Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Raising and Forcing Water and other Liquids.
Year: 1898

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Raising and Forcing
Water and other Liquids.
I, FRANK HEATH MERRILL, of Plainfield, Union County and State of New
Jersey, United States of America, Engineer, 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 reciprocations of the main valve are pneumatically controlled indepen-
dently of the liquid pumped; it is pneumatically shifted by alternating abruptly
applied pneumatic pressure and exhaust controlled by a pneumatically operated
supplemental valve, the motion of which is timed by a retarder.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown an apparatus of one form in
which my invention may be embodied without intending thereby to limit myself to
said form or to the arrangement, construction or number of parts therein con-
tained excepting as the same are essential to the principle of my invention.
Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus with the water compartments in section.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the air-valve-mechanism on the plane,
Figure 1. Figure 3 is a vertical section of the same on a plane at right angles
with the plane.
y y represents the level of the water in which the water compartments are
submerged.
The water compartments and their inlet and outlet passages are as follows:
1 and 2 are water compartments which are respectively provided with the bottom
water inlet openings 3 and 4, respectively closed by the lift-valves 5 and 6. 7 is
the water-delivery-pipe which is provided with an in-take located near the bottom
of each water compartment. The in-take for compartment 1 is at the bottom of
pipe 8 and the in-take for compartment 2 is at the bottom of pipe 9. Lift-valve 10
controls the opening into pipe 8 and a similar lift-valve controls the opening into
pipe 9. The air-valve-compartment 11 is connected on one side with the top of
water compartment 2 by pipe 12 and on the other side with the top of water-
compartment 1 by pipe 13.
The shell of the air-valve compartment 11 may be constructed of two cast-
ings 15 and 16 shown in Figures 2 and 3 in which the parts are represented to
an enlarged scale. The casting 15 contains the differential cylinders 17 and 18.
The casting 16 contains the differential cylinders 19 and 20. The compressed
air or gas-supply-opening 21 connects with the top of cylinder 17, and the bottom
of cylinder 18 through the passage 22. It also connects with the bottom of
cylinder 20 through the passage 23. The cylinder 17 connects with the pipe 12
through the double series of perforations 24 and 25 and the annular passage 26.
The cylinder 18 connects with the pipe 13 through the double series of perfora-
tions 27, 28 and the annular passage 29. The lower end of the cylinder 17 con-
nects with the main exhaust-opening 30 through the passage 31. The cylinder 18
connects with the main exhaust-opening 30 through the series of perforations 32
and the annular passage 33. The cylinder 20 connects with the top of cylinder 18

page_text: through the passages 33 and 34. The top of cylinder 19 is connected with the
pipe 12 through the annular passages 35, 36 and the passages 38, 39. The
passage 38 is throttled by the valve 40 which is carried and controlled by the set
screw 41. 42 is an exhaust passage.
The valves and their relationship with the supply and exhaust ports are as
follows: The valve-heads or plungers 43, 44 and 45 are bolted together by the
bolt 46 making a differential valve consisting of the equal heads 43 and 44 and
the smaller head 45. This differential valve is shown at the top of its stroke
in Figure 2 and at the bottom of its stroke in Figure 3. The arrangement of
the ports is such that at the top of the valve stroke the ports 24, 25 are below
the valve-head 45; the ports 27, 28 are between the valve-heads 44 and 45; the
exhaust-ports 32 are between the valve-heads 43 and 44. When the valve is at
the bottom of its stroke, the pressure-ports 24, 25 are between the valve-heads 44
and 45, the pressure ports 27, 28 are between the valve-heads 43 and 44, the
exhaust-ports 32 are between the valve-heads 43 and 44. The valve-heads 47
and 48 are connected together by the bolt 49 so as to make a differential valve
consisting of the larger head 47 and the smaller head 48.
The dimensions employed may be as follows: Diameter of valve-heads 43
and 44, 4 inches; diameter of valve-head 45, 3 inches; diameter of valve-
head 47, 3 inches; diameter of valve-head 48, 2½ inches; diameter of passage 38,
.125 of an inch; diameter of throttle-valve 40, .120 of an inch; length of stroke
of differential-valve 47, 48, 13/16 of an inch; length of stroke of differential-
valve 43, 44, 45, 1½ inches. The ports 42 and 33 are each about 3 of an
inch in diameter. The differential cylinders 17, 18, 19 and 20 and the metallic
portions of the valves and the walls of passage 38 and the throttle-valve 40 are
made of non-corrosive metal. The outer casings 15 and 16 are of cast iron.
38" the bottom of the passage 38 is covered by a wire screen of fine mesh to prevent
any sediment from getting into the passage around the throttle-valve.
At
Operation when valves are positioned as shown in Figure 3: Suppose com-
partment 2 to be full of water and compartment 1 to be empty and the valves to
De in the position shown in Figure 3. Compressed air entering at 21 passes
through the passage 22 and the cylinder 17 and the ports 24, 25, and the pipe 12 into
compartment whence it forces the water through the pipe 9 into the discharge-
pipe 7.
At the same time the head of water around the water-compartment
raises valve 5, fills water compartment 1 and drives the air out of water com-
partment 1 through pipe 13, passage 29, ports 27, 28, cylinder 18, ports 32 and
passage 33 to the main exhaust 30. At the same time, the pressure from 21 is
communicated through the passage 23 to the cylinder 20 on the under side of the
valve-head 48 and thence through the passages 33" and 34, to the cylinder 18
above the valve-head 43. At the same time, the compressed air entering at 21
passes through passages 39, 38, 36 and 35 into cylinder 19 above the valve-head 47.
The passage 36 is enlarged sufficiently to form an air-chamber. The throttle-
valve 40 delays the raising of the pressure in the chamber 36 by the entrance of
compressed air to allow sufficient time for the water compartment 2 to be emptied
and the water compartment 1 to be filled. The proper extent of this delay is
secured by adjusting the set-screw 41 and thereby the extent to which the valve 40
projects into the passage 38. When the pressure above the valve-head 47 has
increased to the necessary degree, the differential form of the valve will cause
it to move downward, the air between the valve-heads escaping through the
passage 42. The mouth of passage 33ª is located just below the piston-head 48
when at the top of its stroke, so that as soon as said piston-head commences to
descend it traps the air contained within the cylinder 18 above the piston-head 43
and holds it entrapped until it has reached substantially the bottom of its stroke,
when the mouth of passage 33" is just above the top of cylinder-head 48 and the
compressed air above the piston-head 43 in cylinder 18 is exhausted through
passages 34, 33ª, cylinder 20, and passage 42. As soon as this occurs, the air
pressure between valve-heads 44 and 45 acting differentially upon them will

page_text: force the differential valve 43, 44 and 45 quickly to the top of its stroke, as shown
in Figure 2.
At
Operation when valves are positioned, as shown in Figure 2: Water com-
partment 2 is now empty and water compartment 1 is full. Compressed air
entering at 21 proceeds through passage 22, cylinder 18, ports 27, 28, passage 29,
into
pipe 13 into compartment 1, whence it forces the water through pipe
delivery pipe 7. At the same time, the head of water outside of compartment 2
raises valve 6 and fills compartment 2, forcing the air therefrom through pipe 12,
passage 26, ports 24, 25, cylinder 17 and passage 31 to the main exhaust 30.
the same time, the compressed air contained above the valve-head 47 and in the
air-chamber 36 is gradually exhausted past the throttle-valve 40 and passages 38
and 39. This exhaust is delayed by the adjustment of the throttle-valve 40 so as
to keep the pressure above the valve-head 47 long enough to permit compart-
ment to be filled; but when said pressure has been exhausted to the requisite
degree, the pressure supplied through passage 23 to cylinder 20 below valve-
head 48 will force the differential valve 47, 48 to the top of its stroke.
The differential valve 43, 44, 45 will remain at the top of its stroke
until the valve-head 48 has just, at the top of its stroke, passed the mouth
of passage 33, whereupon the pressure in cylinder 20 will be communicated to
cylinder 18 above the valve-head 43 through the passages 33ª and 34 so as to
force the valve 43, 44, 45 to the bottom of its stroke. After this, the operation
first described will be repeated.
The structure described may be utilized as a single acting pump by eliminating
the operation of water compartment 1 and plugging the ports 27, 28, in which
case the valve-heads 43, 44 act substantially as a single head. The shell 16 forms
a cover for the shell 15, by the removal of which cover the differential valve 43, 44
and 45 may be removed. The top of the shell 16 is closed by the head 16" upon
the removal of which the differential valve 47, 48 may be removed. An open-
ing 50 may be plugged or utilized as the exhaust from the
31.
passage
The function of the throttle-valve 40 is not essential to causing the automatic
action of the valve 45 and supplemental valve 48. This would take place if the
passage 39 were not throttled, but in that case the valve 45 would not pause
between strokes, and there would be no time for the displacement compartment_to
fill with water. The function of the throttle valve therefore is as a retarder
acting independently of the water pumped. It retards the movements of valve 48
throughout the stroke, but it only retards or delays the start of valve 45 on each
stroke. When once started on any stroke, valve 45 moves through its stroke
with a quickness regulated by the size of the opening 33" adequate for the proper
operation of the pump without such shocks as would injure the valve. Viewing,
therefore, the throttle-valve 40 as one form of retarder acting independently of
the water pumped, I do not wish to be limited to the use of a throttle-valve as a
retarder or to the compressed air as a retarding fluid, having already conceived
other contrivances which would retard the valve 48 and thus indirectly retard
the starts of valve 45 independently of the water pumped. I have shown the
throttle valve 40 acting upon the compressed air merely as the form of retarder
that I prefer at the present time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is : —
1. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment contain-
ing liquid ingress and egress openings, a main valve, a main valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a supplemental valve, a supplemental valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a main ingress compressed gas passage leading to said main
valve chamber, a main egress compressed gas passage leading from said main
valve chamber to said displacement compartment, a branch compressed gas
passage leading through said supplemental valve chamber and against a surface
connected with said main valve and another branch compressed gas passage

page_text: leading against a surface connected with said supplemental valve, substantially
as described, whereby said main valve is pneumatically actuated independently
of the liquid pumped.
2. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment contain-
ing liquid ingress and egress openings, a main valve, a main valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a supplemental valve, a supplemental valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a main ingress compressed gas passage leading to said main
valve chamber, a main egress compressed gas passage leading from said main
valve chamber to said displacement compartment, a branch compressed gas
passage leading through said supplemental valve chamber and against a surface
connected with said main valve and another branch compressed gas passage
leading against a surface connected with said supplemental valve, substantially
as described, whereby said main valve is pneumatically actuated independently
of the liquid pumped; said supplemental valve being located outside the dis-
placement compartment.
3. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment contain-
ing liquid ingress and egress openings, a main valve, a main valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a supplemental valve, a supplemental valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a main ingress compressed gas passage leading to said main
valve chamber, a main egress compressed gas passage leading from said main
valve chamber to said displacement compartment, a branch compressed gas
passage leading through said supplemental valve chamber and against a surface
connected with said main valve and another branch compressed gas passage
leading against a surface connected with said supplemental valve, substantially
as described, whereby said main valve is pneumatically actuated independently
of the liquid pumped; said supplemental valve being located above the water
level.
4. In a displacement pump, in combination, a duplex displacement compart-
ment each part of which contains liquid ingress and egress openings, a main
valve, a main valve chamber, an exhaust therefrom, a supplemental valve, a
supplemental valve chamber, an exhaust therefrom, a main ingress compressed
gas passage leading to said main valve chamber, main egress compressed gas
passages leading from said main valve chamber, respectively to the parts of said
displacement compartment, a branch compressed gas passage leading through
said supplemental valve chamber and against a surface connected with said
main valve, another branch compressed gas passage leading against a surface
connected with said supplemental valve chamber, substantially as described,
whereby said main valve is pneumatically actuated independently of the liquid
pumped and controls the pressure in both parts of said duplex displacement
compartment.
5. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment contain-
ing liquid ingress and egress openings, a main valve, a main valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a supplemental valve, a supplemental valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a main ingress compressed gas passage leading to said main
vaive chamber, a main egress compressed gas passage leading from said main
valve chamber to said displacement compartiment, a branchy compressed gas
passage leading through said supplemental valve chamber and against a surface
connected with said main valve and another branch compressed gas passage
leading against a surface connected with said supplemental valve, substantially
as described, whereby said main valve is pneumatically actuated independently
of the liquid pumped; said first named branch passage branching from said
main ingress passage.
6. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment contain-
ing liquid ingress and egress openings, a main valve, a main valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a supplemental valve, a supplemental valve chamber, a main
ingress compressed gas passage leading to said main valve chamber, a main
egress compressed gas passage leading from said main valve chamber to said

page_text: displacement compartment, a branch compressed gas passage leading through
said supplemental valve chamber and against a surface connected with said
main valve and another branch compressed gas passage leading against a surface
connected with said supplemental valve, substantially as described, whereby
said main valve is pneumatically actuated independently of the liquid pumped;
said second named branch passage branching from said main egress passage.
7. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment contain-
ing liquid ingress and egress openings, a main valve, a main valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a supplemental valve, a supplemental valve chamber, a main
ingress compressed gas passage leading to said main valve chamber, a main
egress compressed gas passage leading from said main valve chamber to said
displacement compartment, a branch compressed gas passage leading through
said supplemental valve chamber and against a surface connected with said
main valve and another branch compressed gas passage leading against a surface
connected with said supplemental valve, substantially as described, whereby
said main valve is pneumatically actuated independently of the liquid pumped;
said branch passages branching respectively from said main ingress and egress
passages.
8. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment contain-
ing liquid ingress and egress openings, a main valve, a main valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a supplemental valve, a supplemental valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a main ingress compressed gas passage leading to said main
valve chamber, a main egress compressed gas passage leading from said main
valve chamber to baid displacement compartment, a branch compressed gas
passage leading through said supplemental valve chamber and against a surface
connected with said main valve and another branch compressed gas passage
leading against a surface connected with said supplemental valve, substantially
as described, whereby said main valve is pneumatically actuated independently
of the liquid pumped; and a retarder whereby the movement of said supplemental
valve is timed.
9. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment contain-
ing liquid ingress and egress openings, a main valve, a main valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a supplemental valve, a supplemental valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a main ingress compressed gas passage leading to said main
valve chamber, a main egress compressed gas passage leading from said main
valve chamber, to said displacement compartment, a branch compressed gas
passage leading through said supplemental valve chamber and against a surface
connected with said main valve and another branch compressed gas passage
leading against a surface connected with said supplemental valve, substantially
as described, whereby said main valve is pneumatically actuated independently
of the liquid pumped and a throttle whereby the duration of pressure against
said surface connected with said supplemental valve is controlled.
10. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment contain-
ing liquid ingress and egress openings, a main valve, a main valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a supplemental valve, a supplemental valve chamber, an
exhaust therefrom, a main ingress compressed gas passage leading to said main
valve chamber, a main egress compressed gas passage leading from said main
valve chamber to said displacement compartment, a branch compressed gas
passage leading through said supplemental valve chamber and against a surface
connected with said main valve and another branch compressed gas passage
leading against a surface connected with said supplemental valve, substantially
as described, whereby said main valve is pneumatically actuated independently
of the liquid pumped: and a throttle whereby both the pressure and exhaust
against said surface connected with said supplemental valve are retarded.
11. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment, a
main valve regulating the pressure in the same, a passage whereby pressure is
conducted against a surface connected with the main valve to move the same, a

page_text: supplemental valve outside the displacement compartment controlling the
pressure in said passage, a passage independent of the displacement compartment
whereby the pressure and exhaust produced by the movements of the main valve
are communicated with a surface connected with said supplemental valve and
means whereby the movement of said supplemental valve is retarded, substantially
as described, whereby the main valve independently of the liquid pumped con-
trols itself by the aid of said retarded supplemental valve.
12. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment
containing liquid ingress and egress openings, a main piston valve and a differ-
ential plunger for operating the same, cylinders therefor, a supplemental valve,
a supplemental valve chamber, a main compressed gas passage leading through
said main valve cylinder, a branch compressed gas passage leading through said
supplemental valve chamber against said plunger and means whereby said
supplemental valve is controlled independently of the water pumped, substantially
as described.
13. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment con-
taining liquid ingress and egress openings, a main piston valve and a differential
plunger connected therewith, cylinders therefor, a supplemental piston valve
and a differential plunger connected therewith, cylinders therefor, a main com-
pressed gas passage leading through said main valve cylinder, a branch com-
pressed gas passage leading through said supplemental valve cylinder against
said first named plunger and another branch compressed gas passage leading
against said second named plunger, substantially as described.
14. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment con-
taining liquid ingress and egress openings, a main valve chamber, an ingress
pressure passage to said main valve chamber, an egress pressure passage from said
main valve chamber, a pressure controlling valve in said main valve chamber,
a branch passage whereby pressure for actuating said main valve is conducted
from said ingress passage against a surface connected with said main valve and.
mechanism independent of the displacement compartment whereby said main
valve actuating pressure is intermitted; said mechanism being mechanically
disconnected from said surface, substantially as described.
15. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment con-
taining liquid ingress and egress openings, a compressed gas pressure supply pipe
leading thereto, a piston valve controlling said pressure, a differential surface con-
nected with said piston valve, a differential cylinder containing said piston valve
and said differential surface, a passage whereby valve actuating pressure is con-
ducted independently of the displacement compartment from said supply pipe
into said differential cylinder against said differential surface and mechanism
outside of said displacement compartment whereby said valve actuating pressure
against said differential surface is intermitted, substantially as described.
16. In a displacement pump, in combination, a displacement compartment, a
main differential cylinder 17, 18, a valve therein containing the differential
plungers 43 and 45, a supplemental differential cylinder 19, 20, a valve therein
containing the differential plungers 47 and 48, a pressure passage connected with
the main cylinder between the plungers therein, an exhaust connected with the
minor part of the main cylinder outside of the plunger contained therein, a port
in said minor part of the main cylinder connected with said displacement com-
partment, a port in the minor part of said supplemental cylinder, a passage con-
necting the same with the major part of said main cylinder outside of the plunger
therein, a pressure passage connected with the minor part of said supplemental
cylinder outside of the plunger therein, an exhaust connected with said supple-
mental cylinder between the plungers therein, a passage connecting the major
part of said supplemental cylinder outside the plunger therein with a passage
to said displacement compartment, substantially as described.
17. In a displacement pump, in combination, a duplex displacement compartment.
a main differential cylinder 17, 18, a valve therein containing the plungers 43, 44 and

page_text: the differential plunger 45, a supplemental differential cylinder 19, 20, a valve
therein containing the differential plungers 47, 48, a pressure passage connected
with the main cylinder between the differential plungers 44, 45, an exhaust con-
nected with the minor part of the main cylinder outside of the plunger therein,
a port in said minor part of the main cylinder connected with part 2 of said
displacement compartment, an exhaust connected with the major part of the said
main cylinder between the plungers 43 and 44, a port in said major part of the
main cylinder co-operating with the plunger 44 and connecting with part 1 of
said displacement compartment, a port in the minor part of said supplemental
cylinder, a passage connecting the same with the major part of said main cylinder
outside of the plunger 43, a pressure passage connected with the minor part of
said supplemental cylinder outside of the plunger therein, an exhaust connected
with said supplemental cylinder between the plungers therein, a passage con-
necting the major part of said supplemental cylinder outside the plunger therein
with a passage to said displacement compartment, substantially as described.
18. In combination, a differential cylinder 17, 18, a plunger in each part
thereof, a connection between said plungers, a pressure passage leading into the
space between said plungers, an exhaust connected with the minor part of said
cylinder outside of the plunger therein, a passage connected with the major part
of said cylinder outside of the plunger therein, an auxiliary cylinder to which
the last named passage leads, a differential valve in said auxiliary cylinder,
pressure and exhaust passages connected with said auxiliary cylinder and a throttle
valve in one of such pressure passages whereby the transitions of pressure in said
supplemental cylinder are timed, substantially as described.
19. In combination with a pressure controlling valve and the ingress and
egress passages thereof, the differential cylinder 47, 48, the differential plungers
therein, pressure passages connecting the major and minor parts of said cylinder
respectively with said ingress and egress passages and a throttle valve interposed
in one of said pressure passages whereby the speed of said plungers is regulated,
substantially as described, independently of the body moved by the pressure con-
trolled by said valve.
20. In combination, the aligned plungers, 43, 44, of substantially equal area
and the differential plunger 45, the cylinder part 18, the cylinder part 17, the
pressure passage 21 entering between said cylinder parts, pressure ports in the
minor cylinder part co-operating with plunger 45, pressure-ports in the major
cylinder part co-operating with plunger 44, exhaust ports between plungers 43
and 44 and exhaust port outside of plunger 45, a passage connecting cylinder 18
outside the plunger 43 with the passage 21, a valve 48, a plunger 47 connected
therewith and a passage leading from the ports 24 to said plunger, substantially
as described.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.