Improvements in Apparatus for Raising Water and other Liquids by Air or Gas under Pressure
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan., 1896-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Raising Water and other Liquids
by Air or Gas under Pressure.
I, JAMES EDWARD BACON, residing at No. 1212 Grove Avenue, Richmond,
in the State of Virginia United States of America, Mechanical Engineer and
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:→
Water and other liquids have heretofore been elevated by the action of a jet
of air directed upwardly at the bottom of a pipe, and in other instances the air has
been admitted through the side of an up-take pipe, and the bubbles of air in
displacing the water have lessened the weight of a column of water of a given
height so that the pressure of water at the bottom of the uptake pipe has been
sufficient to elevate the column of water to the desired place.
In apparatus of this character it has been important to provide an air reservoir
between the pump and the uptake pipe so as to equalize the action of the pump and
prevent the pulsations thereof from varying the pressure of the air at the bottom of
the uptake pipe or well, and in addition to this difficulty has been experienced in
obtaining a large uptake pipe for a given size of drilled well, because the air pipe
has passed down at the side of the uptake pipe, and the combined measurements of
these two pipes have necessarily been less than the diameter of the well.
In most drilled wells, either for water, or oil, the upper portion of the well is
considerably larger in diameter than the lower portion, and in many instances it is
necessary to pipe the well where it passes through the earth, and also where it passes
through the upper stratum of rock.
By my improvements I make use of the casing of the well to form an air
chamber, and I continue such casing down to the proper depth so that the air
passes down around the uptake pipe and enters the uptake pipe either through an
opening near the bottom end thereof, or by passing around the lower end of such
uptake pipe.
By this improvement, the upper end of the tubing or casing of the well is closed
around the upper part of the uptake pipe, and the air is admitted into this casing
from the air compresser, and the use of a separate air reservoir is avoided, and in
addition to this the uptake pipe can be much larger than heretofore, because it is
only necessary to provide a space between the uptake pipe and the well casing
sufficient for the descent of the air, and the uptake pipe is not in any manner
connected to or influenced by the well casing through which the air is supplied,
hence the said uptake pipe can be removed for cleaning or repairs without
disturbing the portion of the apparatus that supplies the air; and I make a
cylindrical head screwed upon the well tube and through which the uptake pipe can
be raised or lowered, and a flange is screwed to the uptake pipe and rests on the
tubular head, and the delivery pipe is also provided with a flange and the flanges
are clamped to the head by bolts.
When the water level in the well sinks by the action of the apparatus, the
pressure of air need only to be sufficient to start the flow of water by passing into
the uptake pipe at a higher opening where a valve is provided, and a continuation
of the flow of water is effected by the air passing into the uptake pipe through its

page_text: lower end, or through an opening at a lower level, without the pressure of the air
being necessarily increased.
Dated this 29th day of July 1895.
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78 Fleet Street, London, and 5 Market Sreet, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Raising Water and other Liquids
by Air or Gas under Pressure.
I, JAMES EDWARD BACON, residing at No. 1212 Grove Avenue, Richmond,
in the State of Virginia, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer and
Manufacturer, 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 :-
Water and other liquids have heretofore been elevated by the action of a jet of
air directed upwardly at the bottom of a pipe, and in other instances the air has
been admitted through the side of an uptake pipe and the bubbles of air in
displacing the water have lessened the weight of a column of water of a given
height so that the pressure of water at the bottom of the uptake pipe has been
sufficient to elevate the column of water to the desired place.
In apparatus of this character it has been important to provide an air reservoir
between the pump and the uptake pipe so as to equalize the action of the pump
and prevent the pulsations thereof from varying the pressure of the air at the
bottom of the uptake pipe or well, and in addition to this, difficulty has been
experienced in obtaining a large uptake pipe for a given size of drilled well, because
the air pipe has passed down at the side of the uptake pipe and the combined
measurements of these two pipes have necessarily been less than the diameter of the
well.
In most drilled wells, either for water or oil, the upper portion of the well is
considerably larger in diameter than the lower portion, and in many instances it is
necessary to pipe the well where it passes through the earth and also where it
passes through the upper stratum of rock.
By my improvements I make use of the casing of the well to form an air
chamber, and I continue such casing down to the proper depth so that the air
passes down around the uptake pipe and enters the uptake pipe either through an
opening near the bottom end thereof or by passing around the lower end of such
uptake pipe.
By this improvement the upper end of the tubing or casing of the well is closed
around the upper part of the uptake pipe and the air is admitted into this casing
from the air compressor, and the use of a separate air reservoir is avoided, and in
addition to this the uptake pipe can be much larger than heretofore, because it is
only necessary to provide a space between the uptake pipe and the well casing
sufficient for the descent of the air and the uptake pipe is not in any manner
.connected to or influenced by the well casing through which the air is supplied,
hence the said uptake pipe can be removed for cleaning or repairs without
disturbing the portion of the apparatus that supplies the air; and I make a
cylindrical head screwed upon the well tube and through which the uptake pipe
,can be raised or lowered and a flange is screwed to the uptake pipe and rests on
the tubular head and the delivery pipe is also provided with a flange and the flanges
are clamped to the head by bolts.
When the water level in the well sinks by the action of the apparatus, the

page_text: pressure of air need only to be sufficient to start the flow of water by passing into
the uptake pipe at a higher opening where a valve is provided, and a continuation
of the flow of water is effected by the air passing into the uptake pipe through its
lower end or through an opening at a lower level, without the pressure of the air
being necessarily increased.
In the drawings
Fig. 1 is a vertical section illustrative of the present improvement.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section at the line a, x, illustrating the relative sizes of the
casing and uptake pipe.
Fig. 3 is a section at the line y, y, and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the slide valve.
Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are on a larger scale than Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section.
Fig. 6 a plan view at the line, z, showing the modified head and the flange, and
Fig. 7 is a section of a modification of the lower ends of the pipes.
The well is to be of any desired character, such for instance as a drilled oil well
or artesian well, and the same is made in any convenient way according to the
location and materials through which the well is driven.
The casing A, Fig. 1, is as large as convenient for the upper part of the well,
and to this is connected the tube B descending into the smaller part of the well to
the desired depth, and these tubes may be made permanent in the well, and the
uptake pipe C is of the desired size according to the volume of liquid to be
delivered, it only being necessary to maintain a sufficient space between the uptake
pipe and the pipe B for the passage of the requisite quantity of air, and the uptake
pipe C passes to the place where the liquid is to be delivered.
I provide the upper end of the pipe A¹ with a ring D containing a packing
gland E which surrounds the uptake pipe C so as to make a tight joint and allow
for expansion or contraction if necessary, and the air pipe F from a suitable
compressor connects with the upper part of the pipe A so that the air under the
proper pressure is forced into the pipe A and the reservoir for air is formed
between the case A B of the well and the uptake pipe C and the air space thus
produced is almost always ample to prevent irregularity in the air passing into the
lower end of the uptake pipe C.
I find it advantageous to make an opening 6 into the uptake pipe C near the
bottom end thereof so that the air may flow through that opening in a uniform or
nearly uniform stream and the bubbles of air intermingling with the water render
the column of water sufficiently light for the pressure of the column of water
within the well to discharge the water or liquid at the desired height from the
upper end of the uptake pipe C.
It will now be understood that the liquid outside the well maintains a given
pressure at the bottom of the uptake pipe, and hence the pressure of the liquid is
as effective in sustaining the column of aerated liquid as it would be if the liquid
rose within the casing of the well, and for this reason I am enabled to make use of
the casing of the well as an air reservoir and simplify the construction of the
apparatus, lessen the expense and employ a much larger uptake pipe than would be
possible in cases where the air passed down the well in a pipe at the side of the
uptake pipe.
The air passing in at the lower part of the uptake pipe is usually sufficient in
volume to lighten the column, but with deep wells or with considerable lift for the
water above the water level in the well, it is sometimes advantageous to employ an
auxiliary lift by providing a second air supply higher up in the uptake pipe to still
further lessen the weight of the column of liquid.
To effect this object the slide valve 3 may be provided over an opening in the
uptake pipe at any desired level, and a rod 4 extending from this valve up through
a stuffing box 5 allows the said valve to be opened by hand more or less and thus
to admit the volume of air required for operating the auxiliary lift to the best
advantage.
If the level of the water is not lowered by the pumping, the pressure of air has

page_text: to be sufficient to displace the column of water to the bottom of the uptake pipe,
but where the level of water in the well is materially lowered by the discharge of
the water from the well, I find that the use of a pressure sufficient to displace the
normal column of water before commencing the discharge of the water is avoided
by opening the valve 3 and reducing the level by the discharge of the water and
then the external column being lowered, the same pressure will displace the column
in the air pipe until the air reaches another valve at a lower level or reaches the
lower end of the pipe, so that the discharge of the water will be effected at a less
pressure than would be possible if the valve 3 was not provided.
The well tube A Fig. 5, has screwed on its upper end the cylindrical head D¹
through which the uptake pipe C can be passed freely, and this uptake tube has
screwed to its upper end a flange E¹ resting on the head D' and suspending such
pipe C, and the flange G of the discharge pipe H rests on the flange E' and the
two are connected by bolts 13. In Fig. 6 I have shown eye bolts 7 screwed into
the flange E¹ by which the uptake tube C can be lifted after the discharge bend
or pipe H has been removed.
The air is introduced by the pipe F and there may be a pressure gauge at K.
The inlet pipe L allows water to How into the uptake pipe C, and this tube L is
supported by a bottom head to the well tube A, hence the air passes up through
the annular opening between C and L.
It is advantageous to enlarge the lower end of the uptake pipe as shown in
Fig. 5; and the lower end of the uptake pipe C and the upper part of the inlet
pipe L may be slotted as shown in Fig. 7, so that the air under pressure passes
through these slots in acting upon the water in the uptake pipe.
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 in a water elevating apparatus, of an uptake pipe, a
surrounding tube extending to the lower end of the uptake pipe, or nearly so, an
airtight connection between the uptake pipe and its surrounding tube, and a pipe
for supplying air or other fluid under pressure, an opening in the uptake pipe above
the lower end thereof, a valve for opening or closing that opening, and a rod
extending to the top of the well for operating the valve, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
2. The combination in a water elevating apparatus with a drilled well, of an
uptake pipe, a tube within the well surrounding the uptake pipe and extending
below the lower end of the same, and an airtight connection between the upper
end of the exterior tube and the uptake pipe for forming an air chamber around
the uptake pipe, and a pipe for supplying air or other fluid under pressure into the
air chamber whereby the air chamber and the uptake pipe are of as great capacity
as the drilled well is adapted to receive, there being two or more openings in the
uptake pipe at different elevations, and a valve and means for opening or closing
the same from the top of the well for regulating the inlet of air by the upper
opening to the uptake pipe, substantially as set forth.
3. The method herein specified of discharging liquid from a well consisting in
providing an uptake pipe extending above the top of the well and having two or
more air inlets at different levels, and an air-tight space within which air under
pressure can act upon the water standing at the ordinary level in such space and
force the same down until the air escapes into one of the openings in the uptake
pipe and continuing the air pressure and discharge of water until the level of water
in the confined chamber descends in consequence of the level of the water in the
well descending until the air escapes through the second opening into the uptake
pipe, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination in a water elevating apparatus, of an uptake pipe and a well
tube having an annular head at the lower end and a supply pipe passing through
such head and extending up into the uptake pipe, a head upon the upper end of the

page_text: well tube and through which the uptake pipe can be raised or lowered, a flange
upon the uptake pipe and resting upon such head to suspend the uptake pipe, and
pipe passing through the head for the supply of a fluid under pressure to act
upon the water in the uptake pipe, substantially as specified.
Dated this 21st day of January 1896.
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 5ª, Market Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.