Apparatus for Indicating the Speed of Flow of Liquids or Gases.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 29th Jan., 1889
[Communicated from abroad by PAUL KOTLIAREWSKI, Engineer, of 3, Perspective
Anglaise, St. Petersburg, Russia.]
Apparatus for Indicating the Speed of Flow of Liquids or Gases.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an apparatus whereby the speed of a current of water or
air or other fluid is indicated by sounds given at intervals of time, the duration of
which is used as a means for determining the speed of flow.
The apparatus consists of a frame which is suspended in the current by a wire rope
and is weighted so as to hang vertically and is also provided with a rudder or tail for
keeping it in one and the same position in the current. In this frame is mounted a
horizontal shaft carrying a number of oblique or screw vanes with their geometrical
axes lying in a plane at right angles to the current so that by the action of the
current on the vanes the axis is rotated at a speed depending upon that of the
current.
The axis carries a toothed pinion in gear with a toothed wheel whose axis is also
mounted in the frame and carries a metal tube closed at the ends extending at right.
angles to an equal distance on either side of the axis.
In this tube is a loose weight which, as the wheel and tube are rotated by the
axis carrying the vanes, falls alternately from one end of the tube to the other
and in coming in contact with the ends thereof produces a sound which is
conveyed along the suspension rope or wire or which may also be heard independently
of this.
As the number of sounds emitted in a certain interval of time will bear a definite
proportion to the speed of the current it will be evident that the latter can always be
ascertained by counting the number of sounds within a certain definite interval
of time.
Dated this 28th day of February 1888.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Apparatus for Indicating the Speed of Flow of Liquids or Gases.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, 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:-
This invention relates to an apparatus whereby the speed of a current of water or air
or other fluid is indicated by sounds given at intervals of time, the duration of which
is used as a means for determining the speed of flow.
The apparatus consists according to one arrangement of a frame which is suspended
in the current by a wire rope and is weighted so as to hang vertically and is also
provided with a rudder or tail for keeping it in one and the same position in the
current. In this frame is mounted a horizontal shaft carrying a number of oblique or
screw vanes with their geometrical axes lying in a plane at right angles to the current
so that by the action of the current on the vanes the shaft is rotated at a speed
depending upon that of the current. The shaft carries a toothed pinion in gear with
a toothed wheel whose axis is also mounted in the frame and carries a metal tube
closed at the ends extending at right angles to an equal distance on either side of
the axis.
In this tube is a loose weight which, as the wheel and tube are rotated by the axis
carrying the vanes, falls alternately from one end of the tube to the other and in coming in
contact with the ends thereof produces a sound which is conveyed along the suspension
rope or wire or which may also be heard independently of this.
As the number of sounds emitted in a certain interval of time will bear a definite
proportion to the speed of the current it will be evident that the latter can always be
ascertained by counting the number of sounds within a certain definite interval
of time.
According to another modification instead of indicating the alternate falling over of
the weight from one end of the tube to the other by sounds mechanically conveyed,
such sounds may be produced and registered by means of an electric current brought
into action by the falling weight which is made to establish a contact on an electrical
circuit as it arrives at one end or both ends of the tube.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing shews a perspective view of the first arrangement
of the before described apparatus. From a wire rope 1 with loop 2 is suspended a
frame 4 to the lower end of which is attached another loop 21 with shackle 3 by
which a weight can be secured to it so as to keep the frame in a vertical position.
In bearings at the lower part of the frame is mounted a shaft 13 the projecting
end 16 of which has arms 15 to which are fixed oblique vanes 14 which are always
presented to the current, the shaft 13 being maintained in a position parallel to the
current by the action of the latter on the tail 5 fixed to the frame 4. The shaft 13
carries a pinion 12 gearing with a toothed wheel 6 ou an axis 9, also running in
bearings 10 on the frame, which axis projects on each side of a socket 8, 11 in which

page_text: is fixed a metal tube 7 closed at both ends and containing a sliding weight. Thus the
rotation of the vanes 14 together with the shaft 13 by the current causes a slower
rotation of the wheel 6 together with the axis 9 and tube 7, and as the latter revolves,
the weight therein alternately falls from the one end to the other, producing sounds as
above described, which may be transmitted either through the fluid medium only, or
through the wire rope 1 or through a separate wire.
Fig. 2 shews a diagrammatic view of a modification of the apparatus wherein the
falling of the weight is indicated and registered by means of an electric current. For
this purpose there are provided at each end of the tube two insulated contacts 17 17'
which are in connection respectively with the positive terminal of a battery through
conductor 18, axle 9, bearing 10, and conductor 19, and with the negative terminal
through conductor 181, axle 91, bearing 101 and conductor 191, so that as the weight 20,
which is of conducting material, falls upon the one pair of contacts 17 17¹ or the other,
it effects a closing of the circuit, and a signal is consequently given on a signalling
apparatus included in the circuit at every half revolution of the tube 7; the current
may also be made to actuate a registering apparatus such as a style marking a paper
and actuated by an electro magnet excited by the current. This tube is either made
of or lined with insulating material. Instead of providing contacts 17 171 at both
ends of the tube these may only be provided at the one end so as only to give a signal
at every complete revolution of the tube.
The apparatus is otherwise constructed in the same manner as described with
reference to Fig. 1, the frame 4 being either made of insulating material, or the
bearings 10 10 being insulated therefrom.
The circuit closed by the weight 20 may be arranged as a local circuit with feeble
current only for actuating a relay on a main circuit in such manner that the latter is
only closed while the weight is falling from one end of the tube to the other, i.e. while
the local circuit is inoperative.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
J. In apparatus for indicating the speed of flow of liquids or gases, the combination
with a suspended frame of a shaft carrying vanes, whereby it receives rotary motion
from the current and a tube closed at both ends and containing a sliding weight,
which tube is rotated on a transverse axis by the said shaft so as to cause the weight
to fall alternately from one end of the tube to the other end, substantially as and for
the
purposes herein described.
2. In apparatus for indicating and registering the speed of flow of liquids or gases
the combination of the frame 4 with tail 5 tube 7 containing a sliding weight, axis 9,
toothed wheel 6, pinion 12, shaft 13, and vanes 14 arranged and operating substantially
as herein described with reference to the drawing.
Dated this 15th day of November 1888.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.