Improvements in Liquid Meters.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1887
Complete Left, 20th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th Apr., 1888
Improvements in Liquid Meters.
We, ALPHONSE FRAGER, and BERNARD LOUIS MICHEL, both of No. 16 Boulevard
de Vaugirard, Paris, France, Counter Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to meters for measuring and registering the quantity of water
or other liquid passing through it, our object being to render the construction simple
and the interior parts readily accessible without disconnecting from the supply and
discharge pipes. The measuring cylinder is fitted with a deep piston packed with a
ring of caoutchouc which can roll in a groove of the piston as it moves up and down,
this groove being somewhat shallower in the middle than at the ends, so that in case
the ring should bear against either cheek of the groove, the greater depth there allows
it to slide along the cylinder with less friction.
The inlet and outlet pipes are connected to passages at the side of the cylinder
leading up into a casing above the cylinder, the bottom of which casing forms the
cylinder cover. Thus by removing the casing the interior of the cylinder can be
exposed without disconnecting the inlet and outlet pipes.
Within the casing is the valve box containing two parallel vertical slide valves
facing opposite ways and independent of each other. One of these slide valves, the
main slide valve governs ports leading to the top and bottom of the measuring
cylinder and to the discharge outlet, and this slide valve is worked by a piston
in a small subsidiary cylinder fixed above and forming the cover of the valve
box.
The other or subsidiary slide valve governs the parts to this subsidiary cylinder
which is fitted with a plain piston packed by a caoutchouc ring that can roll in a groove
of the subsidiary cylinder.
A central rod has collars which engage with lugs projecting from the subsidiary
slide valve and this rod extends through packing in the cover of the main cylinder

page_text: and through a slot open on one side in the upper face of the main piston, down within
the piston and terminates with a head of larger diameter than the rod itself. To the
top of this rod is jointed a pawl which engages a ratchet wheel within the casing, and
the spindle of this ratchet wheel passes through leather packing tightened by the
elasticity of a caoutchouc washer, and carries a pinion gearing with a counter exposed
on an inclined shelf outside the casing. As the main piston ascending approaches
the end of its upstroke it moves up the central rod, thus shifting the subsidiary slide
valve. The subsidiary piston thereupon makes a stroke shifting the main slide valve.
The main piston now desconds until in approaching the end of its down stroke its
upper face bears against the enlarged head of the central rod and this shifts back the
subsidiary slide valve, whereupon the subsidiary piston makes a back stroke shifting
back the main slide valve. The action is then repeated. Every time the main piston
makes its upstroke the pawl on the central rod moves the ratchet wheel one tooth, and
this movement is communicated to the external counter which registers the number of
double strokes of the main piston. In order to ensure the engagement of the pawl
with the ratchet an incline is fixed in the casing in such a position above the ratchet,
that the pawl is by the upstroke of the central rod brought to bear against this incline
and is thereby pushed into gear with the ratchet.
D
1
تيمم
1
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: We ALPHONSE FRAGER and BERNARD LOUIS MICHEL both of No. 16 Boulevard
de Vaugirard, Paris, France Counter Manufacturers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to meters for measuring and registering the quantity of water
or other liquid passing through it, our object being to render the construction simple
and the interior parts readily accessible without disconnecting from the supply and
discharge pipes. The construction will be readily understood on reference to the
accompanying drawings in which Figs. 1 and 2 shew vertical sections of the meter
at right angles to each other Fig. 3 shews a sectional plan on line M N Fig. 1 and
Fig. 4 a section on line P Q Fig. 3.
The meter consists of three principal parts; 1. The casing B containing the measuring
cylinder; 2. The distributing chamber D on which is fixed the small cylinder for
changing the direction of motion. 3. The cover C which closes the whole and carries
the counter mechanism.
The cover is so arranged as not only to cover the small cylinder but also the entire
distributing chamber so that there is only one external joint, and the inlet and outlet
branches aré formed on the casing B, so that the internal parts can be inspected
without detaching the meter.
The distribution is effected by two slides and two slide faces opposite and parallel
to each other, which offers the advantage that they can be faced at the same time.
The stuffing box through which the driving spindle of the counter passes is shewn in
Fig. 4. The cranked spindle a passes with slight friction through the plug b. On
this shaft is a collar having a thin leather washer which constitutes a kind of revolving
valve and insures watertight action; this valve is applied to its bearing surface by
the internal pressure and by a small spring r formed of a caoutchouc washer compressed
between two metal washers by the screwing on of the pinion. At d is formed a cavity
which is filled with solid mineral fat.
The apparatus works as follows:-The water enters the apparatus through the
passage E, passes through the grating J and flows into the cover round the distributing
chamber. The orifice 1 being open, while by the slide T port 3 is made to communicate
with the discharge S the piston P descends, but towards the end of the stroke the
bar M in coming against the collar on the end of the stem R moves the slide T¹ and
reverses the pressures which retained the piston P¹ at the bottom of its stroke. This
therefore rises, actuating the slide T and putting ports 3 in connection with the
charging passage and 1 with the discharging passage. P now rises and P¹ descends
again, and the condition of the parts is again the same as originally, and so on
continuously.
During the descent of the stem R the pawl K pivotted thereto seizes a tooth of the

page_text: ratchet wheel Z which imparts motion to the counter. This pawl falls upon the ratchet
wheel by its weight, but in case it should work stiffly, it will be pushed downwards
during the rising of the stem by an inclined plane I formed on the upper part of the
cap D which carries the ratchet wheel.
The play existing between the stem R and the slide T¹ which it works, insures the
registration with a small flow, as it allows the pawl K always to seize a tooth of the
ratchet wheel even when there is no material movement of the slide T¹. This play has
the advantage of diminishing in a considerable proportion the chances of the slide
stopping at the dead point. The stem R is secured to the piston P by a kind of " button
hole "slot in the upper cross bar of the piston, whereby this can be made in one
piece and readily removeable.
For facilitating the moulding, the distributing box D is divided on the line G. H
and the small cylinder is fixed with its channels on this face, it is closed at the
lower part by a base plat U carrying the stuffing box and situated in a recessed part
of the distributing chamber and has its edge recessed so as to be flush with the
joint G H.
The packing of the large piston is formed of a caoutchouc ring situated in a circular
groove on the piston which groove is made of greater depth at the upper and lower
ends than at the middle as shewn so that as the piston performs its strokes the ring
rolls up and down with but slight friction in the deeper parts of the groove, and is
prevented by the restricted middle part of the groove, which effects its compression
from coming in contact with the upper and lower abutments towards the end of
the stroke.
The packing of the small piston P₁ is also formed by a caoutchouc ring rolling in a
groove formed in the cylinder instead of in the piston. Thus if the ring is made to
slide under the action of the pressure, while the piston is stationary at the end of its
stroke, it will come in contact with the top or bottom abutment of the cylinder, and
when the piston makes its opposite stroke, the ring will not roll so far as to come
against the other abutment of the groove, and any wedging action will be prevented.
The slides are guided in their vertical motion by two ribs bb, sliding against
horns a a¹ formed on the base plate U of the small cylinder.
The horn a¹ is slotted to allow of the passage of the ratchet wheel Z and
pawl K, the before mentioned incline I being formed at the upper end of
such slot.
In order to insure that, with a small flow the slides shall be pressed against their
working faces, each one is provided on its back with an H shaped spring passing
through slots of the ribs b, and sliding with its two vertical branches on the outer
faces of the horns a a¹; as this combined arrangement only allows a very slight play
in the direction of the depth of the slides, these cannot move away from their faces
owing to any back pressure.
The second horn a is also slotted to allow of the free passage of the water and to
allow the valves to be seen.
By means of these arrangements when the upper cover C of the meter is removed,
it is only necessary to take out the two screws which hold the small cylinder in
order to enable the whole of the mechanism to be taken to pieces. These two
screws may even be dispensed with and the small cylinder be secured in position by
means of a spring V of caoutchouc or other material, in which case the apparatus can
be taken to pieces by hand without requiring any tool.
The distributing chamber carries a tube 1 forming an extension of the passage 1 and
reaching down to the bottom of the piston P. whereby any accumulation of deposit
therein will be prevented.
In meters of large size, in which the piston is extended at its lower end by a cap as
shewn at Fig. 5 we form in the latter or in its rod a lateral passage in which the water
is made to rise and descend by the displacement caused by the rod, thus insuring the
removal of any deposit from such extension.
In order to prevent the rod R from moving downwards unless acted upon by the
piston, we in some cases balance its weight by means of a lever connected thereto at

page_text: one end and carrying a counterweight at the other, which lever, for large meters may
carry the pawl K, so as to allow the ratchet wheel to he removed from close contiguity
with the slides.
In order to render the meter suitable for measuring the feed water of boilers, and
generally for being placed on the discharge pipes of pumps, the following arrangement
is employed.
The water entering the small cylinder and passing out through S is conveyed
directly to the exterior, so that whatever may be the amount of supply the stroke of
the small piston is always complete, and the orifices of the large cylinder are always
quite opened, in addition the slide which distributes the water in the large cylinder
can then be made entirely without lap, so that there is established during its stroke a
direct passage that insures the continuity of the flow. By this means any accidents
are prevented that might arise if the slides were imperfectly opened at the moment
when the pump begins to work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In fluid meters the herein described arrangement of the inlet and outlet branches
on the lower part of the casing whereby the meter can be inspected without removing
the same from the supply and discharge pipes.
2. Arranging the main piston and the auxiliary piston for actuating the slides on
one and the same axis, so as to facilitate the manufacture and decrease the cost,
substantially as herein described.
3. Arranging the faces on which the distributing slides work parallel with each
other, so that they can be faced simultaneously, substantially as herein described.
4. Providing a suitable amount of play between the rod R and the slide T' whereby
the proper working with a small supply is insured without requiring too much lap on
the slide, so as to reduce the chances of stopping on the dead point.
5. The connection of the rod with its piston by a "button hole" slot in order to
facilitate the disconnection, substantially as herein described.
6. The herein described stuffing box arrangement for the spindle actuating the
counter.
7. The herein described arrangement of rolling caoutchouc rings for the packing of
the pistons and their cylinders.
8. The herein described arrangement of pawl K in combination with the incline I
for actuating the ratchet wheel on the counter spindle.
9. In combination with fluid meters arranged and operating as herein set forth, the
provision of means for causing the entering liquid to pass down to the bottom of the
hollow main piston, so as to prevent deposit.
Dated this 20th dor of Fahr 1880
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.