A FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE APPLICABLE AS A LIQUID METER
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM ANTON GOTTLIEB SCHÖNHEYDER, of No 81 St Stephens Avenue,
Shepherds Bush in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for A FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE APPLICABLE AS A LIQUID
METER to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a fluid pressure engine applicable as a meter for water
or other liquid, which I construct in the following manner. I arrange radially
around a central space three cavities near the outer end of each of which a piston
or plunger is mounted on a trunnion. To each piston or plunger is fitted a cylinder
which has a tubular stem extending towards the central space where it is jointed
to a crank pin on a central shaft, the one crank pin receiving the stems of the
three cylinders. At the side of each stem I arrange a facing having inlet and
outlet passages, and I provide in the stems lateral ports which as the cylinders
move to and fro make communication alternately and successively with those
passages. When the quantity of liquid passing the apparatus is to be measured
the crank shaft drives the gear of a counter which indicates the number of
revolutions. When liquid passes through the apparatus it causes the three cylinders
to make their strokes in succession so as to give continuous rotation to the crank
shaft, and the stem of each cylinder as it makes its strokes oscillating on the
trunnion of its piston or plunger, covers and uncovers in proper order the inlet
and outlet passages.
The three cylinders may be mounted on trunnions and fitted with tubular
plungers provided with parts to operate in the same way as those of the cylinder
stems above described. Instead of three cylinders, there might be four or more,
but three are sufficient to give continuous rotation to the shaft and continuous flow
to the liquid.

page_text: I, WILLIAM ANTON GOTTLIEB SCHÖNHEYDER of N° 81 St Stephens Avenue,
Shepherds Bush in the County of Middlesex 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:-
My invention relates to a fluid pressure engine applicable as a meter for water
or other liquid, which I construct as I will explain referring to the accompanying
drawings shewing a three cylinder engine or meter according to my invention.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the engine.
Fig. 2 is a front view shewing the interior of the casing with one of the three
cylinders drawn in section, and one supposed to be removed.
Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 represent five successive attitudes of one of the cylinders
and its port shewing how the supply and discharge of the working fluid are
alternated.
Fig. 8 is a vertical section, and Fig. 9 is a sectional plan shewing one of the
cylinders in a modified form and means of varying the cut off of the working fluid
and of reversing the engine.
In all these figures, corresponding parts are marked by similar letters of
reference.
Within a casing A which by an inlet a is supplied with the working fluid, and
which has at the back a cavity B from which fluid is discharged by an outlet b,
I mount upon three symmetrically arranged pivots or pins c three pistons C, which
are free to oscillate on the pins c. Each piston is fitted with suitable packing
within a cylinder D, which can reciprocate to and fro on the piston. Each cylinder
has projecting from the middle of its end cover an arm E. One of these arms E
has an eye bushed to it on a crank pin f and the other two arms such as that
marked E¹ are hooked to E by pins e. Thus all three cylinders are linked to the
one crank on the shaft F which is carried in a long bearing and through packing
to the outside of the casing. From the one side of each cylinder D projects an
arm G terminating in a circular facing which is pressed by the fluid in the casing A
on a corresponding stationary facing G¹ having through it a hole g leading to the
discharge chamber B. From the other side of each cylinder D projects a hollow
arm H terminating in an elongated facing which bears on a stationary facing H¹
having also through it a hole leading to B. The hollow of the arm H which has
a mouth h serves as a passage for fluid to and from the cylinder D, the supply and
discharge being in each case alternated by the exposure of the mouth h over the
edge of H¹ and by the coincidence of the mouth H with the hole h¹, as will be
understood on reference to Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Thus in Fig. 3 the mouth h
overlapping the edge of H, a full supply of fluid is being admitted to D; in Fig. 4

page_text: the supply is just cut off,-in Fig. 5 the mouth h is approaching the hole h¹, in
Fig. 6 the mouth h being coincident with h¹ there is free discharge from D, and
finally in Fig. 7 the discharge is just cut off. As each of the three cylinders D
passes through these phases in rotation, there is always one or other of them acting
on the crank f causing the shaft F to revolve continuously and the strain is always
that of tension.
In the modified arrangement shewn in Figs. 8 and 9 the cylinder K is pivotted
on c and the piston L has a central hollow arm H with the mouth h serving as
the supply and discharge passage. In this case, the facing of H moves over a
facing piece M which has an edge h² and a hole h¹ through it. Each of the facing
pieces M is fitted to turn round a circular seating and has teeth engaging with
those of a wheel N that is free to turn round on a boss of the bearing of the
shaft F. The wheel N which gears with the three facing pieces M gears also with
a pinion O that can be turned round from outside the casing. When it is desired
to reverse the engine, O is turned until each of the facing pieces M is brought by
the gearing round to a position in which the edge h³ and the hole h¹ are in an
attitude inverted relatively to the centre line of its cylinder. When M is turned
to a middle position h³ being then at right angles to the centre line the engine is
stopped, and with positions of M intermediate between its middle and its two
extreme positions, the cut off is effected sooner or later in each stroke for the one
or the other direction of movement.
When the apparatus is intended to be worked by water or other liquid under
pressure the holes h¹ and edges h² are so formed as to allow the fluid to flow into .
and out of each cylinder during almost the whole stroke, and the same applies
when the apparatus is used as a liquid meter the shaft F working a counter with
suitable indices. It will be seen that an engine or meter constructed as described
can be readily taken to pieces for inspection or repair and put together again.
Thus when the front A' of the casing is taken off, the cylinders can be slid off the
pins c and the crank pin f. When the cylinders are in position, they are kept so
by the pressure of the fluid in the casing A bearing their faces G and H against G¹
and H, and the movement over these faces being a rub in directions continually
changing during each revolution, there is great equalisation of wear without
formation of ridges or hollows on the rubbing faces.
In what precedes I have described the construction when the casing A is supplied
with the fluid under pressure, this pressure tending to bear the facings H against H¹
and so prevent leakage. It may be readily understood, however, that the cavity B
might receive the supply of fluid and the casing A might contain the discharged
fluid under reduced pressure. In this case the edge h² and the hole h¹ in each facing
would have to be altered so as to bring the opening and closing of the supply and
discharge into time with the crank. Also as the facings H would in that case be
pressed away from H¹, it would be necessary to apply a counter pressure on the
back of Has is done for relief of pressure on many slide valves.
Although I have shewn the engine or meter as having three cylinders, that
number being sufficient to maintain continuity of movement, obviously a greater
number of cylinders might be arranged within a casing to act in the manner
described.
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. A fluid pressure engine applicable as a liquid meter, wherein three or more
cylinders or pistons within a casing are linked to one crank, are mounted on pivots
of oscillation, and have passages with facings that bear against stationary port
facings governing by their oscillation the supply and discharge of working fluid
constructed and operating substantially as herein described and illustrated by the
drawings.

page_text: 2: In a fluid pressure engine or meter of the kind referred to in the preceding
claim, arranging the port facings with gearing so that they can be simultaneously
turned from outside the casing in order to reverse or vary cut off; substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9.