IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND FORCING WATER AND FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
RAISING AND FORCING WATER AND FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER." -A
communication from abroad by William Edgar Prall, of Wash-
inston District of Columbia United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd August 1869.
"
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
POWER," a
FOR RAISING AND FORCING WATER AND FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE
communication, to be as follows:-
The said Invention consists in the apparatus herein-after described
for elevating water and other liquids by means of the direct force of

page_text: steam applied without the use of intervening mechanism and by atmo-
spheric pressure obtained through the condensation thereof, the same
being also applicable as a motive power. The following is a description
of the said apparatus, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing,
which represents a central vertical section of the same:-
A indicates a steam generator or boiler, and B the ash drawer or pan,
serving also as the draft aperture. hot water cylinder D surrounds
the furnace, and is connected by a pipe with a condenser H, situated
at an elevation above that of the boiler, and so connected with it
that the heat or hot water may never be permitted to escape into it
except in the form of steam, The condenser is connected with the
induction or supply pipe J and with the eduction or discharge pipe I,
both being provided with check valves to prevent the return of the
water. There is free communication between the hot water cylinder
and condenser by the pipe a, and they are also connected by the bent
pipe F which rises a short distance from the top of the condenser at G,
and then descends and connects with the hot water cylinder at a point
a little below the fire, while a branch E starting at a level with the top,
of the condenser connects after a downward bend with the top of the
steam jacket or generator. These two pipes form a syphon of which F
is the long and E the short leg, their effect being to draw at the proper
time the water from the bend of E, and thus open the passage between
the boiler and condenser. The apparatus is first filled with water.
through an aperture in the top of the condenser; all the parts and pipes
are filled except the air chamber or continuation of the syphon pipes Ę
and F, which has an elevation above the condenser and can never
become filled with water. Fire is applied to the boiler A. As the steam
accumulates in the said boiler the water is forced downward into the
hot water cylinder, and as there are no obstructions in any of the con-
nections with the condenser H the pressure is at once communicated to
the water in the condenser, and the discharge pipe I attached to the top.
of the condenser discharges an amount of cold water exactly equal in
quantity to the amount of hot water that was forced into the hot water
cylinder by the steam in the boiler. The hot water cylinder D connected
with the boiler and beneath it has a capacity much greater than the
boiler, therefore the hot water can never be discharged into the parallel
pipe a connecting with the condenser. The steam as it accumulates
presses the water. downward until the water in the boiler is driven
sufficiently below the bottom of the short leg of the syphon E or cut-off

page_text: to make it the lightest column, then the water in the long leg of the
syphon takes the water from the short leg, and the passage way connect-
ing the steam boiler with the condenser is opened and the steam at once
passes to the top of the condenser through the air chamber pipe G. The
elevation of the condenser H being above the boiler, as shewn in the
Drawing, the water at once by its greater gravity presses downward
out of the condenser and forces the hot water back into the boiler and
the cut off or syphon pipe becomes again filled: The space made vacant
by this recession of the water in the condenser becomes filled with the
steam from the boiler, that is, as the water passes downward towards the
boiler the steam goes upward into the condenser and is brought into
immediate contact with the cold tubes in the condenser just made
vacant by the receding cold water. A vacuum is at once produced by
the condensation of the steam, the suction valve opens, and water from
the supply tank at once rises into the condenser, the steam immediately
begins again to generate, the water, never having entirely left the fire, is
at the boiling point, and the operation is repeated ad infinitum. The
air in the pipe G is at every stroke or pulsation of the pump carried
before the steam into the condenser. As the discharge pipe is placed
below the crown of the condenser the air can never be lost, and any
excess is carried out of the discharge pipe with the water; by this means
also the air that is liberated by the condensation of steam is carried out
of the condenser. The condenser besides being provided with tubes
arranged as heretofore expressed has a number of galvanized rods in
each tube, thus-largely increasing the condensing surface and not adding
to the expence materially. By the use of the kind of boiler shewn the
steam as fast as it is made communicates its force to the column of
water beneath it, and as the "cut off" is never allowed to be placed
below the fire-box it will be noticed that the water at its maximum
recession can never be below the fire. Another very important feature
connected with this boiler is that the steam while expelling the water
is always subjected to the full heat of the furnace, being thus used
expansively.
The advantages of this Invention over all other devices for raising
water are many. Among them I will mention that it dispences with all
moving machinery; the apparatus is automatic or self-acting. Besides
all these advantages it is a low pressure or condensing engine, the steam
after having performed the labor of expelling the amount of one boiler.
full of water instead of being as is usually the case exhausted into the

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by tlie said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the " International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS. Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND FORCING WATER AND FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER," a communication to me from abroad by William Edgar Prall,
of Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake,
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 Robert Lake, 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:-

page_text: Said Invention consists in the apparatus herein-after described for
elevating water and other liquids by means of the direct force of steam
applied without the use of a piston or other intervening mechanism, and
by atmospheric pressure obtained through the condensation thereof, the.
same being also applicable to be used' as a motive power; the following
being a description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing making a part of this Specification, which represents a central
vertical section.
The
In the Drawings A indicates the furnace of a steam generator.or
boiler, and B the ash drawer or pan, serving also as the draft aperture,
the air being admitted under the grate, and the products of combustion
escaping through the smoke pipe K, as indicated by the arrows.
fuel is supplied through an aperture at the top closed by the removable
cover M. A hot water cylinder D surrounds at its upper part the
furnace, and is connected by a pipe F with a condenser H situated at
an elevation above that of the boiler and so connected with it that the
heat or hot water may never be permitted to escape into it except in the
form of steam. The condenser is connected with the induction supply
pipe J and with the eduction or discharge pipe I, both being provided
with check valves to prevent the return of the water. There is free
communication between the hot water cylinder D and condenser by
the pipe L, and they are also connected by the bent pipe F, which rises
to an elevation above the top of the condenser at G, being connected
with the hot water cylinder at a point a little below the fire, while a
branch E, E', starting on a level with the top of the condenser connects
after a downward bend with the top of the steam jacket or generator..
These two pipes form a syphon, of which F is the long and E, E', the
short leg, their effect being to draw at the proper time the water from
the bend E', and thus open the passage between the boiler and condenser.,
The operation is as follows:-The apparatus is first filled with water
through an aperture in the top of the condenser; all the parts and pipes
are filled except the air chamber or continuation of the syphon pipes E
and F, which are at an elevation above the condenser, and therefore
can never remain filled with water. Fire is now applied to the boiler
furnace A. As the steam accumulates in the jacket C the water is forced
downward into the hot water cylinder D, and as there are no obstructions
in any of the connections with the condenser H the pressure is at once
communicated to the water in the condenser, and the discharge pipe I
.

page_text: ättached to the top of the condenser discharges an amount of cold water
exactly equal in quantity to the amount of hot water displaced by the
steam formed in the jacket, that being forced downward in the hot water
cylinder by the pressure of the steam, and hence acting through the
pipe L to expel an equal quantity from the condenser. The hot water
cylinder D connected with the boiler and beneath it has a capacity
much greater than the boiler, therefore the hot water can never be
discharged into the parallel pipe connecting with the condenser. The
steam as it accumulates presses the water downward until the water in
the boiler is driven sufficiently below the bottom of the short leg of the
syphon E or cut off to make it the lightest column, then the water in
the long leg of the syphon (F) takes the water from the short leg, and
the passage way connecting the steam boiler with the condenser is
opened and the steam at once passes to the top of the condenser through
the air chamber pipe G. The elevation of the condenser H being above
the boiler, as shown in the Drawing, the water at once by its greater
gravity presses downward out of the condenser and forces the hot water
back into the boiler, and the cut off or syphon pipe becomes again filled.
The space made vacant by this recession of the water in the condenser
becomes filled with the steam from the boiler, that is, as the water
passes downward toward the boiler the steam goes upward into the
condenser and is brought into immediate contact with the cold tubes in
A vacuum
the condenser just made vacant by the receding cold water.
is at once produced by the condensation of the steam, the suction valve
opens, and water from the supply tank at once rises into the condenser,
the steam immediately begins again to generate (the water, never having
entirely left the fire, being at the boiling point) and the operation is
repeated ad infinitum. The air in pipe G is at every stroke or pulsation
of the pump carried before the steam into the condenser. As the
discharge pipe is placed below the crown of the condenser the air can
never be lost, and any excess is carried out of the discharge pipe with
the water; by this means also the air that is liberated by the condensa-
tion of the steam is carried out of the condenser. The condenser besides
being provided with tubes arranged as before described may have a
number of tinned or galvanized rods in each tube, thereby largely
increasing the condensing surface without materially adding to the
expense. By the use of the kind of boiler shewn the steam as fast as it
is inade communicates its force to the column of water beneath it, and
as the "cut off" is never allowed to be placed below the fire-box it will

page_text: be noticed that the water at its maximum recession can never be below
the fire; another very important feature connected with this boiler is
that the steam while expelling the water is always subjected to the full
heat of the furnace, thus using the steam expansively.
The advantages of this Invention over all other devices for raising
water are many. Among them we will mention that it dispenses with
all moving machinery; the machine is self-acting or automatic. Besides
these advantages it is a low-pressure or condensing engine, the steam,
after having performed the labor of expelling the amount of one boiler
full of water instead of being, as is usually the case, exhausted into the
open air and wasted is transferred into the condenser and there
condensed, producing a vacuum, thereby utilizing the pressure of the
atmosphere.
The apparatus may be employed as a pump by using steam from any
other generator instead of generating it within the apparatus itself.
The main principle of the Invention consists in the action of the
steam directly upon a body of the water, which serves as a liquid piston
to actuate the water elevated, and in the use of a liquid cut off.
It embraces all the characteristics of a condensing steam engine
without any of its moving parts or mechanism, the water serving the
purpose of the piston, cut off, and for condensation.
I claim as my Invention an engine or apparatus operated by the
direct force of steam without the intervention of a piston or other
mechanism and by atmospheric pressure obtained by the condensation.
of the steam whether used as a pump for elevating and forcing water or
as a motive power.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1870.
30
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. J. GEDGE,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.