Improved Method of and Apparatus for Maintaining a Proportional Flow of Fluids through Pipes of the same or of Different Diameters.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 25th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 29th Nov., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Maintaining a Proportional
Flow of Fluids through Pipes of the same or of Different
Diameters.
I, CHARLES CASIMIR BARTON a citizen of the United States temporarily residing
at the Windsor Hotel, Edinburgh Scotland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for maintaining a proportional
flow of fluids through pipes of the same or of different diameters, the invention being
more particularly intended for use in connection with water or other fluid meters but
being also applicable for advantageous use for other purposes.
The invention consists in the method of maintaining a proportional flow through a
main pipe by means of the flow through a smaller or supplemental pipe connected
therewith and which by means of the apparatus hereinafter described automatically
operates the regulating valve controlling the flow through the main pipe.
The apparatus consists essentially of a chamber with suitable induction and eduction
pipes for the main supply and also with an induction pipe for the flow through the
supplemental pipe which enters in a separate compartment of the chamber from that
of the main flow, the pressure of the two flows being exerted upon opposite sides of
a flexible diaphragm which by means of the novel construction and arrangement
of parts operates the valve governing the flow through the main induction pipe, the
discharge from which passes through a series of small pipes to the eduction chamber
where it meets the flow from the supplemental pipe which discharges therein from its
compartment through a pipe or pipes of the same size as the series carrying the main
flow. In order to get the best results these small pipes should all be vertically placed
and be of equal length and size and should all be placed at points equidistant from
the centre of the chamber and equidistant from each other. The number of pipes for
the main supply will depend upon the relative sizes of the small pipe which carries the
supplemental flow to the discharge chamber and the main induction supply pipe. The
flow through the small or supplemental pipe may pass through a meter and the pro-
portion of flow be thereby measured and this construction will enable a small meter

page_text: to be used for registering the flow in a large main while should the flow in the
supplemental pipe cease or diminish, an excess pressure would at once be found in
the main chamber where its action on the diaphragm would be such as to close or
partially close the valve, thus restricting or stopping the main flow until the pressure
upon both sides of the diaphragm was again equalized. In order that the weight of
the valve and diaphragm may be properly balanced I prefer to employ a circular
slide valve connected to the diaphragm by arms connected by levers to the valve
sleeve, said levers being pivoted on projecting arms carried by a stem rising from the
dead end of the main discharge pipe above the ports, so that a downward pressure
of the diaphragm may raise the valve and vice versa and that the weight of one may
counterbalance the weight of the other but in lieu of this construction the weight of
both may be counterbalanced by means of a lever and attached counterweight.
The automatic regulation of the discharge through the main pipe renders this
construction of apparatus extremely useful as an adjunct to large water mains, as by
means of a small and readily operated stop valve or cock in the supplemental pipe
the flow through a large main may be instantly cut off.
Dated this 27th day of January 1887.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: 1, CHARLES CASIMIR BARTON a Citizen of the United States temporarily residing
at the Windsor Hotel Edinburgh Scotland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for maintaining a proportiona
flow of fluids through pipes of the same or of different diameters, the invention being
more particularly intended for use in connection with water or other fluid meters but
being also applicable for advantageous use for other purposes.
The invention consists in the method of maintaining a proportional flow through
a main pipe and a supplemental pipe connected therewith by means of the apparatus
hereinafter described.
To clearly explain my invention so that others skilled in the art may practise the
same, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form part of this
specification and in which :-
-
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the lines w-w of Figures 1. 3. 4 and 5.
Fig. 3 is a plan on the line x-x of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a plan on the line y-y of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 5 is a plan on the line - of Fig. 1.
In said drawings A represents the main pipe discharging through valves L, L', into
chamber B, and from thence to discharge C, through pipes b b and lower chamber B¹.
The supplemental pipe D is connected to pipe A, and discharges through a meter into
chamber F F, and from thence through pipe 6' to lower chamber B' and to discharge C.
The main pipe A opens only into chamber G, so that the liquid can only escape
through valves L L which are closed or opened by means of the movement of the
flexible diaphragm I to which they are attached by rigid arms i, i, and levers k, k,
pivoted at k, k, on rigid arms h, h, carried on the casing of chamber G, the inner
ends of levers k, k, being attached to stem j of valves L, L', which are rigidly
connected to each other thereby, stem j being guided by spider arms 1, 1, in the valve
openings.
With this construction and arrangement of parts it will be obvious that the valve
will he operated by any movement of the flexible diaphragm 1, which is in turn

page_text: secured in the casing, and forms a flexible division between chambers B and F¹, so
that any excess of pressure in either chamber will cause the said diaphragm I to rise
or descend and through the connected parts to open or close the valves L, L', until
an equilibrium of pressure is secured in chambers B, B', and F F¹. The weight of
valves L L and connected parts should be sufficient to hold diaphragm I in its
normal position when the pressure upon both sides thereof are equal, any excess
pressure in chamber F' would depress said diaphragm and through the levers k, k,
open the valves to a greater or lesser extent, while any excess pressure in chamber B
would raise said diaphragm and thereby depress and close the valves to such a point
as would produce an absolutely even pressure in chambers B, B¹, F and F¹. It will
be understood that chamber g opens at both ends into chamber B and that any
pressure in chamber G exerts as much pressure to keep valve L' closed as it does to
open valve L, while any pressure in chamber B would tend to keep valve L closed
and to open valve L', and hence the valve is balanced.
In order to get the best results the pipes b, b, should all be vertically placed and
be of equal length and size and should all be placed at points equidistant from the
centre of chambers B, B', and together with pipe 6 equidistant from each other.
Pipe should also be of like size and similarly placed. The chamber F is necessarily
larger than the pipe b¹, as, if this were not so, with an equal pressure in chambers B
and F, the discharge through b would be less than through any one of the pipes b
owing to the increased resistance offered in chamber to the flow of the fluid. The
*number of pipes b, b, will depend upon the relative sizes of 6¹ and A, thus if the latter
has an area of 10 and the former of 1, there should be 9 pipes b, each having an
area of 1, while pipes D and b carry the remaining tenth of the fluid and as this
quantity must necessarily pass through the meter if placed in connection with pipe D,
and be measured, it will be at once evident that the total supply has been 10 times
that registered by the meter; or the indicating mechanism can be made to indicate
ten times the volume absolutely passing through it if so desired. It will be evident
that this construction enables a small meter to be used for registering the flow in a
large main.
The operation of the parts will be understood from the foregoing description but
it may be noted that should the pressure through pipe D cease for any reason, the
excess pressure which would immediately be found in B would be transmitted to the
diaphragm I which would be raised thereby while valves L, L', would be closed and
stop the flow. This automatic closing of the discharge renders the regulator extremely
useful as an adjunct to large water mains as by means of a small and readily operated
stop valve or cock placed in the supplemental pipe D, the valves which control the
flow through the main pipe A, may be closed or opened consonantly with the closing
or opening of the cock or valve in the supplemental pipe.
I am aware that it is not new in an apparatus for registering the flow of water to
divide the stream, causing the main body of water to pass into a chamber and act
upon one side of a diaphragm to which a regulating valve is connected, and the
smaller stream or body of water to pass through a meter and thence into a chamber
where it acts upon the opposite side of the said diaphragm, but in all such earlier
devices of which I have knowledge the fluid passed into the common exit from the
respective chambers through single orifices of different areas; hence to such devices
has been incident a feature of unreliability, in view of the well known principle of
hydraulics that the proportionate amount of water passing through orifices of different
In order to overcome this difficulty
areas varies with the pressure or aggregate flow.
and to ensure that the amount passing through the smaller passage in which is
situated the meter shall bear a fixed relation to the amount passing the unmetered
portion of the passage whatever may be the pressure or the aggregate flow, I have
made this invention for which protection is herein sought.
To ensure this, instead of passing the unmetered flow through a single large orifice,
I pass it through a number of tubes, each of a diameter and length equal to the
diameter and length of the tube from the chamber F; the number of such tubes
Each of the tubes leading
corresponding to the relative sizes of the pipes and A.

page_text: into the exit passage thus offer resistance to the passage of the fluid through it equal
to that of each of the other tubes, which resistance, while varying with the pressure
varies equally in all, and the number of tubes being fixed, the relative amount of fluid
passing through the main and supplemental pipes remains uniform. As it is necessary
for the best results that the pressure at the inlet to each one of the tubes should be as
nearly equal as possible, the tubes are preferably arranged equidistant from a
common centre and from each other and the discharge from valves L, L', to
chamber B, and the opening from chamber B' to Care arranged centrally with
regard to said tubes.
While I consider the construction which I have shown the most advantageous
I do not wish to limit my invention thereto, as it will be understood that the main
feature of my invention will be attained (that is, the maintaining a uniform relative
flow through the main and supplemental pipes whatever be the pressure) even though
simple apertures be used instead of tubes, so long as the size and hence resistance of
each orifice be the same.
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. In an apparatus for maintaining a proportional flow of fluids, the combination
with the main and supplemental pipes, the discharge chambers connected respectively
with said pipes, a diaphragm separating said chambers, and mechanism operated by
said diaphragm controlling the flow through the main pipe, of separate eduction
passages of uniform size and resistance opening from said chamber into a discharge,
the number opening into each chamber being proportionate to the relative size of the
main and supplemental pipes, substantially as described.
2. In an apparatus for maintaining a proportional flow of liquids, the combination
with the main and supplemental pipes, the discharge chambers connected respectively
with said pipes, a diaphragm separating said chambers and mechanisin operating by
said diaphragm controlling, the flow through the main pipe, of separate eduction
passages of uniform size and resistance, opening from said chambers into a discharge,
the number opening into each chamber being proportionate to the relative sizes of the
main and supplemental pipes, and being arranged equidistant from a common centre
and from each other, substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus for maintaining a proportional flow of liquids the combination
of the main pipe, a discharge chamber into which it opens, a series of tubes connecting
said chamber with the discharge, the supplemental pipe in which is arranged a meter,
a chamber into which said supplemental pipe opens, a tube connecting the last
chamber with the discharge, and being of a length and size the same as the tubes
opening into the main discharge chamber, a diaphragm separating said chambers,
and a mechanism operated by said diaphragm for controlling the flow through said
main pipe, substantially as described.
4. In an apparatus for maintaining a proportional flow of liquid, the combination
of the main pipe A, chambers G, B, into which said pipe discharges supplemental
pipe D, chamber F F into which pipe D opens, a diaphragm separating said
chamber B and F', a valve operated by said diaphragm controlling the passage of
liquid from pipe A into chamber B, a series of tubes b, b, of uniformn diameter and
length arranged concentrically and communicating between chamber B and a
discharge, and a tube 61 of the same diameter and length as tube b, and communicating
between chamber F F', and the discharge, substantially as described.
5. In an apparatus for maintaining a proportional flow of liquids, the combination
with the main and supplemental pipes, their respective discharge chambers, and
separate eduction openings therefrom of uniform size, of means for maintaining an
equal pressure in both of said pipes, and a uniform proportionate flow through the
same whatever the aggregate flow, substantially as described.
6. In an apparatus for maintaining a proportional flow of fluids through pipes of
the same or different diameter, the combination with diaphragm I and valves, of the
two rigid arms i, i, guides which direct the movement of the valves and levers

page_text: connected with the valve stem on opposite sides of its centre whereby it is balanced
and also connected with the arms i, i, substantially as described.
7. In an apparatus for maintaining a proportional flow of fluids through pipes of
the same or different diameters, the combination with the chamber G, of the main
pipe of arms h, h, which form the fulcrums for the valve levers which are connected
to the valves and actuated by the motion of a diaphragm, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of October 1887.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Applicant's Agent.