Improvements in or relating to Water-meters.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Water-meters.
A communication from THÉODORE DERICHS and HEGENSCHEIDT BROS., Engineers,
of 30, Rue Gauthier, Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The present invention has for its object improvements in that class of water-meters
described in the former Patent granted to me No. 17780 dated 18th September
1894. Experience has shown us certain drawbacks which it was possible to avoid and
also, that it was possible to improve the working of the apparatus and to simplify its
construction.
In connection with the reversing hammer or counterpoise a cross bar support with
a guide is provided in which latter a roller moves up and down in order to guide
the piston rod. The crosshead carries on one side this roller and on the other side a
second roller which operates the hammer towards the right when descending and
reversing it to the left when going upwards.
The crosshead receives behind the first roller on the same pivot a lever connected
to another lever in order to cause the clockwork or counting mechanism to move.
The buffer box to which is applied the rubber stop is forined in one piece with the
cylinder cover.
The arrangement of the driving mechanism having already been described in the
former Patent already referred to I will proceed to give an explanation of the
improvements in other important constructive parts of the meter. A stuffing box"
screwed on to the cylinder cover and pressing on a gland of rubber or other suitable
material is provided in order to allow of tight reciprocation of the piston rod. A
bracket is screwed on to a plate and carries a pin which is screwed into it on which
pin is pivoted the hammer which when falling causes movement of a lever fixed to the
stem of the distributing tap. The body of the distributing mechanism is screwed on
the cylinder cover the stern of the distributor is surrounded by a tube made of metal
or other suitable material for instance leather etc. turning freely on the stern and
projecting on each side from a rubber shell or covering enclosing the tube.
This covering is fixed by means of a screw to the plug of the distributor which
holds it by means of a collar and at its other end it is secured by the before
mentioned plate against a ring which presses against the outer collar and is secured
to the body of the distributing mechanism.
Owing to such arrangement the head of the distributor is subjected to no friction
as the pressure in the apparatus is exercised on the outside of the rubber sleeve and
the rod of the distributor is in no way influenced by this.
The stern or spindle by its oscillatory movement produces a slight twist in the
sleeve without however causing it wear or causing injurious friction.
All other devices and arrangements that have been tried have not given in practice
satisfactory results in consequence of drawbacks produced by the friction and work of

page_text: the moving party which always produced wear and deterioration of materials in contact.
with each other; in consequence of this and of numerous experiences my
correspondents were led to adopt the above described system which has given best
results and especial stress is placed on the latter system as well as on the shape and
manner of fixing of the sleeve. It must also be mentioned that the arrangement of
the metallic tube or other novable part between the rod of the plug of the
distributing cock and the rubber sleeve may be modified as for instance a helical
wound spring one wire pressing against the other may replace the metallic tube for
this purpose.
Another peculiarity of the new meter consists in the new arrangement of the
reversing hammer characterised by its special form and arrangement on the pivot
held by a plate forming the body of the distributing cock towards the exterior of
the apparatus. Finally it must be mentioned as an improvement on known meters,
that all the parts are so arranged as to be brought back towards the centre and in a
line parallel to the piston rod and the centre of the cylinder and of the distributing
cock.
A further improvement is that the registering is effected by a disc in accordance
with the movement of the piston which disc is moved by a pawl or pawls engaging
with teeth of a ratchet wheel with multiple divisions so that at the slightest up and
down movement of the piston the pawls operate and allow according to the number
of toothed discs placed against each other to read a half a third a quarter etc. of one
tooth thus producing an absolute regularity in the registering of the quantity of
liquid passed through the apparatus. I am not aware of a device in any of the
existing water-meters which enable registration in accordance with the movement of
the piston by means of a disc actuating directly a ratchet wheel instead of having
recourse to the double mechanism of bevel wheels and other complications.
Dated this 25th day September 1896.
BOULT & WADE.
Agents for the Applicant.
A communication from THEODORE DERICHS and HEGENSCHEIDT BROS., Engineers, of
30 Rue Gautier, Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
The present invention has for its object improvements in that class of watermeters
described in our former Patent No. 17780 dated 18th September 1894. Experience
has indicated certain drawbacks which it was possible to avoid and also, that it was
possible to improve the working of the apparatus and to simplify its construction.
Figure 1 is a cross section.
Figure 2 a front view of the turning mechanism as well as the arrangement of dises
ratchet wheels and different parts of the registering mechanism.
Figure 3 is a front view and
Figure 4 a side view of the lever or hammer D.
In these figures A is the cylinder cover, B the buffer box, e a rubber stop, D the
reversing hammer or counterpoise; E a cross bar support with a guide in which latter
a roller F moves up and down in order to guide the piston rod, H. The cross head G
carries on one side this roller F and on the other side a second roller L which

page_text: operates the counterpoise towards the right when descending and reversing it to the
left when going upwards.
The cross head G receives behind the roller F on the same pivot a lever K
connected to another lever L in order to cause the clockwork or counting mechanism
to move.
The buffer box to which is applied the rubber stop is formed in one piece with the
cylinder cover.
The arrangement of the driving nechanism having already been described in our
former patent already referred to an explanation of the improvements in other
important constructive parts of the apparatus will now be given. M is a staffing box
screwed on to the cylinder cover and pressing on a gland 0 of rubber or other suitable
material in order to allow of tight reciprocation of the piston rod; N is a bracket
secured to a plate I' and carrying a pin Q which is screwed into it, on which pin is
pivotted the hammer D which when falling causes movement of a lever R fixed to the
stem T of the distributing tap; S is the body of the distributing mechanism secured
on the cylinder cover; T is the stem of the distributor surrounded by a tube U of
metal or other suitable material for instance leather etc. capable of turning freely on the
stem T'and projecting on each side beyond a rubber sleeve or covering Venclosing the
tube U.
This sleeve V is fixed by means of a screw or in any other suitable manner to the
plug of the distributor which holds it by means of its collar, and at its other end it is
secured by the plate P against a ring W which presses against the outer collar and is
secured to the casing S.
Owing to such arrangement the head of the distributor is subjected to no friction
as the pressure in the apparatus is exercised on the outside of the rubber sleeve V
and the rod of the distributor is in no way influenced by this.
The stem or spindle T by its oscillatory movement produces a slight twist in the
sleeve V without however causing it wear, or causing injurious friction.
All other devices and arrangements that have been tried have not given in practice
satisfactory results in consequence of drawbacks produced by the friction and work of
the moving parts, which has always produced wear and deterioration of materials in
contact with each other; in consequence of this and of numerous experiences the
above described system has been adopted which has given the best results, and
especial importance is attached to the latter system as well as to the shape and
manner of fixing of the sleeve V. It must also be mentioned that the arrangement
of the metallic tube or other movable part between the stem of the plug of the
distributing cock and the rubber sleeve may be mo lified, as for instance, a helically
wound spring, one wire pressing against the other, may replace the metallic tube for
this purpose,
Another peculiarity of the new meter consists in the new arrangement of the
reversing hammer characterised by its special form and arrangement on the pivot held
by a plate forming the body of the distributing cock towards the exterior of the
apparatus. Finally it must be mentioned as an improvement on known meters that
all the parts are so arranged as to be brought back towards the centre and in line.
parallel to the piston rod and the centre of the cylinder and of the distributing cock.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a water meter a hammer such as D substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
2. In a water meter a cross bar serving as a piston guide and support for clockworks
and recording mechanism substantially as described.
3. In a water meter the combination of the cross head fixed on the piston rod and
acting as a guide to the piston and for reversing the hammer as well as for actuating
the registering mechanism for said cross head being in one piece and morticed to
the piston rod substantially as described.

page_text: 4. In a water meter a buffer box in one piece with the cylinder cover carrying a
rubber stop substantially as described.
5. In a water meter an outer elastic sleeve on the stem of the plug of the
distributing cock and a movable tube between the sleeve and the stem substantially
as and for the purpose described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete water
meter apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.