In- PROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO PUMPS AND WATER- PRESSURE ENGINES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Mortimer Heppel, of No. 2, Storey's Gate,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention, of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO PUMPS AND WATER-
PRESSURE ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John, Mortimer Heppel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with. his Petition, on the
21st September 1866
I, JOHN MORTIMER HEPPEL, of No. 2, Storey's Gate, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention: for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUID METERS. ALSO APPLICABLE TO PUMPS AND WATER-
PRESSURE ENGINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the construction of a high-pressure fluid
meter in which the reciprocating piston actuated by the flow. of the 'fluid
shall work without any leakage, while the said piston is so connected to the
inlet and outlet valves that these only begin to open and close the inlet and
outlet passages when the piston has arrived at or very near the end of its
stroke. For this purpose I construct the fluid meter in the following
DD.071

page_text: The
manner: Inside a closed chamber is a piston or cylindrical block of wood
or other suitable material capable of working backwards and forwards upon
two or more spindles projecting from each end of the chamber and passing
into. corresponding recesses in the piston; the spindles, however, do not pass
right through the piston, but stop short at such points as not to come in
contact with the closed ends of the recesses in the piston when the latter is at
the end of either stroke. 'The chamber is divided into two perfecily water-
tight compartments by means of a partition having a circular aperture, to
which the piston is connected in a water-tight manner by means of one or
two cylindrical or slightly conical pieces of flexible and waterproof material,
such as leather or india-rubber, which is or are fixed to the piston in
such a manner as to form with the outer surface of the piston an annular
chamber or bag surrounding the same, which is to a certain extent turned
inside out at each end as the piston moves backwards and forwards.
annular space inside the bag is put in communication with the fluid under
pressure by means of a small aperture, so as to distend the flexible material
and prevent the formation of folds or pleats in it. The two water-tight com-
partments are put alternately in communication with the fluid under pressure
and with the discharge passages by means of two equilibrium valves arranged
in the following manner: Each compartment communicates with a small
cylinder by means of apertures formed in the compartments and in the
circumference of the cylinders; these cylinders are open at each end. the one
end of each being made to communicate with a chamber into which the fluid
under pressure flows, while the other end is in communication with the dis-
charge or outlet pipe. In these cylinders work two piston valves connected
together in such a manner by means of a rod that when the one valve
establishes the communication between the side apertures of the one cylinder
and compartment and the fluid under pressure the other valve establishes a
communication between the said apertures of the other cylinder and compart-
ment and the outlet pipe. The valves are made to fit at the end of each
stroke against india-rubber rings upon seats formed at each end of the
cylinders, whereby any leakage of the fluid through the valves is effectually
prevented. The motion of the said valves is effected at the end of each
stroke of the piston by means of an excentric or cam working in a loop in the
rod that connects the two valves, the spindle to which excentric passes
through the side of the casing and is provided externally with a toothed
segment and balance weight. In gear with this segment is a second toothed
segment or curved rack, carried by a radial arm, the end of which works on
a pin outside the casing. Inside the water-tight compartments of the meter

page_text: are two tappets carried by spindles passing through the casing, which tappets
are in such positions that the piston on arriving towards the end of each
stroke strikes against and moves them, thereby turning the spindles to which
they are attached. Outside the casing levers are fixed to these spindles,.
which levers are connected by means of links to a rocking lever, having a
weight attached to its upper end, so that the motion of the tappets is imparted
to this lever in such a manner that it is first moved thereby somewhat past
the vertical position, and is then caused to complete its motion by the falling
over of the weight attached thereto. This lever, on arriving in the vertical
position, strikes against one of two studs projecting from each end of the
before-mentioned rack, and in completing its motion consequently moves the
rack, and thereby effects the turning of the excentric which actuates the
valves, which are thus only made to reverse their positions during the latter
part of the motion of the rocking lever, and when the piston of the meter has
arrived at the end of its stroke; and as such motion of the valves is effected
by the falling over of the lever, independently of the motion of the piston, it.
will be seen that the reversing of the valves will be effected with the same
speed and precision, no matter how slow the motion of the piston may be. In
place of using a weight to effect the throwing over of the rocking lever this
may be replaced by the action of a spring to which the lever is connected by
means of a link in such a manner that by bringing the lever to the central
position the link compresses the spring, which in. reacting after the lever has
passed the central position effects the completion of its motion.
registration of the motion of the piston of the meter may be effected by
forming a quick screw thread upon one of the spindles upon which it slides,
and thus causing such spindle to turn on its axis at each motion of the
piston. This spindle passes through the casing and is connected to a toothed
wheel of a counter by means of a pawl and ratchet wheel, so that only the
In order
motion in one direction of the spindle is registered on the counter.
The
to prevent leakage through the aperture in the casing through which the
spindle passes, the spindle and its aperture, as also all the other spindles and
apertures of the meter, are formed conical and are ground in like conical
valves and their seats, so that the pressure of the fluid from within tends to
make them all the more water-tight. In place of forming the flexible water-
tight connection of the piston as before described, the piston may be fixed in
the middle of a flexible cylinder, the ends of which are attached to each end
of the chamber, and which is made of such a length that as the piston moves
backwards and forwards the one end of the flexible cylinder folds together,
while the other end is distended.

page_text: The before-described apparatus may also be employed as a water-pressure
engine, and also by actuating the piston so as to cause it to force the fluid,
instead of being forced thereby it may be amnlauad as
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Mortimer Heppel in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, JOHN
MORTIMER HEPPEL, of No. 2, Storey's Gate, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Mortimer Heppel, Her special licence that I, the said John Mortimer
Heppel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Mortimer Heppel, 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 FLUID METERS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO PUMPS AND WATER-
PRESSURE ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Mortimer Heppel, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YB, that I, the said John Mortimer Heppel, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention has for its object the construction of a high-pressure fluid
meter in which the reciprocating piston actuated by the flow of the fluid shall
work without any leakage, while the said piston 'is so connected to the inlet

page_text: с
and outlet valves that these only begin to open and close the inlet and outlet
passages when the piston has arrived at or very near the end of its stroke.
For this purpose I construct the fluid meter in the following manner :-Inside
a closed chamber is a piston or cylindrical block of wood or other suitable
material capable of working backwards and forwards upon two or more
spindles projecting from each end of the chamber, and passing into corre-
sponding recesses in the piston; the spindles, however, do not pass right
through the piston, but stop short at such points as not to come in contact
with the closed ends of the recesses in the piston when the latter is at the
end of either stroke. The chamber is divided into two perfectly water-tight
compartments by means of a partition having a large aperture to which the
piston is connected in a water-tight manner by means of one or two cylindrical
or slightly conical pieces of flexible and waterproof material, such as leather or
india-rubber, which is or are fixed to the piston in such a manner as to form
with the outer surface of the piston an annular chamber or bag surrounding
the same, which is to a certain extent turned inside out at each end as the
piston moves backwards and forwards. The annular space inside the bag is
put in communication with the fluid under pressure by means of a small
aperture so as to distend the flexible material and prevent the formation of
folds or pleats in it. The two water-tight compartments may be put alter-
nately in communication with the fluid under pressure and with the discharge
passages by means of various arrangements of valves and reversing mechanism.
In one arrangement each compartment communicates with a small cylinder
by means of apertures formed in the compartments and in the circumference
of the cylinders. These cylinders are open at each end, the one end of each
being made to communicate with a chamber into which the fluid under
pressure flows, while the other end is in communication with the discharge
or outlet pipe. In these cylinders work two piston valves connected together in
such a manner by means of a rod that when the one valve establishes the com-
munication between the side apertures of the one cylinder and compartment
and the fluid under pressure the other valve establishes a communication
between the said apertures of the other cylinder and compartment and the
outlet pipe. The valves are made to fit at the end of each stroke against
india-rubber rings upon seats formed at each end of the cylinders, whereby
any leakage of the fluid through the valves is effectually prevented.
motion of the said valves is effected at the end of each stroke of the piston by
means of an excentric or cam working in a loop in the rod that connects the
two valves, the spindle to which excentric passes through the side of the
casing, and is provided externally with a toothed segment and balance weight.
The

page_text: In gear with this segment is a second toothed segment or curved rack carried
by a radial arm, the end of which works on a pin outside the casing.
Inside
the water-tight compartments of the meter are two tappets carried by spindles
passing through the casing, which tappets are in such positions that the
piston on arriving towards the end of each stroke strikes against and moves
them, thereby turning the spindles to which they are attached. Outside the
casing levers are fixed to these spindles, which levers are connected by means
of links to a rocking lever having a weight attached to its upper end, so that
the motion of the tappets is imparted to this lever in such a manner that it
is first moved thereby somewhat past the vertical position, and is then caused
to complete its motion by the falling over of the weight attached thereto; this
lever on arriving in the vertical position strikes against one of two studs pro-
jecting from each end of the before-mentioned rack, and in completing its
motion consequently moves the rack, and thereby effects the turning of the
excentric which actuates the valves, which are thus only made to reverse
their positions during the latter part of the motion of the rocking lever, and
when the piston of the meter has arrived at the end of its stroke; and as
such motion of the valves is effected by the falling over of the lever, in-
dependently of the motion of the piston, it will be seen that the reversing of
the valve will be effected with the same speed and precision, no matter how
slow the motion of the piston may be. In place of using a weight to effect
the throwing over of the rocking lever this may be replaced by the action of
a spring to which the lever is connected by means of a link in such a manner
that by bringing the lever to the central position the link compresses the
spring which, in reacting after the lever has passed the central position effects
the completion of its motion. The registration of the motion of the piston
of the meter may be effected by forming a quick screw thread upon one of
the spindles upon which it slides, and thus causing such spindle to turn on
its axis at each motion of the piston. This spindle passes through the casing,
and is connected to a toothed wheel of a counter by means of a pawl and
ratchet wheel, so that only the motion in one direction of the spindle is
registered on the counter. In order to prevent leakage through the aperture
in the casing through which the spindle passes the spindle and its aperture,
as also all the other spindles and apertures of the meter, may be made with
ordinary stuffing boxes, or may be formed conical or conoidal, in which latter
case they are ground in like conical valves and their seats, so that the
pressure of the fluid from within tends to make them all the more water-tight.
In another arrangement of the inlet and outlet passages the block or
plunger is provided at one end with two projections which as the plunger

page_text: moves backwards and forwards come in contact with tappets on a rocking
lever situated inside the one chamber, and thereby effect the throwing over
of such lever from one position into the other at the end of each stroke. The
rocking lever is provided with two other tappets which when it has been
moved by the plunger somewhat beyond the vertical centre line strike alter-
nately against the lever or handle of an equilibrium valve somewhat similar
in arrangement to a four-way cock, and by thus reversing the position of such
valve the flow of the fluid through the inlet and outlet passages arranged as
hereafter described is reversed. In place of forming the flexible water-tight
connection of the piston as before described the piston may be fixed in the
middle of a flexible cylinder, the ends of which are attached to each end of
the chamber, and which is made of such a length that as the piston moves
backwards and forwards the one end of the flexible cylinder folds together
while the other end is distended.
The before described apparatus may also be employed as a water-pressure
engine, and also by actuating the piston so as to cause it to force the fluid,
instead of being forced thereby it may be employed as a pump.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention I will now proceed more
particularly to describe the manner in which it is to be performed.
Figures 1 to 4 on Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings show the first
described arrangement of my improved apparatus. Figure shows a side
elevation; Figure 2 shows an end elevation; Figure 3 shows a longitudinal
section on line I., II., Figure 4; and Figure 4 shows a transverse section on
line III., IV., Figure 3. Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts
in each of the Figures.
A is the barrel or chamber of the meter, in the middle of the length of
which is formed a partition B having a large aperture through which the
block or plunger C passes backwards and forwards. This plunger is sup-
ported by and slides upon two spindles D projecting from the ends of the
chamber and passing into cavities E formed nearly through the body of the
plunger. To this plunger are connected in a water-tight manner the ends of
two cylindrical or slightly conical pieces of flexible waterproof material F, by
preference of leather, the other ends of which are fixed in an inverted position
and also and also in a water-tight manner to a ring G, which in its turn is fixed
in a water-tight manner to the edge of the partition B. By this means it will
be seen that an annular space or bag is formed by the flexible material in con-
junction with the side surface of the plunger C, which bag is to a certain
extent turned inside out by the backward and forward motion of the plunger.
The annular space inside the bag is put in communication with the fluid

page_text: under pressure for the purpose before mentioned by means of the aperture H
communicating with the space I, into which the water flows from the supply
pipe to the meter. Although for the sake of convenience it is preferred to
make the bag of two pieces of flexible material, as shown, yet it will be evident
that it may also be formed of one piece only. The two water-tight com-
partments a, a', formed in the chamber A by the above described connection
of the plunger C to the partitition B communicate respectively through
openings b, b, with two spaces J, J', in which are fixed two cylinders K, K¹,
open at the ends and having side apertures k, k¹. These cylinders com-
municate at one end with the inlet passage for the fluid I, and at the other
end respectively with the discharge passages L, L'. They are provided with
pistons M, M¹, which are both connected to one and the same piston rod N,
whereby a reciprocating motion is imparted to them from the tappet O upon
the spindle P, which passes through the side of the meter and carries outside
a second tappet O'. It wil be seen that the pistons M, M', are connected
together in such a position relative to the cylinders K, K', that when the one,
say M, is in that part of the cylinder in which it establishes a communication
between the chamber and the inlet passage I, through the apertures band k,
and at the same time cuts off the communication with the discharge
passage L, the other piston M₁ is in such a position as to cut off the com-
munication between the chamber a' and the inlet passage, and to establish a
communication between this chamber and the discharge passage L', while
when the position of the pistons is reversed the chamber a is put in com-
munication with the discharge passage and the chamber a' with the inlet
passage. The requisite motion of the piston valves is effected rapidly by the
plunger C when this arrives near the end of its stroke in either direction by
causing it to strike against one of the two tappets Q. Q¹, fixed on
spindles R, R', passing through the side of the meter, which spindles carry
outside levers S, S', connected to each other and to a forked lever U by
means of a rod T, so that as the plunger arrives near the end of its stroke it
imparts motion through the tappets Q, levers S, and rod T to the forked
lever U in one direction or the other. This lever is so connected by means
of a link W to a spring V that when it has been moved slightly beyond the
vertical centre line it is rapidly thrown over into its extreme position by the
spring, and the fork of the lever is so formed that when near the end of such
stroke it strikes against the before-mentioned tappet O' and thus effects the
throwing over of the piston valves M, M'. The reciprocating motion of the
plunger C is communicated to the counter X by means of a spindle Y having
a quick screw thread formed on it upon which slides a tapped bush Z carried

page_text: by the plunger, so that the motion of the latter causes the spindle to revolve
alternately in reverse directions. the motion only in one direction of which is
imparted to the counter by means of an arm c fixed upon the spindle Y and
receiving alternate rotary motion from it, which arm communicates motion
only in one direction to a ratchet wheel d loose on the spindle, into which
take spring, pawls e on the arm c. The wheel as it revolves periodically
imparts its motion to the star wheel, which in its turn communicates the
motion to the counter X.
Figures 5 to 8 on Sheet II. of the Drawings show my improved meter
with a different arrangement of valves and passages for regulating the flow of
the fluid through it. Figure 5 shows a longitudinal section on line I., II.,
Figure 7 Figure 6 shows a longitudinal section on line III., IV., Figure 7;
Figure 7 shows a transverse section on line V., VI., Figures 5 and 6; and
Figure 8 shows an end elevation of the meter.
The general construction of the chamber A, divided into two compartments
a, a', by the partition B, as also of the plunger C and bag F, is the same as
in the previous arrangement, and need therefore not be further described.
The block or plunger C has two projections I, I, at one end, which as the
plunger inoves to and fro strike alternately against the tappets J, J, and J¹, J',
on the balance lever K, which turns on centres at L, and which is consequently
thrown by the action of the plunger alternately from the one side to the other
of the vertical centre line. This lever is provided with two other tappets M, M',
which when it is brought somewhat over the centre by the plunger strike
alternately against the lever N on the spindle O of the equilbrium valve P,
and thus in changing the position of such valve effects the reversing of the
flow of the fluid through the meter. The spindle O of the equilibrium valve P
carries two opposite flat vanes or plates Q, Q', which according as the spindle
is moved by the lever K, as before described, are made to open and close
alternately the apertures R, R', S, S', the plate Q being made to close the
aperture R and open R, while the plate Q' closes S and opens S¹.
apertures R, S, both lead into the same passage T in the valve, conducting
the fluid to and from the compartment a¹ of the meter through the passage V¹,
and the apertures R', S', both lead into the same passage U, conducting the
fluid into the chamber a through the passage V. The space in the valve
between the apertures S, S¹, is in communication with the inlet pipe for the
fluid W, while the space between the apertures R, R', is in communication
with the discharge passage X. From this arrangement it will be seen that if
by the passage of the fluid into the compartment a' the plunger has been
'moved into: the position shown in Figure 6, and has consequently turned the
The

page_text: valve into the position shown in Figure 5, the fluid will now pass from the
pipe W through the passages U and V into the compartment a, and will
commence moving the plunger C into the compartment a', from which con-
sequently the fluid will now escape through the passages V¹ and T, and aper-
ture R into the discharge pipe X. At the end of the motion of the plunger the
position of the valve will again be reversed, when the fluid will flow from the
pipe W through the aperture S and passages T and V¹ into the compartment a¹,
while the fluid will escape from the compartment a through the passages V
and U into the discharge pipe X. In order to prevent dirt or other solid
matter from passing into the meter with the fluid a chamber b is formed on
the inlet passage W, into which the fluid passes through the aperture c. A
screen d of perforated metal or fine wire gauze is fixed across the chamber in
front of the aperture to the pipe W, through which screen the fluid has
consequently to pass before entering this pipe, and whereby all foreign matter
in the fluid will be intercepted and retained in the chamber b. The motion
of the plunger C is in this arrangement imparted to the counter e by means
of a rack carried by the plunger, which rack in working backwards and
forwards with the latter imparts a reciprocating rotary motion to a pinion, the
spindle whereof passes through the casing, and imparts motion to the counter
by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl in a manner similar to that described
with reference to Figures 1 to 4.
As before stated my improved construction of fluid meter may be readily
applied both as a water-pressure engine and as a pump by simply attaching a
piston rod to the plunger working through a stuffing box in the end of the
casing, and made in the case of the water-pressure engine to impart its
motion to a crank shaft or other contrivance for transmitting the power, while
when applied as a pump the piston rod is actuated in any convenient known
manner, either by hand or by other power.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim
specially nor do I limit myself to the arrangements herein-before described
for regulating the admission of the fluid into and its exit from the barrel or
chamber of the apparatus, as these may be variously modified whilst retaining
the characteristic feature of my Invention, which consists in forming the
piston of fluid meters, water-pressure engines, and pumps of a block or
plunger, smaller in diameter than the barrel or chamber of the meter, engine,
or pump, and connected all round in a water-tight manner to the sides of the
chamber, or to a projecting flange formed thereon, by means of one or two
cylindrical or slightly conical pieces of flexible and waterproof material, so

page_text: connected to the sides of the chamber and to the plunger as to form round
the surface of the latter a closed annular water-tight bag, the interior of
which is put in communication with the fluid under pressure, and which as
the plunger moves backwards and forwards is to a certain extent turned
inside out, substantially as herein-before described with reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof. I, the said John Mortimer Heppel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
J. M. HEPPEL. (L.S.)