IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS." A communication from abroad by
Charles Casimir Barton, of Rochester, Manufacturer, and Jonathan Burns West,
of Geneseo, Machinist, both in the State of New York, United States of
America
Sealed the 17th September 1878, and dated the 20th March 1878,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th March 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS." [A
communication from abroad by Charles Casimir Barton, of Rochester, Manufacturer,
and Jonathan Burns West, of Geneseo, Machinist, both in the State of New York,
United States of America.]
•
This Invention relates to water meters in which a reciprocating piston resting in
a circular cylindrical case moves alternately forward and back by the pressure of the
water behind it, and at the end of each stroke shifts the valves from one position
to the other to change the induction and eduction currents of water.
The Invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts herein-after
more fully described, that is to say, I construct the case in two halves or sections,
which fit together face to face, to make a water joint, and are secured by bolts or
screws in any desired manner. In this case is an annular waterway, which is
circular in cross section and extends all the way around.
There are two fixed heads forming the butment resting across the waterway at
any given point, and closing the whole cross area of the waterway. These heads
are situated some distance apart, but are connected by a partition which stands
vertically and forms two chambers between the heads on opposite sides of the
partition. The edges of the heads and the partition are packed to prevent leakage
of water around the heads,

page_text: Ports or passages are provided through the heads leading from the waterway
into the said chambers. Each of these ports may be made of a single opening or of
several small openings.
I provide a yoke or frame consisting of two end pieces located on the outer sides
of the aforesaid heads, and two arms which pass loosely through said heads, the
whole forming a rectangle.
Valves are fixed upon the said arms and moving with the yoke, as it is slid
endwise; one of the said valves rests upon one of the said arms between the two
heads, and as the yoke is thrown in one direction and the other, the valve alternately
covers and uncovers the two parts in the two heads on that side.
The other valves rest upon the other arm outside of the two heads and alternately
cover and uncover the said ports in the two heads on that side by moving up to
and away from said ports.
The several valves are so arranged that when the centre valve covers its port on
one side its opposite port is open, and at the same time the other valves cover the
port in the opposite head and leave the port open in the same head as that covered
by said centre valve. By these means the induction water will pass from one of
the aforesaid chambers into the water way through one open port, and the eduction
water will escape from the waterway into the other chamber through the opposite
open port; and when the valves are shifted, the opposite motion will be given to
the currents of water, thus driving the piston alternately forward and back.
The piston or plunger consists of a segment fitting closely in the waterway and
capable of a free motion. The piston consists of three packing rings of leather.
These are separated by two stay blocks. The two outer rings are in the form of
cups while the outer packing is simply a ring clamped between the said blocks. I
provide two conical india-rubber blocks fitting into the said cups.
When pressed inward by bolts, screws, or otherwise, these conical blocks expand
the
cups and
.cause them to pack more closely in the waterway.
The parts
composing the pistonway are secured together by a bolt or any other suitable
means.
If desired, india-rubber packings may be used in place of the leather packings,
and the piston may be otherwise constructed, but it is desirable to have three points
of bearing against the sides of the waterway to prevent the piston from turning.
The piston has a free movement as it is impelled by the water.
.I provide latches pivotted to the opposite heads to lugs on the outside of said
heads and above the aforesaid yoke. Each of these latches has a long pivot
bearing to prevent twist and displacement of the latch when operated upon by the
piston.
The latch has preferably an inclined arm which projects outward in a line
approximating the circle of the waterway, a notch or shoulder which engages with
and locks the said yoke by falling down behind a bar, and a depending arm with a
counterweight at its bottom to cause the latch to fall.
•
A spring may be used in place of the counterweight to force the latch down-
ward.
If desired, a notch may be formed in the top of the said bar in which the latch
rests, but this is not usually necessary.
•
Screws or studs are provided on the opposite ends of the piston which lie in line
with the arms of the latches. At the end of each stroke of the piston one of these
screws strikes under one of said arms and raises the latch in that side, so that the
shoulder will be raised from its engagement with the said bar to allow the yoke to
be shifted. The opposite latch being already elevated and riding upon the end
piece of the yoke, its shoulder falls behind said end piece when the yoke is fully
shifted, thereby locking the yoke in the opposite position. The shifting of the
yoke shifts the valves.
There are springs on opposite sides of the piston and attached thereto. They
are preferably made of steel. At the end of each stroke of the piston and just
before one of the studs strikes under the arm of the latch, as above described, the

page_text: spring on that side strikes the end of the yoke and is compressed, and when the
latch releases its hold of the yoke, the reaction of the spring throws the yoke over
and thus shifts the valves and changes the currents of the water. The said springs
may be made of any suitable material and form, and, if desired, they may be
attached to the ends of the yoke instead of to the piston.
That
Any suitable registering attachment may be connected with the meter.
usually employed is a shaft driven by ratchets, which shaft extends up through a
stuffing box in the case, and an arm is connected to the piston which strikes the
registering apparatus at every alternate stroke.
A water meter thus constructed is very simple, cheap, and effective, and will
register accurately under light or heavy pressure, or a small or large discharge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
September 1878.
•
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltino, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER METERS." A
communication from abroad by Charles Casimir Barton, of Rochester, Manufacturer,
and Jonathan Burns West, of Geneseo, Machinist, both in the State of New York,
United Sates of America.
This Invention relates to water meters in which a reciprocating piston resting in
a circular cylindrical case moves alternately forward and back by the pressure of
the water behind it, and at the end of each stroke shifts the valves from one position
to the other to change the induction and eduction currents of water.
The Invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts herein-after
more fully described.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which,―
Figure 1 is a plan of one half of the case laid open to shew the interior arrange-
ment of the meter.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the said meter on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line y, y, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line 2, 2, Figure 3.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the abutment and its connecting parts.
Figure 6 is a section of the piston.
The case consists of two halves or sections A, A, which fit together face to face to
make a water-tight joint, and are secured by bolts or screws in any desired manner.
In this case is an annular waterway B which is circular in cross section and extends
all the way around.
C, C, are two fixed heads forming the abutment resting across the waterway at
any given point, and closing the whole cross arca of the waterway. These heads
are situated some distance apart but are connected by a partition D which stands

page_text: vertically and forms two chambers ff, between the heads on opposite sides of the
partition. The edges of the heads and the partition are packed to prevent leakage
of water around the heads.
a, a, a, a, are ports or passages through the heads leading from the waterway B
into the chambers f. f. Each of these ports may be made of a single opening or of
several small openings, as shown in Figure 4.
E is a yoke or frame consisting of two end pieces b, b, located on the outer sides
of the heads C, C, and two arms e, c', which pass loosely through said heads, the
whole forming a rectangle.
d and d', d, are valves fixed upon the arms c, c', and moving with the yoke as
it is slid endwise. The valve & rests upon the arm c between the two heads, and
as the yoke is thrown first in one and then in the other direction, the valve alter-
nately covers and uncovers the two ports a, a, in the two heads on that side.
The other valves d', d, rest upon the arm c¹ outside of the two heads, and
alternately cover and uncover the ports a, a, in the two heads on that side by
moving up to and away from said ports.
The several valves are so arranged that when the centre valve d covers its port
on one side, its opposite port is open, and at the same time the valves d³, d, cover
the port in the opposite head and leave the port open in the same head as that
covered by valve d, as clearly shown in Figure 4. By these means the induction
water will pass from one chamber finto the waterway through one open port, and
the eduction water will escape from the waterway into the other chamber f through
the opposite open port; and when the valves are shifted, the opposite motion will
be given to the currents of water, thus driving the water alternately forward and
backward.
G is the piston or plunger, which consists of a segment fitting closely in the
waterway B, and capable of a free motion. The piston consists of three packing
rings g, g, g, of leather. These are separated by two stay blocks h, h. The two
outer rings are in the form of cups, as shown in Figure 6, while the centre packing
is simply a ring clamped between the blocks h, h. i, i, are two conical rubber
blocks fitting into the cups g, g.
When pressed inward by bolts, screws, or otherwise, these conical blocks expand
the cups and cause them to pack more closely in the waterway.
The parts
composing the piston way are secured together by a bolt k, or by other suitable
means.
If desired india-rubber packings may be used in place of the leather packings,
and the piston may be otherwise constructed, but it is desirable to have three points
of bearing against the sides of the waterway to prevent the piston from turning.
The piston has a free movement as it is impelled by the water.
I, I, are latches pivotted at 7, 1, on the opposite heads C, C, to lugs on the outside
of said heads and above the yoke E. Each of these latches has a long pivot
bearing m to prevent twist and displacement of the latch when operated upon by
the piston.
The latch is preferably of the form shown in Figures 1 and 5, having an inclined
arm n which projects outward in a line approximating the circle of the waterway,
and a notch or shoulder o which engages with and locks the yoke E by falling
behind the bar b, as shewn on the left in Figure 5. This latch also has a depending
arm with a counterweight q at its bottom to cause the latch to fall.
A spring may be used in place of the counterweight to force the latch down-
ward.
.
If desired, a notch may be formed in the top of the bar b in which the latch rests,
but this is not usually necessary.
8, 8, are screws or studs on the opposite ends of the piston which lie in line with
the arms n of the latches I. At the end of each stroke of the piston, one of these
screws strikes under one of the said arms n and raises the latch on that side so
that the shoulder o will be raised from its engagement with the bar b to allow the
yoke to be shifted. The opposite latch being already elevated and riding upon the

page_text: end piece of the yoke, its shoulder falls behind said end piece when the yoke is
fully shifted, thereby locking the yoke in the opposite position. The shifting of
the yoke shifts the valves.
8
t, t, are springs on opposite sides of the piston and attached thereto, as shown in
Figure 1. They are preferably made of steel and of the form shewn. At the end
of each stroke of the piston and just before the stud a strikes under the arm n of
the latch, as above described, the spring ton that side strikes the end b of the yoke
and is compressed, and when the latch releases its hold of the yoke, the reaction of
the spring throws the yoke over, and thus shifts the valves and changes the currents
of the water. The springs t may be made of any other form and of any material,
and, if desired, they may be attached to the ends of the yoke instead of to the
piston.
Any suitable registering attachment may be connected with the meter. That
usually employed is a shaft v driven by ratchets, which shaft extends up through a
stuffing box in the case, and an arm is connected to the piston which strikes the
registering apparatus at every alternate stroke.
A water meter thus constructed is very simple, cheap, and effective, and will
register accurately under light or heavy pressure, or a small or large discharge.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. In a water meter, such as described, the abutment, consisting of the two
heads with a cross partition forming the two chambers, and provided with a set
of shifting valves which are alternately thrown from one position to the other by the
action of the piston at the end of the strokes to change the direction of the currents
of water, as and for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination with the two heads provided with the ports of the
yoke or frame provided with the valves, one valve being located between the heads
and the other valves being outside of the heads, as and for the purpose specified.
Third. The combination with the yoke of the weighted or spring latches located
outside of the heads and pivotted thereto, and provided with the arins acted on by
the piston to raise the latches, and with the shoulders or notches for locking the
yoke, as and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. In combination with the latches and the yoke, the springs interposed
between the piston and the yoke for the purpose of shifting the valves at the end
of each stroke when the yoke is released, as herein described.
Fifth. The piston constructed with the packings g, g, g, the blocks h, h, and the
conical blocks i, i, for expanding the packings, as herein described.
Sixth. In a water meter, the case having an annular waterway with an abutment
located therein, and a piston reciprocating from one end to the other of the waterway
as herein described. -
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.