IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OIL AND OTHER LIQUIDS FROM DEEP WELLS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OIL AND OTHER
LIQUIDS FROM DEEP WELLS."-A communication from abroad by Francis
Stebbins Pease, of Buffalo, in the State of New York, United States
of America.
Sealed the 29th August 1865, and dated the 20th May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th May 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OIL AND
OTHER LIQUIDS FROM DEEP WELLS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to raise oil and other liquids from deep
wells, and it consists in two particulars, the first of which embraces the use
within a well of an alternate plenum and vacuum of air or gas produced by
au air pump or other equivalent means, the said plenum and vacuum being
applied by means of a conducting pipe which is passed down into the well
either within or without the well tube, which is provided with valves and
[Price 8d.]

page_text: chambers for the passage into the well tube of the oil or other liquids to be
raised. The well tube with its conducting spout is introduced into the hole
that has been bored in the earth, and is packed with a seed bag packing
placed at a suitable point around the well tube. An air pump is connected at
either end of its cylinder with two cylinders 1 and 2, the former of which (1)
is designed to be a vacuum chamber, and the latter (2) a reservoir for con-
taining air under a high state of compression. The air pump may be
surrounded by a jacket or tank to contain cold water or any refrigerating sub-
stance for the purpose of cooling the cylinder of the pump while it is in
operation. The pump is fitted with an inlet valve and passage at one end
nearest the air reservoir (2), and an outlet valve and passage near its other
end opposite the exhaust cylinder (1). The pipes which connect the pump
with the cylinders 1 and 2 are fitted with suitable valves. The top of each of
the vessels 1 and 2 is fitted with stoppers, which are perforated so as to
connect the vessels with an air conducting pipe. The stopper of the vessel 2
has a straight passage through it, and a seat is formed on its bottom for a
valve, the spindle of which passes up through the passage and through and
above a stuffing box, the top of the spindle having a cap which nearly comes
in contact with one arin of a vibrating lever. A spiral spring fitted on the
spindle between its cap and the top of the stuffing box tends to keep the valve
always drawn up to its seat. The stopper of the exhaust cylinder 1 is also
perforated to receive the spindle of its valve, and that spindle also has a spring
and a cap, the latter being just beneath the opposite arm of the vibrating
lever. The stopper has a channel which begins in a valve chamber formed
within the lower part of the stopper, and ascends nearly to its top, whence it
takes a lateral direction through that side of the stopper which is towards
the exhaust cylinder, and is connected with the air pipe. A bent or crooked
passage is made through one of the sides of the stopper within the receiver,
and is carried down in a vertical direction into the valve chamber,the seat of
the valve being at the place of its entrance into the valve chamber. From
this construction it follows that by operating the air pump a vacuum will be
produced in the cylinder 1, and air will be forced into and compressed in the
cylinder 2. If now the vibrating lever is moved toward the right, one of its
arms will depress the valve and permit the escape of air from the cylinder 2
into the air pipe, which is passed diametrically through the stopper and
intersects and is put in communication with the perforation in that stopper.
When the lever is released the spring and the pressure of the air in the
cylinder causes the valve to close. If the lever is next vibrating in the
opposite direction the valve of the exhaust cylinder 1 will be opened and air

page_text: from the pipe will rush into it. The air thus admitted into the exhaust
cylinder 1 is to be pumped out by means of the pump, which will at the same
time renew the supply of air in the reservoir and keep up a high pressure
therein. Within the well tube, near its lower end, is formed a valve chamber
by means of perforated diaphragms, the lower one being fitted with a conical
valve, kept from displacement by a metallic guard. The upper diaphragm is
fitted with a smaller valve of the same form, and working beneath a metallic
guard. The valve opening in this diaphragm is placed at one side of the
centre of the well tube to give room for the passage of the air tube, which is
carried through the diaphragm so as to open into the chamber. The valve
opening communicates with a pipe which is secured around or in the opening
on the under side of the diaphragm, and is carried downwards within the
chamber nearly to the lower valve.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-When the air pipe is put in
communication with cylinder 2, the air compressed therein will rush with
violence through the pipe into the chamber, and force any liquid and air
which may be present therein upwards into the well tube. By exhausting
air from the air pipe into the cylinder 1 a partial vacuum is formed in the
chamber, which will be immediately filled by the oil or other liquid present
in the bottom of the well, which will pour through the valve until an equili-
brium of pressure is obtained between the contents of the well and the con-
tents of the chamber. Compressed air being again let into the pipe, part of
the contents of the chamber will be again forced through the valve and its
place supplied as before by means of the operation of exhausting air from the
air pipe and chamber into the exhaust cylinder 1. By admitting air at a high
pressure into the chamber, and exhausting the same in alternation by means
of the vibrating lever, the contents of the well will be forced upwards through
the well tube to the surface of the ground. The vibrating lever furnishes
means for repeating this action with great rapidity, and oil and other liquids
may thus be raised in large quantities.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Willian Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th November 1865.
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.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, 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 therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, theChannel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OIL AND OTHER LIQUIDS FROM DEEP
WELLS," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, 'my executors or administra-
tors, 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
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 andby the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention has for its object to raise oil and other liquids from deep
wells, and it consists in using within a well an alternate plenum and vacuum
of air or gas produced by an air pump or other equivalent means, the plenum
and vacuum being applied bymeans of a conducting pipe which is passed down
into the well either within or without the well tube, which is provided with
valves and chambers for the passage into the well tube of the oil or other
liquids to be raised.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents in vertical section that
part of the Invention which relates to raising liquids by means of the vibration
of a column of air, that portion of the Figure which shows the cylinders D
and E being drawn on the sectional line W of Fig. 2, which is a horizontal
sectional view of the air pump S, and cylinders D, E, taken on the line of
Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the well and well tube on the line y
of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a cross section of the same on the line z of Fig. 1;

page_text: Fig. 5 represents a modification of the pumping apparatus; Fig. 6 is a
sectional elevation of that part of the Invention which relates to the apparatus
for raising oil and other liquids, known as oil ejectors; Fig. 7 is a cross
section taken through the valve seat; A is an oil well, and B the well tube
with its conducting spout; Cis a seed bag packing placed around the well
tube. An air pump S, Fig. 2, is connected at either end of its cylinder
with two cylinders D and E, the former of which is designed to be a vacuum
chamber, and the latter a reservoir for containing air under a high state of
compression. The air pump may be surrounded by a jacket or tank to con-
tain cold water or any refrigerating substance for the purpose of cooling the
cylinder of the pump while it is in operation. The pump is fitted with an
inlet valve 4, and passage 6, at one end nearest the air reservoir E, and an
outlet valve 2, and passage 5, near its other end opposite the exhaust cylinder D.
The pipes U, V, which connect the pump with the cylinders D and E are
fitted with suitable valves 1 and 3; F is a post rising from the platform
between the vessels D and E. The top of each of the vessels D and E is
fitted with stoppers H, H', which are perforated so as to connect these vessels
with an air conducting pipe e. The stopper H of the vessel E has a straight
passage through it, and a seat is formed on its bottom for a valve I, the
spindle of which passes up through the passage f through a stuffing box
above. The top of the spindle has a cap k, which nearly comes in contact
with one arm a of a vibrating lever G, which rises from the post F. A
spiral spring J fitted on the spindleftends to keep the valve I always drawn
up to its seat. The stopper Hi of the exhaust cylinder D is also perforated
to receive the spindle of its valve I, and that spindle also has a spring J and
a cap, the latter being just beneath the opposite arm a of the vibrating
lever G. The stopper H' has a channel d, which begins in a valve chamber c,
formed within the lower part of the stopper H', and ascends nearly to its top,
whence it takes a lateral direction through that side of the stopper which is
towards the exhaust cylinder, and is connected with the air pipe e. A bent
or crooked passage is made through one of the sides of the stopper within
the receiver. From this construction it follows that by operating the air
pump S a vacuum more or less perfect, according to the efficiency of the
pump, will be produced in the cylinder D, and air will be forced into and
compressed in the cylinder E. If now the vibrating lever G is moved toward
the right, one of its arms a will depress the valve I, and permit the escape
of air from the cylinder into the air pipe e, which is passed through the
stopper H, and intersects and is put in communication with the passage fin
that stopper... When the lever is released the spring J and the pressure of

page_text: the air in the cylinder causes the valve to close. If the lever G is next
vibrated in the opposite direction the valve l' of the exhaust cylinder will be
opened, and air from the pipe e will rush into it; the air thus admitted into
the exhaust cylinder is to be pumped out by means of the pump, which will
at the same time renew the supply of air in the reservoir, and keep up a high
pressure therein.
Within the well tabe B near its lower end is formed a
valve chamber by means of perforated diaphragms h and i, the lower
diaphragm being fitted with a conical valve g, kept from displacement by a
metallic guard 7. The upper diaphragm i is fitted with a smaller conical
valve n.
The valve opening in this diaphragm is placed at one side of the
centre of the well tube to give room for the passage of the air pipe e, which is
The
carried through the diaphragm so as to open into the chamber A¹.
valve n communicates with a pipe m, which is carried downwards within the
chamber A', nearly to the valve g. The cross sections, Figures 3 and 4, shew
the relative positions of the air pipe e and valve n in the upper diaphragm i,
and the valve g in the lower diaphragm h.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-When the air pipe e is put
in communication with the cylinder E, the air compressed therein will rush
with violence through the pipe e into the chamber A¹, and force any liquid
and air which may be present therein into the small tube m, and thence
through the valve n upwards into the well tube. By exhausting air from
the air pipe e into the cylinder D a partial vacuum is formed in the
chamber A', which will be immediately filled through the valve g with the
oil or other liquid at the bottom of the well until an equilibrium of pressure
is obtained between the contents of the welland the contents of the chamber A¹.
Compressed air being again let into the pipe e, part of the contents of the
chamber A¹ will be again forced through the valve 2, and its place supplied
as before by means of the operation of exhausting air from the air pipe e and
chamber A¹ into the exhaust cylinder. By admitting air at a high pressure
into the chamber A', and exhausting the same in alternation by means of the
vibrating lever G, the contents of the well will be forced upwards through
the well tube to the surface of the ground. The vibrating lever furnishes
means for repeating this action with great rapidity, and oil or other liquids
may thus be raised in large quantities. The valves g and n may be ball
valves if that form be preferred. The height of the chamber A' may be
varied to suit the character of the well, a height varying from ten to twenty
feet being adapted for most wells. The tube m should be of about the same
diameter as the air pipe e, or should not greatly exceed that diameter in order
that the column of liquid therein may be the more rapidly discharged through

page_text: the upper valve. If it be desired to increase the expansion of the compressed
air after it is delivered into the conducting pipe e, heat may be applied to
this pipe at any suitable point between the receiver and the mouth of the
well, but in that case the pipe from the exhaust cylinder should be connected
with the pipe e beyond the point where the heat is applied, or in other words
there should be a separate pipe from each of the cylinders D and E to con-
nect them with the pipe e. The action will be more energetic if means are
used for refrigerating the column of air on its return; the vibration of the
column of air may be effected wholly by means of the application of heat
instead of by a pump. When the oil in the well is very deep its pressure
may be found sufficient to supply the chamber A¹ by only relieving the lower
valve of the pressure of the compressed air without the use of an exhausted
receiver, or of an air pump to exhaust the air pipe, in which case the air pipe
need only be relieved by means of a cock which shall discharge air therefrom
into the common atmosphere after each admission of compressed air into the
air pipe e. But where the flow of oil is sluggish an exhausting apparatus or an
exhausted receiver will be found of great importance. The air
pump, which
may be of any suitable construction for a double acting pump, is to be kept iu
continual operation so as to keep a plenum in one cylinder and form a vacuum
in the other during the time the lever G is vibrated. The operation of the
pump and cylinders D and E is similar in principle to the action of an
ordinary pump if the same were used to force air into the tube e by one
motion of the piston, and withdraw it on the return motion, and when it is
desired to use the same column of air in order to empty and fill the chamber A¹
alternately a syringe pump may be used. By connecting the air pipe and
chamber A' with an exhausted receiver and a reservoir of compressed air, a
reserve force will be provided, so that when the valve of either is opened the
action of the column of air will be instantaneously brought to bear at the
bottom of the well. In ordinary pumping wells the well tube is from two to
two and three-quarter inches in diameter, and it contains a long rod, generally
made of wood, connected with the plunger at the bottom of the well tube.
The diameter of this rod is usually from three-quarters to one-eighth of an
inch, and it therefore fills up much of the interior of the tube. Since it is
necessary to raise and lower this piston rod at each stroke of the pump its
great length and weight cause the motions of the pump to be very slow. In
this Invention an air pipe e of small diameter occupying less space in the well
tube than the piston rod above mentioned is used. It will be seen that the
principle of raising fluids by means of alternately supplying and exhausting
air to and from a chamber in which is placed an iulet valve (as in the

page_text: chamber A¹) is used, and also by means of the small pipe m, whose upper
end communicates through the valve n with the well tube above, and whose
lower end is immersed in the liquids contained in the chamber A¹, the principle
of hydrostatic pressure is utilized, the column of liquid in the tube m being
made the medium for transmitting to the column of liquid in the well tube
above the valve n the force brought upon the column in the chamber A¹.
Hot air may be forced into the well instead of cold for the purpose of aiding
in freeing the well of paraffine by increasing the temperature in the bottom
of the well; in that case the operation of the apparatus will be the same,
with this addition, to wit, that the paraffine will be melted by the same medium
which is used for raising the oil, and thus the clogging of the pump and of the
veins and crevices of the rock by the paraffine may be prevented. The
Invention is applicable to the general purposes of pumping, as well as to
raising liquids from wells and other deep places. This apparatus may be
modified without leaving the principle of the Invention. In Fig. 5 are seen
a different arrangement of the air pump, and a different plan for putting the
cylinders D and E in communication with the well. The air pump cylinder S
is ina vertical position. The crank shaft carries a flywheel, and also a pulleyl,
and from which a band is taken to a pulley on the stem of a valve plug 5,
which is part of a many-wayed cock 3. When in the rotation of the plug it
reaches the position seen in Fig. 5, the cylinder D is put in communication
with the pipe e, which is supposed to lead into a well in the manner shewn at
Fig. 1. The letters e¹ designate other pipes supposed to lead into other wells.
Each pipe e, e¹, is governed by cocks 4, so that communication between their
wells and the cylinders D, E, can be opened and closed at pleasure.
The second part of this Invention is shewn at Figures 6 and 7,and consists
in closing the bottom of a well tube in which an oil ejector is used, and
placing a valve therein below the embouchure of the ejector. A represents a
section of a well, and B a well tube, the lower part of which is shown in
section; G is a pipe for conducting a current of air, steam, or water down in a
well. This tube passes down outside the well-tube B to a point below the
tube, and thence turns upwards into the tube B, in which it terminates open
at or within the throat D,placed within the tube at any suitable height above
its lower end for the purpose of diminishing its diameter, and so enabling the
stream of fluid which is delivered from the injecting pipe to pass into that
part of the well tube above the throat with increased velocity, and so induce
or cause an upward movement of the liquids in the well, whether found below
the throat or above. Oil ejectors made and applied in this way or by passing
the conducting pipe down inside the well tube are defective, because the

page_text: pressure of the current being delivered in the well tube below, a long column
of air, or a column partly of air and partly of oil or other liquids reacts upon
the contents of the well, and the pressure from this reaction often breaks
away the seed bag packing C, and thus disables the apparatus until the
packing is renewed, which is now done by taking out the well tube, removing
the packing, and then replacing the tube. The objects of this part of the
Invention are to do away with this objection and defect in oil ejectors of this
class, and to increase their efficiency, whether they make use of currents of
air, of steam, or of water. The pipe G is carried to the bottom of the well-
tube and passes upwards through the bottom to a suitable distance within it.
It terminates at the throat D. The improvement as applied to the oil ejector
here shewn consists in placing a diaphragm U around the pipe so as to com-
pletely fill up the space between it and the inner walls of the well tube.
In those ejectors whose tubes pass down the inside the well tube from
above, the lower ends of the tubes should be closed at bottom and ex-
tended downwards a little way below the perforations in their sides,
through which the currents of air, steam, or water pass, so as to afford
room for fixing the diaphragms about them below the perforations, or else
a suitable valve should be fixed in the well tube at a point below the
termination of the pipe. The diaphragm is perforated, and a valve seat of
aunular form is made on its upper face, to which is fitted an annular valve V,
which surrounds the pipe G, and moves freely up and down within the well
tube. Aspace is left between the sides of the valve and the outer surface of
this pipe, and the diameter of the valve is made less than the inner diameter
of the well tube, so that oil or any other liquid is free to pass upwards both
outside and inside of the ring valve, when it is raised off its seat. The extent
of the movement of the valve upward may be controlled by a guard which
should be placed in the well tube at a suitable height above the valve seat.
The effect of this construction will be to prevent the indirect pressure from
the currents, or their direct pressure from acting upon the gaseous or liquid
contents of the well, and thereby prevent injury to the packing from that
cause, and also to relieve gases and liquids contained in the surrounding rock
from the pressure to which they are subjected in the operation of the ejectors
as hitherto used, and permit them to flow into the well unresisted. When-
ever a partial vacuum is formed below the throat d by the rapid motion of
the currents through it, the valve V will yield to the pressure of the contents
of the well and be raised, and the oil or other contents of the well will rush
upwards until an equilibrium of pressure is restored within and without the
well tube, when the valve will fall by its own weight and close the openings

page_text: in the annular diaphragm U. Any additional pressure from within the well
tube above will of course hasten the closing of the valve and tend to make it
tight. By this Invention the whole energy of the currents is used to lift the
column of gases and liquids in the well tube, and none of it is allowed to act
against the packing or against the flow of oil into the well from the
surrounding rock.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me by
iny foreign correspondent, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid.
First, raising oil and other liquids from wells and other deep places in the
manner herein set forth.
Second, the arrangement of apparatus herein set forth for raising liquids.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)