IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURING AERIPORM OR FLUID SUBSTANCES
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH.
BARKER, of Regent Street, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Artist, - send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster the Twentieth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and forty-
one, in the fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Barker, Her especial license, full
power, sole privilege, and authority, that I, the said Joseph Barker, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Joseph Barker,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no other, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein. expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, and Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURING AERIPORM OR FLUID SUBSTANCES;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Joseph Barker,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said. Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's.

page_text: High Court of Chancery with six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Barker, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say):-
My improvements in measuring æeriform or fluid substances consist in the
application and use of a certain novel construction, arrangement, and combina-
tion of mechanism or apparatus constituting a meter, and apply particularly to
that kind of apparatus called "dry meters," or those used for measuring gas or
aeriform fluids, and in the application and use of the said apparatus for the pur-
poses of measuring and registering the quantity of any acriform or fluid substance
which may be passed through the same. My improved metre consists of a
hollow cylindrical vessel provided with a moveable internal partition or piston,
which is caused by the passing fluid to traverse to and fro in the cylinder, and
thus communicate, by means of certain intermediate levers, a réciprocating
action to the valve or tap, which admits the fluid into the apparatus, whilst at
the same time the central or piston rod is caused to actuate the counting wheel
work in order to register the quantity of aeriform or fluid substance which has
passed through the apparatus. But in order that these improvements may be
more perfectly detailed, I have attached to these presents a Sheet of Drawings
illustrating, in various Figures, the practical construction and operation of
the said mechanism; and have marked the same with letters of reference corre-
sponding with the following description of the apparatus:-Fig. 1 is a side'eleva-
same; and
tion of the apparatus; Fig. 2 a vertical section taken through the
Fig. 8 is an end view of the apparatus; having the clock or wheelwork removed.
a, a, a, a, is a cylindrical vessel or chamber, which may be made of any capacity
according to the purposes to which the meter may be applied), supported upon
a framing b, b; in this cylinder a partition or piston c, c, works to and fro, as
in the ordinary steam engine; this piston c is provided with a piston rod d, d,
cross head e, c, and side links, rods, or levers f,f, which slide or work in guide
or parallel bearers ġ, g, attached to the side of the cylinder a, a. The gas,
water, or other substance to be measured, enters through the pipe h, h, passes
around the hollow belt or passage i, i, into the tap or valve k, k, and from
thence by either of the pipes 7, 1, is admitted into the cylinder a, a, upon cither
side of the piston alternately. The side links or rods f, f, attached to anil

page_text: travelling with the piston, are furnished with stops or studs m, m, which come into
contact and strike the vibrating levers n, n, at every stroke or passage of the
piston, and thus force over those levers which swivel upon their fulcra at o, o;
until they strike against either of the pins or studs p, p, fixed into the plates or
discs q, q, below; these plates are attached to the valve or tap r, 1, (sco
the sectional Figure 2); and thus it will be perceived that as the piston works
to and fro in the cylinder by the pressure of the fluid or other substance passing
into the cylinder at either side alternately, the reciprocating motion of the
piston is caused to shift the angle or position of the valve or tap r, r, and thus
open the passages of either of either of the pipes 1, 1, and convert them into
exit or entrance passages for the fluid alternately as required; the fluid passing
off at the pipe s below. Now it will be seen that as the gas or fluid passes
alternately into either end of the cylinder a, a, and thus forces the piston to
and fro, a similar reciprocating action is imparted to the double toothed rack
t, t, which is attached to the end of the piston rod, and as this rack travels to
and fro, its upper and under side work alternately into the wheel u, u, and
this wheel having teeth upon part of its periphery, and the other part being
blank, it is thus caused to revolve by each rack alternately, taking into the
teeth on its rim as the other rack delivers or presents them to its successor.
Rotary motion being thus imparted from the piston to the wheel u, a pinion
upon its axis communicates the motion to the ordinary count wheels or clock-
work, and the registry of every stroke of the piston is effected.
I would here remark, in conclusion, that in some extreme cases where the
pressure of the gas or fluid is not sufficient to move the piston to and fro, an
ordinary clock spring may be attached in a barrel as at v, having a band or
chain communicating with a fusee, and by means of the intermediate wheel w
may thus be made to assist the action of the fluid, or the auxiliary apparatus
may be further employed for the purpose of forcing.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood that I claim
as my Invention the improvements in measuring aeriform or fluid substance as
exhibited in the Drawings attached and herein particularly set forth, notwith-
standing any modification or variation, which may be very readily made in the
former, dimensions, or arrangement of the said apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Barker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-one.
JOSEPH (L.S.) BARKER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenticth day of October,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Joseph Barker came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Twentieth day of October, in the year above written.