An Improved Liquid Measuring Apparatus or Fluid Meter.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 3rd Dec.. 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Liquid Measuring Apparatus or Fluid Meter.
I, JOHANN GOTFRIED HERMANN EICHLER, of 10 Postplatz, Gorlitz, in the
Empire of Germany, 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 apparatus hitherto in use for the measurement of the quantity of fluid
passing through pipes or tubular connections has the disadvantage that its applica-
tion is limited either by the hydraulic pressure or by the quantity of the liquid to
be measured in a unit of time. That is to say apparatus intended to be inserted
in high pressure water mains for example generally fail when applied for example
to beer or wine flowing from the cask with but low pressure on the other hand
apparatus are constructed which act well when only a moderate quantity passes
through them in a unit of time but which get out of order when there is a strong
current of the fluid to be measured.
To obviate these limitations and drawbacks and thus produce a measuring
instrument suitable for different pressures of the fluids passing through same is
the object of the present invention viz. to produce a measuring instrument which
acts in fact equally well under the whole of the above mentioned conditions so
that certainty and great uniformity of action is attained for a number of purposes.
The practical value of the principle upon which the invention is based lies
therefore in its capability of application to the manufacture on a large scale of
such instruments under very favourable conditions.
And in order that my present invention may be easily understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to fully describe saine with reference to the
drawings hereunto annexed.
In Figure 1 is a view of the apparatus in vertical section fitted in a pipe.
Figure 2 is a view of the top part of the apparatus seen from the front.
Figure 3 is a front vertical section of same.
The apparatus illustrated is shown applied to a beer tap connection in which
a denotes the pipe coming from the pressure apparatus the draw off cock of which
is at .
In a case e a paddle or bladed wheel d rotates, the axle of the latter is journalled
as lightly as possible but yet watertight and carries at the end a crank arm ƒ to
which is pivotted a rod g with ball or other suitable joints at both ends and sets the
escapement axle & in back and forward motion. In its upper part the apparatus
consists of a clockwork of any well known or suitable description as example I
have illustrated the well known wall clock movement in which is the weight
which gives to the drum ka rotating motion and so also works the escapement wheel
into the teeth of which the escapement arms m and n engage and operate as is well
understood.
Instead of the weight acting by gravity a spring motor may be substituted as
will be easily understood.
A large land o and small hand p are set in corresponding motion in the known
manner by a wheel transmission in exactly the same manner as is the case with
clockworks for measuring time.
The mode of working the apparatus is as follows:-
The paddle d in the case c is fitted as closely as possible to the inside wall of the
said enclosing case c and the revolution of the paddle wheel d suffices for the exact
measuring of the quantity of fluid passing through the pipe a to b. The gravity
of the weight i (or the force of a motor spring arranged in the drum k) is so
adjusted as to balance the friction arising from the movement of the parts but this

page_text: motor power should not be sufficient to set the paddle wheel d in motion in the
liquid when however the cock 6 is opened the fluid revolves the paddle wheel d
and at the same time passes almost unhindered through the pipe whilst the paddle
wheel continues revolving and by means of the mechanism gik it makes the
number of its revolutions (or the quantity of fluid passing) visible upon the dial
plate by means of the hands o p.
As in dials for the measurement of time the large hand serves to indicate the
minutes while the small hand indicates the next higher unit namely hours so here
with the figure plate and the wheel transmission g' the measuring power of the
paddle wheel can be so adjusted that the large hand indicates the drawing off of a
quart or gallon of beer or other liquid (that is the unit) whilst the small hand
indicates the multiple of said unit.
It is clear that the pressure of the fluid to be measured has no influence upon
the correct working of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A fluid meter consisting of the paddle wheel da connecting rod y crank and
escapement h m n in combination with a clockwork in such a manner that the latter
is acted on by means of the motion transmitted from the crank shaft and thus enables
the measurement of the flowing liquid to be registered by the clockwork substan
tially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated by
way of example in the drawings.
Dated this 27th day of October 1892.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.