Improvements in Hydraulic Rams.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hydraulic Rams.
I, JOHN BLAKE, of Oxford Street Works, Accrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
anner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in the valves of hydraulic rams the
object of my improvements being to obtain greater efficiency in a simple
manner.
The first part of my invention relates to the waste or pulse valves of hydraulic
rams such as are described in the Specification to my former Letters Patent
No. 2323 of 1889 and consists of an arrangement by which the several clacks or
rubber belts of the valve can be regulated to use more or less water.
To accomplish this I employ one or more rudder like shutters or gates the
turning of which more or less closes the rubber belt clacks and by the employment
of a slotted cam plate or equivalent revolving on an axis the partial revolution of
one shutter or gate actuates the others.
The second part of my invention relates to the delivery or non-return valves of
hydraulic rams and consists in the employment of a perforated chamber or vessel
with two or more flat or slightly convex sides over which is stretched a belt or
band of elastic material instead of using a cylindrical chamber or vessel in
combination with the belt or band of elastic material as is common for such valves.
By the employment of the perforated chamber with more or less flattened sides or
seatings 1 obtain a greater durability in the elastic belt or band and increased
discharging capacity with a given size of belt or band.
The third part of my invention relates to the air supply or snifting valve of
hydraulic rams and consists in substituting for the usual simple perforated plug or
valve two concentric metallic rings or plugs the outer one ground or turned to fit
the inner one and the circumference of the inner one perforated with one largo
hole or inlet while the circumference of the outer ring is perforated with several
smaller holes of various sizes so that by adjusting the outer ring any one of the
various sized holes may be brought opposite to the large hole in the inner ring,
By this arrangement greater latitude is obtained in regulating the supply of
air to the ram and to facilitate observation I prefer to insert between the snifting
valve and the body of the ram a transparent tube or sleeve through which the
air bubbles as they enter the ram can be seen and the valve regulated accordingly
to allow more or less air to enter as required to keep the air chamber of the ram
properly supplied.
In the accompanying three sheets of drawings-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a hydraulic ram fitted with my improved
waste or pulse valve, delivery or non-return valve and air supply or snifting
valve.
Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are detail views of my improved waste or pulse valve, Fig. 2
being a plan from above, Fig. 3 an elevation showing one rubber belt or clack
partly in section, Fig. 4 a horizontal section of the valve taken on the plane of the
line TV, Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 a plan of the under side showing the arrangement for
actuating the shutters or gates.

page_text: Fig. 6 is an elevation of my improved delivery or non-return valve, and Fig. 7 a
plan of the same from above showing part in section through the line W X.
Fig. 8 is an elevation of my improved air supply or snifting valve, Fig. 9 is a
sectional elevation of the same and Fig. 10 a horizontal section of the same through
the line Y Z.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
In the drawings, -a designates the body of the ram, b the inlet for water, and
m the hollow metal vessel with its four slightly concave sides perforated each with
three groups or sections of holes as clearly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, each
group of holes being covered by a separate rubber or other suitable elastic
belt /.
The four pivoted shutters or gates c which I employ according to the first part
of my invention are shown supported at their lower ends in a plate or crosshead n
and at the upper ends in a flange or top plate g. The pivot c² of one of the
shutters c is prolonged and projects through the top plate g, it is squared near its
extremity to receive a box key o and it is also screw threaded to receive a nut c³
by which it can be locked in any desired position after adjustment. On the bottom
of each shutter is a stud c which engages one of the four diagonal slots formed in
a pivoted cam plate or cross head p consequently when the pivot 2 and its shutter
are turned by means of the box key o the cam plate p is moved axially thereby
turning the remaining three shutters c with it and adjusting the distance of the
elastic belts to or from the perforated sides of the vessel m. The act of closing
the shutters c will bring the belts / nearer to the perforated sides of the vessel m
and this will cause them to shut sooner by the impact of the escaping water and
therefore cause the ram to use less driving water.
It will be readily understood that the mechanism shown and described for moving
the shutters c and adjusting the belts h relatively to the perforated sides of the
vessel m might be varied or modified and any other suitable mechanism employed
for the same purpose.
Also that instead of three separate belts there might be
only one or two or any other suitable number and instead of perforating the
sides with holes in three groups any other convenient arrangement might be
adopted.
My improved delivery or non-return valve is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 and
consists of a hollow chamber
with two or more, preferably four, perforated flat
or slightly convex sides as clearly shown in the plan view, Fig. 7. A rubber or
other clastic belt d is stretched round the sides of the vessel and the action is
similar to that of the elastic belt ordinarily employed in combination with a
cylindrical chamber; but by the use of a chamber with flat or slightly convex
sides according to this part of my invention I obtain with a valve of nearly the
same perimeter a greatly increased discharging area as indicated by the dotted
lines in Fig. 7, and therefore the work can be effected with far less strain on the
elastic belt than when a circular chamber is employed.
My improved air supply or snifting valve is illustrated in detail by Figs. 8, 9
and 10, and is intended to replace the ordinary simple perforated plug or valve.
It consists of the following parts :-
A nipples is screwed into the chamber of the hydraulic ram at a point slightly
below the delivery valve as shown in Fig. 1 and to this nipple s is secured one end
of a tubet preferably of glass although this is not essential as a metal tube might
be employed; to the other end of the tube t is secured a ring or collar u with a
coned exterior and a single hole u is made through its side. Over the collar u is
fitted a cap with a series of perforations v¹ of different sizes as clearly shown in
the plan view, Fig. 10. The cap is secured to the collar u by a screw w leaving
the cap v free to be turned in order to bring the perforation v¹ of the required
size opposite the inlet hole u' in the collar-u whereby the quantity of air admitted
to the ram can be regulated as desired this regulation being facilitated by watching
the air bubbles passing through the tube t.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the waste or pulse valve of a hydraulic ram, the combination with a hollow
vessel having perforated sides and an elastic belt or belts for covering said perfora-
tions, of means for adjusting the distance of said belt or belts from the perforated
sides for the purpose of regulating the amount of water used by the ram
substantially as herein set forth.
2. In combination, the hollow vessel m, having perforated sides, the elastic belt
or belts h, the pivoted shutters or gates c and means for moving the same in order
to more or less open or close the belts and regulate the quantity of water used
substantially as herein described and as illustrated by Figs. 1 to 5.
3. In combination with the vessel m, the elastic belt or belts h, and the pivoted
shutters c, the box key o and the slotted cam plate p all substantially as and for
the purposes herein set forth.
4. The improved delivery or non-return valve of a hydraulic ram, said valve
having two or more flat or slightly convex perforated valve seats over which is
stretched an elastic belt substantially as and for the purposes herein described with
special reference to Figs. 6 and 7.
5. The improved air supply or snifting valve of a hydraulic ram said valve
consisting of an inner ring or collar having a single inlet hole and a cap having a
series of holes of different sizes, fitted over the inner ring so that by adjusting the
cap on the ring the amount of air admitted to the ram can be regulated substantially
as herein set forth.
6. In combination, the nipple s, the tube t, which may or may not be transparent,
the ring u with inlet u' the cap v with a series of holes v¹ of different sizes, and
means such as the screw w for securing the cap to the ring whilst leaving the cap
free to be turned thereon substantially as and for the purposes herein described
with special reference to Figs. 8, 9 and 10.
7. The general combination and arrangement of parts embodying my improve-
ments in hydraulic rams substantially as herein described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
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H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.