AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING WATER BY THE AID OF STEAM AND AIR FOR SUPPLYING LOCOMOTIVE TENDERS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bowman Atwater, of Chicago, in the State
of Illinois, in the United States of America, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING WATER BY THE AID OF
STEAM AND AIR FOR SUPPLYING LOCOMOTIVE TENDERS, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 13th July 1866, and dated the 8th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bowman Atwater
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th February 1866.
I, JOHN BOWMAN ATWATER, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, in the
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING WATER BY
THE AID OF STEAM AND AIR FOR SUPPLYING LOCOMOTIVE TENDERS, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
I take a strong and capacious vessel and partially immerse it in the
water of the well or tank from which the water is to be taken, and attach
a pipe to be connected to a boiler to admit steam at will through two
branches near the top of the vessel. I provide a self-acting valve opening
upward through the bottom of the vessel, and a discharge pipe leading
from near the bottom of the vessel to the place where the water is to be
delivered. The vessel is divided above the middle by a horizontal
diaphragm provided with a valve opening downwards. The two branches
of steam pipe are connected to the vessel, the one at the top and the other
immediately beneath the valve partition. Both are controlled by cocks.

page_text: In operating the Invention the steam is admitted suddenly through the
upper branch of the pipe, and drives the air down before it through the
valved partition. The steam is then shut off from the upper chamber and
admitted into the lower, the incoming steam being directed upward against
the valve in the partition so as to insure its prompt closing. Steam being
lighter than air accumulates in the top of the lower chamber, pressing
down upon a stratum of air, which air separates it from the water, but
transmits the pressure of the steam thereto, forcing it to be delivered
through a pipe with great rapidity. The apparatus acts with immense
force, and will raise a large quantity of water in a few seconds before any
great quantity of steam becomes condensed. The exclusion of the steam
from the upper chamber, so soon as it has driven down the air, greatly
reduces the loss from condensation, and the heat which is imparted to the
air becomes available by expanding the compressed air, making the appa-
ratus operate partly by the force of the steam and partly by the caloric in
the air. On shutting off the steam and disconnecting from the boiler the
water again flows into the vessel. In wells, cisterns, or other receptacles
in which the water level is liable to vary greatly I propose to raise or lower
the vessel and correspondingly vary the pipes and connections, but I can
partially obviate the necessity for this, and am able to operate with success
aunder considerable fluctuations, by forming the lower chamber of the vessel
with a narrow neck or contracted part between its upper and lower
portions, in other words, the lower chamber may be in fact two chambers
of suitable capacity connected by a comparatively slender pipe, the water
line being always at some height on this pipe. Thus divided the steam
and air will fill the upper chamber at a high pressure and transmit the
pressure through a cushion of cool air in the narrow neck or pipe to
the water in the enlargement below, expelling that water and allowing
the induction of a fresh quantity so soon as the pressure is removed in
the same manner as before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Bowman Atwater in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BOWMAN ATWATER, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, in the United:
States of America, send greeting...

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Bowman Atwater, Her special licence that
I, the said John Bowman Atwater, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Bowman Atwater, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED. APPA-
BATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING WATER BY THE AID OF STEAM AND AIR FOR
SUPPLYING LOCOMOTIVE TENDERS, AND FOR. OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others); that I, the said John Bowman Atwater, my executors
or administrators,, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Bowman Atwater, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention,, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof:--
I take a strong and capacious vessel and partially immerse it in the
water of the well or tank from which the water is to be taken, and attach
a pipe to be connected to a boiler to admit steam at will through two
branches near the top of the vessel. I provide a self-acting valve opening
upward through the bottom of the vessel, and a discharge pipe leading
from near the bottom of the vessel to the place where the water is to be
delivered. The vessel is divided above the middle by a horizontal
diaphragm provided with a valve.opening downward. The two branches
of the steam pipe are connected to the vessel, the one at the top and the
other immediately beneath the valved partition; both are controlled by
cocks. In operating the Invention the steam is admitted suddenly through
the upper branch of the pipe, and drives the air down before it through
the valved partition. The steam is then shut off from the upper chamber
and admitted into the lower, the incoming steam being directed upward

page_text: against the valve in the partition so as to insure its prompt closing. Steam
being lighter than air accumulates in the top of the lower chamber, pressing
down upon a stratum of air, which air separates it from the water but
transmits the pressure of the steam thereto, forcing it to be delivered
through the pipe H with great rapidity. The apparatus acts with immense
force, and will raise a large quantity of water in a few seconds before any
great quantity of steam becomes condensed. The exclusion of the steam
from the upper chamber, so soon as it has driven down the air, greatly
reduces the loss from condensation, and the heat which is imparted to the
air becomes available by expanding the confined air, making the apparatus
operate partly by the force of the steam and partly by the caloric in
the air. On shutting off the steam and disconnecting from the boiler the
water again flows into the vessel. In wells, cisterns, etc., in which the
water level is liable to vary greatly, I propose to raise or lower the vessel
and correspondingly vary the pipes and connections, but I can partially
obviate the necessity for this, and am able to operate with success under
considerable fluctuations by forming the lower chamber of the vessel with
á narrow neck or contracted part between its upper and lower portions; in
other words, the lower chamber may be in fact two chambers of suitable
capacity connected by a comparatively slender pipe, the water line being
always at some height on this pipe. Thus divided the stem and air will
fill the upper chamber at a high pressure and transmit the pressure through
à cushion of cool air in the narrow neck or pipe to the water in the
enlargement below, expelling that water and allowing the induction of a
fresh quantity so soon as the pressure is removed in the same manner as
before described.
Such being the general construction and object of my Invention I will
now proceed to point out more specifically what I consider the best mode
of carrying out the Invention, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, which form a portion of the Specification and represent vertical
sections through my apparatus.
Figure 1 shows the construction of the elevator when used for the
purpose of raising water for locomotives from shallow wells. It shows
the vessel A divided by a diaphragm into an upper and lower chamber;
the upper chamber a is about one-fourth the capacity of the lower
chamber 6, and these two chambers a and b communicate with each other
through an opening which is closed by the valve c as represented. This
vessel A may be made of any desired capacity observing the above pro-
portions, and should be of the best boiler iron. Through the bottom of

page_text: the vessel A an opening is made for the admission of water, and this
opening is provided with a valve d; this valve d is arranged to rise of
itself and permit the water to flow into chamber b. To the top of the
chamber a connects a branch pipe D¹, which is provided with a stop-cock
g, and which communicates with another branch pipe D' leading into the
upper portion of the lower chamber b. The terminus of the lower branch
D is directly under and presented towards the valve c in the diaphragm C.
The branch D is provided with a stop-cock g. The two branches D¹:
and D2 are both connected to the pipe E, and communication is made with
the boiler of the locomotive by means of a flexible rubber tube or other.
yielding connection (not represented), which is attached at the outer
extremity of the pipe E. There is a blow-off cock at the point repre-,
sented. The pipe H leading from the bottom of the chamber b upward
is the discharge pipe, and conducts the water from the chamber 6 to the.
tender of the locomotive. (not represented). In arranging the water
elevator for operation in deep wells the vessel A is one-half submerged in,
the water in the well or reservoir. The pipes D¹ and D are carried
upward more than is represented in the Figure, and sufficiently near to the
surface to permit of easy access to the stop-cocks g', g³, and the discharge
pipe H, being in all cases carried sufficiently above the surface to overhang
the tender of the locomotive. The connection being made by the pipe
and its flexible attachment with the boiler of the locomotive (not repre-
sented), the blow-off cock h and lower stop-cock g³ are closed, and the
upper stop-cock g¹ is opened, admitting the steam into chamber a, the
immediate effect of which is to open the valve c in the diaphragm C,
and air being heavier than steam it is forced down from chamber a into
chamber 6, between the diaphragm C and the water, thus forming a cushion.
of compressed air, the pressure resting on the surface of the water, which
is shown by the shaded portion of the Figure in chamber b. The stop-
cock g¹ in pipe D¹ is now closed, and the stop-cock g³ in pipe D³ is opened,
admitting the steam into chamber b below the diaphragm C, the steam
acting on the compressed air forces the water into the chamber 6 up
through the discharge pipe into the tank of the tender (not represented).
The operation being completed the blow-off cock is opened, the flexible
tube is disconnected from the boiler, and the stop-cocks g³, g³, are opened,
permitting the steam in the vessel A to escape. In this condition of the
apparatus the valve d rises and allows the water to flow into the chamber b
again. Figure 2 shows the water elevator constructed with special refer-
ence to wells where the water is liable to rise and fall. The material of

page_text: which it is made is the same as in Figure 1, and it is precisely the same in
its operation. To perfectly comprehend this, style of the elevator it is
only necessary to understand that it has two vessels 61 and 6³, connected
by a pipe 6, which may be varied in length to accommodate any required
depth of well. The lower or water vessel b³, which corresponds to the
lower portion of the chamber 6 is always submerged, and the upper or air
vessel 6', which corresponds to the remainder of the apparatus, is invariably
above the highest water level.in the well or reservoir.
Having now fully described my Invention, what I claim as new therein
and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:-
First, I claim the construction and arrangement of the within-described
apparatus for elevating water from wells by the direct application of steam
upon a body of air which is compressed above a column of water, said
apparatus being so constructed that it will automatically refill itself with
water when the pressure of the steam is removed, substantially as
described.
Second, I claim the chambers a, b,.separated by the valve c, the water
induction valve d, the pipes or channels D¹, D³, and controlling valves
g, g, constructed and operating relatively to each other, and to the
delivery pipe H or its equivalents, substantially as and for the purpose
herein described.
Third, in an apparatus constructed and operating substantially as herein
described, I claim arranging the discharge end of the pipe D³ in such
relation to the valve c that steam will impinge thereupon as it enters the
chamber b, substantially as described.
Fourth, in an apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as herein
described, I claim the neck or pipe 6 between the upper and lower portion
of the chambers of less diameter than the said portions, for the purpose of
presenting as small a cooling surface as possible to the steam, substantially
as described.
JOHN BOWMAN AIWATER. (L.S.)