IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER OR OTHER FLUID METERS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Garrett Tongue, of the Firm of Tongue
& Birkbeck, Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER OR OTHER FLUID METERS."-A
communication from abroad by Edward Buss, Engineer, of Magde-
bourg, Empire of Germany.
Sealed the 17th April 1874, and dated the 14th November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Garrett Tongue
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 14th November 1873.
I, JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck,
Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER OR OTHER FLUID METERS," a
communication to me from abroad by Edward Buss, Engineer, of
Magdebourg, Empire of Germany, to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the means of ascertaining the exact
quantity of water which passes through pipes, being particularly
applicable to hydraulic apparatus, or to the supply of water to towns,

page_text: An important feature of this improved water meter consists in the use
of a compound rotary piston forming a wheel with arms and floats
which do not contract at any part of the transverse section of the
passage.
Another important feature of this Invention consists in nearly the 5
entire exclusion of all the resistance through friction by the use of a
material of which the particular quality imparts to the wheel with arms
and floats (even under a great pressure) a specific gravity = 1. This
material for making a wheel having the requisite qualities is what is
known as "hartgummi" or vulcanite. This material "hartgummi or 1
vulcanite has the following qualities:-It can be made in any kind or
variety of form; its specific gravity is only of 1.23 to 1.25, and is of
great hardness.
"
The apparatus consists of the following parts:-A circular casting
which constitutes the principal body of the apparatus; a rotating wheel 1
and registering apparatus, a support for the central axis with steel
centre pin, à cover provided with a rim, a bottom plate with screw for
the outlet of impurities which may collect in the apparatus.
In the body of the apparatus there is a pipe which joins the inlet pipe
with that of the outlet pipe, these pipes being separated by a partition.
At the bottom of the apparatus an annular groove is formed, which
passing through the partition forms a nearly prismatic opening. Plates
are arranged in the groove in order to close the passage or opening, the
edges coming against the bottom.
The water from the inlet pipe cannot pass into the outlet pipe except
through a particular division, nor can the water pass out except at a
tangent through the same division.
The rotating wheel consists of an axis having a small toothed wheel
thereon; the body of the rotating wheel consists of a felloe, spokes, and
other parts, a hollow float having the form of a pad, the body of the
wheel, arms, and float being made of vulcanite.
The float is filled with air, and is formed in two parts cemented with
dissolved gum lac, with resinous cement, or other means, and is fixed to
the wheel by screws, or otherwise.
The counting apparatus consists of a metal frame or case in which a
series of toothed wheels with their pivots are mounted together.

page_text: The counting apparatus is so arranged that the axes of all the toothed
wheels are in parallel lines. The principle wheel and the small wheel,
which is driven direct by the main wheel, is also of vulcanite.
The four upper wheels indicate the units, tens, hundreds, and thou-
The counting apparatus is so arranged that the axes of all the toothed
wheels are in parallel lines. The principle wheel and the small wheel,
which is driven direct by the main wheel, is also of vulcanite.
The four upper wheels indicate the units, tens, hundreds, and thou-
sands of cubic feet of water which have passed through the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Garrett Tongue, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th May 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue & Birkbeck, Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Fourteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Garrett Tongue, Her
special license that I, the said John Garrett Tongue, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Garrett
Tongue, 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 Ircland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER OR OTHER FLUID METERS," a communication to
me from abroad by Edward Buss, Engineer, of Madgebourg, Empire
of Germany, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Garrett Tongue, 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 John Garrett Tongue, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: the following statement thereof, that is to say:-—
This Invention has for its object the means of ascertaining the exact
quantity of water which passes through pipes, being particularly
applicable to hydraulic apparatus, or to the supply of water to towns.
And in order that the Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
A. and B (Figure 1, Sheet 1) represent two vessels filled with water
and connected by the cylindrical pipe C. In the centre or axis of the
pipe C, and in the two round openings a and b (as seen in diagram
Figure 1) a bar D is passed through supplied with a number of round
and similar washers which serve to illustrate the principal features upon
which this Invention is based. The bar provided with washers forms a
kind of compound rotary piston, which if desired can be readily arranged
as an oscillating piston; but in order to give to the apparatus the
simplest form and to reduce the resistance to a minimum the bar with
washers or discs mounted thereon is converted into a compound rotating
piston, and by referring to diagram, Figure 2, the fundamental principle
of this improved water meter thus constructed will be readily understood.
The bar provided with washers or discs is in this Figure represented
as circular and rotating. The water enters at a in the tube c¹ and cir-
culates round the numerous arms of the piston and flows out at b.
Another important feature of this Invention consists in avoiding
nearly all the resistance through friction by the use of a material which
imparts to the wheel with arms (even under a great pressure a specific
gravity 1. The material employed for making the rotating wheel is
what is known as vulcanite or (hartgummi).
=
Figures 3 and 4, Sheet 1, show a complete apparatus for a water
passage of 30 millemetres diameter, Figure 3 being a vertical section,
and Figure 4 a horizontal section thereof.
The apparatus consists of the following parts:- -A is a circular casting
which constitutes the principal part or body of the apparatus. The
rotating wheel B is shown in detail in Sheet 2. D is the registering
apparatus; E, support for the central axis with steel centre pin a;

page_text: F, cover provided with a rim; G, bottom plate with screw plug for the
discharge of impurities which may collect in the apparatus.
In the body of the apparatus there is a pipe i which connects the inlet
pipe a with the outlet pipe 6, and the pipes a and b are separated by the
partition e. At the part d of the apparatus an annular groove fis formed,
which passing through the partition e forms a nearly prismatic opening g.
A channel h, formed by preference of brass plates, is arranged in the
groove and opening g.
F, cover provided with a rim; G, bottom plate with screw plug for the
discharge of impurities which may collect in the apparatus.
In the body of the apparatus there is a pipe i which connects the inlet
pipe a with the outlet pipe 6, and the pipes a and b are separated by the
partition e. At the part d of the apparatus an annular groove fis formed,
which passing through the partition e forms a nearly prismatic opening g.
A channel h, formed by preference of brass plates, is arranged in the
groove and opening 9.
The water from the inlet pipe a cannot pass into the pipe c except
through the section i, nor can the water pass out except through the
same section i.
The rotating wheel B, shown in Sheet 2, consists of an axis having a
small toothed wheel mounted thereon; and the body of the rotating
wheel consists of a felloe, spokes, and other parts. Each of the arms is
fixed to the felloe by small rivets.
k is a hollow float, the body of the wheel, arms, and float being made
of vulcanite. The float k is filled with air and is formed in two parts,
cemented with dissolved gum lac, resinous cement, or other means, and
is fixed to the wheel by screws or otherwise.
The counting apparatus D consists of a metal frame or case in which
a series of toothed wheels with their pivots are mounted, together with
a plate m, which also serves as a dial plate.
In Figure 4, Sheet 1, the exact position is shown of the registering
apparatus, whereas in Figure 3 the section is made to follow the
line y, Y.
The counting apparatus is so arranged that the axis of all the toothed
wheels are in parallel lines. The principal wheel n and the small wheel,
which is driven direct by the main wheel B, is also made of vulcanite.
The four upper wheels indicate the units, tens, hundreds, and thou-
sands of cubic feet (or other measurements) of water which have passed
through the apparatus.
The wheel with arms B is fixed from beneath into the apparatus so
that the felloe is placed in the groove f, so that a few of the arms pass
into the pipe h, whilst the others are in the pipe c. The axis of the
wheel B bears on the steel point O, being moveable, and fixed by a screw

page_text: to the support E. At the upper part the axis passes through a plate p,
also moveable, and which is screwed to the plate m. When the wheel
with arms is in its right position then the frame with the small wheels,
as well as the support E, are screwed to the part A. The apparatus
thus arranged it can be readily seen whether all the wheels gear well &
together, and any alterations or adjustments which may be found
necessary may then be made.
In order to complete the putting together of the water meter the
cover F and the bottom plate G are fixed in position.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of 1
performing or carrying the same into practice, what I claim under the
above in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved arrangement and
. construction of water or other fluid meters, substantially in the manner
herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Garrett Tongue, have hereunto
set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
]