Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Controlling the Flow of Liquids from a Higher to a Lower Level.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 28th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 25th May, 1889
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Controlling the Flow
of Liquids from a Higher to a Lower Level.
I HENRY ANDREW KENT of 154 Culford Road Kingsland in the County of Middlesex
Mechanician do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to automatically supply a receptacle or receptacles
with liquid from a larger one above in such a manner that when the smaller receptacle
or receptacles has or have received a supply to the desired extent the flow of liquid
ceases until such time as a further supply is necessary, when the supply is again caused
to automatically take place.
According to my Invention I provide two chambers or vessels of the desired size
and connect them by means of two small tubes one of which tubes enters the upper
chamber and reaches to or nearly to the top thereof the other end of this tube opening
into the top of the lower chamber. This tube I call the air tube. The other tube
opens into the lower part of the upper chamber its other end being carried to or nearly
to the bottom of the lower chamber. This tube I call the liquid supply tube. Into
the upper chamber and also into the lower chamber is inserted a bent tube the
ends of which dip into the liquid in the respective chambers.. The bent tubes I call
the traps.
The upper chamber is placed in the upper large vessel or reservoir from which the
supply is to be drawn and the lower chamber is placed in the lower receptacle or they
may both be outside and be connected by tubes similarly to the connection of a water
or steam gauge.
The action of the device is as follows:-
On filling the upper vessel or reservoir with liquid some of it will flow into the
upper chamber by the trap therein and thence pass by the liquid supply tube into the
lower chamber and out by the trap thereof into the lower receptacle. When
the liquid rises in the said receptacle it will compress the air in the lower chamber
and the compression will be transmitted through the air tube into upper chamber.
This will continue until such time as the air pressure in the chamber is such as to act

page_text: on the surface of the liquids in the same and stop the flow. On the reduction-of
pressure as the liquid in the lower receptacle is withdrawn a further supply will pass
thereinto from the reservoir as hereinbefore explained.
The arrangement may be used for many purposes such for example as for sanitary
cisterns where a flushing or flow of a certain quantity of liquid is desired. In this
case a valve will be provided to be lifted to allow the liquid to run out the lifting of
this valve closing the supply pipe or trap of the upper chamber.
It is also adapted to the feeding of liquid fuel or hydrocarbons such for example as
to oil stoves or lamps and it is very convenient for use in feeding such lamps as
hanging ones for downward lighting such for example as the lamp described in the
Specification of my application for Patent No. 16253 of 1887.
Dated this 2nd
tahan 1000

page_text: of Liquids from a Higher to a Lower Level:
I HENRY ANDREW KENT of 154 Culford Road Kingsland in the County of. Middlesex
Mechanician 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 :-
The object of my Invention is to automatically supply a receptacle or receptacles.
with liquid from a larger one above in such a manner that when the smaller receptacle.
or. receptacles has or have received a supply to the desired extent the flow of liquid.
ceases until such time as a further supply is necessary when the supply is'again caused
to automatically take place..
According to my Invention I provide two chambers or vessels of the desired size.
and connect them by means of two small tubes one of which tubes enters the upper
chamber and reaches to or nearly to the top thereof the other end of this tube opening
into the top of the lower chamber. This tube I call the air tube. The other tube
opens into the lower part of the upper chamber its other end' being carried to or nearly.
to the bottom of the lower chamber. This tube I call the liquid supply tube. Into.
the upper chamber and also into the lower chamber is inserted a tube the ends of which
dip into the liquid in the respective chambers. The bent tubes I call the traps. The
upper chamber may be placed in the upper large vessel or reservoir from which the
supply is to be drawn and the lower chamber may be placed in the lower receptacle
or they may both be outside and be connected by tubes similarly to the connection. of
a water or steam gauge.
The action of the device is as follows:-On filling the upper vessel or reservoir with
liquid some of it will flow into the upper chamber by the trap therein and thence pass
by the liquid supply tube into the lower chamber and out by the trap thereof into the
lower receptacle. When the liquid rises in the said receptacle it will compress the
air in the lower chamber and the compression will be transmitted through the air tube
into the upper chamber. This will continue until such time as the air pressure in the
chamber is such as to act on the surface of the liquid in the same and stop the flow.
On the reduction of pressure as the liquid in the lower receptacle is withdrawn' a
further supply will pass thereinto from the reservoir as herein before explained. The
arrangement may be used for many purposes such for example as for supplying cattle
troughs or for sanitary cisterns where a flushing or flow of a certain quantity of liquid

page_text: is desired. In this case a valve will be provided to be opened to allow the liquor to
run out, the supply pipe or trap of the upper chamber being closed when the said valve
is opened.
It is also adapted to the feeding of liquid fuel or hydrocarbons such for example as
to oil stoves or lamps and it is very convenient for use in feeding such lamps as
hanging ones for downward lighting such for example as the lamp described in
the Specification of the Patent No. 16253 granted to me as of the 25th day of
November 1887.
The accompanying drawing represents diagrammatically a simple mode of carrying
out my invention A being a reservoir or upper vessel from which liquid is supplied to
a lower vessel B for use.
In communication with the reservoir A there is a smaller vessel or chamber C
communicating with the liquid in the réservoir by the trap or passage a. The lower
vessel B also communicates with another chamber D by the trap or passage b. The
chambers C and D are in communication with each other by two separate and distinct
tubes or passages c and d one for the transmission of air and the other for liquid the
one tube (c) opening into the top of the chamber D and extending upwards passes
through the bottom and to within a short distance of the top of the chamber C whilst
the other tube d projects a short distance into the bottom of the chamber C and
descending passes through the top and to within a short distance of the bottom of the
chamber D.
As shown in the drawing the vessel B is charged with liquid ready for use the said
liquid having entered thereinto from the reservoir A by the passage a tube d and
trap 6 and in doing so has forced the air contained in the chamber D through the
tube c into the chamber in which chamber the air will be more or less compressed
according to the capacities of the said chambers which should be such that the degree
of compression of the air in the chamber C will be sufficient to prevent the liquid in
the reservoir A from entering the chamber C when the vessel B is charged to the
desired height.
The liquid may be drawn from the vessel B through the valve e or otherwise and as
it is drawn off it will be replaced by liquid from the reservoir A the air contained in
the chamber C and pipe c expanding sufficiently to allow the liquid to pass through
the passage a and d and trap into vessel B which is thus practically always kept
supplied with liquid.
The apparatus arranged as shown in the drawing may be employed for flushing
closets, urinals and for like purposes in which case the vessel B may represent the
flushing cistern or waste water preventer and A the main cistern. If it is desired to
prevent the water from entering the flushing cistern as it is emptying as hereinbefore
described, the passage b for the water from the chamber D into the vessel B is closed
as when the valve e is operated by the pull chain g' or the like to discharge the water
from the vessel B the valve f will be simultaneously operated to close the trap the
said valves e and f being arranged so that when the one is opened the other will be
closed and the valve e may be provided with a counter weight as shown at for other
equivalent means for closing the valve e and opening the valve when the pull
chain is released. A measured supply of liquid may thus be supplied to the
cistern B for each flushing operation.
Instead of arranging the chambers C and D outside the vessels A and B as shewn
they may be situated inside the same and made to communicate with their respective
vessels by the tubes or traps a and b and the tubes c and d instead of being arranged
side by side as shewn may be situated one within the other if desired.
When my invention is applied to the feeding of liquid fuel or hydrocarbons to
stoves or lamps the vessel B which may be made of any desired shape will constitute
the oil chamber into which the wick or wicks dip (the draw off valve of course being
dispensed with) and the vessel A will constitute the oil reservoir for supplying the
wick chamber or wick chambers with oil to replaco that consumed.
When my invention is applied to lamps that are subjected to vibration such for

page_text: example as railway lamps the traps a and b should dip or be bent downwards as
shown so as to ensure a quantity of oil being retained in the chambers C and D to seal
the mouths of the said traps and thereby prevent the escape of air which if permitted
would cause oil to pass from the upper reservoir into the lower vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The arrangement of apparatus for automatically controlling the passage of liquids
from a higher to a lower level as herein before described and illustrated.