AN IMPROVED WATER METER
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Pieper, of Dresden, Saxony, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED WATER METER." A communication from Daniel
Harrison Tebay, of Greenfield, North Wales, now residing in the City of
Magdeburg, Prussia, Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carl Pieper at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th June 1878.
CARL PIEPER, of Dresden, Saxony, Civil Engineer.
"AN IMPROVED WATER
METER." (A communication from Daniel Harrison Tobay, of Greenfield, North
Wales, now residing in the City of Magdeburg, Prussia, Engineer.)
This Invention relates to a water meter by which the quantity of water supplied
from a water-conduct for domestic and other purposes can be measured with great
accuracy. The same consists of two cylinders provided with well-fitting pistons,
the rods of which act by suitable connecting rods on a common crank shaft.
The cylinders are either placed at an angle, by preference at a right angle, to each
other, and in this case the two connecting rods may operate on a single crank; or
the cylinders are fixed opposite to each other, which relative position requires the
shaft to be provided with two cranks, arranged so that the one is acted upon by
its connecting rod, while the other passes either of its dead centres. Instead of
cranks, however, eccentrics may be employed.
The water passes from the supply pipe into a chamber, from which it is admitted
into either cylinder by a slide valve of the same description as those commonly used
in steam engines. These slide valves, which also cause the water to be discharged,
are worked by a crank or cranks on the shaft of the apparatus.

page_text: A counter of any known description is connected with the said shaft for registering
its number of revolutions, or what is generally to be preferred, the number of
gallons, cubic feet, &c., dependent upon these revolutions and the contents of the
cylinders.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Carl Pieper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th December
1878.
CARI, PIEPER, of Dresden, Saxony, Civil Engineer. "AN IMPROVED WATER
METER." (A communication from Daniel Harrison Tobay, of Greenfield, North
Wales, now residing in the City of Madgeburg, Prussia, Engineer.)
This Invention relates to a water meter by which the quantity of water supplied
from a water-conduct for domestic and other purposes can be measured with great
accuracy. The same consists of two cylinders b and c, Figs. 1 and 2, of the annexed
Sheet of Drawings, each of which is provided with a well-fitting piston d. The
rods,, of these pistons act by the connecting rods m, m, on a common crank
shaft g.
The cylinders are either placed at an angle, by preference at a right angle, to
each other, as shown by the Drawing, and in this caso the two connecting rods may
operate on a single crank; or the cylinders are fixed opposite to each other, which
relative position requires the shaft to be provided with two cranks, so that the one
is acted upon by its connecting rod when the other passes either of its dead centres.
Instead of cranks, however, eccentrics may be employed.
The apparatus is connected at with the supply pipe, so that the water freely
passes into the chamber a, which also contains the crank shaft, connecting rods, &c.
From this chamber the water is admitted alternately to the top and the bottom of
the cylinder b by the slide valve i and the channels fand f¹, while it is discharged
through channel e and branch pipe o. The slide valve distributes the water in
the same manner with regard to cylinder c.
Both slide valves are worked by a common crank on shaft g when the cylinders
are placed at an angle, as in the Drawing, but if the cylinders are opposite to cach
other, they must each be worked by a separate crank. In either case, eccentrics
may be used instead of cranks.
It is obvious that in consequence of the described arrangement the water entering
under pressure at h will cause the pistons to move and the shaft g to revolve.
The contents of each cylinder represent for each stroke a uniform quantity, the
entire quantity of water passing the apparatus will therefore be proportional to
the number of revolutions of shaft g.
These revolutions are or inay be registered by a counter of any known descrip-
tion enclosed in a case n and connected with the shaft g. Generally, however, it
will be preferred to arrange the counter in such a manner that its dial plates may
show directly the number of gallons, cubic feet, &c., dependent upon the revolutions
of the shaft and the contents of the cylinders.

page_text: Having thus described the nature and object of this Invention, and the manner
in which it is to be or may be carried out in practice, as cominunicated to me by
iny correspondent, I claim as new and important feature of the same, the two
cylinders and c, each provided with a piston d, piston rod 1, and connecting
rod m in combination with crank shaft g, slide valves i and k, water chamber a, and
counter n, as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Carl Pieper, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Second day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
CARL PIEPER. (L.S.)