Improvements in Automatic Valve Gear for Controlling the Supply of Water to Hydraulic Rams or Automatic Water Raisers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th May, 1893-Accepted, 17th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Valve Gear for Controlling the Supply
of Water to Hydraulic Rams or Automatic Water Raisers.
I, JAMES KEITII, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E. of 57 Holborn Viaduct in the City of
London, Gas, Hydraulic, Heating and Ventilating Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus of the class described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me and numbered 3681 of 1890, and the present improve-
ments have for object to ensure automatic stopping and restarting of hydraulic
rams or ram pumps worked by an intermittent water supply and without limitation
as to head of water and risk of failure due to leakage and otherwise when on the
stopping of the ram the water is maintained in the drive pipe merely by the
counterbalancing pressure of the atmosphere.
The water for operating the ram is collected in a tank or reservoir placed at any
suitable level over the ram and under the point to which water is to be delivered
by the ram or ram pump.
In the tank or reservoir is placed a valve apparatus
which may consist of a three-way cock but which is preferably composed of a
casing containing a slide valve which is operated by means of a ball lever rising
and falling with the water level to open or close a pressure water inlet and direct
its flow through pipe connections to operate a sliding stop valve fitted on the side
of the ram for the purpose of opening or shutting off the supply of water from the
tank or reservoir to the ram. The valve on the ram takes the place of the usual
stop valve, and is provided with a screwed spindle and hand wheel to permit of its
being opened and closed by hand when desired. It is composed preferably of a
spindle having on it a block fitted to slide over the face of the ram inlet orifice and
having a piston at either end fitting closely in the valve casing. At each end the
casing is connected by a pipe to the valve apparatus in the water collecting tank or
reservoir and according as the water under pressure from said valve apparatus is
admitted to one end or the other of the casing the sliding block or valve opens or
closes the inlet to the ram from drive pipe leading from the collecting tank. From
the uprising pipe leading from the ram air vessel to the level to which water is
supplied by the ram, a branch pipe is taken and led to the three-way cock or
casing of the valve apparatus in the collecting tank or reservoir, and it is the water
under pressure from this source that is directed by said valve apparatus to operate
the stop valve on the ram. The operation of the three-way cock or valve is effected
automatically by the rise and fall of the water level in the collecting tank or
reservoir through a quadrant and weighted lever on the cock or valve spindle and
a float and lever connected thereto. When the water level rises to its highest
point, the float and with it the lever which is adjustably connected to the quadrant
is raised to such a position that the weighted lever which rests upon stops on the
quadrant reaches or passes the position of unstable equilibrium whereupon it falls
or is tilted from one side to the other and turns the valve spindle so as to open or
put into communication the port or passage from the pressure pipe or branch and
the port or passage leading from the valve casing to the end of the stop valve casing
on the ram which operates said stop valve to open the drive pipe inlet to the ram.
Thereupon, the stop valve being opened, the ram is automatically put into action
and continues working until the water level in the tank or reservoir descends to
such a point that the float descending with it and acting through the quadrant on the
weighted lever tilts it so as to cut off the pressure water from the one pipe con-
nection to the ram stop valve and allow it to exhaust into the tank, whilst also
opening the other pipe connection, whereby the pressure water is led to the opposite

page_text: end of the ram stop valve and the valve slides over the drive pipe inlet and closes
it thus automatically stopping the ram. A spring on the spindle of the ram dash
valve keeps the latter open so that the ram starts at once on the re-admission of
water.
Dated this 17th day of August 1892.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Valve Gear for Controlling the Supply
of Water to Hydraulic Rams or Automatic Water Raisers.
I, JAMES KEITH, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E. of 57 Holborn Viaduct in the City of
London, Gas, Hydraulic Heating and Ventilating 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 apparatus of the class described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me and numbered 3681 of 1890 and the present improve-
ments have for object to ensure automatic stopping and restarting of hydraulic rams
or ram pumps worked by an intermittent water supply and without limitation as to
head of water and risk of failure due to leakage and otherwise when on the stopping
of the ram the water is maintained in the drive pipe merely by the counterbalance
pressure of the atmosphere.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a diagramatic illustration of my invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a sectional elevation and plan of the tank or
reservoir in which the water for operating the ram is collected with the apparatus
fitted therein for determining the starting and stopping of the ram.
Figures 4 and 5 are sectional elevations at right angles to each other of said
apparatus and
Figures 6, 7 and 8 are respectively vertical horizontal and cross sections of the
valve apparatus fitted in connection with the ram for admitting and shutting off the
water supply.
The water for operating the ram is collected in a tank or reservoir A placed at
any suitable level over the ram R and under the point to which water is to be
delivered by the ram or ram pump. In the tank or reservoir is placed a valve
apparatus which may consist of a three-way cock. but which is preferably composed
as shewn at Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 of a casing B containing a slide valve C which
is operated by means of a ball lever D rising and falling with the water level to
open or close a pressure water inlet and direct its flow through pipe connections g g¹
through which the water under pressure passes to and operates a sliding stop
valve H fitted in a casing I on the side of the ram for the purpose of opening or
shutting off the inlet through which enters the supply of water led by the drive
pipe J from the tank or reservoir A to the ram R. The valve H on the ram
takes the place of the usual stop valve and is provided with a screwed spindle or
as shewn at Figures 6, 7 and 8 with a rack K and pinion k and a hand wheel K¹
to permit of its being opened and closed by hand when desired. It is composed
preferably of a spindle h having on it a block H fitted to slide over the face of
the ram inlet orifice j and having a piston H'H' at either end fitting closely in the
valve casing I. At each end the casing I is connected by one of the pipes g gl to
the valve apparatus B C in the water collecting tank or reservoir A and according
as the water under pressure from said valve apparatus is admitted to one or other
of the pipes g g' and consequently to one end or the other of the casing I the
sliding block or valve H opens or closes the inlet ; to the ram from the drive pipe J
leading from the collecting tank A. From the uprising pipe L leading from the
ram air vessel R¹ to the level to which water is supplied by the ram, a branch

page_text: pipe is taken and led to the three-way cock or casing B of the valve apparatus
in the collecting tank or reservoir A. and it is the water under pressure from this
source that is directed by said valve apparatus through the pipes 99' to operate
the stop valve H on the ram. The operation of the three way cock or valve is
effected automatically by the rise and fall of the water level in the collecting tank
or reservoir acting on the float D' and lever D and through a quadrant M. and
weighted lever N fitted loosely on a stud E the weighted lever N acting on
prongs o on a tumbling piece O fixed on the cock or valve spindle P which has an
arm c on it for actuating the valve. Stop pins n' are provided for limiting the
travel of the weighted lever N. When the water level rises to its highest point
the float D' and with it the lever D which is adjustably connected to the quadrant M
is raised to such a position that the weighted lever which acts upon stops n n on
the quadrant reaches or passes the position of unstable equilibrium whereupon it
falls or is tilted from one side to the other and turns the valve spindle P so as
to open or put into communication the pressure pipe or branch fand the port or
passage leading from the valve casing to the end of the stop valve casing I on
the ram which operates said stop valve H to open the drive pipe inlet to the
ram R. Thereupon the stop valve H being opened, the ram is automatically put
into action and continues working until the water level in the tank or reservoir A
descends to such a point that the float D¹ descending with it and acting through
the quadrant M on the weighted lever N tilts it and the tumbling piece so as to
move the valve (and cut off the pressure water from the pipe connection g to the
ram stop valve H and allow it to exhaust through the pipe g' into the tank whilst
also opening the other pipe connection whereby the pressure water is led to the
opposite end of the ram stop valve and the valve H slides over the drive pipe
inlet and closes it thus automatically stopping the ram. A spring S on the spindle
of the ram dash valve keeps the latter open so that the ram starts at once on the
re-admission of water.
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 :-
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved automatic valve gear for
controlling the supply of water to hydraulic rams or automatic water raisers
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Automatic valve gear constructed and arranged to operate substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the annexed
drawings.
3. A combined automatic and manually operated stop valve constructed and
arranged to operate substantially as described with reference to Figures 1, 6, 7
and 8 of the annexed drawings.
Dated this 12th day of May 1893.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.