IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Tooth, of Dante Road, Newington Butts,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Tooth at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th December 1883.
WILLIAM HENRY TOOTH, of Dante Road, Newington Butts, in the county of
Surrey, Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER AND
OTHER LIQUIDS'
"
This invention relates to the construction of an improved meter or apparatus
specially applicable for measuring water the object of the invention being to
provide a meter which will measure with great accuracy, which is simple in
construction and not liable to get out of order.
In carrying out my invention I employ a chamber, tank or cylinder of suitable
dimensions into which I fit two valves one at top and one at bottom and having
weighted levers connected together by means of a vertical rod; on the said rod
slides a tube carrying a float. The plug of one or the other of the valves is
connected to a ratchet mechanism operating an index. The upper valve is for the
inlet of the water or other liquid and the lower one for the outlet.
An apparatus or meter of this construction is placed in or connected with a
cistern, tank or other reservoir of known capacity the inlet valve being connected
with the water main. The water from the main will pass through the inlet valve
into the chamber of the meter and will pass out therefrom into the cistern or tank
to be filled. As soon as the cistern or tank has become full, or has been supplied
with a given quantity of water, the float in the meter will rise and operate the
weighted lever of the inlet and by means of the connecting rod that of the outlet
valve also, and the weights falling will close the inlet valve and open the outlet
valve and water can then be drawn from the tank, cistern or meter chamber.
As soon as the tank or cistern shall be emptied (but not before) the. float will
have fallen so as to act on the lever of the outlet valve and by means of the

page_text: connecting rod on the lever of the inlet valve, and the weights being raised the
inlet valve will be opened and the outlet valve closed. Each opening or closing
of the inlet valve is registered by means of the hereinbefore described ratchet
mechanism on the index of the apparatus, each division of the index shewing the
quantity of water which has been allowed to flow into the cistern at each
operation.
The connecting rod of the valves is provided with set screws or other suitable
means for regulating the amount of motion of the float so as to adjust the apparatus
for registering the quantity of water which is to be allowed to pass into the cistern
at each operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Tooth in the Patent Office on the 13th June
1884.
WILLIAM HENRY TOOTH of Dante Road, Newington Butts in the county of
Surrey, Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER AND
OTHER LIQUIDS
"
This invention relates to the construction of an improved meter or apparatus
specially applicable for measuring water the object of the invention being to
provide a meter which will measure with great accuracy, which is simple in
construction and not liable to get out of order.
In carrying out my invention I employ a chamber, tank or cylinder of suitable
dimensions into which I fit two valves one at top and one at bottom and having
weighted levers connected together by means of a vertical rod; on the said rod
slides a tube carrying a float. The plug of one or the other of the valves is
connected to a ratchet mechanism operating an index. The upper valve is for the
inlet of the water or other liquid and the lower one for the outlet.
The connecting rod of the valves is provided with set screws or nuts or other
suitable means for regulating the amount of motion of the float so as to adjust the
apparatus for registering the quantity of water which is to be allowed to pass into
the cistern at each operation as hereinafter described.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1, is a plan of
an apparatus for measuring water and other liquids constructed according to my
invention and fitted to a cistern or tank; figure 2, is a front elevation of the
apparatus; the ratchet mechanism being removed and figure 3, is a side elevation
of the same; figure 4, is a perspective view shewing the apparatus or meter
connected with an ordinary supply cistern or tank; figures 5 and 6 are detached
views of some of the parts drawn to an enlarged scale; figure 7, is a section
shewing a form of valve suitable for use with my improved apparatus. Similar
letters in all the figures represent similar parts.

page_text: a, is the chamber, tank or cylinder of suitable dimensions and b, is the valve ab
the top and c, is the valve at the bottom of the chamber a; the valve b, is for the
inlet of the water or other liquid and the valve c, for the outlet thereof; d, and e,
are the levers of the valves 6, and c, respectively and f, and g, are the weights on
vertical portions h, and i, of the said levers; j, is the vertical rod connecting the
two levers d, and e, together and jointed thereto at k, k; l, is the tube sliding
upon the rod j, and carrying the float m; n, and o, are weights on the ends of the
levers d, and e, for counterbalancing the weight of the vertical rod j; a¹, and a³,
are the nuts for regulating the upward and downward movement of the float m;
the lever of the lower valve c, is fixed upon its valve spindle p, but that of the
upper valve b, works freely upon its spindle q, and is provided with an escapement
arrangement shewn clearly in figures 5 and 6, for preventing the inlet valve b,
from opening before the outlet valve c, is closed and vice versa, this arrangement
consists of two tappets r, r, fixed upon the valve spindle q, by means of the set
screw 8, and between which the vertical portion h, of the lever d, provided with a
projection 61, is free to oscillate; the vertical portion h, of the lever d, also carries
a roller t, which when the lever d, is caused to oscillate upon the rising and falling
of the float m, strikes upon the pallets u, of the escapement, which works in the
escapement or catch wheel v, fixed upon the valve spindle q, by means of a set
screw w; a slot x, is provided in the lower end of the rod j, in which slot works
the end of the lower lever e, so as to allow the float to operate the upper lever d,
to a certain extent before commencing to operate the valve c, for the purpose
hereinafter described; y, is the ratchet and pawl operated from an arm z, on the
valve lever'd, and serving to actuate the indexes on the dials e¹.
An apparaturs or meter of this construction is placed in or connected with the
cistern, tank or other reservoir of known capacity and the inlet valve b, is
connected with the water main. The chamber a, of the meter being empty and
the float m, consequently in its lowest position and the outlet valve c, closed and
the inlet valve b, open, water from the main will pass through the inlet valve b,
into the chamber a, of the meter. As the level of the water in the chamber a,
rises, the float m, will be raised and when the chamber is nearly full or the given
quantity of water has been nearly admitted thereto the tube 7, of the float will
press upon the underside of the regulating nut a¹, and commence to raise the rod j,
and oscillate the lever d; when the vertical portion h, of the lever d, has obtained
a position making an angle of about twenty two degrees with a vertical line the
slot ac, will have moved over the end of the lower lever e, and the float m, by
means of the rod j, will have commenced to raise the said lever and thereby to open
the valve c, the weights f, and g, will fall and the lower valve c, will be completely
opened; the upper valve b, will at the same time be closed as the weight f, in
falling will cause the projection 6¹, of the vertical portion h, of the lever d, to bear
upon one of the tappets r, and so turn the spindle q of the valve b; at the same
time the roller t, will bear upon one of the pallets u, of the escapement thereby
causing one side thereof to enter the escapement or catch wheel v, as it is caused to
turn with the spindle 9; the spindle of the valve is thereby locked or held in
position and prevented from turning back and again opening the valve which
might otherwise take place through friction with the lever d, upon the return
movement of the latter. The measured quantity of water will now be free to run
off through the outlet valve c, into a supply cistern or tank as in figure 4, or be
drawn from the chamber or tank a, through the tap or cock c¹, as in figures 1, 2
and 3.
As the water in the chamber a, runs or is drawn off, the float will descend and
when the chamber is nearly empty the tube l, of the float m, will bear upon the
lower regulating nut a³, and draw down the upper lever d; the vertical portion h,
of this lever will oscillate until it reaches an angle corresponding with that
herein before described but on the opposite side when it will bear upon the tappet r,
on that side and will thereby commence to open the valve d; the slot x, will have
moved over the end of the lower lever e, which will have commenced to close_the

page_text: valve c; the weights f, and g, will then fall and cause the valves to be completely
operated the action of the escapement being similar to that hereinbefore described.
except that it locks the valve spindle from opening the valve the cistern will then
again be filled and so on. The arm z, each time that the lever d, is raised and the
inlet valve opened as hereinbefore described will operate the ratchet mechanism so
as to rotate the ratchet y, to the extent of one tooth and the amount of water
which has passed through the chamber a, will be thereby indicated on the dials e¹,
each division of the index shewing the quantity of water which has been allowed
to flow into the cistern at each operation.
Having thus described my said invention and the manner of performing the
same what I claim is :-
Firstly. In apparatus for measuring water and other liquids the employment of
a float sliding upon a connecting or guide rod in combination with and serving to
operate an inlet and an outlet valve of suitable construction and an index
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
Secondly. In apparatus for measuring water and other liquids the arrangement
whereby one valve is prevented from opening before the other valve is closed
substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying
drawing.
Thirdly. The improved apparatus for measuring water and other liquids,
constructed, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
In Witness whereof I the said William Henry Tooth have hereto set my
hand and seal this thirteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.
WILLIAM I 100тн (LS.