AN IMPROVED WATER METER, WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED AS A WATER, STEAM, OR GAS ENGINE
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED WATER METER, WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED AS
A WATER, STEAM, OR GAS ENGINE."-A communication from abroad by
Henry Isham, of the City of New York, in the United States of
America.
Sealed the 29th September 1865, and dated the 28th July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th July 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED WATER METER, WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED
AS A WATER, STEAM, OR GAS ENGINE," to be as follows:-
The improved water meter or engine which forms the subject of the present
demand consists of a group of any number of cylinders (four by preference),
each provided with a piston, and arranged round a central axis of rotation.
These cylinders are open at their lower ends, and in their revolution round
the axle they pass in succession over an induction way to receive the water or
other fluid which actuates and raises the pistons in the cylinders. The
cylinders then pass over an eduction way, through which the water or other

page_text: fluid is discharged, and the pistons descend. The pistons are connected by
rods with a plate mounted on a hub, or with the arms of a hub which turns
on an axis placed at an angle with the axis of the group of cylinders. The
upper ends of the cylinders are open, and their lower ends are formed with an
inward projecting flanch, leaving an opening equal to about three-fourths of
the area of each cylinder. The bed plate is formed with two apertures, one
communicating with the induction way and pipe, and the other with the
eduction way and pipe; and these apertures are so located that when the
cluster of cylinders revolve on the central shaft the cylinders shall in succession
pass over both apertures, and as one cylinder passes over the induction aperture
the opposite cylinder shall pass over the eduction aperture. The eduction
aperture is of larger capacity than the induction aperture, and it is so located
that a portion of its area is not covered by that portion of the under face of
the cylinders which runs in contact with the face of the bed plate, so that the
fluid may escape into the surrounding case. To each cylinder is properly
fitted a piston, which is provided with a guide rod, which works in a guide
plate connected with the upper end of the cluster of cylinders, so as to revolve
with them. Each piston is also provided with a hinged connecting rod, and
the four connecting rods are in turn hinged to the under surface of a plate, or,
as the equivalent, the arms of a hub mounted on a fixed shaft, which is
connected with the upper end of the central shaft, but forming an angle
therewith, the inclination of the said plate depending upon the stroke of the
pistons in the revolution of the cluster of cylinders. When water or other
fluid under pressure passes from the induction pipe into any one of the
cylinders it acts against and forces the piston of that cylinder upwards, and
this action, by reason of the inclination of the axis of the plate, causés. the
cluster of cylinders, with their appendages, to rotate about their common axis,
and that cylinder which is on the opposite side of the axis is thereby caused
to pass over the eduction way, into which the water or other fluid is discharged
by the downward motion of its piston. Before the eduction pipe is opened
the water or other fluid discharged into the eduction way escapes through the
outer portion of the eduction aperture or port into and fills the case, making
a counter pressure on the upper surface of the piston, thereby producing an
equilibrium, and holding the meter or engine in a state of rest; but the
moment the eduction way or pipe is opened for the escape of water or other
fluid the equilibrium is destroyed, and the meter or engine started and worked
in exact proportion to the capacity of the discharge, the surplus pressure being
balanced by the fluid in the surrounding case. The surrounding case should

page_text: be provided with a small cock or valve to permit the escape of air until it is
filled with water or other actuating fluid.
When employed as a meter for measuring the flow of water or other fluids,
the hub of the plate should be connected with suitable registering mechanism,
but when used as a motor the hub is to be provided with a belt, wheel, or
other gearing for transmitting motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
1, the said William Edward Newton, 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 WATER METER, WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED AS A WATER, STEAM, OR GAS
ENGINE," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
bands and seals, 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say).:-

page_text: The.improved water meter or engine which forms the subject of the present
Invention consists of a group of any.number of cylinders (four by preference),
each provided with à piston, and arranged round a central axis of rotation.
These cylinders are open at their lower ends, and in their revolution round
their axes they pass in succession over an induction way to receive the water
or other fluid which actuates and raises the pistons in the cylinders. The
cylinders then pass over an eduction way, through which the water or other
fluid is discharged, and the pistons descend. The pistons are connected by
rods with a plate mounted on a hub on the arms of a hub which turns on an
axis placed at an angle with the axis of the group of cylinders.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a horizontal section, taken at the
line A, a, of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken at the line B, b, of Fig. 1,
with the casing and registering mechanism; Figure 3 is a top view of the
bed plate, with the group of cylinders removed; and Fig. 4 is a bottom' view
of the group of cylinders.
the
a is a bed plate, with a central vertical shaft 6 permanently secured thereto;
upper surface of this bed plate should be at right angles to the axis of the
shaft, and ground true to form a fluid-tight joint with the under face of a group
of cylinders c. The group of cylinders are cast in one single block, the several
cylinders being bored parallel with each other, and at equal distances from a
central bore, fitted to turn on the central shaft b. The under face of this
block, from the central bore to a little beyond the openings at the lower end
of the cylinder, should be fitted accurately to the face of the bed plate. The
upper ends of the cylinders are open, and their lower ends are formed with an
inward projecting flanch d, leaving an opening equal to about three-fourths of
the area of each cylinder. The bed plate a is formed with two apertures e
and f, the one e communicates with the induction way and pipe g, and the
other with the eduction way and pipe h; and these apertures are so located
that when the cluster of cylinders revolve on the central shaft the cylinders
shall in succession pass over both apertures, and as one cylinder passes over
the induction aperture e the opposite cylinder shall pass over the eduction
aperture f. The eduction aperture f is of larger capacity than the induction
aperture e, and it is so located that a portion of its area is not covered by that
portion of the under face of the cylinders which runs in contact with the face
of the bed plate, so that the fluid may escape into the surrounding case i for
a purpose to be hereafter explained. To each cylinder is properly fitted a
piston j, which is provided with a guide rod k, which works in a hole in a
guide plate connected with the upper end of the cluster of cylinders, so as to
revolve with them. Each piston is also provided with a hinged connecting

page_text: rod m, and the four connecting rods are in turn hinged to the under surface
of a plate n, or to the arms of a hub mounted on a fixed shaft o, which is
connected with the upper end of the central shaft b, but forms an angle there-
with, as represented, the inclination of the said plate depending upon the stroke
of the pistons in the revolution of the cluster of cylinders. The guide plate /
is formed with four slots p, in which the connecting rods in play. When
water or other fluid under pressure passes from the induction pipe g into any
one of the cylinders, it acts against and forces the piston of that cylinder
upwards; and this action, by reason of the inclination of the axis of the platen,
causes the cluster of cylinders, with their appendages, to rotate about their
common axis b, and that cylinder which is on the opposite side of the axis is
thereby caused to pass over the eduction way, into which the water or other
fluid which it had previously received is discharged by the downward motion
of its piston, induced by the plate n, with which it is connected. Before the
eduction pipe is opened the water or other fluid discharged into the eduction
way escapes through the outer portion of the eduction aperture or port f
into and fills the case i, making a counter-pressure on the upper surface of
the piston, thereby producing an equilibrium, and holding the meter or engine
in a state of rest, but the moment the eduction way or pipe his opened for
the escape of water or other fluid, the equilibrium is destroyed, and the meter
or engine is started and worked in exact proportion to the capacity of the
discharge, the surplus pressure being balanced by the fluid in the surrounding
case. The surrounding case i should be provided with a small cock or valve
to permit the escape of air until it is filled with water or other actuating fluid.
When employed as a meter for measuring the flow of water or other fluids,
the hub of the plate n should be connected with suitable registering mechanism,
such as represented, but when used as a motor the hub is to be provided with
a belt wheel or other gearing for transmitting motion.
h
Having now described the mode of application of the Invention which bas
been tried with success, I do not wish to be understood as limiting my claim
to such mode of application, as it may be modified without changing the mode
of operation.
What I claim as new in the above-described Invention, and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is, the application of a cluster of cylinders capable
of revolving about a common centre, provided with pistons in combination
with an inclined plate (or the equivalent thereof), with which the piston rods
are connected, and with the bed plate and its induction and eduction ways,
for the purpose specified.
I also claim (in combination with the cluster of cylinders and the bed plate)

page_text: surrounding the cluster of cylinder with a case, and making the eduction
aperture or port to discharge into the case for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.B.)