IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING, RAISING, AND FORCING LIQUIDS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING, RAISING, AND FORCING LIQUIDS."-A
communication from abroad by Wilhelm Heinrich Christian Voss, of
Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Engineer.
Sealed the 1st August 1864, and dated the 11th February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th February 1864.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING, RAISING, AND FORCING
LIQUIDS," a communication to me from abroad by Wilhelm Heinrich Christian
Voss, of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Engineer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of appá-
ratus suitable either as a fluid meter or as a pump for fire-engines, or other
purposes where liquids are required to be pumped or forced..
The improved apparatus as adapted for a fluid meter consists of a water-tight
closed box or vessel provided with two internal bracket supports or standards,
one of which carries a stud, upon which rotates a loose disc set at an angle to
the main spindle or axis of the apparatus. This spindle or axis passes through

page_text: and is partly supported by the second bracket. The inner end of the spindle is
made spherical and fits into a corresponding recess in the centre of the loose
disc, whilst the other end of the spindle passes out through a stuffing box in the
side of the main box or vessel. Near the circumference of the loose disc are
formed three hemispherical concavities in which are secured the spherical ends
of three piston rods, the opposite ends of which rods are also made spherical
and are each connected to a piston made in two parts and provided with
leather or other packing. These three pistons work respectively in three
cylinders cast in one piece with a disc which is keyed on to the main spindle
at right angles thereto, so that the cylinders and piston rods are parallel with
the main spindle, round which they are situate at equal distances apart. A
spur wheel is keyed on to the spindle outside the water-tight box, and gears
into another wheel which drives the indicating or counting mechanism, which
may be of any well-known construction. On the main spindle and inside the
water-tight box there is fitted loosely a stationary distributing box, which is of
à circular form divided horizontally across the centre by an internal partition,
and fits water-tight against the face of the rotating disc keyed on to the main
spindle. Three apertures or ports are made in the rotating disc leading to
the cylinders before mentioned; and forming a communication between one
end of those cylinders and the surrounding water-tight box through the lower
half or compartment of the distributing box, which is left open for that purpose.
The opposite ends of the three cylinders are left entirely open, so that when
the water-tight box or vessel is filled with water the pressure will be equally
exerted on both sides of those pistons the cylinders of which are in communi-
cation with the open or lower half of the stationary distributing box, whereas
the piston or pistons in the cylinder or cylinders which are in communication
with the upper or closed half of the distributing box will be acted upon by the
fluid pressure on one side only, which will tend to force them inwards and to
expel the water in the cylinder or cylinders out through a discharge pipe
connected with the upper half of the distributing box. It is obvious that the
amount of water discharged at each inward stroke of the pistons will depend
upon the fluid capacity of the cylinders. The water or other liquid to be
. measured is supplied to the water-tight box by a pipe for the purpose, and so
soon as the box is full the unbalanced fluid pressure on one or more of the
pistons will force them inwards, and as the piston rods are secured to the loose
inclined disc above referred to, such motion of the pistons will cause that disc
to rotate and to drive round the main spindle carrying the rotating disc and
cylinders; whilst some of the pistons are forcing out the water from their
cylinders, the others are moving in an opposite direction, allowing their

page_text: cylinders to be filled through the ports opening into the lower half of the
distributing box. The cylinders are thus constantly filling and emptying as
they are carried round with the main spindle, the three cylinders being filled
and emptied at each revolution of the spindle. When this apparatus is to be
used as a pump it is simply requisite to rotate the main spindle by any
suitable power in lieu of allowing it to be rotated by the pressure of the
fluid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,..
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should, at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING, RAISING, AND FORCING LIQUIDS," a communication
to me from abroad by Wilhelm Heinrich Christian Voss, of Berlin, in the
Kingdom of Prussia, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an, instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangment of
apparatus suitable either as a fluid meter, as a pump for fire-engines, or other
purposes where liquids are required to be pumped or forced.
The improved apparatus as adapted for a fluid meter consists of a water-
tight closed box or vessel provided with two internal bracket supports or
standards, one of which carries a stud upon which rotates a loose disc set at
an angle to the main spindle or axis of the apparatus. This spindle or axis
passes through and is partly supported by the second bracket. The inner end
of the spindle is made spherical but slightly flattened or cut away at the sides
and fits into a corresponding recess in the centre of the loose disc, whilst the
other end of the spindle passes out through a stuffing box in the side of the
main box or vessel. Near the circumference of the loose disc are formed
three hemispherical concavities in which are secured the spherical ends of
three piston rods, the opposite ends of which rods are also made spherical and
are each connected to a piston made in two parts and provided with leather
or.
other packing. These three pistons work respectively in three cylinders
cast in one piece with a disc which is keyed on to the main spindle at right
angles thereto, so that the cylinders and piston rods are parallel with the main
spindle round which they are situate at equal distances apart. A spur wheel
is keyed on to the spindle outside the water-tight box and gears into another
wheel which drives the indicating or counting mechanism, which may
be of any well-known construction. On the main spindle and inside the
water-tight box there is fitted loosely a stationary distributing box, which
is of a circular form divided horizontally across the centre by an internal
partitions, and fits water-tight against the face of the rotating disc keyed
on to the main spindle. Three apertures or ports are made in the rota-
ting disc leading to the cylinders before mentioned, and forming a commu-
nication between one end of those cylinders and the surrounding water-
tight box through the lower half or compartment of the distributing box,
which is left open for that purpose. The opposite ends of the three cylinders
are left entirely open, so that when the water-tight box or vessel is filled with
water the pressure will be equally exerted on both sides of those pistons the
cylinders of which are in communication with the open or lower half of the
stationary distributing box, whereas the piston or pistons in the cylinder or
cylinders which are in communication with the upper or closed half of the
distributing box will be acted upon by the fluid pressure on one side only,
which will tend to force them inwards and to expel the water in the cylinder

page_text: or cylinders out through a discharge pipe connected with the upper half of
the distributing box. It is obvious that the amount of water discharged at
each inward stroke of the pistons will depend upon the fluid capacity of the
cylinders. The water or other liquid to be measured is supplied to the water-
tight box by a pipe for the purpose, and so soon as the box is full the
unbalanced fluid pressure on one or more of the pistons will force them
inwards, and as the piston rods are secured to the loose inclined disc above
referred to, such motion of the pistons will cause that disc to rotate and to
drive round the main spindle carrying the rotating disc and cylinders. Whilst
some of the pistons are forcing out the water from their cylinders, the others are
moving in an opposite direction, allowing their cylinders to be filled through
the ports opening into the lower half of the distributing box. The cylinders
are thus constantly filling and emptying as they are carried round with the
main spindle, the three cylinders being filled and emptied at each revolution
of the spindle. When this apparatus is to be used as a pump it is simply
requisite to rotate the main spindle by any suitable power in lieu of allowing
it to be rotated by the pressure of the fluid.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
I shall refer to the several Figures on the three Sheets hereunto an-
nexed, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all
the Figures.
Fig. 1 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings represents a transverse vertical section
(taken along the line 1, 2, in Figure 2), of a water meter constructed
according to this Invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the same, and
the rest of the Figures are details which I shall herein-after more fully
refer to. -
The working parts of the meter are contained within a water-tight box or
casing A. of iron or other suitable material made in two parts united together
by screw bolts passing through flanges at B, B. Two brackets or pedestals
C and D are cast on or bolted to the interior of the lower half of the casing,
which pedestals respectively support the main axis or shaft E and the
stationary spindle F. One of the extremities of the shaft E has a spherical
enlargement a formed thereon, but the two opposite sides of this sphere are
5 cut away or flattened, as shewn clearly in the details of this end of the shaft at
Fig. 3. This enlarged end of the shaft fits into a corresponding cavity 6 in
the centre of the disc G (shewn in face view detached at Fig. 4), which turns
freely on the end of the stationary spindle F, fixed in the bracket or pedestal
D. This spindle is placed in the same horizontal plane as the axial line of

page_text: the shaft E, but at an angle of about 45° with such axial line, as shown in
the plan Fig. 2. By connecting the shaft E in the manner described with
the disc G, the latter will serve as a driver to the shaft, or vice versa, according
to the purposes to which the apparatus is to be applied, as herein-after
'described. The disc G is provided at its circumference with three spherical
sockets or chambers c, c, c, into which are fitted the spherical ends of the three
piston rods H, and secured in their places by caps, as shown in the detail
Figure 4. The opposite extremities of the piston rods are also spherically
shaped and are fitted into pistons I, each made in two parts, and having a
double cup leather placed between them to serve as a packing against the
interior of the three cylinders K. These cylinders are cast in one piece with the
disc L, the entire casting being keyed on to the shaft E, and revolving there-
with. The shaft E, which is supported by the pedestal bearing C, passes out
through the side or end of the casing A, a stuffing box M or other convenient
mode of packing being employed to prevent the escape of the water at the
joint. On the outer end of the shaft E is keyed a spur wheel N, .which
gears into another spur wheel O, driving any well-known or suitable
arrangement of counting mechanism contained inside the small box P.
A liquid distributor or valve Q (shown detached in vertical section and
front elevation at Figs. 5 and 6 respectively) is fitted loosely upon the
shaft E, so as to allow the shaft to revolve freely but fluid-tight therein. This
distributor is of an annular form and is divided across its diameter by a
partition d, which thus separates the upper half e from the lower half of
the distributor. The upper half e is closed at the back, as shown more clearly in
Figs. 5 and 6, and has an outlet or branch pipe R leading therefrom, through
which the measured fluid flows off, as herein-after explained. The lower half f
of the distributor is left entirely open both at back and front, and the whole
is provided with leather or other suitable packing 9 on the face to enable it
to work fluid-tight against the face of the disc L, as shewn clearly in Fig. 2.
h is a metal ring, which is screwed to the face of the disc L, and is provided
with an internal projecting flange, which overlaps a corresponding external
flange on the periphery of the distributor, and thus holds it in close contact
with the disc L, and so as to enclose the openings i, i, which are made through
the disc L, and which communicate with the interior of the three cylinders;_
S is the inlet or supply pipe through which the liquid enters the box or casing
A. When used as a water meter the action of this apparatus is as follows:-
The box or case A is first filled with the water or other liquid to be measured
by the inlet pipe S, so that the whole of the working parts of the apparatus
will be subjected to the surrounding pressure of the water. This pressure

page_text: tends to force inwards the pistons of those cylinders whose orifices i coincide
with or are opposite to the upper or closed half e of the distributor, as the
pressure against these pistons will not be balanced by any counteracting
pressure on their opposite sides. In the other cylinder or cylinders, however,
the orifice of which is opposite to the lower or open halff of the distributor,
the pressure on both sides of the piston or pistons is equal, as the water in the
box has free access to both ends of such cylinder or cylinders, which, as will
'be seen, is not the case with those cylinders which are in communication
with the closed half of the distributor. On the pistons of the upper cylinder
being forced inwards those of the lower cylinders will be drawn back and will
allow the water to enter such cylinders freely behind the pistons through the
orifices and open half f of the distributor. During this operation of the
pistons the rotation produced thereby on the inclined disc G is transmitted
through that disc to the shaft E and to the cylinders, which thus causes each
cylinder as fast as it is filled to be presented in front of the upper half e of the
distributor, whilst the preceding cylinder is brought round opposite to the
lower or open half f of the distributor to be filled. So soon as the orifice i of
the full cylinder passes above the cross partition d of the distributor its piston
begins to return inwards, and consequently discharges the contents of that
cylinder through the opening i into the part e of the distributor, whence it
flows off by the discharge or service pipe R. At every complete revolution of
the shaft E the three cylinders are thus filled and emptied once, and as the
fluid capacity of each cylinder is known, it follows that a certain known
quantity of water is measured at each revolution of the shaft E, which
quantity may be indicated by any well-known counting or indicating
device.
Sheets 2 and 3 of the Drawings represent the application of this Invention
as a pump for the raising and forcing of fluids. Fig. 1 on Sheet 2 represents
a side elevation of one arrangement of the improved pump; Fig. 2 is a front
elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section; Fig. 4 is a transverse
vertical section, and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are separate details.
Fig. 1 on Sheet 3 is a side elevation of a slightly modified form of pump;
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical
section thereof. The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts
throughout all the Figures on Sheet 2 and 3 of the Drawings.
This pump differs from all others by being worked without any valve, it is
therefore not liable to get out of order or become choked, it is perfectly sure
and produces a perfect and constant jet of water; it is moreover both durable
and cheap in construction, and may be used for any kind of liquids. It consists

page_text: of a water-tight cylinder C, composed of two parts A and B, which are
supplied with flanges and connected by bolts or screws. The distributing
regulator D is cast on the shorter part A, and turned accurately (a vertical
section of it is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, Sheet 2); from the distributing
regulator D (Sheet 2), the suction tube E passes through the shorter part A
of the cylinder C, and terminates some inches outside of it in a flange. On
Sheet 3 the suction tube E passes likewise from the distributing regulator D,
and through the cylinder C, but bends rectangularly in a horizontal direction,
and passes through the flanges of the two parts A and B of the water-tight
cylinder C. This tube E is partly cast on the top of the part B, and enters
the same perpendicularly, and bends at the side of the cylinder C down to the
lower bracket F, through which it likewise passes. At this part a lead
pipe G is attached by means of a flange or bolt, which pipe extends into the
well or into the hold of a ship, or into any other source from which water or
other liquid is to be pumped, to this part B of the water-tight cylinder C;
the discharge pipe H (Sheet 2) passes out of the cylinder C in a perpendicular
direction and ends in a flange. On Sheet 3 the discharge pipe also passes in
a perpendicular direction out of the cylinder C, bending, however, immediately
in a right angle, and passing above the cylinder C in a horizontal direction,
then bending downwards perpendicularly for the free discharge of the water.
-To the last part a hook a may be cast, to which a pail or pipe is to be attached,
as clearly shewn in the Drawing on Sheet 3. The feed and discharge pipes
E and H on Sheet 3 are cast in one piece to the upper part of the cylinder C.
A small perforated piece I is cast in an oblique direction on to the side of a
part B of the cylinder C. The opening of this piece is bored and serves for
the reception of the trunnion of the oblique disc K. In order to reduce the
friction at the trunnion, a short hardened steel trunnion b is inserted from the
outer side, and after that an iron trunnion c is introduced hot. A bracket L,
bending at right angles, and serving to attach the pump to any support,
is cast on the first and second part A and B of the cylinder C (Sheet 2).
On Sheet 3, however, a short cylindrical bracket F is used, supplied with a
flange and cast on the second part B of the cylinder C. The hollow pillar
M, through which the lead pipe G passes (as seen on Sheet 3), is screwed to
the flange of the bracket F.
In the first part A of the cylinder C a stuffing box d is screwed to the
centre of the distributing regulator D, through which stuffing box the shaft r
passes, which (shaft). is turned by means of a handle (Sheet 3) or pulley
(Sheet 2).
.The construction of the pump itself within. the cylinder C is as follows:-

page_text: Three small cylinders f, f, f, cast in one piece with a disc P, are secured to
the shaft n. These small cylinders f, f, f, are closed at one end, and accurately
turned and fitted to the distributing regulator D, whilst they are open at the
other end. In the disc P, which is fitted accurately to the distributing
regulator D, there is a small oblong square opening 7 in each of the three
cylinders f, f,f, made in a radial direction, by which means the communica-
tion with the distributing regulator D is obtained. The distributing regulator D
consists of two concentric cylinders h and i and a cross partition, which are
cast to the side of the shorter part A of the cylinder C. The shaft N with its
stuffing box d passes through the inner cylinder i. The outer cylinder h is at
its lower semicircular part provided with a slot or opening. The screw k
being inserted into the stuffing box d may be drawn back by means of the
nut 7 applied to it, and the shaft n, to which a collar m is welded, being
likewise drawn back, the three cylinders f, ff, will fit water-tight to the
distributing regulator D. Each of the three small cylinders is supplied with a
piston n, it consists of two discs o and p, connected by means of four small
screws and having in the centre a hollow sphere. The front disc p is per-
forated in the centre. The piston rod q is passed through this opening and
the ball placed in its cavity, and the discs o and p are then screwed together.
A balls is screwed to the other end of the piston rod q, and placed in a corre-
sponding semi-spherical cavity in the herein-before mentioned oblique disc K,
after which the cover t is screwed over each of the three, balls s. In this manner
three piston rods q are connected by ball joints with the pistons n as well as
with the oblique disc K. The shaft N, rotating by means of the handle or
pulley e, terminates in a small ball u (shewn in detail at Figure 5), placed in the
centre of the oblique disc K (Figure 6), and supplied with a driver Q, shewn in
detail at Figure 6. When the shaft N is revolving the driver strikes against
a part of the disc or against a pin screwed into the same, and thus carries it
along with it.
With regard to forcing pump (Sheet 2), it must be remarked that in order
to guide the shaft N precisely a cast-iron frame R is secured to the cylinder C
by means of screws. Within this frame R a worm v, gearing into the worm
wheel w, is fitted on to the shaft N, by which means the indicating apparatus Z,
carried by the frame R, receives its motion from the shaft N. The main shaft
N of this forcing pump must be turned in an opposite direction to the shaft
of the liquid meter.
The pump works in the following manner :-On turning of the shaft N
by means of the handle or pulley e the air within the upper part of the
distributing regulator D and the suction tube E is first drawn into the small

page_text: cylinders f, f, f, and so soon as these cylinders pass the lower semicircle of
the distributing regulator D, it is forced out of them through the discharge
openings g into the hollow space of the cylinder C. The air being thus
removed, the water follows by the pressure of the atmosphere, and the pump,
in proportion to its speed of rotation, supplies the required water without any
valve. This pump, like all others, may also be applied as a fire-engine, or may
be used as a liquid meter if provided with suitable indicating apparatus, as
shewn in Sheet 2, and if the liquid to be measured be led through the feed
pipe E into the pump. In applying the pump in this way its revolving
motion is effected by the pressure of the liquid, as herein-before described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
1st. The general construction, arrangement, and combination of machinery
or apparatus for measuring, raising, and forcing liquids, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
2nd. The combination of a series of revolving cylinders and rectilinear
reciprocating pistons with a liquid distributor and a rotating disc, such disc being
placed at an angle to the axis of revolution of the cylinders, substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
3rd. The peculiar construction and arrangement of liquid distributor and its
application and use to and in the measuring, raising, or forcing of liquids,
substantially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.s.)