Year: 1888

page_text: I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. 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 relates to an apparatus by means of which fluids can be
drawn from barrels or other vessels in predetermined quantities, the apparatus closing
automatically when the desired quantity has passed.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of the apparatus with closed valve.
Fig. 2 represents a similar view with open valve.
Fig. 3 represents a plan, the graduated disc being removed.
Fig. 4 represents a front view partly in section, the section being on line 1-1
Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 represents a section of the measuring valve and the measuring vessels on
line 11-11 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 represents a plan of the graduated disc.
The invention consists essentially in the employment of two measuring vessels M
capable of holding a certain quantity of fluid and which are connected with a conical
sleeve H surrounding and oscillating on the stationary conical tube K of the valve.
These measuring vessels are alternately filled and emptied until the desired and
predetermined quantity of the fluid has passed out of the apparatus. The alternate
filling and emptying of the measuring vessels M is effected by the conical tube K
being formed with one inlet opening E and two outlet openings A which are separated
from the inlet by a partition in the said conical tube. Each of the measuring
vessels M will register or communicate with the inlet E when it is empty and
with one of the outlets A when it is filled. To fill the vessels M the valve V must
be opened.

page_text: The oscillating movement of the vessels M with the sleeve H for the simultaneous
filling and emptying of the vessels is automatic. The vessel M which at the time is
upright and with it the whole of the oscillating mechanism is held in position by
one of two pivotted catches & engaging with a pin of the vessel M.
When the
vessel is perfectly filled the fluid contained therein lifts the air valve L which closes,
and by means of its spindle lifts the before mentioned catch and disengages
this from the pin so that the vessel M weighted by the fluid it contains falls from
the upright into an inclined position. This movement is limited by one of the
arms Q, one of which is fixed to each vessel coming in contact with a rib R on the
rigid body of the apparatus, and the spiral spring F serves to decrease the force of
the fall and to take up all jerks.
Another spiral spring is interposed between the sleeve and a flange of the
outlet tube screwed on the conical tube K, and tends to press the sleeve H
farther up on the tube K so that the sleeve H always fits closely on the said
tube.
The number of the oscillations of the vessels M depends upon the quantity of the
fluid to be withdrawn. During one reciprocating movement two fillings and two
emptyings will take place so that if for instance each of the vessels M. holds of a
quart and 3 quarts are to be drawn off, 12 reciprocating movements will have to take
place.
For the automatic closing of the valve after the passing out of the desired quantity
of liquor a separate mechanism and a graduated scale are provided, the said mechanism
being actuated by the movement of the vessels M. Between the vessels M and
oscillating with them is a guide C, between the arms of which projects the bent end
of the pivotted lever P provided at its other end with a weighted pawl S engaging
with a ratchet wheel Z. From fig. 4 it can be seen that when the vessels M oscillate
to the right, the pawl S will move the ratchet wheel Z to the left for the space of one
tooth, while when the vessels oscillate to the left the pawl will merely be moved over
one tooth to the right. Each tooth therefore represents one reciprocating movement
of the vessels M and it follows therefrom that in starting the apparatus the vessel at
the left side must be in the upright position. Each movement of the ratchet wheel Z
moves the indicator I over the graduated scale to the extent of one degree until the
indicator arrives at the zero of the scale when the valve will be automatically
closed.
The indicator I is fastened to a handle U which is attached to the disc R carrying
the ratchet wheel Z and revolving within the casing G. By means of this handle the
ratchet wheel can be turned after the pawl S has been disengaged by depressing the
small arm d connected with it. Above and concentric with the revolving disc R is
mounted on short uprights the circular graduated scale T over which passes the
indicator I. If it is desired for instance to draw off 4 quarts the indicator is placed
over 4 of the scale. As described above with each reciprocating movement of the
vessels M, the disc R with the indicator 1 is moved to the left for the space of one
tooth until the indicator reaches the zero on the scale when the valve will be closed
and the apparatus stopped automatically.
If desired the circular scale may be replaced by a straight scale by suitably modifying
the mechanism.
EL
When
To start the apparatus, the indicator is adjusted on the scale according to the
quantity desired to be drawn off and the valve V is then opened by depressing the
button W as indicated in fig. 2. This valve which in its normal position is maintained
closed by means of the spiral spring X, must be held open during the operation of
the apparatus. To this end the valve spindle is provided with a collar Y having
flange on which bears one projection or nose of a pivotted nut or tumbler n.
the valve spindle is being depressed the flange turns the tumbler by means of the
small arm a fixed to the said tumbler and the weighted end of the pivotted lever h
will engage with another projection or nose of the tumbler n thus keeping the valve
spindle depressed and the valve open by the depressed nose of the tumbler bearing
against the top of the flange b of the valve spindle. The handle U is further provided

page_text: with a bevilled or inclined projection B which rides up on the free end of the pivotted
lever h and depresses this at the movement when the indicator I arrives at the zero
of the scale, thereby releasing the weighted end of the lever hand unlocking the
tumbler n when the valve V will be instantly closed under the influence of the spiral
spring X.
By means of its flange c the apparatus can be easily attached to the vessel from
which the fluid is to be drawn off or if desired it can be secured to a tube leading out
from such vessel. A ball introduced into the tube of the apparatus serves to
regulate the pressure and passage of the fluid. Each of the measuring vessels M is
moreover provided with a short tube or socket e having a screw cap or a plug
screwed into it by means of which the capacity of the vessels may be corrected and
adjusted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, 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 apparatus for measuring fluids, two or more measuring vessels.such as M
which reciprocate automatically on a tube formed with inlet and outlet openings with
which the inlet and outlet openings of the measuring vessels register to fill and empty
the latter alternately during their reciprocating movement when the valve is opened
substantially as herein described.
2. In apparatus for measuring fluids mechanism operated by the reciprocating
motion of measuring vessels such as M and in which the quantity to be drawn off
can be determined by adjusting an indicator on a graduated scale, said indicator.
closing the valve automatically when the desired quantity has passed through the
apparatus substantially as herein described.