Improvements in or connected with Siphons.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1893-Accepted, 19th Aug.. 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Siphons.
J, THOMAS SEAVILLE TRUSS, of No. 74, Forest Lane, Forest Gate, in the
County of Essex, Professor of Natural Philosophy, 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 :—
When
My said improvements consist in arrangements for obtaiuing siphonage of liquids
through siphons by means of a jet or jets, of liquid or air under pressure delivered
into that leg of the siphon in which the liquid as to rise to effect siphonage, which
I name the "ascending leg," the jet or jets of liquid or air being formed by an
orifice or orifice's that may be of any design, but by preference of circular or star
form made in a pipe or hollow chamber, which I name the "jet nipple," which is
by preference placed in the centre of the sectional area of the open end of the
"ascending leg" and at that part thereof. In this arrangement the jet or jets of
liquid or air are delivered in the direction of the siphonage, and to the jet nipple a
pipe is connected to receive the liquid or air under pressure from any mechanical
contrivance attached to the siphon, or connected to it or from any other source.
To effect siphonage by the delivery of the jet or jets of liquid or air in the opposite
direction to that of siphonage, the "jet nipple" is placed in the "ascending leg" at
a point within the height of the liquid in the vessel to which the siphon is applied,
the jet or jets of liquid or air being delivered in the opposite direction to that of
siphonage, and in this arrangement the supply of liquid or air to the jet nipple
should cease within the time of from two to five seconds or thereabouts.
the liquid or air supply to the "jet nipple" is subject to a pressure of about 10 lbs.
to the square inch, then the area of the jet or jets employed are by preference made
equal to about one sixteenth of the diametrical section area of the ascending leg,
but this proportion may be varied between wide limits though it will usually be
better to adopt the proportion given or thereabouts for the pressure mentioned, and
proportionally less for any greater pressure, and it is also preferable that the
diameter of the cross section of the liquid jets be made to about one sixteenth of an
inch, & the air jets to about one thirty-second of an inch. Of the well known
mechanical contrivances that may be attached to the siphon to produce the required
supply of liquid or air under pressure to the "jet nipple" to effect siphonage, are
any open top cylinder having a cubical content of not less than about half the cubical
content of that part in the "ascending leg" of the siphon that the liquid as to rise
to effect siphonage, such cylinder having a piston fitted to work therein with a
piston rod attached thereto, which piston rod works in a guide attached to the
cylinder that the motion of the piston may be central of the cylinder, or any hollow
conical or half globular cylinder or vessel that are caped with a disk of india-rubber,
or any hollow flexible vessel that is capable of resuming their original form after
being compressed to discharge their contents of liquid or air.
Also the construction of a regulator to determine the quanty of liquid or air to
be delivered to the "jet nipple" to effect siphonage, this regulator is constructed
in part as an ordinary plug tap having one inlet pipe and one outlet pipe in line with
each other, but having an air vessel attached to the outside thereof of about the
same cubical content as the open tap cylinder hereinbefore described, the inlet
pipe thereof is to receive the liquid or air under pressure, and the outlet pipe
thereof is to make connection by means of a pipe attached thereto with the "jet
nipple" in the "ascending leg" of the siphon, the plug of this regulating tap as a
passage to its centre in line with the inlet pipe, and another passage from such
centre to the air vessel, so that in one position of such plug the liquid or air under
pressure entering the inlet pipe passes into the air vessel, and when the plug is

page_text: turned for a quarter of a circle the supply thereto is shut off, and then the outlet
pipe is by the passages in the plug open to the air vessel, when the contents thereof
is discharged by the pressure therein into the "jet nipple" in the ascending leg of
the siphon by means of the connecting pipe attached thereto, and siphonage is
thereby effected, and when the plug is returned to its former position the air vessel
is again charged with liquid or air as the case may be. This regulator may also
have another outlet to it for to supply a cistern or for any other purpose, & also
another passage in the plug to the centre thereof so arranged that such additional
outlet shall be shut off & opened by the passages in the plug at the same time as the
inlet pipe.
By these arrangements the quanty of liquid or air required to effect siphonage
are regulated when the supply thereof is from other source than any mechanical
contrivance attached to the siphon, but any ordinary tap with an inlet and outlet
thereto may be employed in lieu of such regulator, but the supply of liquid or air
through such should be turned on, and shut off with moderately quick motion.
The first arrangement of my said improvements is that, whereby the supply of
liquid under pressure is obtained by a mechanical contrivance attached to the
siphon, with the delivery of the jet or jets of liquid in the direction of the
siphonage, and consist in placeing the "jet nipple," (herein before described), in
the centre of the cross sectional area of the open end of the ascending leg of the
siphon, and within that part therof, with the jet or jets of liquid to be delivered in
the direction of the siphonage, and to the outside of the "ascending leg" and in
line therewith near the open end thereof, is attached an open top cylinder with
piston and piston rod therefrom, (as herein before described), and from the bottom
of the cylinder a pipe is connected to the "jet nipple" in the "ascending leg" for
the liquid to pass through from the cylinder to such "jet nipple." With the
cylinder in this position the piston is not required to be liquid tight in the
cylinder.
The second part of my said improvements are a modification of the arrangements
of the first part hereof. In this arrangement siphonage is effected by the delivery
of the je or jets of liquid in the opposite direction to that of the siphonage, and
consist in placing the "jet nipple" in the "ascending leg" at a point within the
hight of the liquid in the vessel to which the siphon is applied, with the jet or jets
of liquid to be delivered in the opposite direction to the siphonage, the connecting
pipe between the cylinder and the "jet nipple" passing up the "ascending leg" to
the "jet nipple," or passing through the top of the "ascending leg" thereto.
By these arrangements, when the piston is raised by the piston rod to the top of
the cylinder the cylinder is filled with liquid, and when by pressure on the piston
rod the piston is forced to the bottom of the cylinder, the liquid is forced out of the
cylinder into the "jet nipple," and a jet or jets of liquid are delivered into the
ascending leg" of the siphon, whereby siphonage is effected.
The third part of my
said improvements are a modification of the first and second
parts hereof, and consist in attaching the open top cylinder with piston and piston
rod, therefrom, (herein before described), to the outside of the siphon on or about
the crown thereof, and in this position the piston therein is fitted to work liquid
and air tight, and the connecting pipe from the bottom of the cylinder is joined to
the "jet nipple" in the "ascending leg" whatsoever its position therein. By this
arrangement, when the piston is raised by the piston rod to the top of the cylinder,
the liquid to fill the cylinder is drawn from the "ascending leg" through the "jet
nipple," and when by pressure on the piston rod the piston is forced to the bottom
of the cylinder, the liquid is forced out of the cylinder into the "jet nipple," and a
"jet or jets of liquid are delivered into the "ascending leg" of the syphon,
whereby siphonage is effected whether such be delivered in the direction of the
siphonage, or in the opposite direction according to the position of the "jet nipple"
in the "ascending leg" of the syphon.
"
The fourth part of my said improvements are a modification of the third part
hereof, for the purpose of effecting the siphonage by a jet or jets of air under pressure,

page_text: and consist of arranging over an orifice in the bottom of the cylinder a valve that
shall open or lift in the cylinder with the raising of the piston to charge the cylinder
with air, and close on descent of the piston. By this arrangement, when the piston
is raised by the piston rod to the top of the cylinder the cylinder is charged with air
admitted by the valve, and when by pressure on the piston rod the piston is forced
to the bottom of the cylinder, the air is forced out of the cylinder into the "jet
nipple," and a jet or jets of air under pressure are delivered into the "ascending
leg" of the siphon, whereby siphonage is effected whether such are delivered in
the direction of the siphonage, or in the opposite direction according to the position
of the "jet nipple" in the "ascending leg.'
The fifth part of my said improvements consists in placing the "jet nipple" in
the ascending leg" of the siphon, in either of the positions herein before described
for effecting siphonage by the delivery of the jet or jets of liquid or air under
pressure in the direction of siphonage, or in the opposite direction, by liquid or air.
obtained from any other source, other then the mechanical contrivance attached to
the siphon, for this purpose the connecting pipe from the "jet nipple" is connected
to the outlet pipe of the regulator, (herein before described), and the inlet pipe
thereof is connected by means of a pipe to the source of supply of liquid or air
under pressure. By this arrangement, when the plug of the regulator is in such a
position that the liquid or air under pressure can enter the air vessel of the
regulator, such air vessel becomes charged therewith, (either liquid or air as the
case may be), and when the plug of such regulator is turned for a quarter of a
circle the supply thereto is shut off, and the outlet pipe that is connected to the
"jet nipple" is by the passages in each plug open to the air vessel, when the
contents thereof is discharged into the "jet nipple, and the jet or jets of liquid or
air are delivered into the ascending leg" of the siphon whereby siphonage is
effected.
In order that the nature of my said improvements, and in what manner the same
are to be performed may be more fully understood, I will proceed to describe the
several figures on the sheet of drawing bereunto annexed, in all of which figures
like letters of reference are used to denote similar parts.
In this
(b,
Figure 1, is a side elevation in section, of the first arrangement of my said
improvements as herein before described.
is a vessel containing liquid to
the height of the dotted line b; and c, is the siphon composed of the descending
leg d, and the "ascending leg" e, the letter, is the "jet nipple" fixed in the open
end of the "ascending leg" e, and g, is the circular orifice therein (in this instance)
to form one jet of liquid, which in this arrangement is delivered in the direction of
the siphonage, and h, is the connecting pipe therefrom to the bottom of the open
top cylinder, in which the piston k works, and 1, is the piston rods attached
thereto, that works in the guide m, attached to the open top cylinder i.
Figure 2, is a side elevation in section, of the arrangements according to the
second part of my said improvements, by which the delivery of the jet (or jets) of
liquid are delivered in the opposite direction to that of the siphonage, for this
purpose the "jet nipple", is fixed at a point within the height of the liquid b, with
the orifice I, therein arranged to deliver such jet (or jets) of liquid in the opposite
direction to that of the siphonage.
Figure 3, is a side elevation in section, of the arrangements according to the third
part of my said improvements, in which the open top cylinder i, is attached to the
crown of the siphon. c. In this instance the "jet nipple", is shown in the position
required in the "ascending leg" to deliver the jet of liquid (or air) in the opposite
direction to that of the siphonage; but when it is desired that the jet of liquid (or
air) should be delivered in the direction of the siphonage, then the "jet nipple",
is fixed in the "ascending leg" in the position shown in Figure 1, and the connecting
pipe, therefrom is conducted to the bottom of the open top cylinder i, either
through the "ascending leg" of the siphon or outside thereof.
Figure 4, is a side elevation in section, of the arrangements according to the
fourth part of my said improvements. In this n, is the orifice in the bottom of the

page_text: "
"
open top cylinder i, over which the valve o, works to admit air into the open top
cylinder i, on the ascending stroke of the piston k, when the siphonage is to be
effected by a jet (or jets) of air. In this instance as in Figure 3, the "jet nipple
is shown in the position required in the "ascending leg e, to deliver the jet of
liquid or air in the opposite direction to that of the siphonage; therefore when the
siphonage is to be effected by the delivery of the jet of liquid or air in the direction
of siphonage, then the "jet nipple" is fixed in the "ascending leg" e, as shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 5, is a side elevation in section, of the arrangements according to the
fifth part of my said improvements, when the supply of liquid or air under pressure
is obtained from any source, other than a mechanical contrivance attached to the
siphon, or in immediate connection therewith. In this instance when the jet or jets
of liquid or air are to be delivered in the direction of the siphonage, the "jet
nipple", is placed in the open end of the "ascending leg "e, of the siphon c,
and when the jet or jets of liquid or air are to be delivered in the opposite direction
to that of the siphonage, then the "jet nipple", is placed within the height of the
liquid b, in the ascending leg" e, of the siphon c, as shown, and the connecting
pipe h, (of either arrangement) is attached to the outlet pipe of the regulating tap,
(herein before described) which latter may be placed at any convenient point
between the source of supply of the liquid or air under pressure and the "jet
nipple "f.
66
Figure 6, is a side elevation in section, of the regulator tap according to the sixth
part of my
said improvements, and Figure 7, is an external end view thereof. The
letter p, is the body of the tap, and r, is the inlet pipe to the passages s, and t, in
the plug u, and r, is the outlet pipe from such tap, and w, is the air vessel attached
to the body p, thereof, which by the orifice x,
open to the passages s, and t, in the
plug u, to receive the liquid or air under pressure.
Figures 8, 9, and 10, show a few designs of orifices in the head of the "jet
nipple", other than that described and shown on the sheet of drawing. Figure 8,
is a star form of jet by straight orifices g, in the head of the "jet nipple" f.
Figure 9, is a star form of jet by circular orificeses g, in the head of the "jet
nipple "f. Figure 10, is a ring form of jet by a circular oriface g, in the head of
the "jet nipple" f.
As my said improvements are capable of various modifications without departing
from the principle thereof, I do not restrict myself to material, as any suitable
material may be employed, or to dimensions, or to the precise form or placement of
the several parts or proportions thereof.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The application of one or more jets of liquid or air under pressure delivered
through a "jet nipple" into and within the " ascending leg" of a siphon in the
direction of siphonage, and also in the opposite direction thereto to effect siphonage
through such siphon.
2. The method of effecting siphonage through siphons as herein before described.
3. The air vessel regulator tap as herein before described, for the purposes herein
before set forth.
Dated this 15th dow of July 1802