IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Birkbeck, of the Firm of Tongue
and Birkbeck, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agents and Engineers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING WATER OR OTHER
FLUIDS." A communication from abroad by Mr. Edward Bruce Boughton
Barker, H.B.M. Consul at Samsoun and Sinope, Black Sea.
Sealed the 25th March 1862, and dated the 30th December 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry Birkbeck
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th December 1861.
I, GEORGE HENRY BIRKBECK, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, of
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agents and Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING WATER OR OTHER
FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for raising or
forcing water or other fluids by means of compressed air, and consists in

page_text: improvements on a former Patent granted to Edward Bruce Boughton
Barker, dated the 22nd September 1860, No. 2318.
In the Specification of the Patent above alluded to an arrangement is
shewn and described in which an air pump is worked by a steam engine or
other motive power, such air pump being in communication with two chambers,
into which the water to be lifted or forced is alternately drawn and discharged
by the reciprocating action of the air pump. It will be found that in this
arrangement a loss of power is incurred by compressing the air contained in
the pipes between the air pump and such water chambers to a density or
pressure equal to the weight of the water to; be lifted or forced, and then
relieving such pressure in order that the water may flow into such water
chambers. Now the object of the present improvements is to avoid such
loss, which is accomplished in the following manner:-Above the water
chambers is placed a valve box having three branches, one to each of the
water chambers, and the other connected to the pipe leading to the air pump
or pumps. Within such valve box is a valve (which it is preferred to call
the reverse valve) capable (by means of a system of levers and rods) of being
actuated by the engine, so as to open or close the communication between
the air pump or pumps and one or the other of the water chambers, the com-
pressed air being directed on to the surface of the water in one of the chambers,
so as to displace the water contained therein, and cause it to flow up the
up-cast pipe to the height required. When the water has been nearly all
discharged from the chamber which is for the time being in communication
with the air pump, the engine acts on the reverse valve, and causes the com-
pressed air to act on the surface of the water contained in the other chamber,
which has been filling with water during the time of the discharge of the
contents of the first-mentioned chamber; by this arrangement the air in the
pipes between the air pump and the chambers when once compressed is kept.
at the density or pressure equal to the weight of the column of water to be
lifted. On the top of each chamber an air escape valve is fixed, to allow the
air to escape, in order that such chamber may refill with water. These valves
are connected to the reverse valve by rods or other suitable means. The air
pump is double acting, having valves at the top and bottom opening inwards
for the admission of the outer atmosphere, and valves at the top and bottom
opening outwards, connected by branches to the air pipe to prevent the
return of the compressed air into the cylinder.
The arrangement of the several valves and chambers may be varied without
departing from the character of the Invention, which consists in arranging

page_text: apparatus so as to maintain the pressure to which the air is compressed at a
density equal to that of the column of water or other fluid to be raised er
lifted thereby.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Henry Birkbeck in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HENRY BIRKBECK, of the Firm of Tongue & Birkbeck, of 34, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents and
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Henry Birkbeck, Her special licence that I, the said George
Henry Birkbeck, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Henry Birkbeck, my-executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING WATER OR
OTHER FLUIDS," a communication to him from abroad by Mr. Edward Bruce
Boughton Barker, H.B.M., Consul at Sansoun & Sinope, Black Sea, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Henry. Birkbeck,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Henry Birkbeck, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:―

page_text: This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for raising or
forcing water or other fluids by means of compressed air, and consists in
improvements on a former Patent granted to me on the 22nd September
1860, No. 2318.
In the Specification of the Patent above alluded to, an arrangement is
shown and described in which an air pump is worked by a steam engine
or other motive power, such air pump being in communication with two
chambers, into which the water to be lifted or forced is alternately drawn and
discharged by the reciprocating action of the air pump. It will be found
that in this arrangement a loss of power is incurred by compressing the air
contained in the pipes between the air pump and such water chambers to a
density or pressure equal to the weight of the water to be lifted or forced,
and then relieving such pressure in order that the water may flow into
such chambers. Now, the object of the present improvements is to avoid
such loss, which is accomplished in the following manner:-Above the water
chambers is placed a valve box, having three branches, one to each of the
water chambers, and the other connected to the pipe leading to the air pump
or pumps. Within such valve box is a valve, which it is preferred to call the
reversing valve, capable (by means of a system of levers and rods) of being
actuated by the engine, so as to open or close the communication between the
air pump or pumps and one or the other of the water chambers, the com-
pressed air being directed on to the surface of the water in one of the
chambers so as to displace the water contained therein, and cause it to flow
up the up-cast pipe to the height required. When the water has been nearly
all discharged from the chamber which is for the time being in communication
with the air pump, the engine acts on the reverse valve, and causes the com-
pressed air to act on the surface of the water contained in the other chamber
which has been filling with water during the time of the discharge of the
contents of the first-mentioned chamber; by this arrangement the air in the
pipes between the air pump and the chamber when once compressed is kept
at the density or pressure equal to the weight of the column of water to be
lifted. On the tops of each chamber an air escape valve is fixed to allow the
air to escape, in order that such chamber may refill with water. These valves
are connected to the reverse valve by rods or other suitable means. The air
pump is double acting, having valves at top and bottom opening inwards for
the admission of the outer atmosphere, and valves at the top and bottom
opening outwards, connected by branches to the air pipe, to prevent the return
of the compressed air into the cylinder.

page_text: The arrangement of the several valves and chambers may be varied without
departing from the character of the Invention, which consists in arranging
apparatus so as to maintain the pressure to which the air is compressed at a
density equal to that of the column of water or other fluid to be raised or
lifted thereby.
And in order that the Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section of apparatus according to this Invention,
arranged and applied to the shaft of a pit, for raising or forcing the water
from the bottom to the mouth thereof, whatever may be its depth. a, a', are
closed chambers placed below the level of the water at the bottom of the pit,
or the water to be raised to a higher level; b, 61, are the inlet valves by
which the water flows into the chambers to refill the same from time to time
after the contents have been discharged; c, c¹, are air escape valves to the
chambers a, a'. The valve box d, fixed on the top of the chambers a, a¹, is
formed with three branches or passages. The passages d', d³, are in com-
munication with the chambers a, a', and the passage d³ is connected to the
pipe e leading to and connected with the air pump f fixed at the mouth of
the pit, or in any other convenient situation. d'is the valve which is employed
for reversing the direction of the current of compressed air from one of the
chambers a, a to the other. When the compressed air has forced the
contents of one of the chambers up the discharge pipe g, the compressed air
(by reversing the valve d) is conducted into the other chamber to force out
its contents whilst the previously discharged chamber is being refilled. Motion
is communicated to the valves d* and c, c¹, to reverse their positions from time
to time, as required, in the following manner:-h is a crank shaft or axis,
which receives motion from the steam engine or other motive power employed
to actuate the air pump f. The axis h gives motion, by means of the
excentric and connecting rod h¹ to the bell-crank lever h³, the other arm of
which carries a driver i, which takes into and drives the toothed ratchet
wheel. The pin or projection i fixed on the side of the ratchet wheel i¹ in
its rotation acts on the bell-crank levers j and k, connected by rods j¹, k³, to
the lever arms j, k, fixed on the axis l, the lever arms 1, 1, upon which give
motion by rods 13, 1, to the lever arms 1, 1, fixed on the axis d* of the
valve d', by which its position is reversed from time to time as required. On
the axis d'of the valve d'a weighted lever arm is fixed, which is connected

page_text: by a projection with the rod c*, which connects the levers on the axes of the
circular or other air escape valves c, c¹, together, so that when the valve d' is
reversed one of the air escape valves is opened and the other closed. Figure 2
shows the outlet passages and valves g', gå, from the chambers a, a, to the
up-cast or delivery pipe 9; and Figure 3 shows a modified arrangement of
the reversing valve d', of circular form, the nature of which will be readily
understood on examining the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Henry Birkbeck, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
GEORGE HENRY BIRKBECK. (L.S.)