Improvements in Apparatus for Starting the Action of Syphons Used in Liquid Meters and other Vessels..
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1886.
Complete Left, 12th Sept., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 14th Oct., 1887
Improvements in Apparatus for Starting the Action of Syphons
Used in Liquid Meters and other Vessels..
We WILLIAM COWAN and WILLIAM HENRY COWAN, both of Buccleuch Street
Works, Edinburgh, North Britain, Gas Apparatus Manufacturers do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the application of improved contrivances for
promoting the prompt action of syphons used for discharging water from liquid
meters and other vessels, and is especially adapted to the liquid meters for which
application for Letters Patent No. 5003 dated April 10, 1886 has been made.
One of the difficulties attending the use of syphons used for discharging liquid from
water meters is the liability to produce a "stand pipe" instead of a syphon action
when the water is admitted to the measuring chambers in a very small stream, or in
drops such as would fall from a leaky tap and thus pass unregistered, and it is to
overcome this difficulty that the present improvements have been devised."
The invention consists in suspending from each end of a cross beam attached to the
rocking shaft which carries the funnel shaped conduit, a plunger so arranged that it
is capable of being immersed or partially immersed in the liquid contained in the
measuring chamber over which it is hung. The buckets are also made somewhat
larger-have no holes in them, and are partially covered, and may be connected
together by an additional loaded beam at the back, or a mere rod, as found most
expedient. Syphons of almost any form may be used, but flat tube syphons are
preferred, and in some cases it may be found advantageous to slightly seal with
liquid the long leg of the syphon in its corresponding bucket.
When the water flows into the
measuring chamber in a very small stream, or drop by drop, the liquid will rise to the
top of the lower part of the bend of the syphon, when it will run over as in a stand
pipe, and fall into the bucket beneath. This it will continue to do till by the weight
of the accumulated water in the bucket, the loaded beam will turn and in reversing
its inclination it will cause one of the plungers to be immersed or partially immersed
in the liquid in the measuring chamber. As a consequence of the immersion of the
The action is very simple and is as follows.

page_text: plunger the height of the water will be suddenly raised sufficiently to overcome the
stand pipe action, and in its stead produce the syphon action necessary for the prompt
discharge of the liquid from the measuring chamber, the quantity discharged being
registered by the mechanism provided for that purpose. The opposite bucket will
then receive the liquid until in its turn it reverses the inclination of the beam when
the operation before described will be repeated.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that plungers may be used for
ensuring the prompt action of syphons when employed for the discharge of liquids,
irrespective of the kind of liquid or chamber from which such discharge is made.
When used for flushing tanks the plunger may be immersed in the liquid by means
of a hand lever, and withdrawn therefrom through the action of a counterpoise
weight, or by means of a loaded beam as in the arrangement above described for a
water meter.
Dated this 13th day of December 1886

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Starting the Action of Syphons
Used in Liquid Meters and other Vessels.
We WILLIAM COWAN, and WILLIAM HENRY COWAN, both of Buccleuch Street
Works, Edinburgh, North Britain, Gas Apparatus Manufacturers, 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 :-
This invention has for its object the application of improved contrivances for
promoting the prompt action of syphons used for discharging water from liquid
meters, flushing tanks and other similar vessels, in which syphons are employed and
is especially adapted to liquid meters similar to those for which Letters Patent
No. 5003 dated April 10, 1886 were granted to the aforesaid William Cowan.
One of the difficulties attending the use of syphons used for discharging liquid
from water meters and other vessels is the liability to produce a stand pipe" instead
of a syphon action, when the water is admitted to the chambers in a very small
stream, or in drops such as would fall from a leaky tap, and thus pass unregistered,
and it is to overcome this difficulty that the present improvements have been
devised.
In order that the invention may be easily understood drawings are attached hereto
of which the following is a description. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a liquid meter
such as is described in the specification of the Patent before referred to, with the
front of the casing removed, and shows the application of the present invention, and
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the meter and exhibits an arrangement for reducing the
force of the stream admitted to the meter. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a flushing
tank with the side casing removed, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the same.
In reference to the application to liquid meters, the invention consists in suspending
from each end of a cross beam A Fig. 1 attached to the rocking shaft which carries
the funnel shaped conduit B, a plunger C, so arranged that it is capable of being
immersed or partially immersed in the liquid contained in the measuring chamber D
or E over which it is hung. The buckets F and Gare also made somewhat larger
than those in the specification before referred to, have no holes in them, and are
partially covered, and may be connected together by an additional loaded beam at
the back, or a mere rod, as found most expedient. Syphons of almost any form may
be used, but flat tube syphons are preferred, and in some cases it will be found advan-
tageous to slightly seal with liquid the long leg of the syphon in its corresponding
bucket. This object is attained by making the syphons project through the bottom of
the chambers, so that the bucket which is for the time being the higher, seals by the
small quantity of liquid it always retains the end of the syphon which dips into it.
The seal increases as the water rises in the bucket, and is broken when the bucket
descends. The sudden removal of the temporary seals aids considerably in starting
the syphon.

page_text: The action is very simple and is as follows. When the water flows into the
measuring chamber in a very small stream or drop by drop, the liquid will rise to the
top of the lower part of the bend of the syphon, when it will run over as in a stand-
pipe, and fall into the bucket beneath. This it will continue to do till by the weight
of the accumulated water in the bucket, the loaded beam H will turn and in reversing
the inclination it will cause one of the plungers C to be immersed or partially
immersed in the liquid in the measuring chamber. As a consequence of the immersion
of the plunger the height of the water will be suddenly raised sufficiently to overcome
the standpipe action, and in its stead produce the syphon action necessary for the
prompt and complete discharge of the liquid from the measuring chamber by one or
other of the syphons T or U, the quantity discharged being registered by the
mechanism provided for that purpose. The opposite bucket will then in like manner
receive the liquid until in its turn it reverses the inclination of the beam when the
operation before described will be repeated.
The application of the invention to flushing tanks and other similar vessels is
illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In these Figs. I is the covered tank having a com-
partment or chamber J in which the ball rises and falls. The ball is so arranged that
when it shuts off the supply, the water will reach the underside of the roof or cover
of the tank. Attached to the outside of the case is the pillar K to which is pivotted
the lever L provided with a counterpoise weight M. Between the fulcrum and the
end to which the power is applied there is a rod N one end of which is pivotted to the
lever and the other is fixed to the plunger O. The inlet for the water with its valve
or tap is marked P and the overflow Q, while the flat tube or other suitably shaped
syphon is shown at R.
When the apparatus is at rest the weight M will retain the plunger O in the
position shown, but upon drawing down the chain S the plunger will be immersed or
partially immersed, thereby suddenly displacing sufficient water as to bring the
syphon R into action, when the whole of the water down to the level of the bottom of
the short leg of the syphon will be discharged. The effective action of the apparatus
is very much increased by bringing the cover or roof W of the larger part of the
cistern down to a point somewhat below the under surface of the syphon bend.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,
1. The plunger C, C connected to a beam attached to the rocking shaft, as herein
described and shown on the drawings.
2. The plunger 0 in combination with a weighted lever L arranged as herein
described and shown on the drawings.
3. The tank I having over the greater part of it a roof or cover W which lies
slightly below the under-surface of the syphon bend, as, herein described and shown
on the drawings.
Dated this 12th day of September 1887.
W. H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicants.