IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS."
—A communication from abroad by José Francisco de Navarro, of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd March 1870.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID
declare the nature of the said Invention for
METERS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a meter that shall be
both efficient and durable, and under one arrangement or mode of apply-
ing it will admit of what may be termed the meter proper mainly being
used as a motor to operate the registering mechanism, while other devices
which operate in combination with it serve to adjust the registering action

page_text: of said moter to record any excess of fluid passing by way of the main
supply pipe otherwise than through the motor, whereby a given sized
meter or motor is made to answer for different sized main supply pipes.
To this end the registering motion is derived from the fluid or portion of
the passing fluid as it is caused to make a detour from the main supply
pipe by means of branch-like connections which pass the fluid in and
out of the motor or meter proper, and which connections may be of
considerably less area than the main supply pipe, said fluid or portion of
the passing fluid as it is thus bent out of the course of the main supply
pipe being caused to actuate the motor or meter proper, and when the
quantity of fluid passing through the main supply pipe is in excess of
what is required to operate the motor the extent of the registering action
of the latter is increased proportionately to the movement given to a
swinging gate acting by weight or spring to intercept the flow through
the main supply pipe between the inlet and outlet connections with the
motor, so that when no more liquid is being used than is necessary to
pass through the motor to actuate it such quantity will be accurately
measured or registered by the motor free from any adjusting action of
the swinging gate in the main supply pipe on the registering motion of
the meter or motor, and when there is a larger amount of fluid passing
through the main supply pipe by the opening of the swinging gate
therein, which causes the fluid to pass partly in a direct manner through
said pipe and partly through the motor, the measure is effected by an
increased movement given to the registering device with which the
motor is connected. This renders it unnecessary to have all the fluid
pass through the motor portion of the apparatus, hence the meter can be
adapted to large or to small pipes with facility and without change in the
motor portion.
The Invention therefore embraces, first, a motor or meter proper;
secondly, a gate that is opened in proportion to the flow of water; and,
thirdly, an indicator that is connected to the gate so that the movement
of the gate causes the indicator to act in proportion to the flow of water.
The motor or meter proper is of a novel construction and is applicable
either in a separate manner to the main supply pipe and so that all the
fluid passing through the same is made to pass through the meter or for
operation in connection with a swinging gate in the main supply pipe.
In this meter there are combined swinging pistons arranged to work in
separate cylindrical measuring chambers, suitable inlet and eduction
ports or passages to the latter, a rotary valve common to said pistons

page_text: and cranks or toothed sectors and pinions together with a crank and
connecting rods for gearing the pistons and valve to work in timely
relation with each other and for rotating the valve.
The Invention likewise comprises a slotted or variable crank or lever
like motion interposed between the swinging gate herein-before described
and the motor or its indicating mechanism for operation in connection
with the latter to secure its variable motion as effected by the gate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and 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 FLUID METERS," being a communication
to me from abroad by José Francisco de Navarro, of the City and State
of New York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
The meter which embraces the improvements herein-after described
is applicable to the measuring of liquids or fluids of various kinds, but
it will be sufficient here to associate it with the measuring of water.
The object of the Invention is to construct a meter that shall be both
efficient and durable, and under one arrangement or mode of applying
it will admit of what may be termed the meter proper mainly being
used as a motor to operate the registering mechanism, while other
devices which operate in combination with it serve to adjust the regis-
tering action of said motor to record any excess of fluid passing by way
of the main supply pipe otherwise than through the motor, whereby a
given sized meter or motor is made to answer for different sized main
supply pipes. To this end the registering motion is derived from the
fluid or portion of the passing fluid as it is caused to make a detour from
the main supply pipe by means of branch-like connections which pass
the fluid in and out of the motor or meter proper, and which connections
may be of considerably less area than the main supply pipe, said fluid or
portion of the passing fluid as it is thrus bent out of the course of the
main supply pipe being caused. to actuate the motor or meter proper
preferably by its action on swinging pistons or diaphragms as herein-
after described, and when the quantity of fluid passing through the
main supply pipe is in excess of what is required to operate the motor
the extent of the registering action of the latter is increased pro-
portionately to the movement given to a swinging gate acting by weight
or spring to intercept the flow through the main supply pipe between
the inlet and outlet connections with the motor, so that when no more
liquid is being used than is necessary to pass through the motor to
actuate it, such quantity will be accurately measured or registered by
the motor free from any adjusting action of the swinging gate in the
main supply pipe on the registering motion of the meter or motor, and
when there is a larger amount of fluid passing through the main supply
pipe by the opening of the swinging gate therein, which causes the
fluid to pass partly in a direct manner through said pipe and partly

page_text: through the motor, the measure is effected by an increased movement
given to the registering device with which the motor is connected. This
renders it unnecessary to have all the fluid pass through the motor portion
of the apparatus, hence the meter can be adapted to large or to small
pipes with facility and without change in the motor portion.
The Invention therefore embraces, first, a motor or meter proper ;
secondly, a gate that is opened in proportion to the flow of water; and,
thirdly, the indicator that is connected to the gate so that the movement
of the gate causes the indicator to act in proportion to the flow of
water.
Also the Invention includes a novel construction of motor or meter
proper applicable either in a separate manner to the main supply pipe,
and so that all the fluid passing through the latter is made to pass
through said meter or for operation in connection with a swinging gate
in the main supply pipe as herein-before described, and in which meter
there are combined swinging pistons arranged to work in separate
measuring chambers, suitable inlet and eduction ports or passages to the
latter, a rotary valve common to said pistons and cranks or toothed
sectors and pinions together with a crank and connecting rods for gearing.
the pistons and valve to work in timely relation with each other and for
rotating the valye.
Likewise the Invention comprises a slotted or variable crank or lever
like motion interposed between the swinging gate herein-before described
and the motor or its indicating mechanism for operation in connection
with the latter to secure its variable motion as effected by the gate.
Having thus specified the object and nature of the Invention, its
description will be proceeded with in reference to the accompanying
Drawings, the form of motor or meter proper which it is preferred to
use whether separately or in combination with a swinging gate in the
main supply pipe first being described.
Fig. 1 represents a plan of said meter or motor with its outer case
removed; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same through the inlet and
outlet pipes of the meter; Fig. 3, a horizontal section taken as denoted
by the line x, x, in Fig. 2, with the outer case removed; and Fig. 4 a
similar section taken as indicated by the line y, y, of the same Figure;
Fig. 5, a longitudinal view of the rotating valve of the meter; and
Fig. 6, a top view thereof; Fig. 7 represents a side view of a meter (with
the cap plate removed) as applied to operate in connection with a

page_text: swinging gate in the main supply pipe; Fig. 8, a longitudinal section
of such an arrangement or combination of devices in part looking from
the opposite side of the supply pipe; and Fig. 9 a side view on an
enlarged scale of the mechanism which controls the registering devices
under said combination of meter or motor and swinging gate in the
supply pipe.
Referring in the first instance to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the
Drawings, A represents a base plate with which are connected the inlet
pipe B and outlet pipe C. The inlet pipe B communicates by an
aperture a with a main or outer case D within which the body portion
and working parts of the meter are arranged, and which fills with water
from the inlet pipe. The water thus introduced to the outer case D
passes to the working or measuring chambers E and E¹ of the meter
through a rotary valve F by way of ports b, b, b', 6', made in a cap plate
G accordingly as said openings are uncovered by the valve F beneath them.
The chambers E, E¹, are of cylindrical form and fitted with abutments
H, H', to provide for the working of reciprocating pistons or diaphragms
I, I', within said chambers, which pistons turn on or by arbors c, c¹, that
project through the cap plate G into the upper portion of the outer
case D. On these arbors c, c¹, above the cap plate G are pinions d, d²,
which gear with the toothed sectors J, J', pivotted as at e, e'. These
sectors are connected by rods f, f¹, with a crank g on the shaft or pivot
of the rotating valve F. The length of the sectors and crank g or
throw of the same as regards the attachment of the rods f,f, thereto is
such that the swinging of the pistons I, I', in their respective chambers
causes the rotation of the valve F. This valve F works within a
cylindrical chamber K made down or through the abutment block that
is provided with upper and lower passages h, h³, the one of which opens
into the chamber E, and the other h¹ into the chamber E¹, and which
passages connect by vertical ports i, ¹, arranged out of line with each
other with the valve chamber K on its one side. The other side of said
valve chamber is provided with upper and lower ports j, j³, the onej of
which connects with the piston chamber E on the opposite side of
its abutment to that on which the passage ŉ opens into and the other
of said passages connects in a similar manner with the piston chamber
E. In the bottom of the valve chamber K are ports k, k, k¹, k¹, which
connect with the outlet pipe C. The valve F, see Figures 5 and 6,
which in its rotation is arranged to play at its sides and ends over or

page_text: '
past the ports i, i¹, j, j', and b, b, b¹, b¹, k, k, k¹, k¹, is mainly of
cylindrical form with partial heads or ends 1, 1, controlling the several
passages b, b', and k, k', and with segments cut away on opposite sides
of it leaving upper and lower peripherical body portions m, m³, out of
vertical line with each other on both or opposite sides of the valve,
which peripherical portions control the ports i, i, and j, j. By "the
construction and arrangement of the valve and passages as herein
described water is admitted consecutively through the ports b, b, and
b', 6', down through the valve between its peripherical portions to act
in regular order on opposite sides alternately of the pistons I, I', and
water in like manner simultaneously discharged consecutively through
the ports k, k, k¹, k¹, from the reverse sides of said pistons. The
arrangement of the sectors J, J, and their connections is such that
there is a sufficient lead for one piston to complete its stroke, while the
other piston is still operative or at part stroke. This prevents the
cessation of the power that rotates the valve F, and there is no dead
point or centre upon which its crank g can stop, as the connecting rods
ff, are made to occupy different angles simultaneously to said crank.
Instead of the toothed sectors J, J', cranks may be substituted and the
same be connected by rods with the valve crank, but it is preferred to
use the toothed sectors J, J¹, and the pinions d, d³, as such a combina-
tion of gearing produces a more perfect action, and whereby the
construction of the measuring chambers is facilitated. The indicator
or registering mechanism may be of the ordinary or any suitable
description and be operated by a spindle n made to derive its motion
from the valve shaft in any convenient manner.
Referring in the next instance more particularly to Figures 7, 8, and 9
of the Drawing, which represent the meter as herein-before described
applied under a horizontal position of it to operate in connection with a
swinging gate in the main supply pipe B, C, or trunk L connected there-
with, the water flowing along the inlet portion B of said pipe is supplied
to the meter or "motor" (as such under the combination now being
described may be more properly termed) by a contracted passage o
arranged to branch from the inlet end of the trunk L, and to connect
with the one end of the rotating valve by means of the openings b, b,
6, 61, at its one end through a suitable recess or passage in the cap
plate covering the chambers E, E¹, supposing the outer case D to be
dispensed with. After the water has performed its duty on the pistons"

page_text: in said chambers E, E¹, it passes out from the opposite end of the
valve by way of a passage or passages p, p, into the outlet end of the
trunk L. Within said trunk, which forms an interposed connection of
the inlet and outlet pipes B and C, or a portion (as it were) of the main
supply pipe and between the inlet and outlet passages o and p, p,
therein is a swinging gate M pivotted as at q. This gate when closed
shuts off the direct flow of water through said trunk from the inlet
pipe B to the outlet pipe C, so that the water has to pass all through
the small inlet passage o to and through the motor, and from it by the
passages p, p, to the outlet pipe C or delivery portion of the main supply
pipe. Under this closed condition of the gate M the motor operates
simply to register the quantity of water passing through it as a meter;
but instead of working the indicator from the shaft of the rotary valvo
as previously described, it is preferred to take motion for such purpose
from one (e¹) of the piston shafts. The gate M is so set and weighted
within the trunk L or acted upon by a spring at its back, which spring
may be of any suitable description, but is here shewn as a coiled spring
acting against a stop on a link connecting the gate with a pivotted
rod in the rear as that when the draught on the outlet pipe C is no
more than can pass by the openings o and p, p, to and from the motor
said gate remains closed and there is no direct supply of water through
the trunk from the pipe B to the pipe C, but all the water passing has
to make the detour through the motor, which operating as a meter
accurately measures such draught no matter how light the same may
'be. When the draught on the pipe C however is increased beyond
the supply kept up through the motor by the passages o and
P. P, thon
the gate M is raised to an extent controlled by the amount of draught,
and so that in addition to the water passing through the motor a
portion, and it may be the main portion, of the passing fluid escapes
in a direct manner through the trunk L to the outlet pipe C. To
register the amount of water thus passing in addition to what passes
through the motor the piston shaft e', which is used to drive the
registering mechanism, is made to carry a toothed sector N which gears
with a toothed sector O forming part of a longitudinally slotted arm
or lever U that works on a fixed fulcrum as at t. The slot & in the
lever U is made to pass or intersect the fulcrum & and has arranged
within it a slide W to which is pivotted a connecting rod X, that gives
motion through an arm a¹ to a lever b', which swings from a centre as
at and carries a ratchet wheel e² and pinion f¹ operating in con-

page_text: nection with a pawl g¹ to actuate the train of gearing, which gives the
necessary registering movements and which may be of the ordinary
or any suitable kind, nor so far as actuating the indicator is concerned
need there be any peculiarity as regards the devices which receive
their action from the connecting rod X. It is in varying the stroke
however of this rod that the indicator is made to register more or less
during each oscillation of the piston shaft e¹, and such variation in the
stroke of said rod is determined by the position of the slide W relatively
to the fulcrum t on which the lever U and sector O work. The slide
W is connected with the gate M by a rod Y through a crank Z on the
fulcrum shaft g of the gate, so that when the gate is closed said slide W
is adjusted to lie close to the fulcrum t of the sector O and lever U,
and hence but a short feed or throw is given to the rod X. Under
this condition the motor simply registers the water passing through it,
none passing by the gate which is closed. On the gate M being
raised however through increased draught upon the outlet pipe C, when
the raising of the crank Z by the gate adjusts the slide W further from
the fulcrum t up the slot u, so that the rocking of the lever U through
the sector O as derived from the sector N on the piston shaft e¹ gives
a longer throw or feed to the rod X, and hence increases the registering
action of the indicator, and causes it to register correctly both the
water passing through the motor, and that which passes in a direct
manner through the main supply pipe, that is pipe B, trunk L, and
pipe C, and in proportion as the gate M is raised by increasing the
draught on the outlet pipe C will the rod X by the adjustment of the
slide W have its feeding stroke on the indicator increased. A very
small meter or motor is thus made to answer for various sizes of pipes,
the supply of fluid through which may be much greater than passes
through the motor, and yet the quantity passing, will be correctly
registered.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements in
fluid meters, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be
understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First. The combination of the following devices, namely, first, the
motor or meter proper actuated by a portion of the fluid; second, the
gate that is opened in proportion to the flow of the fluid; and third,
the indicator that is connected to the gate so that the movement of the

page_text: latter causes the indicator which is driven by the motor to act in pro-
portion to the flow of the fluid, substantially as specified.
Second. The combination of the swinging pistons in the chambers
E, E, the gate M. in the supply pipe or chamber connected therewith,
the passages o and p, p, and the indicator operated by the movement of
the swinging pistons or either of them but controlled by the gate, sub-
stantially as herein set forth.
Third. The combination of the lever U operated by the motor or
meter proper, the rod X driven by said lever and operating or forming
part of the registering devices, and the crank Z actuated by the gate M
and serving to vary the throw or stroke of the rod X, essentially as and
for the purpose or purposes specified.
Fourth. The swinging pistons I, I¹, in the chambers E, E', in com-
bination with the rotary valve F, ports or passages b, b¹, k, k¹, i, i¹,
j, j', and h, h, the pinions d, d, toothed sectors J, J¹, rods ƒ,ƒ¹, and
the crank g, substantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Third day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.