Improvements in Apparatus for Raising Sea Water for Driving Machinery and other purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Raising Sea Water for Driving
Machinery and other purposes.
I, JOHN MCADAM, of 19 Sea Terrace, Middleton, Hartlepool, in the County
of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention is for the purpose of raising sea water to any required height by
the action of the tide, and consists of an arrangement of moveable tanks in two sets,
the one set operated by the flowing and the other by the ebbing of the tide.
The set of tanks operated by the flowing tide is subdivided into lifting tanks,
for containing the sea water to be raised and buoyancy tanks for raising the said
lifting tanks, to the required height. When the tide is at its lowest, the lifting
and buoyancy tanks occupy their lowest position (which may be clear of the water
altogether if required) and are there held by a suitable brake.
The buoyancy tank may be hermetically sealed or may be simply a closed
vessel with a pipe or tube leading above the water level for sounding or other
purposes.
As the tide rises, the water fills the lifting tank, and the buoyancy tank exerts
an upward pull which is resisted by the brake. As soon as the lifting tank is
full, and the sluice valves for admitting and releasing the water closed, the brake
may be loosened and the tanks allowed to rise, owing to the action of the
buoyancy tank.
When the tide has reached its maximum height, or at any less height as desired,
the tanks may be secured and the water from the lifting tank run into another
lifting tank at the higher level. By the action of this second lifting tank
operated by its corresponding buoyancy tank the water is lifted another step, and
so on by successive steps until the required height is reached when the water is
allowed to run into the main tank or reservoir.
By a suitable arrangement of pulleys the motion of the buoyancy tanks may be
multiplied so that the lifting tank passes through a greater distance than the
buoyancy tank.
The set of tanks operated by the ebbing tide are similarly arranged to the above.
Each lifting tank is attached by means of a pulley or its equivalent to a ballast
tank. Both lifting and ballast tanks are filled at high water and, as the tide ebbs,
the ballast tank and contained water being made heavier than the lifting tank and
the water therein contained the lattér are raised to the required position.
When the lifting tank has reached the end of its travel, the water is discharged
into another lifting tank at the higher level. By the action of this second lifting
tank operated by its corresponding ballast tank the water is lifted another step,
and so by successive steps until the required height is reached when the water is
allowed to run into the main tank or reservoir.
The motion of the ballast tanks may be multiplied by means of a suitable
pulley so that the lifting tank passes through a greater distance than the
ballast tank.
There may be as many sets of tanks operated by the flowing tide and as many
sets operated by the ebbing tide as may be required to lift the given quantity of
water, with tanks of given dimensions.
The water raised, may be used for driving machinery by means of water-wheels
or otherwise, or for any purpose for which sea water under pressure is required or
applicable.
.
2000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Raising Sea Water for Driving
Machinery and other purposes.
I, JOHN MCADAM of 19 Sea Terrace, Middleton, Hartlepool, in the County of
Durham, 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 :-
My invention is for the purpose of raising sea water to any required height by
the action of the tide, and consists of an arrangement of moveable tanks in two sets,
the one set operated by the flowing and the other by the ebbing of the tide.
The set of tanks operated by the flowing tide is subdivided into lifting tanks, for
containing the sea water to be lifted, and buoyancy tanks for raising the said lifting
tanks, to the required height. When the tide is at its lowest, the lifting and
buoyancy tanks occupy their lowest position (which may be clear of the water
altogether if required) and are there held by a suitable brake. The buoyancy
tank may be hermetically sealed or may be simply a closed vessel with a pipe or
tube leading above the water level for sounding or other purposes.
As the tide rises, the water fills the lifting tank, and the buoyancy tank exerts an
upward pull which is resisted by the brake. As soon as the lifting tank is full and
the sluice valves for admitting and releasing the water closed, the brake may be
loosened and the tanks allowed to rise, owing to the action of the buoyancy tank.
When the tide has reached its maximum height, or at any less height as desired,
the tanks may be secured and the water from the lifting tank run into another
lifting tank at the higher level. By the action of this second lifting tank operated
by its corresponding buoyancy tank the water is lifted another step, and so on by
successive steps until the required height is reached, when the water is allowed to
run into the main tank or reservoir.
7
By a suitable arrangement of pulleys the motion of the buoyancy tanks may be
multiplied so that the lifting tank passes through a greater distance than the
buoyancy tank.
The set of tanks operated by the ebbing tide are similarly arranged to the above.
Each lifting tank is attached by means of a pulley or its equivalent to a ballast
tank. Both lifting and ballast tanks are filled at high water and as the tide ebbs,
the ballast tank and contained water being made heavier than the lifting tank and
the water therein contained the latter are raised to the required position.
When the lifting tank has reached the end of its travel, the water is discharged
into another lifting tank at the higher level. By the action of this second lifting
tank operated by its corresponding ballast tank the water is lifted another step, and
so on by successive steps until the required height is reached when the water
is allowed to run into the main tank or reservoir.
The motion of the ballast tank may be multiplied by means of a suitable pulley
so that the lifting tank passes through a greater distance than the ballast tank.
There may be as many sets of tanks operated by the flowing tide and as many
sets operated by the ebbing tide as may be required to lift the given quantity of
water, with tanks of given dimensions.
The water raised may be used for driving machinery by means of water-wheels
or otherwise or for any purpose for which sea-water under pressure is required or
applicable.
→
In order that my invention may be fully understood, I append three sheets of
explanatory drawings.
Figs. I and II show in side elevation and front elevation respectively two sets of
tanks to be operated by the flowing tide.
Figs. III and IV also show in front elevation and side elevation respectively two
.sets of tanks to be operated by the ebbing tide.

page_text: Referring to Fig. I, 1 is the lifting tank which contains the sea water to be
raised and 2 respectively two sets of tanks to be operated by the ebbing tide.
Referring to Fig. 1, 1 is the lifting tank which contains the sea water to be
raised and 2 its buoyancy tank which is held down by a suitable brake 3. A sluice
valve 4 is fitted to the lifting tank 1, and the buoyancy tank 2 may be provided
with an air pipe 5. The tanks are guided by wheels between columns or by any
other suitable means.
The tide being at its lowest the tanks occupy their lowest position. As the tide
rises the sea water fills the lifting tank 1, and the buoyancy tank exerts an upward
pressure which is resisted by the brake 3; as soon as the lifting tank 1 is full, the
sluice valve 4 is closed, the brake released and the tanks allowed to rise by the
action of the buoyancy tank 2. They will now occupy a position 1' and 21 as
shown by dotted lines and are there secured. The water in the lifting tank is then
run into another lifting tank 6 at the higher level. By means of this second lifting
tank 6 actuated by its corresponding buoyancy tank 7 the water is lifted another
step. Although only two sets of lifting and buoyancy tanks are shown in the
drawings any number may be employed for lifting sea water to any required height,
when the required height is reached the water being run into the main tank or
reservoir to be utilized for the purposes specified. By any suitable arrangement of
pulleys the lifting tanks may pass through a greater distance than the buoyancy
tanks.
Referring to Figs. III and IV: the lifting tank 1 is attached by a rope and
pulleys or by other suitable means to a ballast tank 2. At high water both the
lifting and ballast tanks are filled. As the tide ebbs the ballast tank 2 and the
water therein contained being made heavier than the lifting tank 1 and the water
therein contained the lifting tank 1 is raised to the higher level as shown by dotted
lines in the positions 1 and 2¹. The water is then run into another lifting 6 at the
higher level.
By means of this scond lifting tank 6 actuated by its corresponding ballast
tank 7 the water is raised another step.
Although only two sets of lifting and ballast tanks are shown in the drawings,
any number may be employed the water thus raised being utilized as described in
the previous Figs. I and II. By any suitable arrangement of pulleys the lifting
tanks may pass through a greater distance than the ballast tanks.
A modification of the foregoing may be the combination of the tanks to be
operated by the flowing and ebbing of the tide; in this arrangement a single tank
for each set serves the double purpose of a buoyancy and ballast tank it being
provided with a suitable sluice valve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
ion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
An improved apparatus for raising sea water for driving machinery and other
purposes substantially as illustrated and described.