Improvements in or relating to Hydraulic Lifting or Hoisting Machinery or Apparatus, applicable also to other Hydraulic Power Apparatus, such as Hydraulic Presses and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: The decision of the Chief Examiner, acting on behalf of the Comptroller, of the
27th day of February 1895, allowed, under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act,
1883, an Amendment of this Specification.
Date of Application, 4th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 24th Mar.,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Hydraulic Lifting or Hoisting
Machinery or Apparatus, applicable also to other Hydraulic
Power Apparatus, such as Hydraulic Presses and the like.
I HERBERT WILLIAMS UMNEY of Eardley House, Lawrie Park Road, in the
County of Kent Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in that class or type of hydraulic lifting
or hoisting machinery or apparatus wherein the maximum power may be subdivided
into lesser graduated powers by the employment of a series or cluster of cylinders
containing pistons or plungers for raising and lowering the lift or load, only sufficient
cylinders of such series or cluster to raise or lower any particular weight being put
into communication with the water supply, by means of a regulating valve or valves
automatically adjusted so that its position is determined by the varying weight
lifted or lowered.
Now in hydraulic lifting or hoisting machinery of the above mentioned type as at
present constructed, should a portion of the load be removed after the lift has
started and before it has completed its ascent, there is no provision for causing the
regulating valve or valves to automatically lessen the power employed, by auto-
matically cutting off the supply of pressure water to such cylinder or cylinders as
are not required, and consequently the power originally employed at the commence-
ment to raise the heavier load will be continued with the lighter load thus causing
considerable waste of water. The chief object of my invention is to remove this
defect, and to cause the regulating valve or valves not only to automatically increase
the power as required by admitting the pressure water to more cylinders, but also
to cause the said valve to diminish the power if necessary, by automatically shutting
off any cylinders not required from the pressure water supply, I thus effect great
economy in the amount of water consumed.
According to my invention I employ one regulating valve which controls the
admission of pressure water to the whole series or cluster of lifting cylinders. The
number of ports in this valve will depend upon the number of cylinders or powers
employed, and the ports should be so arranged that the forward movement of the
slide valve will successively bring the various graduated powers into operation,
commencing at the lowest power. The movement of this regulating valve in one
direction is obtained by a series or cluster of supplementary cylinders containing
pistons or plungers, which are all connected with a crosshead secured to one end of
the spindle of the regulating valve. The supply pipes of the supplementary

page_text: cylinders are connected with the supply pipes of the corresponding main lifting
cylinders, and the exhaust pipes of the supplementary cylinders may be connected
with the exhaust pipes of the corresponding main cylinders. The said supplementary
cylinders correspond in number with the main lifting cylinders, and are similarly
connected together or grouped, consequently the pressure per square inch on the
regulating valve crosshead will always be proportionate to and vary in accordance
with that on the crosshead with which the rams of the main cylinders are connected.
The areas of the supplementary cylinders should be proportionate to the amount of
travel they are required to impart to the regulating valve for producing the various
powers. Connected with the other end of the regulating valve spindle is a spring,
which resists the movement of the regulating valve by the supplementary rains.
The strength of this spring should be such as to allow it to be compressed an
amount equal to the required travel of the regulating valve for any power, under a
stress slightly less than the maximum pressure exerted by the supplementary ram
or group of supplementary rams brought into operation for producing such power.
I prefer to, pass all exhaust or waste water through the main starting valve of the
apparatus, the construction and arrangement of which I shall hereinafter describe.
I will now proceed by way of example to briefly describe a five power direct
acting lift constructed in accordance with my invention. The cylinders are five in
number, and are placed in a row and fitted with the required glands and rams.
centre cylinder is in no way connected as regards its pressure water supply with
any of the other cylinders which are connected by pipes in pairs, the two extreme
outside cylinders and the inner pair being respectively connected together thus
making three arrangements or systems into which the pressure water may be passed.
All three arrangements or systems are fitted with retaining valves and connected
with the low pressure water supply from the tank into which the exhaust passes,
which should be of such capacity as to hold always sufficient water to fill the extra
four rams when only one is working. The tank is fitted with an overflow pipe to
the meter to record the amount of pressure water consumed each journey, and
should be placed at such a level that water will readily flow into the cylinders
when required. All five rams are rigidly connected with one crosshead.
The
The pressure water is admitted to the various cylinders through the regulating
valve before mentioned, which in this case would have three ports, No. 1 admitting
water to the centre cylinder only, No. 2 to one pair of cylinders and No. 3 to the
other pair of cylinders.. The valve is so arranged as to admit water to either No. 1,
or No. 2 port separately, or to 1 and 2 simultaneously, or to 2 and 3 simultaneously
or to all three ports simultaneously, thus providing five different powers for the lift.
In its normal position the regulating valve will admit water through No. 1 port
only to the centre cylinder, thus bringing the lowest power into action, and should
this power be unequal to raising the load the corresponding centre supplementary
ram before mentioned will be set in motion, and being only resisted by a spring of
given strength as before described, it will move forward the regulating valve to
port No. 2 at the same time closing No. 1 port, thus admitting pressure water to
one of the pairs of cylinders; should this power be still insufficient the corresponding
pair of supplementary rams will move the regulating valve still further forward so
as to bring the next higher power into operation, and so on, until a power just
sufficient to raise the load is reached.
Should however the load be decreased when partially elevated, then, by my
invention, the spring will automatically force back the regulating valve against the
reduced pressure in the supplementary rams so as to close the port or ports not
required and to open only that port or ports necessary for producing the proper
power, waste of pressure water is thus greatly reduced.
I prefer to construct the starting valve by which the whole apparatus is
controlled, and from which the pressure water passes to the regulating valve, in the
following manner.
At one end is the port through which the pressure water passes on its way to the
regulating valve, and at the other end is an exhaust port through which the waste

page_text: water passes to the waste water tank. Between these two ports, in a machine of
the type I am describing, namely a five power machine, I provide three other ports
placed one below the other and all situated at equal distances from the exhaust
port. One of these ports (which should be half the area of the others) admits the
exhaust water from the centre cylinders of the main and supplementary rams whilst
the other ports are respectively connected with the exhaust pipes from the inner
and outer pairs of main and supplementary cylinders. The number of these last
mentioned ports will be varied according to the number of cylinders or powers
employed in the apparatus, as will be readily understood.
When the machine is out of action, the valve will close the centre ports and the
port to the regulating valve, thus preventing the pressure water from passing to
any of the cylinders and the exhaust port only will be open. When the valve is
moved in one direction so as to start the apparatus, the port to the regulating valve
will be opened and the centre ports and exhaust port closed, when the valve is
moved in the contrary direction from the position it occupies when the machine is
out of action, the port to the regulating valve will be closed and the centre and
exhaust ports opened, thus allowing the water to pass from the cylinders to the
exhaust tank.
In applying my invention to suspended lifts, cranes, and the like, I may dispense
with the group of supplementary cylinders, and, in lieu thereof, connect the end of
the hoisting chain or rope with the end of the regulating valve spindle, which
would then compress the resisting spring at its other end in proportionate amount
to the stress upon the said chain or rope, and so automatically bring the proper
power into action. Similarly, when by lightening the load the stress on the chain
or rope is decreased, the said spring would force back the regulating valve to such
an extent as would be required to bring the proper power into action.
By obvious modifications in detail my invention may be applied to all hydraulic
power machines of the class or type set forth, such as hydraulic presses and the
like, whether working vertically, horizontally, or at an angle, and I do not confine
or limit myself to the precise details of construction, and arrangement herein before
set forth, as the same might obviously be varied somewhat without in any way
departing from the spirit of my invention.
Although I have described a spring for resisting the forward travel of the
regulating valve it is obvious that other means such as a weighted lever or
equivalent device might be substituted therefor.
Dash: 1 CM
1000
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Fels. Chartered Inst. Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., For the Applicant.
1
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in or relating to Hydraulic Lifting or Hoisting
Machinery or Apparatus, applicable also to other Hydraulic
Power Apparatus, such as Hydraulic Presses and the like.
I HERBERT WILLIAMS UMNEY of Eardley House, Lawrie Park Road, in the
County of Kent Civil Engineer, 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 invention relates to improvements in that class or type of hydraulic lifting
or hoisting machinery or apparatus wherein the maximum power is subdivided into
lesser graduated powers by the employment of a series or cluster of cylinders
containing pistons or plungers for raising and lowering the lift or load, only

page_text: sufficient cylinders of such series or cluster to raise any particular weight being
put into communication with the pressure water supply by means of a regulating
valve automatically adjusted so that its position is determined by the varying
weight elevated.
The chief object of my present invention is to provide hydraulic lifting or
hoisting machinery of this class wherein a single regulating valve which controls
the whole of the pressure supply is caused to automatically increase and also to
automatically lessen the power to that required no matter how many different powers,
within reasonable limits, may be employed. I am thus enabled to effect great
economy of water consumption combined with efficiency of action.
My invention may also be equally well applied to other hydraulic power
apparatus wherein the maximum power is subdivided as above mentioned, as to
hydraulic presses and the like, for example.
In hydraulic power apparatus constructed according to my invention the said
single regulating valve which I employ is connected by a pressure supply pipe
direct with the main or starting valve. The number of outlet ports in this
regulating valve corresponds with the number of systems cr groups having
independent pressure supplies into which the entire series or cluster of main
power cylinders is divided for producing the different powers, and the said ports
are so arranged that the forward movement of the slide of the regulating valve
will successively bring the various powers into operation commencing at the lowest
power. The said forward movement of the regulating valve is automatically
effected by the pressure or stress caused by the load on the crosshead of the main
power rams, which pressure or stress is transmitted to said valve as hereinafter
described. The stress upon the regulating valve will consequently always increase
or diminish according as the stress upon the crosshead of the main power rams
increases or diminishes, and when a resisting device fulfilling certain conditions is
placed to oppose the said forward movement of the regulating valve, the latter will
be caused to automatically increase and also to automatically lessen the power to
that required as will hereinafter appear. The said conditions of the resisting
device (which may consist of a spring or weighted lever or other equivalent device
offering a gradually increasing resistance) are that it shall be so adjusted or
regulated as to yield or give an amount just sufficient to bring the next higher
power into operation under a stress equal to the maximum forward stress upon the
regulating valve when any power is acting upon the lift cylinders but fails to
operate the same.
In simple direct acting lifts the The pressure or stress of the load upon the
crosshead of the main power rams is transmitted to the regulating valve by means
of a series or cluster of supplementary cylinders containing pistons or plungers
which are all connected with the spindle of the single regulating valve and which
correspond in number with the main power cylinders and are similarly connected
up or grouped. Pressure is admitted to these supplementary cylinders through
pipes connected with the supply pipes of the corresponding main power cylinders or
groups of cylinders, consequently when pressure water is admitted to any main
power cylinder or cylinders it is at the same time admitted to the corresponding
supplementary cylinder or cylinders. The areas of the supplementary rams must
be proportionate to the amount of travel they are required to impart to the
regulating valve for producing any power.
The exhaust of both the main and supplementary cylinders takes place quite
independently of the regulating valve and passes through and is controlled by a
separate valve (preferably the said main or starting valve) the exhaust pipes being
so arranged that corresponding main and supplementary cylinders will exhaust at
the same time. In all machinery or apparatus constructed according to my
invention where the entire pressure supply is controlled by the single regulating
valve and it is therefore necessary that the exhaust should be able to take place as
above set forth quite independently of the regulating valve since in many cases
some of the regulating valve ports will be closed when the load descends.
When

page_text: will reopen port, both x and y being then open simultaneously. Three different
powers will thus be produced the first and lowest admitting pressure water through
port and pipes i i to centre main cylinder A and corresponding supplementary
ylinder a the second admitting pressure water to the pair of main and pair of
supplementary cylinders B B, bb, through port y and pipes jj and the third and
highest admitting pressure water through both ports to all the main and supple-
mentary cylinders.
The resisting means for opposing the forward movement of the regulating slide
valve is here shewn as consisting of a helical spring F surrounding the spindle
of such valve and confined between a fixed stop G and adjustable nuts N by means
of which the resistance of the spring may be regulated. The said resistance
must as before explained be such that the spring F will compress an amount
sufficient to bring the next higher power into action under a stress equal to the
maximum stress exerted by the supplementary rams when any power is acting on
the lift cylinders but fails to operate the same.
ee are pipes by which low pressure water from the tank T is supplied to the
main and supplementary cylinders. v indicates an ordinary non-return valve fitted
to the pipe
e which supplies the centre cylinders and V represents a similar valve
on the pipe e which supplies the pairs of cylinders. The said tunk T should be of
Fuch capacity as to hold always sufficient water to fill the non-working main and
supplementary cylinders and is fitted with an overflow pipe O leading to the
water meter.
The exhaust of both the main and supplementary cylinders takes place quite
independently of the regulating valve through the exhaust pipes which lead
from pipes and (through which the pressure supply passes to the cylinders)
to the ports X Y respectively in the main or starting valve S, the construction
and arrangement of which I shall now proceed to describe.
M is the pressure inlet from the main. P is a port from which the pressure
supply pipe pleads direct to the regulating valve R. The said port P is the only
outlet port in the main valve S, consequently the whole of the pressure supply
passes through the regulating valve R on its way to the various power cylinders.
XY are two ports (one for each of the independent pressure supply systems into
which the main power cylinders are divided as before mentioned) through which
the exhaust water passes to the tank T by port E and pipe e. The port X admits
the exhaust from the centre cylinders A and a and the port Y admits the exhaust
from the pairs B B, bb. The port Y should be proportionately larger than
port
X as the volumes of water which exhaust through them and both ports must
be arranged to open simultaneously. QQ are relief valves in the slide valve s
which allow the pressure to be relieved through ports X and Y should any sudden
shock occur in stopping or starting the lift.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When not in operation the valve is in the position shewn in the drawings, the
ports XY and P being all closed. Upon moving the valve s in the direction to
start the apparatus by means of the lever L connected by the link with the valve
spindle the port P will be opened (the exhaust ports X and Y remaining closed)
and pressure water will pass by the pipe p to the regulating valve R (which is in
its normal position riz. with the port a only open) and from thence through port x
and pipes ii to centre cylinders A and a thus bringing the lowest power into
operation. Should however this power be unequal to raise the load then the said
centre supplementary ram, just as the pressure in its cylinder reaches the maximum,
will have overcome the resistance of the spring F to such an extent as to have
compressed the same just sufficiently to cause the regulating valve to close port
and open port y thereby shutting off the pressure supply from cylinders A and a and
admitting pressure to the pairs B B, bb. The second power is thus brought into
action and should it still be insufficient to overcome the resistance of the load
the said pair of supplementary rams bb just as the maximum pressure in their
cylinders is reached will have compressed the spring F still further a sufficient

page_text: to cause the valve to re-open port and bring the run power into
operation.
Should however the load be decreased when partially elevatel then the spring F
will automatically force back the valve against the relucel pressure in the
active supplementary ram or rams until the said pressure equals the resistance of
said spring thus automatically reducing the power to that required and avoiding
waste of pressure water.
When the main or starting valves is moved in the opposite direction so as to
permit the lift to descend, the port P will be close.l and the ports X Y and E
connected thus permitting the exhaust from all the main and supplementary
cylinders to pass away to tank T.
Referring to Figure 1, U is the cylinder head piece of an hydralie-erane and
W is the hoisting chain or rope, one end of which-(uonally-made-fast-to-the
machine is here shewn as directly connected with the spindle of the regulating
valve R. The supplementary rams-are-dispensed-with-and-the-stress-on-the-oross-
hend-of-the main power rams is transmitted to the regulating valve through ouid
rope W. Since the stress on the end of chain or repo-W-varies as the load it is
elear that in this as in the first described arrangement the stress upon the regulating
valve in opposition to the spring F will increase and diminish as the stress on the
erosshead of the main power rams is increased or diminished.
In some cases it may not be convenient to connect the end of the rope-W-directly
to the regulating valve spindle and Figure 5 shews a simple arrangement for
hydraulically transmitting the stress of the rope- W to said valve spindle.
K is a piston working within the hydraulic cylinder-K' connected by a-pipe-
with the cylinder of a single ram Z acting on the regulating valve spindle. The
rope W is attached to the piston rod of K and it is clear that the pressure on-Z will
vary as the stress of W-varies.
Referring to Figure 6 H is a hoisting ram connected by the pipe-h with the
usual displacement ram D which is forced down by the rams of the main power
eylinders A, B B, as required. In this arrangement also I am enabled to dispense
with a series of supplementary rams and to employ a single-ram Z connected by u.
tipe & with said pipe--for effecting the automatic movement of the regulating valve
against the spring F, the stress on the crosshead of the main power rame being.
transmitted to the rem Z. In this arrangement also it is clear that-the-forward
stress on the regulating valve will vary as the stress on the crosshond of the main
power rams-varies.
With the exception that the pressure or stress exerted by the load on the cross..
head of the main power-rumo is transmitted to the regulating valve by modified
menne, the apparatus described with reference to and illustrated in Figures 4
and 6 operate in a precisely similar manner to that described and illustrated in
Fig-1.
It is obvious that if desired the arrangement of a series of supplementary rams.
described and illustrated in Figure-1 may be applied to the apparatus illustrated-in
Figures 4 and 6, but the modifications described with reference to the last mentioned
figures simplify the apparatus and reduce the cost of manufacture.
Although I have described and illustrated in the annexed drawings a machine.
with only (3) three main power cylinders, four, five or more of such cylinders may
be employed if desired.
It will be readily understood that by obvious modifications in detail my invention
may be applied to all hydraulic power machinery of the class or type set forth
(ie. wherein the maximum power is subdivided into lesser graduated powers) for
example it may be equally well applied to hydraulic presses whether working
vertically horizontally or at an angle, and I wish it to be understood that I do not
confiue or limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement
hereinbefore described and illustrated which might be somewhat modified without
in any way departing from the spirit of my invention, for instance I may substitute
a weighted suspended lever or equivalent device offering gradually increasing

page_text: resistance for the resisting means F, if found desirable; also in lieu of securing all
the main power rams to their crosshead, one or more of such rams might be cause l
to simply bear upon the underside of such crosshead (fitting in convenient holes
made therein) and in this case those rams not required to raise the load would
remain in their cylinders when the load was elevated whereby filling up with low
pressure would be avoided and the non-return valves V v could be dispensed with.
In conclusion I would observe that I am aware that it has been proposed to
employ a single regulating valve for controlling the pressure supply to all the main
power cylinders, but such valve was however operated by a constant unvarying
pressure and was not completely automatic in its action. I am also aware that a
single regulating valve operated by a varying pressure has been proposed but such
valve did not control the entire pressure supply and for every extra power beyond
two an additional regulating valve was required. I am also aware that a series or
group of supplementary rams each ram operating a separate regulating valve
against the opposition of a separate spring has been proposed. In none of these
arrangements moreover did the exhaust take place absolutely independently of the
regulating valve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In hydraulic power apparatus, in combination, a starting valve,-a-pressure
supply pipe leading direct therefrom to a regulating valve (which latter valve
consequently controls the whole of the pressure supply)-n-series-or-eluster of main
power eylinders, means for transmitting the pressure or stress caused by the-lond
upon the crosshead of the main power rams to the regulating valve, a gradually
increasing resistance-acting on said valve, supply pipes connecting the latter-with
the power cylinders, and exhaust pipes leading from said-eylinders direct to and
controlled by a separate valve (preferably the said starting valve) the exhaust
water being thus led away independently of the regulating-valve, substantially-us
described.
2. 1. In hydraulic power apparatus, in combination, a series or cluster of main
power cylinders, a single regulating valve R controlling the entire pressure supply,
a series or cluster of supplementary cylinders having their plungers connected with
the spindle of the said single regulating valve, supply pipes for the supplementary
cylinders communicating with the pressure supply between the regulating valve
and the main cylinders, and the resisting means acting on the spindle of the
valve R in opposition to the pressure in the supplementary cylinders, and the
exhaust pipes for leading the exhaust water away independently of the regulating valve,
substantially as described.
32. In combination, in hydraulic power apparatus, a series or cluster of main
power cylinders, the single regulating valve R controlling the pressure supply
thereto, the series or cluster of supplementary cylinders, the supply pipes for the
supplementary cylinders communicating with the pressure supply between the
valve R and the main cylinders, said cluster of supplementary cylinders having
their pistons connected with the spindle of the regulating valve, the resisting means
acting upon the spindle of the valve R in opposition to the stress of the supple-
mentary cylinders, the starting valve S having connection with the regulating
valve, and the exhaust pipes from the various cylinders leading to exhaust ports
in the starting valve S independently of the regulating valve R, substantially as
described.
4. The modified arrangement of hydraulic power apparatus wherein the pressure
or stress caused by the load upon the crosshead of the main power rams is
transmitted to the regulating valve R through the hoisting rope or chain W,
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.
5. The modified arrangement of hydraulio power apparatus wherein the pressure
or stress caused by the load upon the crosshead of the main power rams is

page_text: transmitted to a single ram Z acting on the valve R, the pressure supply of said
ram Z being taken from the water oscillating backwards and forwards between-the-
hoisting-ram-and the displacement ram substantially as described and illustrated
in Figure 6.
6. 3. The general construction arrangement and combination of parts constituting
improvements in hydraulic power machinery substantially as described and.
illustrated in the drawings annexed.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Fels. Chartered Inst. Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.
For the Applicant.