Improvements in Automatic Liquid Measuring Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec.. 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Liquid Measuring Apparatus.
I, JAMES COWAN, Engineer, of Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, 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 improvements in that class of liquid measuring devices
in which the liquid is measured as it flows therethrough, and it has primarily for
its object to provide a measuring device of this character of simple construction,
which is easily set in an operative condition, in which the friction is reduced to a
minimum, and which will effectually and positively serve to measure heavy as well
as light liquids automatically.
With other objects in view which will be hereinafter referred to, my invention
consists in such novel features of construction and peculiar combination of parts as
will be first described in detail and then be particularly pointed out in the claims,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure is a side elevation of my improved automatic measure.
top plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the same taken on
Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a
the line 3, 3,
Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4, 4 Figure 2.
Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the float valves.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 are detail views hereinafter referred to, and
Figure 9 is a detail view of one of the lever arms and the cross head connected
therewith.
Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like letters and numerals of
reference indicate like parts in all the figures, A, indicates a tank which is centrally
divided to form two compartments B and C, of equal capacity. Each of the
said compartments has an inlet valve a, b, at the top and valved outlets c, d at
the bottom, which by means of a peculiar arrangement of floats and lever devices
are operated to alternately open and close.
D and E indicate floats one for each compartment, which are in the nature of
rectangular tanks, open at the top, provided with valved outlets d', d', e', el
respectively in the bottom and have their ends extended as at * and * for a
purpose presently explained.
The outlet valves c, d operate in pendent like supplemental chamber or jacket
portions B and C, which portions also extend under the floors as most clearly
shown in Figure 1, and form a space in which the valves d', d', e', el of the floats
project, when such floats are at their lowermost positions.
The floats D and E are connected to swinging levers O and O' respectively, each
pivoted near one end on cross axles QQ as shown, their short ends being pivotally
connected with rods G G', which pass through stuffing boxes and connect with
one end of pivoted levers HH, journaled on suitably supported shafts I P
which levers connect at their opposite ends with plunger rods JJ, which pass
through stuffing boxes j j¹ and connect respectively with the outlet valves c, d
as shown.
Near the float end the levers O O' have pivotally connected thereto, rods K K¹
which pass through stuffing boxes kk and connect with one end of the
levers L L', to the opposite ends of which are pivotally connected the upper ends

page_text: ol rods N N', which pass through stuffing boxes and connect with the inlet
valves a, bas shown.
The several lift or plunger rods connected to the inlet and outlet valves are
preferably connected with the valve operating levers in the manner most clearly
shown in Figure 9 by reference to which it will be seen the ends of such levers are
forked and have slots ax, which form bearings for the journals a', of cross heads a³,
which are held in place by the pins a², such cross heads having elongated apertures a³
through which the lift rods pass.
By connecting the rods with operating levers in the manner shown, the levers
will be free to move on the rods and engage the heads at of such rods at the
proper time.
To cause the floats to rise level, that is, always in a true horizontal plane, I form
the axles QQ to which the float supporting lever arms are connected, square in
cross section, see Figure 6, and journal such axles in cone bearings formed in the
end of stub screws pp, which pass through the side walls of the tank and are
secured by the jamb and lock nuts as shown. The float ends of such lever arms
may be connected with the float in the manner clearly shown in Figure 7, in which
the jamb and lock nuts for the bolt are disposed on the inside of the float wall, or
as shown in Figure 8 in which construction the jamb nut is disposed on the outside
of the float.
P* indicates an inlet chamber with which connects the inlet V which chamber is
disposed diagonally on the tank so as to project over the inlets of both
compartments.
Rand S indicate vent openings, having float valves r and s and disposed centrally
over the floats as shown most clearly in Figure 3.
The several float valves are preferably constructed as shown in detail in Figure 5,
and each of which comprises a cage in which is held the valve proper which
may be made of light copper or brass, like an inverted funnel, which may be open
or closed at the apex.
My inlet and outlet valves are of a large diameter, and their stems are guided in
the valve seats as will be readily understood.
The operation of my improved measuring device is best explained as follows.
When the valve rods have been adjusted to the proper length (the heads on the
upper ends being adjustable) and the apparatus is otherwise ready to start, both
the inlet valves will be moved to an open position and both outlets closed, the
floats resting on the bottom of their respective compartments. The liquor is now
let into the chamber Px and into both compartments. When the supplemental
compartments or jackets around the outlet valves, and in the valves in the bottom
of the floats, now resting therein, are full, the float valves will rise and close the
openings in the bottom of such floats. As the liquor now rises in the main portion
of the compartments, the floats will rise also; and owing to a slight difference in
the length of the valve rods, one inlet valve (say b) will be moved to a closed
position. Now, when the float in compartment B, having inlet a rises a little more
it will cause the lever H¹ to engage the head on the lift rod J' of outlet valve d
and so empty the compartment, Chaving inlet ; the liquor will now flow all
through inlet a. When the float rises to the top of the tank or compartment B
the projected upper edges only will engage the top of such tank, which leaves a
space over which the liquor can flow into the float D until it is nearly full, when
it will sink to the bottom of its compartment, and as it does it will operate on the
lever L, and first close valve d and open inlet valve in the compartment C.
The liquid will now flow into both compartments until the one B is full at
which time air valve R will close (it being a float valve) and prevent overflow.
The compartment B being now full all the liquid will flow into compartment C;
when its jacket or supplemental chamber is full the valves of its float will close
and cause such float to rise with the liquid rising therein, which float as it rises,
will through the operating levers L' H first shut off the inlet a and open the
outlet c of the filled compartment B, in which, as it begins to empty, the air

page_text: valve R automatically opens, so that air will enter to let the said filled compart-
ment empty freely. The apparatus will now work automatically as long as liquid
flows into the chamber Px, and can be left to take care of itself."
The stuffing boxes may be omitted and tubes used instead, large enough to allow
the connecting and valve rods to work easily (sce dotted lines Figure 2) this would
do away with the friction of stuffing boxes. In using such stuffing boxes however,
the packing has to be very loose, as the valves have to be heavy enough to pull
the rods down through the packing by their own weight, as the levers operate
only to lift the rods.
In
It is obvious balanced valves may be used when the apparatus works under
pressure. The discharge valves however, have to be free from back pressure.
practice registering devices are connected with the oscillating levers, which will
indie 'e the number of times the compartments have been filled and thereby keep
a record of the number of gallons run through the apparatus.
When the liquid has ceased to flow and the apparatus has finished its work it
will be necessary to notice the register, and by gauge glasses on the outside of the
compartments note the amounts contained within the compartments. The said
com partments can then be emptied by lifting the outlet valve rods by hand.
It is manifest that in the practical construction the detailed arrangement of the
several lever arms may be varied without departing from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In a liquid measuring apparatus as described, in combination, a tank having
two compartments each having a valved inlet and valved outlet opening, lever
mechanism for alternately shifting such valves, and floats held in the compartments
connected to such mechanism for operating it in reverse directions, said floats being
constructed to rise with the rising liquor in the tank and to fill as they reach the
top and sink by gravity as set forth.
2. In a liquid measuring apparatus as described, the combination with a tank
having two equal compartments, each having an inlet and an outlet having valves
held to close by gravity, and a feed chamber common to both inlets, of a pair of
oscillating levers for each compartment, floats in such compartments for operating
the levers, and connections between each set of levers for one compartment and the
valves of the opposite compartment, arranged substantially as shown, whereby
the inlet and outlet valves will be operated simultaneously and alternately, and
the outlet valves close in advance of the opening of the inlet valves, as and for the
purposes described.
3. The combination with the tank having two compartments each having a
jacket or pendent supplemental compartment, valved outlets in each supplemental
compartment and valved inlets at the top of the tank, of floats open at the top and
having openings in the bottom, having float valves adapted to project into the
supplemental compartments when the floats are at their lowermost position, said
floats having cut away portions at the top, and lever mechanism connecting the
float of one compartment with the valves of the other compartment, all arranged
substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1895
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.