Improved Means or Apparatus for Automatically and Instan- taneously Establishing a Flow through Syphons.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improved Means or Apparatus for Automatically and Instan-
taneously Establishing a Flow through Syphons.
I, ERNEST DE PASS, of 68 Fleet Street in the City of London, Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improved means or apparatus for automatically
and instantaneously establishing a flow through syphons. By way of example, an
application of the invention is shewn as applied to a bell syphon, although it may
likewise be applied to all syphons having the form of a U, or having any other
suitable form.
The accompanying drawing represents a vertical central section of this
apparatus.
In order to carry this invention into practice, the following parts or pieces are
added to or connected with the syphon o, n, n¹, o¹ and u, p, p², u².
1. An annular crown m, n, m¹, n¹.
2. A funnel p, q, r, p², q¹, r¹.
3. A vessel 8, t, 8', t, provided with a syphon Z.
4. Two closed watertight cases F, F1, forming floats. These two cases F, F are
connected to the vessel 8, t, 8¹, t', by four vertical rods sliding without friction
through the sleeves G, G¹, as they descend from the crown of the syphon.
The vessel 8, t, s, t, has the same shape as the funnel q, r, ql, rl, and when
rising surrounds or encases the latter.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-
The level of the water rising from a a¹ to B 81, the floats F, F¹, are raised and
with them the vessel 8, t, 8¹, t¹; this vessel finally abuts against the funnel q, r,
q, r, which stops the rising motion of the floats, vessel and rods. The water now
commences to run into the funnel and covers the bottom of the vessel, and the
portion of air included between the liquid surfaces w, w¹, and B B¹ is confined in
the crown of the syphon; this stratum of air is subjected to equal pressures
represented by a difference in levels of the free surfaces y, y¹ of the reservoir and
v, v of the vesse!.

page_text: The amplitude h of this difference of levels may be determined in such a manner
that the crown of the syphon may be submerged.
The floating portions are subjected to two contrary vertical forces or strains.
1. The thrust exerted in an upward direction by the water upon the cases F. F¹.
2. A second vertical strain exerted in a downward direction and composed of
the weight of the floating parts and of the pressure exerted by a column of water
having a height equal to the difference of levels, above mentioned, upon the bottom
of the vessel; is the height of this column and r, 1 is its base.
It will be understood that these contrary forces or strains may be controlled, and
that it is easy in each particular case to regulate the forces or strains exerted in a
downward direction so that they may be greater than those exerted in an upward
direction at the time when h reaches the valve shewn in the figure.
The floating parts (vessel, floats and rods) return therefore to their original
position, and the opening r, ¹, being free the atmospheric pressure is re-established
therein, and the flow commences, according to the laws of hydraulics, under the
influence of the load H. above the opening r, r¹ and if the diameter r, 1, be a
little larger than that of the final exit of opening u, u¹, the syphon is rapidly
filled with water and the flow is effected through the opening u, u', with a load
whose height is H, that is to say, that a flow is now established through the syphon.
This flow ceases when the level of the water in the reservoir falls to a 'a' whereas
the small syphon Z through which a flow is established by the fall of the water.
empties the vessel s, t, 81, t¹ and brings it back to its original state, which enables
the above described operation to be again repeated.

page_text: Improved Means or Apparatus for Automatically and Instan-
taneously Establishing a Flow through Syphons.
I, ERNEST DE PASS, of 68 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, 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, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
This Invention has for its object improved means or apparatus for auto-
matically and instantaneously establishing a flow through syphons of any
diameter whatever.
By way of example, the invention is shewn as applied to a bell syphon,
although it may likewise be applied to syphons of any form.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1, is a vertical section, on the line A B of
Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus.
In order to carry this invention into practice, the following parts are added to,
or connected with an ordinary bell syphon O W, W O and u, p, up :—
A funnel p, q, r, P, D ;
A vessel s, t, 8, t, provided with one or more syphons Z;
A case forming a float F, F, and connected to the vessel by means of vertical
rods sliding, without friction, through sleeves G G, in their passage through the
crown of the syphon.
The funnel, which has the shape of the vessel, may fit into this latter.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-The level of the water rising in
the chamber wherein is placed the syphon, the float is raised and raises with it the
vessel which finally abuts against the funnel, and thus the rising motion of the
float is arrested. The water now commences to run into the funnel and covers
the bottom of the vessel, and the stratum of air included between the liquid
surfaces is confined in the crown of the syphon; this stratum of air is subjected to
equal pressures which shew themselves by the difference in levels of the free
surfaces in the reservoir and in the vessel.
The amplitude of this difference of levels may be determined in such a manner
that the syphon will be submerged.
The floating system is then subjected to two contrary vertical forces,-the one
in an upward direction is the pressure exerted by the water upon the float; the
other, in a downward direction, is composed of the weight of the floating system
and of the pressure exerted upon the bottom of the vessel by the column of water
having a height equal to the difference of levels above mentioned.
It will be understood that these contrary forces may be controlled, and that it
is easy, in each particular case, to regulate the forces exerted in a downward
direction, so that they may be greater than those exerted in an upward direction.
The floating device returns therefore to its original position, the opening r, r,
.being free the atmospheric pressure is re-established therein, the flow commences

page_text: according to the laws of hydraulics, under the influence of the pressure of the water
above the opening r, r, and the flow is now established through the syphon.
The flow ceases when the reservoir is emptied, while the small syphons Z being
primed or started by the fall of the water, empty the vessel, and bring it back to
its original state, and thus enables the above described operation to be again
repeated.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the said invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that I claim as com-
municated to me by my foreign correspondent:—
The improved means or apparatus for instantaneously and automatically
establishing a flow through syphons of any diameter, as herein before described,
and especially the priming or starting vessel connected to the float in any manner,
the flow being established by the combined action of gravity and hydraulic
pressure without the use of any mechanism so that such flow takes place
automatically, and independently of the form and size of the syphons.