AN IMPROVED LIQUID METER
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED LIQUID METER."-A communication from
abroad by Theodore Alden Curtis, of Springfield, in the County of
Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st October 1871.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED LIQUID METER," a communication
to me from abroad by Theodore Alden Curtis, of Springfield, in the
County of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, United States of
America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an oscillating device for measuring the flow
of liquids, and consists of a cylinder or tube suspended upon two points

page_text: by which arrangement the cylinder is made to change its position at the
instant the piston has finished its stroke, as the collars which secure the
diaphragm to the rod move against each end of the cavity, thereby
making the rods and the piston simultaneous in the limit of their.
movement to and fro.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas
Hughes, 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 Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED LIQUID METER," a communication to me from abroad by
Theodore Alden Curtis, of Springfield, in the County of Hampden, State
of Massachusetts, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and scals, 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 dato
of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings making a part of this Specification, and to the letters
of reference marked thereon, that is to say:
This Invention relates to an oscillating device for measuring the flow
of liquids, and consists of a cylinder or tube suspended upon two points
or bearings, one on each side, at or near the middle, and having a valve
to control the flow of the liquid into and out of the cylinder or tube,
which valve has two vertical working faces which bear against each
other, one of said faces having two ports therein communicating with
the interior of the cylinder at each end, each of which ports is put in
alternate communication with the inlet and outlet ports in the other
working face of the valve each time that the cylinder oscillates.
On the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view
of my Invention at line N, showing the weight within the cylinder, and
also showing a side view of the valve; Fig. 2 is a front view of that
portion of the valvo which is attached to the cylinder showing its
working face and its ports; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through line M
of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a rear view of that portion of the valve, which
remains stationary or is attached to the frame showing its working face
and its port openings; Fig. 5 is a front view of the stationary part of the
valve showing the inlet and outlet; Fig. 6 is a top or plan view of the
stationary part of the valve showing in dotted lines the arrangement of
the ports; Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same through line O of
Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the frame at line P; Fig. 9 is a
longitudinal section of the cylinder showing the connecting bar in
position upon the cylinder, and its position in connection with the latch;
and Fig. 10 is an end view of the connecting bar.
The cylinder or vessel has two short rods, one at each end, operating
through the head, and a cavity is made in each head, in which is placed
a diaphragm, which is centrally secured to the rod so that it moves to
and fro as the rod moves; while its outer edge is secured to the cylinder
head by turning a nut firmly against a shoulder with the outer edge of
the diaphragm between.

page_text: If desirable the diaphragm may be dispensed with, and the cavity
filled with any suitable packing material, making a common stuffing box
with its packing around the rod.
To the outer end of each rod is secured a bar, which extends from one
end of the cylinder outside to the other, forming a firm connection
between the two rods.
These rods are operated to and fro by a weight having two cup
leathers attached, which, as it is caused by the pressure of the valve to
move to and fro in the cylinder, strikes against the end of one or the
other of said rods, the outside connecting bar causing the other rod to
move also in the same direction. As either of the rods is moved
outward, and the same end of the cylinder drops by the weight of the
piston, the outer end of said rod is caught under a swinging weight, and
the cylinder is thus held in that position until the piston is forced to the
other end of the cylinder and strikes against the other rod, throwing that
out under the weight, and so on. As each rod is thrown out the other is
withdrawn from under its weight, and the cylinder is free to change its
position.
When the diaphragm is used each rod projects into the cylinder
beyond the piston stop just the same distance as the length of the
extrenie movement of the central part of the diaphragm in its cavity, by
which arrangement the cylinder is made to change its position at the
instant the piston has finished its stroke, as the collars which secure
the diaphragm to the rod move against each end of the cavity, thereby
making the rods and the piston simultaneous in the limit of their
movement to and fro.
That others skilled in the art may be able to make and use my
Invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.
In the Drawings, A represents the cylinder, having the water ways to
therein extending upon one side from each end to and into the middle
projection or hub F, as shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 9, and opening out
at the face of said hub, to which hub is secured the valve F¹ by screws
or bolts passing through the flango a.
The valve is shown more in detail in Figs. 2 and 3, in which is the
working face of the part F', having an annular flange b at or near its
outer edge, and the ports e extending directly through it; and these

page_text: ports should coincide in form and position upon the back at f" with the
form and position of the openings in the hub F, and the ports upon the
face of valve should be similar in form and position to that shown at e
in Fig. 2.
The block E may be rectangular in its general form, or of any other
desirable shape, and upon one side thereof is formed the circular face f',
made to fit closely the face f upon the part F inside the annular
flange b. Through the block F are made the ports e³, eª, eª, and e*, the
space between the two ports e³ and being sufficient to completely
cover one of the ports, e* and e' being sufficient to cover the other port e,
when the cylinder is placed in a horizontal position. The two ports e³
and e³ extend inward and upward towards cach other, and uniting from
the orifice d at the other side of the block, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7;
and the two ports e¹ and e³ extend inward towards each other and down-
ward, uniting and forming the lower orifice d; and the block E is
secured in an upright position to the frame C by bolts or in any other
desirable manner. The space between the two upper ports e² and e*.
might be cut away, so that the upper orifice d should extend in width
from the point e² to the point e, uniting both said ports in one larger
one, and the lower space upon the face f might be similarly treated;
but I prefer to have the orifice divided as described, in order to give a
better and larger bearing surface upon the face f, and also that the
packing of leather or other suitable material placed between the faces f
and f¹ may wear as smoothly as possible.
The cylinder heads A' are made with the piece or stop k upon each
projecting inward to that point at which it is desired that the piston
should complete its stroke. A cavity or recess n is made in the central
part of the cylinder head, and a packing nut k¹ is made to turn in
from the outside against the shoulder r, so that the outer edge of the
diaphragm n¹ is held firmly between the inner end of said nut and the
shoulder r. Both the packing nut and the part / have a central hole
therein, through passes the rod g, one at each end of the cylinder,
which rod has a collar 8" thereon; and the diaphragm n' is perforated at
the centre so that the rod may pass through, bringing the diaphragm up
against the collar 8", and the nut is turned up tightly against the
diaphragm, so that the diaphragm is firmly held at the centre between
the nut & and the collar 81, and will move to and fro with the rod,
while the outer edge of the diaphragm is held firmly against the

page_text: shoulder r. The small nut & finds a bearing at the recess 8 when its
rod g is out, and the collar 8" finds a bearing at the recess & in the
part when the rod is in.
Instead of the collar 8" and nut being made separate and placed
upon the rod might be made in two parts with a threaded hole in onc
end of one part and a threaded projection upon one end of the other
part; and the two parts somewhat enlarged at these ends to hold the
diaphragm more firmly could be screwed together tightly with the
central part of the diaphragm between. This equivalent arrangement
is shown clearly in Fig. 11.
If it should not be deemed desireable to use the diaphragm it may be
omitted, together with the collar 8" and nut 8', the rod g be made of the
same diameter throughout and smooth, and the cavity n filled with any
suitable packing material, with the packing nut turned in against it
forming a common stuffing box filled and used in the ordinary manner.
The shifting bar i extends from one end of the cylinder to the other
upon the outside, and in order that said bar may be rigid and free from
any tendency to spring I prefer that it should completely encircle the
cylinder longitudinally, although it may be successfully used only upon
one side; and this bar i is connected at each end outside the cylinder to
the rod g, preferably by having a screw thread made upon the rod near
the outer end and a hole made in the bar at ", through which the rod g
is inserted, and the two nuts g', one upon each side of the bar, turned up.
tightly against it. These rods g, one at each end of the cylinder, are.
thus screwed to the bar i in such manner and position that when one
rod with its diaphragm n² is at the extreme outer end of its stroke, the
other rod with its diaphragm n' is at its extreme inner end of its stroke,
and vice versa. The outer end of the rod g projects a little beyond the
end of the bar , and the upright K having the weight K' pivoted
thereto is placed at the proper distance from the end of the rod, so that
when the rod g makes its outward stroke and that end of the cylinder is
down, the pointed end of the weight will hang just over the end of the
|rod, , as shown in Fig. 9; and the weight K' is limited in its inward
movement by a pin u striking against the upright K, or by a stop v at
the upper end of the upright, or in any other convenient manner.
The bar may be held in an inclined position by means of one or
more projections or guides E' placed upon the cylinder or its flange.

page_text: The piston I is made with two cup leathers o, each with its open end
toward the end of the cylinder, said piston or weight being made with
a middle plate I' and two other plates I and I³, one on each side of the
plate I' with the cut leathers between, and all screwed together by a
bolt m, one end of which has a head thereon, and the other passing
through two of the plates and the cup leathers, and into a threaded hole
made in one of the outside plates.
By this construction of the piston I avoid a central perforation
entirely through it, and also avoid any consequent necessity for packing
the same to prevent any leakage of water through from one side of the
piston to the other.
In very large or extraordinary sized meters, when the weight of the
piston is considerable, it might be desirable to give the piston some
support in order that the axes of the cylinder and the piston might more
nearly correspond. And for this purpose I should cast the lugs or
projections H upon the outside of each outside plate in pairs, and then
making a recess ' in each pair place in the rollers h, which should have
their journals bearing in said recesses. If these rollers should be put in
place as the piston is inserted in the cylinder they would remain in
place without any fastening, as the size of the cylinder would keep them
secure and would roll along its inside surface as the piston moved to
and fro therein. I do not however consider these rollers necessary, even
in quite large meters, as the pressure of the water is so even and regular
that the piston will move sufficiently true without the assistance of the
rollers.
The cylinder is suspended so that it will tilt or oscillate by placing
the two faces fand f' of the valve and its block together, and turning
the pointed screw D' into its recess in the part D; and the valve is
made sufficiently tight and its friction regulated by turning said pointed
screw either in or out.
Instead of having the rod 9 move into the part k as the piston presses
against it and the end of the part / stopping the movement of the
piston, it is evident that the rod g might stop the piston by one of the
collars or nuts upon said rod striking against the inner end of the
packing nut k¹, but such action might tend to work the packing nut
loose or derange other parts, and I prefer to use the stop K. or a similar
projection from the cylinder head.

page_text: Having thus described the construction of this Invention, I will
proceed to describe its operation.
One end of the cylinder being tilted down so that the end of the rod
is under the latch or weight K', one of the ports e in the part F
coincides with the port e in the block E, while the other port e coincides
with the port es. The water then being admitted at the inlet d'it passes
in at the port e and through the water way to insede to the lower end
of the cylinder, forcing the piston along to the upper end of the
cylinder, the water which is in front of the piston as it moves being
forced out of the other water way and through the port e³ out at the
outlet dr.
When the piston approaches the upper end of the cylinder it strikes
against the inner end of the rod g and forces it out until the piston
reaches the part k, when the movement is stopped. As the rod g is
thus moved out the bar i is moved also, and the other rod I to which
it is attached is thus moved in and its outer end withdrawn from under
the latch K. The piston then in the upper extreme end of the cylinder
by its own weight causes that end of the cylinder to fall, and the rod g
as it falls is caught beneath the swinging latch K' at that end of the
cylinder, and it is held in that inclined or tilted position.
The port e in the part F, which before was the outlet, now becomes
the inlet, and coincides with the port e' in the part E, and the other
port e coincides with the port e³, and the water passes in through the
port e and water way to to the lower end of the cylinder, forcing the
piston back again, the water with which the cylinder is filled in front
of the piston passing out through the water way w in the upper end of
the cylinder and out through the port e³ and outlet d. And the machine
thus continues its oscillating movement as long as the water is permitted
to pass in at the orifice d' and out at the orifice d.
I am aware that oscillating cylinders have heretofore been used for
the purpose of measuring liquids, and I do not claim the same or any
part thereof, as the device herein described differs very materially in
construction, arrangement, and operation from those heretofore used.
For it will be seen that I dispense with the great amount of friction
unavoidably occasioned by the moving of a perforated packed piston
upon a rod, and do away with all necessity of packing the piston when

page_text: perforated for that purpose; and the machine is otherwise rendered
much more simple in its construction, and is also cheaper and more
desirable, and is very much more accurate in its results, and if repairs
are necessary all its parts are easily removed and put together.
The construction of the valve as herein described which controls the
passage of the water through the meter is also calculated to give tho
least amount of friction and wear with the most successful and accurato
operations of the machine, and will last very much longer in practical
operation than any arrangement of a ground-in cock or a plug operating
within a shell.
Having thus described this Invention, what I claim as new and desiro
to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First. In connection with the oscillating vessel A, a valve for con-
trolling the flow of water into and out of said vessel, consisting of the
movable or oscillating part F¹ having the ports e, e, therein, and the
stationary part E having the orifices d and d', each of which communi-
cates alternately with one of said ports e, both of such parts F¹ and E
operating together, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Secondly. I claim as a means of packing the rod g the diaphragm n¹
centrally firmly secured to the said rod g, and its outer edge firmly
secured to the cylinder head A' by means of the nut K' and the shoulder r,
substantially as described.
Thirdly. I claim as a means of regulating the limit of the stroke of
the rod g the annular projections upon the the said rod at 8' in combina-
tion with the packing nut against which it strikes, substantially as
described.
Fourthly. I claim the projection & in connection with the rods g,
bar i, and latch K' for the purpose of changing the position of the
cylinder at the instant the piston has finished its stroke, substantially as
herein described.
Fifthly. I claim the rods g, one in cach end of the cylinder, in
combination with the connecting bar i, constructed and operating sub-
stantially as described.
And, sixthly. I claim the weight or piston I having the flexible.
attachment secured thereto when said piston is caused by the pressure

page_text: of water alternately upon its sides to move to and fro in the cylinder
independently of any guide rod or similar device, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
E. T. HUGHES. (L.S.)