1844.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



1 20 



March 26. — The President in the Chair. 



The paper read was by Mr. C. H. Gregory, engineer of the London and 

 Croydon Railway ; it treated of " railway cuttings and embankments, with 

 an account of some ' sHps' in the London clay." An outline was given of 

 the general principles which regulate the formation of railway cuttings and 

 embankments, illustrating the manner in which these works arc affected by 

 the geological character of the earths employed, or that were cut through. 

 The paper then gave a detailed history of some heavy slips in the London 

 clay, which had occurred under the observation of the author, on the London 

 and Croydon Railway, and described the means adopted for clearing the rail- 

 way from the immense masses of clay witli which it was covered, to a depth 

 of 10 to 12 feet, and for enabling the passenger trains to run without hind- 

 rance, during the time of repairing the damage. The cause of these slips 

 was then fully considered, and it appeared evident that in nearly every case 

 they proceeded from the combined action of air and water, the latter entering 

 in rainy seasons by the cracks formed by the drying action of the former, 

 until the mass of upper yellow clay being detached, moved by its own weight, 

 and sliding upon the blue clay, the surface of which was rendered semi-fluid 

 by the percolated water, was precipitated into the cutting. The means 

 adopted for preventing the recurrence of such events were fully considered, 

 particularly the introduction of gravel buttresses and rivetments through and 

 at the foot of the slips, a system which had been perfectly successful. 



In the discussion which ensued the means adopted were generally approved ; 

 many instances were given of the use of similar gravel buttresses on other 

 railways ; the importance of eitensive surface drainage and of freeing from 

 water the slopes and embankments, was insisted on; the interesting question 

 of the ' creep,' or presumed rising of the floor of old mines was examined, 

 and it was contended that, in almost all cases, it was the roof, or upper rocks 

 ■that sunk down. The case of the village of Wallsend was instanced, which 

 place had been sunk vertically between 16 and 24 inches, in consequence of 

 the excavation of the coal from beneath it, by the mines under the direction 

 ■of the late Mr. Buddie. 



The further discussion of the question was adjourned until the next meet- 

 ing, April 2, when the monthly ballot for members was announced to take 

 place, and the following papers will be read : — 



" Account of the Railway from Amsterdam to Rotterdam, and of the prin- 

 cipal works upon it." By Le Chevalier F. \V. Conrad, M. Inst. C.E., trans- 

 lated from the French, by C. Manby, Secretary. 



" Description of the Piling Machine used at Montrose Harbour Works." 

 By G. T. Page, Assoc. Inst. C.E. 



" Account of a series of experiments on the comparative strength of solid 

 and hollow axles." By C. Geech. 



EDGE'S WATER-METER. 

 Bead at the Society of Arts, March 20, 1844. 



Fig. 1. 



For many years past 

 the want of a machine 

 to measure liquids, 

 while being transmitted 

 through tubes, seems 

 to have occupied pub- 

 lic attention, and more 

 recently water com- 

 panies, and practical 

 engineers, have become 

 desirous of the ex- 

 istence of such an in- 

 strument ; the former 

 to ascertain the quan- 

 tity of water supplied, 

 (more particularly to 

 their large consumers,) 

 the latter to ascertain 

 the amount of water 

 passed into their steam 

 boilers, and by infe- 

 rence the amount of 

 steam generated, the 

 comparative advan- 

 tages of dilFerent fuels, 

 and the attention of the 

 engineer to his duty. 



It was with a view 

 to supply the wants of 

 the two latter classes, 

 that the present ma- 

 chine was invented ; 

 although there is no 

 doubt that if modified 



in a particular way, it would as effectually answer the purposes of the 

 former. Before entering upon a description of this machine, it may 

 be as well remarked that several others for the same purposes have 

 been from time to time brought before the public, without much suc- 

 cess ; these however are liable to one of two very important faults, 

 either that they cannot measure liquids while acted upon by pressure, 

 or that they will measure any air wliich may pass through them, as if 

 it were liquid. These objections are entirely overcome by the pre- 

 sent arrangement, and also, it is believed, a greater degree of accuracy 

 and simplicity is obtained. The annexed engravings show the meter 

 for the measurement of water, for which purpose it is now being tested 

 in several parts of England, and also at Mr. Edge's manufactoiv, Great 

 Peter-street, Westminster. 



Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing the cliambers A and B, and 

 the machinery therein. 



Fig. 2 is a section of chamber A, taken at right angles to Fig. 1. 



The outer casing is rectangular, and is made of cast iron; this how- 

 ever may be varied to zinc or tin plate if the pressure of the liquid be 

 not too great. This case is divided in the middle by a partition C, 

 thereby forming two chambers A and B, communicating through the 

 slit D in the top of the partition C. In the partition C there is a four 

 way cock E, the larger end of which opens into cliamber A, and the 

 smaller into chamber B ; the water is conducted to and from this cock 

 by means of tubes, shown by arrows passing througli chamber B. 

 This cock transmits the liquid to and from the chambers A and B, in 

 the same manner as the slide valve conveys the steam, to and from the 

 cylinder of the steam engine. Parallel with the centre of the cock E, 

 Is a spindle F working in the upright standards GO; this spindle 

 carries a driver H, which acts upon projections on the plug of the 

 cock E, and it also carries a metal cylinder I, hermetically sealed, in 

 which is a heavy metal ball K, less in diameter than the cylinder, so 

 that it may roll freely in if. In the upper part of chamber A, tliere is 

 a float L working upon the axis M, which carries a pendant arm N, 

 having upon the end of it a friction pulley. As the float rises and 

 falls by the action of the water, this arm vibrates, and acting alter- 

 nately upon the inner sides of the two teeth on the spindle F, causes 

 the lower end of the cylinder I, (in which is the metal ball) to be 

 raised, the ball rolls to the opposite end of the cylinder ; and by its 

 weight moves the spindle F suddenly round, which motion is com- 

 municated to the plug of the cock E, thereby causing a change of inlet 

 and outlet. 



The action of the meter is as follows. The water enters the inlet 

 pipe, and (from the peculiar position of the plug of the cock) passes 

 into the chamber A, until it has risen to the dotted line Z, the float 

 will by this time have been raised to its higliest position, and the 

 pendant arm N will have raised the lower end of the cylinder I by its 

 action upon one of the teeth on the spindle F. The ball will then 

 suddenly roll to the other end of the cylinder, causing the spindle to 

 move round, which motion is conveyed to the plug of the cock, and its 

 position being reversed, the water then passes into the chamber B 

 through the four way cock. Now the air which was in chamber B and 

 the upper part of chamber A, becomes compressed, and its expansive 

 force acting upon the surface of the water in A, expels it through the 

 outlet by the four way cock, until the water falls to the dotted line 

 Y Y, when the float will also have fallen, and by its action upon one 

 of the teeth on the end of the spindle, have raised the opposite end of 

 the tube, causing the metal ball to roll to the other end, which force 

 being conveyed to tlie plug of the cock by the driver, suddenly moves 

 it into its original position. The water will again rise into the cham- 

 ber A, and acting on the compressed air expel the water from B, 

 through the four way cock. Thus each chamber receives and dis- 

 charges distinct portions of water ; the pressure exerted to fill the one, 

 being communicated by a column of air to discharge that in the other. 

 Each stroke being equal to the area of the chamber A, from dotted line 

 to dotted line, (minus the bulk of the float and other machinery in that 

 part of the chamber). It may here be remarked that the bulk of 

 chamber B has nothing to do with the measurement ; for B can only 

 receive as much water as A discharges, and can only discharge as much 

 as is received by A. The only exception to this rule, is when an 

 additional pressure takes place, at this time a longer stroke is given, 

 which is again repaid by a short one, which exactly compensates for 

 it when the pressure is removed. 



Upon the axis M, there are two teeth taking into a crown wheel, 

 similar to a clock escapement ; thus tlie vibrations of the axis M, 

 give rotary motion to the upright spindle O ; from thence to the 

 counting apparatus which is of a novel description. 



11 



