IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Parkes, the younger, of Oaken Gates, in the
County of Salop, Ironmonger, and James Parkes, of Oaken Gates,
aforesaid, Ironmonger, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 29th June 1866, and dated the 29th March 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Parkes and James
Parkes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 29th March 1866.
We, JOHN PARKES, the younger, of Oaken Gates, in the County of Salop,
Ironmonger, and JAMES PARKES, of Oaken Gates, aforesaid, Ironmonger, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of the arrangements of parts of apparatus herein-
after described for the measuring of liquids, by which said arrangements a
simple and efficient measuring apparatus is obtained at little cost.

page_text: In constructing a measuring apparatus according to our Invention we take
a metallic vessel open at top, and made by preference of a conical figure, the
ɛaid vessel being connected by a pipe at its bottom with the reservoir con-
taining the liquid to be measured; the said vessel we will herein-after call
the measuring vessel. The bottom of the measuring vessel has also a pipe by
which the measured liquid is drawn off. Each of the pipes described is
provided with a stop-cock. In the said measuring vessel is a float connected
by a chain to a pulley turning freely on its axis situated on the framing of the
apparatus. The weight of the float is nearly counterpoised by a balance
weight. The rising and falling motions of the float in the measuring vessel
are guided by guide rods, and the chain passing to the pulley described is
guided by a lower pulley. On the axis of the pulley to which the chain from
the float is connected is an index finger or pointer, which said index finger or
pointer on the motion of the pulley traverses a graduated dial on the apparatus.
The graduations on the said dial indicate the quantity of liquid contained in
the measuring vessel. In measuring a liquid by the use of the apparatus
described the stop-cock of the delivery pipe is closed and the stop-cock of the
pipe passing to the reservoir is opened, and liquid from the said reservoir
passes into the measuring vessel. As the measuring vessel is filled with the
said liquid the float is raised and communicates through the pulley to which
it is fastened motion to the index finger or pointer, which is made to traverse
the graduated dial and indicate thereon the quantity of liquid passed into the
measuring vessel. As soon as the required quantity of liquid bas been
measured the stop-cock of the reservoir pipe is closed, and that of the delivery
pipe opened, and the contents of the said measuring vessel are drawn off by
the last-mentioned pipe.
Instead of transmitting the motion of the rising float in the measuring
vessel to the index finger or pointer in the manner already described, the
float may have attached to it a rack, which rack is made to gear with a
pinion on an axis carrying the index finger or pointer, and thereby transmit
the rising motion of the float to the said index finger or pointer.
Our Invention is specially applicable to the measuring of light oils, paraffin,
and other liquid hydrocarbons and spirits, but may also be applied to the
measuring of other liquids.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Parkes and James Parkes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Jonn
PARKES, the younger, of Oaken Gates, in the County of Salop, Ironmonger,
and JAMES PARKES, of Oaken Gates, aforesaid, Ironmonger, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, givo and grant unto us, the
said John Parkes and James Parkes, Her special licence that we, the said
John Parkes and James Parkes, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said John Parkes and James Parkes, our
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
MEASURING LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
John Parkes and James Parkes, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 John Parkes, on behalf of myself and
the said James Parkes, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
Our Invention consists of the arrangements of parts of apparatus herein-
after described for the measuring of liquids, by which said arrangements a
simple and efficient measuring apparatus is obtained at little cost.
In constructing a measuring apparatus according to our Invention wo take
a metallic vessel open at top, and made by preference of a conical figure, the
said vessel being connected by a pipe at its bottom with the reservoir con-
taining the liquid to be measured. The said vessel we will herein-after call
the measuring vessel. The bottom of the measuring vessel has also a pipe
by which the measured liquid is drawn off. Each of the pipes described is

page_text: provided with a stop-cock. In the said measuring vessel is a float connected
by a chain to a pulley turning freely in its bearings situated on the framing
of the apparatus. The weight of the float is nearly counterpoised by a
balance weight. The float in the measuring vessel is guided in its rising and
falling motions by guide rods, and the chain passing to the pulley described is
guided by a lower pulley. On the axis of the pulley to which the chain from
the float is connected is an index finger or pointer, which said index finger
or pointer on the motion of the pulley traverses a graduated dial on the
apparatus. The graduations on the said dial indicate the capacity of
the measuring vessel at different levels. In measuring a liquid by the use of the
'apparatus described, the stop-cock of the delivery pipe is closed and tho
stop-cock of the pipe passing to the reservoir is opened, and. liquid from
the said reservoir passes into the measuring vessel. As the measuring vessel
is filled with the said liquid the float. is raised and communicates through
the pulley to which it is fastened motion to the index finger or pointer, which
is made to traverso the graduated dial and indicate thereon the quantity of
.liquid passed into the measuring vessel. As soon as the required quantity of
liquid has been measured the stop-cock of the reservoir pipe is closed, and
that of the delivery pipe opened, and the contents of the said measuring
vessel are drawn off by the last-mentioned pipe. Instead, of transmitting the
motion of the rising float in the measuring vessel to the index finger or pointer
in the manner already described the float may have attached to it a rack,
which rack is made to gear with a pinion on an axis carrying the index finger
or pointer, and thereby transmit the rising motion of the float to the said index
finger or pointer.
'
Our Invention is specially applicable to the measuring of light oils, paraffin,
and other liquid hydrocarbons and spirits, but may also be applied to the
measuring of other liquids. ? ..
་
Having explained the nature of our Invention, we will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a measuring apparatus constructed
according to our Invention; Figure 2 is also a front elevation, with the front
plate removed in order to exhibit the interior; Figure 3 is a vertical section
of the same; and Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the same taken through
the line, Figure 3; Figure 5 is a plan of a portion of the same. The
same letters indicate the same parts in each Figure.
The said measuring apparatus consists of a case a, a, the part a being
closed, and the part a³ open on one side or front. In the part a is a metallic

page_text: vessel 6 open at top, and made of the form best seen in Figure 3; this
vessel constitutes the measuring vessel of the apparatus. The said vessel b
is in communication by means of the pipe c with the reservoir or cask con-
taining the liquid to be measured. The horizontal part of the pipe c is
provided with two stop-cocks d, e, the stop-cock e being for the purpose of
admitting the liquid from the reservoir into the measuring vessel b, and the
other & for delivering the measured liquid into the bottle or vessel which is to
receive it. The stop-cock e alone opens and closes communication between
the reservoir and the measuring vessel b. The stop-cock d has no power of
closing the pipe c, but only serves to draw off the measured liquid from the
vessel b. In the measuring vessel 6 is a hollow float f(shown separately in
plan in Figure 5), the said float being guided in its motion by the rods g,g,
passing through the eyes on opposite sides of the said float. The liquid from
the pipe c is admitted into the bottom of the measuring vessel 6 through the
curved narrow slits made in the diaphragm h. The float f is connected by a
chain i with a pulley ; the float f is nearly counterbalanced by the weight/
connected by a chain on passing over the pulley n with the first-described
pulley k.
. The manner in which the chains i and m are connected to the pulley k
will be readily understood by an examination of Figures 2 and 3. The chain i
is guided to the pulley k by the lower pulley p. The pulleys p, k, n, are
carried by the inner framing a of the apparatus. The prolonged axis of the
middle pulley passes to the outside of the case, and carries on its end an
index finger or pointer 2, which finger or pointer traverses on the motion of
the said pulley & a graduated dial r on the front of the case. The graduations
on the dial correspond with the capacity of the measuring vessel bot
different levels. In connecting the apparatus to a cask or reservoir the
cover a is lifted off, and the pipe c. connected by the union joint c with. .D
pipe passing to the cask or reservoir. In order to measure a liquid the stop-
cock d is closed and the stop-cock e is opened, and liquid from the cask or
reservoir passes by the pipe c to the bottom of the measuring vessel b, rising
up the slits at h into the measuring vessel. As the measuring vessel b is
filled with the liquid the float is raised, and a partial rotation is communicated
to the pulley and index finger or pointer q carried by its axis. The index
finger or pointer is thereby made to traverse the graduated dial r, and indicate
thereon the quantity of liquid passed into the measuring vessel 6; as soon as
the pointer q has indicated on the dial the quantity of liquid it is wished to
measure the stop-cock is closed, and the stop-cock d is opened, and the liquid

page_text: is drawn off by the pipe of the said stop-cock d into the bottle or vessel
placed under it. As the liquid is drawn off the float f descends in the
measuring vessel 6, and the index finger or pointer 9 returns to the zero point
of the graduated dial r, as represented in the Drawing.
By measuring liquids by the use of our Invention a great saving of time is
effected, and the loss and danger (when inflammable liquids are measured)
In the base of the case of the apparatus is a pan t
by spilling are avoided.
to catch the drippings.
The liquid which accumulates in the pan t is drawn
off from time to time by unscrewing the screw u. In order to prevent injury
to the registering mechanism of the measuring apparatus by the motion of
the float when the apparatus is in transit, or otherwise moved, we apply a
clamping apparatus, consisting of a rod v having an eye or fork wat top, and a
In order to
loop y at bottom, a clamping screw working in the loop y.
make the apparatus ready for transit the rod v is drawn down, so as to carry
down by the eye w the counterbalance weight, and raise the float f to the
top of the measuring vessel. By then screwing home the clamping screw =
the rod v is clamped to the side of the case, and the registering mechanism
fixed.
Instead of the arrangement described and represented for transmitting the
rising motion of the float to the index finger or pointer a vertical rack may
be connected to the float, and the axis of the index finger be fixed to a pinion
working in bearings on the frame a³, with which pinion the rack of the float
engages. By the rising of the float the rack gives motion to the pinion, and
the latter to the index finger or pointer.
When two qualities or kinds of liquids are required to be measured a pipe
provided with a stop-cock similar to the pipe c is connected with a second
cask or reservoir, and the second pipe is placed on the left-hand side of the
apparatus in communication with the measuring vessel, the middle stop-cock
in this case serving to draw off the liquid supplied to the measuring vessel by
either cask or reservoir.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do
not limit ourselves to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the
; but
same may be varied without departing from the nature of our Invention
we claim as our Invention the improvements in apparatus for measuring
liquids herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing,
that is to say, arranging or combining the parts of a measuring apparatus so
that the quantity of liquid supplied to a vessel is measured by the rising of a

page_text: float in the said vessel, the motion of the float being transmitted to an index
finger or pointer traversing a graduated dial, substantially in the manner
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Parkes, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
JOHN PARKES, Senior,
Oaken Gates,
Salop.
JOHN PARKES, JUNIOR. (L.B.)