IMPROVEMENTS IN METERS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis George Fleury, of No. 24, Merrick
Square, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN METERS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING
WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 13th August 1869, and dated the 20th February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis George Fleury
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th February 1869.
I, FRANCIS GEORGE FLEURY, of No. 24, Merrick Square, Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN METERS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING
WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS," to be as follows :-
My Invention, which has for its object improvements in meters or
apparatus for measuring water and other liquids, relates to that class of
meters in which the measuring is effected in cylindrical chambers pro-
vided with pistons, which are arranged to operate the slides for opening
and closing the ports leading to and from the measuring chambers, and

page_text: consists, firstly, in a novel combination and arrangement of devices
whereby the opening and closing of the ports for regulating the admis-
sion and emission of liquid to and from the several measuring chambers
may be effected by a single slide, thus rendering the apparatus more
reliable, besides simplifying its construction and reducing its cost.
In meters, according to my Invention, the casing, which is by pre-
ference made in three parts or portions, is constructed so as to form
four measuring chambers, two of the said chambers with a common
axis being smaller than the other two chambers, which likewise have
a common axis at right angles however to the axis of the two smaller
measuring chambers. In meters of large size the two large chambers
may be provided with covers. Each measuring chamber is provided
with a piston fitting accurately within it. The pistons of the larger
measuring chambers are both secured to one flat piston rod, one of the
pistons being situated at each end of the rod; the pistons of the two
smaller measuring chambers are secured one to each end of a bar (by
preference slotted) or a frame. The slide valve for regulating the
admission and emission of liquid to and from the measuring chambers
is situated in the body or more central portion of the meter beneath the
piston rods, which cross one another and are provided with tongues or
projections operating as herein-after explained. The slide and ports
are so arranged that the passage leading to one of the smaller measuring
chambers is opened for the admission of liquid to such chamber, and
the passage leading from the other small chamber is simultaneously
opened for the emission of measured liquid therefrom. According to
this arrangement it will be understood that the piston of the measuring
chamber to which liquid is being admitted will commence moving in
the direction of the other corresponding chamber from which measured
liquid is escaping, carrying the slotted bar or frame with it until a
projection upon the under part of the latter has moved the slide so as
to admit liquid into one of the larger measuring chambers, the piston
of which would at once commence moving towards the other large
measuring chamber from which measured liquid is escaping but for a
projection on its rod which comes in contact with 'a corresponding
projection on the slotted bar or frame of the smaller pistons, 'so as to
check the movement of the larger pistons until the small pistons have
travelled through the requisite 'distance in their chambers, after which
the water entering the one larger chamber causes its piston to move in

page_text: the direction of the other larger chamber until a projection comes in
contact with the slide, and gradually alters the position of the latter, so
as to gradually open the port for the admission of liquid to the small.
measuring chamber which has just been emptied, and simultaneously to
close the admission port and open the emission port of the other small.
chamber, and so on. The rod of the two large pistons and the slotted
rod of the two smaller pistons are provided with projections for operating
a short arm which projects from a vertical spindle by which the counting
or registering apparatus is actuated.
In some cases,, according to the second part of my Invention, instead
of arranging the apparatus with a main central slide valve I prolong the
small pistons and arrange them to form piston valves, whereby the
admission and emission of liquid to and from the large measuring
chambers may be regulated..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said. Francis: George Fleury in the Great Seal l'atent
Office on the 20th August 1869..
TO ALL TO WHOM. THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
GEORGE FLEURY,. of No..24, Merrick Square, Southwark, in the County.
of Surrey, Engineer, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of February, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-.
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Francis George Fleury, Her special
licence that I, the said Francis George Fleury, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis George Fleury,
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 Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN METERS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis George Fleury,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,

page_text: 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 immc-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis George Fleury, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
My Invention, which has for its object improvements in meters or
apparatus for measuring water and other liquids, relates to that class of
meters in which the measuring is effected in cylindrical chambers
provided with pistons which are arranged to actuate the slides for
opening and closing the ports leading to and from the measuring
chambers, and consists, firstly, in a novel combination and arrangement
of devices whereby the opening and closing of the ports for regulating
the admission and emission of liquid to and from the several measuring
chambers may be effected by a single slide, thus rendering the apparatus
more reliable besides simplifying its construction and reducing its
cost.
In meters, according to my Invention, the casing, which is by
preference mado in three parts or portions, is constructed so as to form
four measuring chambers, two of the said chambers with a common axis
being smaller than the other two chambers, which likewise have a
common axis at right angles however to the axis of the two smaller
measuring chambers. In meters of large size the two large chambers
may be provided with covers. Each measuring chamber is provided
with a piston fitting accurately within it. The pistons of the larger
measuring chambers are both secured to one flat piston rod, one of the
pistons being situated at each end of the rod. The pistons of the two
smaller measuring chambers are secured one to each end of a bar (by
preference slotted) or a frame. The slide valve for regulating the
admission and emission of liquid to and from the measuring chambers is.
situated in the body or more central portion of the meter beneath the
piston rods, which cross one another and are provided with tongues or
projections operating as herein-after explained. The slide and ports
are so arranged that the passage leading to one of the smaller measuring
chambers is opened for the admission of liquid to such chamber, and the

page_text: passage leading from the other small chamber is simultaneously opened
for the emission of measured liquid therefrom. According to this
arrangement it will be understood that the piston of the measuring
chamber to which liquid is being admitted will commence moving in
the direction of the other corresponding chamber from which measured
liquid is escaping, carrying the slotted bar or frame with it until a
projection upon the under part of the latter has moved the slide so as to
admit liquid into one of the larger measuring chambers, the piston of
which would at once commence moving towards the other large
measuring chamber from which measured liquid is escaping but for a
projection on its rod which comes in contact with a corresponding
projection on the slotted. bar or frame of the smaller pistons, so as to
check the movement of the larger pistons until the small pistons have
travelled through the requisite distance in their chambers, after which
the water entering the one larger chamber causes its piston' to move in
the direction of the other larger chamber until a projection comes in
contact with the slide, and gradually alters the position of the latter, so
as to gradually open the port for the admission of liquid to the small
measuring chamber which has just been emptied, and simultaneously to
close the admission port and open the emission port of the other small
chamber, and so on. The apparatus is arranged so that the ports of the
measuring chambers are fully opened before their pistons begin to move
and remain so until the pistons have completed their stroke.
The accompanying Drawings shew a meter constructed according to.
my Invention, Fig. 1, Sheet 1, being a plan view with the main casing
and linings in section; Fig. 2, Sheet 2, a vertical section thro' the two
larger measuring chambers; Fig. 3, a section at right angles to the
foregoing thro' the two smaller measuring chambers; and Fig. 4,
Sheet 1, a plan of the four pistons and their connections.
a is the main casing; b, b', are the larger measuring chambers; and
c, c', the smaller chambers. These chambers are by preference fitted
with linings of gun metal or other suitable material, as shown. d, d',
are the pistons of the larger measuring chambers b, b¹; they are
provided with gun metal or other suitable packing rings so as to fit the
chambers accurately, and are connected together by the flat rod e; ƒ, ƒ¹;
are the smaller pistons, which are connected together by means of the
slotted bar or frame g; h is the inlet for liquid to be measured; i is the
valve chamber; is the passage leading from the valve chamber i to

page_text: the measuring chamber 6; 6³, a like passage leading to the chamber b';
, the passage for liquid from the valve chamber to the measuring
chamber c; and a similar passage leading to the measuring
chamber c¹; k is the outlet or passage by which measured liquid leaves
the meter; is the slide valve for regulating the admission and emission
of liquid to and from the several measuring chambers; m is an ordinary
counting apparatus, consisting of a series of toothed wheels in com-
bination with hands and a dial for indicating and registering the
quantity of liquid passed thro' the apparatus.
In the position of the parts as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the
measuring chambers & and e¹ are charged with liquid, and the contents
of the other two chambers b and c have been discharged, and the com-
municating passage c² between the valve chamber i and the measuring
chamber has been opened by the projection q, so that the small
piston f is just about to commence its stroke. This piston (and its
fellow will be moved by the pressure of the liquid towards the
chamber c', from which measured liquid will be simultaneously dis-
charged along the passage c' (Fig. 1), and the slotted bar or frame g will
move with its pistons until the projection n on the under part of the bar
or frame has moved the slide valve so as to open the port 2 for the
admission of liquid into the measuring chamber b, whose piston d would.
at once commence moving towards the chamber b', but it is prevented
from so doing by projections o on its rod which come in contact with
corresponding projections p on the slotted bar or frame g of the smaller
pistons, which thereby checks the movement of the larger pistons until
the small pistons have travelled through their entire stroke, after which
the large pistons are moved by the pressure of the liquid behind the
piston d until its projection q' comes in contact with the slide valve
and moves it so as to open the port cleading to the measuring
chamber c¹ so as to move the smaller pistons back into the position
shewn in the Drawings, and so on. The rode of the two large
pistons b, b', and the slotted bar g of the two small pistons f, f, are
provided with projections r, s, t, u, for operating upon a short arm v
which projects from a vertical spindle w which is caused to rotate and
actuate the counting or registering apparatus.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would remark that I do not
confine myself to the precise details illustrated, as the same admit of

page_text: being variously modified to suit the requirements of particular cases
without departing from the distinguishing features of my Invention,
with reference to which I claim,―
1stly. Regulating the admission and emission of liquid to and from
the several measuring chambers by means of a single slide valve,
substantially as described.
2ndly. The arrangement and combination of devices for holding one
set of pistons in check until the other set of pistons has completed.its
stroke, substantially as described.
Lastly. The general arrangement and combination of parts con-
stituting apparatus for measuring liquids, constructed and operating
substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis George Fleury, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
FRANCIS G. FLEURY. (L.S.)
Witness,
W. LLOYD WISE, Assoc. Socy. Engrs.
Patent Agent,
Chandos Chambers,
Adelphi,
London, W.C.