Means of a Compressed Gas.
Year: 1885

page_text: Means of a Compressed Gas.
I JOHN WILLIAM GORDON of 2 Sunnyside Villas Queens Down Road Lower
Clapton in the County of Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for AN IMPROVED FORM OF PNEUMATIC PUMP & FLUID PISTON and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists in a contrivance for bringing pneumatic force to bear
upon a liquid by applying the air or other gas to an under surface of the liquid to
be raised, or supported as the case may be.
For this purpose I take advantage of the cohesion of the liquid in the manner
hereinafter. to be described.
In the following description I use the terms "water" and "air" typically &
intending to include under these terms all liquids and all gases respectively.
1. In case the quantity of water. to be raised is but small I use a tube, or system
of tubes of small bore, the diameter being such that the surface of water exposed
by the column of water in the tube is impervious to the air beneath it. Such a
column may, of course, be suspended or driven upward by compressed air intro-
duced below it, &, accordingly I simply fit the foot of such a tube, which is
immersed in the water to be raised, with an air tube through which air at a
sufficient pressure is supplied. Such an appliance is shewn in Fig. 1.
The action, then, is as follows. The water standing at first at one level (or very
approximately at one level, allowance being made for capillary attraction within
the tube) both within & without the tube, air is introduced through the air tube
and cuts-off the column of water above its point of admission. A constant stream
of air at this pressure being maintained the column of water intercepted is raised
to the top of the delivery tube & there expelled. The air within the tube being
thus released, immediately expands & relieves the water surface below from
pressure. The water therefore rises to its former level & the operation
recommences,
In this most simple form of pneumatic pump, I do not think it necessary to
control the current of air otherwise than by maintaining an uniform, or approxi-
tale unifam AATT

page_text: 2. But if it be desired to employ a delivery tube of larger aperture than this
plan admits, I proceed as follows:
Instead of relying upon the cohesion of a liquid surface to prevent bubbling of the
air through the water, I provide a diaphragm as shewn in fig. 2. This diaphragm
is made to fit loosely into the delivery tube, the fit being sufficiently good to
permit the use of water as a packing when the pressures from above & from
beneath acting at the lower surface of the diaphragm are in equilibrium. The
diaphragm is also pierced with small holes for the purposes to be presently
indicated. Lastly the diaphragm is connected with a float as shewn in the figure.
The connexion may be effected either by rigid rods or flexible thongs or otherwise,
the object being to cause it to float at a certain depth below the surface of the
water. The diaphragm and float together make up what I term a "bucket."
The action is as follows. Sufficient water being admitted to the delivery tube
to float the bucket, air at a suitable pressure is introduced beneath the diaphragm
causing the bucket to rise & to discharge its contents at the head of the delivery
tube, or not, as the case may be. If its load be discharged the diaphragm will no
longer offer an impervious surface to the air, which will blow through the holes &
round the edges. It will thus descend the delivery tube to receive a fresh charge of
water, & will sink into the water until the float comes to be immersed. It has then
regained its original position, & the operation may recommence.
In this form of the Pump I consider it desirable to use an intermittent stream
of compressed air, which flows, only while the bucket is ascending the delivery
tube But I do not consider it necessary to describe particularly my mechanism
for controlling the air current or for discharging the bucket, chiefly because either
of these operations can be performed in various ways.
The bucket as above described, or imperforate, may be employed as a liquid piston
for any purpose to which a piston is usually applied.
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 mechanism herein described or mechanism substantially like it for
applying compressed gas to the under surface of a liquid whether for the purpose
of raising or of supporting the liquid or, conversely, for the purpose of compressing
the gas.
D