An Improved Rotary Apparatus for Measuring Fluids.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Rotary Apparatus for Measuring Fluids.
I, EDWARD FUHRMANN CLARKE, of Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, in the
County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :--
My invention relates to an improved rotary apparatus for measuring water, air
and other fluids under pressure.
My improved meter comprises vanes or pistons which revolve about a common
axis in a chamber or casing, and which extend through suitable guides in the
periphery of a rotary cylinder or drum arranged excentrically within, and of
considerably smaller diameter than the said chamber or casing. The said guides
slide freely upon the vanes or pistons while the latter revolve about their cominon
axis. Each of these guides is preferably formed of two parts which are of such
form in transverse section that, together with the portion of the vane or piston
between them, they form a cylinder, which works in a corresponding seat in the
periphery of the inner cylinder or drum.
The inner cylinder or drum is so arranged that its periphery is in contact with
the interior circumference or wall of the chamber or casing on one side of its axis,
the space between its periphery and the inner circumference of the chamber or
casing on the other side of its axis forming the measuring-chamber, through which
the vanes or pistons are successively moved by the fluid. The edges of the vanes
or pistons move in contact with the corresponding parts of the interior surface of
the chamber or casing, so as to form fluid-tight or approximately fluid-tight joints
therewith.
The chamber or casing is provided with suitable inlet and outlet apertures so
arranged that any fluid under pressure entering the said chamber or casing will act
successively upon each of the said vanes or pistons and will continue to act thereon
from the time when the said vane or piston passes the inlet aperture until it arrives
at the outlet aperture. All the vanes or pistons will, therefore, be caused to con-
tinuously revolve about their common axis and thus rotate the cylinder or drum
about its axis. The vanes or pistons are thus moved successively through the
measuring-chamber, a certain quantity of the fluid being carried through the said
chamber between each vane or piston and the next succeeding vane or piston.
A spindle is fixed in one end of the inner cylinder or drum and extends through
the corresponding end of the chamber or casing. This spindle is connected in any
convenient manner with suitable registering or recording mechanism. A stuffing-
box or other convenient device may be provided for preventing escape of the fluid
around the said spindle.
The end of the inner cylinder or drum in which the said spindle is fixed, is
closed, and is fitted in a circular recess or cavity in the corresponding end of the.
outer chamber or casing.. The other end of the said cylinder or drum bears against
a suitable surface of the corresponding end of the chamber or casing.
I provide an adjusting screw or other suitable device whereby the said cylinder
or drum may be kept in close contact with the said surface of the chamber or
casing, so as to form a fluid-tight or approximately fluid-tight joint therewith. The
aforesaid guides are, moreover, so fitted to the vanes or pistons and to their seats
in the said cylinder or drum as to prevent leakage of the fluid between these parts..
The vanes or pistons are so arranged that they can move at different relative
velocities as required by the excentricity of the inner cylinder or drum.
I mount the said vanes or pistons upon an overhanging shaft, that is to say, a
shaft firmly fixed at one end in the corresponding end of the chamber or casing,,
but unsupported at its other end. This form of construction is important, as it

page_text: enables me to dispense with stuffing-boxes for preventing leakage around the said
shaft. In this manner I can greatly reduce the friction, and I can so construct the
meter that a very low pressure will operate the same.
To prevent any tendency to compression of the fluid or to the formation of a
vacuum by the action of the vanes or pistons while moving through the inoperative
angle or portion of their revolution, I form in the wall of the chamber or casing a
recess or cavity extending from the outlet-aperture to, or nearly to the part of the
said wall which is in contact with the inner cylinder or drum, and another recess
or cavity extending from the inlet-aperture to, or nearly to such part of the said.
wall. I thus provide a passage for the flow of the fluid between the wall of the
chamber or casing and the vanes or pistons, while the latter are moving from the
outlet-aperture to the inlet-aperture on the inoperative side of the said chamber or
casing, except at that part of the wall of the said chamber or casing with which
the inner cylinder or drum is in contact, where a fluid-tight joint should be formed
between the said part of the wall and the vanes or pistons as they successively move
past the same.
I find it advantageous to make my improved meter with three revolving vanes or
pistons. I do not, however, limit myself to the employment of this number of
such vanes or pistons, as a greater or less number may, if desired, be used.
Dated this 5th day of March 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,.
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Rotary Apparatus for Measuring Fluids.
I, EDWARD FUHRMANN CLARKE, of Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, in the
County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer 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:-
My invention relates to an improved rotary apparatus for measuring air, gases,
water and other fluids under pressure.
My improved rotary apparatus is of that kind or class wherein the fluid under
pressure acts upon vanes or blades which are thereby caused to revolve about a
common axis in a chamber or casing, and which in their revolution about the said
axis, work in guides carried by an eccentric cylinder or drum connected with the
registering or recording mechanism, and impart rotation to the said cylinder or
drum.
My improvements are designed to diminish the friction between the bearing
surfaces, and consequently the power required to actuate the meter, so that the
said meter can be worked by means of fluid under a very low pressure and passing
very slowly through the said meter; and also to provide for the adjustment of the
parts to prevent leakage. By my said improvements, moreover, I am enabled to
avoid the injurious friction caused by stuffing-boxes.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of one form of my improved rotary meter,
and
'
Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line a Figure 1.
A is the chamber or casing, which is provided with suitable doors or covers A', A²
and with an inlet-aperture A³ and an outlet-aperture A
B, B, B are the vanes or blades, which are mounted upon a shaft or spindle C
so as to be free to revolve thereon in the chamber or casing A, the said vanes or
blades being formed with hollow bosses or hinges through which the said shaft or
spindle passes. These vanes or blades extend through and work in suitable guides D
fitted in corresponding seats in the periphery of a rotary cylinder or drum E,

page_text: which is arranged eccentrically within, and is of considerably smaller diameter
than the said chamber or casing A. C' is a loose sleeve or bush, which is placed.
upon the spindle C, and which serves as a liner between the same and the bosses
or hinges of the said vanes or blades, and diminishes the wear of the parts in
frictional contact.
I firmly fix the shaft or spindle C, at one end only, in the door or cover A' of
the chamber or casing A, leaving it unsupported at its other end as shown in
Figure 1. This form of construction is very important inasmuch as it enables me to
close one end of the cylinder or drum E thereby avoiding the necessity for a
trunnion bearing for the said drum which bearing would be required if the shaft or
spindle C passed completely through the drum and was supported at both ends. I
thus greatly reduce the friction so that the meter can be operated at a very low
pressure and with a small or fine flow of fluid and it is more especially important
because in consequence of the shaft C not requiring to be supported by the
cover A³, I am able to support the revolving cylinder or drum E in any convenient
manner so that it may be made to revolve with the least amount of friction.
The guides D slide freely upon the vanes or blades B, while the latter revolve
about their common axis. Each of the said guides D is preferably formed of two
parts which are of such shape in transverse section that, together with the portion
of the vane or blade between them, they fill up and work in cylindrical openings or
seats E' in the periphery of the inner cylinder or drum E. By this construction I
obviate the necessity for forming slots in solid cylindrical guides and fitting the
blades or vanes accurately in such slots and I am enabled to very readily fit the
guides D to the vanes or blades B and to the seats E' in the said cylinder or
drum E, in such a manner as to prevent leakage of the fluid between these parts.
The said vanes or blades are mounted separately upon the spindle C, so that they
are free to move at different relative velocities as necessitated by the eccentricity
of the inner cylinder or drum E.
The inner cylinder or drum E is so arranged that its periphery is in contact
with the interior circumference or wall of the chamber or casing A. at E' the space
marked A forming the measuring-chamber, through which the vanes or blades B
are successively moved by the fluid. The edges of the vanes or blades move in
contact with the interior surface of the chamber or casing A and consequently
form fluid-tight or approximately fluid-tight joints therewith. The said inner
cylinder or drum E, is closed at its lower end and works in a circular recess A'
formed in the door or cover A. The upper or open end of the cylinder or drum E
bears against the inner surface of the door or cover A', and 1 provide suitable
means hereinafter described for enabling the said cylinder or drum to be set up or
adjusted so as to keep it in close contact with the inner surface of the cover A' and
thus form a fluid-tight or approximately fluid-tight joint therewith.
The inlet-aperture A³ and outlet aperture A are so situated that one blade or
vane B does not pass the lip of the outlet aperture A' until the succeeding blade
or vane has passed the lip of and thus closed the inlet aperture A' otherwise there
would be a free passage for the fluid without moving the said vanes B. The fluid
will continue to act upon each vane or blade after the said vane or blade has passed.
the inlet until it arrives at the outlet aperture A. All the vanes or blades B will,
therefore, be caused to continuously revolve about their common axis and thus
rotate the cylinder or drum E about its axis. The vanes or blades B are thus
moved successively through the measuring chamber, a certain quantity of the fluid
being carried through the said chamber between each vane or blade and the next
succeeding vane or blade.
F is a shaft fixed in the lower or closed end of the inner cylinder or drum E and
extending through a suitable hole provided in the. door or cover A The said
shaft F is connected, by means of a worm F and worin-wheel G, or in any other
convenient manner, with suitable registering or recording mechanism.
H is a nut or collar arranged upon a screw-threaded portion of the shaft Ę;
this nut or collar_can be screwed up so as to keep it in close proximity to the outer
I..

page_text: surface of the door or cover A.2. H¹ is a back or lock nut also fitted upon the
screw-threaded portion F2 so as to maintain the nut or collar H in position. I
thus provide for forming a sufficiently tight joint around the said shaft to prevent
the escape of the fluid. A stuffing-box or other convenient device may, however,
be provided for this purpose if desired.
To the cover A2 1'attach in any suitable manner a bracket I for supporting the
end of the spindle F.
To keep the cylinder or drum E in close contact with the surface of the door or
cover A', so as to form a fluid-tight or approximately fluid-tight joint therewith, I
provide an adjusting or setting-up screw I which is screwed into a tapped hole in
the said bracket I, and is fixed in its proper position by a lock-nut 12 which bears
against the,outer end of the shaft F.
To prevent any tendency to compression of the fluid or to the formation of a
vacuum by the action of the vanes or blades while moving through the inoperative
angle or portion of their revolution, I form in the wall of the chamber or casing A,
a recess or cavity A' see Figure 2 extending from the outlet-aperture A* to, or
nearly to the part of the said wall marked 2 which is in contact with the inner
cylinder or drum E, and another recess or cavity A extending from the inlet-
aperture A³ to or nearly to such part of the said wall marked E. I thus provide
a passage for the flow of the fluid between the wall of the chamber or casing A
and the vanes or blades B, while the latter are moving from the outlet aperture A
to the inlet-aperture A³ on the inoperative side of the said chamber or casing A,
except at that part of the wall of the said chamber or casing with which the inner
cylinder, or drum E is in contact, where a fluid-tight joint should be formed.
I find it advantageous to make my improved meter with three revolving vanes or
blades I do not however limit myself to the employment of this number of such
vanes or. blades, as a greater or less number may, if desired, be used. If found
necessary or advisable I may pack the ends or sides or both ends and sides of the
vanes' or blades B by applying thereto in any suitable manner loose pieces with or
without springs for forcing the said loose pieces outward against the walls of the
cylinder or casing. I have described my invention hitherto when used as a meter,
but it will be quite obvious that if desired it may be used as a blower or pump.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood that I
make no general claim to meters or blowers in which a series of vanes are made to
revolve within a cylinder or casing and to slide through a surrounding drum placed
eccentrically within the said cylinder, as I am aware that such construction is not
new, but what I claim is :-
First. The improved apparatus consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing and
operating as, and for the purpose, above specified.
Second. Supporting the shaft or spindle of such apparatus upon which the
vanes or blades are mounted at one end only as, and for the purposes, above
specified.
Third. Constructing the cover A2 of such apparatus with a recess as shown in
Figure 1 at A5, so that the drum E may revolve in the recess and be pressed
forward when required so as to be kept in close contact with the cover A' for the
purpose specified.
Fourth. In an apparatus constructed substantially as described, the use of the
loose sleeve or bush C₁ placed upon the shaft or spindle C as, and for the purposes,
above specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.