IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC RAMS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Walker Fyfe, of the Firm of Walker,
Fyfe, and Company, of Aberdeen, in the County of Aberdeen, North
Britain, Brassfounders and Plumbers, for the Invention of “Im,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Walker Fyfe
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 24th March 1874.
I, WILLIAM WALKER FYFE, of the Firm of Walker, Fyfe, and
Company, of Aberdeen, in the County of Aberdeen, North Britain,
Brassfounders and Plumbers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC RAMS," to be as follows, that
is to say:-
This Invention relates to improvements by means of which imnwaved.

page_text: The improved apparatus may be arranged for elevating part of the
liquid which works it, or for clevating a different liquid, or so that it will
do cither or both.
When made for only elevating part of the liquid which works it the
apparatus comprises as usual a waste valve, an clevation valve, and an
air vessel. It is well understood that the efficiency and economy of
water power of the apparatus depend on the action of the waste and
clevation valves, and it is to these valves that the first part of the
Invention specially relates. The waste valve is a disc with a concave
under side, and closes up against a discharge orifice, which is formed
with a narrow rounded seat rim projecting downwards, and a rubber ring
held in a groove formed in the upper side of the disc encounters the scat
rim when the valve closes. The elevation valve, which is by preference
placed further from the source than the waste valve, is a rubber disc
closing down upon or against a grated seating. The centre of the scating
is by preference made convex and slightly projecting, and the inside of
the screw head or holder which secures tho rubber disc is made slightly
concave at the centre (although more or less convexly rounded at its
outer parts), and this mode of fixing makes the rubber disc very sensitive,
inclosing the elasticity of the rubber, giving it more tendency to closc
from its being held as described.
When the apparatus is arranged for clevating a liquid different from
that which works it a rubber diaphragm is interposed between the two
liquids, and the space on the further side of this diaphragm has in con-
nection with it two pipes, one for admitting the liquid to be elevated,
and the other that by which the liquid ascends or is discharged. These
two pipes are fitted with valves, which are by preference of the kind
liercin-before described as the elevation valve. The rubber diaphragm
is fixed so that its clasticity causes it to return after receiving cach
impulse from the actuating liquid; and with this object it is by
preference of a segmental spherical form, presenting its convex side to
the actuating liquid, and its edge is held between surfaces corresponding
to the position to which it has to spring back. The air vessel is required
whether the ascension or discharge pipe for a part of the actuating liquid
is fitted to the apparatus or not, and when both ascension or discharge
pipes are fitted either can be used at pleasure on closing the other.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Walker Fyfe in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 23rd September 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WALKER FYFE, of the Firm of Walker, Fyfe, and Company, of Aber-
deen, in the County of Aberdeen, North Britain, Brassfounders and
Plumbers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Walker Fyfe; Her special
licence that I, the, said William Walker Fyfe, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Walker Fyfe,
my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein 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 HYDRAULIC RAMS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Walker Fyfe, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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
calender months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Walker Fyfe, do hereby,
declare tho nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing; reference being had to the accom
panying Drawings, that is to say:
:
My said Invention relates to improvements by means of which
improved results are obtainable with liquid elevating apparatus of the
kind commonly known as hydraulic rams.
My improved apparatus may be arranged for clevating part of the

page_text: liquid which works it, or for elevating a different liquid, or so that it will
do either or both.
It is well understood that the efficiency and economy of water power
of apparatus of the kind referred to depend on the action of the waste
and elevation valves, and it is to these valves that the first part of my
Invention specially relates, whilst the second part relates to the parts
by means of which the apparatus elevates a liquid different from that
used to work it.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood I hercunto append a Sheet with
an explanatory Drawing, to be herein-after referred to, and representing
a modification of my improved hydraulic ram as arranged for elevating
a liquid different from that working it.
The body of the apparatus, which is shown in vertical section, consists
of two castings, 1, 2, connected by flanges 3, whilst the main part 1 is
to be connected by flanges at 4 to the end of the pipe, by which tho
water for working the ram has access to it from a higher level. The
main casting 1 is formed with a horizontal passage 5, having two-
openings 6, 7, in its upper side, and one 6 of these openings communi
cates with the waste valve box 8, which is bolted down on the top of the
casting 1. The waste valve is a disc 9, with a slightly concave under
side, and it closes up against a discharge orifice 10 formed with a narrow
rounded seat rim projecting downwards, and a rubber ring held in a
groove formed in the upper side of the disc 9 encounters the seat rim,
when the valve closes as it does on the discharging liquid attaining a
certain velocity. The waste valve 9 is formed with a spindle 11, which
passes up through a tubular guide 12 formed on a bridge piece cast on
the top of the valve box 8, and a nut 13 is screwed on the top of the
spindle and made secure by a cross pin. This nut 13 serves as a stop
for the drop of the valve 9 by encountering a seat piece 14, which is a
adjustable by screwing on the outside of the tubular guide, a jam nut 15
being added to fix it when adjusted.
When the ram is arranged for elevating the same liquid only the
casting 2 is omitted, the passage 5 being made with a closed end or
having a cover fixed on. I prefer to place the elevation outlet 7 further 3
from the source than the waste outlet 5, as shown. The clevation valve
is a rubber disc 16 closing down upon or against a grated seating 17.

page_text: The centre of the seating 17 is by preference made convex and slightly
projecting, and the inside of the screw head or holder 18 which secures
the rubber disc 16 is made slightly concave at the centre (although more
or less convexly rounded at its outer parts), and this mode of fixing
makes the rubber disc 16, which is cut from a flat sheet, very sensitive
in closing, the clasticity of the rubber giving it more tendency to close
from its being held as described. The clevation valve 16 admits the
water into an air vessel 19, and the water passes off through an opening
20 into a pipe which conveys it to the place where it is required.
When the apparatus is arranged for elevating a liquid different from
that which works it the casting 2 is attached to the main casting 1, and a
passage 21 in continuation of the passage 5 leads the working liquid to
the under side of a rubber diaphragm 22, which is interposed between
the two liquids, and which forms the bottom of a vessel 23, having an
inlet 24 and an outlet 25 in communication with it. These inlet and
outlet communications are fitted with valves 26, 27, which are by
preference constructed and arranged, as herein-before described, with
reference to the valve 16 at the bottom of the air vessel 19, and the
arrangement acts like an ordinary pump. When the waste valve 9 closes
the momentum of the water in the passage 5, 21, and in the pipes leading
thereto, causes the diaphragm 22 to rise and force a portion of the water
out of the chamber 23, through the valve 27, and up the ascension or
delivery pipe which is to be coupled to the outlet 25, and on the waste
valve 9 opening again the diaphragm 22 descends and fresh water enters
the chamber 23 through the valve 26, the water being led to the
apparatus by a pipe coupled to the inlet 24. The rubber diaphragm 22
is fixed so that its clasticity causes it to return quickly after receiving
each impulse from the actuating liquid. It is of a segmental spherical
form, presenting its convex side downwards to the actuating liquid, and
its edge is held between coned surfaces 28, 29, which correspond to its
lowest position, and which assist its tendency to spring back. The
weight of the water in the chamber 23 also tends to make the diaphragm
descend quickly.

page_text: open at once, and in that case smaller quantities of both liquids will be
clevated.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to
the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe 5
to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The constructing and arranging of the valves of hydraulic rams in
the improved manner herein described and delineated.
2. The combining and fitting of the parts for elevating a separate 1
liquid in the improved manner herein described and delineated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Walker Fyfe, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
1