IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTS PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER HYDRAULIC MACHINERY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Sanders Stevens of Janus Works Queen's Road
Battersea in the County of Surrey, Charles George Major of 34 Freke Rond
Battersea in the County of Surrey and Thomas Walter Barber of 60 Crofton
Road in the County of Surrey for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
HYDRAULIC LIFTS PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER
HYDRAULIC MACHINERY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Sanders Stevens,
Charles George Major, and Thomas Walter Barber at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 13th November 1882.
JOHN SANDERS STEVENS of Janus Works, Queen's Road Battersea in the County
of Surrey CHARLES GEORGE MAJOR of 34 Freke Road Battersea in the County of
Surrey and THOMAS WALTER BARBER of 60 Crofton Road in the County of Surrey.
IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE TO OTHER HYDRAULIC MACHINERY.
Our invention relates to that class of Hydraulic Lifts in which the Cago or
Platform is attached to the top of a ram sliding in a suitable cylinder which ram is
forced upwards by hydraulic pressure, and has for its object, 1. The suppression of
the chains and weights previously used for counterbalancing the dead weight of
ram and cage, and, 2nd The use of the descending dead weight of rain and cage for
the purpose of returning to the source of supply some portion of the water which
was drawn therefrom to lift such dead weight.
The source of supply may be an hydraulic accumulator, an elevated tank, or a
water main containing water under pressure.
We so proportion the ram of the lift to the pressure of the supply water that the
atter will be enabled to lift the combined weight of ram cage and load. On the
descending journey the water in the lift cylinder is driven by the superposed
weight of ram and cage into a cylinder fitted with a ram loaded to correspond with
the pressure of water driven into it, leaving a margin of difference to overcome
riction.

page_text: This cylinder is therefore a receiver and store of water under pressure. We use
the water so stored to give motion to a hydraulic pumping engine of any known
form, which pumps a smaller volume of water back into the source of supply.
The receiver or loaded ram cylinder may receive the return water from several
lifts, one set of pumping engines also dealing with the whole of the return water.
The pumps may have any number of barrels and rams and be double or single
acting as may be convenient.
For single lifts the receiver may be suppressed and the return water from the
lift cylinder be taken directly to the pumps, which in that case must be of
sufficient capacity to deal with the return water as fast as supplied by the
descending lift mm.
When applied to single lifts the pump may be modified so as to force back to
the source of supply an extra amount of water proportionate to any load which
may be descending in the cage. For this purpose we make the pumping engine
with three or more driving barrels and rams ranged side by side and oppose to
cach a pump barrel and ram. The motion of each driving ram is communicated to
the opposite pump by means of a slotted link, which while the driving ram makes
a stroke of constant length allows the travel of the pump ram to be varied by
altering the position of the link block as for a steam engine reversing gear. The
pump ram would make its maximum stroke when the cage brought down its
maximum load and vice versa.
We alter the position of the link block automatically in accordance with the
load in the cage as follows. A small cylinder and piston are in constant and free
communication with the-lift-cylinder,-the-pressure in which drives the small piston
forwards against the resistance of a weighted lever. By a suitable system of links
the weight is caused to slide towards the free end of lever when the piston moves
forward and vice versa. As the piston advances therefore under an increased
- pressure in the lift cylinder it meets a continually increasing resistance from the
lever_until_a_position of equilibrium is found. If the pressure in the lift cylinder
is decreased the loaded lever will drive back the piston-with-continually decreasing
power till a new position of equilibrium is attained.
The movements of the piston are transmitted to the link blocks, and the latter
are therefore automatically controlled by the pressure within the lift cylinder.
This arrangement of pumping engine is also applicable to lifts and hoists driven by
'hydraulic multiplying cylinders and chains, hydraulic cranes and any other
hydraulic machines where the exhaust water is sometimes driven off under varying
pressures due to descending load or other causes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Sanders Stevens, Charles George Major, and Thomas Walter
Barber in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th March 1883.
JOHN SANDERS STEVENS, of Janus Works Queens Road Battersea in the County
of Surrey CHARLES GEORGE MAJOR of 34 Freke Road Battersea in the County of
Surrey, and THOMAS WALTER BARBER of 00 Crofton Rd in the County of Surrey
IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTS PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE TO OTHER HYDRAULIC MACHINERY
Our Invention relates to that class of Hydraulic lifts in which the cago or
platform is attached to the top of a ram sliding in a suitable cylinder which ram is
forced upwards by hydraulic pressuro and has for its object. 1st The suppression of
the chains and weights previously used for counterbalancing the dead weight of
ram and cage. 2nd. The use of the descending dead weight of ram and cage for
the purpose of returning to the source of supply some portion of the water which
was drawn therefrom to lift such dead weight. The source of supply may be a
hydraulic accumulator an elevated tank or a water main containing water under
pressure. We so proportion the ram of the lift to the pressure of the supply water
that the latter will be enabled to lift the combined weight of ram cage and load.
On the descending journey the water in the lift cylinder is driven by superposed
weight of ram and cage into a cylinder litted with a ram loaded to correspond
with the pressure of the water driven into it, leaving a margin of difference to
overcome friction. This cylinder is therefore a receiver or store of water under
pressure and we use the water thus stored to give motion to a hydraulic pumping
engine of any known form which pumps a smaller volume of water back into the
source of supply. The receiver or loaded ram cylinder may receive the return
water from several lifts one set of pumping engines dealing with the return water
from them. The pumps may have any number of barrels and ramus and be double
or single acting as may be convenient For single lifts the receiver or loaded
cylinder may be dispensed with and the water from the lift cylinder be taken
direct to the pumps which in that case must be of sufficient capacity to deal with
it as fast as supplied by the descending ram, and when applied to single lifts the
pump may be modified so as to return to the source of supply an extra amount of
water proportional to any load which may be descending in the cage. To offect
this the pumping engine is made with 3 or more driving barrels and rams ranged
side by side and opposed to each a pump barrel and ram. The motion of each
driving ram is communicated to the opposite pump ram by means of a slotted link
which while the driving ram makes a stroke of constant length allows the travel of
the pump ram to vary by altering the position of the link block as in the link
motion reversing gear, of a steam engine. The ram of the pump making the greatest
stroke and consequently forcing back to the source of supply, the largest quantity
of water when the cage brought down the heaviest load, and vice versa.
position of the link block is altered automatically as follows. A small cylinder
and piston are in constant and free communication with the lift cylinder, the
pressure in which drives forward the small piston against the resistance of a
weighted lever. By a suitable system of links the weight is caused to slide toward
the free end of the lever, when the piston moves forward and vice versu. As the
piston advances under an increased pressure in the cylinder, it meets a continually
increasing resistance from the lever, until a position of equilibrium is found. If the
pressure in the lift cylinder, decreases, the loaded lever will drive back the piston,
with continually decreasing power, until a new position of equilibrium is found,
Tho

page_text: The movements of the piston are transmitted to the link blocks, and through them
the stroke of the pumps and quantity of water returned to the source of supply is
automatically regulated, by the pressure within the lift cylinder. This arrangement
of pumping engine is also applicable to lifts, and hoists driven by hydraulic-multi-
plying cylinder and chain; Hydraulic Cranes, and any other hydraulic machines,
where the exhaust water is sometimes driven off under varying pressures, due to
'descending load or other cause. We have now generally described our Invention,
and will do so more particularly by means of the drawing. Fig 1 shews a section, of
an ordinary hydraulic lift, the cage running in guides in the usual manner; A is the
ram cylinder B the rain, which in this instance is driven by an accumulator, not
.shewn in the drawing. The water enters the ram cylinder from the accumulator,
through the pipe C which is fitted with a three way cock D. Upon turning the cock,
so that the water may enter the ram cylinder through the pipe C, the ram B rises,
'carrying with it, the cage and its contents, when the cock D is turned so as to open
communication between ram cylinder A, and the receiver or loaded cylinder E, the
loaded ram of the latter rises, and the ram B and cage and load fall, the loaded
cylinder acting as a check or counter balance to the descent of the ram and cage, and
dispensing with the chains, and weights generally used. It will be seen however,
that the loaded cylinder has now become a store of energy or water under pressure,
which we take directly to the pumping engine, shewn at Figs 2 and 3 by means of
pipe G The pumping engine may be of ordinary type, and is so arranged, as that
it shall return a smaller volume of water than it receives to the accumulator or
-source-of supply. The exhaust water from the driving cylinder L of the pumping
engine is taken directly, to the store tank I, and the pumping engine-which-returns-
a portion of the water from the receiver E, to the accumulator, draws its supply or
takes its suction from the exhaust pipe H, leading from driving cylinder of water
engine, to cistern 1, so that water flows into pump cylinder J, and need not be
drawn. The pumping engine may have any number of barrels, and rams to suit
circumstances, and-the-receiver-or-loaded-cylinder, can be made to do duty for any
number of lifts, one set of pumping engines dealing with the return water.
enlarged view of pumping engine, is shewn at fig 3. For-single lifts, we dispense
with the receiver, or loaded cylinder E, the water may be taken direct to the pumps
which are of course made of sufficient capacity, to deal with it as fast as supplied,
by the descending ram, the pumping engine being so modified, as to return to the
.source of supply, an extra amount of water proportional to any load, which may be
descending in the cage; to effect this, the pumping engine is made with 3, or more
driving barrels, and rams, ranged side, by side, and opposed to each a pump barrel
and ram. Fig 4 and 5 shew in elevation, and plan, our improved pumping engine,
connected to a single lift. L L L are the 3 driving or water pressure cylinders,
and J. J, J the 3 pump cylinders, the driving cylinders are connected by the
pipe G, to the ram cylinder A, carrying the cage, through the 3 way cock D. Each
driving ram in cylinders L, L, L, is connected by means of a knuckle joint, to a link,
and block M, pivoted at N, to the opposite pump ram working in cylinders J. so
that although the driving ram, makes a stroke of constant length, the stroke of the
pump ram, may be varied by shifting the position of the link block as in the link
motion reversing gear, of a steam engine, the ram of the pump making the greatest
stroke when the cage brings down the greatest load. The link block is altered
automatically, as follows. A small cylinder, and piston O, are in free communication
with lift cylinder, by branch pipe P the varying pressure in which, drives forward
the small piston, against the resistance of a weighted Bell Crank Q. Y the ball, or
weight, on which R, is forced outwards by the piston rod and link S, which it will
be seen is connected through a rising, and falling guide block, and link T with the
weight R sliding upon the Bell Crank QY. When the various parts are in the
position shewn in the drawing, the block M, and pump plunger, will have the same
stroke, as the piston of water pressure cylinder L, but should an increase of pressure
take place in the ram cylinder A, by an increased weight in the cage the piston in
„small cylinder O, being in direct communication, withthe ram cylinder, will receive
An

page_text: an increased pressure, forcing up the lover weight R, and link_block M. The
stroke of the pump will thus be increased, and more water forced into the
accumulator proportionate to the weight brought down by the descending cage;
Having now described our invention, we claim as follows
1st The combination in a direct acting ram hydraulic lift, or series of lifts, of an
intermediate loaded receiver for the purpose of balancing, the dead weight of ram
and cage, and of a subsidiary pumping engine; which is actuated by water under
pressure, from the receiver, and forces a portion of such water back to the source of
supply.
2nd. In a single Direct Acting Ram, Hydraulic lift, in which there are no balance
weights, and chains the combination wherein the descending dead weight of ram,
and cage; actuates a hydraulic pumping engine direct, without a receiver, such
engine having an arrangement whereby the stroke of the pumps is automatically
varied, in accordance with the pressure in the lift, substantially as described
3rd. In combination with a direct acting ram hydraulic lift, or lifts, the
arrangement of pumping engine, with variable stroke, actuated automatically so as
to return to the accumulator, elevated tank, water main or other source of power
a quantity of water proportionate to the descending load, in the cage; plus the
weight of the ram, and cage, substantially as described.
4 The combination of the variable pumping engine, with hydraulic multiplying
chain cylinder lifts, or other hydraulic hauling, or lifting machines where the
exhaust water is sometimes driven off under varying pressures, substantially as
described.
In Witness whereof we the said John Sanders Stevens and Charles George
Major have hereunto set our hands and seals this 1st day of March in
the vear of our Lord 1883.
Witnesses
ALFRED LANE
3 Swiss Villas
Nowlands
Peckham Rye
HARRY HURWOOD
22 St Philips Cottages South
Queens Road
Battersea S.W.
JOHN SANDERS STEVENS
CHARLES GEORGE MAJOR
(L.S.)
(L.S.)