MISCELLANEOUS. 



ON AN IMPROVED WATER METER, 

 BY CHARLES WILLIAM SIEMENS,* Mem. Inst. M.E. 



THE rapid growth of water-works in this and other civilized 

 countries, extending to towns of second and third rate importance, 

 has rendered the production of an efficient water meter a matter of 

 considerable practical interest. The water acquires in its trans- 

 mission from the source to its destination a certain value, payable 

 by the consumer. If the consumer is a private householder, it is 

 possible to estimate his probable consumption, supposing that no 

 water is wasted by allowing taps to leak or to be left opened ; but 

 calculation entirely fails to estimate the quantity of water consumed 

 in manufactories, baths and wash-houses, &c. The consequence 

 is, the larger proportion of the water supplied to a town is 

 absolutely lost, and falls to the equal charge of the thrifty and 

 wasteful. 



A good water meter will not be limited in its application to the 

 purpose of water-works ; ifc will be found a useful auxiliary to 

 brewers, distillers, and liquid merchants generally ; moreover, to 

 engineers, and indeed to all engine proprietors, it will be of 

 essential service, by furnishing a register of the water pumped 

 into steam boilers ; from which a correct estimate may be found 

 of the evaporative powers of the boiler, and the relative quantity 

 of the fuel employed, independently of the working conditions of 

 the engine. 



The meter is required to fulfil the following conditions : 



1. It must register correctly upon a counter the quantity of 

 water passed through the meter, either at high or low speeds. 



* Excerpt Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 

 1854, pp. 3-14, 15-19. 



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