, 1880-06-20

ERICSSON'S NEW MOTOR,
Using q Gns.Rurner to Lift Water to tn
Tops Of Buildings.
Netr Iork Times.
Capt John Ericsson, the mathematician an
inventor, has recently perfected and patented
caloric pumping engine Of very curious an
novel construction. which is claimed to fusnis
the Hnai solution OF q. question Of the utmos
practical difficulty in hydraulic engineering
The question ct ruistng q column Of water .
given diameter to the surface Is very simpl
one to the hydraulic engineer; but In moder1
ltre-clty life In particu1ar-it Is frequently re
qufted to NIL large tanks at hight Of fifty o
seTenty-fve feet above the surface. In manu-
factories the volume of water to be raised to sucl
| q hight sometimes exceeds 200 gallons per hour
and In private dwellings the volume necessary To-
domestic purposes is often very considerable
Two motors have exclusive Of manual labor
been hitherto employed for the purpose Of work.
ing force-puEps Of greater or less capacity
One Of these is the windmill, which, while taking
! advantage Of a source Of power that costs moth
ing, requires considerable ground space for the
liable to be completely shattered by high wind.
! II well constructed suchn motor costs not less
than 81, ,Wo for the engine itself and the neces-
snry appurtcnances aud Is not very desirable
| when completed. The steani-engiue Is not very
costly, and is sufficiently durable and efficient
! IL requires Lu6 SERVICES OF a GCmDffPlt.
licensed engineer, and is hence not practical for
private dwellings or persons OF moderate means.
to whom s50 = month is consideration.
! The principle upon which the Ericsson motor
Is founded Is that of the alternate contraction
] and expansion OF Il given volume OF air* con-
fined In u cylinder and subjected tn rapid alter
may be supplied by a l5-foot gas burner, by
y small furnace, or, Tor an engine capnble Of
light work in laboratory, BY an alcohol lamp.
or other such complication, Is mounted in an
upright position upon IN iron stand Tor pretty
+ Of Fl s ae,s eyaer Of hf S s o
working atr-tight, which closes it herInoticaly,
and thus confines 9 given Volume Of air. It is
o6yiona t tat weFs hea1 is pped to the bottom
oned will expand and lift the piston with
great force to hight commensurate
ed the tne p5son to cesan af.dr haxlhs hats
the confined volume of air is suddenly cooled,
1t contracts to its normal proportions, and, un-
contruetion. Il vacuum will be created. In point
OF fact, the piston returns to its original posi-
hon by external pressure OF the atmosphere:
nishes the power for the upward movement, at
mosphertc pressure furnishes the power for tho
downward. The two movements. when applied
upon the ordinary principles of engineering,
are equal to one revolution Of the balance
wheels Of stationary enElnt. or OF the driving
IN the atr-cytinder is something less thai, one
third Of the distance from the top to the bot
tom, that when 1t actually comes rest ut its
lowest point, about two-thirds OF the interior Is
occupied BY air, upon which the face Of the
piston rests as upon nu elastic cushion.
When the expansion Of the heated air hus
its temperature surely, fustanraneously, and
eEcctually, without Withdrawing the source OF
heat from beneath. "A simple but ingenious
automatic regularity and certainty. For about
one-third Of tho distu1lcc froul the top-thc Sec
ton through which the piston movcs-the cylin-
~f,3fsk skGfyr
tains 1t at normal temperature. When the
piston is at its lowest, tha cooling surface Is not
piston rises larger and larger urea Of cooling
surface is exposed: but this would not be stlffi-
cient IN and Of itself to reauce the temperature
with tho highly -he,ted bottom Of the cylinder. !
To obviate this difficulty, a plungcr not in con |
tnct with the internal surface. but Of smaller |
In the air space-desecnllins as the piston
rises, ascending as it falls, SO that when the lat
ter has been lifted to its highest point the for
with the heated base, and hasdispaced the lower
stratum Of air from contact. Thus, exposed to
cooling. surfaces Mt nj! points, it contracts rs
volume, and the piston returns to its original
position to prevent vacuum. But us the piston
talls tho plunger rises. the confined mir is again
exposed to the Intensely heated surface ut the |
'otton, and expands as suddenly rs 1t had pre-
'iousIr contracted. The handle OF the plunger
rated RAJ Cd By means ms Of series Of % tngeniousys @
rived Levers, without gearing or complex de-
ices of any kind When once the gas islI=hted be-
ia required. It will work On for hours, |
lays, or weeks without the slightest attention
rom anybody. ttght tho Jet beneath: aud in
nd only stops when tho gas has been turned OF
Or three or four minutes. Although exerti1ig
power, the motor fs utmost perfectly
Juggling and putting, no grating
cogs Or concuss1uu of surfaces. The eye |
nes the work done, but the ear Is scarcely aware
u ae Bump is ecrcd ,n e,y : to assn n
on arm projecting from the cylfn,ler. forcing
Re water through the Jacket cncirclfng its upper
,ction, and thence through Il pipe leading to the
INK or other receptacle. An ingcuiously con-
lived air-cush1on obvintcs all concnssion from |
,e movement of the water, and renders tho
The work Of this little engine. not more thun |
'ur feet high, table md ull. and occupying u
,or spucc Of thfrty-ninc By twenty Inches, has
uses W Of Mr: Dclatnater, II tho belamatcr II Iron ron
'orks. and of Mr. Baldwin, the bunker. who I
res ut Huntington. Long Island. With I'm
atcr an hour against head Of fifty feet--that I
lifts $50 gallons of water per hour to hight 7
nifty feet. The consumption Of R:ts Is fifteen
IS, the six-nch- -calibse engine Is capable OF | :
lmping 20 gallons an hour to tho same hight ! d
We hundred gallons IN hour have been raised | :
irty feet. The pipe used for discharge is one :
o-tneh calibre, so that column Of water ffty | e
ct high weighs about scyenty-tlve pounds. r
| II
tuttug atmoaperic pressure for expansion, | +
vice versa, at each revolution of the balance r.
,uld work with Ii slow. hestating. Irregular :
,vement- The reverse. however. Is true. The ( q
soke Of the piston is extremely even and
lady, when the motor Is moving slowly, and |
len in rapid action 1t is as decisive and power
rs that OF Il steam engine. From thirty to
.ty revolutions per minute Is the rule with Il | r.
assumption Of fifteen cubic feet OF gas per
ur. The second point, and one that has been i
gcd BY competent engineers, is that rs the -
ter passing Through the Jacket has to absorb | T,
heat Of the confined air once during every | =
'olution of tho Wheel 1t n1rst necessarily be | =
rmed during the passage. Experiment has r
,wn that this is not the case- On the ~
,trary, the most delicate medical ther- -
meter IS unable to detect the rise in tenn m
'ature in passing through the Jacket The i
kct has four times the capacity Of the pump, -
tch makes about thirty strokes per minute.
o heat absorbed Is consequently equal to ap- | a.
cation Of tiftecn-foot Ias-burncr to about n
gallon OF water for tho space of eight sec- 4,
Is. OF course, ordinary experience. inde- [ 81
ldent of special test, would indicate that tho ~
orption under such conditions must be too A,
to be measured by instruments Of 49,
more than standard deIlcacy. r.
Times reporter called upon Capt Ericsson Mt \
residence the other day and inquired about | 4,
wonderful motor The old gentleman 49,
ghed heartily when the subject was men,
led. "Oh, that is nothing wonderful" he su
/. IS worked it out just to fill up my spnre II
G. You caln look at it Of course. hu. It isn't n
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