Improvements in Hydraulic Air Compressing Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 20th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hydraulic Air Compressing Apparatus.
I, CHARLES HAVELOCK TAYLOR of No. 109 Shuter Street in the City of
Montreal, in the District of Montreal and Province of Quebec, Dominion of
Canada, Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:―
This invention relates to air compressing apparatus in which a falling body of
water is used as the compressing agent and has for its object to simplify such
apparatus with a view more especially to dispensing with the use of special
compressing cylinders, suction and outlet valves and their operating mechanism,
and to such end the invention consists in passing a falling body of water through
a conductor having communication with the air at its receiving end whereby
quantities of air can be drawn in by the water to the foot of the conductor where
the air is separated from the water and forced under pressure of the weight of
water to any suitable tank or receiver.
Briefly and more specifically speaking, the invention embodies a hydraulic air
compressing apparatus comprising a water conductor, for a falling body of water,
communicating with the air or atmosphere at the end receiving the body of water,
in order that air may be sucked into same by the action of the water, and an air
conductor, leading from the lower or delivery end of said water conductor, into
which such air passes and through which it is forced by said body of water to a
tank or receiver.
Dated June 20th 18931
Improvements in Hydraulic Air Compressing Apparatus.
I, CHARLES HAVELOCK TAYLOR, formerly of 109 Shuter Street in the City of
Montreal, but now of No. 57 Claudeboye Avenue, Westmount, near the City
of Montreal, in the District of Montreal and Province of Quebec, Dominion of
Canada Inventor 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 air compressing apparatus in which a falling body of
water is used as the compressing agent and has for its object to simplify such
apparatus with a view more especially to dispensing with the use of special
compressing cylinders, suction and outlet valves and their operating mechanism and
to such end the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts
hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claim.
For full comprehension however of the invention, reference must be had to the
annexed drawings, forming a part of this Specification, in which like symbols
indicate corresponding parts and wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of

page_text: the apparatus, and Fig. 2 a horizontal section thereof on line X X Fig. 1 partly
broken away.
In carrying out my invention at points where the fall of the body of water is
insufficient to secure a satisfactory head of pressure I first sink or dig a well, as a
in the earth, adjacent to any flowing stream or body of water, to a depth dependent.
upou the amount of foot pounds of pressure desired and in most cases divert the
necessary stream required by any suitable dam or other structure such as 6, although
in some cases this will not be absolutely required.
This well being formed, I next insert a vertical stand pipe or conductor clong
enough to extend from the top of the well to within a short distance of the bottom
thereof and being supported in any suitable way, preferably by suspending it from
the lower timbers of the dam as shown.
The top of this conductor e is open and the bottom terminates preferably in
funnel or hood-shaped section el having its edge e preferably curved inward for a
purpose to be presently mentioned.
This conductor serves to enclose the body of water falling to the buttom of the
well and if the top of the conductor is allowed to communicate with the atmosphere
whereby air can be introduced adjacent to the falling water such air will be sucked
or drawn downward through the conductor by the action of the water.
This I have determined by experiment and as a preferable means for introducing
the air at the top of the conductor, I use a series of small pipes or air ducts did
arranged in line with the conductor c, extending from a short distance within the
conductor through the body of water to the open air and being carried in any
suitable way by the dam timbers preferably suspended as shown.
At the foot of the conductor it is possible for the air to separate from the water
owing to the following arrangement.
An air tube or conductor e also preferably having a funnel or hood-shaped
section e' at its lower end, is located centrally within the water conductor preferably
as shown, the lower edge of the hood being alightly above the lower inwardly
turned edge of the water conductor. This air conductor may be supported in
any desirable way either by stay connections between the two conductors or
suspended as shown from the dam umbers, and its upper end is extended to any
suitable tank or receiver j
In operation, the body of water falling through the conductor e draws or sucks
inward through the air ducts d. d quantities of air, indicated as globules, by the dotted
circles, and carries them down to the bottom between the inner and outer hood-
sections, where, by an upward impetus given to the stream by the curved deflecting
edge of the outer hood c', in the direction indicated by the dotted arrows and
towards the opening in the head of the hood e', such air globules become separated
from the body of water and occupy the space in the inner hood and air conductor
leading to the receiver above the level of the water in such space.
The body of water passes out through the bottom of the hood and ascends to
the top of the well around the conductor whence it may be directed to another
apparatus or to another point of the stream below the dain.
From the foregoing it will be apparent that the air sucked in by the falling body
of water and delivered into the air receiver through the air conductor e, will be
subjected to the full weight pressure of the descending column of water in the
conductor and this pressure augmented by the ascending column outside of such
conductor with the result that a great degree of compression is effected.
Of course it will be understood that it is not always necessary to use a well,
since in cases where a water fall is convenient the water conductor can be located
to receive the stream and any suitable outflow or enclosure serve to contain such a
quantity of the water leaving the conductor as may be desired to increase the
compressing weight upon the body of air, or an equivalent for the back pressure
afforded by the column of outflowing water might be used in the form of a
weighted float or automatic blow off valve controlling the outflow in a horizontal
direction.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In a hydraulic air compressing apparatus, the combination with a suitable dam
and well, of a main conductor located in said well and having its upper receiving
end open to receive a falling body of water directed to it by said dam, and its
lower delivery end flared or terminating in a hood shaped section with inwardly
curved edge, open ended air tubes or ducts extending from a point within said
conductor through the body of water to the open air or atmosphere, and an air
conductor with open flared or hood-shaped lower end located within said main con-
ductor and leading upward through same to any suitable tank or receiver, the
space in said well surrounding said inain conductor serving as an outflow for the
body of water leaving said main conductor as described.
Dated March 20th 1895.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.