IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Richards, of 7, Regina Road, Holloway, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 3rd August 1866, and dated the 7th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Richards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
February 1866.
I, WILLIAM RICHARDS, of 7, Regina Road, Holloway, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS," to be as
follows:-
My improvements relate, firstly, to means or apparatus for measuring
liquids at a low pressure; secondly, to means or apparatus for measuring
liquids at a high pressure. In both cases I employ a vessel, which may be
similar to the revolving wheel of a wet gas meter, with a series of measuring
compartments, but having a cylindrical chamber in its centre. The inlet
passages to the respective measuring compartments are shorter than the inle
passages from them, so that each chamber in rotation is filled before liquid
can enter that next it. This vessel or wheel with its series of measuring
compartments is attached to an axle, one end of which is hollow to com-
inunicate with passages to the respective measuring compartments. This
measuring wheel is placed in a suitable air-tight case, having a chamber
attached to it to receive the liquid to be measured. In this receiving chamber
is placed a lever float, fixed to an equilibrium valve to regulate the pressure
of the liquid entering. The hollow end of the axle passes into this receiving

page_text: chamber, and is made tight by means of a stuffing box or gland, and so
separates the unmeasured from the measured liquid.
The action of the apparatus is this:-The liquid entering the chamber con-
taining the float passes into the hollow shaft or axle, and thence into one of
the measuring compartments of the wheel until that compartment becomes
full; the liquid then passes into a second measuring compartment, when by
the weight of the liquid entering this second compartment that in the first is
displaced, and so on continuously causing the wheel to revolve, The measured
liquid passes off at the lower part of the case. A worm on the shaft, by means
of suitable gear, actuates an index to shew the number of revolutions or the
quantity of liquid passed, as is well understood. The action of this apparatus
may be reversed by causing the liquid to enter at the lower part outside of the
wheel, and so pass off through the hollow axle,
For measuring liquids at a high pressure I employ a similar measuring
wheel and an air-tight case to that mentioned, but added to the lower part of
this case, and in direct communication therewith is another vessel or air
chamber, or the two parts of the air-tight chamber may form one and the
same vessel. In this apparatus when the liquid flows from the measuring
wheel it descends into the lower air chamber, or the lower part of a combined
chamber, and so compresses the air in the combined cases or chamber as to
produce sufficient force to expel the measured liquid the desired height. The
size of the lower air chamber or the lower part of a combined chamber must
be sufficient to permit of compression of air therein equal to the pressure of
the liquid supplied. In some instances it may be more convenient to limit
the dimensions of the air vessel so as to deliver the liquid at a given height
without regard to the inlet pressure, in which case I employ a float to actuate
an equilibrium valve and regulate the supply.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Richards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
RICHARDS, of 7, Regina Road, Holloway, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said

page_text: William Richards, Her special licence that I, the said William Richards, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Richards, 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 MEANS OR
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Richards, my executors or administrators, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Richards, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements relate, firstly, to means or apparatus for measuring
liquids at a low pressure.
Secondly, my improvements relate to means or apparatus for measuring
liquids at a high pressure. In both cases I employ a vessel which may be
similar to the revolving wheel of a wet gas meter with a series of measuring
compartments, but having a cylindrical chamber in its centre. The inlet
passages to the respective measuring compartments are shorter than the outlet
passages from them, so that each chamber in rotation becomes filled. This
vessel or wheel with its series of measuring compartments is attached. to an
axle, one end of which is bollow to communicate with passages to the respec-
tive measuring compartments. This measuring wheel is placed in a suitable
case having a chamber attached to it to receive the liquid to be measured.
In this receiving chamber is placed a lever float fixed to an equilibrium valve
to regulate the supply of the liquid entering the apparatus. The hollow end
of the axle passes into this receiving chamber, and is made water-tight by
means of a stuffing box or gland to separate the unmeasured from the measured
liquid.
The action of the apparatus is this:The liquid entering the chamber
containing the float passes into the hollow shaft or axle, and thence into one
of the measuring compartments of the wheel until that compartment becomes
full; the liquid then passes into a second measuring compartment, when by

page_text: Figure 1 shows a front view; Figure 2, a side view; Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8, 9, and 10, sectional and other views of apparatus constructed according to
the improvements. The nature of each of these views being written on them,
their character will be readily understood. In each of them the same letters
are employed to indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
a. a. is the outer and stationary chamber or case upon which is formed the
chamber a¹ into which the liquid to be measured is first received, and which I
therefore call the receiving chamber. The liquid to be measured enters this
receiving chamber by the passage b, which at c is provided with an equilibrium
tap or valve capable of being opened or closed by the action of the lever d, to
which is attached the float d', by the floating of which, as is well understood,

page_text: the opening of the valve at c will be regulated, thereby regulating the height
and pressure of the liquid admitted to the chamber a¹. The closing of the
valve c should be adjusted to take place before the liquid can rise to a level
corresponding with that of the inlet and outlet passages of any one of the
measuring compartments, when such passages are in the same horizontal line.
The liquid from the chamber a¹ flows by the hollow end e of an axis e into
the compartments of a revolving wheel f affixed to that axis e. This axis e is
supported with the wheel of so as to revolve freely in bearings a², a³. The
bearing a is packed or may be ground to prevent the liquid in the chamber
a' from passing into the chamber a except through the axis e and wheel f.
The wheel has a cylindrical and closed chamber f¹ in its centre, and it is
formed into five other compartments, four of which, Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, are
the measuring compartments, the liquid to be measured passing into and
filling each of them in succession, and their capacity being the measure of the
liquid so passed through them. The compartments (1), (2), (3), and (4) are
separated from each other by the partitions fo whilst they extend radially
between the cylindrical chamber f¹ and the outer circumference of the wheel f
and transversely between the side surfaces f³ and f³. The liquid flowing into
the hollow end e' of the axis e passes therefrom through the openings & into the
compartinent (5) formed between the dome f' and the surfaces f³, and thence
in succession by the openings (6) into the several compartments (1), (2), (3),
and 4, and away when measured by the passages 7 into the outer case or
frame of the apparatus, from which it may flow out by a pipe or tap applied
at g. The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The liquid to be measured
having passed into the chamber a', and thence by the hollow end e¹ of the axis
e into the compartment (5), from which it will flow through one of the
passages (6) into a compartment (1), (2), (3), or (4), and supposing that
opening to be 6* then the liquid will flow into the compartment (1) until
that is full. The liquid will then pass by a passage (6**) to the compartment
(2), and during this time the wheel will be moving for a rotation, and thereby
cause the liquid to flow out from the chamber (1) by the passage (7*), and so
on each chamber will be filled and emptied in succession; h is a guide to the
motion of the lever d; i is a worm wheel on the axis e to gear, into a worm
wheel on the axis j for giving motion to the index apparatus contained in
the chamber k.
Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 show sectional and detail views of another
arrangement according to the first part of the improvements, and in this case
the liquid to be measured passes from the hollow end e' of the axis e, by the
passages to a central chamber f¹ (which in this case forms a passage for

page_text: the liquid to be measured), and such liquid thence passes by the openings (6),
(6), in succession to the respective compartments (1), (2), (3), and (4), and
therefrom to the outer case or chamber by the openings (7), (7). In other
respects this arrangement is similar to that already described, and the corre
sponding parts of it are marked with the same letters and figures of reference.
In each case it will be seen that the outlet passages from the compartments,
1, 2, 3, and 4, are considerably longer than the inlet passages thereto by
which measured liquid will be fully retained in one of such compartments
until liquid is entering the next in succession for the purpose of being
measured, and at the same time liquid will remain in the course of being
discharged from the compartment in advance of the full one. Thus as shown
the compartment (4) is full of liquid which is in fact mensured by the capacity
of that compartment, and that compartment remains full until liquid is flowing
into and has nearly filled the compartment (1) next in succession, whilst
liquid which had flowed into the compartment (3) previous to that in the
compartment (4) is being delivered therefrom, though there yet remains
sufficient liquid in that compartment (3) until a compartment in the position
of that compartment (1) is nearly full to act in retarding the too free move-
ment of the revolving wheel or vessel, and so as to ensure the filling of each
compartment in succession. Thus it will be seen that the difference of level in
the compartments filling. from that discharging effects the rotation of the
revolving wheel or vessel to bring into position its respective measuring
compartments in succession.
Figure 16 shows by a sectional diagram apparatus according to the the
second part of the improvements, and adapted to when the liquid to be
measured is after measurement to be raised to a height above the measuring
apparatus. In this case the chamber a contains a measuring wheel f, which
may be such as those described under the first head of Invention, or may bo
of other suitable kind, but in place of the measured liquid being drawn direct
from the chamber a the measured liquid passes from the chamber a by a
pipe into another chamber m, and the dip of the pipe into the chamber m
is sufficient to admit of the part above the lower end of the pipe l, together
with that part of the case a unoccupied by liquid, serving as an air chamber,
the capacity of which should be such as to admit of the contained air being
compressed sufficiently to ensure the flow of liquid therefrom for a considerable
time to the height desired. The chamber m is also provided with a partition
n dividing the upper portion thereof, and thereby forming a separate chamber
into which the liquid flows from the compartment m only under the edge
of the partition n, thus preventing air bubbles which may flow in with the

page_text: liquid from being carried away direct to the outlet passage. The chamber
m, m', is freely in connection with the chamber a by passages p, p', by which
the atmospheric pressure in that chamber a and the chambers m and m¹ will
be rendered uniform. The liquid passes away from the chamber m, m', to
the supply by the outlet q. If desired a float applied in an air vessel m, and
operating an equilibrium valve in a pipe leading to the measuring apparatus
may be used to control the pressure of the supply to that of the height of
delivery, and thus where the supply is under considerable pressure render
the use of an air vessel of size corresponding with that pressure unnecessary.
The chamber m should be provided with an outlet near its lower part
capable of being opened at short intervals to clear it of liquid, and ensure
its continued efficiency; at such time, as a matter of course, the supply passage
will be closed.
Having thus described my improvements, and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details shown and described, as these may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention; but what I
do claim is,
First, the adaptation or combination of means or apparatus for measuring
liquids, whereby the liquid to be measured is conducted from a receiving
chamber or inlet passage to the measuring compartments, and whereby
the capacity of the compartments of a revolving wheel or vessel become
the measure of the liquid passing through the apparatus, substantially as
described. Also, I claim the forming of the outlet passages from the respec-
tive measuring compartments longer than the inlet passages to them, acting,
in manner and for the purpose substantially as described.
Secondly, I claim the application of an air chamber in connection with
apparatus for measuring liquids to facilitate the delivery to situations above
the level of such measuring apparatus, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Richards, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Wч. RICHARDS. (L.B.)