AN IMPROVED FLUID METER
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I CHARLES
WILLIAM SIEMENS late of Birmingham in the County of Warwick but
now of Adelphi Terrace in the County of Middlesex Engineer Send
Greeting
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland bearing date at Westminster the fifteenth day
of April one thousand eight hundred and fifty two in the Fifteenth year of
Her Reign Did for Herself Her Heirs and Successors Give and Grant unto
me the said Charles William Siemens my exors admors and assigns Her
especial licence, full power sole privilege and authority that I the said
Charles William Siemens my exors admors and assigns or such others as
I the said Charles William Siemens my exors admors or assigns should
at any time agree with and no others from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed should and lawfully might make
use exercise and vend within England Wales and the Town of Berwick
upon Tweed and in the Islands of Jersey Guernsey Alderney Sark and
Man and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad
my Invention of "AN IMPROVED FLUID METER" In which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso that I the said Charles William Siemens shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed by an Instrument in writing under
my hand and seal to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
13236.-1. Wt. 4891.

page_text: Chancery within six Calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent as in and by the same reference being
thereunto had will more fully and at large appear
NOW KNOW YE that in compliance with the said proviso I the said
Charles William Siemens do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed are
fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and to the figures
and letters marked thereon that is to say.
The Invention consists in various arrangements of screws or helices which
are caused to revolve by the passage of water or other fluid through them
and of fixed guides and channels in connection with such screws or helices
to regulate and direct the current of the fluid together with various con-
trivances for registering the number of revolutions of the screws.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto aunexed is a plan and Figure 2 is a
section of one arrangement of my improved fluid meter. the same letters
refer to similar parts in each Figure. A is a cylindrical casing of cast iron
with flanges C and D at each end and lined with a brass tube B which is
made in two lengths between which is a central piece or frame K shewn
separately in figure 3. E is a grating which is shewn separately in
figure 4 and which is intended to prevent the entrance of pieces of stick
or other matters which might obstruct the action of the meter. The water
passes through the grating E and through the annular channel F between the
block G and ring H and being spread to all sides over the block it then
passes between a series of four longitudinal blades or guides g fixed between
the block G and tube B which are placed either parallel to the axis or slightly
inclined so as to direct the water in a contrary direction to the inclination of
the blades of the succeeding screw drum I which screw drum is mounted upon a
spindle i the ends of which are supported by the block G and central piece K.
Figure 6 is a separate view of the screw drum I which has eight (or more
or less) spiral or helical blades. The screw drum I is thus caused to revolve
by the passage of the water. J is another screw drum mounted upon a
spindle and similar to the screw I except that the blades of the screw are
inclined in the opposite direction so that if I is a right handed screw, J is a
left handed screw. The consequence is that J revolves in the contrary direction
to. I. The surrounding casing being made sufficiently wide to allow them to
work without touching the same. The spindle is supported by the central
piece K and a block G¹ with blades like those on the block G. H' is a
ring which contracts the exit passage F¹ E¹ is an open grating or frame for

page_text: supporting the block G' which is screwed to it-The frame E¹ and grating E
are secured by small screws one of which is shewn at z. The screw drums
I and J are furnished with small pinions ¹ and ¹ which gear into two crown
wheels and fixed respectively on the spindles ¹ and . The spindles
i. j. k¹ and bear against a square steel pin passing through the piece K.
The two drums are thus so connected as to cause them to revolve at equal
velocities in contrary directions. The water in passing through the blades
of the first drum has a tendency to be deflected somewhat from its straight
course. Whatever deflection is produced by the first drum causes the water
to act with so much the greater force upon the second drum which is revolving
in the opposite direction and thus the second drum is made to compensate for
the error of the first. In order to prevent a portion of the fluid from passing
between the circumference of the screw blades and the surrounding case
without turning the screw drums three slight contractions of the casing are
effected by the central frame K at a" and contracting rings a and a¹, which
force the fluid which might otherwise escape to impinge upon the screw
blades. In order to render this apparatus available as a fluid meter it is
necessary to apply a counter to register the number of revolutions. If the
spindle were carried through the casing and surrounded with a stuffing
box to prevent the escape of the water the friction produced by the stuffing
box would retard the motion of the spindle and interfere with the correctness
of its indications. This may be obviated by enclosing the counter in a water
tight casing with a strong glass plate (y) at the top and allowing the fluid
in the meter to enter the counter. When however the meter is used for
measuring water the wheel work of the counter is apt to become rusted and
clogged and otherwise injured and the dial itself become obscured. The
arrangement of counter shown in figure 2 is intended to obviate these defects.
Figure 5 is a plan of part of the counter with the dial removed. 7 is
a spindle which is fitted to the spindle and carries an endless screw 71
which gears into a wheel on the spindle m¹ which carries another screw n
gearing into another wheel o whose spindle passes through a tube or socket p
attached to the plate q. The boss of the wheel o is ground and fitted to the
end of the socket p so as to prevent any fluid from passing from the meter
through the socket. The spindle of the wheel o carries a pinion r which
drives the two wheels s and t. The wheels has one hundred teeth and the
wheel has one hundred and one teeth. The wheel & carries an index u
and the wheel t is fixed to a short tube which carries the dial which is
divided into one hundred parts and numbered from the zero point both ways
as shewn see figure 1. The fixed index a points to units on one set of

page_text: numbers on the dial v while the index z points to hundreds on the other set
of numbers on the dial. The proportions of the screw wheels and the pitch of
the screws on the drums and area of the passages are so proportioned that each
unit shown on the dial may represent a gallon or a thousand gallons or a
cubic foot or a hundred cubic feet or any other integer which may be required.
The quantity of fluid which passes through the meter for each revolution of
the screw drums is nearly equal to the annular area (after deducting the
sectional area of the helical blades) between the drum and the surrounding case
multiplied by the pitch of the screw and may be ascertained by allowing a
known quantity of fluid to pass through it and noting the number of revolu-
tions of the drums. If the spindle of the wheel (o) was ground in perfectly
water tight the upper chamber of the counter might remain filled only with
air but I generally prefer to make it fit easy in order to avoid friction
and to fill the upper counter chamber entirely with mineral naptha, distilled
water or other transparent and non-corrosive liquid which will participate of
the pressure within the meter without permitting the entrance of impure liquid.
The lower counter chamber moreover may be filled with oil to lubricate the
screw wheels &°. The chief object of the strong partition (g) is in this case to
receive the shock of sudden concussions in the pipes (caused by the shutting
of valves &) which otherwise would be apt to break the glass plate (y).
Figure 7 shows a sectional elevation of another arrangement of my improved
fluid meter. It consists of a cast iron upright casing (A) which is lined with
brass tubes B and B¹ holding between them a frame K similar to the central
frame in the meter before described and supporting also the spindles of a left
handed and a right handed screw drum I and J. The outer bearings of the
spindles and j are in the conical block (G) and in the counter plate (q)
respectively. The two screw drums are in this case not coupled by wheels but
are each left at liberty to revolve freely. The water or other fluid to be mea-
sured enters through the pipe (M) and passes through the holes of the conical
grating H and the annular contraction F between the cone H and the block G
between the fixed guides and thence over the screw drum I and the second
screw drum J through the contracting piece H¹ from whence it passes out
through the pipe N. The spindle j carries an endless screw / which works into
a wheel m and thus gives motion to a counting apparatus which is intended
to be in all respects similar to the one above described. A curved plate c
guards the screw wheels from dirt which the water may carry with it and the
cup like extension c¹ of the same protects the upper end surface of the drum J
from the action of the current. The object of the loose drum I is to give the
water a certain deflection varying with the rapidity of the current which is
9

page_text: thereby directed against the blades of the registering screw drum J in a direc-
tion opposite to the inclination of the blades of that drum so as to compensate
for the retardations to which it would otherwise be subject. It serves more-
over to distribute the current of water or other fluid more uniformly over the
vanes of the registering screw drum.
Another modification of my improved meter consists in inserting a third
screw drum between the screw drum I and the block G in figure 2 the
blades of this drum being inclined in the opposite direction to those of the
drum I and running free like the drum I in figure 7.
Figure 8 shews another arrangement of my improved meter containing only
one single screw drum in connection with suitable fixed guides and contracting
rings to equalize and direct the current of water or other fluid to be measured.
In this case the drum I is made longer than in the modifications hitherto
described and the vanes are removed from about the middle to make room
for an additional set of stationary guides f f which serve to correct the
direction of the current after it has received a certain deflection in passing
through the first portion of the screw blades in order to impinge once more
upon the succeeding portions of the screw blades. By increasing the length
of the drum and adding additional sets of stationary blades the power of the
current on the screw vanes may be still further increased. The mode of
insulating the counter from the interior of the Meter differs from that before
described. The Counter is inclosed in a glass dome (O) and consist of a
pinion, (r) driving two wheels (8 and t) of One hundred and One hundred and
one teeth respectively. These wheels work a dial (v) and a differential hand
upon that dial (u) in the same manner as before described in reference to
Figures 1 and 2.
The pinion (r) is upon one shaft with a ratchet wheel (o)
which receives its motion from a crank (1) on the spindle of the working drum
by means of the connecting rod (m) and ratchet (n). A paul (p) prevents the
ratchet wheel (o) from turning back and a spiral spring (/) holds the ratchet
(o) up to the wheel.
The connecting rod (m) is made in two parts which
screw the one into the other and clip between the flanges (2) and (3) a Shect
of India rubber or other flexible material (6) which stretches across the lower
cavity or expansion chamber (P) but is held down upon the circular projec-
tion (c) by the flange of the upright guard tube (d). A cap (Q) fastens the
glass dome (O) tightly upon the expansion chamber (P) and secures the
circumference of the flexible diaphragm (6). The glass dome is in free com-
munication with the expansion chamber above the diaphragm through the hole
(e) and the interior of the meter communicates to the same chamber but below
the diaphragm through the holes (h. h.). The glass dome and expansion

page_text: chamber being on the outset filled with air it is evident that the water in pressing
in below the diaphragm will lift the same until the air above is sufficiently com-
pressed to balance the pressure of the water and that no strain will be thrown
upon the connecting rod (m) or crank (7) by such compression-Figure 9 is
a side view of this Counting apparatus.
Figure 10 is an application of my improved meter to measure the distance
traversed by a Ship passing through the water. This Instrument is very
similar in its internal arrangement to the meter represented by Figure 1 but
the internal casing is elongated at both ends and reduced to an area equal
to the water way between the screw vanes. It is fixed to the vessel in any
convenient manner in a line with the keel and the motion of the drums is
conveyed by any known contrivance to a counter which I prefer to fix in the
Captain's Cabin or upon deck to register the headway of the vessel continually.
The entrance into this meter or log is guarded by strong but narrow blades (R)
which join in a centre.
A similar instrument may be placed across the keel of the vessel to register
its lee way or lateral motion through the water.
In all the modifications of my improved meter hitherto shewn the screw
drums are made hollow so as to float or nearly to float (being only made
somewhat heavier in the arrangement shown in figure 7) in the liquid to be
measured in order to relieve the bearings from pressure and consequently
from friction. It is also of great importance that the screw vanes should be
portions of a perfect screw in order to offer the least resistance in the water.
This object I accomplish by casting the shell with the screw vanes upon it in
metallic moulds of an alloy of tin with Copper and Antimony or with other
metals which alloys can be made sufficiently fluid to fill the mould completely
and possess the property of not diminishing materially in bulk in the process of
congealing and cooling. In order to lighten the metallic screw thus formed
it is bored in a lathe and two dished bottoms carrying the spindle are sol
dered in. The object of dishing the ends is to combine lightness with strength
and to afford space for the wheels where two drums are geared together. The
diameter of the drum I generally make from two thirds to three fourths the
diameter of the screw, partly to obtain floating power but chiefly to increaso
the leverage of the passing fluid and to cause it to act nearly under the same
angle upon every portion of the blades. If the drum was only half or less
than half the diameter of the screw itself the fluid would find the least resist-
ance, and consequently flow quickest near the axis whereby the correct
measurement would be effected.
To prevent galvanic action and corrosion between the different metals

page_text: I
constituting the entire screw drum I coat it finally with Copper Zinc or
other metal by means of a galvanic battery and suitable solution.
sometimes mould the entire screw drum excepting the spindle and wheel
of gutta percha or similar light and plastic material or make the vanes of
metal and adjusting them in their respective positions in the mould connect
them together in forming the body of the drum of Gutta percha or other
plastic material. The length of the drums is determined by the number of
vanes and the pitch of screw and is so proportioned that the fluid may not be
able to pass in any point straight through in a direction parallel he axis
without meeting the screw vanes.
After
Figure 11 represents a modification of my improved Meter with four drums
I. J. K. L with alternately right handed and left handed screw vanes and
which is constructed more particularly with the view of measuring gaseous
fluids. The general arrangement of this Meter excepting the screw drums
is similar to that of Figure 7.
The fluid enters through the pipe M passes
through a grating (E) and is conducted through the annular channel (F)
upon the screw vanes. Contracting rings (a. a¹. a¹¹) prevent the passage of
the fluid without impinging upon each successive set of screw vanes.
passing through the contracting ring (H¹) the fluid passes off through the
pipe (N). In the centre of the screw drums is fixed a pin (i) which is round.
from the foot upward to the point (e) from thence upward it is filed square
up to the point (f) where it is turned less to form a pivot or guide for the
uppermost screw drum (L). The three lower drums are each cast with a
partition (6) through which the square mandril passes without actually touch-
ing. Below the bottommost screw drum and between the succeeding ones
are carriages C. C. C. C. mounted each upon three anti-friction rollers (k. k. k).
Figure 12 shows a plan of such a carriage in section together with the screw
drum surrounding it. The bottommost carriage is free to revolve round the
upright mandril but the succeeding ones are prevented, being fitted with a
square hole in their boss upon the square portion of the upright pin (1).
The centres of the antifriction rollers being thus fixed they serve to transmit
motion from one screw drum to the other. The antifriction rollers are
mounted upon pins projecting from the circumference of the Carriage C
towards the centre the point of which pins abut against small steel or agate
plates (c) so as to give the least possible amount of friction. They run upon
conical surfaces formed by the partitions (6) of the screw drums and conse-
quently always bear against the points of the pins. The uppermost drum
alone carries an upright spindle (1) upon which a steel magnet (R) is
mounted. This magnet revolves closely below a thin copper plate (8) which
divides the interior of the meter from the counter. The spindle (1) within

page_text: the counter carries another steel magnet or bar of iron or other magnetic
metal (T) which stands closely opposite the magnet (R) and being attracted
by the same follows its rotary movements and thence gives motion to the
counting apparatus. The counter is similar in arrangement to that shewn in
Figures 1. 2. and 5 and consists of two endless screws (/) and (n) working
into two screw wheels and of a pinion (r) working into two wheels of One
hundred and One hundred and one teeth respectively. The dial plate how-
ever contains an additional short hand (1) which is situated similarly to the
seconds hand on a watch and serves to count up to ten revolutions which
the large hand (u) describes upon the dial or up to One hundred thousand
units of measure. The small hand (1) receives its motion from a pinion (2)
upon the upright spindle (3) working into a wheel (4) of ten times the
number of teeth.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the best mode I
am acquainted with of performing the same 1 wish it to be distinctly under-
stood that I do not confine myself to any of the details herein given nor do I
lay claim to the application of screws generally for the purpose of registering
fluids as I am aware that screws have been repeatedly used or attempted to
be used for such purpose but What I claim is
.
Firstly the combination of two or more screws placed end to end and
having their blades inclined alternately in opposite directions and. their pivots
suspended on the axis of a hollow cylinder of slightly larger diameters than
the screws themselves so that the water or other fluid passing over or through
them may turn them freely and indicate by means of a Counter the quantity
of fluid which has passed through the meter.
Secondly, the combination of a single screw or a series of screws with fixed
guide blades to direct the water and with the parts marked G and H, in
Figures 2, 7,8 10 & 11 by means of which the current of water or other
fluid is spread uniformly to all sides. And also in connection with the con-
traction marked a, a, a¹¹.
Thirdly the construction and application as herein before described of a
screw with a boss or drum of not less than half the diameter of the screw
such drum being constructed of a light material as gutta percha, or with a
cavity or cavities containing air in such manner as that the entire screw drum
may be of the same or nearly the same weight as an equal bulk of the water
or other liquid which it is employed to measure.
Fourthly, the constructing a chamber or cavity enclosing the counting appa-
ratus in such manner that it is separated from the interior of the meter
without the intervention of a stuffing box or tight fitting journal by filling the
said cavity with naptha or other transparent and non corrosive liquid, or by

page_text: means of a flexible division, or by means of a partition plate between two
magnets or between a magnet and piece of magnetic metal as hereinbefore
described.
Fifthly the arrangement of Counting apparatus hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said Charles William Siemens have hereunto
set my hand and seal this Fifteenth day of October in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty two.
CHARLES WILLIAM (L.S.) SIEMENS.
AND BE IT REMEMBERD that on the Fifteenth day of October in the
year of our Lord 1852 the aforesaid Charles William Siemens came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid and all and every thing therein contained and specified in form
above written And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Fifteenth day of October in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty two.