Improvements in Apparatus for Raising or Pumping Corrosive or other Liquids.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Raising or Pumping Corrosive or
other Liquids.
We, THOMAS THOMPSON BEST, Ph. D. Analytical Chemist and SAMUEL
ASHCROFT HOLLINGSWORTH and JOHN BROCK Director of The United Alkali
Company Limited all of G11 Exchange Buildings, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Corrosive and other liquids are frequently raised or pumped by means of com-
pressed air but the apparatus hitherto employed demands considerable labour and
attention on the part of the workinen. The object of this invention is to dispense
with this labour and attention and to render the operation continuous or practically
continuous if so desired.
The apparatus according to this invention consists of a receptacle, capable of
withstanding the necessary pressure. This receptacle we hereinafter call "the
cylinder." It communicates at its lower part, or bottom, by means of a valve, with
a cistern or reservoir (containing the liquid to be pumped or raised) in such manner
that the liquid flows by gravity into the cylinder, when the pressure within the
cylinder is equal to or less than the atmospheric pressure. To the lower part or
bottom of the said cylinder, and communicating with its interior, is attached a pipe
for conveying the liquid to the desired point or height.
At the top the cylinder communicates by a pipe with a tap or valve for the
admission of compressed air or other gas, during the time of raising the liquid, and
also with a second tap or valve for the outlet of the said air or gas during the
refilling of the cylinder with liquor.
These taps or valves are closed and opened alternately by mechanical means.
One method of accomplishing this alternate opening and closing of the valves or
taps, is to provide each of two plug-taps with a toothed wheel having the same
number of teeth, these wheels and the plugs to which they are fastened, being caused
to revolve by gearing them into a third toothed wheel, which is driven by any
suitable motor. The two plugs are set relatively to each other so that while one
tap is completely open the other is completely closed.
Or an ordinary slide valve may be used, worked by any suitable motor, to put
the interior of the cylinder into communication alternately with the compressed air
and the atmosphere.
Or we may combine two or more of the cylinders with one set of such geared
wheel-taps or with one slide valve so that the liquid can if desired be delivered in
a continuous or practically continuous stream, a cylinder or cylinders filling whilst
the other or others is or are being emptied. The alternate connection of the
interior of the cylinder (or the cylinders) with the atmosphere and with the supply
of compressed air or gas causes alternately a flow of the liquid into the cylinder
through the inlet valve and from the cylinder through the delivery pipe, the process
going on continuously or practically so if desired so long as the motor continues to
actuate the taps or slide valves.
Dated this 15th day of September 189A
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus. for Raising or Pumping Corrosive or
other Liquids.
We, THOMAS THOMPSON BEST, Ph. D. Analytical Chemist and SAMUEL
ASHCROFT HOLLINGSWORTH, and JOHN BROCK, Director of The United Alkali
Company Limited all of G11 Exchange Buildings, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, 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 :-
Corrosive and other liquids are frequently raised, or pumped,, by means of com-
pressed air, or other gas, but the apparatus hitherto employed demands considerable
labour and attention on the part of the workmen. The object of this invention is
to dispense with this labour and attention and, if so desired, to render the operation
continuous, or practically continuous.
An apparatus arranged according to this invention is shewn in Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawings. It consists of a receptacle. A capable of withstanding; the
necessary pressure: This receptacle A we hereinafter call "the cylinder" although
of course it is understood that it need not be cylindrical in form: It communicates
at its lower part, or bottom by means of a valve B: (opening inwards to the said
cylinder A) with a cistern or reservoir C containing the liquid to be pumped or
raised so that the liquid flows by gravity into the cylinder A through the valve B
when the pressure within the cylinder A permits the valve B' to open.
To the
lower part, or bottom of the said cylinder A and communicating with its interior is
attached a pipe: D for conveying the liquid to the desired' elevation or': place:
At its upper part the cylinder A is provided with a pipe E Having in it a branche
and a tap or valve F for the admission of compressed air; or other gas, during the
time of raising the liquid The pipe E has also a branch e having in it a second
tap or valve G. for the outlet of the said air; or gas, during the refilling of the
cylinder with liquor from the reservoir C.
These taps or valves F and G are closed and opened alternately by any suitable
mechanical means. One method of accomplishing this alternate opening and closing
of the taps or valves is to provide each of the two taps er valves with a toothed
wheel (and g) having the same number of teeth, these wheels and
J. and the
plugs of the taps or valves to which they are fastened being caused to revolve by
gearing them. into a third toothed wheel I which is driven by any suitable motor
applied to the shaft i to which the said wheel I' is fixed.
The two taps or valves F and Gare set relatively to each other so that while one
tap is completely open the other is completely closed. Or a slide valve J may be
used as shewn in Figure 2. the said valve being worked through its rod j by any
suitable motor and gear in the valve box K in which the valve J reciprocates to
put. the interior of the cylinder As into communication alternately with the com-
pressed air or gas through the pipe E. and branche and through the pipe E and
branch with the atmosphere: Owe may combine two or more' of the cylinders
with one: tap or rotary valve: or with one slide valve so that the liquid' can if desired
be delivered. in: a continuous or practically continuous! stream; a cylinder or cylinders
filling whilst the other or others. is; or are, being emptied: Rotary or slide valves
alternately place the cylinders in communication with the iniet for compressed' air
or gas and with the exhaust, or exit. Figure 3-shews such an arrangement with a
rotary valve aud Figure 4 such an arrangement with a slide valve.
The alternate connection of the interior of the cylinder (or the cylinders), with
the atmosphere and with the supply of compressed air, or gas, causes alternately a
flow of the liquid into the cylinder or each cylinder through the inlet valve and
from the cylinder or each cylinder through the delivery pipe, the process going on

page_text: continuously or practically so, if desired, so long as the motor continues to actuate
the valve. In Figure 3 we have shewn two cylinders A operated simultaneously
by the four-way valve L which is driven by a worm M having its shaft m driven by
any suitable motor the said worm gearing with a worm wheel secured to the plug
of the valve, so that whilst one cylinder is receiving compressed air through the
pipe e the other is exhausting through the pipe e³. Figure 4 shews a similar
arrangement but with a slide valve J in place of a rotary valve L.
If the liquids which are to be raised be corrosive or emit corrosive vapours the
parts with which the liquids or vapours come in contact may be constructed of
ebonite or other material which can resist the corrosive action.
In some cases and especially where corrosive vapours are emitted we find it
preferable to use a separate valve through which such vapours escape together with
the air or gas which has displaced the liquid from the cylinder. In such a case we
only actuate by positive mechanical means the valve which admits the compressed
gas to the cylinder and we employ a ball lift valve for the discharge of the gas and
the vapours from the cylinder or cylinders the said valve being so adjusted that
when the cylinder comes under full pressure the valve closes the outlet, but opens
it as soon as the pressure in the cylinder decreases again. In Figure 5 we have
shewn a single form of our apparatus with such a ball valve replacing the tap G of
Figure 1 and in Figures 6 and 7 we have shewn such ball valves N combined with
duplex arrangements of apparatus operated by a rotary valve and by a slide valve
respectively. In Figures 5, 6 and 7 the parts which correspond with those shewn
in Figures 3 and 4 are marked with the same letters of reference, the valve L being
a three-way valve and the slide valve J being a simple block to govern the two
passages which it controls. The ball N may be an india rubber ball. When lifted
by the pressure of the compressed air or gas the ball presses against the upper
opening of the valve box, and closes the outlet or outlets e² completely but when the
supply of compressed air or gas cut off it falls and allows the compressed air or
gas and any vapours from the liquid to pass away by the outlet or outlets e².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for raising or pumping, corrosive or other liquids, by means of
compressed air or gas, the combination with the inlet and outlet pipes, of taps or
valves, closed and opened alternately by nechanical means substantially as and for
the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus for raising, or pumping, corrosive or other liquids, by means of
compressed air or gas, the combination of several "cylinders "closed and opened
alternately to the compressed gas by one tap or valve mechanically actuated
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
3. In apparatus for raising, or pumping, corrosive or other liquids by means of
compressed air or gas, the combination with the inlet pipe or pipes for admitting
compressed air or gas to the "cylinder" or "cylinders" of a tap or valve operated
by mechanical means with a relief, or exhaust, valve or valves, operated by the
pressure in the "cylinder or ❝ cylinders substantially as herein before
described.
"
Dated this 14th day of June 1895.
"
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.