Improvements in Hydraulic Air Pumps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 5th May, 1894
Improvements in Hydraulic Air Pumps.
I, EDWARD HARDING WEATHERHEAD, of 297 Washington Street, in the
City of Cleveland, in the County of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, United States
of America, Mechanic, 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 :-
My invention relates to hydraulic air pumps, and the invention consists in a
pump, substantially as shown and described and particularly pointed out in the
claims.
The accompanying drawing shows a central vertical sectional elevation of my
improved pump.
A represents the main casing or cylinder, closed about its sides and open at its
ends for air and water connections, respectively, as shown. The piston or
diaphragm B sub-divides the said cylinder into a water chamber beneath, and an
air chamber above and is packed fluid tight so as to prevent the water getting into
the air chamber. At the bottom of the said casing or cylinder A is a water inlet
coupling C of any suitable kind, and the water outlet pipe D, both of said parts
being connected to the immediate bottom of the said cylinder. An inlet valve c is
placed in the valve chamber of the said coupling and adapted to close the inlet
water passage from below, and a valve d controls the outlet passage through the
pipe D from above. The two valves are connected by a cross piece b, which is
rigidly fixed to the valve rod or stem E. In the position of the valves as shown
in the drawing, the inlet valve c is open, and the outlet valve d is closed.
Assuming that the piston B is rising under the pressure of water flowing into the
water chamber beneath the same, with the valve c open as shown, the said valve
will be closed when the piston B has risen far enough above its present position to
cover the distance between the said valve and its seat. When this occurs the
water inflow is closed and the water outlet opened, and the water in the main
casing then escapes until the piston B drops to the position shown in dotted lines.
This done, the position of valves c and d is reversed and they are again as seen in
the drawing.
The valve rod E extends into the tube or pipe F, which opens down through the
center of the piston B. A spiral or coiled spring e is placed in the said tube or
pipe F around the valve rod therein and beneath the head el thereof, so that there
is a spring or cushioned effect on the said valve rod E when it is carried upward by
the piston B, as occurs when the valve c is closed and the valve d opened to reverse
the action of the pump as above described.
Extending upward from the top of the main casing is a tube or cylinder G,
which is rigid with the said casing and affords a covering and guide for pipe F
and its counter-weight G. At its upper end the tube or pipe F is provided with a
packing g to make it air tight and prevent escape of air from the air chamber
beneath.
In operation the piston B is carried up under pressure of the water flowing into
the cylinder until it reaches about the point shown in the drawing, where it is just
ready to raise the valve c to closing position. When this occurs and valve d is
opened, said valves remain in that position until the piston B descends to the
bottom of the cylinder and again closes the outlet valve and opens the inlet valve.
Then the piston B will again be subject to water pressure and the operation already
described will be reveated.

page_text: When the piston descends air is admitted through the valved air inlet h, and
when the piston rises the air is forced out through the valved outlet . The
counter-weight G¹, or its equivalent, above the tube F serves to facilitate the
discharge from cylinder A, when the valve d is opened. The action of the pump
is automatic and the pump may be set into any suitable water connections and
used whenever it is desired to compress air, gas or vapor for any purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is:
1. In an hydraulic air pump, a cylinder closed its entire length and having air
inlets and outlets at one end and water inlets and outlets at the other end, a piston
within the said cylinder weighted to expel the water, and valve mechanism to
control the flow of water into and from the pump, substantially as set forth.
2. In an hydraulic air pump, the main casing having water passages at one end
and air passages at the other end, a piston in said casing separating the air and water
tberein, a tube at the top of said cylinder and opening into the same, a pipe fixed
to the said piston and extending into said tube and closed at its top, connected
valves for the inflow and outflow water passages respectively, and a valve rod
connected with said valves and extending into said pipe through the piston,
substantially as set forth.
3. The main casing having water inlets and outlets at its bottom and air inlets
and outlets at its top, and a piston in said casing dividing the same into water and
air chambers, in combination with a tube opening into said casing centrally from
the top, a pipe fixed to said piston and working in said tube, and valve controlling
rod extending into said pipe at its lower end, and a spring cushion in said pipe to
relieve strain on said valve rod, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 5th day of March 1894.
EDWARD HARDING WEATHERHEAD.