Improvements in Hydraulic Rams.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hydraulic Rams.
.
I, JAMES KEITH, Assoc. M.Inst.C.E., of 27, Farringdon Avenue, in the City
of London, Gas, Hydraulic, Heating and Ventilating Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
This invention which relates to hydraulic rams has for its object to provide
a dash valve of improved construction designed to overcome the difficulty and
uncertainty of working the ram due to want of reaction in the drive pipe when
the height to which the water has to be raised is small compared with the
working fall, and to provide a simple and reliable means of keeping the air
vessel charged with air.
The improved dash valve is made in the form of a double seated and balanced
valve composed of two discs carried by a hollow spindle and arranged to drop
by its own weight from its seat, when the water pressure is relieved owing to
the pressure being nearly equal on both top and bottom, and which as soon as
it has left its seat is no longer balanced but acts like an ordinary dash valve.
The bottom disc or part of the valve at the lower end of the spindle resembles
an ordinary dash valve closing upwards against a ground or other seat in the
outflow orifice, and is provided with adjusting discs and propeller nut or other
attachments, whilst the upper part is composed of a disc preferably cast solid
with the upper end of the spindle and made of such a size as to permit of passing
through the bottom seat. The upper valve beats against a soft or other seat.
formed by a rubber or other washer which accomodates itself to the lower seat,
the said washer being held by flanges or otherwise, the said flange or support
being part of or attached to the main valve body. The seat may also be a
ground one, or the lower seat may be soft and the upper seat hard or both
seats may be soft. The spindle works in a separate bearing situated between
the two discs, and it has a hole bored through it to conduct the water pressure
to the top valve face, the size of which hole may be adjusted by bushing. The
lower valve is of slightly larger diameter than the upper valve dise so that the
valve may be normally closed whilst still allowing of its dropping from its
seat at each reaction in the drive pipe.
Above the top disc of the valve a cavity is formed in the small upper casing
communicating with the air vessel by means of a tube and within the cavity
a non-return valve is fitted and closes downwards to prevent outflow from the
air vessel. At each fall of the dash valve the water which enters the cavity
through the hole in the spindle drops out and is replaced by air. Then when
the valve again closes on its seat the shock of the water is communicated
through the hole in the spindle to the air enclosed in the cavity and forces the
air up through the non-return valve into the air vessel, the shock in the drive
pipe being always greater than the pressure in the air vessel. The cavity may
be proportioned to suit the quantity of air required at each, stroke and after
all the air has been forced through the non-return valve, any water which

page_text: follows it merely supplements the action of the main non-return valve in the air
vessel.
The improved dash valve may operate without the air supply arrangement
above described as working in conjunction with it.
Dated this 6th day of May 1899.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow.
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Hydraulic Rams.
1, JAMES KEITH, Assoc. M.Inst.C.E., of 27, Farringdon Avenue, in the City
of London, Gas, Hydraulic, Heating and Ventilating Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention which relates to hydraulic rams has for its object to provide
a dash valve of improved construction designed to overcome the difficulty and
uncertainty of working the ram due to want of reaction in the drive pipe when
the height to which the water has to be raised is small compared with the
working fall, and to provide a simple and reliable means of keeping the air
vessel charged with air.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings,. Fig. 1 being a
part vertical section and part elevation, and Fig. 2 a horizontal section on the
Tine x-x.
The improved dash valve is made in the form of a double seated and balanced
valve composed of two discs A, A, carried by a hollow spindle B and arranged
to drop by its own weight from its seat, when the water pressure is relieved
owing to the pressure being nearly equal on both top and bottom, and which as soon
as it has left its seat is no longer balanced but acts like an ordinary dash
valve.
The bottom disc A or part of the valve at the lower end of the spindle B
resembles an ordinary dash valve closing upwards against a ground or other
seat C in the outflow orifice D, and is provided with adjusting discs and pro-
peller nut or other attachments, whilst the upper part is composed of a dise A
preferably cast solid with the upper end of the spindle B and made of such a
size as to permit of passing through the bottom seat C. The upper valve beats
against a soft or other seat formed by a rubber or other washer E which
accomodates itself to the lower seat C, the said washer E being held by flanges
or otherwise, the said flange or support being part of or attached to the main
valve body. The seat E may also be a ground one, or the lower seat C may be
soft and the upper seat E hard or both seats may be soft. The spindle B works
in a separate bearing F situated between the two dises A, A, and it has a
hole B bored through it to conduct the water pressure to the top valve face,
the size of which hole may be adjusted by bushing. The lower valve A is of
slightly larger diameter than the upper valve dise A so that the valve A may
be normally closed whilst still allowing of its dropping from its seat E at each
reaction in the drive pipe.
Above the top disc A of the valve a cavity G is formed in the small upper
casing communicating with the air vessel by means of a tube H and within

page_text: the cavity a non-return valve I is fitted and closes downwards to prevent
outflow from the air vessel. At each fall of the dash valve the water which
enters the cavity G through the hole B in the spindle B drops out and is
replaced by air. Then when the valve again closes on its seat the shock of the
water is communicated through the hole B in the spindle B to the air enclosed
in the cavity G and forces the air up through the non-return valve I into the
air vessel, the shock in the drive pipe being always greater than the pressure
in the air vessel. The cavity may be proportioned to suit the quantity of
air required at each stroke and after all the air has been forced through the
non-return valve I, any water which follows it merely supplements the action
of the main non-return valve in the air vessel.
The improved dash valve may. operate without the air supply arrangement
above described as working in conjunction with it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
1. A dash valve for hydraulic rams, the parts of which are constructed, com-
bined, and arranged to operate, substantially as described.
2. A dash valve, consisting of a hollow spindle, having valve discs at each
end, one of which is adjustable in respect to its seat, the valve being balanced
by the action of the pressure water passing through the hollow spindle and acting
upon the top disc and being arranged to act as an ordinary dash valve when
the water pressure is relieved, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a dash valve consisting of a hollow spindle having
valve discs at each end upon which the pressure acts to balance the valve, of
an air cavity formed in the upper valve casing and connected to the air vessel,
said cavity being provided with a non-return valve which closes downwards and
prevents outflow from the air vessel, substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of February 1900.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow.
Agent for the Applicant.
"