Electrical Apparatus for Automatically Stopping the Action of Pumps when Irregularities of Working Occur, or for Giving Indications thereof.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 31st Jan., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Electrical Apparatus for Automatically Stopping the Action of Pumps
when Irregularities of Working Occur, or for Giving Indications
thereof.
I, ERNST HARTMANN, No. 26, Jacobistrasse, of Düsseldorf, Kingdom of
Prussia, German Empire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the use of electrical apparatus whereby in the event
of any lowering of the water level owing to the accumulation of air or from
other causes in pumps, the driving power is put out of action or indications of
such occurrence is given so that any damage to the pumps resulting from such
irregularities of action is avoided with certainty by the automatic action of
such irregularities upon the electrical apparatus.
For this purpose the pumps are made to communicate directly or indirectly
with a casing in which is a float which rises or falls according as the water
level varies in the pump owing to the accumulation of air or occurrence of
vacuum &c.
If the pump is working regularly, that is, if it is fully charged with liquid,
the float stands in its highest position; it assumes its lowest position before the
accumulation of air or occurrence of vacuum in the pump can take place to such
an extent as to be dangerous to the proper action thereof. In this lowest position
the float puts an electrical apparatus in action whereby the driving power is put
out of action, or an indicator or alarm is actuated.
According to one arrangement of such apparatus a vertical cylindrical casing
is connected at its upper and lower ends with the pump so that the liquid will
stand at the same level in both, and it contains a float; an adjustable tube projects
through its lower end, in which tube are two insulated wires of an electric circuit
terminating with two separated contact pieces, with which a contact piece on the
underside of the float makes contact so as to close the circuit when the float is in its
lowest position, so that the current of the electrical circuit will then be made to
actuate suitable apparatus that will effect the throwing out of gear of the engine or
motive power.
Both the float, as also the parts supporting the tube with the wires, are formed with
openings so as not to interfere with the free passage of liquid through the
casing.
The float and electrical contact device may also be arranged within any desired
part of the pump itself, such for example as in a box formed on the inner face of
the side cover of the suction valve chamber, such box having openings by which it
communicates with the said valve chamber.
Or the box may be dispensed with, and the float be merely held between the guides.
The float may be variously constructed; thus it may be cylindrical, with passages
through it, and loosely fitting the chamber, or it may be spherical and guided by a
solid or tubular stem with arms or a disc.
The apparatus can be applied in various ways for pumps, according to their
construction; thus it may be connected to the pump barrel, or to the suction valve
chamber, as described, or to the suction pipe, the upper end of the casing being in
every case made to communicate with the pump at that point where an accumulation
of air or vacuum, or the breaking off of the water column may occur.
The connecting branches may be provided with valves or cocks for closing the
communication when it is desired to inspect the apparatus.
The apparatus may also be employed to either indicate the breaking or leaking

page_text: of the pressure or other pipes of jumps, by actuating en alarm, or to stop the motor
engine or to shut a velve or cock. In this case the casing of the apparatus need
only have a single conuretion at the lower end with the jump or pipe, and it is
place at the highest point thereof, so that as soon as breakage or leakage occurs,
the water will run out of the casing and the font in desending will close the
electrical circuit, and thereby actuate the alarm or other apparatus, In this
arrangement the ening is by preference provided at its upper end with an air hole
which is kept closed by a valve acted upon by the float when in the raised position,
But which opens as non as the float begins to descend so as to allow the air to
enter.
The topping of the motor engine by the eletric current can be effected in a
variety of ways.
This the steam supply pipe may be provided with a shut-off valve kept open by
a lever which i netel on by a weight or spring so as to else the valve, when by the
closing of the electric circuit a catch or other device is mole to release the lever or
the weight or spring. Or such weighted lever may be made to put a bruke on the
flywheel in action, or to shift a driving belt on to a loose pulley.
The clerical contacts in the easing may, it sufliciently for apart, be exposed to
the water, so that a contact on the float directly effects the closing of the circuit, or
the ware terminal may be enclosed in a tube, out of contact with the water, and a
separate contact piece, held out of contact by a spring, he forced into contact there-
with by the weight of the font.
It will be evident that the reverse arrangemut my nmployed, that is to say,
the rivenit may be maintained closed by the contact piece anal the requiral stopping
or other action be produced by the breaking of the circuit, this being effected
by the weight of the float forcing the moveable contpet away from the fixel
contact.
Dated this 3nl day of May 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY.
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Electrical Apparatus for Automatically Stopping the Action of Pumps
when Irregularities of Working Ocot r, or for Giving Indications
thereof.
1, ERNST HARTMANN, No. 20. Jacobistra of Dusseldorf, Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the ame is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the use of electrical apparatus whereby, in the event of
any lowering of the water level owing to the accumulation of air or from other
enuses in pumps, the driving power is put out of action or indications of such occur-
rence is given, so that any damage to the pump, resulting from such irregularities
of action, is avoided with certainty by the automatic action of such irregularities upon
the electrical apparatus.
For this purpose the pumps are made to commnumicate directly or indirectly with
a ensing in which is a float which rises or falls according as the water level varies in
the pump owing to the accumulation of air or occurrence of vacuum, &c.
If the pump is working regularly, that is, if it is fully charged with liquid, the
flont stands in its highest position; it assumes its lowest position before the accumu
lation of air or occurrence of vacuum in the pump can take place to such an extent
as to be dangerous to the proper action thereof. In this lowest position the float
puts an electrical apparatus in action whereby the driving power is put out of action,
or an indicator or alarm is actuated.
The accompanying drawings shew various arrangements for carrying out my said
invention.

page_text: Referring to the arrangement shewn in vertical section at Fig. 1, a casing a, con-
nected at top and bottom by branch pipes with a suitable part of the pump,
contains a freely moving float e, shewn in its highest position, which corresponds
with the normal working of the pump. Into the lower part of the casing is introduced
an adjustable tube d containing an open electrical circuit e e¹ which can be closed
by means of a contact e' attached to the float, and which is arranged in any suitable
manner for effecting the stopping of the driving machinery when the float has sunk
so as to close the circuit.
The float c, as also the guide for the tube d have openings so that the casing a
may always communicate effectually at both ends with the interior of the pump.
The float e as also the electrical circuit e e¹ may also be arranged in the pump
itself, and be made to effect the stopping of the engine in the same way as described.
For example, the apparatus may be arranged on the inner side of the cover of the
suction valve box, as shewn at Fig. 2. In this case the chamber a¹ in which the
float moves must also communicate with the interior of the valve box, or be open
at the side. Or the chamber a' may be dispensed with, and the float be made to
rise and fall upon guides in the valve box itself as shewn at Fig. 24.
The float can be constructed in various ways; for example it may be of spherical
form as at Fig. 14, having a hollow stem which is guided by an open piston c*.
The stem can be open at both ends, for equalising the pressure.
The arrangement of the apparatus relatively to the pump may be variously
modified to suit the particular construction of the latter, as shewn by way of
example at Figs. 3 to 6. The upper branch of the casing a is always con-
nected to that part of the pump or suction valve box where an accumulation
of air or a vacuum may occur, causing a breaking off of the suction column
from the pressure column, or from the piston or plunger, consequently in the
case of pumps with piston or plunger, the connection should be made at a point
some distance below the highest position of the piston or plunger, as at Figs. 3 and 5,
while with pumps where the valve boxes are moved as at Fig. and with
"Rittinger" pumps as at Fig. 6, the said connection must be at some point below the
forcing valve or the suction valve.
The branch pipes may be provided with shut-off devices in order to enable
the chamber, the float, or the electrical connections &c. to be inspected or
changed.
The arrangement can also be employed for actuating a signalling apparatus or a
shut-off or stopping or braking device, or for performing any similar function in the
event of the mains or any part of the pumps becoming broken or leaky, in water
works and the like.
In this case the arrangement shewn at Fig. 7, may be employed, where only
a single branch pipe is connected to the highest possible part of the main.
As soon as the pressure in the main sinks, or the contents commence to be
discharged through a fracture, the float will fall and, in closing the electric
circuit e e¹, will cause the current to actuate the necessary apparatus.
With this arrangement the float may be advantageously connected to an air
valve Fig. 7 which will be opened by the sinking of the float, so that such
sinking will be accelerated.
The stopping of the driving engine by means of the electric current can be
effected in various ways. For example the steam supply may be admitted through
a shut-off device, such as a valve, throttle valve &c., which is closed by means of
a lever mechanism actuated by a weight or spring when the current in the closed
electric circuit is made to act upon an electro magnet whose armature when not
attracted, locks the lever apparatus in the open position. Or in a similar manner,
a lever mechanism can be actuated so as to bring into action a brake mechanism
operating on the fly wheel of the motor engine, or again the slide valve gear may
be thrown out of action thereby.
The wires e e¹ can lie free in the water if they are a sufficient distance apart.
Although the electric circuit is to a certain extent closed by this means, the current

page_text: produced would be too weak to arturte any of the before described stopping or
breaking mechanisms.
This will only be effected after the metallic closing of the circuit has been com-
pleted by the contact of the float with the wires ee. The wires can also be
insulated within the adjustable tube d by closing the latter at top, so that the wires
do not project out of the same. The tube is in that case made with a stuffing box k
Fig. 1 through which passes a spindle which is held in a raised position by a
spring and which has at its lower end a contact dise e, so that on the depression of
the spindle on the sinking of the float, the disc will close the circuit.
In place of using an open circnit which is closed on the sinking of a float, the
reverse arrangement may be employed, that is to say, a closed electric circuit may
be arranged to be broken by the descent of the float, so that the topping or
braking appliances are brought into action by the interruption of the current.
Fig. 8 shows such an arrangement, in which the contact disc is hell in contact
with the wires by the spring acting on the spindle, and is removed therefrom
so as to break the circuit on the depression of 7 by the float.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. An electrical appliance for stopping or breaking the driving machinery of
pumps or for giving a signal when irregularities in the working occur, consisting of
a float which is held in a raised position when the pump is in regular action, but
which sinks on the occurrence of any irregularity, and is thereby made to close or
open an electrical circuit whereby stopping or braking devices are brought into
action or a signal is given, substantially as described.
2. The application of the apparatus referred to in the preceding claim to a water
main under pressure in such manner that on the occurrence of a fracture or leak in
the main. a float contained in a chamber connected to the main will sink and will
thereby close or open the electric circuit so as to operate the stopping or braking
gear, while at the same time the float may or may not be made to open an air
valve in the said chamber so as to facilitate the descent of the float, substantially as
described.
Dated this 20th day of January 1801
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.