Improvements in or relating to Water-meters.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Water-meters.
I, WILHELM EISNER, of 23, Schöneberger Ufer, Berlin, W., in the German
Empire, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to that class of water-meters in which a large and a
small meter are coupled together and are controlled by a weighted piston valve,
which is capable of being reversed and allows large quantities of water to pass
through both meters simultaneously, while small volumes are drawn off through
the small meter only. This arrangement however has the serious drawback
of not correctly registering mean discharges of water, owing to the small meter
remaining always fully open, and the volume of water then flowing through
the large meter is insufficient to enable the large meter to record correctly.
According to this invention I am enabled to overcome the above-mentioned
defect and avoid faulty registration by the meter in providing it with an im-
proved reversing valve, by means of which, broadly speaking, each of the two
meters (coupled together after a well known manner) is operated independently
of the other. Only at the moment of reversing the valve, when the same is in
a certain position as will be hereinafter explained, does it occur that both
meters act together for a short time, and this for the purpose of facilitating the
completion of the reversing movement of the valve. This simultaneous action
of the meters is however of such duration only as to keep the incorrectness in
the recording within unimportant limits for all practical purposes.
My invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2 are two elevations, drawn at right angles to
each other, of my improved reversing valve for water-meters, and Figs. 3 and 4
are two similar views to the previous figures of a slightly modified valve.
In all the figures like letters of reference denote similar parts.
In the arrangement of valve shown in the first two figures, the main casing a
comprises three chambers b, c and d designed to communicate one with the other
through the bottom openings in the valve cylinder e and valve f respectively
and through ports provided in the sides thereof, as will be hereinafter described.
The said valve fis adapted to slide endwise in the cylinder e, and the upper
portion thereof is cup-shaped and is weighted with suitable material so as to
correspond to a pre-determined discharge. The water enters the main casing a
by the inlet g and flows in the direction of the arrows 1 and 2, and if the valve
is in its lowermost position as shown at Fig. 1, the water passes through the
valve ports f and ports e¹ in the cylinder e, into the chamber c and thence
through an outlet h into the small meter. It may be noticed from the figure
that in this position of the valve, the chamber d is closed and cut off from the
chambers and c. If the valve moves upward in the cylinder e, the cham-
ber e will be closed and the water then flows through the now
open valve
ports and cylinder ports e³, into the chamber d, and thence through an out-
let into the large meter.

page_text: The relative positions of the ports f¹ f compared with the ports el e³ respec-
tively, are such as to cause the ports f³, during the upstroke of the valve, to
open slightly in advance of the completion of the closing of the ports f¹, and
vice versa to start opening the ports f¹ previous to fully closing the ports få during
the downstroke of the valve. Obviously by the use of my improved reversing
valve, only a very short flow of water can take place simultaneously into both
meters, and such short simultaneous flow into both the meters is established for
the purpose of equalizing the pressure above and below the weighted valve and
to allow the water to escape from beneath the descending valve body. But as
the time during which both meters are simultaneously supplied is reduced to a
minimum, it follows that the correctness of the registered volume remains prac-
tically unimpaired at all times. This however requires that,, at, the downstroke
of the valve, a larger area of port openings is uncovered in connection with the
small meter than that closed in connection with the large meter, in order to
allow for the difference in the resistance of the body of water which flows to-
wards the large meter as compared with that flowing towards the small meter.
A glance at the position of the valve .shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings will
reveal the difference in area of the respective port openings fl and f³.
In the modification shown in Figs. and 4, the main casing a is divided
into two chambers b and d, having an inlet g into the first, and an outlet i from
the second chamber. A cylindrical housing c* corresponds to the chamber c
previously named, and h is the outlet therefrom, which leads into the small
mieter. e is the cylinder in which is contained the main portion of the valve v,
this latter being weighted in the same manner and for the purpose described
with reference to the valve f. The valve consists of a large and of a small
cylindrical portion, the large portion being located in the valve cylinder e and
the small portion playing in the chamber c*. In lieu of the ports in con-
nection with the valve f, Figs. 1 and 2, the large or upper portion of the valve v
is formed to rest on a seating e³ provided at the lower end of the valve cylinder e,
and is thus capable of closing the chamber d from chamber b. In the position
of valve shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the water entering at g flows in the direction
indicated by the arrows 1 and 2 and then gains access to the interior of the
small end of the valve v by the opening at the base thereof, whence it escapes
through the port vinto the pipe h and into the small meter. If the valve v
moves upwards, the port v will close and the water will rise above the seat e³
and finally escape, through the ports 2 in the cylinder e, into the chamber d,
and from there into the large meter. By carefully studying the figures it will
be seen that the distance between the seat and ports e³, is longer than the
vertical opening of the port 1, and that therefore this port v¹ will close before
the port opens, and consequently both meters will be closed for some little
time during the upstroke of the valve. The effect of closing the small meter
before opening the large one is to deprive the valve of the tendency of floating
and so cause it to remain at the point where the reversing of the flow of water
from one meter into the other begins. In thus directing the full pressure of
water underneath the larger section of the valve, the upstroke is both swift
and sure, the valve eventually assuming a position in regard to the port e², to
correspond with the discharge from the large meter. If the discharge from
this meter decreases, the valve moves downwards until its lower edge is just above
the lower edge of the port e³, but it cannot move below that unless the water
is withdrawn from underneath. This I accomplish by providing a number of
perforations or holes j at a little distance above the valve seat e³ and so situated
as to keep the communication with the large meter open until the port v begins
to open into the small meter. The position and the size of these holes is such
as to enable the port 1, when beginning to open, to be capable of leading the
water off as soon as the upper portion of the valve covers them. The effect of
these holes is thus similar to the action of the port e¹ described in the first
arrangement, Figs. 1 and 2, inasmuch as the sectional area of these holes is

page_text: less than the area of port opening, with regard to port v. The object sought
to be attained is the same as before, viz., to reduce to a minimum the time during
which both meters are simultaneously open, while, furthermore, the upstroke
of the valve is effected with greater precision and speed than in other valves
of this type, thus enabling meters fitted with it to work and register with greater
accuracy.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A reversing valve for water-meters adapted to form the connecting medium
between a large and a small meter, and characterized by a weighted valve
body capable of reversing and directing the flow of the water either into the
large or into the small meter by the aid of ports or suitably constructed seatings
so arranged as to cause both meters to be open simultaneously for a minimum
of time, substantially as herein before described.
2. My improved reversing valve for water-meters comprising a main casing
divided into three chambers in combination with a valve cylinder containing
a weighted valve body, both the valve and the cylinder being provided with
ports leading into the large and small meters respectively, said ports being so
arranged as to open only one of the meters in full at one time and both meters
simultaneously for a minimum of time, at the moment of reversing, substan-
tially as herein before described.
3. My improved reversing valve for water-meters constructed and arranged
substantially as shown and described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the
annexed drawings.
4. The modified form of valve substantially as shown and described with
reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.
5. The combination of my improved reversing valve with a water-meter hav-
ing a large and a small meter coupled together, and wherby such meter is
rendered capable of correctly registering and recording mean quantities of
water delivered by it, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 19th day of October 1898.
M. HORSCHEL,
Agent.