IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTS WORKED BY HYDRAULIC POWER, STEAM, OR COMPRESSED AIR
Year: 1884

page_text: We, JOHN MARSH DAY, WILLIAM ROBERT GREEN, HENRY CLAUde· Walker,
and ROBERT CAREY, all of Falmouth Road in the County of Surrey, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTS WORKED
BY HYDRAULIC POWER, STEAM, OR COMPRESSED AIR" to be as follows:-
Our present invention relates to that form of hydraulic lifts known as telescopic
lifts, and it has for its object novel methods of constructing and arranging machinery
or apparatus by which the weight of the cage and upper moving sections of such
lifts together with the water contained in them, is balanced.
In telescopic hydraulic lifts of the kind referred to, the several sections or parts
which together constitute the lift are arranged to slide one within the other, the
several lengths of pipes or cylinders being bored internally as well as being turned
truly cylindrical outside, excepting only the topmost length which supports the
cage which is to be lifted and may if desired be made solid.
Each moveable length or ram so turned and bored is provided at its lower end
with a piston of somewhat larger diameter fitting into and working in the bored
cylinder or pipe immediately below it, the annular space round the ram being of
such diameter as to be exactly equal to its internal capacity.
The lowest or largest cylinder is fixed upon a suitable foundation and is not
turned outside but only bored to fit the piston at the bottom of the lowest
moveable ram which works within it. Holes are provided through each ram just
above the piston at its lower end so that the water is free to pass from the annular
space round the ram into the interior of the ram and so act upon the bottom of the
piston of the ram next above which works within it.
When, therefore, water under sufficient pressure is admitted into the lowest
cylinder below the piston working in it, it drives the said piston up and at the
same time each moveable pipe or ram in the lift will be driven up and out of the
one below it for the same distance; that is to say, supposing that there are four
moving rams or sections of the lift and that the lowest or largest piston is driven
up one foot, each of the four lengths would also protrude one foot out of the
section immediately below it, and the upper section with the cage would consequently
rise four feet.

page_text: In this form of telescopic hydraulic lift it is found that there are mechanical
difficulties in the way of balancing the weight of the cage and moving rams by
means of balance weights and chains in the usual way, and the present invention
has for its object methods of overcoming such difficulties by using the pressure of
water in the place of weights and chains.
It will be evident that in the apparatus just described the relative size of the
lowest piston working in the fixed cylinder will be considerable, as each succeeding
section is more than double the area of the one above it. In some cases therefore a
moderate pressure of water below such lowest piston, if the whole of its area is used
for the purpose, will be sufficient to nearly balance the weight of the cage, moving
cylinders, and the water contained in them, leaving a sufficient surplus of weight just
sufficient to ensure the descent of the empty cage. The balancing may therefore be
effected by admitting water under the desired pressure from a tank above under the
piston in the lowest cylinder, and in this method of arrangement we fix a crosshead to
the upper end of the ram to which this lowest piston is fixed, and we fix to the outer
ends of this crosshead two or more rams the lower ends of which, or pistons fitted
upon them, descend into cylinders to the lower ends of which water under pressure
is admitted when required for the purpose of raising the lift and load. Or, instead
of the arrangement described being so used, the outer cylinders may be used to
balance the lift, the central one being used for the purpose of raising the lift and
the load.
Where the pressure of water required would be greater than could be readily
obtained from an elevated tank, we sometimes make use of the following
arrangement.
We place at as low a point as convenient a closed air vessel of somewhat larger :
capacity than the cylinder or cylinders to be employed for balancing the lift in the
way already described; and we place another similar closed air vessel at as high a
point as conveniently possible. A tank at as high a point as possible supplies water
through a pipe to the lower vessel, whilst an air pipe communicates between the
upper part of the lower vessel and the upper part of the upper vessel, and another
pipe conveys water from the lower part of the upper vessel to the balancing cylinder
or cylinders.
"Hero's
This arrangement constitutes a modification of what is known as
Fountain," and it may be extended by the addition of other air vessels and pipes
in any required number in order to give the required pressure in the balancing
cylinder. The water being returned to the air vessels, the pressure remains practically
equal through the stroke.
In another modification of our invention where a high pressure of water is
available which would be too great if admitted directly into the lowest cylinder,
we place the balancing cylinder directly below the lowest or largest fixed cylinder
of the lift, a ram connected with the piston in the latter descending into the
balancing cylinder.
Two or more side cylinders acting below a cross head as already described may
be added to do the useful work of lifting the cage and load. Or some of the
cylinders under the crosshead may be used for doing such useful work, and the
others for balancing the lift.
In other circumstances we may find it advisable to arrange an accumulator
cylinder loaded with a sufficiently heavy weight and communicating directly with
the balancing cylinder, the water which operates the lift for lifting the cage and
load being provided from a separate source.
Or, in another form of arrangement a balancing cylinder of the kind just
described may be arranged so as to be in direct communication with the lowest
fixed cylinder of the lift, the piston in the balancing cylinder being provided with
a trunk of properly proportioned area rising through a stuffing box and loaded at
its upper end with a weight nearly sufficient to balance the lift, the raising power
being obtained when required by the admission of water under sufficient pressure

page_text: into the annular space round the trunk. Or, two or more smaller cylinders at the
sides as already described may be used instead of one.
Or in another modification, where the pressure of water available is great, we
use a trunk of properly proportioned area attached to the piston in the lowest or
largest cylinder and descending through a stuffing box in the lower end of the
latter. This trunk is hollow and its lower end fits over a fixed ram the lower end
of which is supported upon a suitable foundation.
The water for balancing the lift is admitted into the annular space in the lowest
cylinder round the ram, whilst that for raising the lift and load is admitted
through the lower fixed ran into the trunk which surrounds it, or vice versâ.
It is evident that our invention may be applied in other more or less modified
forms.
In some of the forms of arrangement described we fit a suitable valve in the inlet
pipe to the balancing cylinder, and we connect this valve to the starting valve by
which the lift is set in operation; and in this way elastic fluids such as steam or
compressed air may be used instead of water for doing the useful work of lifting,
the load, the lift being still under perfect control and its proper operation not being
affected by the elasticity of the fluid used.
EDWARDS & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.
We, JOHN MARSH DAY, WILLIAM ROBERT GREEN, HENRY CLAUDE WALKER,
and ROBERT CAREY, all of Falmouth Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineers
do hereby declare the nature, of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTS
WORKED BY HYDRAULIC POWER, STEAM, OR COMPRESSED AIR" and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying drawing :-
Our present invention relates to that form of hydraulic lifts known as telescopic
lifts in which a series of hollow cylinders or rams fit one within the other, being
extended for the purpose of raising the load and closed together for the purpose of.
lowering it.
It has for its object novel methods of constructing and arranging machinery or
apparatus by which the weight of the cage and upper moving cylinders or sections
of such lifts together with the water contained in them is balanced.
In telescopic hydraulic lifts of the kind referred to, the several sections or parts
which together constitute the entire lift are arranged to slide one within the other,
the several lengths of pipes or cylinders being bored internally as well as being
turned truly. cylindrical externally, excepting only the topmost length, which
supports the cage which is to be lifted and may if desired be made solid. Each
moveable length or ram so turned and bored is provided at its lower end with a
piston of somewhat larger diameter fitting into and working in the bored cylinder:

page_text: "
or pipe immediately below it, the annular space round the ram being of such
diameter as to be exactly equal to its internal capacity. The lowest or largest
cylinder is fixed upon a suitable foundation and is not turned outside but is only
bored to fit the piston which forms the bottom of the lowest moveable ram which
works within it. Holes are provided through each ram just above the piston at its
lower end so that the water is free to pass from the annular space round the ram
into the interior of the ram and so act upon the bottom of the piston of the ram
next above which works within it.
When, therefore, water under sufficient pressure is admitted into the lowest
cylinder below the piston working in it, it drives the said piston up and at the same
time each moveable pipe or ram in the lift will be driven up and out of the one
below it for the same distance, that is to say, supposing that there are four moving
rams or sections of the lift and that the lowest or largest piston is driven up one
foot; each of the four lengths would also protrude one foot out of the section imme-
diately below it, and the upper section with the cage or weight to be lifted would
consequently rise four feet.
In this form of telescopic hydraulic lift it is found that there are mechanical
difficulties in the way of balancing the weight of the cage and moving rains by
means of balance weights and chains in the usual way, and the present invention
has for its object methods of overcoming such difficulties by using the pressure
of water for the purpose of such balancing in the place of weights and chains.
It will be, evident that in the apparatus just described the relative size of the
lowest piston working in the fixed cylinder will be considerable, as each suc-
ceeding section is more than double the area of the one above it. In some cases
therefore a moderate pressure below such lowest piston, if the whole of its area is
used for the purpose, will be sufficient to nearly balance the weight of the cage, the
several moving cylinders, and the water contained in the latter, leaving a sufficient
surplus of weight just sufficient to ensure the descent of the empty cage. The
balancing may therefore be effected by admitting water under the desired pressure
from a tank above under the piston in the lowest cylinder, and in this method of
arrangement we fix a crosshead to the upper end of the ram to which this lowest
piston is fixed, and we fix to the outer ends of this crosshead two or more rams the
lower ends of which, or pistons fitted upon them, descend into cylinders to the lower
ends of which water under pressure can be admitted when required for the purpose
of raising the lift and load.
In the accompanying drawing, which is in illustration of our invention, figure 1
shows the method of arrangement just described. a is the largest or fixed cylinder
of a telescopic lift. 6 is a piston at the lower end of the next succeeding moving
cylinder a¹ which passes through the stuffiing box c.
The cylinder a has fitted into it a piston b¹ at the lower end of the next
succeeding hollow cylinder a² (shewn broken off) which passes through the stuffing
box c', and the cylinder a² in turn has fitted into it a piston 6 at the lower end of
the next hollow cylinder a³ (shewn broken off) which passes through the stuffing
box c². The cylinder as has fitted into it a piston 63 at the lower end of the next
hollow cylinder at which passes through the stuffing box c³, and the cylinder a' has
a piston 6* fitted into it which is shewn at the lower end of a solid ram a³ carrying
a platform or cage d upon which the weight is raised or lowered, but it is obvious
that by properly proportioning them any additional number of cylinders and rams
might be used. Holes communicating between the interior of each cylinder and
the annular space between itself and the cylinder below are shewn at e, e, e.
Water is admitted into the lowest cylinder a through the pipe f from a supply
under sufficient pressure, to nearly balance the lift, and g, g¹, are two cylinders
having rams h, h³, passing through stuffing boxes i, ¹, and having their upper ends
connected to a crosshead k upon the moving cylinder a¹. When it is required to
raise a load upon the platform or cages d water under sufficient pressure is admitted
below the rams h, h, through the pipe 2, and in order to lower the load the water
is allowed to escape from the cylinders g, g¹.

page_text: Instead of the arrangement described being so used, the outer cylinders g, g³, may
be used to balance the lift, the central one a being used for the purpose of raising
the lift and the load.
Where the pressure of water required would be greater than could be readily
obtained from an elevated tank, we sometimes make use of the following
arrangement.
We place at as low a point as convenient a closed air vessel of somewhat larger
capacity than the cylinder or cylinders to be employed for balancing the lift in the
way already described; and we place another similar closed air vessel at as high a
point as conveniently possible. A tank at as high a point as possible supplies water
through a pipe to the lower vessel, whilst an air pipe communicates between the
upper part of the lower vessel and the upper part of the upper vessel, and another
pipe conveys water from the lower part of the upper vessel to the balancing
cylinder or cylinders. This arrangement constitutes a modification of what is
known as "Hero's fountain," and it may be extended by the addition of other air
vessels and pipes in any required number in order to give the required pressure in
the balancing cylinder. The water being returned to the air vessels, the pressure
remains practically equal through the stroke.
In another modification of our invention, where a high pressure of water is
available which would be too great if admitted directly into the lowest cylinder,
we place the balancing cylinder directly below the lowest or largest fixed cylinder
of the lift, a ram connected with the piston in the latter descending into the
balancing cylinder.
This method of arrangement is illustrated in figure 3, in which a is the lowest or
largest fixed cylinder of the lift, and 6 the piston contained in it at the bottom of
the next moving cylinder a². This piston b has connected to it a ram m descending
(preferably through a stuffing box) into the lower fixed cylinder n. Either of the
cylinders a or n may be used as a balancing cylinder, the alternate one being used
to lift the load, water under sufficient pressure being admitted into the cylinder a
through the pipe and into the cylinder n through the pipe l.
Two or more side cylinders acting below a, crosshead as already described may be
added to do the useful work of lifting the cage and load. Or some of the cylinders
under the crosshead may be used for doing such useful work, and the others for
balancing the lift.
In other circumstances we may find it advisable to arrange an accumulator
cylinder loaded with a sufficiently heavy weight and communicating directly with
the balancing cylinder, the water which operates the lift for lifting the cage and
load being provided from a separate source.
Or in another form of arrangement a balancing cylinder of the kind just described
may be arranged so as to be in direct communication with the lowest fixed cylinder
of the lift, the piston in the balancing cylinder being provided with a trunk of
properly proportioned area rising through a stuffing box and loaded at its upper end
with a weight nearly sufficient to balance the lift, the raising power being obtained
when required by the admission of water under sufficient pressure into the annular
space round the trunk.
Figure 4 illustrates this method of arrangement. a is the lowest or larger
cylinder in the telescopic lift, communicating by the pipe o with the balancing
cylinder n which contains a piston m having a trunk p passing through a stuffing
box and loaded at its upper end with a sufficient weight w. The weight wis
nearly sufficient to balance the lift, and when it is desired to raise the load water
under sufficient pressure is admitted through the pipe into the annular space
round the trunk p.
Two or more cylinders smaller at the sides as already described may be used
instead of one.
Or in another modification, where the pressure of water available is great, we use
a trunk of properly proportioned
attached to the

page_text: largest cylinder and descending through a stuffing box in the lower end of the
latter.
This trunk is hollow and its lower end fits over a fixed ram the lower end of
which is supported upon a suitable foundation.
This modification is illustrated in figure 2, in which a is the fixed lowest or
largest cylinder in the lift, having fitted in it the piston 6 and next moving
cylinder a¹. A hollow trunk r of properly proportioned diameter is attached to the
piston 6 and descends through the stuffing box s in the lower end of the cylinder a.
The trunk r is also provided with a stuffing box t which fits over the hollow fixed
ram m into which water under sufficient pressure can be admitted through the
pipe, and passes through the opening into the trunk r.
The water for balancing the lift is admitted through the pipe finto the annular
space in the lowest cylinder a round the ram or trunk r whilst that for raising the
lift and load is admitted by the pipe through the lower fixed ram m into the
trunk which surrounds it; or vice versa.
เ
It is evident that our invention may be applied to other more or less modified
forms.
In some of the forms of arrangement described we fit a suitable valve in the inlet
pipe to the balancing cylinder, and we connect this valve to the starting valve by
which the lift is set in operation; and in this way elastic fluids such as steam or
compressed air may be used instead of water for doing the useful work of lifting the
load, the lift being still under perfect control and its proper operation not being
effected by the elasticity of the fluid used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed; we declare that what
we claim is:—
In hydraulic telescopic lifts of the kind described and shewn, the methods of
balancing the moving parts of such lifts substantially as described and shewn in
the drawing.
DL ambay