️TRANSLATION French to English 1st Page. New Water Meters for Modern Drinking Water Distribution. 1913 Manufacturer heading

Improved Measuring and Control Instruments for the Distribution of Water, Gas, Electricity, etc.

Offices, Warehouses and Workshops: Lagny-sur-Marne, near Paris

Telegraphic Address: Vaudrey-Lagny, Telephone: 153-Lagny

Introduction

"In this notice, detailed though it may be, we do not claim to deal fully with all the questions raised by these meters; we merely intend to summarize the present state of the question while taking into account the application of our ideas and the many tests that support them.

The use of meters is now imposed by the administrations of Water Services, whether distribution is by free flow or by measured supply."

Figure 1

Sketch of a common modern velocity-type water meter, frequently accepted in competition with the more advantageous volume and mixed-type meters.

Classification of Water Meters

Water meters may be divided into three classes:

A. Large-flow meters for principal or secondary mains. (See our special circular.)

B. Subscriber meters also called first-service meters.

C. Apartment, sub-metering, or divisionary meters (compteurs divisionnaires).

"We shall concern ourselves principally here with these last three classes."

How Meters Work

The article explains three principal measuring principles:

1. Volume Meters > The piston moves through a quantity exactly equal to the volume of water measured.

2. Velocity Meters > The moving element, usually a wheel with blades (a turbine), moves by an amount proportional to the volume of water passing through it.

3. Combined Meters > Recently a third category, called combined meters, has been adopted. These combine a velocity meter and a volume meter in the same housing.

The text notes that combined meters reduce wear because neither measuring element is used continuously.

Comments on Accuracy > The author states that:

Velocity meters are attractive in principle.

However, despite serious construction efforts, they have not always provided the reliability expected.

Better results were reportedly obtained in tests conducted in Paris.

Museum Note

This is a interesting document because it captures the transition period when three competing meter technologies were in use:

Displacement (volume) meters

Velocity/turbine meters

Combined meters (hybrid designs)

It provides a contemporary explanation of why engineers were debating the relative merits of piston meters versus turbine/velocity meters in the early 20th century, especially for domestic and apartment sub-metering applications.

2nd Page: Describes small turbine (velocity) water meter, called a "compteur à moulinet" (literally "little wheel meter" or turbine meter).

Water Meters with Turbine Wheel S.A. System (Ancien)

Special for:

Barracks, Schools, Slaughterhouses, Carrot-washing facilities, Breweries Etc.

The figure opposite demonstrates the construction difference between these two models:

Wet-type meter or Dry-type meter

Figure Captions

Fig. 2 > S.A. Meter Wet type, threaded connection version

Fig. 3 > S.A. Meter Dry type, flanged connection version

Fig. 4 > Cross-section of a wet meter, first size, threaded connection

Fig. 5 > Plan view of a wet meter, first size, threaded connection

Technical Description

At the interior of a tube through which water passes, there is mounted a bladed wheel resembling a small windmill. This wheel rotates according to the volume of water passing through the instrument.

The meter body is made in two parts:

A lower chamber where the wheel rotates and An upper chamber containing the counting mechanism

The movement of the wheel is transmitted to the register through mechanical gearing.

Wet-Type Meter

In the wet meter, the counting mechanism is in direct contact with the water.

The water enters the measuring chamber, strikes the wheel blades, and causes rotation. The number of wheel revolutions is proportional to the volume of water passing through the meter.

Because the gearing and register are immersed, wear and deposits can affect accuracy over time.

Dry-Type Meter

The text then describes the dry dial arrangement.

In this design:

The water remains confined to the measuring chamber.

The register mechanism is separated from the water.

Motion is transmitted through a sealed system.

This provides:

Better protection of the counting mechanism

Easier reading of the dial

Reduced corrosion and fouling

Construction Details

The article notes that:

Water enters through an inlet passage.

It is directed onto the wheel blades.

The wheel axis drives the counting train.

The water then exits through the discharge passage.

The measuring chamber is carefully designed so that virtually all the water is forced to pass through the wheel.

Museum Notes

This is a very useful page because it illustrates the French distinction between:

Compteur humide (wet meter) a Register immersed in water.

Compteur sec (dry meter) a Register isolated from water.

The illustrations are excellent examples of early 20th-century velocity meters. Unlike the Sans Rival apartment meter discussed on the previous page, which was marketed as a domestic sub-meter, these S.A. turbine meters were aimed at larger consumers such as schools, barracks, breweries, and industrial users.

The abbreviation "S.A." here appears to be a product series designation rather than "Société Anonyme." Since the same publication repeatedly refers to S.A. meters and Sans Rival S.A., there is a good possibility that S.A. was a brand or model family used by the manufacturer. Further pages from the publication may reveal exactly what the initials stood for. 3rd Page: Sub-Meters (Divisionary Meters) BENEFITS of WATER METERING -1913 FRANCE

Anti-Waste Meters (Second Service Connection)

Meters for floors, apartments, households, etc., intended for measuring and charging water consumption; supplied with clean dry dials and available with horizontal, vertical, mixed, or tap connections.

The "SANS RIVAL" (S.A. Divisionary Meter)

"For a long time, engineers have sought a meter suitable for private domestic installations."

To achieve this, the meter needed to:

Measure very small consumptions accurately.

Be robust enough to withstand ordinary usage.

Be compact enough to be installed close to residents.

Be inexpensive enough for widespread installation in apartments, small industries, and working-class housing.

These requirements, difficult to combine, had previously prevented manufacturers from producing a meter considered entirely satisfactory for widespread domestic use.

The S.A. "Sans Rival" meter appears at a time when measuring water consumption is beginning to concern property owners and small industries alike. In many cities, associations of property owners have been formed to seek practical solutions to this problem.

Characteristics

This small instrument, as ingenious as it is simple, adapts readily to virtually all existing water systems in both private and industrial buildings.

Its capacity is considerable:

1,500 to 1,800 litres per day minimum

while remaining suitable for all ordinary domestic requirements.

It can be fitted:

with horizontal connections, with vertical connections, or with mixed connections, allowing use on various floor levels and in apartments containing several water outlets such as:

bathrooms, water closets, service sinks, kitchens.

For small dwellings where plumbing is limited, a version fitted with a single tap can be installed in laundries, hallways, stair landings, and similar locations.

Construction

The meter is built entirely of bronze and therefore withstands high water pressures.

Consequently it bears no comparison with certain so-called economical meters made of soft metal, which cannot withstand wear, minor shocks, and quickly become inaccurate, making effective control impossible.

Guarantee and Service

The manufacturers state:

"We can guarantee it for two years instead of one, as is customary with competing systems."

They also offer:

maintenance of the meters, leasing arrangements, installation, quarterly readings, for a fixed annual charge.

Why Sub-Metering?

The article notes that architects increasingly provide modern apartments with:

bathrooms, toilet rooms, flushing water closets connected to sewers.

These modern conveniences have substantially increased daily water consumption.

The authors argue that it is unfair for all tenants to share costs equally when actual consumption differs greatly between occupants.

Instead, each resident should have:

"a divisionary meter enabling payment solely for the water actually consumed."

Claimed Benefits

The article claims that individual water metering would:

- eliminate disputes regarding water bills,

- make users responsible for their own consumption,

- reduce wastage caused by unmeasured use,

- ensure a more equitable distribution of costs.

The article concludes by claiming:

Annual water savings of 30% to 40% could be achieved. Museum Historical note This is a remarkable early argument for universal apartment sub-metering. The author is essentially making the same case still heard today: - Pay only for what you use. - Reduce water waste. - Prevent disputes between tenants and owners. - Encourage conservation through individual accountability. The "Sans Rival" appears to have been specifically designed as a compteur divisionnaire (apartment or tenant sub-meter) rather than a main utility meter, making it an important example of early domestic water metering in France.