A NEW OR IMPROVED ELEVATOR
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Hutcheson and Archibald
Hutcheson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 30th December 1868.
We, JAMES HUTCHESON and ARCHIBALD HUTCHESON, both of the
City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED
ELEVATOR," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This said Invention consists substantially in the construction and use
of a fixed or stationary pipe, hollow barrel, or cylinder having a smooth
surfaced deep threaded screw revolving within it, driven in the opposite
direction to which the screw ascends at the necessarily sufficiently
higher speed within it so as to effect the screwing, raising, or elevating
of water or other liquid, or semi-liquid or fluid, granular or lumpy
substances, or a mixture of these such as could easily pass into the lower
end of the screw and pipe from this lower end and level to the top of
the pipe, whether it be placed vertically or at an angle (the lower end
being immersed in the particular substance to be raised and the upper
end provided with a slanting spout or other convenient or equivalent
means of delivery) all against the gravitating power and tendency to

page_text: run down the screw owing to the angle of the thread allowing the fluid
to run down on all sides round to the lower level, and in contra-
distinction to the modes in use of having elevating screws with their
axes lying at such an angle that the rising incline or angle of the thread
really runs down to the horizon on the side rising out of the liquid or
substance running in and down the screw by its gravitation and fluidity,
and thereby rising up the screw at whatever speed the screw is turned,
and rather assisted than obstructed by the revolving of the case or
cylinder along with the screw. And which said Invention makes a
lighter and more convenient and portable elevator for many useful
purposes than those heretofore in use, and where those are practically
inapplicable even if they absorb somewhat less power than is required
for this new elevator.
One modification of this Invention of a portable character suitable for
discharging grain, salt water, and sand, and gravel ballast from ships
consists of a nearly vertical pipe with a receiving and delivery chest or
chamber at the bottom and top respectively, with stay hooks and chains
or wire ropes or other equivalent attached at the top for fixing and
steadying it in position for use, having a short driving shaft at right
angles to it working in bearings on the top chest actuating the screw by
a bevel wheel and pinion which is keyed on the top screw spindle close
to its upper bearing bracket also secured to the chest. The lower end
of the screw spindle revolves in a footstep bearing in the receiving chest
or trough with one or two pitchs or revolutions of the thread projecting
down below the outer case or pipe into the chest which is kept full of
the substance to be raised to some distance above the end of the pipe by
being immersed into it, or other convenient appliances such as open
horizontal screw trough and manual labour. In this modification the
screw is formed of a uniform thin smooth right-angled radial and
cylindrical thread of about four inches pitch and twelve inches diameter
fitting as close to the interior of the stationary cylindrical case or pipe
as practicable without touching to give friction, but when very long a
turned ring can be fixed on the periphery of the screw near the centre
and work on rollers fitted in a groove in the pipe formed at that part for
the purpose of stiffening and steadying the screw. The screw is driven
and works at a speed of from forty to two hundred revolutions according
to the circumstances and materials being raised, the more fluid materials
requiring the higher speeds.

page_text: Many other modifications and arrangements of this Invention than
those described may be made for other like or special purposes, as for
dredging, when the screw might be coarse and strong and laid at a
considerable angle and have the lower nozzle or point of screw so
constructed as to dig into the mud and prevent anything from entering
which was too large to pass up the screw and pipe. In some cases the
screw need not extend up the whole length of the pipe, and it might be
made of an increasing or diminishing pitch and diameter to fit the
desired shape of pipe at the part where the screw was and the pressure
and speed of the fluid column at the different positions respectively, and
particularly at the mouth piece, which might be made of a smaller
diameter at the bottom with reverse conical entrance and exit to the
screw, which could thus be driven at a higher speed in the inverse pro-
portion of the diminished area with the same power, all variously to suit
the particular circumstances and material to be raised.