IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER OR OTHER LIQUID
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Baldwin Latham, of No. 7, Westminster Chambers, and
John Thomas Way, of No. 9, Russell Road, Kensington, both in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER OR OTHER LIQUID."
Sealed the 10th October 1879, and dated the 18th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Baldwin Latham and John
Thomas Way at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th July
1879.
BALDWIN LATHAM, of No. 7, Westminster Chambers, and JOHN THOMAS WAY, of
No. 9, Russell Road, Kensington, both in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVED
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER OR OTHER
LIQUID."
The object of this Invention is to cool water or other liquid in summer and to
warm it in winter to a temperature which shall be practically the same at all
scasons.
For this purpose we take advantage of the fact that at a certain distance below'
the surface of the earth the temperature remains practically constant throughout
the year. We cause the water or liquid to descend to a suitable depth in pipes or
vessels of heat conducting material, exposing considerable surface so that the con
tents become tempered and then reascend by displacement to the surface for use.
We prefer to make the ascending pipe of badly conducting material or to clothe or
jacket it in such a manner that the ascending liquid shall not be materially affected
by the temperature of the upper strata. One simple form of apparatus for this
purpose consists of a metal pipe closed at bottom, which is driven or sunk into the
ground. This pipe serves for the descent of the liquid and it has within it a small
tube for the reascent thereof, which internal tube may be jacketted. The lower
part of the pipe which serves for the tempering of the liquid may be enlarged or
made in corrugated helical or other form, or subdivided into several vessels so as to
expose a considerable conducting surface. The liquid may be subjected to filtration,
and the filtering materials employed may occupy the upper part of the descending'
pipe.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Baldwin Latham-and John Thomas Way in the Great Seal Patent
-Office-on-the 16th January-1880.
--BALDWIN LATHAM, of No. 7, Westminster Chambers, and JOHN THOMAS WAY, of
No. 9, Russell Road, Kensington, both in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVED
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER OR OTHER
LIQUID."
The object of this Invention is to cool water or other liquid in summer and to
warm it in winter to a temperature which shall be practically the same at all
seasons.
For this purpose we take advantage of the fact that at a certain distance below
the surface of the earth the temperature remains practically constant throughout
the year.
We cause the water or liquid to descend to a suitable depth in pipes or
vessels of heat-conducting material, exposing considerable surface so that the con-
tents become tempered, and then reascend by displacement to the surface for use.
We prefer to make the ascending pipe of badly conducting material or to clothe or
jacket it in such a manner that the ascending liquid shall not be materially affected
by the temperature of the upper strata. One simple form of apparatus for this
purpose consists of a metal pipe closed at bottom, which is driven or sunk into the
ground. This pipe serves for the descent of the liquid and it has within it a small
tube for the reascent thereof, which internal tube may be jacketted. The lower
part of the pipe, which serves for the tempering of the liquid, may be enlarged or
made in corrugated, helical, or other form, or subdivided into several vessels so as
to expose a considerable conducting surface. The liquid may be subjected to
filtration, and the filtering materials employed may occupy the upper part of the
descending ning
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a simple form of apparatus according to our
Invention for tempering water. It consists of the pipe A driven or otherwise sunk
into the ground and having within it a smaller pipe B. Water supplied by a pipe C
descends the pipe A and ascends from its lower part by B to the discharge, which
may have a stop-cock D or other valve. One or more perforated diaphragms E
may be introduced at various heights in the pipe A to cause uniform distribution
of the water and prevent internal circulation. The descending pipe A may, at any
part-of-its-depth,-be-expanded-into-a cistern, as indicated by the dotted lines, in
which case it will be necessary to dig the ground to the depth of the cistern.
According to the modified form of the apparatus, shewn in Figure 2, the supply
and discharge pipes C and B extend down to a cistern A buried at some distance
in the ground. According to the modification shewn at Figure 3, instead of a
cistern a buried coil F is employed so as to give extended surface. In the form
shewn in Figure 4 the lower part of the pipe A is occupied by a worm G coiled
round the ascending pipe B so as to cause the water to circulate round the deeply
buried part, exposing it for an extended time to the tempering action of the
surrounding earth. Also, the upper part of the pipe A constitutes a filter for
purifying the water supplied. The water may be caused to descend repeatedly by
arranging a number of pipes in succession, as shewn at Figure 5, the discharge from
one being the supply to the next. A single supply may be distributed through a
number of tempering apparatus, as shewn at Figure 6. In this case, the supply
pipe Hopens into a buried cistern I, through which the entering water is distributed
by a deflecting-plate J and from which it descends the buried pipes A. The water
tempered in these pipes ascends by the internal pipes B, which may be protected

page_text: by surrounding casings K filled with air or non-conducting material so as to prevent
the temperature of the ascending water from being changed by conduction from the
upper strata of the ground. The apparatus may be made, as shewn at Figure 7, in
the form of a screw pile, to be screwed into the ground, and the ascending pipe B
may have its non-conducting casing K arranged within the main-pipe. The depth
to which the tempering-pipe or cistern should be sunk varies in different localities,
but practically we find that in temperate climates a depth of 25 to 35 feet is
sufficient for obtaining a near approach to uniformity of temperature throughout
the year.
Where less uniformity is required a less depth will obviously suffice.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we claim,-
First. Tempering water or other liquid by causing it to pass by displacement
through a pipe or vessel sunk in the ground to a depth where the temperature is
uniform or nearly so, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Second. The use, for tempering water or other liquid in the manner above
referred to, of apparatus constructed and operating substantially as herein described
with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Baldwin Latham and John Thomas Way;
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.