IMPROVE- MENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTS, AND IN THE MODE OF OPERATING THE SAME
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTS, AND IN THE MODE OF OPERATING THE SAME."
-A communication from abroad by Adolphe Le Boeuf, of Paris, in the
Empire of France.
Sealed the 31st January 1868, and dated the 2nd August 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd August 1867.
1, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTS, AND IN THE MODE OF OPERATING THE
SAME," a communication to me from abroad by Adolphe Le Bœuf, of Paris,. in
the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
-hydraulic-lift,-and-to-an-improved-mode of operating certain hydraulic lifts.
According to this Invention it is proposed to employ a tubular or hollow
column of any desired height according to the amount of lift required, such
column having a slit or opening on one side extending throughout its entire

page_text: length. In the exterior of the said column there are fitted two pistons packed
with cup leathers or otherwise, and connected together by a short coupling or
rod. Midway between the two pistons there is secured to the said rod or
coupling a horizontal forked arm which passes out through and works along
the slit in the column as the pistons ascend and descend therein. Each side
of the slit is faced with a strip of steel or other metal so shaped on the inner
edge as to form recesses for the reception of two longitudinal strips of
vulcanized india-rubber; these strips of rubber constitute the seating for a
thin flexible blade of steel, copper, or other suitable metal which is placed
inside the column from top to bottom, and by being pressed close against the
inner side of the slit by.the water pressure in the column below the pistons
serves effectually to close such slit and prevent any escape of water there-
through. In order to allow of the free passage of the forked arm along the slit-
the above-mentioned flexible metallic packing blade passes between or inside the
two limbs of the forked arm secured to the piston rod or coupling and bears
against the closed end of the fork, so that at the part where the arm passes
through the slit the packing blade will be drawn towards the interior of the
column and will leave the slit exposed for the passage of the arm; as this
opening or exposure of the slit only occurs at the part embraced between the
. two. pistons which work fluid-tight in the column no leakage can take place,
the lower piston closing the flexible metallic packing blade again as it pro-
gresses upwards. The platform or platforms for the reception of the loads to
be elevated are connected to the protruding end of the horizontal traversing
arm by cross arms rivetted to the latter, and these cross arms are connected
by suspension rods or otherwise to the platforms, two of which are by preference
employed disposed so as to balance each other on each side of the column.
In order to avoid any lateral strain on the pistons the cross arms are so
bent back as to bring the points of connection with the platforms in the same
plane as the axial centre line of the vertical column. This lift may be actuated
by water pressure obtained in any well-known manner either by pumps or by
head pressure, or where steam is available by the aid of a Giffard's injector.
It is further proposed according to this Invention to apply the Giffard
injector to the working of other hydraulic lifts where a pressure of water is
required. For this purpose it is simply requisite to connect the discharging
nozzle of the injector with the pipe containing the vertical column of water,
and to work the injector by steam in the well-known nianner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st February 1868.
1.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County, of Middlesex,.
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thonsand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that J, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTS, AND IN THE MODE OF OPERATING THE
SAME," a communication to me from abroad by Adolphe Le Boeuf, of Paris, in
the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my band and seal, 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 John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon; that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
bydraulic lift, and to an improved mode of operating certain hydraulic lifts,.
and consists, firstly, in the use of an open_or_slotted_column, within-which-a-
flexible metallic packing band or blade is fitted in order to close the said slot,
such packing being opened and closed again as required by an arm connected

page_text: with a double piston which is caused to ascend inside the column by water
pressure acting from below. The slot or opening in this vertical column is
closed as fast as the piston rises by the before-mentioned internal flexible
metallic packing blade which is withdrawn from the slot (so as to open the
same) at the part contained between the two pistons in order to allow of the
passage of the connecting arm to which the platform or platforms of the lift is
or are to be attached.
Another part of this Invention consists in working bydraulic lifts in which
a pressure of water is required by the aid of what is known as the
Giffard injector in lieu of by a force pump or other like means of obtaining
fluid pressure.
And in order that my said Invention my be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
i Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a sectional elevation of the lower
portion of the improved hydraulic lift herein-before referred to; Figure 2 is
a corresponding vertical section taken at right angles to Figure 1; Figure 3
is a sectional plan corresponding to Figure 1; and Figure 4 is an enlarged
horizontal section showing the arrangement of the metallic blade or band
packing herein-after more fully described and referred to.
A represents a tubular or hollow column of any desired height according to
the amount of height of lift required, such column having a slot or opening
on one side extending throughout its entire length. In the interior of the
said column there are fitted two pistons B, B, packed with cup leathers or
otherwise, and connected together by a short coupling or rod C; midway
between the two pistons there is secured to the said rod or coupling Ca
horizontal forked arm D which passes out or projects through and traverses
along the slot in 'the column as the pistons ascend and descend therein. Each
side of the slot is by preference faced with a strip of steel or other metal a, a,
(Figure 4) so šliaped on the inner edge as to form recesses for the reception.
of two longitudinal strips of vulcanised india-rubber b, b; these strips of rubber
constitute the seating for the thin flexible blade or band of steel, copper, or
other suitable metal c,' which is placed inside the column A and extends from
top to bottom thereof, and by being pressed close against the inner side of the
slot by the water' pressure in the column below the pistons serves effectually
to close such slot and prevent any escape of water through it. In order to
allow of the free passage or traverse of the forked arm D along the slot the

page_text: above-mentioned flexible metallic packing blade c passes between or inside
the two jaws of the said forked arm secured to the piston rod or coupling C,
and bears against the closed end of the fork, as shewn clearly in Figures 2 and 3,
so that at the part where the arm D passes through the slot the packing blade c
will be drawn towards the interior of the column A (see Figure 2), and will
leave the slot exposed or open for the passage of the arm D; as this opening
or exposure of the slot only occurs at the part embraced or inclosed between
the two pistons B, B, which work fluid-tight in the column, no leakage can
take place, the lower piston being made to close or press into its place again
the flexible metallic packing blade c as it progresses upwards. The platform
or platforms E, E, for the reception of the loads to be elevated are connected
to the protruding end of the arm D by cross arms F, F, rivetted to the arm D,
which cross arms are connected by suspension rods G, G, or otherwise to the
platform E, two of which are by preference employed disposed so as to
balance each other on each side of the column A. In order to avoid any
lateral strain on the pistons B the cross arms F are so
the points of connection with the suspension rods G of the platforms in the
same plane as the axial centre line of the vertical column, as shewn clearly in
Figure 3. This lift may be actuated by water pressure obtained in any well-
known manner either by pumps or by head pressure, or where steam is
available by the aid of a Giffard's injector.
bent back as to bring
It is further proposed according to this Invention to apply the Giffard
injector to the working of other hydraulic lifts where a pressure of water is
required by simply connecting the discharging nozzle of the injector with the
pipe containing the vertical column of water.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the general construction, arrangement, and mode of working what
are known as hydraulic lifts, as herein-before described and illustrated by the
Drawings annexed.
Second, the combination of a slotted tube or column, and an internal
flexible metallic packing blade or band operating substantially in the manner
-and-for-the-purpose-herein-before.described and illustrated_by_the_Drawings
anuexed.
Third, the application and use to and in the working of bydraulic lifts

page_text: wherein a pressure of water is required of the apparatus known as a Giffard
injector.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)