AN IMPROVED LIQUID METER
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED LIQUID METER."-A communication from abroad by Jean
Sealed the 13th June 1865, and dated the 17th December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patonts, with bi
Petition, on the 17th December 1864.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED LIQUID METER," to be as follows:-
In this meter the quantity of water is measured not by its pressure, as in
ordinary meters, but by its flow. In order that the indicating needle may
make one turn, it is necessary that four compartments should have been
emptied of, say half a pint, therefore one rotation of the needle indicates one
quart passed through the meter. The flow through the meter, whether at
high or low pressure, may take place rapidly or slowly by driblets or in a
continuous stream, and that without affecting the correct quantity indicated.
There are five special features intended.
1. For the inlet and outlet of the liquid.
9 or the distribution of the liavid

page_text: 3. For the expulsion of any excess of air in the meter.
4. For maintaining in equilibrium the pressures of the air and liquid,
whereby the meter works as well at low as at high pressures.
5. For shewing by the indicating needle the work of the meter.
Figure 1 is a vertical section showing one of these meters separated into two
symmetrical parts; Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the centre of the
organs of motion. The case, as represented, is formed of cast iron to resist
heavy pressures, and composed of seven separate pieces, the frame E, the
four lateral cheeks or shells F, the basin D supporting the box C, and the
case H. Each of the four faces of the frame is formed with an opening over
which a shell is fitted. The bottom is penetrated by five conduits radiating
from the centre; four communicating with the compartments formed by the
shells are at right angles on the four faces; the fifth is directed towards the
angle of the frame, and there rises at a right angle towards the upper part of
the frame where the union B for the outlet of the liquid is fitted. The
shells F are formed with two passages c, d; c forms a communication between
the compartment and the meter through a passage e, f, for passage of air, the
return of which is prevented by the valve g, on which is placed the screw h,
the other d uniting the compartment with the conduit i. The shells are
fixed to the frame by bolts, by means of which also a tight joint is formed for
securing flexible leather pistons M. The four conduits unite with a branch
made in a divider G, which truly bored is fixed on the bottom of the frame
with a leather joint by screws j. This divider forms the case of a tap, the
body of which is the distributor L; the case H is riveted to the centre of the
meter, a leather plate being interposed; K is a metal disc on this leather.
From this arrangement two separate chambers are formed by a movable
partition; one of these chambers 1, in which the outlet orifice n is placed,
acts as a pressure cell; the other, m, into which the liquid penetrates through
a small passage o as a counterpressure cell. I is a crank carrying two
trunnions; one revolves freely in the bottom of the basin D. The upper
part of the aperture in the bottom of the basin is threaded, and receives
the stuffing box o¹; P is a rod fitting at bottom into the trunnion, and
moving with it. The second trunnion revolves in the socket q, which is con-
nected to the ring r screwed upon the divider G. This trunnion passes into
the distributor L, and is held by a block S and
lugs fixed on the crank by screws u.
plates V are connected, which form four
connected to the rods V; these blocks
the flexible pistons M, M, and metal washers a', a¹; z, z, are nuts for securing
screw t; J is a ring with
To the lugs by means of pins u¹
connecting rods; X, X, are blocks
carry screwed rods which traverse

page_text: the pistons and washers on the blocks X, X. The wheel work is simple; the
rod P fits into a disc d', which by friction transmits motion to a conical
drum e. If the entire capacity of the four compartments is equal to more or
less than a quart, this drum must be regulated to make one revolution for
every quart; this drum is threaded on the inside to allow of its being moved
up and down its spindle, which is kept up at bottom by a spring f¹; thus any
differences between the actual and the indicated flow through the meter may
be corrected. g, h, are wheels which transmit motion to the indicating
needle. By additional wheels and dials similar to the counters in gas meters,
from 1 to 100,000 quarts may be indicated.
I proceed to explain the working of the meter. Liquid enters the meter
through the pipe A, to which a strainer may be fitted to prevent dirt and solid
matters passing; the liquid penetrates into the interior, and presses from all
sides on the pistons M. Let us suppose the meter in the state shewn in the
Figures, the shell compartments being numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, through the
opening c of the distributor L. The liquid enters the compartment 2, and
leaves the compartment 4 through the opening 6' of the distributor, from
whence it enters the escape channel by the opening n. After half a revo-
lution the two connecting rods of 2 and 4 reach the dead point, and the
apertures c¹ and 6 communicate with the passages from the compartments 1
and 3. The compressed air in the compartments lifts the valve g, and through
the passage e, f, enters the common central chamber, where acting as an air
cushion it maintains the pressures in equilibrium, and prevents the jar on
closing the outlet cock. The difference presented by the surfaces of the
compressed and extended pistons gives motion to the opposite.connecting rods
sufficient to drive the train of wheelwork.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th June 1865.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: me, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the
said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 "AN IMPROVED LIQUID METER," (commu-
nicated to me from abroad by Jean Antoine Clement, of Paris, France,) upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manuer 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 YE, that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 Drawings here-
unto annexed, that is to say :-
In this meter the quantity of water is measured not by its pressure, as in
ordinary meters, but by its flow. In order that the indicating needle may
make one turn, it is necessary that four compartments should have been
emptied of, say, half a pint, therefore one rotation of the needle indicates one
quart passed through the meter. The flow through the meter, whether at
high or low pressure, may take place rapidly or slowly by driblets, or in a
continuous stream, and that without affecting the correct quantity indicated.
There are five special features intended.
1. For the inlet and outlet of the liquid.
2. For the distribution of the liquid.
3. For the expulsion of any excess of air in the meter.
4. For maintaining in equilibrium the pressures of the air and liquid,
whereby the meter works as well at low as at high pressures.
5. For shewing by the indicating needle the work of the meter.
Figure 1 is a vertical section, shewing one of these meters separated into
two symmetrical parts; Figure 2 is a horizontal section, the centre of the
organs of motion. The case as represented is formed of cast iron to resist
heavy pressures, and composed of seven separate pieces. The frame E, the
.

page_text: four lateral checks or shells F, the basin D supporting the box C, and the
case H. Each of the four faces of the frame is formed with an opening, over
which a shell is fitted. The bottom is penetrated by five conduits radiating
from the centre, four communicating with the compartments formed by the
shells are at right angles on the four faces, the fifth is directed towards the
angle of the frame, and there rises at a right angle towards the upper part
of the frame, where the union B for the outlet of the liquid is fitted. The
shells Fare formed with two passages c, d. c forms a communication
between the compartment and the meter through a passage e, f, for the
passage of air, the return of which is prevented by the valve g, on which is
placed the screw h, the other d uniting the compartment with the conduit i.
The shells are fixed to the frame by bolts, by means of which also a tight
joint is formed for securing flexible leather pistons M. The four conduits unite
with a branch made in a divider G, which truly bored is fixed on the bottom
of the frame with a leather joint by screws j. This divider forms the case of
a tap, the body of which is the distributor L. The case H is rivetted to the
centre of the meter, a leather plate being interposed. k is a metal disc on
this leather. From this arrangement two separate chambers are formed by a
movable partition; one of these chambers 1, in which the outlet orifice n is
placed, acts as a pressure cell, the other m, into which the liquid penetrates
through a small passage o as a counterpressure cell. I is a crank carrying
two trunnions; one revolves freely in the bottom of the basin D; the upper
part of the aperture in the bottom of the basin is threaded, and receives the
stuffing box o¹; P is a rod fitting at bottom into the trunnion and moving with it.
The second trunnion revolvesin the socket q, which is connected to the ring r
screwed upon the divider G; this trunnion passes into the distributor L, and
is held by a block S and screw t; J is a ring with lugs fixed on the crank by
screws u. To the lugs by means of pins u¹ plates V are connected, which
form four connecting rods; X, X, are blocks connected to the rods V. These
blocks carry screwed rods, which traverse the flexible pistons M, M, and
metal washers a¹, a¹; 2, z, are nuts for securing the pistons and washers on
the blocks X, X. The wheelwork is simple. The rod P fits into a disc d',
which by friction transmits motion to a conical drum e¹. If the entire
capacity of the four compartments is equal to more or less than a quart, this
drum must be regulated to make one revolution for every quart. This drum
is threaded on the inside to allow of its being moved up and down its spindle,
which is kept up at bottom by a spring f¹. Thus any differences between the
actual and the indicated flow through the meter may be corrected. g', ', are
wheels which transmit motion to the indicating needle. By additional wheels

page_text: and dials similar to the counters in gas meters from 1 to 100,000 quarts may
be indicated.
I proceed to explain the working of the meter. Liquid enters the meter
through the pipe A, to which a strainer may be fitted to prevent dirt and solid
matters passing; the liquid penetrates into the interior, and presses from all
sides on the pistons M. Let us suppose the meter in the state shown in the
Figures, the shell compartments being numbered 1, 2, 3, 4. Through the
opening of the distributor L the liquid enters the compartment 2, and
leaves the compartment 4 through the opening 6 of the distributor, from
whence it enters the escape channel by the opening n. After half a revolution
the two connecting rods of 2 and 4 reach the dead point, and the apertures c¹
and communicate with the passages from the compartments 1 and 3. The
compressed air in the compartments. lifts the value 9, and through the
passage e, f, enters the common central chamber, where acting as an air
cushion it maintains the pressures in equilibrium, and prevents the jar on
closing the outlet cock. The difference presented by the surfaces of the com-
pressed and extended pistons gives motion to the opposite connecting rods,
sufficient to drive the train of wheelwork. Two manometers, one at the inlet,
and the other at the outlet, indicate during the working of the meter almost
the same pressure.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim constructing
liquid meters, substantially as herein-before described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.
K. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)