IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF PUMPING LIQUIDS, AND IN AIR COMPRESSING AND PUMPING APPARATUS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lanè, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE METHOD OF PUMPING LIQUIDS, AND IN AIR COMPRESSING AND
PUMPING APPARATUS." A communication from abroad by Charles William
Cooper, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, State of New York, United
States of America, Manufacturer.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th November 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF PUMPING LIQUIDS,
AND IN AIR COMPRESSING AND PUMPING APPARATUS." A communication from
abroad by Charles William Cooper, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, State of
New York, United States of America, Manufacturer.
In a former application for Letters Patent, dated 8th October 1881, No. 4386, I
have described a pumping apparatus which is intended to be operated by com-
pressed air, so as never to break the continuity of the air passage to and from tho
compressor; or in other words, in that apparatus the pump is operated by air in
two pipes, one of said pipes being always the air supply pipe at a higher pressure,
and the other always the air discharge pipe at a lower pressure, yet in both pipes
the air is always under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere, and flows
through the entire apparatus including the pump and the compressor in a con-
tinuous circuit. The arrangement there referred to is particularly applicable to
pumping at long distances from the compressor, and necessitates the use of reversing
valves and mechanism at the pumps, which at times may be inconvenient.
It is now sought to improve the air compressing and pumping apparatus so as
to avoid the employment of reversing valves at the pumping apparatus, and to
utilise the expansive force of the air while it is in the act of exhausting from the
pump chambers to the lower pressure pipes or conduits. The apparatus, which is
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and which forms part of the present.
application, is so arranged as to utilise the expansive force of the higher pressure
air at the time that the pressure is being reduced from the higher to the lower.
[Price 101

page_text: pressure, all without necessitating the use of reversing mechanism at the pumps.
This arrangement is accomplished by causing the air that has entered the pump
through either pipe to leave it by the same path and not by completing the circuit,
as in my former application. In other words I connect the pump chamber or
chambers by means of two pipes with the compressor, one of these pipes containing
the air under higher pressure, the other under lower pressure at one stroke or
operation of the compressor, but at the next stroke or operation the pressures in
the pipes are reversed, and that which constituted the exhaust pipe becomes now
the supply pipe to the pump, and that which was at the former stroke the supply
pipe now constitutes the exhaust pipe. This improved system of utilising com-
pressed air, in other words, is the reciprocating of the compressed air by means of
the compressor in each of two pipes. In these pipes the air pulsates or reciprocates,
and causes the pumping action by the pulsations in the pumps. The air while at
high pressure and entering the pump under high pressure produces a certain action,
and while under reduced pressure, when the compresser exhausts, it produces a
As the
counter-action in the pump, all as hereinafter more fully described.
reciprocating action of the air necessitates alternate compression and expansion of
the air that is required to fill each of the pipes in addition to that entering the
pump a peculiar slide valve arrangement for the compresser becomes necessary, and
ono feature of the Invention therefore has reference to the new construction of
valve mechanism for the compresser.
Another part of the Invention relates to the regulating apparatus by which the
relative pressure of air in the two pipes is kept at a certain desired degree of
difference, and other features of Invention relate to the general arrangement. of the
parts that constitute the pump.
It is regarded as important that by the Invention I am enabled to utilize the
force given out by the expansion of air from the higher to the lower pressure. The
force given out by the expansion of one volume of air is always, under this
Invention, used in assisting to compress another volume, so that the only loss
practically suffered is that of frictional contact of the air with the surrounding
walls.
It will be proper to remark that the present Invention is better adapted to cases
where the air is conveyed a comparatively short distance from the compressor
rather than where the distance is of great length. In fact the compresser may be
in the immediate neighbourhood of the pump.
A modification of the Invention relates to a construction of pumps; whereby
with but a single air supply pipe and without any exhaust opening therein the
pump can be maintained in operation. In this modification the pump is actuated
by utilising the alternate compression and expansion of the air in the single supply
pipe for the purpose of reciprocating the piston of the pump. This involves also a
new construction of pump, hereinafter more fully described.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of the
improved air compressing and pumping apparatus; Figure 2 is an enlarged side
view of the air compressing apparatus; and Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical
sectional view of the pumping apparatus; Figure 4 is a vertical section of the
regulating apparatus for maintaining the pressure of air in the conducting pipes at
the proportionate and desired degrees; Figures 5 and 6 aro enlarged vertical
central sections of the valve chests that are applied to the compression engine,
showing the valves therein in different positions; Figure 7 is a vertical central
section of a modification of the pumping apparatus; Figure 8 is a vertical
central section of another modification of the pumping apparatus; Figure 9 shows
another modification of the pumping apparatus in vertical section; Figure 10
shows a sectional view of another modification.
In the Drawing, with particular reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, the letter A
represents a steam cylinder of suitable construction arranged to drive the plunger
of the air compresser B and also that of the auxiliary air compresser C; H is the
pump to be operated by the air compresser, and is connected by the pipes F and F'

page_text: with the said air compresser. In Figures 5 and 6 is shown the valve chest of the
air compresser B, within which compresser the plunger B is reciprocated. This
valve chest is marked D, and above it is another chest E containing the reversing
valves. Passages a and b extend from the chest E into the chest D, and ports d
and e extend from the chest D into the cylinder B, as shown. The pipes F and F¹
enter the chest E, as shown in Figure 5. The arrangement of the ports a and b is
such that one of them a is always the inlet passage to the chest D, and the other b
always the outlet passage therefrom. The valve E which is contained in the
chest E has two heads or plungers and 7 on a tubular stem h, which stem is of
less diameter externally than the interior diameter of the chest E, and which at
one end beyond the head f is perforated, as shown at . When the valve E² is in
the position shown in Figure 5, the head 7 prevents the contents of the pipe Fi
from reaching the port b, but the pipe F', which in this case is the air supply pipe
to the compresser, discharges its contents into the hollow stem h, and thence
through the apertures i into that part of the chest E which in this position of the
valve communicates with the port At the same time the chamber D exhausts
through the port b into that part of the chamber E which is between the heads f, g,
and which is traversed by the hollow stem h and in communication with the then
exhaust pipe F of the compresser, all as clearly shown by the position of the arrows in
Figure 5. In its other position, the valve E2 brings the pipe 1 in communication with
the port a, and the pipe F¹ in communication with the port b, as clearly shown in
Figure 6, in which Figure the pipe F is the air supply pipe to the compresser, and the
pipe F the discharge pipe of the compresser. The valve chest D contains a balanced
valve D, which is constructed with two heads or pistons j and k, and with a hollow
stem of less diameter externally than the internal diameter of the chest D, and
with perforations m near one end, as shown, so that when the valve D2 is in the
position shown in Figure 5, it will bring the inlet port a in communication with
the port e and thus assist in causing the plunger B2 to move in the direction of the
straight arrow, shown in Figure 5. The compresser in this case exhausts or
discharges its compressed air through the port d into the hollow stem l, port b,
and thence into the pipe F. But upon reversing the position of the valve D², as
shown in Figure 6, the port a is brought in communication with the port d, and
the port e in communication with the port b. Any other arrangement of valves in
the chests D and E may be substituted for that shown, but being balanced the
valves shown are regarded as most desirable.
From this statement of the apparatus it will be seen that the air compresser B
is to an extent an air engine, in that it permits the compressed air at the beginning
of the stroke to assist in moving the plunger B in the desired direction. The
reversing valve E² is moved by mechanism from the engine in periods of time that
correspond to the strokes of the pump, so that during one stroke of the pump the
pipe F will be in communication with the inlet port a, and during the next stroke
of the pump the pipe I will be in communication with the port a, &c., harmonizing
the strokes of the pump with the motions of the valve E. By this arrangement
each of the pipes F, F', becomes alternately the inlet and the discharge pipe of the
compressor, and that one of them, which is the discharge pipe from the compresser,
is the inlet pipe to the pump, and vice versa.
In Figures 1 and 2 I have illustrated one incans of moving the valves D² and E³.
The valve D is intended to move in harmony with the strokes of the plunger B³,
and therefore in harmony also with the strokes of the piston of the cylinder A, and
is connected consequently with a crank shaft G of the engine from which the
piston of the cylinder is moved. But the stem of the valve E is connected with
mechanism to cause it to be moved in harmony with the strokes of the pump.
Such mechanisın is illustrated in Figure 2 in form of a gear wheel n that is driven
by a pinion from the crank shaft G, and carries a cranko, which by rod p connects
with a vibrating lever q that has a slotted segment into which the connecting pin
of the rod of the valve E enters. This arrangement ensures the rapid reversal of
the valve E² at the end of each stroke of the oscillating lever q.

page_text: Having now described how the compresser is provided with means for alternately
making the pipe F its supply pipe and tho pipe F¹ its discharge pipe, and vice
versa, I will show how the pulsations of the air in said pipes thus produced are
utilised in actuating the pump, and will refer more particularly to the pumping
mechanism illustrated in Figure 3. The pipe F enters the chamber I of the
pump H, and the pipe F¹ a corresponding chamber I. Below the chambers I
and I are the piston chambers and J of the pump. These piston chambers
contain the pump piston K, from which project hollow plungers L and L' that
slide in the packing rings r which are set into the open onds of the chambers J
and J respectively. The hollow plungers L and L' enter, after they pass the
rings r, into chambers M and M', which connect respectively by pipes N and N'
with the suction pipe O of the pump. The hollow plungers L, L', have inwardly
opening valves & at their ends, and also holes t near the pump piston K, which
holes & cause the contents of the plungers L, L¹, to be at all times in communication
with the chambers J and J¹ respectively. The suction pipe O has upwardly
opening valves u at its point of communication with the pipes N and N¹, as
shown. The pipes F and F near where they enter the chambers I and I contain
in properly shaped pockets ball valves that are light enough to float when raised
by water so as to close the lower parts of the pipes F and F¹ if over the water
should rise high enough in said pipes to reach said ball valves. By the means of
these ball valves the entrance of water into the air discharge pipes of the pump is
provented. Normally the ball valves v drop into their pockets out of the way of
the currents of air that pass through the pipes F and F¹. w, w, are valves that
are secured to a stem which is permitted to slide in a horizontal direction in
suitable bearings between the chambers I, I', and the water discharge pipe R. In
fact the valves w, w, are contained in a lower enlargement R³ of the pipo R, which
enlargement communicates by two downwardly projecting pipes S and S¹ with
the lower parts of the chambers I and I¹ respectively, and the valves w, w, are so
arranged that when one interrupts communication between such dependent pipe
S, S', and the pipe R, as in Figure 3, the other establishes communication between
the other dependent pipe and the pipe R. Above the valves w, 20, is a vertically
movable valve y which opens upward under the influence of the ascending water,
but drops to its seat when the force from beneath ceases, so as to prevent the
reflux of any water from the stand pipe or water discharge pipe R. The valves
w, w, open alternately against the current of the water, that one which is in the
discharge chamber being forced open by the greater pressure in the opposite
chamber. The pipes S and S¹ that lead from the valve chamber R² nearly to the
bottom of the chainbers I and I' serve to prevent air from entering the pipe R.
The pump H as far as I have described it operates as follows:-Supposing the
pipe F to be as the arrow in Figure 3 indicates, the discharge pipe from the
compresser B and the supply pipe to the pump; in that case the pipe F is the
discharge pipe from the pump and the supply pipe for the compresser. The
compressed air from the pipe F enters the chamber 1¹ and presses upon
the water therein contained, forcing it into the chamber J' and against the
piston K, and driving the piston to the left, that is, into the chamber J. The
same pressure in the chamber 1¹ closes the valve w above the pipe S¹ and
prevents the lifting of the water directly from the pipe S' into the pipe R.
The piston K being moved, as stated, forces the water that is in the chamber J
into the chamber I. Should the water be forced too high into the chamber I
so as to reach the ball valve v above it, it will float said valve and close
the pipe F. The surplus water from the chamber I is by the action of the
piston K. forced out through the pipe S past the open valve wand y into
the pipe R. The displacement of the plunger L will cause the water in
the chamber M to enter the hollow plunger L and thence through the holes t
to escape into the chamber J, and thus add to the amount of water that is
forced by the piston K from the chamber J. This additional water thus obtained
from the chamber M will be the surplus over that which is required to fill the

page_text: chamber I, and represents the quantity that will pass through the pipe S into
the discharge pipe R. While the piston K moves in the direction indicated, the
valve of the pipe N¹ will be drawn open and water sucked into the chamber M'
by the action of the receding plunger L, all as indicated in Figure 3. The
mechanism for moving the valve E2 of the compresser is so adjusted as to change
the position of that valve at about the time that the piston K completes its stroke,
so as thereby to reverse the inlets and outlets. This will, as soon as the piston K
has completed its stroke, ensure the prompt transformation of the pipe F
into the supply pipe for the pump, and of the pipe F into the discharge
pipe for the pump. This of course will also change the direction of the currents
to the opposite of that which is shown by arrows in Figure 3. Immediately
before the reversal takes place, assuming the pipe F¹ yet to be the supply pipe for
the pump, the air in the pipe F' and chamber I' is most highly compressed, and
therefore immediately after the reversal takes place the air enters the compressor
through its then supply pipe F' in a more highly compressed degree than is the
air that leaves the compresser into the pipe F. Hence the compressed air assists in
operating the compresser, as has already been stated, and the compresser will then
be giving out instead of consuming power, being for the time an air engine
instead of a pump. During this period of time, viz., when the compresser is
actuated by the compressed air that first enters it from its new supply pipe, the
steam engine will have no other work to do, as the compresser does not draw upon
it, and it will therefore increase the speed of its flywheel, causing it to gain in
momentum, and the governor of the steam engine will partly close or hold it to
prevent unnecessary loss of steam. After one or more strokes of the plunger of the
compresser (the number of strokes varying of course with the respectivo capacities
of pump chamber, pipes, and compresser, and also with the degree of pressure at
which the air is used) the pressure in the now discharge pipe F of the compresser
will become higher than in F', and now the compresser will again draw upon the
steam engine for its necessary supply of force. The power of momentum however
which had been accumulated by the flywheel will now be drawn into play and will
aid the engine to compress the air in the chambers I and J and reverse the stroke
of the pump, so that thus, to an extent, I lay up for use at the time when it is most
essential the joint power of the steam engine and of the air engine while the
compresser is the latter, and do not unnecessarily waste any part of the power
that is given out. In order not to expel the water in the chamber I before the
movement of the piston K, much care will have to be taken in preventing an
excess of pressure of air in one pipe as compared with the pressure in the other
pipe, it being well understood that at all times the pressure in each pipe is greater
than that of the atmospheric air, but in the arrangement shown in Figure 3 of
pump the discharge of too much water can be prevented, whatever the pressure
may be, by dividing each chamber I, 1', by a vertical partition, such as indicated
by dotted lines in Figure 3, that leaves the chamber only open at the top. By
this partition the side of each chamber in which the pendent pipe S or S' is
contained shall have capacity enough for one discharge, and the other side will
hold enough for the pump cylinder. In case these partitions are required, flouting
cup valves should also be employed beneath the pipes S, S', as indicated by dotted
lines in Figure 3. It is very important in this kind of pump that the piston should
always be water sealed, as a very slight leak of high pressure air into a suction
pipe would soon expand to a very large volume to the exclusion of a corresponding
volume of water. Hence I have arranged the piston K beneath the water
chambers I, I', which always seal the piston.
In Figure 4 is represented a regulator on an enlarged scale, which regulator is
also shown on a sinaller scale in Figure 2. The object of this regulator is to
maintain the pressure of air in the pipes F, F', at the proper degree. The regulator
chamber T communicates by a pipe a² with the pipe F, and by another pipe b²
with the pipe F. Within the chamber T is contained a double valve d², c¹, on a
stem f. The lower part of the chamber T connects by pipe g with the auxiliary

page_text: compresser C. A supply pipe h² of this auxiliary compresser is closed to atmos-
pheric air by a valve which is held down and closed by weighted lever, which
also bears upon a diaphragm at the top of the regulator chamber T. It will be
seen from Figure 4 that the air in that one of the pipes F, F', in which it is at the
highest pressure closes its valve in the regulator (in the illustration the valve c²),
thus opening the other pipe which has the lower pressure to the regulator chamber
for communication between the regulator chamber T and the pipe ² (shown to be
open in Figure 4), and thus the lower pressure pipe is always in communication
with the lower side of the diaphragm . Whenever the pressure in the lower
pressure pipe comes below the point for which it is set, tho diaphragm j* sinks and
the valve in pipe h² is opened, and atmospheric air admitted to the auxiliary com-
pressor, which thereupon forces air through the pipe g² into the chamber T, and
thence through the branch a² into the pipe F, or should the other pipe contain the
lower pressure, into that. When the pressure in the chamber T is again normal,
the diaphragm is raised and the valve in the pipe 3 closed. After the height
to which the water is to be raised is determined, the regulator can be so adjusted
by trial or otherwise until full strokes of the pumps are obtained for each change
of the reversing valve E. If there should be too much air in the pipes and
chambers, the strokes of the pump would be completed before the changes of the
reversing valves, the effect of which would be more compression than necessary.
But most of the power of this extra compression would be given out again, as
previously explained. However, it would be better rather to reverse too frequently
than not often enough. Instead of forcing the air from the compresser C into the
chamber T, it may be forced directly into that one of the pipes F, F¹, which needs
the replenishment, and the arrangement of connecting pipes with the necessary
check valves for that purpose will be easily produced whenever desired.
In first starting the pump after it has been at rest, it might occur that the
chambers I and J are both full of water, and the piston K at the other end of the
cylinder. Hence the action of compressed air upon the chamber I would at first
have no effect upon the pump and would not move the piston, but at the next
reversal of the valve E the piston K would move, and after a few strokes an
equilibrium at the two ends would be obtained and continued, for assuming the
pipes and chambers to be of equal capacity, that pipe which has the higher average
pressure at any time would inipart more air through the compresser to the other
than it would receive, and thus the tendency to equalise would be constant.
The modification of the pump which is shown in Figure 7 is virtually but a
bending into two vertical parallel branches of the pump which is shown in
Figure 3, and the operation is on very nearly the same principle. With particular
reference to Figure 7, we there also find the pipes F and F with their pockets
and floating valves v, and these pipes enter the chambers I and 1', into which dip
the pipes S and S', that reach the chamber or lower enlargement R³ of the stand
pipe R. Valves 20, 0, are placed between the pipes S, S', and the chamber R³ as
shown. But the piston K instead of moving horizontally, as in Figure 3, is in this
modification divided into two pistons K, K, each adapted to move vertically, and
each has the hollow plunger projection L, L', at its lower side dipping into the
chambers M, M', that communicate with the suction pipe O. The chambers
J and which are below the chambers I and I' respectively communicate with
each other in this modification through the passage. When the higher pressure
air is acting on the piston K in the chamber I, it forces that piston down, and at
the same time it communicates pressure through the passage to the chamber J',
and forces up the piston therein contained, which piston is marked K. The high
pressure on the piston K acts only on its annular surface or area, that is to say, on
so much of the area as is in excess of the plunger L, but the lower pressure acts
on the whole area of the piston K' and plunger L' combined. Yet the excess of
higher pressure will make up for the difference in the area. As the piston K falls, 5
water rises through the valve & and enters the plunger L, and as the piston K¹
rises the valve s of the plunger L' closes and the water enters through the suction
8

page_text: valve u into the chamber M. After the stroke is completed the air will enter
through the pipe F' and leave by the pipe F, which reverses the action of the
pump to make the corresponding opposite stroke. If the surface of the water in
the descending plunger L or L', whichever descends, should nearly reach the
bottom of the pipe S or S', the cup valves m which are shown below the
pipes S, S¹, will be emptied sufficiently to cause them to float up against the lower
ends of the pipes and prevent any air from entering them. The cups m² rest on
dished shields that are suspended from the pipes S, S¹, and very small holes in the
bottoms of the cups equalise the pressure on both sides of the cups, so that there is
no tendency to be sucked up to the pipe above them until the time arrives by the
fall of the water to float up. The water will not always be emptied to such an
extent as to bring the cup valves into action if the reversals are frequent. The
holes in the bottoms of the cup valves are so small that not enough water will
pass through them to let air reach them before the reversal of the strokes. The
pressure in the chambers J and J' being greater than the average pressure outside
of them, the tendency is for the water to leak outwards and cause a deficiency.
To meet this deficiency I connect the pipe R with the chamber J, by a pipe n³,
which is intended to supply the deficiency from the main discharge pipe R to the
chamber J. But I find that if the communication between the chamber I, pipe S,
pipo R, pipe n³, and chamber J is un-obstructed, the pressure in the chamber J
might so nearly approach that in I that the piston K would not descend. To
obvinte this I have placed a small piston or valve o into the pipe n³ and hold it
to its seat by a spring. The resistance created by the spring valve o² will
subtract from the hydraulic pressure in the chamber J sufficiently to permit the
piston K to descend. It will be readily seen that the parts shown in Figure 7 are
substantially the same as those shown in Figure 3.
In Figure 9 is shown a further modification of the Invention consisting
practically of a duplication of that shown in Figure 7, that is to say, in Figure 9
are shown two pumps H, such as are illustrated in Figuro 7, one at a higher plane
than the other, so as to divide the elevation of the water when that is too great for
a single lift. Any number of devices or multiplication of pumps could be arranged
in this way, but the last elevation in height should be 30 feet less than that which
would be operative between any two pumps, because the last discharge from the
stand pipe R would be against the pressure of the atmosphere, which does not act
against the discharges of any of the other pumps.
In Figure 8 is shown another slight modification of the pump H that is shown
in Figure 3. We have here also the pipes F and F with thoir float ball valves v
entering the chambers I and I' respectively, that are the water seals for the hori-
zontally movable plungers L and L' that move in the chambers J and J'. These
said chambers are divided by a vertical partition. The plungers are connected by
a rod that slides through that partition which with the two plungers divides the
main body of the pump into four chambers, J, J', being the inner chambers, and
M, M', the outer chambers. I prefer to make the central portion of this pump
rectangular for convenience of access to doors or covers, while the onds should bo
cylindrical. The suction pipe O communicates through valves u, u, with tho
chambers J, J₁, and the latter chambers J, J', in turn communicate with the
chambers I, I', above them through upwardly opening valves p³. The peculiar
feature of this arrangement is that the chamber I communicates by a pipe q² with
the chamber M, and the chamber l' communicates by the pipe with the
chamber M, so that thus the lower right hand chamber is in communication
uninterruptedly with the upper left hand chamber, and the upper right hand
chamber in turn is in communication with the lower left hand chamber. Pipes S
and S' dip into the chambers I and 11, as herein before stated, and communicate
with the chamber R2 of the pipe R, as beforo stated, and have cup valves m² at the
lower parts and upper valves w, tu, all as hereinbefore described. When, for
example, high pressure is on the chamber I water is forced by this pressure directly
"

page_text: from the chamber I into the pipe S, and thence into the stand pipe R, until the
flow of water in this direction is arrested by the floating of the cup m². At the
same time through the pipe 9 water is forced from the chamber I against
the outer end of the plunger L, thus causing the plunger L' to be inoved inwards
and the plunger L to be moved outwards. This movement of the plunger L draws
water from the suction pipe O into the chamber J for use in the next succeeding
stroke. The inward movement of the plunger L' forces water from the chamber J'
into the chamber I', also for use at the next succeeding stroke. After reversal
takes placo the pump acts similarly in the opposite direction. It will be seen that
in this modification of the pump higher pressure enters one chamber and forces
part of the water therein contained out into the discharge pipe, and the other part
against the piston that is opposed by the lower pressure, which piston it operates
so as to drive the other piston, and by its means force water into the other chamber
corresponding in quantity to that that is expelled from the high pressure chamber
into the plunger chamber. In other words, whatever water passes from the
chamber I into the chamber M' the same quantity of water precisely passes at the
same time from the chamber M into the chamber I. The driving plunger always
replenishes the supply of water from the suction pipe O. Precisely the same
remarks apply to the modification, which is shown in Figure 7, and it is true that
in both pumps, that shown in Figure 7 as well as that shown in Figure 8, the
water is forced as high as the higher pressure acting directly upon it can send it,
and that the amount of air used at each stroke is equal to the displacement caused
by two pistons or plungers, showing that the pumps although somewhat different
in form are substantially the samne in character and action, the difference being
simply that in one the pistons are connected and in the other they move
independently of each other."
In the pump shown in Figure 3, however, the higher pressure acts upon a piston
area less than that which forces the water, and the water cannot therefore be
lifted as high as in the previous cases with the same pressure, and a proportionate
amount of air less is used at each stroke. Care should be taken with regard to
the pump shown in Figure 3, as well as the modification thereof, that there should
not be too much air in the pipes for the work that is to be done, for when the
operation of the pump is by discharge of water from the higher pressure chamber,
as in Figures 7 and 8, if there should be too much air pressure, enough might be
produced to expel water from the chamber upon which the higher pressure acts,
before there can be difference of pressure enough to move the piston. This would
cause a deficiency of water required for water scaling the piston, and there ..ould
besides be an escape of air through the hole in the bottom of the cup valve. In
the case of the pump, which is shown in Figure 3, the pressure in the chamber into
which the air enters might overbalance that from which the air is leaving, and
open its valve w before the pressure had become sufficiently reduced, and thus
permit it to force water out before the movement of the piston and create a
deficiency. But by properly adjusting the regulator T, the movement of the piston
can be ensured before the pressure accumulates to expel the water; or the pressure
can be reduced in the discharge chamber, so as not to expel the water until it is
done by the action of the piston K.
The plungers in all of the pumps described could be replaced by ordinary pistons,
and vice versa, and the communication from the suction chamber need not
necessarily be through the plunger L, as any other course provided with proper
valves would answer as well.
All the modifications of pump heretofore shown are, as will appear, illustrated in
connection with pipes F and F in which the air pulsates, that is to say, in each of
the pipes the air is first compressed by the compresser, and then allowed to expand,
and while it is compressed in one of the pipes it is invariably expanding in the
other. This arrangement is much to be preferred to any other for the reasons
already stated; but nevertheless it is clear that the style of pump shown in the

page_text: several modifications could also be used in connection with pipes that contained
the air in a circuit, that is to say, in connection with the system of operation
which has been described in the application heretofore referred to.
In Figure 10, F represents a pipe which is in connection with an air compresser,
and in which the air is alternately compressed, and then again expanded by the
movements of the piston of the air compresser. There is to be no exhaust to the
pipe F. This pipe F connects with the upper portion 13 of the pump chamber I.
From this pump chamber rises the stand or discharge pipe R in which the water is
lifted. The lower part of the pipe R is closed when the actual operation of lifting
the water is not proceeded with by a valve w. From the top of the reservoir I is
suspended in line with the pipe R, the pipe S, the lower part of which is embraced
by a floating cup valve m², of such construction that when the water recedes
in the part of the chamber I far enough to partly empty the cup m², the latter
will float against the lower end of the pipe S and close the same. From the
chamber I projects downwards the narrower chamber M, the lower end of which
communicates with the suction or water supply pipo O. An upwardly opening
valve u is at the top of the pipe O. Within the chamber I is contained an
annular tight fitting piston K, baving a downwardly projecting hollow plunger L
that enters the chamber M, but noves in a packing ring r A valve s opening
upwards is placed over the perforated lower portion of the plunger L. It will be
seen that during part of the operation of the pump, the plunger, and during all
the operations of the pump, the annular piston K, surrounds the pipe S more or
less. In the lower part of the pipe F is a side pocket into which is placed a
floating ball valve v, that is intended to close the pipe F whenever the water
rises in the pipe F sufficient to reach the ball valve v, and carry it to its scat;
W is a reservoir connecting by a pipe Y with the lower part m³ of the chamber I,
that is to say, below the piston K. This reservoir W together with its pipe Y is
intended to hold water enough to at all times fill the part m³ of the chamber I,
the remainder of the reservoir W being filled with compressed air. To this end
the upper part of the reservoir W is connected with the air supply pipe F by a
short branch pipe 3, which has a regulating valve and a check valve, and which
supplies a minute current of air to the chamber W. In similar manner tho
reservoir W is connected with the pipe R by a branch pipe having also a
regulating valve and a check valve. Through this pipe 3 a small quantity of
water is being supplied to the reservoir W. The lower part of the reservoir W
connects by a pipe with the upper part of the chamber I. The pipo 7³ has a
valve which is provided with a weighted lever that can be adjusted so that the
lowest pressure in the chamber W may be always kept any desired point above
the lowest pressure in the chamber I.
The operation is as follows:-When sufficient pressure of air accumulates in the
pipe F and in the part of the chamber I which is above the piston K, it first
forces the piston K downwards, and thereby causes the piston to force the water
between it and the packing ring r through the pipe Y into the chamber W. At
the same time the pressure of air in the upper part 13 of I forces the water up
through the pipe S and past the valve we into the pipe R, until the pipe S is
closed by the cup valve m², or until the current of air is reversed. The air in the
chamber W receives additional compression by the entrance of water forced into it
by the downward motion of the piston K, and when the current in the air pipe F
is reversed and the pressure in the upper part of the chamber I thereby reduced,
the pressure in W will overbalance that in 13, and will cause the water to bo sent
back from the vessel W into the part m³ of the vessel I, and the piston K to bo
raised. By raising the piston K the plunger L is lifted with it, and the valve
opened and water sucked into the chamber M from the pipe O. The averago
pressure in the lower part m³ of the chamber I, that is to say, below the piston K,
will be greater than that outside of that chamber, and the balance of leakage will
herefore be out of that chamber. A sinall supply of water from the dischargo

page_text: pipe R through the pipe will make up for any deficiency caused by leakage, and
the pipe will supply deficiency of air when the pressure is high in the pipe F,
while any excess in the quantity of air or water will pass through the pipe
whenever the pressure is low in the upper part of the chamber I. I thus keep
a proper supply of both air and water ways in the vessel W. Substantially, the
same arrangement of pump can also be used without tho chamber or vessel W and
its connections, if the lower part m³ of the chamber I below the piston K is
connected by an unobstructed pipe, such as that shown by dotted lines with the
water discharge pipe R above the valve w. Then, if by suitable spring or other-
wise, the valve w should be held down to its sent before the water could be
discharged through the pipe S, the pressure on top of the piston K will bo greater
than that beneath. Hence the piston would descend and force the water from the
lower part m³ of the chamber I, that is to say, from below the piston K into the
pipe, which is shown by dotted lines, after which the pressure of air in the upper
part of the chamber I would force the water past the valve w directly into the
pipe R. Upon a sufficient reduction of air pressure in the upper part of the
chamber I the water column in the pipe R acting in the lower part m³ of the
chamber I would raise the piston K. This method has the merit of simplicity to
bo weighed against the disadvantage of having to force an increased quantity of
water through the discharge pipe, a portion of which would descend again, thus
causing additional friction and a consequent increase of power; yet the balance
for practical purposes might be in favor of the simpler method, while for perfect
operation I prefer to use tho additional chamber W.
In lieu of the reservoir W any other sourco of power may be used, such as a
weight, spring, or tho liko.
The communication between the chamber M and the chamber I above the
piston may be by any suitable channel having proper valves.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is,-
1st. The air compresser and pump connected by pipes F and F¹ in combination
with mechanism for compressing the air alternately in one pipe and exhausting it
in the other, substantially as described.
2nd. The air compresser B combined with valve chests D and E, and valves D
and E, and with the pipes F and F', all arranged for alternately making one of
said pipes, the inlet pipe and the other the exhaust, substantially as specified.
3rd. In an air compressor which communicates with two pipes F and F', the
combination of the valve chests D and E and their valves D and E² with
mechanism, substantially as described, for moving said valve D in harmony with
the movements of the plunger of the compresser, and the valve E in harmony
with the pulsations of the pump that is connected with said pipes F and F,
substantially as specified.
4th. The cylinder B, having ports dande combined with the chest D, having
ports a and b, hollow valve D³, having heads ; and k, chest E, pipes F and F¹, and
hollow valvo E, having heads and g, all arranged for operation, substantially as
herein shown and described.
5th. In a pumping apparatus using compressed air, the air pipe F, provided with
floating valve, and with a pocket for receiving the same, substantially as
described.
6th. The pump H, having chambers I, I', and J, J', in combination with piston K,
plungers L, L, chambers M, M', suction pipe O, and discharge pipo R, all
arranged substantially as specified.
7th. The combination of the chambers I, I, in the pump with the pendent
pipes S, S¹, valves w, w, and stand pipe R, substantially as specified.
8th. The combination of the piston K having hollow plunger extensions L, L',

page_text: that are perforated near the piston, with the inwardly opening valves 8 and with
the chambers M, J, and M, J, all arranged for operation in displacing the water,
substantially as specified.
9th. The process herein described of pumping water by first forcing compressed
air on one side of the pump piston, and then forcing it against the other side of
the pump piston, always meanwhile maintaining on both sides of the pump piston
a higher pressure than atmospheric air, substantially as described.
10th. The combination of a steam engine and compresser, and pipes F, F¹, with
a pump H, and with the reversing valves D and F, the valve D harmonizing with
the number of strokes of the steam engine, the valve E with the number of
strokes of the pump, all arranged to maintain the air in both pipes F, F', at higher
pressure than atmospheric air, and to convert the air compresser into an air engine
after each reversal of the valve E², substantially as specified.
11th. In a pump having a reciprocating plunger K, the chambers I, I', arranged
above said plunger to water seal the same, substantially as specified.
12th. The combination of the compresser B and its pipes F, F', with the
regulator T, branches a, b, valves d, e, diaphragm, and with the air supply
pipe ², that is opened whenever the pressure in either of the pipes comes below a
certain fixed degree, substantially as specified.
13th. The combination of the air compresser B and its pipes F, F', with the
auxiliary compresser C and its pipes 9 and ², and with the regulator T with
which the pipes F, F', and g communicate, and which connects with the pipe h³,
substantially as specified.
14th. The combination of an air compresser having reciprocating piston with
two pipes F, FL, communicating with its respective ends and with a reversing
apparatus, said pipes being without outlet, all arranged so that on moving the
reversing apparatus the air under highest pressure is brought to bear on the piston
of the compresser to assist in moving the same, substantially as specified.
15th. The combination of the air compresser with its two pipes F, F, and with
a pump, into which said pipes are conducted, and wherein they are water sealed,
and with reversing apparatus for alternately obtaining higher pressure in one of
said pipes than in the other, as set forth.
16th. The method of pumping liquids, which consists in forcing compressed air
through a single inlet pipe into the pump chamber, so as to move the piston in one
direction, and in thereupon expanding the air in the same inlet pipe and subjecting
the piston to the action of a reservoir of power which moves it in the opposite
direction, substantially as specified.
17th. The pump chamber I, having extension M combined with the single air
supply and discharge pipe F, water discharge pipe R, S, annular piston K, and
plunger L, and with a pipe that leads from the chamber I below the piston K to a
water and air reservoir, substantially as specified.
18th. The combination of the pipe F, which supplies compressed air to and
takes it away from the pump reservoir I, with the piston K, counter reservoir W,
and connection Y, all arranged so that the piston K. will be moved alternately by
the air compressed in the pipe F, and by that compressed in the reservoir W,
substantially as shown and described.
19th. The combination of the pipe F and its branch h³ with the reservoir W,
chamber I, water discharge pipe R, S, and its branch ³, piston K, suction pipe O,
and with the regulating pipe j³, all arranged for operation substantially as
specified.
20th. The combination of the pump chamber I and its piston K, water supply
pipe O, and discharge pipe R, S, with the pipe F for supplying compressed air to
one side of the piston rod with a reservoir of power to bear on the other side of

page_text: the piston whenever the compressed air is expanded, substantially as herein shown
and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty third day of November A.D. 1881.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)