IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LIFTING, LOWERING, AND HAULING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William George Armstrong, of Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LIFTING, LOWERING, AND
HAULING."
Sealed the 21st October 1856, and dated the 22nd April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William George Arm-
strong at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd April 1856.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE ARMSTRONG, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the County
of Northumberland, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LIFTING, LOWERING, AND
HAULING," to be as follows:-
These improvements apply to apparatus in which hydraulic pressure is used
as a motive power for lifting or hauling, or as a medium of resistance for
lowering.
The improvements have for their object the obtaining variation of power by
the use of one external cylinder or press, instead of two or more such cylin-
ders arranged to operate separately or in concert, and consist in applying two
or more concentric rams or plungers, or a combined piston and ram to such
cylinder. The two or more concentric rams or plungers are so arranged that.

page_text: any one or more except the centre one may be locked or prevented from
noving, while the other or others remain free to act. For this purpose each
ram except the centre one must be a hollow cylinder into which the pressure
water must have admission, and each ram which contains an inner one must
be provided with a stuffing box or other provision for a water-tight joint.
In the combined piston and ram the piston is attached to the end of the
ram, and fits the cylinder, but the ram is of smaller diameter, so that an
aunular space remains between it and the cylinder. The pressure acts upon
the under side of the piston and thrusts out the ram, but when the ram
returns, the annular space around it becomes filled with waste water, which is
drawn in through a suction valve analagous to the suction valve of a force
pump, and which closes when the piston advances before the pressure, and
prevents the water so drawn into this annular space from escaping by the course
Lit.entered. But a delivery valve is provided analagous to the delivery valve
of a force pump, through which the water occupying the annular space is
forced into a pipe communicating with the source from which the pressure
water is supplied. In this case the power obtained and water expended are
proportionate to the difference of area between the ram and the piston, but
when the whole power is required a stop valve is opened, so as to afford a
free escape to the water in the annular space, and in that case the piston
advances with a force proportionate to its entire area.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William George Armstrong in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GEORGE ARMSTRONG, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the County of Northumber
land, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William George Armstrong, Her special licence, that I, the said William
George Armstrong, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William George Armstrong, 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

page_text: 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 APPARATUS FOR LIFTING, LOWERING, AND HAULING, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William George Armstrong, 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 calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William George Armstrong, do hereby
declare the 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, and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to say) :-
These improvements apply to apparatus in which hydraulic pressure is
used as a motive power for lifting or hauling, or as a medium of resistance
for lowering.
The improvements have for their object the obtaining of variation of power
by the use of one external cylinder or press, instead of two or more such
cylinders arranged to operate separately or in concert, and consist in applying
two or more concentric rams or plungers, or a combined pistou and ram, or
both, to such cylinder.
The accompanying Drawings, in which similar letters are used to denote
similar parts of all the Figures, will shew an arrangement of apparatus for
attaining the above object. Figure 1 represents a side view in section of a
hydraulic apparatus for lifting and lowering, or for hauling, by means of
hydraulic pressure, and Figure 2 is a vertical view or plan of the same, not in
section. A, A, is the external cylinder or press in which the fluid operates.
B is a ram or plunger, which enters the external cylinder through the stuffing
box C, which allows the ram to slide in and out without permitting the fluid
to escape. This ram is hollow and open at the bottom, so that the fluid in the
external cylinder may have free access to the interior of the ram. Within
this ram is contained a second ram D, which in like manner slides through
a water-tight stuffing box E. To this smaller ram is attached the cross-head
and pulley frame F, containing two pulleys G1, G2, and sliding upon the guide
bars H, H. The larger ram is also provided with a cross-head I, which slides
upon the same guide bars. G³, G, are two pulleys fixed to the bottom of the
external cylinder; J, J, is the lifting, lowering, or hauling chain, which is
fixed to the external cylinder at the point K, and after passing round the .

page_text: pulleys G', G2, G3, and G, is led away in the direction shewn in Figure 1, its
opposite extremity being attached to the object to be moved. L is the valve
called the lifting valve, by which water or other fluid is admitted from the
pipe M through the pipe N into the cylinder A; and O is the valve called the
lowering valve, by which the fluid after the lifting valve is closed may be
allowed to escape from the cylinder into the waste pipe P, for the purpose of
lowering a load or slacking the chain. These valves may be opened and
closed by means of levers or screws, or any other suitable mechanical arrange-
ments. Now when a fluid under pressure is admitted by means of the lifting
valve into the cylinder A, it will tend to push both rams out of the cylinder,
but if means be applied to fasten the larger ram, then the smaller ram will
alone be put in motion. If, however, the larger ram be left free to move,
then it also will advance and will press against the pulley frame in conjunction
with the smaller ram. Thus two actions or degrees of force will be exerted
upon the pulley frame, and the motion communicated to the load being
multiplied four fold, in consequence of the chain being passed round the
pulleys G, G, and G³, (G* operating merely as a conveyance pulley, and not
multiplying the motion,) the load will be moved through a space equal to four
times the space traversed by the pulley frame. If more than two actions or
degrees of power be required, it will only be necessary to increase the number of
concentric rams, and apply to each additional one a means of holding it when
it is not required to act. The appliances for thus holding any one or more of
such rams may consist of catches connected at one end by a joint to the
external cylinder or to the guide bars, or any other fixed object, and laying
hold at the other end like a pall upon a suitable projection on the head of the
ram. These catches should be acted upon by a lever or handle in such a
manner as to be easily detached from the ram, for the purpose of liberating it
when required. An arrangement of this kind is shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3,
(Figure 3 being a side view of the arrangement, and of the adjacent parts). Q, Q,
are two catches or palls jointed to the guide bars, and fastening the ram B by
laying hold of its cross head; R is a weigh-bar with levers and connections
attached, for the purpose of lifting the catches when it is desired to liberate the
ram, and of letting them down when the ram is again to be fastened. The
arrangements for fastening the ram or rams may be effected by various
methods, as will be at once understood by any person conversant with the
existing hydraulic machinery of this description. Figures 4 and 5 exhibit the
application of the combined piston and ram for effecting the same object of
varying the power without using more than one external cylinder; Figure 4 is
a. side view in section of this arrangement; and Figure 5 is a vertical view or

page_text: plan of the same, not in section. In this instance the external cylinder A is
bored and fitted with a piston S, to which a ram T is attached. Now it is
evident that if a fluid under a given pressure be allowed to enter the cylinder A
through the pipe N, while the space in the cylinder surrounding the ram is
occupied by a fluid which has a free outlet, the force acting upon the piston,
and tending to push out the ram, will be proportionate to the area of that side
of the piston on which it acts. But if the fluid surrounding the ram bé
deprived of its free outlet, and at the same time be allowed to enter a passage
communicating with the fluid acting upon the opposite side of the piston, the
force exerted in pushing out the ram, and the quantity of motive fluid
expended, will be less than in the former case, in the same proportion that the
difference between the areas of the two sides of the piston is less than the
entire area of that side which has the larger surface. An arrangement of
valves by which this action may be effected is shewn in Figures 4 and 5. L
is the lifting, and O is the lowering valve. (These valves are similar in their
purpose and construction to the lifting and lowering valves described in
Figures 1 and 2). U is a clack or mitre valve, similar in its office to the
delivery valve of a force pump, and V is a similar valve, corresponding with
the suction valve of a force pump; P is the pipe which receives the waste
water discharged by the lowering valve; W is the pipe leading into the space
in the cylinder surrounding the ram; and X is a stop valve communicating
between the pipes P and W. The action of these valves may be explained as
follows: Suppose the lowering valve to be open, and the ram to be entering
the cylinder under the influence of a tension upon the chain, while the valve X
remains closed-In this case fluid will be drawn as by a pump from the waste
pipe P through the suction valve V, and thus the space in the cylinder
surrounding the ram will become filled with a portion of the waste fluid.
When the lowering valve is closed the ram will cease to enter, and the
suction valve V will fall and prevent the waste water thus drawn in from
returning. Next, suppose the lifting valve to be opened, and the ram to be
in consequence advancing out of the cylinder while the stop valve X continues
closed-In this case the water surrounding the ram, having no other means of
escape, will lift the delivery valve U, when it will join and form part of the
fluid passing the lifting valve, and giving motion to the piston. These would
be the conditons when the smaller power was exerted, but when the larger
power was required the stop valve X would be opened, so as to afford to the
water surrounding the ram a free delivery into the waste pipe P. This
arrangement of valves is well adapted for the purpose required, but any system
of valves which will afford the alternative of allowing the fluid surrounding

page_text: the ram to escape without material hindrance, or, on the other hand, of
compelling it directly or indirectly to enter and be added to a fluid supplied
under pressure for the purpose of motive power, will attain the same object.
By making the ram T hollow, and applying a stuffing box and holding
catches to the same, in the manner already described in reference to the
ram B in Figures 1 and 2, then another ram, corresponding with the ram D
in Figures 1 and 2, may be introduced within it, so as to afford a third action
or degree of power. Or, if more than three actions or degrees of power be
required, it will only be necessary to increase the number of concentric rams
within the ram T, and apply to each additional one a means of holding it, as
already described.
The supply of water under pressure, and the allowances to be made for loss
of power by friction or production of velocity in the parts of the machine, or in
the fluids communicating therewith, with other details, and the method of
using the above apparatus, are well understood by persons conversant with the
construction and use of the existing hydraulic apparatus.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim as
of my Invention or the exclusive use of the several parts of the said apparatus;
but I hereby declare that I claim as my Invention a machine in which
hydraulic pressure is used for lifting, lowering, or hauling, by the adaptation
of two or more concentric rams, or a combined piston and ram, or both, for
the purpose of obtaining different degrees of power with one external cylinder,
as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William George Armstrong, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
W. G. ARMSTRONG. (L.8.)