The Ordway new era., 1907-08-09
Pneumatic Water Lift.
t'rom Thermupolis Record,


There has Just been put to practica
test Mt j. b. Gaylor's ranch an appi-
ancc for lifting water that promises
to revulutionize irrigation methods IL
localities where land lies too hish u
make gravity ditch practicapie OF
where a ditch would have to bt
brought considerable distance u
reach the land desired. IL is known
as the II. n &. Pneumatic Water LII
and is the invention OF L. c. Robinson
and J. b. Gaylor, OF this place. ana Is
protected by United States faten''
IL may be made OF metal or wood, o!
both. The one In use consist Ot u
wheel or drum lG feet long and Ut ieet
in diameter made TO reyOlTe on
metal axis. To the outer surface are
fastened longitudinal paddles, max
ing total diameter OF 10 feet. The
whole is supported and iloatcd on Il
pontoon cuntrivauce, the paddles
catching the current OF the river and
supplying power on the simple prih-
cIple OF an undcrshOt water wheel.
When the Record man saw IL it was
drawing about two feet Of water but
can be adjusted to any depth.
The center around the axis Is sim
ply hollow core and has no part in
the work OF the lift, Between this
core aud the outer surface Uf the drum
is a spiral water channel extending
thereof. This channel
has an open mouth or intake at one
end extending slightly beyond the
outer diameter OF the drum, and so
arranged that IL faces IN the direction
OF rotation and will dip given guam
tity o: water at each revolution OF the
wheel. At the opposite end OF the
spiral channel there is an outlet con
sisting OF pipe which is connected
TO and discharges through the axis ut
one end, which is made hollow for the
purpose. Attached to this by swiy-
,led arrangement Is 6-inch discharge
pipe, the outer end OF which Is elevat-
cd to .he height to which IL is desired
20 raise the water. The intake, being
submerged, only portion OF the time,
takes in only a prescribed quantity OF
water. AS the wheel rcyolves this
water seeks the lowest part Of the
spiral channel, and is followed IN turn
by given amount Of air until the m
take is again submerged Thas the
process is repeated, the spiral chan
mel being filled with successive guam
Titles OF water and air. As 1t ad-
Sauccs In the channel and the resist
lncc becomes greater the air be-
,Omes more compressed the channel
Jeing so arranged as to maintain the
roper proportion Of water and air
throughout Its entire length. The
evolution OF the spiral channel aad
.he consequent compression Of the
lir causes the water TO be discharged
With great force through the outlet by
what might be called pneumatic hy-
lraulic pressure.
Aside from the main wheel itself.
which rcyolvcs in a rigid framework,
huEe IS no noveable part 10 get out
II repair, and not a valve TO become
worn and leaky. The points that es-
]ecially recommend IL are its great
and extreme simplicity.
The uses OF a water lift OF this kind
are too many and apparent to need
discussion here. This invention is
not an experiment but a practical
success and we LelieYe' Its superiority
will at once cause 1t to be generally
adopted. 1t can be made in any size
and be placed in either running or
still water. In the latter case an out
side force would be required to drive
1t. The one In operation at Mr.. Gay
lor's ranch-whlch, by the way, Is the
fist one ever built-was seen by a
Of this paper 4 couple
OF days ago. Two weeks had passed
since IL was put in and it had never
stopped five minutes in that time.
1t was raising IS gallons per revolu-
eioh w u hciSho Va - ieeu, anu secuieu
to have immense reserve power. The
water being raised would irrigate
more than 100 acres OF land, and 1t
was not running anywhere near its
capacity. Its usefulness may be
shown by the statement that not a
foot Of the land could ever be brought
under gravity ditch,