US152235A - Improvement in water-meters - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LEWIS, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-METERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l52,235, dated June 23, 1874; application led July 16, 1872.

To all whom it may concern n Be it known that I, JOSEPH LEWIS, of Manchester, England, have invented certain Improvements in Water-Meters, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to that class of watermeters in which two measuring cylinders or chambers are employed, acting to measure the water by means of' alternating pistons propelled by the water to be measured; and the invention consists in a novel method of fixing the cranks in the cylinder-castings, as will be explained; and the invention further consists h1 a novel method of attaching the cranks to the pistons, so that in the absence of an elastic diaphragm the slight degree of elasticity required in hydraulic pistons is attained, with certainty of attachment and length of stroke; and the invention further consists of the employment of' a guide-stud fixed in the bottom plate of` the cylinder in each cylinder, upon which the pistons slide, so that they work straight without touching the sides of' the cylinder, by which construction I am enabled to employ an elastic diaphragm or a rolling rubber ring for packing, and, at the same time, maintain the necessary accuracy of motion requisite in a hydraulic meter; all of which will be hereinafter more fully described and explained by reference to the accompanying drawings and the letters and figures thereon, which f'orm a part of' this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents an elevation of' the meter, one half` in section to exhibit the interior. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the same, with the head removed; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical central section cut through the valve-chamber and between the cylinders. Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-section cut through the cylinders and valve at the upper ports. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical central section cut through both cylinders, exhibiting the construction of' the interior, and showing, especially, the construction ot' the hemispherical plates and diaphragm adapted for use upon small meters.

Like letters of reference made use of' in the several figures designate like parts.

The cylinders A A and valve-chamber B, which is also cylindrical, are arranged with relation to each other as shown at Fig. 4 of' thedrawings, their axes being parallel to each other, and the sides of the said cylinders and chamber are cast in one piece, their parallelism and peculiar form enabling this method of` construction. Being cast in metal molds, and of a material which will flow and fill the mold readily, the interior of the cylinders and chamber, after the metal cores are withdrawn, is in such a regular and uniform condition that it is unnecessary to bore them out at all; in fact, a greater uniformity and variety is thus attained than is possible by any other -means without great expense and labor. .The top plate C and bottom plate D are cast separatelyY and secured in place by the through-bolts c. In casting the cylinders and chamber the valve-ports are cored out, and the upper portion of' the division-wall E between the cylinders is formed with a recess to receive the crank-bearing F, which is separate from said wall and made of the shape shown, to furnish two bearings for the crank-shaft G, and a central space, partly in the piece F and partly in the division-wall, for the screw-wheel carried upon the crank-shaft. Upon each end of the piece F, and extending quite around its line of contact with the recessin the division-wall, are cast the grooves f, opposed to similar grooves, f, in the division-wall. Vhen the shaft and bearing and screw-wheel are assembled in place these grooves are filled with melted lead, thus isolating the cylinders from each other and from the central space for the screw-wheel, which communicates with the upper portion of the valve-chamber. In meters of large size I employ such a piston, H, as is shown at Fig. 1 of the drawings, which moves free of` the cylinder-sides, and is packed by a rolling rubber ring. rlhis construction of' piston and method of packing is old and well known. To adapt it, however, with success to v meters of' this description, it is necessary to produce a very slight elasticity in the connection between the piston and the crank, so that any slight inaccuracy in the timing of' the valve-motion or position of the port will not affect the working of' the mechanism by jarring or straining the parts, the irregularity, it' any exists, being compensated by the elasticity. `With this object in view, a wooden cross-arm, I, is journaled to the upper end of' the piston II, and the connecting-rod J, from the crank g, is attached to this cross-arm. The said wooden crossarm proves to be sufficiently elastic and durable (being made of hard Wood) to exactly accomplish the object sought, causing the meter to move with precision, and Without concussion or jar. It is further necessary in meters that the pistons should move accurately and in a given plane; hence, to adapt a piston to the cylinder without fixed packing, which cannot be applied with success, I [ind it essential to provide a means of guiding the piston independently of the sides of. the cylinder, and I have, therefore, contrived a guide stud or rod, K, which projects into the cylinder from the center of the bottom plate, and enters an aperture passing partly through the piston, so that said piston moves up and down accurately upon the rod Without contact with the sides, except through thc elastic packing, either a rolling ring or a diaphragm, Whichever may be used. In small-sized meters I find it best and cheapest to employ an elastic diaphragm, L, extending from the piston to the sides of the cylinder and connected thereto, as shown t Fig. 5. To insure regularity and uniformity of action, and to prevent Wear, this diaphragm is clamped between two hemispherical disks, R It', placed with their convexity to the diaphragm, and extending nearly to the cylindersides, so that as the piston moves this rounded bearing is brought against said diaphragm gradually and evenly. The rotary valve M contained in the chamber B connects directly to the registering mechanism N of any ordinary construction. This rotary valve may be similar to the one described in Letters Patent forimprovement in rotary valves heretofore granted to me by the United States. Borne upon the crank-shaft Gr between the cylinders, as heretofore mentioned, is a verticall screw-- gear Wheel, O, the periphery of which projects into the upper portion of the valve-chamber and engages a horizontal screw-gear Wheel, l?, carried upon the rotary valve. The Wheel O has half as many teeth as the Wheel l?, because the crank-shaft must revolve twice to the valve once.

Having thus full y described the construction and operation of my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The piece F, constructed to afford two bearings for the crank-shaft G, and to inclose the screw-gear wheel O, and fitted to the division-Wall E by means of the grooves ff', filled with melted lead, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the crank g, piston H, and an elastic connection, I J, in a Waterlneter, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The guide-stud K, located at the bottom of the cylinder and in the center thereof, in combination with a pistoneonstructed to move free of the cylinder-sides, and provided with any suitable elastic packing, in a Water-meter cylinder, as specified.

4. The combination of the elastic diaphragm L and the hemispherical disks R R', of a diameter large enough to nearly ll the cylinder at the sides, as and for the purposes specified.

JOSEPH LEWIS.

Witnesses JOHN W. MUNDAY, Hnnvn. F. BnUNs.

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