Improvements relating to Apparatus for Pumping, Forcing, or Exhausting Liquids or Gases.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Apparatus for Pumping, Forcing, or
Exhausting Liquids or Gases.
I, CASTLE SMITH of 54 Fleet Street in the City and County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, as communicated to me from abroad by Alfred de
Kunwald of Neuilly near Paris in the Republic of France Mechanical Engineer
and Chemist, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus wherein steam acts directly on a liquid piston
floating on the top of a body of water in a cylinder thereby producing the alternate
expulsion and suction of the water the motion of which may be utilized for pumping
forcing or exhausting liquids or gases.
As the apparatus herein described is entirely free from all mechanical parts
which compose an ordinary steam engine or pump, and which on account of the
considerable friction they occasion, always cause a great loss of power, it is evident
that little or no power will be lost when using this invention.
To wholly utilize the power of the steam it is indispensable in the first place
to do away with the metal pistons at present in use, the friction of which
always occasions a considerable loss of power. To radically dispense with this
great inconvenience it was necessary to create a means which without using any
solid medium directly permits the transmission of the dynamical energy of the
steam under pressure to liquid and cold masses. This problem seems to be very
difficult of solution, as in fact the steam only conserves its tension as long as
it conserves its temperature. A contraction of the molecules takes place inime-
diately the heat diminishes and all the energy which the steam possesses under
pressure is immediately neutralized.
This great difficulty apparently insurmountable is overcome by this invention.
Placed between the hot steam coming from the boiler or other steam generator
and the masses of cold water contained in the cylinder, is a coat of liquid which
does not mix with the water, which is lighter than water, and which can resist,
without chemical or physical decomposition, cold as well as heat. This liquid must
be able to resist the action of the steam under pressure and to bear the action of
the vacuum without volatilizing. It is this isolating liquid which enables the trans-
mission without condensation of the steam of the motive power possessed by the
steam under pressure to the cold water contained in the cylinder. The liquid inter-
posed between the steam and the cold water is preferably napthine-oleum or a
heavy kind of petroleum.
The motive power produced by the action of the steam on the coat of isolating
liquid constituting the liquid piston, transmits to the cold water in the lower part
of the cylinder the power necessary for its expulsion and suction.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 shews a partly sectional elevation of the cylinder.
Figure 2 shews the apparatus fitted up ready for the pumping, forcing or
exhausting of liquids, and
Figure 3 shews the apparatus as designed for use when forcing or exhausting air.
The cylinder 1 is made of sheet iron or other suitable material and is covered
inside and outside with a non-conducting substance. It is closed top and bottom
and at the upper ends is provided with a metal cap 2 with a tube 3 opening
thereinto which said tube connects the cylinder with the steam generator and the
condensing apparatus 9 alternately. In the cap 2 is a float 4 at the upper end of
which is a valve 5 which said valve shuts off the tube 3 when the float rises.

page_text: At the lower end of the cylinder is a wide tube 6 which connects it with the
other parts of the apparatus. The cylinder is filled with cold water about up to
the line of demarcation marked X X in the drawing. From this line up to the
top of the cylinder is the isolating liquid, the function of which is to separate the
hot steam from the cold water in the cylinder.
When the tube 3 connects the cylinder with the steam generator, the steam under
pressure precipitates itself into the cylinder and the water in the lower part thereof
is forced with considerable violence through the tube 6.
As the cylinder becomes empty the coat of isolating liquid descends until the
displacement is about one-third of the height of the cylinder when communication
between the cylinder and steam generator is cut off and communication established
between the cylinder and the condenser 9. This connection produces a vacuum or
partial vacuum in the upper part or vapour chamber of the cylinder, the water is
thereby sucked in through the tube 6 and the cylinder is gradually filled with
water and the coat of isolating liquid rises equally. The first descending motion
commences when the cylinder is filled and this alternate descent and ascent of the
liquid piston and the displacement of water which this occasions produces the
energy necessary to expel and to exhaust liquid masses as well as to compress and
rarefy gaseous bodies.
The condenser 9 contains a coiled tube 10 the lower end of which is in com-
munication with the exhauster 11. The upper extremity of this tube is connected
with the valve 12 which establishes communication between the cylinder alternately
with the steam generator and the condenser.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-The cylinder is filled with water
on the surface of which is a coat of isolating liquid which does not mix with water.
The condenser is also filled with water. The vacuum in the exhauster 11 is kept
equal to the height of the exhausted water by means of an ejector. The cylinder
and the steam generator are connected during the first period.
The steam under pressure precipitates into the cylinder 1; a displacement of the
liquid contained in the cylinder ensues and the water in the lower part is forced
into the condenser 9, and is finally ejected through the ejection valve 8.
As soon
as the liquid piston has descended to a certain extent the connection between the
cylinder and the steam generator is intercepted, the steam under pressure in the
cylinder thereupon expands and a further quantity of water is expelled from
the cylinder and ejected through the ejecting valve 8. As soon as the steam
has expanded to the required degree, the cylinder and the coiled tube 10 in the
condenser 9 are connected, the steam contained in the upper part or vapour
chamber of the cylinder being exhausted by the exhauster 11, is forced to follow
the convolutions of the tube 10 in which it condenses; an absolute vacuum is
thereby produced in the upper part or vapour chamber of the cylinder, and
water is drawn in through the valve 7 of the condenser. By reason of the
water re-entering the condenser the cylinder is also refilled, and the liquid piston
gradually rises.
small cylindrical
These cylindrical
connected by the
At the upper
The apparatus shewn in Figure 3 is provided with, two
receivers 12 and 13 placed one on each side of the cylinder 1.
receivers 12 and 13 form the expanders and compressors and are
tubes 16 and 17 with the valve 6 at the lower part of the cylinder 1.
end of each expander 12 and 13 is a cap having induction and eduction air
valves 7 and 8. In the condenser 9 is a coiled tube 10 the lower end of which
opens into the exhauster 11, and the upper end is connected with the valve 18
intended to establish communication between the cylinder 1 and the steam generator
and condenser alternately. The cylinder is filled with water and on the surface
thereof floats a coat of an isolating liquid, which does not mix with water.
expander 12 is filled with water about up to the level of the line marked Y Y.
The expander 13 is filled with water about up to the level of the line marked Z Z.
The valve 6 connects the cylinder and expander 13.
The
By means of the valve 18 the steam generator is placed in communication with

page_text: the cylinder 1. As soon as this is effected, the steam ncts on the liquid piston and
the water thereunder is expelled through the tube 17 into the expander 13. In
consequence of this displacement of water, the air in the expander 13 is compressed
to a tension equal to the pressure of the steam contained in the cylinder. As soon
as the air has the necessary pressure it evolves through the pressure valve 8. As
the compressed air evolves the expander 13 entirely fills itself with water from the
cylinder. When the said expander 13 is filled the valve 6 connects the cylinder
with the expander 12, the connection between the cylinder 1 and the steam generator
being simultaneously cut off. The steam under pressure in the upper part or
vapour chamber of the cylinder 1 thereupon expands and carries water into the
expander 12 until an equilibrium is established between the pressure of the expand-
ing steam in the cylinder 1 and the tension of the air compressed in the expander 12.
When this equilibrium is established the valve 6 again changes its direction and
connects the cylinder 1 with the expander 13; simultaneously the valve 18 connects
the cylinder with the tube and coil 10 passing through the condenser 9. The
steam in the vapour chamber of the cylinder 1 being exhausted by the exhauster 11,
is forced to follow the convolutions of the tube 10 in which it condenses. An
energetic exhaustion takes place in the cylinder 1 and the water contained in the
expander 13 re-enters the cylinder 1. In consequence of this displacement of water
the expander 13 is emptied, and through the valve 7 is filled with air at atmospheric
pressure while the liquid constituting the liquid piston gradually rises again in the
cylinder 1. When the liquid piston has completely risen in the cylinder
valve 6 will connect the cylinder with the expander 12 in which the air is already
somewhat compressed by reason of the expansion of the steam in the cylinder as
already described. The connection between the cylinder I and the steam generator
is now again opened and steam will enter the cylinder and by its pressure will
continue to compress the air in the expander 12. As soon as the air has the
necessary pressure it evolves through the valve 8 and the expander 12 is gradually
filled with water.
the
The expander 12 once being filled with water the cycle of operations is com-
pleted and proceeds as before. The valve 6 cuts off connection between the
cylinder and expander 12 and again connects the cylinder with the expander 13
in which the air is compressed and so on for the next cycle.
All the valves in this apparatus move automatically their motions being produced
by special mechanical arrangements based upon the play of floats, which in their
turn act upon small steam cylinders, the pistons of which are coupled to the dis-
tributive organs. Further details concerning these automatic motions are not given
as they are subject to all kinds of modifications according to the special application
of the invention.
This invention solves the great problem of directly, without mechanical medium,
and without condensation, utilizing the dynamic energy of steam under pressure
for exhausting and rejecting liquid or gases. The suppression of all the mechanical
parts which ordinarily compose steam engines and pumps furnishes this apparatus
with exceptional advantages as to cost of construction and also as to the reduction
of the friction.
In the apparatus for forcing or exhausting air shewn and described with reference
to Figure 3, the air is submitted to a gradual and ever-increasing compression,
thus avoiding the excessive heating which usually occurs in the condensers as at
present used.
By the construction and use of the expanders as hereinbefore described, the
compressed air is allowed sufficient time to condense in its molecules the motive
power which has been given to it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated by my
foreign correspondent I declare that what 1 claim is :-
1. The use of a fatty body such as napthine-oleum non-miscible with and lighter

page_text: than water, forming a liquid piston for the purpose of transmitting the dynamical
energy of steam without condensation to the water on which it floats substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2. The utilization of a hydro-carbon non-miscible with water such as napthine-
oleum or any other body possessing analogous properties to form an hydraulic
piston by the use of which the expulsion and suction of liquids and the compression
and rarefication of gases is produced under the direct action of steam substantially
as described.
3. The arrangement of apparatus as described and shewn in Figure 2 consisting
of a cylinder, a condenser, and an exhauster connected together so as to effect the
automatic operation of an hydraulic piston intended to directly transmit without
condensation the energy of steam to masses of cold water combined and operating
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
4. The arrangement of apparatus as described and shewn in Figure 3 consisting
of a cylinder, two expansion vessels, a condenser and an exhauster, combined and
operating substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 5th day of March 1891.
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.