US1042097A

US1042097A - Miner's-inch weir.

Info

Publication number: US1042097A
Application number: US67642212A
Authority: US
Inventors: William F Englebright
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1912-02-08
Filing date: 1912-02-08
Publication date: 1912-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1929-10-22

Description

W. F. ENGLEBRIGHT.

MINERS INCH WEIR.

, m2. 1,042,097; Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

' stream across which experiments.

different pressures,

UNITED srrnrus PATENT OFFICE.

MINERS-INCH WEIR;

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Oct. 2.2,iffli2 i' Application filed February 8, 1912. Serial No. 676,422.

To all whom it may condom:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. Enemi- BRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nevada City, in the county of Nevada and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Miners-Inch Weirs, of which the following 1 is a specification.

This invention relates to water measuring apparatus and particularly to an improved miners inch weir. I

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved means whereby the volume of a flowing stream may be accurately measured at all times.

It is a special object of the invention to devise an improved plate, board, or dam having a discharge opening of such configuration that the volume of water flowing through will increase substantially in direct proportion to the increase pf head in. the the measuring device may be erected practically combining the miners inch and weir methods ofmeasuring water.

Heretofore running streams of water, the volume of, which it is desired to measure, have been caused to flow through openings in a dam or board under a given pressure whereby the volume of wateris measured by the number of square inches in the opening; this system being known as the miners inch measurement. The volume of water flowing through a rectangular opening is calculated by the well known formula in which V=number of cubic feet per second; Hzdepth of water in feet above center of opening; Azarea in square feet of opening; C a variable coefficient determined by 1 If the opening is in a thin vertical partition, giving full contraction of the stream with different sized openings and this coefficient varies as 1 shown by experiment from .56 to .70. It the and the ed es of the opening are rounded or beveled this coeflicientmay under different conditions vary from .56 to .95 changing with length and height of the opening, pressure of water and shapeof the edges of the opening. The volume of water flowing through a rectangular opening is pressure increases.

increased as. the But the proportionate 1 increase of flow decreases as the depth in,- creases. Another well-known systeiii of measuring running comprises a simple dam or board adjusted across a stream so that under a given head of water in the stream a given volume of water is the weirwhich, V

Water will discharge over the weir of given length. The volume of water flowing over a weir is calculated by the well known formula V=CLJH in which Vznumber of cubic feet per second; L 'length of the weir in feet; H depth of water in feet above the d'ge of the'weir taken to a horizontal level of still watervup stream; C a variable coefficient determined by experiment, Ordinarily the coeflicient C is taken at 3.333, but it must be corrected and allowance made to suit velocity of approach of the stream, for dis tance of edge of weir above the bottom of the channel and forcont-raction of the stream at ends of the weir. In short weirs the effect of this contraction of the stream is important and may bgcdinpensated for by making the ends of the'weir divergent upward. If the weir plate has material thickness the effect of end contraction of the stream may be partially compensatedfor by rounding or beveling the edges of the ends of the weir, The proportionate volume of water flowing over a weir is increased as the depth increases.

Users of water in certain regions are required to provide means for measuring the water and are often required to figure the proportions of weirs or miners inch devices in order to determine the volume of water which will run past the apparatus under given conditions, and the mathematics ini volved 1n thesecalculations are often unknown to the operators and are difiicult to obtain by them.

It is one of the objects of this invention to devise and provide an improved water measuring apparatus which is of such simple con- 1 struction that with the knowledge of one factor, for instance a coefficient, and having a given head of water, the coefficient multiplied by a given head of water will instantly give the volume of water discharged through the measuring device. 7

y it is evident with these two, systems of measuring water, in each of which condi tionsand shapes of openings may be varied,

where in one the proportionate volume of water decreases and in the other it is in-' I have experimented with and devised a' form of measuring boardordam 2 in which there is formed a peculiarly shaped'orifice, which is here indicatedsubstantially in the form of an inverted letter T; the lower portion 3 of the orifice being a rectangular opening having a length greater than its height and of such dimensions as may be necessary to permit any desired quantity of water to pass through it, said orifice, having in the form showndn the drawings, upper and lower parallel and equal walls and parallel and equal vertical ends, forminga horizontal mouth resembling a miners inch measure for the discharge of water from the stream, fiume, sluice, or other supply source, indicated at A, from which it is desired to derive a certain volume of water or other fluid. Suitably disposed with relation to the horizontal opening 3 in the dam 2 is another opening, as 4, which may connector intersect with the portion 3, and which partakes of the nature of a contracted weir; the openings 3 and 4 being designed to work in harmony and practically combining two difl'crent methods of measuring water, some of the lines of the openings 3 and 4 being slightly curved or reverse curved to suit different conditions.

It ismanifest that the hombincd area of the opening or openings represented at 34 may, be varied in different-plates or dams 2 to accommodate the. discharge of large or small quantities water fromv dif'-' 'ferent or certain streams, and'the gi t Of the invention resides in so idesigning the opening or openings through, which the water issues from the dam2 that-for ever variation in the level ioifthe from the dam in direct or fall of the head in the main conduit.

Hav' ascertained the desired configuration o the discharge openingin the dam 2, and having determined a coetficientof discharge an e H v through the peculiar discharge openingfin the drum 2,

proporti n .to' the'rise dam 2, the product of the coefficient and head givinghim the volume of water flow- A water in i'thel canal or fiume there be a' .decreasedor an increased volume of water discharged r 8 given head ct water.

then as the water head rises or;

falls this coefficient when multiplied bvthe "heachis designed to give a product indicating the cubic feet or'other'desired unit of measure in a certain period of time. For instance, if there be a discharge opening, indicated at 3-4, in the dam 2 of certain configuration and having a given coetficient' of flow at a given head, thenarise in the V hea'd'of water in the main supply conduit A I should give a direct proportionate increase in volume forthe increase in head, and conversely for a decrease. of head of the water thereshoul'dhea proportionate decrease of volume, discharged through the dam- 2.

Hence it will be seen that'I can provide dams '2 having a certain discharge opening or openings to be employed under givencondit ions,and by marking on the dam 2 a factor or coefiicient' for this particular style of dam then the operator purchasing and using'the same merely ascertains the head of water in the supply canal and multiplesthis by the-coeiiicient of which he is in-' formed or which he findsm'arlred on the ing throughjthe dam. Manifestly, as stated, the configuration of the discharge opening in the dam 2 will be determined as expediency requires, fand while itis shown. in the present lnstance as having an inverted substantially T-sh'aped form, the vertical part of it has slig tly curved sides, as shown, forming the'openin area 4;.

The. coefficient ;o each particular dam, depending upon the area and configuration of the opening, mayjbamarked on the face of the dam, as "indicated at C, or may be provided inany other method sutficient to inform theope'rato r'o f the value of the factor.; With this information by simply measuring the head of water in the supply canal,

as A, he can readily ascertain the volume discharged.

If desired one face of the dam 2 may be provided with projecting graduations 5 representing the volume of water flowing through the dam at any head. Another meansforind i'cating the head of Water and volume is indicated as comprising a well or chamber 6 communicating with the water in the canal A through a suitableduct or aper-' 'ture 7 which allows the water to rise in the well 6 so thatll the surface level of the water can be assert ted by ah'ook gage 8 attached to a slide}? 'nikjivalole over a scale beam 10,

having graduations at one part represent 'ing aunit of height of water in the canal and other graduations, as 12, representing the volume of, water flowingthrough the 12a dam 2 at a given'head in the canal per unit timerylhe chamber 6 containing the hook gags-.8- may becrected adjacent to the canal Aorl atsome distant point, as in-a building or oifice,so long as the chamber 6 is in comnoeacev munication with the canal A so that water may rise in the chamber 6 to the same level as that in the canaLA.

lVhile the indicator 9-10 aifords a means of indicating the volume and head, it is desirable to provide an automatic recording apparatus, eluding a well or chamber 15 connected'to the canal or flume A by a pipe or conductor 16 which extends into the flame and permits the water to rise in thechamber. 6 to the level of the water in the Hume. Disposed in the chamber 15 is a float or other suitable device 17 connected by a rod 18 to a lever 19 fulcrumed at 20; the lever actuating a marking device or pencil 21 which may restupon diesurface of a dial-or recording sheet gniovable by a clock structure or other apparatus indicated at 23.

The advantage of the self-recording device, consisting of the float 17 and its associated elements, is that by this means a constant and reliable record is made of the volume of water being discharged through the dam 2. For each variation of level of water in the main supply canal or flume A there is a corresponding variation in the chamber 15; this variation affecting the vertical position or the float 17. This motionis transmitted from the float 17 by the link 18 and lever 19 to-and recorded by the pencil 21.

The dam 2 may be made of any suitable material and be mounted to form a water-tight joint at any suitable point in the main supply reservoir or canal desired.

It may be desirable to use a gage plate having projecting graduations, as 25, which may be placed at a suitable point in the main supply, this gage being graduated to indiehtaine for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Bopies c! this patent may be and. I have shown this as in-' cate volume of water passing through the dam at any head.

Having thus described I claim and desire to secure by Letters eat is' 1. In a water measuring apparatus, a dam designed to discharge a volume of water proportionately increasing or proportionately decreasing with a rise or fall respectively of head on the supply side of the dam, said dam having an upper vertical and a lower horizontal orifice, said vertical orifice having curved walls which converge toward my invention, what Patand connect with the horizontal orifice and said horizontal orifice having a uniform vertical height and having a horizontal length in excess. of the vertical height.

2. In a water measuring apparatus, a dam designed to discharge a volume of water proportionately increasing or proportionately decreasing with a rise or fall respectively of head on the supply side of the dam, said dam havin two orificesone of which is vertical and't e otherhorizontal, the horizontal orifice having parallel top and bottom walls, and the vertical orifice having walls curved in the direction of the greatest length of the orifice and with one wall curved in. one direction and the other curved in the opposite direction, whereby the maximum width of the vertical orifice is at a point. intermediate of the ends of the orifice.

In testimony'whereof I myvhand in thepresence ot-two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM F. ENGLEBRIGHT.

Witnesses CHARLES Eonmmn, C. Coon.

have hereunto set