shaft a gunmetal cylinder P. traverses to
and fro its length varying according to the quantity of liquid required to be
measured. By operating the disc plug Q of tap the liquid enters at one extremity
of cylinder and is driven out at the other extremity to the outlet passage. One
quarter turn of the disc plug reverses the operation admitting the liquid at the
other end and driving the same measured quantity through the other half so on at
each quarter turn of the handle the requisite quantity can be accurately measured.
This high pressure disc tap is very suitable for attaching to cork or patent stopper
aerated water filling machines as it gauges the exact quantity of aerated water
into each bottle independent of the skill of the bottler.
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
1st. The mechanism and design of the tap & hollow piston.
2nd. The gravitating cylinder both with & without the toothed rack and the
means for regulating the rise and fall so as to adapt itself to the different quantities
required to be measured.
3. The mechanism & design of the high pressure disc tap with the horizontal
cylinder traversing on a fixed cupped leather plunger and adapting itself to the
quantity of liquid measured by the operator substantially as herein described.
4. The mechanism of the toothed cog wheel and ratchet gearing into the toothed

page_text: rack of the vertical low pressure cylinder when required to be connected with the
dial or tape recorder.
1
1
1
1001
DALTO J.CHUM ta UT
Declared, at Birkenhead, in the County of Chester
this 10th day of March 1891, before me
JAMES P. THOMPSON, a Commissioner to
Administer Oaths in the Supreme Court of
Judicature in England.
WILLIAM BRUCH
Declared, at Birkenhead, in the County of Chester
this 10th day of March 1891, before me
JAMES P. THOMPSON, a Commissioner to
Administer Oaths in the Supreme Court o
Judicature in England.