Improvements in Apparatus for Raising or Forcing Water or other Fluids.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th Feb., 1893—Accepted, 15th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Raising or Forcing Water or other
Fluids.
1, JAMES ATKINSON, of 3 Nassington Road, Hampstead, London, N.W.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is for the purpose of more economically and conveniently
pumping water or other fluids, and has special advantages for pumping thick
fluids such as sewerage, sludge, oils, tar, &c. also is of specially convenient form
for using in connection with plant for raising water from deep wells, mines, &c.
;
In its simplest form it consists of duplex chambers of similar capacity, this
capacity being equal to the largest amount of water it is desired to discharge at
once these chambers are preferably either sunk in the water to be lifted, or as
closely to it as may be convenient, the highest point of them should however not
be more than say twenty-seven feet above the lowest level of the water; connected
with the lower part of each chamber are suitable inlet and outlet valves with
suction pipes carried downwards into the water, & delivery pipes upwards to where
the water has to be delivered.
Communicating with the top of each of these chambers is an air pipe, through
these air pipes air is alternately forced under compression for the purpose of
expelling the water to he pumped and exhausted for the purpose of filling the
chambers. The two pipes are connected to an automatic valve from which other
two pipes lead to an air compressor, one to the delivery and one to the suction;
when the automatic valve is in one position the delivery from the air compressor
passes directly to the chamber being discharged, the suction being directly from
the other chamber; reversing the automatic valve connects the delivery with the
chamber previously being filled and the suction with the one previously discharged.
The same body of air is used over and over again, and the air compressor runs
continuously. It will be understood that when a chamber has been discharged it
will be filled with air compressed to a pressure corresponding with the head to
which the water has been forced, and at this time the other chamber will be full;
on the automatic valve reversing, the compressor will pump from the air under
pressure in the one chamber and deliver air onto the surface of the water in the
full chamber, and at first these pressures are almost equal so that very little power
is required at this time to drive the air compressor, the pressure ou the suction side
gradually falls to that at which water will flow into the chamber being filled, the
load on the air compressor will gradually increase with the greater increase of
difference in the pressures but will decrease owing to the smaller weight of air
dealt with per revolution and under most circumstances the fluctuations in the
power requisite to drive the air compressor will not be very great.
I operate the automatic reversing valve by means of the falling pressure on the
suction side of the air compressor. The valve may be moved in one direction by
means of a piston having atmospheric pressure on one side of it and the suction
pressure on the other; the piston being loaded so as to move at any adjustable
suction pressure; a second piston may be used to move the valve in the other
direction. In some instances a small float may be used in addition, in each
chamber, so as to close the opening to the air pipe thus increasing the suction and
the power available to move the valve, also making it impossible for water, or
other fluid being pumped, being drawn over into the compressor with the air.
spring moved catch or tumbling weight may be arranged in such a manner
that the resistance in moving the valve is greater at the commencement of the
CD
A

page_text: movement that afterwards so as to insure the sudden and complete reversal of the
valve.
In some pumping operations it is necessary to keep a definite delivery pressure,
as for instance, when pumping into a town supply main and there is no reservoir
or stand pipe; I then arrange the air compressor so that when the delivery
pressure is sufficient to give the desired pressure of water in the delivery main the
suction valves of the air compressor are held open and no air can be pumped
beyond the desired pressure: a sutable mechanical arrangenent for doing this is
by means of a piston or diaphragm, to one side of which the air delivery pressure
is admitted and loaded so as only to move at the decided (adjustable) pressure and
though suitable mechanism prevent the suction valves from closing, thus forming a
bye-pass between the air compressor and the suction main until the slight reduction
of pressure due to the water being delivered allows the compressor to recommence
working.
Instead of using one pair of chambers if the lift is a high one, two or more pairs
may be used so as to divide the lift between them, also in some instances a single
chamber may be used at the bottom delivering into a second one placed higher
up the two working as a pair and other pairs still higher. By these means
any height may be dealt with without requiring an excessive air pressure.
It will be seen that no air receiver is necessary with this system of pumping, it
may however be useful to have a small one on the delivery side of the air com-
pressor and between it and the automatic valve so as to reduce the sudden
movement of water immediately after the valve reverses.
By pumping air directly from a recently discharged chamber into one just
commencing to be discharged the pressure under which this air is is not lost but
assists in reducing the load on the air compressor, the system is therefore very
economical and small high speed machinery can be used, thus materially reducing
first cost, condencing to economical working, and the chambers can be placed in
any convenient position if necessary some little distance from the moving portions
of the machinery.
The out 1
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Raising or Forcing Water or other
Fluids.
I, JAMES ATKINSON, of 3 Nassington Road, Hampstead, London, N.W.
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 is for the purpose of more economically and conveniently pumping
water or other fluids, and has special advantages for pumping thick fluids, such as
sewerage, sludge, oils, tar, sugar cane juice, &c.; also is of specially convenient
form for using in connection with plant for raising water from deep wells, mines, &c.
or for forcing thick or impure fluids through filter presses.
In its simplest form it consists of duplex chambers A and B, Fig. 1. which may
be placed in a well, mine or any desired position; they are of similar capacity, but
may be of any desired shape, their capacity being equal to the largest amount of
water it is desired to discharge at once, the chambers are preferably either sunk in
the water to be lifted or placed as closely to it as may be convenient, the highest
part of them should however not be more than say twenty-severn feet above the
lowest water level; connected with the lower part of each of the chambers A and B
are suitable inlet and outlet valves, with suction pipes carried into the water, and
delivery pipes, which may be joined into one rising main C, carried upwards to
where the water has to be delivered.

page_text: Communicating with each of the chambers A and B is an air pipe; D, being
connected to A, and E to B; through these air pipes D and E, air is alternatly
forced under compression for the purpose of expelling the water to be pumped and
exhausted for the purpose of refilling the chambers. The two pipes are connected
to an automatic valve F, from which other two pipes H and G lead to any suitable
type of air compressor, 1, H being the delivery pipe, and G the suction pipe; when
the automatic valve F is in the position shown in Fig. 1. the delivery from the
compressor I passes through the delivery pipe H, and the air pipe E, into the
chamber B, forcing the water out of it, the compressor at this time draws the air
out of the chamber A, by means of the air pipe D, and suction pipe G; when the
chamber A is filled, the automatic valve F is suddenly reversed by means which
will be hereinafter described, on reversal, air drawn from B through the air pipe E,
and suction pipe G, will be forced through the delivery pipe H, and air pipe D,
into the chamber A, so as to discharge it; thus each chamber is alternately filled
and discharged. The same body of air is used over and over again and the air
compressor runs continuously. It will be understood that when a chamber has been
discharged it will be filled with air compressed to a pressure corresponding with the
head to which the water has been forced, at this time the other chamber will be full
and on reversal the compressor will pump from the air under pressure in the one
chamber and deliver this same air on to the surface of the water in the full
chamber; at first these pressures are almost equal, and but little power is required
to drive the compressor, as air is thus drawn out of the chamber recently discharged
the pressure in it gradually falls, the load on the compressor gradually increasing
owing to the greater difference in the pressures, but decreasing owing to the smaller
weight of air dealt with per revolution, and under ordinary circumstances the power
required to drive the compressor will not fluctuate to any great extent.
I operate the automatic valve F by means of the falling pressure on the suction
side of the air compressor.
A suitable arrangement of this valve is shown in
Figs. 4, 5, and 6, in which V is a slide valve commanding three ports similarly to
the slide valve commonly used in a steam engine; this valve V is moved directly
by the stop in the small external lever W which in its turn is moved, after allowing
for a certain amount of lost motion, by the double ended lever U; this lever U is
moved by pistons in the small cylinders R and S, the closed ends of these cylinders R
and S being connected by small pipes to the air pipes D and E; in the position
shown, as the chamber A becomes filled (the water level being below it) a certain
amount of suction is necessary to draw the water into it, as soon as it is full this
suction rapidly increases owing to the resistance of water passing up a small pipe,
coupled with the increase in the head, it is this sudden increase of the suction which
is used to operate the automatic valve F, the partial vacuum thereby obtained is
communicated to the cylinder R, the piston of which moves over the lever U; the
sudden and complete reversal of the valve V is ensured by the movement of, the
piston being first employed in overcoming the tension of the spring O by means of
the roller on the lever U and the cam like projection on the lever T; during the
first part of the movement of the piston in the cylinder R; when about half of its
stroke is made the stop in lever W is in contact with a stop on the lever U, and the
slide valve V commences to move, at this time the roller is passing the apex of the
cam and as it moves down the other side of the cam the spring O assists the power
exerted by the piston in the small cylinder R in moving the valve V, its sudden
and complete reversal is thus insured; when the chamber A is discharged, (more or
less entirely), the chamber B will be refilled and the reverse action will be caused
by the piston in the small cylinder S.
In some pumping operations it is necessary to keep a definite delivery pressure;
as for instance, when pumping into a town supply main without reservoir or
stand pipe; I then arrange the air compressor so that when the air delivery pressure
exceeds that which is necessary to give any desired maximum water pressure in the
water main, the suction valve (or valves) of the air compressor is held open until

page_text: the water pressure commences to fall; a suitable mechanical arrangement for doing
this is described in Letters Patent No. 1439 A.D. 1886, granted to me.
Instead of using one pair of chambers, if the lift is a high one, two or more pairs
may be used, so as to divide the lift; each pair may be placed at the same level, or
the two chambers forming a pair may be placed one above the other.
It will be seen that no air receiver is necessary; it may however be desirable to
employ a small one on the delivery side of the compressor, especially when the lift is
divided into more than one separate lift; and in some cases a small one on the suction
side also; I wish it however to be distinctly understood that for any total lift,
whether it may be in one or more separate lifts that the same body of air is used
over and over again, with the exception of a continuous auxiliary addition to it to
make for
up any which may escape, or be absorbed by the water."
By this system of working, air under pressure in a recently discharged chamber
goes back directly to the compressor, and the power stored up in this compressed
air is not lost, but mainly, is restored back by reducing the power required to drive
the compressor. Also high-speed machinery may be used. The chambers may be
placed in any convenient position even at some distance from the moving machinery.
It will be seen from a due consideration of the advantages of this invention that
pumping plant may be erected for less first cost in many instances, can be worked
very economically, and at a minimum cost for repairs.
To prevent any risk of water being drawn over into the compressor, a float
valve J, Fig. 2. may be placed in each of the air pipes D and E so arranged that
should water rise up these pipes the valve J will rise as soon as the water reaches
it and close the passage. A rapid suction would then be made by the air-
When
compressor, and reversal thus caused; it is intended however that the valve J
should only work as a safety arrangement under exceptional circumstances.
the chambers A and B are placed so that there is not a considerable difference
between them and the compressor above them, I place a large float K on the top of
each of the chambers which in regular work closes the air pipe when the chamber is
filled, thus causing the reversal, and as an additional safety arrangement, I may
carry the air pipes D and E upwards to any desired height and then downwards to
the compressor.
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 I
claim is.
1. In pumping apparatus of the type described in the accompanying Specification,
that is to say, having duplex chambers alternately filled and discharged by the
suction and compression of the same body of air, the employment of any automatic
valve operated by the suction of the air-compressor, so as to be suddenly and
completely reversed in the manner described and illustrated.
2. The general arrangement and construction of pumping machinery as described
and illustrated.
Doh 1002
Witnessed by:
W. S. MACKENZIE,
10, Agincourt Road, Hampstead, N.W.
JAMES ATKINSON.
Witnessed by:
W. S. MACKENZIE,
10, Agincourt Road, Hampstead, N.W.