Improvements in Automatic Syphons.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 12th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 26th Aug., 1899
Improvements in Automatic Syphons.
SAMUEL HENRY ADAMS, Hydraulic Engineer Cumbrae, Park Avenue, Harro-
gate, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to automatic syphons for use particularly for dia-
charging to or from filter beds or sewers. I prefer to form my syphon with a
deep trap and with a central blow pipe or seal so formed with a bulb or enlarge-
ment by preference that when it is sucked a part only of its liquid contents shall
be removed. rely upon the partial sucking of this seal and the less resistance
offered by it to the escape of air from within my syphon, to bring about on tho
refilling of the tank or rise of liquid around it the discharge of the syphon, thus
to operate my syphon liquid must first rise around it, and then by some means
fall, and rise again, this second rise bringing about syphonic action. I can thus
use two syphous discharging through one or other alternately.
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1 1000
Improvements in Automatic Syphons,
SAMUEL HENRY ADAMS, Hydraulic Engineer Cumbrae, Park Avenue, Harro-
gate, 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:―
My improvements relate to automatic syphons for use particularly for dis-
charging to or from filter beds or sewers. I prefer to form my syphon with a
deep trap and with a central blow pipe or seal No formed with a bulb or enlarge-
ment by preference that when it is sucked a part only of its liquid contents shall
be removed. I rely upon the partial sucking of this soal and the less resistance
offered by it to the escape of air from within my syphon to bring about on the
refilling of the tank-or rise of liquid around it-the discharge of tho syphon, thus
to operate my syphon, liquid must first rise around it and then by some means
fall and rise again, this second rise bringing about syphonic action. I can thus
use two syphons, discharging through one or other alternately. I may weaken the
trap and resistance in another way in order to bring about the same result-thus
I may place a blow pipe which (instead of blowing upwards when water rising in
a long leg of pipe shall give at first increased resistance) shall blow out of a
pipe of equal length to the intake side, in such a case the first rising of water

page_text: around the syphon-the traps being full will by confined air displace liquid from
the main trap and also from this additional trap or blow pipe in one syphon of
a pair whereas in the other which shall have last discharged both these traps will
be full--then the next time the water rises around the first named syphon the
pressure will be exerted upon the weakened traps of syphon and blow pipe and
the latter offering least resistance will be forced by pressure from within and
syphonic action will follow at a level in tank at which the other syphon having
full traps will not be affected-but upon the discharge of the tank and its refilling
this last named syphon having lost its former resistance by displacement from
the trap will offer least resistance and so come into work and thus two syphons 1
will discharge alternately. Or I may bring about the same result without the
intervention of this auxiliary blow pipe provided the main trap of syphon is
sufficient in such case the weakened main trap of one syphon of a pair will offer
less resistance to the pressure of water above than that which having last dis-
charged is left with its trap full and will come into operation at a level at
which the other cannot start so discharging alternately.
Reference to my drawings shews at Fig. 1, two syphons having a common
source of supply, both are identical in construction and figurod alike, at A is
the deep tray, B the syphon dome C, the syphon leg. D the water level when
syphon traps are full. E, the level when half full. the level when syphon
traps are forced. G, is the level at which liquid will stand to start syphon having
full trap. His the level at which syphon having reduced trap starts. In opera-
tion now it is necessary to fill the trap of one syphon half full, and that of the
other full, as water rises around these both the domes will become sealed and
the air locked within them. To displace the water from the full trap will require
twice the amount of air needed to displace that having the trap half full but the
volume of air in both domes is identical, it follows thon that the liquid in the
half full trap is depressed to the level of when that in the full trap is at level
of E. Air will be forced therefore now through F, the half full trap allowing
this syphon to come into operation the contents of the tank or source will be
discharged and upon its refilling the syphon discharged will be left with full trap
and that which stood before will have because of the displacement already
described its trap half full, the next discharge will therefore take place through
this syphon. Fig. 2 shews two syphons supplied from a common source; the
various parts being marked as are those of Fig. 1, the additional blow traps P
excepted, with their inlets for air from syphon at K, and their outlets R. In
operation the traps of one of the syphons being first filled and that of the other
syphon half filled the action will be exactly as described for Fig. 1, only that the
blow traps P, having a less depth and resistance than the main traps A have, will
be forced first by the locked in air which will find a clearer passage through-these
smaller traps being blown free of water-than through the main traps as at Fig. 1
which stand full or partially so. At Fig. 3, two syphons are also fed from the same
source; these also are lettored as Fig. 1, with the additions required to describe
the central blow pipes, these are shewn at Q with their traps S, having by pre-
ference an enlargement at X. In operation one syphon having first discharged
will leave its main trap and its central blow pipe trap full of water, then upon the
rising of liquid around the syphon dome air will be locked therein pressure being
exerted upon both traps i.e. the main trap and the trap of central blow pipe. The
water in the latter will be forced up the central tube by air pressure due to liquid
above it and will not give way under a pressure sufficient to start the other main
syphon which has a less depth of water in its central tube and consequently
offers less resistance to the air pressure from within this pressure then displaces
the liquid seal & escapes up pipe Q, the syphon therefore comes into operation
discharging contents of tank or source in which it may be placed, as the water
sinks around these syphons, the one discharging will leave both its traps full
but half of the liquid contained in the central blow pipe of the first syphon will
be withdrawn by the lowering of liquid around it creating a vacuum within the

page_text: dome and sucking air through pipe Q, to break that vacuum removing part of
liquid from water seal S, so that upon the refilling of the tank, this trap having
only half its former contents will be weaker than that of the other syphon which is
left full, the syphons will therefore discharge alternately, the bulb I prefer to
use as it retains a certain amount of water within seal which would otherwiso
be withdrawn this is not however a necessity. At T I shew the level to which
water in blow pipe traps will rise the first time and when these are left full and
at U the level to which this would rise, after left half full.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
1st. The use in combination of two syphous however constructed which shall
being placed in a receptacle common to both, discharge automatically and
alternately.
2. The use in combination of two syphous having traps and domes which shall—
being placed in a receptacle common to both discharge automatically alternately.
3. The use of two syphons in combination in which one or other or both shall
be filled with an auxiliary blow pipe used to bring about their alternate & auto-
matic discharge.
4. The use of the various syphons and modifications shown either separately or
together.
5. The use of the various apparatus shewn & described by drawings & specifica-
tion and their equivalents though differing in conformation substantially the
same & for the same purpose.