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Description of an Improved IFater Meter^ invented by Mr 

 Alexander Mitchell, Watch and Clock MaJcer, Glasgow. ]]y 

 James Thomson, Esq., F.R.S.E., M.R.I.A., F.R.S.S.A., 

 Civil Engineer, Glasgow. (With a plate.) Communicated 

 by the Royal Scottish Society of Arts.* 



The action of the meter, referring to Plate I., may bo de- 

 scribed as follo\YS : — 



The supply-pipe// being connected to the water main by a 

 coupling, &c., in the usual way, the water flows through the 

 valve g, and passing into the cylinder hh h h at J, is discharged 

 by the pipe k into the receiving cistern II, from which the 

 water is drawn oiF by a stop-cock /'. 



Upon one end of the axis or spindle of the screw a « is fit- 

 ted a pinion d, working into th.e- train of wheels eeee, so ar- 

 ranged as to indicate the ■ (]tuantities of water discharged 

 either in gallons or cubic feet^,- similar to the index of gas 

 meters — the whole being set in motion^ by the flow of wa- 

 ter through the cylinder acting upon and causing to revolve 

 the Archimedean screw enclosed within it. To prevent the 

 screw from being driven forward by the water, and in order 

 to reduce the friction to a minimum, the end of the axis at d 

 has a hard steel point inserted, which works in a cock or pot- 

 tance fitted outside, and enclosed in an oil box, supplied with 

 oil through the filler d\ 



In order to render the indications of the meter uniformly 

 correct, under different heads or pressures of water, the fol- 

 lowing very ingenious method of adjustment is adopted :— - 

 Upon the axis of the screw are fixed four thin brass wings or 

 leaves cccc, each moving upon a separate hinge or pivot c', 

 fixed at right angles to the axis, with screw-nuts upon the 

 end of each pivot, by means of which the wings can be main- 

 tained open or shut at pleasure, and so lessen or increase the 

 discharge of water at each revolution of the screw. The 

 lower pair of wings in the drawing are represented slightly 

 open. With this power of adjustment, it is very easy to re- 



* Read before the Royal Scottish Society of Artf?, 12th Dec. 1842. 



