IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, BARROW TURNER of 37 and 38 East Street Manchester Square in the
County of Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTS," to be as follows:-
In direct acting hydraulic lifts where the load is raised by being carried on the
top of a column or ram working through a watertight gland in a cylinder and
raised by the water or other suitable fluid pressure acting upon the bottom of the
said ram and so forcing it upwards it is usual to make the length of the ram and
consequently of cylinder equal to the total length of the rise of lift which often
entails sinking a hole in the ground for a great depth to contain the cylinder. To
obviate this the rams have sometimes been made in several lengths extending
and closing like a telescope. But these owing to their differing diameters are
uneconomical and are unsatisfactory in working as they do not all rise pro-
portionately to one another but one is liable to extend faster than another and to
arrive at the end of its stroke before the others have done the same thus causing
jerks and variations in speed.
By my invention I make telescopic ram lifts which do not cause any waste by
differing diameters and the motion of every joint of the telescopic rams is constant
for every portion of the stroke so that each length of the ram arrives at the top or
bottom of its stroke simultaneously with the other lengths-I achieve this object
in various manners adapted to suit the pressure or pressures which may be available
and adapted also either to lifts in which the dead load of the cage and rams is
balanced by chains and weights in the usual manner or to lifts in which it is
desired to effect the necessary counterpoising by what is known to hydraulic lift
makers as the hydraulic balance.
My Invention also affords a simple means of varying the pressures that may be
obtainable so that when too low a pressure would entail an inconveniently large
ram in the usual form of ram lift or where too high a pressure would entail an
inconveniently small ram by my invention the ram (as I call that part only which
is attached to the cage of the lift) is made of the smallest convenient or safe
diameter for strength when extended and supporting its load as a column and the
other parts of the lift are proportioned to the pressure and the load to be raised.
In the simplest form my invention consists of the ram being of two thirds or
more of the whole length of rise of lift and of convenient diameter proportioned to
its required strength as a column carrying its load on top. It is enclosed and
works through the water tight gland in the top of a cylinder which I call the inner
cylinder which rises the remaining third (or less) of the required distance. This
again is enclosed in an outer cylinder.
The inner cylinder is of two different diameters. The upper part-the smaller
diameter works through a gland at the top of the outer cylinder, and the lower
or larger diameter works through another gland lower down in the outer cylinder
and the bottom of it is closed,

page_text: The annular area between the larger and smaller diameters of the inner cylinder
is proportioned so that in making its completo stroke its displacement is exactly
equal to the displacement of the ram. Communication is made through the side of
the inner cylinder at the bottom of the length of smaller diameter and just at the
point whero it becomes of the larger diameter so that this innor and outer sides of
the inner cylinder are in communication above the lower gland in the outer
cylinder.
The working pressure is admitted below the lower gland of the outer cylinder
through a proper valve having supply and exliaust ports in the usual way and acts
upon the larger diameter of the inner cylinder which is proportioned to the pressure
which is available.
Supposing the inner cylinder to be arranged to make one third of the lift stroko
and the ram the other two thirds then the water pressure acting upon the bottom
and larger diameter of the inner cylinder, raises it say, one foot but in doing so it
contracts the capacity of the annular space between the outer cylinder and the
upper (and smaller) part of the inner cylinder to the extent of forcing sufficient of
the water contained in that annular space into the inside of the inner cylinder
(through the communicating hole before referred to) to raise the ram 2 feet and
this proportion will be observed throughout its stroke. A crosshead may be fixed
to the upper part of the inner cylinder with a chain at each end passing over
pulley wheels above and so to a balance weight to counter balance the weight of the
moving parts, or the chain and weight may be dispensed with and the water
procured form a balance apparatus as in Ellingtons Patent N° 5149 AD 1880. As
the amount of the balance includes the weight of the ram and cage the inner
cylinder can only descend when the valve is open for it to do so and when it is
assisted by the weight of the ram and cage thus the proportional descent of the
two moving parts is as fully secured as their ascent.
•
When it is desired to make the lift include its own hydraulic balance apparatus
or when the pressure to be used is greater than required for the whole area of the
inner cylinder or when there are different pressures available I make the inner
cylinder of more than two different diameters proportioning the annular space thus
formed to the pressure or pressures available; in those cases each different diameter
is separated from the next by a gland or cup leather fitted to the outer cylinder, or
in some cases one or more of the diameters of the inner cylinder may be packed as
a piston in which case the outer cylinder is bored to fit it.
By other modifications I connect the inner cylinder by means of its cross head
at the top with two or more independent rams placed vertically in separate
cylinders by the side of the outer cylinder or instead of using ramis I use pistons
working in bored cylinders with their piston rods attached to the said crosshead
or I use rams in conjunction with pistons all attached to the same crosshead by
which means I am able to provide for high or low pressures and hydraulic balanced
lifts or lifts balanced by chains and weights I am also by some of these modifications
enabled to dispense with the outer cylinder previously referred to.
I do not confine myself to the use of one telescopic cylinder only as described in
the first part of the Specification; there is nothing to prevent soveral similar ones
being used if required. The out cylinder above referred to may itself be made of
two diametors and enclosed in another cylinder and that again in another and so
on to any desired extent. In all such cases the outermost moving cylinder must
be the one to which the working pressure is applied and the counter-balancing
arrangement adapted.

page_text: UMA ELE
"
I BARROW TURNER of 37 and 38 East Street Manchester Square London in the
County of Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTS' and in what manner the samo is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
In direct acting hydraulic lifts where the load is raised by being carried on the
top of a column or ram working through a water tight gland in a cylinder and
raised by the water or other suitable fluid pressure acting upon the bottom of the
said ram and so forcing it upwards it is usual to make the length of the ram and
consequently of cylinder equal to the total length of the rise of lift which often
entails sinking a hole in the ground for a great depth to contain the cylinder. To
obviate this the rams have sometimes been made in several lengths extending and
closing like a telescope. But these owing to their differing diameters are uneco-
nomical and are unsatisfactory in working as they do not all rise proportionately to
one another but one is liable to extend faster than another and to arrive at the end
of its stroke before the others have done the same thus causing jerks and variations
in speed.
By my invention I make telescopic ram lifts which do not cause any waste by
differing diameters and the motion of every joint of the telescopic rams is constant
for every portion of the stroke so that each length of the ram arrives at the top
or bottom of its stroke simultaneously with the other lengths. I achieve this
object in various manners adapted to suit the pressure or pressures which may be
available and adapted also either to lifts in which the dead load of the cage and
rams is balanced by chains and weights in the usual manner or to lifts in which it
is desired to effect the necessary counterpoising by what is known to hydraulio
lift makers as the hydraulic balance.
My invention also affords a simple means of varying the pressures that may be
obtainable so that when too low a pressure would entail an inconveniently large
ram in the usual form of ram lift or where too high a pressure would entail an
inconveniently small ram, by my invention the ram (as I call that part only which
is attached to the cage of the lift) is made of the smallest convenient or safe
diameter for strength when extended and supporting its load as a columa and
the other parts of the lift are proportioned to the pressure and the load to be
raised.
In order that my invention and the manner of performing the same may be
properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings representing
various modifications of apparatus for carrying out my improvements. In these
drawings the same reference letters are used for marking the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
In Figure 1, A represents the ram baving the platform or cage at the top end
and as shewn is arranged to have a stroke of two thirds of the total rise of the lift.
It works through a water tight gland B at the top of the inner cylinder C. The
inner cylinder C is of two diameters as shown, the upper and smaller diameter

page_text: works through a water-tight gland E and the lower and larger diameter works
through a water-tight "gland F both these glands E and F being in an outer
cylinder D. The stroke of the inner cylinder is shown as one third of the total
rise of lift, the annular area between the larger and smaller diameters of the inner
cylinder is equal to twice the area of the ram A. There is a cross head at the
top of the inner cylinder C to which chains are attached passing over pulley wheols
to balance weights to counterpoise the moving parts ne shown. The valve H of
any usual description connected with the source of supply J admits water through
the pipe L below the gland. F when the lift is required to ascend and places the
pipe L in communication with the exhaust pipe K when the lift is required to
descend. Holes shown at G are made through the inner cylinder making the
interior of it in free communication with the upper part of the outer cylinder D.
The mode of action then is as follows. When the lift is required to ascend the
pressure supplied through the pipe L acts upon the bottom of the inner cylinder C
when the inner cylinder C commences to ascend the water contained in the upper
part of the cylinder D is forced through the holes G causing the ram A also to
ascend; by the proportion shown in the drawings between the larger and smaller
diainetera of the cylinder C as herein before described for every unit of length that
the cylinder Crises out of cylinder D the ram A is forced two units of length out
of cylinder C causing the total rise of the platform or cage to be three times the
actual rige of the inner cylinder C. When the valve is opened for the lift to
descend the action is of course reversed.
In Figure 2 is shewn an arrangement by which my invention is applicable to
cases where very high pressures are dealt with and where it is desired to balance
the moving parts of the lifts by means of hydraulic pressure instead of by chains
or balance weights. In this case that part of the cylinder D above the gland F is
bored and the inner cylinder C is constructed with a water tight piston M to fit
it. The inner cylinder works through a water tight gland O at the bottom of
cylinder D and is of larger diameter at. N. The annular area represented at N is
proportioned to the pressure of the water supplied by pipe J through valve H and
pipe L to enable it to lift the maximum load that may be required to be put in
the cage. The pipe P is constantly in communication between the annular area
under piston Al and a source of supply so proportioned as to enable it to balance or
nearly so the dead weights of the moving parts of the lift.
In Figure 3 the lift is shewn to be worked by a low pressure acting upon the
whole area of the bottom of the inner cylinder C and balanced by a high pressure
acting upon the annular area of the underside of piston M or these conditions may
be reversed and valve H put upon pipe P when the lift would be worked by a
high pressure through the pipe P the moving parts balanced by low pressuro
supplied by pipe.J.
In Figure 4 the inner cylinder O is shown as raised partly by pressure through
pipe J and partly by that acting on side mms Q. If the combined pressures on
these is required in order to lift the load in cage, balance weights and chains may
be used to counterpoise the moving purts of the lift but if the combined pressures
available should be more than suflicient to raiso the load in the cage the pressure
at the bottom of the inner cylinder C may be used for balancing the moving parts
and that on rams Q for lifting the load in cago or vice versa. In some cases it may
be convenient to use the pressure on the rams Qonly in which case the valve
would be placed upon pressure pipe P and the pipe J and that part of cylinder D
below the line a a dispensed with and the moving parts balanced by chains and
weights.
In Figuro 5 the pressure supplied by pipe P acting upon the bottom of the inner
cylinder C is supposed to be sufficient to raise tho load in the cago and the weight
of the moving parts. The annular space between the piston rods Q and the
pistons attached to them as shown being placed in communication through the
valve with the exhaust pipe K. When the lift is required to descend the prossuro
from the pipe I is admitted to this annular area and is supposed to be sufficient

page_text: when assisted by the weights of the moving parts to return the water from the
cylinder D through the pipe P to its original source.
In Figure 6 the side rams Q have pistons S working in bored cylinders R. The
annular space between the diameter Q and the pistons S is in communication by
means of the holes T and the passage shewn through the rams and the holes G with
the cylinder C. When the pressure from the pipe J is admitted to the under-
side of the pistons S it causes them to ascend carrying with them the crosshead and
the cylinder C which is attached to it, but also at the same time it forces the water
contained in the annular spaces into the cylinder C thus forcing out the ram A.
The different areas are so proportioned that for every unit of length which
the pistons S travel in their cylinders R the ram A moves a unit of length in the
cylinder C.
In all cases branch pipes with cocks on them may be attached to the pipe having
the highest pressure and to the various supplementary cylinders by means of which
any loss from leakage may be made good. But in cases where the pressure from
the source of supply is less than the pressure acting upon the ram A of the lift,
I provide self acting means for making up any leakage of the sort that may occur.
Thus in Figure 1 I fix in the bottom of the inner cylinder C an ordinary conical
valve opening inwards; at the top of cylinders C and D I attach short pipes con-
nected to the inlet a of the self acting air discharge valves shewn in Figure 7.
Should any leakage occur out of the top part of either cylinder the result will be
that when the lift descends to the bottom of its stroke the cylinders would have a
space at their top ends occupied by air instead of water the valve b in Figure 7
being constructed to float on water would therefore fall froin the position in which
it is shewn so placing the upper parts of the cylinders in free communication with
the atmosphere at the outlet c of the air discharge valve. The next time that the
valve was opened to send the lift up before any movement occurred the conical
valve at the bottom of cylinder C would lift and admit water until the cylinders C
and D were quite full when the floating valve b would rise and close the opening
to the atmosphere as shown in Figure 7 after which the lift would commence to
ascend.
Having now particularly described and ascertained 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 construction of telescopic hydraulic lifts with a moving cylinder and
arranged in such manner that the outward movement of this cylinder causes liquid
to be forced into its interior and so causes the ram which works in it to be also
forced outwards substantially as described.
2. The various modifications and methods of performing the same substantially
as herein described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.