IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS OR ENGINES FOR MEASURING OR OBTAINING POWER FROM WATER, AIR, OR Gas
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Smith, of the City and County of San Francisco,
State of California, one of the United States of America, Machinist, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS OR ENGINES FOR MEASURING
OR OBTAINING POWER FROM WATER, AIR, OR Gas.”
Sealed the 26th January 1877, and dated the 26th July 1876.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Smith at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th July 1876.
WILLIAM SMITH, of the City and County of San Francisco, State of California,
one of the United States of America, Machinist.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID
METERS OR ENGINES FOR MEASURING OR OBTAINING POWER FROM WATER, AIR, OR
GAS."
My Invention relates to improvements in fluid meters, or mechanism applicable
to measuring water, gas, or air, or obtaining power from the fluid passing through,
the construction of which enables them to be used either as meters, pumps, or
engines. It consists of a continuous series of collapsing pistons arranged in a circle
within a partitioned cnclosing case that has segmental or other suitably arranged
cylinders within it, and an inlet and exhaust passage for the fluid passing through
the case from one side to the other, so that the fluid in its passage will force the
pistons through the cylinders, and thus give motion to the wheel that meshes or
engages with the ring or segments which unite the pistons together.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is a top view of the meter with the case
and cylinders in section.
Figure 2 is a transverse section through the line a, x, Figure 1, but with the
plate or cover of the case secured in place.
Figure 3 is a section of the case and smaller cylinder through the line y, y,
Figure 1.
In the Drawing which shows the device as adapted for a meter A, A, is the case
or shell of the meter composed of a circular casting, with a circular channel
extending around the edge and a chamber b within the space surrounded by the
channel. The bed of the channel is somewhat below the level of the chamber b,
and the entire case is strengthened by the webs A2, A¹, beneath it,
One half of the channel communicates with the chamber b, while the other part
is separated from it by the partition a, and connection between these two parts of
[Price 6d.]

page_text: the case is had only through the cylinders D, D', at the top and bottom of the case.
Two openings are provided in the case in line with the lower cylinder D, one
constituting the inlet E and opening into the pressure part of the case, and the
other the exhaust F leading from the exhaust side of the channel out through the
side of the case. These parts are covered and arranged so that the case is scaled or
made water-tight by having a rubber gasket g, g, laid between the cover or plate G
of glass or metal and the rim of the case, and also the partition a.
A series of flexible cup-shaped pistons c, c, made of rubber or leather, or other
suitable material, are arranged in a ring or circle having the same centre as the
circular channel; they are placed in pairs and connected together by the curved
metal segments C, C. One set of these pistons c, c, are larger than the others d, d,
and they are arranged back to back, the cavity of the larger ones c, c, facing in
one direction, or towards the inlet E, and that of the others d, d, turning in the
opposite direction. This ring is composed of a series of segments C, C, that are
portions of a circle whose centre is the same as that of the channel of the case, and
they are made with a hole or socket at one end and a screw bolt at the other, and
are also provided with a cavity or recess e in the inner edge to receive the ends of
the teeth of the motion wheel B. These segments are put together in the manner
illustrated in Figure 1, where two of the segments and their pistons are shown in
section; the bolt of one segment passes through the pistons, d, that are held 2
securely in place by means of the nut h, a washer f being inserted between the two,
and the end of the bolt is received into the socket of the next segment, where it is
held by a screw; that passes through from the top.
The
The motion wheel B is pivoted to one side of the centre of the case A, so that
the line of internal gear between the wheel and the ring C shall be nearly equi-
distant between the two cylinders, as the thrust due to the pressure on the area of
both cylinders D, D¹, is thereby taken on the axis of the motion wheel.
cylinder D is made of such diameter with reference to the pistons c, c, that these
pistons shall pass readily through it when expanded by the pressure of the liquid,
while the upper cylinder D¹ is of the same size as the smaller pistons d, thus the 3
pistons c can pass through the lower cylinder in an expanded state, but to pass
through the upper cylinder they must become compressed or collapsed.
The pressure of the fluid within the case and outside of the partition a is equal,
both at the upper and lower part, and the ring C can only move when one portion
receives a greater pressure than the other. One set of pistons c, c, are thus made of
larger surface than the other set d, d, that they inay receive the pressure of the
current entering the inlet E. The direction of the motion of the wheel B is there-
fore from right to left, as indicated by the arrow, for no fluid can enter the exhaust
side of the case through the upper cylinder, because the pistons c, c, are in a compressed
state within the cylinder and the pressure of the fluid is greater upon the larger 4
pistons at the bottom than upon the smaller pistons at the top of the case, the distance
between any two of the larger pistons being equal to the length of the cylinder.
The bottom of the case A is provided with a stuffing box a¹ to receive the axle b¹
of the motion wheel, and suitable gearing and index wheels can be connected with
this wheel to register the revolutions of the ring C.
4
The cylinders D, D¹, are made of glass or metal, porcelain or hard rubber, after
the manner shown in Figure 3, in halves or segments, the face or lower part of the
bottom portion being made angular or of conical shape or section, and set into the
bed of the channel while the upper part is planed smooth to receive the rubber
gasket g. They may be made also annular in section, the case being made in halves 5
to correspond. The pistons c, d, may be made either circular, or square, or
corrugated in their section, and I do not confine myself to any precise form.
As thus constructed and operated my Invention will be a correct indicator of the
quantity of fluid passing through it, and this will be equal to a stream passing
through the exhaust F that agrees with the difference between the diameter of the 5
smaller pistons & and the diameter of the cylinder D, and that quantity can pass

page_text: through the cylinder only by carrying with it the larger pistons c, c, and moving
the ring C in its channel.
My Invention can be also employed as a pump by using an additional driving
wheel that meshes into the piston wheel or ring C on the outside of the periphery
and giving with it a rotary motion to the ring and its pistons. The cap or cover G
is secured to the case by means of the screws and clamps i, i, and it is either of
glass or metal.
Having thus fully described the nature of my Invention, and its manner of
operation, what I clain as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
A fluid meter or engine constructed of a series of flexible and collapsing pistons
arranged in a circle within a partitioned enclosing case having an exhaust and a
pressure side, and having cylinders of different diameters arranged within it, after
the manner shown and described, so that the pressure of the fluid in passing through
the inlet and outlet passages provided in the case will at the same time force the
piston through one cylinder and draw them through the other, and thus give
notion to the ring and its motion wheel, as and for the purpose set forth and
specified.
Also in a fluid meter or engine, constructed as described, a series of expanding
and collapsing pistons c, c, d, d, of different diameters, arranged in pairs, and united
together by the segments C, C, when the same are combined with cylinders D, D',
of different diameters, in the manner and for the purpose set forth and specified.
Also in a fluid meter or engine, constructed as described, the segmental
cylinders D, D, one of larger diameter than the other, when arranged within the
case and combined with the piston ring, in the manner and for the purpose sub-
stantially as set forth and specified.
Also in a fluid meter or engine the combination with the piston ring C of the
motion wheel B when constructed and arranged with it and with the enclosing
case A, in the manner and for the purpose described and shown.
Also the circular case A with its channel and partition dividing it into pressure
and exhaust chambers, with inlet and outlet passages E, F, and a bearing a¹ for the
axis of the motion wheel B, all constructed and arranged as described and specified
for the purpose set forth.
Also the combination with the case A above claimed of the two cylinders D, D¹,
of different diameters connecting the exhaust with the pressure side of the case, in
the manner as and for the purpose described and specified.
Also the segmental cylinders D, D', constructed in two parts, in the manner
shown and described, and having the same length as the distance between any two
of the pistons c, c, or d, d, for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Smith, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of June A.D. 1876.