MEASURING WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS UNDER PRESSURE
Year: 1885

page_text: Pressure.
I, CHARLES SELTH BILHAM of 5 Somerleyton Street, Unthanks Road, Norwich
Accountant in the employ of the City of Norwich Waterworks Company do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for MEASURING WATER AND OTHER
FLUIDS UNDER PRESSURE to be as follows:-
Such instrument will be used in conjunction with suitable gear, being, cocks,
valves, registering apparatus, supports, casing and all other fittings or machinery,
as may be necessary to form a complete high pressure fluid meter.
The cocks, valves, and registering apparatus will be worked by suitable attach-
ment to, or contact with the piston rod (A), in a manner to be hereafter decided.
The cylinder (B B¹), will be formed externally of cast iron, and will have an
internal lining of brass.
The cylinder will be made in two main sections, and will be formed by bolting
together the flanges (C. C).
The circular piston (D D¹) will be made of brass, and in sections, the main
ring (D) being attached to the steel rod (A) at (E), and the said rod will pass
through a gunmetal collar, or guide (F), and also through a stuffing box (G).
A circular sheet of india rubber, or other suitable impervious material to fit the
flanges of cylinder, (and having a circular hole in its centre, a trifle exceeding in
diameter the portion (D) of piston), will have on each side of it a metal sheet of
chain net, of somewhat close mesh, and the three sheets will be attached together
at such points as may be found necessary.
This compound sheet (H), having the circular hole in the centre, will be placed
round the piston in the position shown on the drawing (round part of D like a
collar), the ring (D¹) being afterwards put on, and rivetted fast to the lower
portion (D) of the piston,-thus securing the sheeting to, and making it part of the
piston.
The piston will then be placed in the lower section of the cylinder (B), and the
upper section of cylinder (B¹), will then be bolted to flange on lower section of
cylinder, as shown on the drawing, securing between the flanges (C C) the
sheeting (H), described herein before.
(The bolts will pass through holes left in the sheeting, to correspond with the
bolt holes in the flanges of cylinder.)

page_text: No water, or other fluid, will then be able to pass from one side of the piston and
sheeting to the other.
Two orifices will be provided (I. K).
The action of the instrument will be as follows.
On water (or any other fluid), being admitted under sufficient pressure at (I),
the entire chamber, or cylinder, on the (I) side of the piston, will be filled with
water, and the piston and sheeting will be forced into the position as indicated in
the drawing towards the outlet (K), and any water that was previously above the
piston will be forced out at (K).
Thus (I) was inlet, and (K) was outlet.
The piston having reached the position towards (K), the respective inlet and
outlet will be reversed, and (K) will be converted into inlet, and (I) into outlet,
and water will flow under pressure into the cylinder through (K), and the piston
and sheeting will be forced down towards (I), and water previously filling the
lower section of cylinder, beneath piston and sheeting, will be forced out at (I).
On the piston reaching the extremity of its stroke towards (I), the inlet and
outlet will be again reversed, as was described on the piston reaching the position
towards (K).
Circular india rubber rings (L. L.) will be placed each in a recess provided to
receive the same, so that such rings may take any blows from the piston at each
extremity of stroke.
The piston rod (A) will work a four way cock, or other apparatus, capable of
rendering passages from it to the respective orifices (I & K), alternately inlets and
outlets, and the said piston rod (A) will also by connection with other gear to be
provided, cause the registering works to record the quantity of water which from
time to time will leave the cylinder.

page_text: A circumferential ring of the material of the collar, will be placed in the recess
between the two flanges of the measuring chamber, previous to their being bolted
together, forming a water-tight joint, and the valve and rod will then be in the
position exhibited by the drawing.
The bottom of the gear box will be formed of a cast-iron plate, bolted securely
to the top of the plate cast on the top of the measuring chamber already described
herein, and an upright plate with a flange at top will be cast on to the bottom of
gear box.
The said upright plate will also have a channel flanged at the end for connection
to a service pipe to receive the water, and the said channel will open into a
straining box, and connection will then be formed with a conical hole at right
angles to the channel, through the plate, and which will be bushed with brass to
receive a plug to form an ordinary four way cock, a corresponding channel will
proceed from the opposite side of the cock, and will terminate itself with a flange
for connection to a service pipe, and such last mentioned channel will form the
outlet of the meter.
The channel previously described as proceeding from the lower half of measuring
chamber will be maintained through the bottom of gear box proceeding up the
rising plate connected thereto, and will terminate by connection with the interior
of the four way cock, at the top thereof.
The channel previously described as proceeding from the upper section of the
measuring chamber will also be maintained through the bottom of gear box,
proceeding up the rising plate connected thereto, and will terminate by connection
with the interior of the four-way-cock at the bottom thereof.
On the opposite side of the cast iron plate forming the bottom of gear box, will
be bolted on a rising piece flanged at the top, and bottom, and carried to a height
level with the flange on the rising plate above described. An opening will be
provided in the second plate described, directly opposite the four-way-cock, to
facilitate the removal of the plug, but such opening will be closed by a thin plate
screwed over the same.
The top plate will be bolted to the flanges of the upright plates, but two circular
holes will be left towards the middle of the top plate to enable two rods to be
passed through the same to the bottom of the gear box, as hereinafter to be
described.
The casing of each end of the gear box will be completed by sliding in a thin
metal plate in groves cast in the plates.
The conical plug will be inserted into the brass bush, before described, and will
fit the same accurately and a spindle will project from the plug and a stuffing box
and gland will be provided and fixed to keep the same water-tight. The spindle
will have a ring (f) fixed thereon and a coiled spring (9) will press against the
ring and will keep the plug firmly in its proper position.

page_text: A conical steel spring will be placed between the guide rods over the gland box
(the gland being counter sunk) within a ring, cast on the bottom of gear box, and
the small end thereof will collar round a metal ring cast on the bottom of the lower
sliding plate, the valve rod passing up the centre of the spring.
A similar spring will be placed between the guide rods above the upper sliding
plate, the large end of spring being placed within a metal ring cast on the plate at
the top of the gear box, and the smaller end will be placed within a metal ring cast
on the top of the upper plate,

page_text: LEVERS AND CONNECTIONS.
The two levers will be placed to form the locking apparatus 'in the positions
shown on the drawing, one being placed opposite the metal roller of the lower
plate and such lever being centred by means of a steel bolt passed through the
same and screwed into a looped metal plate fixed at the bottom of gear box and
the portion of the lever running parallel with the top plate will be bent to form a
right angle with the lever, so that the same will be pressed from time to time by
the bar (U) on the upper plate.
A projection will be formed upon the level bar in the path of the metal roller
(attached to the lower plate) and the roller will when travelling toward the bottom
of gear box run along the inclined plane, or projection, and press back the lever
against the small spring fixed in a suitable box attached to the bottom of the gear
box, and such small spring will only possess sufficient strength to force back the
lever to its position against the looped stopping bar (j).
The second lever will be fixed in the reverse position to that already described,
but alongside the lever already described, and opposite the roller on the upper
plate Such lever will be centered near the bottom plate and the end near the top
of gear box will be placed in the looped guide, and stopping bar with the spring at
back thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF WORKING.
The collar in the measuring chamber is represented in the drawing as being
seated on the bevelled interior of the measuring chamber.
The water will enter the meter at the point (A.) and will flow through the dirt
box (B.) to the four-way-cock (C.) entering the same through the port (D). It
will leave the cock through the port (E.) passing down the channel (F.) entering the
measuring chamber below the valve, and collar (G.), filling the measuring chamber
and forcing the valve & collar to the top of the measuring chamber into the
position indicated by (H). The water contained in the chamber above the valve
and collar being forced through the channel (I.) which leaves the hollow round
stuffing box it will then enter the cock through the port (J.) passing through the
cock and leaving the same through the port (K.) to the outlet of meter.
The button (L.) on the valve rod in rising will force the plate (M.) into the
position (N.) compressing the spring (O.) and towards the latter end of the stroke
roller (P.) will force back the lever (Q.) clearing the projection (R.) when the
spring (S.) will bring back the lever to its original position, and the roller will (in
due course on the valve rod descending) seat itself on the projection.
Lastly in continuation of the upward motion the bar (U.) will press against and
raise the bent portion of lever (V.) releasing the roller (X.) and spring (Y.) will at
once assert itself and the cock bar or lever (Z.) will be forced into the position (a.)
by the stud (b.), and altering the course of the currents of water through the four-
way-cock. Water will then enter as before through (D.) but leaving at (J.) and
entering the measuring chamber above the valve &c. through (I.) and forcing down
the valve &c. to the bottom of the chamber and expelling water thereby from
below the valve through (F.) entering the cock at (E.) and leaving it at (K).
The button (L.) will force down the plate (W.) and the roller (✗.) will pass the
projection or lever (V.) and on the roller clearing the same the bar (c.) will press on
the bent portion of lever (Q.) clearing the projection (R) and again liberating the
roller (P.) which will be at once forced downward by spring (O.) and the stud (d.)
on plate (M.) will again force down the cock lever (Z.) and the currents of water
will be reversed as before through the cock and the valve, and collar will commence
ascending.
The changes of position of the cock spindle which will be attached to the
index (e.) will enable the quantity of water passing through the meter to be
registered by the dial work.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) That the complete apparatus constitutes a positive water meter of a new and
reliable character enabling water to be measured with unerring accuracy.
(2.) That the gear is simple and not liable to get out of order.
(3.) That the rapid action of the springs, in reversing the currents of water in
the channels, will not cause any appreciable check in the onward flow, and
concussion in the pipes feeding the meter will be avoided.
(4.) The noiseless character of the apparatus when at work will commend it for
use in dwelling houses for measuring supplies of water for domestic purposes.
(5.) That the simple character of the meter will enable it to be manufactured at
comparatively small cost.
T
1000