Improvements in Apparatus for Metering or Measuring and Indicating the Consumption of Water or other Liquid.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1891-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Metering or Measuring and
Indicating the Consumption of Water or other Liquid.
I, HENRY EDWARD BURGESS, of 1 New Square, Lincoln's Inn, in the County
of London, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Jean Margossoff Director of the Société
Anonyme des Eaux du Caire of Esbekieh Cairo, Egypt,) and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates principally to apparatus for metering or measuring and
indicating the consumption of water although it may also be used for metering or
measuring and indicating the consumption of other liquids capable of distribution
as water is distributed.
Water meters as hitherto constructed are complicated, inaccurate and difficult to
keep in order and do not properly fulfil the conditions for protecting the interests
of both water companies and consumers.
Cylindrical meters are troublesome and expensive to keep in such order as to
furnish accurate indications whilst paddle water meters offer facilities for fraud and
lack sensibility to small consumption or leakages.
The object of this invention is to provide metering apparatus, which is simple in
construction, economical in first cost and inaintenance, and of constant and absolute
accuracy.
And in order that this invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
accompanying drawings the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the figures.
Figures 1 and 2 shew in elevation at right angles to each other an apparatus
constructed according to this invention and Figure 3 shews in side elevation a
modification of the apparatus.
Figures 4 and 5 are views of ratchet wheels used with the counting mechanism.
Figures 6 and 7 are detail views of valves used in the apparatus shewn in
Figure 1 and Figure 3 respectively, and
Figures 8 and 9 shew in section three way cocks for use with this invention.
I will in the following description presume that the apparatus is to be used for
metering water.
An apparatus constructed according to this invention consists of a tank or
reservoir A (Figure 1) for receiving and storing the water and placed in any
convenient position in, or on, the house for instance. An ascending or supply
pipe B enters the lower part of the said tank and is provided with a three way
cock C, which, according to its position of its plug, either opens a communication
between the tank and the supply and allows water to pass into the tank, or shuts
off communication with the supply and allows water to be discharged only from
the tank, the communication with the supply only being opened when the discharge
is closed so that the tank again fills.
When the water enters the tank a float D follows the ascending movement of
the water and by means of a chain E having at its other end a counter weight D'
causes a sprocket wheel F to turn. This wheel is connected with the axis H of a
counter H by which the quantity of water which enters the tank is registered, the
connection being provided with a ratchet wheel G and pawl g (shewn also in
Figure 4) which allow the axis H to be rotated only in one direction, viz. ithat in
which it is rotated by the rising of water in the tank. A second ratchet wheel G'

page_text: and retaining pawl g (shewn also in Figure 5) may be used to retain the axis H in
proper position. The counter H' may if desired be arranged to be operated by the
fall of the water instead of by the rise.
A hollow tubular float I is employed for regulating automatically the maximum
water level in the tank A so that the float D is arrested before it touches the
bracket K of the registering device. To effect this the tubular float I carries at
the bottom a rod L terminated by a valve M. So long as the water has not
reached the maximum water level the float I (the weight of which is regulated by
gunshot (Figure 6) or the like placed therein) rests on a bracket or projection on
top of the inlet tube and the valve M leaves open the orifice O for the inlet of
water. When the water has reached the maximum level it will have raised the
tubular float I and also the valve M so that the latter closes the inlet orifice O
for water. In addition to the float I thus closing the inlet for water the pressure
of the water in the supply pipe maintains the valve closed. When the orifice of
the three way cock C (Figure 8) is opened for drawing off water this pressure of
water in the supply pipe is destroyed (as communication with the supply is cut off)
the valve M is opened and the water flows off from the tank by the said cock C.
In Figure 6 the valve M is shewn at 1, 2 and 3 in its fully open, intermediate and
closed position respectively. In place of the three way cock C shewn in Figure 8
the modification seen in Figure 9 may be used. bis the pipe conveying water to
or from the tank A and c is the water pipe from the main the water being delivered
to the consumer through the pipe d..
The hereinbefore described method of regulating the maximum level of the water
is well adapted for use in situations which do not call for any considerable length
of supply pipe between the tank and the three way cock but where the tank is
situated at a considerable elevation entailing a long supply pipe between the tank
and the three way cock, this might permit of fraud as it would be possible, after
having emptied the tank, to operate the cock C so as to fill, and obtain the water
from, the supply pipe between the tank and the cock without allowing the water to
enter the reservoir and so avoid its being registered.
To obviate this the arrangement illustrated in Figure 3 may be used.
A long union P leads to, or precedes the inlet orifice O, to the tank, this union
carrying, at its top and bottom ends, seats p p' for a double valve M M' (see
Figure 7) and being of a length which will allow the valve to move through the
same space as the float I. The rod L which is connected to and descends with
the float is guided by eyes thereon running on rods Q and only stops in its
descent when the valve M bears on the lower seat p¹ of the union P. When the
valve reaches the highest level J in the tank A the float I' shuts off the inlet of
water by closing the valve M' against the upper seat p of the union P.
The tank described may be used with one draw off cock, or, for an installation,
with as many draw off cocks as may be desired. In the latter case there may be a
cock serving for feeding all the distribution cocks. Every time water is withdrawn
from the tank and the discharge orifice is closed by cock C fresh water enters the
tank by the orifice O until the float D rises to such a height as to close the said
orifice so that the tank is constantly replenished.
Variations of service pressure, and consequently in the supply pipe occur, and
also partial variations in the supply pipe caused by the operation of the cocks.
These variations of pressure would produce, while the supply pipe is in com-
munication with the tank, a rise and fall of the level of the water in the tank and
under this action the float D would work the registering apparatus and register
against the consumer water which he had not used. To prevent this there is
provided a retaining valve or ball valve R (Figures 1, 8 and 9) resting upon the
Seat beneath the cock C which valve allows the water to rise but not to descend
again.
This valve can also be used for a tank placed at considerable elevation to
assist in the retaining action of the plug valve on the lower seat of the union of

page_text: A tube S (Figures 1 and 3) situated at the upper part of the tank and suitably
beut to prevent tampering with the apparatus is employed as an air vent.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting an apparatus for
metering or measuring and indicating the consumption of water or other liquid
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings whether the float and valve which open and close the inlet be constructed
and arranged as in Figures 1 and 2 or as in Figure 3.
2. In apparatus for metering or measuring and indicating the consumption of
water or other liquid, the combination with a metering or registering device
actuated by the variation in level of the water or liquid of an inlet pipe provided
with a draw off cock, means for closing the supply main when drawing off and a
valve which is closed by a float when the water or liquid reaches its maximum level
substantially as herein before described.
3. In apparatus for metering or measuring and indicating the consumption of
water or other liquid the combination with a metering or registering device
actuated by the variation in the level of the water or liquid of an inlet pipe
provided with a draw off cock and means for closing the supply main when drawing
off and a "union" having at each end a valve seating and provided with a valve
actuated by a float so that when the water or liquid is either at its lowest or at its
highest level the inlet is closed substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In apparatus for metering or measuring and indicating the consumption of
water or other liquid the combination with means for controlling the inlet or the
outlet of a float and a metering or registering apparatus actuated by the movement.
of the float under variation in the level of the water or liquid substantially as.
herein before described.
Dated this 8th day of June 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
Agents.