IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING OR FORCING WATER, AND IN MEANS OR Apparatus THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Clark, of Lancaster Gate, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING OR
FORCING WATER, AND IN MEANS OR Apparatus THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May 1881.
ALEXANDER CLARK, of Lancaster Gate, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING OR FORCING WATER, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
THEREFOR.'
33
The object of my Invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and effective means of
raising or forcing water to a height for supplying hydraulic lifts and other purposes,
and the Invention relates to a method of pumping or raising water by applying
the expansive action of gases of combustion (produced by the ignition of an
explosive mixture of gas and air, or other explosive agent) to act directly on the
water to be raised (with or without the intervention of a piston) in the same
cylinder or chamber in which the explosion takes place, thereby dispensing with
the costly machinery heretofore used.
I employ a cylinder or other suitable chamber provided with suitable inlet and
outlet pipes and valves for the admission and discharge of the water, and with a
suitable inlet pipe or pipes controlled by a valve or valves for the admission of the
explosive mixture, or of 'gas and air separately; and also provided, if necessary,
with bellows for pumping the gas and air together or separately into the chamber,
or other means of causing the gas and air to flow in may be employed. Water is
admitted to the chamber from a tank or other source of supply, and it may either
flow in by gravity or be drawn or forced in in consequence of the partial vacuum
within the chamber resulting from a previous explosion. The water is allowed to
rise within the chamber, leaving only the necessary space at the upper part for the
explosive charge which may be forced in as above described, or drawn in by the
vacuum. The explosive charge within the chamber may be ignited by any suitable
means, and the expansive action of the gases thereby generated pressing on the
surface of the water forces it out through the discharge pipe, by which it may be
conveyed to the height required. If desired a piston or diaphragm may be
interposed between the explosive charge and the water to prevent the latter being
contaminated. Two or more similar apparatus may be combined and arranged to
work alternately or successively and produce a continuous flow of water.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th November 1881.
ALEXANDER CLARK, of Lancaster Gate, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING OR FORCING WATER, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
THEREFOR."
The object of my Invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and effective means of
raising or forcing water to a height for supplying hydraulic lifts and other
purposes, and the Invention relates to a method of pumping or raising water by
applying the expansive action of gases of combustion (produced by the ignition of
an explosive mixture of gas and air) to act directly on the water to be raised (with
or without the intervention of a piston) in the same cylinder or chamber in which
the explosion takes place, thereby dispensing with the costly machinery heretofore
used.
I employ a cylinder or other suitable chamber provided with suitable inlet and
outlet pipes and valves for the admission and dischage of the water, and with a
suitable inlet or inlets controlled by a valve or valves for the admission of the
explosive mixture, or of gas and air separately, and which may be also provided, if
necessary, with bellows for pumping the gas and air together or separately into the
chamber, or with other means of causing the gas and air to flow in. Water is
admitted to the chamber from a tank or other source of supply, and it may either
flow in by gravity or be drawn or forced in in consequence of the partial vacuum
within the chamber resulting from a previous explosion. The water is allowed to
rise within the chamber, leaving only the necessary space at the upper part for the
explosive charge which may be pumped or forced in, as above described, or drawn
in by the vacuum. The explosive charge within the chamber may be ignited by any
suitable means, and the expansive action of the gases thereby generated, pressing
on the surface of the water (or preferably upon a piston or diaphragm interposed
between the explosive charge and the water to prevent the latter being contaminated)
forces the water out through the discharge pipe by which it may be conveyed to the
height required. Two or more similar apparatus may be combined and arranged
to work alternately or successively and produce a continuous flow of water.
I have illustrated my Invention in the accompanying Drawings by way of
example, and will proceed to describe it in detail with reference thereto, but I
would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the details of construction
herein represented, as such may be considerably varied without departing from my
Invention.
Figures 1 and 2 are front and side elevations, and Figure 3 is a vertical section
on a larger scale of my direct acting combined gas engine and pump. The same
letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
A is the explosion and pumping cylinder or chamber mounted vertically upon a
suitable pedestal B and supporting standards C in which a shaft D is mounted;
E is the inlet pipe provided with a check valve e and leading from a cistern or
other reservoir, preferably at a higher level than the cylinder A, into the lower
part of said cylinder; F is a discharge pipe connected to the lower part of
cylinder A provided with a check valve f and an air vessel G to equalize the
flow of water, the said pipe leading to the point where the supply of water is
required.
The cylinder A is traversed axially by a tube H leaving the pumping and
explosion spaces in the cylinder of annular form. This tube H is preferably
enlarged in diameter at the upper part, as shewn, to receive a plunger valve I
which works within it. K is an annular piston working up and down in the

page_text: annular cylinder A upon the lower or smaller portion of the tube. This piston K
is represented in its highest positions. It has a cup leather or other packing, and
is connected by rods passing through stuffing boxes in the lower cover of the
cylinder with a crosshead L working in upright guide slots M in the pedestal B,
and connected by rods N with crank pins O upon fly wheels P fixed on shaft D,
whereby the motion of the engine is rendered uniform. The upper and sinaller
annular portion A¹ of the cylinder A constitutes the explosion chainber and it
is supplied with gas and air through ports in the sides of the cylinder formed by
the tube H controlled by the valve I which works as a piston therein, and is
provided with suitable packing rings. This piston valve I is formed on the lower
end of the hollow trunk Q which is connected by a forked link with the strap of
an eccentric R upon shaft D by which the valve I is operated. The gas is supplied
to the cylinder from a pipe S through a tube T attached to the valve I, and passing
down centrally through the tube H and working at the lower end up and down in
a stuffing box Z to which the pipe S is attached. When in its lowost position a
hole in the side of pipe T coincides with the pipe S, and gas is admitted through
pipe T which leads into cross passages i in the valve I, which in that position of
the valve coincides with the ports h leading into the upper part of the cylinder A.
When the valve I rises air is admitted to the cylinder A through the ports h'
which are then uncovered, the air passing or being forced up through the tube H.
V is a conical valve, being a ring loose on tube T and pressed upwards by a
spring W upon said tube and closing before the explosion takes place against a
corresponding seat v on the inside of the tube H. X is a gas pipe passing through
stufling box Z and up through the tubo T, and having at its upper end a piston or
head. which passes through and fits a hole in the valve I, and has a nipple upon
it, which, when the valve I is in its lowest position, projects into the trunk Q, and
at which a small flame is kept burning to ignite the explosive mixture in the
cylinder.
The operation is as follows, it being supposed that a previous explosion has taken
place by which the piston has been forced downwards and the water has been
driven out of the cylinder:-
The valve I in descending comes against the valve V and raises it off its seat,
thereby admitting air to cylinder above the piston, which at the same time rises,
water flowing in beneath it through pipe E. The valve I continuing to descend,
gas is admitted through pipes S, T, and ports h, and the admission of air is cut off
by the valve I covering the ports h². On the valve I again rising the valve V
closes against its seat, the admission of gas is cut off, and when the cross passages i
come opposite the flame the charge is fired through the ports ².
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. A combined gas engine and pump in which the expansive action of the
gases of combustion is applied to act in one and the same cylinder directly upon
the surface of the water either with or without the intervention of a piston,
substantially as specified.
2nd. The direct acting combined gas engine and pump constructed and operating
substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
ALEX CLARK. (L.S.)