IMPROVEMENTS IN, AND IN APPARATUS FOR, RAISING WATER
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Melville Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th February 1882. A com-
munication from abroad by Jules Decondun of Paris, France
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN, AND IN APPARATUS FOR, RAISING
WATER" [A communication from abroad by Jules Decondun of Paris, France]
This Invention relates to apparatus for raising water by the alternate pressure
and condensation of steam on the principle of Savery's engine and consists more
particularly in the combination therewith of a vaporizer supplied intermittently
and in a self-acting manner with regulated quantities of water for the production
of the steam required.
The construction of the vaporizor may be varied as will be hereinafter explained.
but I have shown in the accompanying Drawing one particular construction
forming part of this Invention and will proceed to describe the method of carrying
out the Invention with reference thereto.
The object of this Invention is to enable the above principle to be applied
without the employment of an ordinary steam boiler and its accessories and consists
in substituting therefor a vaporizer of simple and inexpensive construction free
from danger in use and requiring only a small furnace. The principle of the
vaporizer is that small quantities of water are admitted thereto and entirely
evaporated intermittently in sufficient quantity only to furnish the steam required
to displace the water contained in the receiver and by condensation to create the
vacuum necessary for refilling the receiver.
It is the application of the principle which is claimed as of this Invention what-
over may be the construction of the vaporizer employed. I will proceed to describe
one particular construction of vaporizer of this Invention.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 J is a casting having narrow longitudinal cells K.
connected at their alternate ends as shown and placed in a small furnace. L is a
small water tank above the vaporizer from which water is supplied to the vaporizer
automatically and intermittently in measured quantities by means of the distributor
hereafter described. The vaporizer is connected by a pipe F to the container E in
which the steam is to act, the pipe being connected at the highest and lowest
points M and N, the lower orifice being much smaller than the upper one.

page_text: The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Supposing the water to have been
raised into the receiver E in consequence of a vacuum previously produced therein
and the plunger O of the distributor (shown separately on a larger scale in Figure 3)
to have been moved to the left by the same cause, the small quantity of water P is
forced through the valve Q into the tray R and falls therefrom in a thin stream
into the cells of the vaporizer where it instantaneously becomes vaporized the
steam passing through orifice M and pipe F into the receiver E with the pressure
necessary to force the water contained therein through pipe H into tank G and at
same time force the plunger O to the right.
By this movement the space P is again filled with the quantity of water neces-
sary for the succeeding vaporization this quantity being regulated by means of the
screw stop S which limits the course of the plunger in this direction
To arrest the working it is only necessary to cut off the supply of water to the
chamber T by means of a cock
The cup U and cock are used at first start for introducing a small quantity of
water for the production of the steam necessary for expelling the air in the
receiver E and create a vacuum in the first instance.
The casting J is of considerable thickness so as to store a certain amount of heat
and the cells K are very small relatively to the capacity of the receiver so as to
have no loss of steam at each pulsation.
The internal form shown in the Drawing is adopted in order to obtain the
greatest evaporating surface with the smallest volume. The latter may be still
further reduced by filling the cells with solid substances. The bottoms of the
cells K are slightly inclined so that the water shall descend through the cells in
succession and meet the steam ascending in the opposite direction whereby the
evaporation of the former is promoted.
If in consequence of defective regulation too much water should be admitted at
a time the unvaporized excess would be forced out at the orifice N into the
receiver E and if the vaporizer be insufficiently heated, the water would merely
escape unvaporized and the water in the receiver would not be raised, so that in
either event there is no liability of accident.
Cleaning holes V closed by covers are provided for inspecting and cleaning the
interior of the vaporizer