Improved Means for Raising Water from Mine Shafts or other Places.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1899-Accepted, 27th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Raising Water from Mine Shafts or other Places.
We, Ross EGERTON BROWNE, Mining Engineer, of 320, Sansome Street, San
Francisco, California, United States of America, and FRASER & CHALMERS
LIMITED, of 43, Threadneedle Street, London, Engineers and Manufacturers, 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;
In sinking a pit or shaft into the ground, the surface or other water which
collects therein is now generally lifted and delivered to the surface by various
kinds of pumps, which the miner commonly calls sinking pumps.
Usually these are suction and force pumps with reciprocating pistons and
plungers, operated by steam, compressed air, electric motors, or by rods actuated
by machinery on the surface. The pump is usually placed in the shaft generally
15 to 25 feet above its bottom, and draws the water by suction through a strainer
and suction hose to the pump cylinder, whence the reciprocating piston or
plunger forces it upward by direct action to any desired elevation.
It is not practicable to provide more than a very small pump in the bottom of
the shaft while the work of sinking is in progress, and the pump must adapt
itself to draughts of water, mud, sand, small rock fragments and air, without
serious interference with its operation.
The pump must be lowered from time to time as the work progresses, the
power supply and water discharge pipes must be extended and new connections
made, and at times of breaking the rock in the shaft bottom by blasting, the
pump must either be lifted away to a safe point, or protected by a bulkhead of
heavy timbers.
There result frequently, serious losses of time in handling the pump, packing,
and repairing its rapidly wearing parts. In sinking a deep shaft in wet ground,
the extraction of the water is notoriously a source of material delay.
After a shaft is completed and a deep pump provided, bailing tanks are fre-
quently used to lower into the water and hoist it to the surface, but during the
progress of the sinking of the shaft a sufficient sump to dip from cannot be pro-
vided. According to the present invention it is proposed to utilize what may be
called a combination of the vacuum system of pumping with the bailing system
of raising the water, and in order that the invention may be clearly understood
reference is made to the accompanying drawings which indicate one form of
apparatus for carrying the invention into practice. In said drawing
A indicates a vacuum tank or bailing vessel provided with a suction valve B
suction hose C and strainer and foot valve D the tank being also provided with
a discharge valve E operated by a rod F and lever G in a manner hereinafter
described. Vacuum is produced in the tank A by means of a vacuum_pro-
ducer H on the surface, which is connected with the tank by vacuum pipe I and
coupling J. The tank travels on guides in the shaft and is raised and lowered
in the ordinary way by rope K and motor L. The operation of the apparatus
is as follows: The vacuum tank is lowered to a point near to the bottom of the

page_text: As the
shaft and the water is drawn into the tank by virtue of the vacuum or partial
vacuum therein. When the tank is filled or partially filled with water, the
coupling is disconnected and the tank is hoisted to the surface to the position
shown by dotted lines when the outer end of lever G will come in contact with
stationary trip M and open valve E permitting the discharge of the water through
trough after which the tank emptied of its water is returned to the bottom of
the shaft and re-connected with the vacuum pipe and the operation is repeated.
The coupling J may be connected with the vacuum pipe, either rigidly or
preferably by means of a flexible hose, and is most suitably constructed to cut
off the air intake when uncoupled and open the same when coupled.
shaft increases in depth fresh lengths of rigid pipes I would be added.
Ordinary dipping and dumping tanks are of course well known but these are not
adapted for use except there is a considerable depth of water in the shaft and
consequently they cannot keep a shaft even comparatively dry while direot
acting pumps are subject to much wear when dealing with water, mud, sand,
and the like, while the present apparatus will lift air, water, mud, and sand,
with less than the usual amount of wear and tear, and it also necessitates less
labour in handling and repairing, is more easily kept in order, and is more re-
liable in its action than the sinking pumps in ordinary use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The improved means of raising water from mine shafts or other places,
consisting of a vacuum tank adapted to be raised and lowered in the shaft, a
vacuum producer adapted to create a vacuum in said tank, and means for dump-
ing or discharging the water from the tank when same has been raised substan-
tially as described.
2. In an apparatus for raising water from mines or shafts, the combination of
a frame at the head of the shafts, a tank supported upon the frame adapted to be
raised and lowered in the shaft and having a suction pipe communicating with
the tank and depending therefrom, a vacuum generator at the shaft head, an
adjustable pipe connecting the vacuum generator with the tank, hoisting
mechanism and a flexible connection between such mechanism and the tank,
substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus for raising water from mines or shafts, the combination
of a frame at the head of a shaft, a tank supported upon the frame adapted to
be raised and lowered in the shaft, said tank having a suction pipe, and a valve
controlled discharge opening at its lower end, a vacuum generator at the shaft
head, an adjustable pipe connecting the generator with the tank, hoisting
mechanism for raising and lowering the tank, and means for automatically
opening the discharge opening of the tank when the same reaches the discharge
point in its upward movement, substantially as described.
Dated the 21st day of Anvil 1900
PHILIP M. JUSTICE.
Chartered Patent Agent, 55, Chancery Lane, London,
For the Applicants.