US1025111A - Hydraulic traverse mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

v E. s. 00m. HYDRAULIC TRAVERSE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED J'UL'YB, 1909. RENEWED OUT. 9, 1911.

1,025,111 1 Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

1 1 i I WITH/58858 INVENTOR poumnm PLANDGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. COLE, 0F MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

HYDRAULIC TRAVERSE MECHANISM.

Application filed July 8, 1909, Serial No. 506,499.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD S. COLE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Traverse Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a novel hydraulic traverse mechanism adapted to be used, in connection with the rod-meter of a pitometer apparatus, for the purpose of automatically, accurately and positively moving a recording device in exact unison with the movements of the rod-meter during the operation of making tests for the velocity traverses in a water main preliminary to starting a sclfrecording manometer in op eration. Heretofore this particular work has had to be performed by two operators, one with pencil and paper making notes by hand, and the other manipulating the apparatus. In the cramped, wet andv dark quarters that operators usually occupy while thus manipulating pitometer instruments, hand-writing is both diilicult and disagreeable. Furthermore, notes and computations made by hand under such conditions are liable to error. All these objectionable features are entirely avoided by the use of my peculiar mechanism which will be more fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my complete invention as applied to a pitometer apparatus used on a large water main, the latter being shown in section, and Fig. 9 a detail top view showing a section of the recording drum portion of my device through line as a: of Fig. 1.

The reference numeral 1 denotes a crosssection of a large water main provided with a tap 2 through which passes a pair of coupled hollow pipes 3 commonly known to the art as a rod-meter. This rod-meter is adapted to slide up and down longitudinally through the tap 2, its lower end carrying the usual open Pitot tubes 4. The top of the rod-meter is connected with a manometer device comprising a glass U-tube 5 and rubber tubes 6. The legs of the tube contain a colored indicating fluid 7 which is deflected up and down by the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Renewed October 9, 1911. Serial No. 653,729.

impact. and suction, respectively, of the water flowing through the main 1. The manometer readings are taken from the height of this fluid. The glass U-tube 5 is supported on a bracket 8 by clamp 9, and this bracket is removably attached to the outside of tap 2 by a hinge clamp 10. Behind the U-tube is located a revoluble trav erse drum 11 carrying a printed record sheet 12. Within the drum is a retracting spring 11. A. stylus or prick point 13 slides up and down between two stationary guide rods 14 having their upper and lower ends fastened to clamps 9 and 15. Pointers 16 on the stylus frame 1.7 extend across the front of the legs of the U-tube to locate more accurately the height of the colored liquid during the operation of first setting the stylus, and then pricking off the record. This is done by pushing in the knob 13 with ones fingers. The traverser drum 1] is connected to mechanically follow, through the tension of the spring 11 within, the inward and outward longitudinal movements of the rod-meter 8 in the manual operation of adjusting it, and the Pitot tubes 4, in relation to the diameter of the water main. Said connection is made through the medium of two cords or cables 18 and 19 connecting the rod-meter with the drum. These cords are secured to and wind upon two different sized grooved pulleys 20 and 21, which revolve together on a short pin 22 fixed to the side of the bracket 8.

The cord 18 is fastened to the periphery of the smaller pulley 20 at the point 23, and the longer cord 19 is attached to the periph cry of the larger pulley 21 at a point 24. lVithin the pulleys is a retracting spring 27 which constantly holds the two cords taut when. all are connected up as seen in Fig. 1. In this view, it will be noticed that the longer cord 19 has a hook 25 on the end which takes into an eye 26 clamped to the rod-meter 3. These two winding pulleys 20 and 21 constitute in effect a reducing gear in order to reduce the rotary travel of the record sheet drum in relation to that of the rod-meter. Otherwise the rod-meter would not have sutlicient range of travel, or the record drum would be too large and cumbersome for practical use. When all the parts are thus adjusted and connected, the rod-meter may be set at various predetermined points in relation to the diameter of the water main, and each resultant reading of the liquid in the manometer pricked off and plotted on the record sheet 12 with mechanical certainty and unfailing accuracy. The marking of the sheet is done as soon as the indicating liquid in the manometer tube settles so that the prick point can he slid opposite the top of the liquid until the pointer 16 registers therewith. Thus, whenever the rod-meter is moved upward from the position shown in dotted lines to that shown in full lines, the pulleys 20 and 21, revolvingin the direction of the arrow, will wind up the cord 18 while letting out the cord 19, against the tension of the springs 27 and 11 This action revolves the drum 11, and record sheet thereon, a corresponding distance. When the rod-meter 3 is lowered, the drum 11 automatically moves in the opposite direction, and when the liquid lever is again prieked off, the record will show the exact relation of the liquid in reference to the diameter of the water main and also to the previous point recorded.

The great advantage of my device lies in its simplicity and ease of operation, whereby a comparatively unskilled operator can make a traverse of a main, and such traverse or record, when mailed to headquarters, can be computed and the proper scale returned to him for the correct inter-- pretation of his photographic or manual records. Although it is av ditiicult matter to instruct even a fairly good engineer sufliciently to enable him to make and compute a pitometer traverse, it is comparatively easy to transmit printed directions by which any intelligent man can operate a rod-meter when used in connection with my traverse gage and thus take olf a traverse curve which can be mailed to headquarters for computation. In the old way two men were generally required to do this work, whereas in this new way only one is necessary.

It is apparent that other kinds of connec tions might be interposed between the rodmeter and the recording element of the device without escaping the principle thereof, and it is also obvious that other changes such as would naturally suggest. themselves to those skilled in the art could be made without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention. Therefore, I wish it distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein shown.

lVhat I claim is: p

1. In a hydraulic traverse mechanism, the combination with a rod-meter and manometer, of a record-carrying device, and means interposed between the latter and the rodmeter for causing said carrier to automatically and positively follow the movements of the rod-meter.

2. In a hydraulic traverse mechanism, the combination with a revoluble record-carrying drum, of a manually operated stylus disposed before the drum, a rod-meter, and mechanism for revolving the drum in unison with the longitudinal movements of the rod-meter.

3. In a hydraulic traverse mechanism, the combination with a rod-meter, a manometer and recording drum, of spring-retracted reducing devices connected respectively to the rod-meter and drum whereby the drum follows the movements of the rodmeter.

4. A hydraulic traverse mechanism consisting of the combination with a rod-meter, a tap in which the latter works, a bracketadapted to be clamped to the tap, and a manometer and record-drum mounted in juxtaposition to each other on said bracket.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDXVARD S. COLE.

lVitnesses R. G. DU Bois, F. E. TASKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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