IMPROVEMENTS IN ATMOSPHERIC PUMPING APPARATUS FOR RAISING WATER FROM MINES AND SHAFTS, PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR VENTILATING THE SAME
Year: 1879

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS
IN ATMOSPHERIC PUMPING APPARATUS FOR RAISING WATER FROM MINES
AND SHAFTS, PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR VENTILATING THE SAME." A communi-
cation from abroad by William Paris Barclay, of San Francisco, State of
California, United States of America.
Scaled the 20th February 1880, and dated the 15th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th October 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ATMOSPHERIC PUMPING APPARATUS
FOR RAISING WATER FROM MINES AND SHAFTS, PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR
VENTILATING THE SAME." [A communication from abroad by William Paris
Barclay, of San Francisco, State of California, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to apparatus for draining or pumping water from deep
mines or shafts, and it consists in having an air discharge or exhausting engine
brought in communication with one or more atmospheric engines, the said
atmospheric engine or engines working the plungers of one or several force
pumps placed one above the other, the lowest pump forcing the water up to the
one next above, and from the latter it is forced to the one next higher, and so on
until the water reaches the highest pump, when it discharges into a drain which
conveys the water away from the location of the mine. The atmospheric engines
and their respective force pumps are placed in close proximity with one another,
and the vertical distance between the several pumps or engines is according to the
distance or height that the force pump plungers are required to force the water
from one pump to the next higher."
The air discharge or exhausting cylinder is furnished at each end with inlet and
outlet valves. The inlet valves are opened by a combination of cams and levers
that are raised and lowered by gearing operated from the fly wheel shaft, and the
outlet valves open and close automatically at the proper time when the piston of
the said exhausting cylinder is put in motion.

page_text: The stuffing boxes of the inlet valves contain a cylindrical rubber ring that
moves or ruils up and down in the stuffing box along with the spindle of the valve;
the rubber ring when in position assumes an ovoid form in cross section, and
prevents any leakage of air passing through the stuffing box.
From the inlet branches of the exhausting or discharge cylinder with which the
inlet valves communicate is conveyed a large pipe or main, which is extended
down to the bottom of the nine or shaft, and to which is connected by a branch
the valve chest of each of the several atmospheric engines in the mine or shaft.
The cylinder of each of these atmospheric engines is supplied with a piston and
rod, the piston rod passing through a stuffing box in the upper cover of the
cylinder; the top end of the piston rod is connected with a beam, and to one end of
the beam is jointed the plunger of the force pump worked by the said engine, the
opposite and smaller end of the beam being secured to the foundation by a pillow
block.
The piston rod of the atmospheric cylinder is given a true vertical motion by
being guided with bars or slides supported from the cylinder, and the plunger is
kept perfectly parallel in its movement by radius bars jointed at one end to the
discharge column pipe from the force pump, and at the other end to a centre on
the beam.
The valve chest of the atmospheric engine has ports or passages leading both to
the top and bottom ends of the cylinder, and an exhaust passage common to both
ends of the cylinder, and through which the air exhausts from the cylinder through
the branch pipe into the large pipe or main. The valve in this chest for admitting
and relieving at same time the atmospheric air to and from opposite sides of the
piston of the atmospheric cylinder is controlled in its movement by being connected
with a rod and tappets worked from any convenient place of the engine beam.
The fly wheels of the air discharge or exhausting engine at the mouth of the
mine or shaft have grooves turned on their face, so that a wire rope or belt can be
passed over them and similar pullies on the crank shaft of a steam engine. The
piston speed of the steam engine can be run up to any desired velocity, so that a
comparatively small steam engine may be made to perform the required amount of
work. The piston of the air discharge or exhausting engine, when put in motion by
a steam engine or other motive power, discharges or forces out the air through the
outlet valve openings at that end of the cylinder towards which the piston is
travelling, the inlet valves at the same end of the cylinder remaining closed.
At that end of the cylinder from which the piston is receding there is a vacuum
formed, and on the inlet valves being opened the air from the large pipe or main
immediately rushes in and fills up the space. On the return stroke the valves are
reversed, so that the air which has entered from the main pipe into the cylinder is
now being discharged through the openings of the outlet valves at that end of the
cylinder towards which the piston is moving, the inlet valves at same end
remaining closed. The reciprocating motion of the piston in the discharge cylinder,
and the opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves alternately so as to
discharge the air that enters the cylinder from the large pipe or main, relieves the
atmospheric air from alternate sides of the pistons of the cylinders of the atmo-
spheric engines, and the atmospheric air being alternately admitted to the opposite
sides of the said pistons to those from which the air is relieved the power or
pressure thus exerted is utilized in the working of one or several plunger, force, or
other pumps.
In a modification of the already described air discharge or exhausting cylinder,
the union pipes to and from the exhausting cylinder are so arranged that in case of
accident by the explosion of gas in the mine or other cause by the reversing of a
handle the piston of the exhausting cylinder would either force fresh air down the
main pipe, or else take the air out from the mine through the said pipe.
In the union pipe joining the branch pipes of the air exhausting cylinder with
the main pipe there are placed four valves. These valves are connected together by
rods and levers with the handle above mentioned, so that two of them remain open

page_text: when the other two are shut. Supposing the valves that are open to allow fresh
air from the surface to enter the cylinder, from which it is forced into and down the
main pipe, the reversing of the position of the handle would close these two valves
and open the other two valves that were closed, so that instead of fresh air at
the surface being taken into the cylinder, the main pipe would be brought in
communication with the inlet or exhaust valves of the cylinder, and the outlet
valves would be open to the outside atmosphere, so that by this system of
connecting the main pipe with the cylinder the said cylinder can be either used as
an exausting cylinder to work the atmospheric engines with their respective force
pumps, at same time taking the bad air out, or be used as a blowing cylinder to
force fresh air from the surface into mine.
At the upper end of the main pipe is a large side valve, and worked by a handle
immediately above this valve is a cage suspended from a wire rope, the cage
being used for the descent or ascent of men into or out of the mine through the
main pipe when the cylinder is used as a blowing cylinder.
The closing of this large valve shuts off communication with the main pipe, and
allows the workmen to enter through a door on to the cage; when the door is
closed and the large slide valve is opened, the cage and men are lowered to any
desired position along the main pipe, there being placed at intervals down the
main pipe doors which can be either opened or shut from within or outside of the
main pipe.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
April 1880.
fa
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. IMPROVEMENTS IN ATMOSPHERIC PUMPING APPARATUS
FOR RAISING WATER FROM MINES AND SHAFTS, PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR
VENTILATING THE SAME." A communication from abroad by William Paris
Barclay, of San Francisco, State of California, United States of America.
This Invention relates to apparatus for draining or pumping water from deep
mines or shafts, and it consists in having an air discharge or exhausting engine
brought in communication with one or more atmospheric engines, the said
atmospheric engine or engines working the plungers of one or several force pumps
placed one above the other, the lowest pump forcing the water up to the one next
above, and from this latter it is forced to the one next higher, and so on until the
water reaches the highest pump, when it discharges into a drain which conveys the
water away from the locality of the mine.
The atmospheric engines and their respective force pumps are placed in close
proximity with one another, and the vertical distance between the several pumps or
engines is according to the distance or height that the force pump plungers are
required to force the water from one pump to the next higher.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the air
discharge or exhausting engine, and Figure 2 an end elevation of the same;
Figure 3 represents on a larger scale a section elevation of the air discharge or
exhausting cylinder with the arrangement of valves at each end of the cylinder;
Figure 4 represents a plan view of the upper cover of cylinder with the levers and
cams for operating the inlet valves, the outlet valves being also shown in position;
Figure 5 represents a side elevation of one of the atmospheric engines in com-
bination with a plunger force pump; Figure 6 is a plan view of the atmospheric
engine and the plunger force pump. Similar letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts in the foregoing Figures. Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, A is the
air discharge or exhausting cylinder furnished at each end with inlet and outlet
valves. The inlet valves 1 are opened by a combination of cams and levers that
are raised and lowered by gearing operated from the flywheel shaft, as shown, and
the outlet valves 2 open and close automatically at the proper time when tho
piston B of the exhausting cylinder A is put in motion. The stuffing boxes of
the inlet valves are supplied with a cylindrical rubber ring 3 that moves or rolls
up and down along with the spindle of the valve; the rubber ring when in position
assumes an ovoid form in cross section, and prevents any leakage of air through the
stuffing box; E is a pipe which extends from the inlet branches D of the
exhausting or discharge cylinder A (with which the inlet valves communicate) down
to the bottom of the nine or shaft, and to which pipe is connected by a branch F
the valve chest G of each of the several atmospheric engines, as shown in Figures
5 and 6. The cylinder of each of these atinospheric engines, Figures 5 and 6, is
supplied with a piston and rod, the piston rod passing through a stuffing box in the
upper cover of the cylinder; the top end of the piston rod is connected with a
beam J, and to one end of the beam is jointed the plunger K of the force pump L,
the opposite and smaller end of the beam being secured to the foundation by a
pillow block M. The piston rod of the atmospheric cylinder is given a true vertical
motion by being guided with bars or slides supported from the cylinder, and the
plunger is kept perfectly parallel in its movement by the radius bars N, as shown,
jointed at one end to the discharge column pipe P from the force pump, and at the
other end to the centre Q on the beam J. The valve chest G of the atmospheric
engine has ports or passages leading both to the top and bottom ends of the

page_text: cylinder, and an exhaust passage common to both ends of the cylinder, and through
which the air exhausts from the cylinder through the pipe F into the large pipe E.
The valve in chest G for admitting and relieving at same time the atmospheric
air to and from opposite sides of the piston of the atmospheric cylinder is controlled
in its movement by being connected with a rod and tappets worked from any
convenient place on the engine beam J. The flywheels C of the air exhausting
engine have grooves turned on their face, so that a wire rope or belt can be passed
over them and similar pullies on the crank shaft of a steam engine. The piston
speed of the steam engine can be run up to any desired velocity, so that a
comparatively small steam engine may be made to perform the required amount of
work. The piston of the exhausting engine, when put in motion by a steam engine
or other motive power, discharges or forces out the air through the outlet valve
openings at that end of the cylinder towards which the piston is travelling, the inlet
valves at that same end of the cylinder remaining closed. At that end of the
cylinder from which the piston is receding there is a vacuum formed, and on the
inlet valves being opened the air from the large pipe E immediately rushes in and
fills up the space. On the return stroke the valves are reversed, so that the air
which has entered from the pipe E into the cylinder A is now being discharged
through the openings of the outlet valves at that end of the cylinder towards
which the piston is moving, the inlet valves at same end remaining closed. The
reciprocating motion of the piston in the discharge cylinder, and the opening and
closing of the inlet and outlet valves alternately, so as to discharge the air that
enters the cylinder from the large pipe E, relieves the atmospheric air from
alternate sides of the pistons of the cylinders of the atmospheric engines, and the
atmospheric air being alternately admitted to the opposite sides of the said pistons
from which the air is relieved the power or pressure thus exerted is utilised in the
working of one or several plunger, force, or other pumps.
Figure 7 shows a modification of the already described exhausting cylinder, in
which the union pipes D to and from the exhausting cylinder A are so arranged
that in case of accident by the explosion of gas in the mine or other cause by the
reversing of a handle T the piston B of the exhausting cylinder would either force
fresh air down the pipe E, or else take the air out from the mine through said
pipe E. In the union pipe D joining the cylinder A with the pipe E there are placed
four valves v. The valves vare connected together by rods and levers, shown in
dotted lines, with the handle T, so that two of them remain open when the other
two are shut by the reversing of the handle T from one position to its opposite
position. The valves vare represented in the Drawing as allowing fresh air from
the surface to enter the cylinder A, and having it forced from the cylinder into and
down the pipe E, the direction of the arrows 3 indicating the passage of air into
the cylinder, and the arrows 4 pointing to the discharge of air from the opposite
side of piston of the cylinder into and down the pipe E. The reversing of the
position of handle T would close the two valves that are shown open, and open the
two valves v that are represented closed, so that instead of fresh air at the surface
being taken into the cylinder A, the pipe E would be brought in communication
with the exhaust valves 1, and the valves 2 would be open to the outer atmosphere,
so that by this system of connecting the pipe E with the cylinder A. the said
cylinder can be either used as an exhausting cylinder to work the atmospheric
engines with their respective force pumps, at same time taking the bad air out, or
be used as a blowing cylinder to force fresh air from the surface into the mine. At
the upper end of the pipe E is shown a large slide valve S worked by a handle H,
and immediately above this valve is a cage R suspended from a wire rope, the
cage being used for the descent or ascent of men into or out of the mine through
the pipe E when the cylinder A is used as a blowing cylinder. The closing of
valve S shuts off communication with the pipe E, and allows of the workmen to
enter through the door Y onto the cage. When the door is closed and the large
slide valve S is opened by the handle H, the cage and men are lowered to any

page_text: desired position along the pipe E, there being placed at intervals down the pipe E
doors, which can be either opened or shut from within or outside of the pipe.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The combination of an air discharge or exhausting engine brought in
communication with one or several atmospheric engines, as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
2nd. The combination of one or more atmospheric cylinders, the pistons of which
communicate their motion to a beam or bob from which the plunger of a force
pump is attached, as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
3rd. The combination of an air exhausting engine and atmospheric engine with
plunger force pump, as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
4th. The method of changing the exhausting engine into a compressor or
blowing engine in combination with the pipe E and cage R, and for the purposo
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
AT