Improvements in Hydraulic Rams.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1899
Improvements in Hydraulic Rams.
We, JAMES MCCLELEN KLINE, Welldriller, and SAMUEL A. WETZEL, Postmaster,
both of Beavertown, Snyder County and State of Pennsylvania, United States
of America, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in hydraulic rams, and one object in
view is to provide an improved construction of the relief valve by which it is.
rendered extremely sensitive in action and the ram is made to operate auto-
matically at all periods of service, thus obviating the necessity for manual opera-
tion of the relief valve when the ram is started or at other periods of its service.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of water
discharge nozzle by which an increased pressure may be exerted on the water
as it presses from the air chamber to the place of storage of service.
A further object is to provide an improved construction of spring support for
the relief and inlet valves, by which said support may be adjusted to vary the
tension of the spring pressure on said valve, and the valve may be adjuster
independently of the spring support to compensate for wear and to make.it fii,
accurately to the valve-seat.
With these ends in view, the invention consists in the novel combination of
elements, and in the construction, arrangement and adaptation of parts, which
will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.
To enable others to understand the invention, we have illustrated a preferred.
embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speci-.
fication, and in which:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a single-acting hydraulic ram constructed in
accordance with our invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical sectional elevation taken longitudinally through the
ram shown by Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section on the plane indicated by the dotted
line 3-3 of Figure 2, and
Figure 4 is a similar transverse section in the plane of the dotted line 4--1
of Figure 2.
The same numerals of reference are used to indicate like and corresponding
parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.
10 designates the drive or pressure pipe which may receive its supply of water
from a creek or river, and 11 is the water chamber. Said chamber has a vertical.
extension, 12, extending above the plane of the drive pipe at the point where
the latter is coupled to said chamber, and upon the upper end of the extension
is fitted a seat plate 13, the lower face of which constitutes a seat for the automatic
relief valve. This plate is secured firmly, but detachably, in position on the
water chamber by the transverse bolts, 14, and the plate is also provided with one
or more lugs, 15, which are integral with said plate and extend upwardly there-
from.

page_text: The stem of the relief valve is indicated by the numeral 16, said stem being
provided with a short threaded length, 17, at its foot, while the upper part of
the stem is threaded for a considerable distance, as at 18. The relief valve, 19.
consists of a metallic washer and a layer of suitable pliable material superposed
upon the metallic washer, said valve being fitted on the lower threaded end, 17,
of the stem and secured firmly thereto by means of the clamping nuts, 20, which
have threaded engagement with the length, 17, of the stem, whereby the relief
valve may have its packing compressed firmly upon or between the washers by
adjusting the nuts on the valve stem. This relief valve is supported in operative
position within the extension of the water chamber and in yieldable relation
to the seat-plate, 13, thereon, by means of a single spring, 21, which is shown
more clearly by Figure 4 of the drawings. This spring is formed of a single
piece of metal by bending the same to provide an overhanging arm, the other
end of the spring being widened in one direction and thickened in the opposite
direction to produce a substantial unyielding foot or stock, 22. The spring is
arranged for its thickened and widened foot to bear laterally against one of the
lugs, 15, so that its arm will overhang the opening in the seat-plate, 13, of the water
chamber. The thickened foot or stock of this single spring is provided with a
vertical longitudinal slot, 23, through which passes a transverse bolt, 24, that
is secured to the lug, 15, whereby the spring is attached to the lug in a manner
which insures vertical adjustment of the spring on the seat-plate of the water
chamber. A transverse aperture is formed in the yieldable overhanging arm of
the spring, near its free end, for the upper threaded length, 18, of the valve-stem
to pass therethrough, said threaded length of the valve-stem having the clamping
nuts, 25, 26, screwed thereon to bind against opposite sides of the spring arm
so that the stem and relief valve may be adjusted in a vertical direction on the
spring and independently of any adjustment of the slotted spring-stock on the
seat plate. We attach especial importance to this adjustable connection of the
relief valve stem to the spring support, and to the adjustable fastening of the spring
support to the seat-plate, because such connection between the stem and spring
permits the valve to be adjusted in a manner to accurately fit the seat surface
on the plate, 13, without disturbing the spring or involving variation in the
tension thereof, and at the same time the last-described adjustable connection
of the spring support to the seat-plate enables the spring and valve to be adjusted
in order to vary and regulate the tension of the spring and thereby determine
within the exact limits the pressure exerted by the spring upon the relief valve,
whereby the spring and valve may be adjusted to secure extreme sensitiveness
in the action of the relief valve.
The delivery end of the water chamber, 11, is curved or extended in an upward
direction by a gradual curvature thereof as indicated by the numeral, 27, in
Figure 2, for the purpose of discharging the water in an upward direction and
into the air chamber under minimum friction on the body or mass of moving
liquid. This water chamber is also provided with air inlet ports, 28, which are
formed in an inclined direction to the longitudinal axis of the chamber and
between the relief valve and the upwardly curved end, 27, such ports serving to
admit air to the water chamber from whence the air with the water will eventually
find its way into the air chamber under the intermittent flow of the water in
its action on the ram.
The air chamber 29, has its base 30, arranged in the same horizontal plane
as the scat plate of the water chamber, said chamber base having an inward
valve-seat, 31, coincident with the upwardly-curved end of the water chamber.
This base is also provided on opposite sides of the valve-seat with integral upright
lugs, 32, on which is adjustably seated the double spring 33, which sustains the
inlet valve in yieldable relation to the valve seat. This double spring is made
by bending a single piece of metal to the form shown by Figure 3 of the draw-
ings, in order to produce the curved bridge portion, 34, the same being formed
with a central aperture adapted to receive the stem of the inlet valve. The end

page_text: portions of this beveled spring are widened in one direction and thickened in
the opposite direction to form the feet or stocks, 35, and said feet have the longi-
tudinal vertical slots, 36. The enlarged slotted feet of the double spring are
applied laterally against the outer faces of the lugs, 32, in a position to have
the bridge portion, 34, of said spring span and overhang the valve seat. Bolts 37
are passed through the slotted feet of the spring and the lugs, 32, to securely
fasten the spring at its terminals to the lugs, but the bolts may be loosened
for the purpose of adjusting the slotted spring feet in an upward or downward
direction, whereby the tension or pressure of the spring upon the inlet valve
may be regulated. This inlet valve, 38, consists of a metallic washer having a
facing or packing of suitable material, and this valve is secured to a vertical
stem, 39, by means of the nuts, 40. The upper end of the stem is externally
threaded and passed through the central opening in the bridge portion of the
double spring, suitable clamping nuts, 42, 43, being screwed on the stem to bear
against opposite sides of the spring so as to clamp the stem firmly thereto and
also to secure a limited vertical adjustment of the stem on the spring inde-
pendently of any adjustment of the spring on the lugs 32.
A packing, 44, is interposed between the lower edge of the shell which forms
the air chamber and the base, 30, said packing being compressed by adjusting
the nuts on the bolts, 45, that serve to couple the air chamber shell to said
base.
One of the important features of our improved ram is the provision of a
tapering water discharge nozzle, 46, the same being integral with the base, 30,
of the air chamber and located at any suitable point thereon with relation to
the inlet valve. This discharge nozzle is essentially of tapering form, with its
enlarged end uppermost and its smallest end at the bottom, thereby forming a
port, 47, between the nozzle and the air chamber, which port greatly exceeds the
diameter and area of the port at the lower end of the discharge nozzle. An off
bearing pipe, 48, has suitable connection with the lower extremity of this
nozzle, 46. The employment of the tapered nozzle permits the water contained
in the chamber, 29, and forced downwardly therein by the pressure of air
which accumulates in the upper part of the chamber, to freely enter the nozzle
through the enlarged port, 47 in the base of the chamber, but the taper of the
walls forming a nozzle restricts the passage of the water therethrough so that
the How of the water from the chamber to the pipe, 48, is retarded, whereby
the air pressure within the chamber in its action upon the water is augmented
by the taper given to the discharge nozzle, to the end that the water may be
forced from the ram to a considerable height.
The ram shown by the accompanying drawings is of the type known to the
art as single-acting for the purpose of utilizing the flow of water from a creek
or river to accumulate to an air chamber and to compress air therein, the pressure
of which is utilized to force the water from said air chamber to a desired place
of storage for service; but it is evident that the ram may be converted into a
double-acting ram by the addition of devices ordinary in the art.
Changes may be made in the form and proportion of some of the parts while
their essential features are retained and the spirit of the invention embodied,
Hence we do not desire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown,
reserving the right to vary therefrom.
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. In a hydraulic ram, the combination with a fixed lug, of a spring support
fastened adjustably to said lug, a valve stem connected adjustably to the spring
support for adjustment therewith and for adjustment thereon independently of
the spring adjustment on the supporting lug, and a valve clamped to said stem,
substantially as described,

page_text: 2. In a hydraulic ram, the combination with a water chamber having a relief-
valve seat, and a fixed lug, of a spring having a thickened and slotted foot fitted
against said lug, a bolt connecting the spring adjustably to the lug, a relief-
valve, a valve stem attached to said valve and having a headed end fitted in an
overhanging arm of the spring, and clamping nuts screwed on the stem and
binding against the spring to adjustably fasten the stem thereto, the stem and
valve being adjustable on the spring independently of any adjustment of the
spring upon its lug, substantially as described.
3. In a hydraulic ram, the combination with an air chamber, a drive-pipe and
a water chamber, and an inlet valve, of a tapering water discharge nozzle depend-
ing from the base of the air chamber and forming a port of large area in com-
munication with said chamber, the area of said port greatly exceeding the area
of the nozzle at its discharge end, and an offbearing pipe coupled to the smaller
end of the nozzle, substantially as described.
4. In a hydraulic ram, the combination with an air chamber having a valve
seat, and a water chamber, of an arched spring support secured adjustably in
the chamber, an inlet valve, and a valve stem secured to the inlet valve and
fastened adjustably to the spring support, said inlet valve and its stem being
adjustable on its spring support independently of any adjustment of the latter
in the air chamber, substantially as described.
5. In a hydraulic ram, the combination with an air chamber having a valve
seat and the lugs on opposite sides of said seat, of an arched spring support pro-
vided with the thickened and slotted feet fitted against said lugs, bolts which
fasten the feet of the spring adjustably to the lugs, a valve stem fitted centrally
in the arched spring support, nuts screwed on the stem and binding against said
support, and an inlet valve fastened to the stem, substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of October 1890
the Applicants,
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I.Mech. E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.