Improvements in Apparatus for Intensifying Fluid Pressure.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1894-Accepted, 13th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Intensifying Fluid Pressure.
We, EDWIN JAMES PRESTON of the Firm of J. Stone & Co. of Deptford in
the County of Kent, Engineers and FRANK LLOYD CONWAY in the employ of
the said firm do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This apparatus is intended to considerably intensify or increase the pressure of
fluids such for instance as water from the main or other source by combining
cylinders and rams or pistons with pipe and valve connections without the use of
press pumps.
In one form of apparatus we fix two cylinders together end to end by bolts or
other suitable means leaving intermediate space for access to their respective
stuffing box or cup leather glands. The ram common to both cylinders is in the
one cylinder which we call the low pressure cylinder of a larger diameter than it
is in the interior of the other or high pressure cylinder, and it passes out through
cup leather or other packing at the other end of the high pressure cylinder. The
working area of the ram in the latter may thus, as a mere example, be ten times
smaller than the area of the ram in the low pressure cylinder, and if the pressure
of the water admitted to the latter from the main be say 60 pounds per square
inch when acting on the ram, then the pressure in the high pressure cylinder
would be about 600 pounds per square inch. A pipe from the high pressure
cylinder is led to the structure or machine to be tested under hydraulic pressure
and has a branch with stop valve leading to the water main. A pipe from the
low pressure cylinder is led to a three way cock having one branch to the main
and one to the exhaust or outlet. In working the apparatus the three way cock
is closed to the main and open to the exhaust. The stop valve being thereupon
opened the pressure from the main will flow into and charge the boiler or other
structure to be tested (or a hydraulic cylinder for testing a structure such as a
beam) and flow into and charge the high pressure cylinder. When the stop valve
is thereupon closed and the three way cock opened so as to admit water from the
main into the low pressure cylinder the pressure upon its large ram area will move
the ram and intensify the pressure in the high pressure cylinder with its smaller
annular working area of ram and communicate the hydraulic pressure to the
structure to be tested. The valves may be combined in one piece or casting
having the required pipe connections.
In another form of apparatus we employ a fixed ram with hole through the
centre and a movable cylinder in a fixed cylinder.
The low pressure cylinder may be actuated by water as described or by steam
or compressed air.
The apparatus may be placed in a vertical or horizontal position.
Dated this 18th day of October 1893.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Intensifying Fluid Pressure.
We, EDWIN JAMES PRESTON of the Firm of J. Stone & Co. of Deptford in
the County of Kent Engineers, and FRANK LLOYD CONWAY, in the employ
of the said firm do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This apparatus is intended to considerably intensify or increase the pressure of
fluids, such for instance as water from the main or other source by combining
cylinders and rams or pistons with pipe and valve connections without the use of
press pumps, or if used in the opposite manner, where the only pressure available
or convenient is too high the apparatus may be used to work so as to produce
therein a decreased pressure and thus render such fluids at a high pressure suitable
for working at a lower pressure.
Figure 1 of the accompanying sheet of drawings represents partly in elevation
and partly in section one form of apparatus constructed according to our invention
which is applicable for testing purposes by fluid pressure, and Figure 2 is a section
at right angles thereto of the four-way cock F and its connections.
In the form of apparatus shown on Figures 1 and 2 we fix two cylinders A and B
end to end by bolts a or by other suitable means leaving intermediate space for
access to their respective cup leather glands A' and B' or the like. The ram C C¹
common to both cylinders is in the larger cylinder A correspondingly larger than
it is in the smaller cylinder B. The upper part C₁ of the ram extends right
through the smaller or high pressure cylinder B and a tight joint is made by
means of a cup leather D or the like. The annular working area of the ram
part C¹ in the cylinder B may thus as a mere example be twenty times smaller
than the area of the ram part C in the low pressure cylinder A and if the pressure
of the water admitted to the latter from the main E by the four way cock F be
say 60 pounds per square inch when acting on the lower ram part C, then the
pressure attained in the high pressure cylinder would be in practice say 1000 pounds
per square inch. A pipe G G from the high pressure cylinder B is led to the
testing machine H containing in this example a pipe I to be tested by water or
other fluid pressure. Connected to the pipe G₁ is a stop valve K, a pipe E¹ to
the main with valve E2 and a drain or waste pipe L with valve L2, but the waste
pipe L will not be required in the smaller classes of testing machines of this
description. A pipe A' from the low pressure cylinder A is led to the four way
cock which as shown is also in connection with the waste pipe L', the main or
other source of power E and the pipe G to the high pressure cylinder. In working
the apparatus the pipe I or other object to be tested is filled by means of valve E
on the main E¹ until the full main pressure is registered on the gauge h. The
four-way cock F is then, as far as concerns the lower ram part C, closed to the
main and open to the waste L' while it allows the water or other fluid from
the main E to enter the upper cylinder B and thereby forces down the ram C³ C.
When the latter has reached the bottom of its stroke the four way cock F is
turned a quarter of a turn to the left so as to divert the fluid from the main to the
lower cylinder A whereupon the ram is caused to rise and in rising the annular
working area of the ram C' greatly compresses the fluid in the upper cylinder B,
the pressure being shown on a gauge g¹. g is a back pressure valve to prevent the
highly compressed fluid from leaking past the four-way cock F. The valve or
cock K to the testing machine H is slightly opened and when the desired pressure
is registered by the gauge h in connection therewith the said valve is again closed,
the valve L to the waste pipe L opened and when as much of the testing fluid as
possible has escaped the pipe I may be removed from the machiue which is then

page_text: ready for another operation. When small valves or cocks or the like are being
tested and only a very small quantity of high pressure water is required to con-
siderably increase the pressure a small relief valve may be mounted on the pipe
connection of the gauge h so as to relieve the pressure automatically when the
desired limit is attained.
Although we have only shown one construction of apparatus and that as applied
to testing a pipe or other similar object it will be evident that we may with
modifications apply the invention to testing all kinds of objects or wherever a
great pressure is required or on the contrary the apparatus may be used for
reducing the pressure of a fluid by causing the said fluid to enter the high pressure
cylinder and making the ram in the low pressure cylinder to compress the fluid
therein at a lower pressure thus rendering same more applicable to a particular
object. We have shown the principal valves combined in one casing to form a
four-way cock and this is a convenient arrangement but we may also use a three
way cock or separate branches or pipes and valves. The apparatus may be made
to work automatically. In order to obviate loss of time while the apparatus is
exhausting so as to be ready for a fresh charge two smaller apparatus may be used
together in such manner that by tappet and lever arrangements the valves of one
may be actuated by the other apparatus so that one always shall be fully charged
while the other is or may be exhausting.
The apparatus may also be made inverted where suitable and a greater efficiency
will be obtained by causing the weight of the ram to assist the compression of
fluid in the high pressure cylinder instead of its having to be raised.
The low pressure cylinder may be conveniently worked by water from water
companies' mains at ordinary pressures or by steam or by compressed air and the
fluid used in the high pressure cylinder may either be water, air, oil or the like
entering either at the same pressure as the fluid in the low pressure cylinder or at
a lower pressure in which latter case the pipe connections between the high and
low pressure cylinders would be dispensed with, all as required for the special
object in view. The apparatus has been shown vertical, but it is evident that it
may be made horizontal or inclined all according to special circumstances.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. An apparatus for intensifying or reducing fluid pressure consisting of a ram
of which one part is larger in diameter than the other or has a larger working
area and having cylinders to correspond and suitable pipe connections and valves
substantially as set forth.
2. The construction of apparatus shown on the drawings.
DI
Of July 1894.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.