IMPROVE- MENTS IN PUMPS FOR COMPRESSING ELASTIC FLUIDS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PUMPS FOR COMPRESSING ELASTIC FLUIDS."-A communication from
abroad by Germain Sommeiller, of Turin, in the Kingdom of Sardinia,
Engineer.
Sealed the 8th June 1860, and dated the 9th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th April 1860.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS FOR COMPRESSING ELASTIC FLUIDS,"-A communi-
cation from abroad by Germain Sommeiller, of Turin, in the Kingdom of
Sardinia, Engineer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
apparatus for compressing air, gases, and other elastic fluids, and consists in
the employment of a horizontal cylinder, opening at both ends, into two vertical
.cylinders respectively. A piston is caused to work to and fro, by any prime
mover, along the horizontal cylinder. This last mentioned cylinder is filled

page_text: with water, which partially fills the vertical cylinders also, the piston is thus
entirely enclosed by water on both sides. The two vertical cylinders are each
provided with a pair of valves kept hermetically air-tight by hydraulic joints,
the valves and valve seats being surrounded by water. One of each pair of
valves serves as the inlet for the air or gas to be compressed, and the other
allows the compressed air or gas to escape into a pipe leading to the com-
pressed air or gas reservoir. The to-and-fro motion of the piston 'in the
horizontal cylinder causes a simultaneous elevation of the water level in the
one vertical cylinder, and a corresponding depression of the water level in the
other cylinder. As the water level descends, the external air (if it is sought
simply to compress atmospheric air) enters the cylinder by the inlet valve at
the same time a small quantity of the water which surrounds that valve
escapes into the cylinder with the air, and at the next stroke of the piston the
raising of the water level compresses the air above the water in the cylinder
and forces it through the outlet valve into the pipe leading to the reservoir or
air vessel, a small escape of water again taking place with the air out of the
cylinder. It is thus obvious that during the working of the apparatus, there
is an intermittant entrance of water into the cylinders and a corresponding
escape of water therefrom. This supply maintained by any natural and
'constant source, such as a mountain stream, and the water which escapes flows
into a reservoir fitted with a float and valve, so that when a certain quantity of
water has run into the waste reservoir, the float will rise, open an escape
valve, and allow the water to run off until the descent of the float again closes
the valve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said

page_text: John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
or 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 PUMPS FOR COMPRESSING ELASTIC FLUIDS," a communica-
tion from abroad by Germain Sommeiller, of Turin, in the Kingdom of
Sardinia, Engineer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 John Henry Johnson, 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 and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
apparatus for compressing air, gases, and other elastic fluids, and consists in the
employment of a horizontal cylinder, opening at both ends into two vertical
cylinders respectively. A piston is caused to work to and fro by any prime
mover along the horizontal cylinder. This last mentioned cylinder is filled
with water, which also partially fills the vertical cylinders, the piston is thus
entirely enclosed by water on both sides. The two vertical cylinders are each
provided with a pair of valves kept hermetically air-tight by hydraulic joints,
the valves and valve seats being constantly covered with water. One of each
pair of valves serves as the inlet for the air or gas to be compressed, and the
other allows the compressed air or gas to escape into a pipe leading to the
compressed air or gas reservoir. The to-and-fro motion of the piston in the
horizontal cylinder causes a simultaneous elevation of the water level in the
one vertical cylinder, and a corresponding depression of the water level in the
other cylinder. As the water level descends, the external air (if it is sought
simply to compress atmospheric air) enters the cylinder by the inlet valve, at
the same time a small quantity of the water which surrounds that valve
escapes into the cylinder with the air, and at the next stroke of the piston the
raising of the water level compresses the air above the water in the cylinder,

page_text: and forces it through the outlet valve into the pipe leading to the reservoir or
air vessel; a small escape of water again taking place with the air out of the
cylinder. It is thus obvious, that during the working of the apparatus, there
is an intermittant entrance of water into the cylinders, and a corresponding
escape of water therefrom. This supply may be maintained by any natural
and constant source, such as a mountain stream, and the water which escapes
flows into a reservoir fitted with a float and valve, so that when a certain
quantity of water has run into the water reservoir, the float will rise, open an
escape valve, and allow the water to run off until the descent of the float again
closes the valve.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the Figure on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, which represents a
longitudinal vertical section of the improved apparatus in complete working
order.
A is the horizontal cylinder, within which works to and fro the piston P,
actuated by any convenient prime mover. This cylinder opens at both ends
into the compressing cylinders B and C respectively; M is a horizontal
cylindrical reservoir, in which is placed a cylindrical float G, a free space a, a,
being left between the exterior of the float and the interior of the reservoir, as
shewn in the Drawing; R is a water reservoir or tank, which is kept constantly
supplied from any natural or other convenient source, and is provided with two
cocks r, r, which direct the water into the two vessels E, F, respectively;
S & S are two inlet valves for the entrance of the air or gas to be com-
pressed into the compressing cylinders; O, O', are two other valves, which admit
of the exit of the compressed air or gas from the compressing respectively;
and z is another valve fitted into the bottom of the reservoir M, and connected
with the float G, for the purpose of effecting the periodical emptying of the
reservoir, as herein-after described; T, T', are two horizontal tubes or passages,
the one serving to conduct the compressed air or gas to any suitable accumu-
lating reservoir, which is not represented in the Drawing, and the other serves
to carry off the water which is operated in the compression of the fluid. The
piston works to and fro in the water, which always maintains an air-tight joint,
and the tightness of the valve S, S', and O, O¹, is also maintained perfect by
keeping them constantly immersed in water by the aid of the respective vessels
or small reservoirs X, X¹, and Y, Y', which are always maintained full of
water at a constant and invariable level, which water effectually prevents the
return of the air or gas, whether at the inlet or exit valves. The compressed
air or gas in the cylinders or compressing chambers B and C passes out by the

page_text: valves O and O', simultaneously with a small quantity of water, which is carried
along with it mechanically, and expands in the space x, whence it passes by
the tube T into the receiver or magazine. The small quantity of water which
is carried over by the air into the space x serves to keep the vessels Y, Y',
constantly supplied, the surplus water flowing off into the reservoir M. When
this waste water has attained a certain level in the reservoir M, it elevates the
float G, which draws with it and opens the emptying valve 2, through which
the water escapes by the aid of the tube T¹, and under the pressure of the air
or gas in the space a above. The escape of the water causes the float G to
descend again, and so close the valve z until the further supply of water again
elevates the float and valve. Thus the water supplied by the cocks r,, in
two continuous jets, after having fulfilled its purpose of packing or keeping air-
tight the inlet valves, is expelled intermittently and automatically from the
apparatus at the same time with the water carried along by the compressed air.
Although the constant admission of fresh cold water into the apparatus
might be objected to as tending to a certain extent to diminish its useful effect,
yet this entrance of cold water acts beneficially in other respects by keeping
down the temperature of the apparatus, as it will absorb the heat generated by
the compression of the air or gas. Supposing the apparatus to be started, the
piston P will travel in the direction of the arrow from a to b, and the outlet
valve O of the compressing cylinder or chamber B closes. This cylinder B is
completely filled with water, whilst in the cylinder C, the water reaches only
to the level n, n'; the remaining part of this second cylinder is filled with air
or gas, as the case may be. Now, during the course the piston travels, from
a to b, the level n, n', will rise and compress the air above it until it forces
open the outlet valve 0¹, and escapes into the space x, and thence by the
tube T to the receiver. On the arrival of the piston at b, or the end of its
stroke, the valve O' closes again, and is kept tight by the presence of the water
which covers it in the vessel .Y'. Should this valve be imperfectly made, a
leakage or back flow will take place through it, during the return stroke of the
piston from 6 to a, but this leakage will only be a small quantity of water, and
not of the compressed fluid enclosed in the space x. Whilst the piston has
been travelling from a to b, the inlet valve S' of the cylinder or chamber C has
of course remained closed and been kept air-tight by the water in the vessel X',
in which this valve is immersed. In the same manner described with reference
to the valve O, any leakage through this valve S¹ will merely result in the
escape of a small quantity of water, whilst the compressed fluid itself is retained
in the cylinder. The operation of the cylinder B during the return stroke of
the piston from b to a is precisely similar to that already described in reference

page_text: to the cylinder C, but it has in the meantime been filled with air or gas
through the inlet valve S, and its water level has descended to the line m, m³,
so that when the piston begins to move from 6 to a the air or gas above m, m',
will be compressed and forced out eventually through the outlet valve O into
the space a and receiver. Whilst this is taking place the level of the water in
C is descending, and a fresh supply of air or gas is entering by the inlet valve S¹.
The volume of air which enters and is expelled from each cylinder B, C,
alternately, is of course equal to the volume of water dispelled at each stroke
of the piston.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of apparatus for compress-
ing elastic fluids, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of preventing the escape of compressed air or
gas through valves by immersing such valves in a liquid, as herein-before
described.
Third, the application and use of a continuous flow of water, for the purpose
of maintaining the valves of the compressing cylinders air-tight, and of keeping
down the temperature of the apparatus, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the peculiar construction of self-acting apparatus for allowing of
the free escape of the superabundant water after it has completed its useful
effect, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the system or mode of compressing elastic fluids, by means of a piston
working in a cylinder in connection with compressing chambers, such chambers
containing a column of water interposed between the piston and the elastic
fluid to be compressed, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)