IMPROVEMENTS IN METERS FOR WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Brunton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
November 1870.
I, JOHN BRUNTON, of Great George Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN METERS FOR WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiarly simple and economical
arrangement of meter for measuring and registering the supply and
consumption of water or other fluids in private houses, public buildings,
and manufactories, and consists in the employment of an archimedian
measuring screw fitted in a cylinder or chamber of known capacity in
combination with a second archimedian screw and self-acting stop valve
capable of a separate and independent action, so that should the mea-
suring screw cease to revolve from any cause, and consequently cease
to drive the registering or counting mechanism, the supply of water or
other fluid will be cut off, thus preventing fraud.
The measuring screw may consist of one or more turns, and is placed
with its spindle or axis vertically inside a drawn metal tube of known

page_text: capacity, which it fits accurately, but without being in actual contact
with the sides of the tube. This tube forms a lining to, or in itself may
form that portion of the supply pipe which contains the measuring and
stop valve screws. The lower end of the measuring screw spindle turns
upon a conical pivot, and carries a small pinion which gears into a large
spur wheel contained in a fluid-tight lining or case attached to the side
of the supply pipe, the axis of the spur wheel driving the usual or other
counting mechanism. The upper end of the measuring screw spindle
works in a collar bearing carried by a cross bar fixed in the inner metal
tube or lining, and is provided with one-half of a ratchet toothed clutch,
which engages with the corresponding half of the clutch carried on the
lower forked end of a separate spindle, which forms at the same time
the axis of the second screw and the stem of the self-acting stop valve.
A spiral groove or projection of quick pitch is formed on the upper end
of the measuring screw spindle, and works freely in a corresponding
groove or projection through the half of the ratchet clutch carried by
the lower end of the stop valve spindle, so as to permit of such spindle
rising and falling freely when requisite. The stop valve itself may be
of any convenient form, by preference conical and hollow, and the screw
in connection therewith is formed on the lower portion of its spindle.
So long as the meter is working properly the two screws are rotated
together by the flow of the fluid, but should the measuring screw from
any cause cease to be rotated by the flow of the fluid the screw on the
stop valve spindle by continuing its revolutions under the action of
the flow of the fluid independently of the measuring screw, will ascend
the quick spiral grooves or projections on the now stationary spindle of
the measuring screw, and thereby elevate the stop valve against its seat,
and shut off all supply during the continuance of the pressure from the
main pipe. When that pressure is cut off the valve descends into its
normal position by the action of gravity, and the apparatus is ready for
work again.