IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HYDRAULIC RAMS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Sealed the 23rd March 1853, and dated the 8th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 8th October 1852.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HYDRAULIC
RAMS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly, in introducing a valve at the point
where the supply pipe joins the cylinder or water chamber of the ram.
When the flow of the water down the supply pipe is suddenly stopped
by the closing of one of the valves in the water chamber, then a recoil
takes place in the water chamber, and which, if not prevented, will act
on the supply pipe, but by adapting a valve to the end of the supply

page_text: pipe in the water chamber this recoil is confined to the chamber, and
is prevented from acting on the column of water in the pipe.
The second improvement consists in a peculiar construction of valve
which is adapted to the passage leading from the water chamber to
the air chamber. Instead of employing an ordinary face valve, which
is rade to rise from and fall onto a seat, I construct the working
part of the valve of a cup of leather or other suitable material which
works up and down in a cylinder or short tube, and allows the water to
pass one way, but prevents it by its cup-shaped form from passing in
the opposite direction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 8th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred. and fifty-two, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
license that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term thercin expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
HYDRAULIC RAMS," being a communication from a foreigner residing
abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton; by an instrument in writing under my hand and

page_text: seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed.
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar-months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
relates, first, to a mode of confining the recoil of the water in hydraulic
rams, and causing them to operate with additional force on the air
chamber; and, secondly, to the use of a peculiar construction of valve
between the ram and air chamber.
Fig. 1, in the accompanying Drawing is a vertical section of an
hydraulic ram complete; Fig. 2, is a section on an enlarged scale of the
valve of the air chamber; and Fig. 3, is a plan view of the same The
like letters and figures refer to corresponding parts.
A, represents the source for supplying water by the pipe b, to the
ram; 1, is a coupling attaching the pipe to a head c, attached by
flanches and screws to the ram cylinder B, which cylinder is sustained
on a support as at C; d, is an escape valve closing on to a seat c. This
valve is carried by a spindle 3, and its range of motion is limited by a
nut 4, above the bridge of the valve scat, according to the head and
pressure of the water employed; D, is the air vessel attached by
flanches 5. to the cylinder B, and in it the water is retained by any
suitable valve at e, but the valve herein shewn is of a peculiar character,
as hereafter set forth. The ram is fitted with a valve 2, at the point
where the pipe b, joins the cylinder B; this valve 2, is carried by a
leather or other hinge hanging downwards and opening towards the
valve d. The effect of the introduction of this valve 2, to the hydraulic
ram may be thus explained:-The water descending by the pipe b, flows
out through the seat-x, the speed causing the valve d, to close with a

page_text: blow, as is now usual, at the same time the valve 2, closes, and confines
the force of the recoil, and causes the water to flow into the air chamber
until the pressure is equalized, when the valve at e, closes, and the
valves, and 2, open and operate as before. It has been found that
from the want of a valve for confining the recoil of the water within the
ram that the recoil action extends backwards to the head, or nearly so,
and thereby necessitates the use of a heavy supply pipe to prevent its
bursting under the pressure of the water; and, further, that the time
occupied by the backward motion or recoil of the water delays the
operation of the ram, but that by the use of the valve 2, the pressure
that is ordinarily expended (to the risk of bursting) upon the supply
pipe is confined and made available to force the water into the air
chamber is a pipe connected by a coupling 6, for conveying the
water from the air chamber to a reservoir at the desired elevation; 7, is
a screw plug, by removing which the water will be allowed to run out
of the air chamber to replenish the same with air.
The valve which the inventor prefers to apply to the air chamber
works in the opening though a cylinder g, on an annular ring 8, which
is secured between the flanches of the air chamber D, and the cylinder.
B3; 9, is a bridge-piece attached to the cylinder y, or ling 8, and form-
ing a guide for a rod 11, which is furnished with a nut 10, at its upper
end, and at its lower end carries a head 12, which is smaller than the
opening through the cylinder g, and receives a leather or other elastic
packing i, in the shape of a cup, which is secured in place by a nut
18. This elastic packing takes the inside of the cylinder, and forms a
packing that becomes tighter the more pressure is confined by the valve,
similar to the packing of an hydraulic press. It will be evident that this
valve, having the same area on each side, will rise when the pressure
below it is slightly superior to that above it, whereas a valve that sets
on a seat is always larger than the opening through the seat, and
consequently inc pressure required to lift the valve is as much greater
in proportion as the top of the valve is larger than the opening through
the sept. It will also be understood that this valve being elastic is
slightly relieved from the sides by the pressure before the valve rises,
thus avoiding wea, and from its peculiar form it is less liable than the

page_text: common valve to choak with any substance contained in the liquid with
which it is used.
The seat may be made slightly conical, but that form the inventor
does not recommend; and if the valve requires to be supported in any
other manner so that the bridge is out of the way it can be done, the
main features of the cup of leather or other elastic substance in the
cylindrical or nearly cylindrical opening to form a valve being retained.
This valve may be made to work at an incline or horizontally by
sustaining the spindle in proper guides or bearings.
Having now described the nature of the Invention of improvements
in the construction of hydraulic rams, and the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First, the use of a valve for confining the recoil action of the water
to the cylinder of the hydraulic ram, as described.
And, secondly, I claim the application to hydraulic rams of the
clastic cup valve, shewn in the Drawing, in the manner and for the
purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, 1, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)