Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1886
Complete Left, 2nd Aug., 1887
Complete Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1888
RESERV
J
1, WILLIAM DE NORMANVILLE of Leamington in the county of Warwick, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
:―
My invention relates to improvements in that form of water meter, rotary engine or
pump, which consists of a drum or disc, provided with sliding pistons or blades and
rotating within a suitably formed chamber.
I construct the chamber of my improved apparatus in the form of a short cylinder;
a disc or drum of less diameter than the cylinder, but equal in thickness to its interior
depth, is pivotted eccentrically therein, so that it touches the internal periphery of
the said cylinder, leaving a crescent, shaped space between them, but a small recess
may be formed in the cylinder at the point of contact and a sliding piece may be
fitted into the said recess having its outer face formed to the same curve as the
exterior periphery of the drum, so that a sufficient abutment or bearing surface is
obtained to check leakage. The said sliding piece may be kept in contact with the
drum by a spring, or may be adjusted by set screws or other suitable device.
In apparatus of this class it has hitherto been customary to place sliding blades or
pistons on radial or diametral lines in the drum, but according to my invention, I
employ two pistons, preferably parallel with each other, but placed on opposite sides
of a diametral line.
They are in length each but little less than the diameter of the drum and are fitted
to slide in suitable recesses in the said drum and are pressed outwards against the
cylinder by helical springs contained within them, or otherwise suitably disposed.
By arranging these pistons in the manner described a smaller drum can be used in
any given cylinder than is possible with the ordinary method and thus a larger relative
space is obtained. Another important advantage of the plan is, that the pistons as
they travel round meet the cylinder face at an easier angle than when arranged in
the usual way, thus diminishing friction, while much longer pistons may be used in a
cylinder of given size and a longer bearing surface obtained for them within the drum.
I sometimes construct the pistons with long tail pieces passing through holes in the
drum in the ends of the recesses and fitting the said holes sufficiently to prevent

page_text: leakage, the springs being placed around such tail pieces; this arrangement gives
great steadiness to the motion of the pistons as the bearing surface is practically
always the same length.
Inlet and outlet ports are formed in one or both ends of the cylinder, one on each
side of the aforesaid abutment.
The said ports are made the full width of the space between the drum and the
cylinder so that their sides practically form continuations of the sides of the cylinder
and drum, commencing on each side immediately at the abutment, and their length is
such that the outlet port is opened to the measuring or working space by the passage
of one piston, just after the inlet port has been closed by the passage of the other.
By reason of the peculiar form of the ports, no ledges or places are left for the
lodgment or accumulation of dirt or other foreign matters which may get into the
cylinder and such matters will be swept into the outlet port or ports by the pistons
in their passage and so removed.
Ports in the vertical side of the cylinder may if desired, be used in place of, or in
combination with the above arrangement.
It is necessary that the water or other fluid with which the cylinder may be
filled should have access from the inlet side behind the ends of the pistons, to enable
them to slide freely in their recesses and I employ various means to attain this object.
Thus I form ports in the drum communicating separately with each of such spaces, or
I provide a passage within the drum forming an inter-communication between them
and make a passage or passages in the end of the drum and cylinder communicating
between the inlet chamber and the said spaces, or again I may channel the posterior
face of the pistons or make them hollow and open on the inlet side, so that the fluid
has direct access to the recesses through the said pistons.
Although I prefer to place my said pistons one on each side of a diametral line as
described, on account of the favourable angle of contact with the cylinder wall thus
obtained, I sometimes employ two pistons so fitted that one slides within the other, or
having extensions sliding within or upon each other; only one diametral groove in
the drum is then required and only one helical spring.
It will be understood that my improved apparatus may be employed as a rotary
engine or pump, but it is chiefly intended for use as a water meter.
In the last case I provide any suitable form of registering apparatus to be worked
by the rotation of the drum and I prefer to form the cylinder of gun-metal and the
moving parts i.e. the drum and pistons, of vulcanite, on account of the specific gravity
of the latter substance being nearly the same as that of water. Any other suitable
materials may however be used.
Both Inlet and Outlet ports being large and constantly open the flow of any fluid
or liquid through this apparatus is practically continuous.
1000
AMBROSE MYALL, C.E.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Water Meters, Rotary Engines and Pumps.
I, WILLIAM DE NORMAN VILLE of Leamington in the county of Warwick, Civil
Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in that form of water meter, rotary engine
or pump, which consists of a drum or disc provided with sliding pistons or blades and
rotating within a suitably formed chamber."
In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 a vertical section
through the line X X in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a vertical section through the line Y Y
in Fig. 1 of a water meter constructed according to my invention. Fig. 4 is a
vertical section of the drum through the line Z Z in Fig. 1. Similar letters of
reference are used to denote similar parts throughout the several figures.
In Fig. 1, the cover is removed to shew clearly the internal construction of the
meter, and in Fig. 4 the pistons are omitted.
The chamber of my improved apparatus is constructed in the form of a short
cylinder A, with a closed bottom end A' and flange A³ at the upper end.
A disc or drum B, of less diameter than the cylinder A, but equal in thickness to
its interior depth is pivotted eccentrically within the cylinder upon a stud C, so that
it touches the internal periphery of the said cylinder at A* and leaves a crescent
shaped space, as clearly shewn in Fig. 1.
In order to insure a sufficient abutment or bearing surface at A' to check leakage,
I may form a small portion of the internal periphery of the cylinder A at A' to the
same radius as the drum B, or a small recess may be formed in the cylinder at A³,
and a sliding piece may be fitted into such recess having its outer face formed to the
same radius as the drum. This sliding piece may be kept in contact with the drum
by a spring or may be adjusted by set screws, or other suitable devices.
In apparatus of this class, it has hitherto been customary to place sliding blades or
pistons on radial or diametral lines in the drum, but according to my invention, I
employ two pistons D, D¹, placed on opposite sides of a diametral line through the
drum B, preferably equidistant from and parallel to the said line. These pistons are
in length each but little less than the diameter of the drum, and are formed as flat
blades having the outer ends, which slide against the cylinder, suitably rounded, as
shewn in plan in Fig. 1. One piston is shewn clearly in elevation in Fig. 2 and both
are shewn in cross-section in Fig. 3.
Suitable recesses are formed in the drum, as shewn, within which the pistons slide.

page_text: The innermost ends D² of the pistons are reduced in depth, as shewn in Fig. 2, and
the ends of the recesses in the drum are correspondingly formed to leave solid
pieces B1, B2, to strengthen the connection between the several parts of the drum.
The said ends of the pistons are connected by means of a helical, or other suitable
spring E, attached to hooked pins F, F¹, fixed in the piston ends.
This spring E is in tension and keeps the outer rounded ends of the pistons always
pressed against the cylinder wall. The advantage of this method of actuating both
the pistons with a single spring, is that as the position of the pistons, relatively to each
other, varies but slightly during the revolution of the drum, the force exerted upon
them by the spring is nearly constant, and I therefore in practice prefer this
arrangement, but I do not necessarily confine myself thereto, as I may, for example,
actuate each piston by a separate helical, or other suitable spring placed within or
behind them.
By means of my improved arrangement of parallel pistons on opposite sides of a
diametral line, I am enabled to use a smaller drum in a cylinder of any given size
than is possible with the ordinary method, and thus a relatively larger measuring
space is obtained. Another important advantage of the above arrangement is, that
the pistons as they travel round meet the cylinder wall at easier angles than when
radially disposed in the usual way, maintaining an acute angle with the said wall
during their outward travel, whilst their position is nearly normal to its curve during
the greater portion of their inward travel. Friction is thus diminished, while much
longer pistons may be used in a cylinder of given size, and a longer bearing surface
is obtained for them within the drum.
As an alternative form to that shewn in the drawings, I may construct the pistons
with long tail pieces, (preferably circular in cross-section) on their inner ends, passing
through holes in the drum in the ends of the recesses, and fitting the said holes
sufficiently to prevent leakage, the springs being placed around such tail pieces. This
arrangement gives great steadiness to the motion of the pistons, as the bearing surface
in contact is practically always of the same length.
A chamber H and two projections J, J¹, are cast upon the bottom of the cylinder A
and form three feet upon which the meter can stand firmly.
The said chamber H is divided by a partition H' into two parts, or chambers, as
shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 1, which communicate respectively by ports K, L, with
the interior of the cylinder A, K being the inlet and L the outlet port. Inlet and
outlet nozzles K, L, are also provided on the said chambers for connecting the meter
with the service pipes in the usual way.
The shape and position of the ports K and L, which are shewn clearly in Fig. 1
form an important part of my invention. They are situated one on each side of the
aforesaid contact or abutment A³ between the drum B and, cylinder A, and they are
made not less than the full width of the space between the drum and cylinder,
commencing on each side immediately at the abutment A³, and their length is such
that the outlet port L is opened to the measuring or working space by the passage of
one piston just after the inlet port K has been closed by the passage of the other.
By reason of the peculiar form of the said ports, no ledges or places are left for the
lodgement or accumulation of dirt or other foreign matters, which may get into the
cylinder and such matters will be swept into the outlet port by the pistons in their
passage and so removed. In the plan Fig. 1 the ports K and L are shewn in dotted
lines as extending slightly under the drum. Vertical grooves or channels M, M', are
formed in the drum, so that the water has freer access from the inlet port K behind
the outgoing piston, immediately after it has passed the abutment. The extra width
in the outlet port L provides a means by which grit or dirt adhereing to the underside
of the drum near the edge can be removed.
The top of the meter as shown is closed by a plate N, secured within a rebate in
the cylinder A by the flanged cover P, attached to the flange A' by screws. This
cover P, which forms a convenient receptacle for the registering apparatus, is shown
partly broken away in Figs. 2 and 3.
By suitably modifying the cover of the meter, inlet and outlet ports may, if desired,

page_text: be provided in the top as well as the bottom; and I may sometimes construct my
meter to work with the axis of the cylinder in a horizontal, instead of a vertical
position, as shewn in the drawings, in this case ports are preferably provided in the
cylinder walls, in place of, or in combination with, the ports already described.
It is obviously necessary that the water, or other fluid, with which the cylinder
may be filled, should have access from the inlet side behind the ends of the pistons to
enable them to slide freely in their recesses, and I prefer to attain this end by the
arrangement shewn in the drawings.
The pivot C is tubular and communicates at one end with the inlet chamber by the
opening C, and at the other end with the space R in the drum, which contains the
spring E and connects the upper parts of the recesses in which the pistons D, D₁
slide, the water finding its way freely from thence to the spaces R1, R2, behind each
piston.
When, by reason of other arrangements of the pistons, the said recesses are not
connected by any such space R, ports may be formed in the drum communicating
separately with each of the recesses behind the piston ends and the inlet chamber, or
I may channel the posterior surfaces of the pistons, or make them hollow and open on
the inlet side, so that the fluid has direct access to the recesses through the said
pistons.
S is a small fork, or other suitable coupling device, screwed on to a spindle T,
passing through a hole in the plate N, in the line of the axis of the drum B.
A plate V is affixed to the top of the drum and carries the spindle T.
The said spindle thus is driven by the rotation of the drum, and the fork S drives
the registering apparatus. This said apparatus is not shewn in the drawings but may
be of any usual or desired construction.
It will be understood that my improved apparatus may be employed as a rotary
engine or pump, but it is chiefly intended for use as a water meter in the manner
described, and in that case I prefer to form the cylinder of gun-metal and the moving
parts, i.e. the drum and pistons, of vulcanite on account of the specific gravity of the
latter substance being nearly the same as that of water.
Any other suitable materials may however be used.
It may be pointed out, as another distinct advantage in my invention, that as the
ports are large and constantly open the flow of any fluid or liquid through the
apparatus is practically continuous, an obviously valuable feature in a water meter.
I wish it to be understood that in carrying out my invention in practice, I do not
necessarily confine myself to the precise details of construction and relative proportions
of the various parts as shewn in the accompanying drawings provided that in all cases
the essential principles of the invention be retained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a water meter, rotary engine or pump, constructed with a drum or disc,
provided with sliding pistons or blades, and rotating within a suitably formed
chamber, the arrangement of the said pistons or blades on opposite sides of a diametral
line through the drum, in the manner and for the purposes, substantially as herein
set forth.
2. In a water meter, rotary engine or pump constructed with a drum or disc,
provided with sliding pistons of blades, and rotating within a suitably formed chamber,
the special arrangement of inlet and outlet ports, in the manner and for the purposes,
substantially as herein set forth
3. In a water meter, rotary engine, or pump, having sliding pistons, as set. forth in
the first claim hereto, the combination with such pistons of a spring E, in the manner
and for the purposes, substantially as herein described and shewn in the accompanying
drawings.
4. In a water meter, rotary engine, or pump, constructed with a drum or disc,

page_text: provided with sliding pistons or blades, and rotating within a suitably formed chamber,
the combination with such drum and pistons of the tubular pivot C, for the admission
of water behind the said pistons, in the manner and for the purposes, substantially as
herein described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
5. The construction of a water meter, substantially as herein described and shewn
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dh a
100
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S. W..
Agent for the Applicant.