IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURING AND REGISTERING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEASURING AND REGISTERING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS."-A commu-
nication.
Sealed the 12th May 1853, and dated the 12th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry
Johnson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 12th November 1852.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEASURING AND REGISTERING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the application of a piston and cylinder,
with suitable slide valves, to the accurate measurement of fluids.
The cylinder is fitted with ingress ports on one side, and egress
ports on the opposite side. As the fluid enters, it forces the piston
from one end of the cylinder to the other; and the cylinder being

page_text: thus filled, the fluid is allowed to escape by the sudden opening of
one of the egress ports, and the simultaneous closing of the
corresponding ingress port. The fluid then enters by the port on
the opposite side of the piston, thereby forcing the piston back
again, which drives the previously measured fluid out before it.
The capacity of the cylinder is adjusted by means of a sliding box,
which works on a projection in the end of the cylinder; this box is
made to advance in the cylinder by means of an adjusting screw.
It is obvious that, by screwing in the box, the length of the piston's
travel or stroke will be diminished; and therefore the amount of
fluid passed at each stroke will be correspondingly diminished.
The valves are actuated by stud pins, in an oscillating lever; these
pins working in long slots in the ends of the valve spindles. As
these slots are made rather shorter than the arc described by the
stud pins in the lever, it follows that the valves will be suddenly
reversed at the end of each stroke. This lever vibrates vertically,
and its upper end is heavily weighted, so as to overcome the friction
of the slide valves, as soon as the lever has been thrown over its
vertical centre by the piston rod. The movement of the piston is
communicated to the oscillating lever by an arm attached to the
piston rod; this arm carries a stud pin, which works in a long slot
in another arm fixed to the lever. The slot, however, is not so
long as the travel of the piston, and is fitted at one end with a
sliding stop, adjusted by a set screw, so as to regulate the length of
slot according to the stroke of the piston. It follows, therefore,
that the sliding box in the cylinder, and the stop in the end of the
slotted arm herein-before mentioned, should be correspondingly
regulated. By having the slot shorter than the piston's stroke, the
lever is suddenly thrown over its vertical centre, and the weight at
its upper end then assists in reversing the valve. It is obvious that
the ordinary slide valve arrangement employed in steam engines
may be also applied to this meter; in this case, the lower ports and
valves would be dispensed with.

page_text: 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 12th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson,
Her special licence 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, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MEASURING AND REGISTERING THE FLOW OF FLUIDS,"
being a communication to me from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and scal, 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 performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say:

page_text: The said Invention relates to an improved arrangement of
mechanism, apparatus, or means for measuring and registering the
flow of fluids, whereby accurate measurement is secured with simple
and effective details, and consists in the employment of a cylinder
and piston, fitted with slide valves, for the ingress and egress of
the fluid. At each stroke of the piston the cylinder is filled, and
the slide reversed; whereupon the fluid is allowed to escape,
and a fresh supply is admitted on the opposite side of the
piston, which is thereby forced back again to the reverse end of the
cylinder. The registration of the measurement is effected by suitable
mechanism attached to the valve spindle, and actuated by the
movement of the slide.
Figure 1, on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, repre-
sents an end elevation of the improved meter. Figure 2, is
a corresponding side elevation of the same; and Figure 3, is
a corresponding plan. At A, A, is a wooden or metal base
frame, for supporting the cylinder and working parts of the
apparatus. The cylinder B, is carried by the two vertical sup-
porting brackets c, c, and is fitted with a slide valve D, and piston
E, screwed on to the piston rod F. This rod passes through a
stuffing-box G, in each end of the measuring cylinder, and has a
short adjustable arm H, secured to it near its outer extremity by
a pinching screw I. The lower end of this arm is fitted with a
stud pin J, which works in the longitudinal slotted rod K.
This
rod slides in the fixed bearings L, L, which are bolted to the main
vertical portion of the framing. The outer extremity of the slotted
rod is connected, by a short link M, with the lower end of the
vertical weighted tumbling lever N, working on a fixed stud centro
O. The upper end of this lever is guided in its movements by the
segmental guide plates or bars P, which are carried by pillars Q,
bolted to the main framing. The slide D, is contained in the
chamber R, which is furnished with an inlet pipe S, and the spindle
of the slide is jointed at T, to one end of the adjustable connecting
rod U. The opposite end of this rod is jointed to the segmentally
slotted plate V, in which works a stud pin W, fitted into the lever.

page_text: The slot in this segmental plate is rather shorter than the traverse of
the pin in the lever; so that when the lever is caused to oscillate or
vibrate, a certain amount of traverse is given to the slide D. The
movement of the lever N, is effected by the traverse of the stud pin
in the slotted rod K; the slot in this rod being shorter than the
stroke of the piston, and consequently when the pin arrives at the
end of the slot, the further traverse of the piston slides the rod K,
in its bearings, and thereby turns the lever N, on its fixed centre
O. The registration of the fluid flow is effected by the ratchet
wheel X, which is actuated at every stroke of the slide by the palls
Y, fitted to the T piece Z, which is secured to the connecting rod
of the valve spindle. In measuring fluids by this meter, the matter
to be measured enters by the inlet pipe S, into the chamber R,
whence it passes along the open port a, into the corresponding end
of the cylinder B. The pressure of the fluid forces the piston to
the opposite end of the cylinder; thereby causing the pin J, to
traverse along the slotted rod K, and move it in the direction of
the arrow. This movement of the rod reverses the lever N, which
effects the movement of the slide D, by means of the stud pin W,
and slotted link V. By this means, the port b, is opened suddenly,
and the fluid is allowed to enter the opposite end of the cylinder,
thereby forcing the piston back again, and consequently expelling
the fluid which was contained above the piston; the fluid escapes
by the egress port C, which is now in communication with the
inlet thoroughfare a. A hollow zone or belt is cast round the
cylinder, and forms the outlet for the fluid, which passes into the
service pipe through the branch pipe d, cast in one piece with the
cylinder. By fitting a moveable false bottom or end to the cylinder,
so as to be capable of adjustment by an external screw or other
movement, the capacity of the cylinder may be regulated to the
greatest nicety, by simply screwing or setting in or out the internal
false bottom.
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 I do

page_text: not confine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements
which I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations
may be made therefrom, without deviating from the principles or
main features of the said Invention. But what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me 5
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is -
First, the general arrangement and construction of fluid meters
as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of connecting the traversing mea-
suring piston with its tumbling lever, by means of a relatively long 1
slotted link, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use of an adjustable end piece for
regulating the measuring content of the cylinder or fluid chamber.
Fourth, the system or mode of measuring fluids by means of a
slide valve and tumbling lever, combined to give a quick reversing
action, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.