Improvements in Automatic Valve-gear for Controlling the Discharge of Water from Tanks or Reservoirs for Supplying Hydraulic Rams, Flushing Drains, and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 10th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Valve-gear for Controlling the Discharge
of Water from Tanks or Reservoirs for Supplying Hydraulic
Rams, Flushing Drains, and the like.
I, JAMES KEITH, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E. of 57 Holhorn Viaduct, in the City of
London. Gas, Hydraulic Heating and Ventilating Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improved automatic valve gear constituting this invention has for its object to
so regulate or control the discharge from tanks or reservoirs for supplying water to
operate hydraulic rams or to flush drains, urinals and the like, that in cases where the
water supply is insufficient to fill the bore of the drive pipe or discharge outlet or
where it amounts only to a tiny stream or is intermittent the water will be stored or
accumulated and periodically discharged to intermittently work the ram or flush the
drains instead of constantly running through the discharge orifice to waste or in so
weak a stream as to be inoperative.
The improved apparatus comprises a rubber or other faced valve which is held
normally closed against a seat formed by or upon the discharge orifice in the side of
the tank or reservoir into which water from the source of supply is stored. This
valve is pivotted or otherwise secured to the end of a lever centred on a bracket close
to the discharge orifice and is opened and closed by the movement of a bent and
weighted arm which is knuckle-jointed to the other end of said lever, the normal
position of said arm being at an inclination to the lever when its weight keeps the
valve on its seat and from vibrating when shut by the recoil action of the ram or
other appliance when ceasing working, whilst when it is tilted as hereinafter described
to throw it over the centre or joint pin it falls some distance and therefore with
considerable force, and acting through the knuckle joint or a shoulder on the valve
lever throws out the lever and instantaneously opens the valve against the pressure of
the water in the tank on the outer face of the valve and against the suction due 10
the fall of the column of water held in the drive pipe leading from the tank. This
movement of the bent arm, the weight on which may be adjustable to compensate for
variations of pressure and suction in different cases is effected by an adjustable arm
on a lever pivotted on the same centre as the valve lever and which has fitted to it a
ball or float acted on by the water which accumulates in the tank or reservoir when
the outlet valve is closed.
In the operation of the apparatus the accumulation of water in the tank or reservoir
at the smallest conceivable rate raises the ball or float and with it the hall lever
whereby the arm on the latter gradually raises the weighted arm of the valve lever
until its centre of gravity is over the joint when it suddenly drops on the farther side
and instantaneously throws fully open the outlet valve. Thereupon the water flows
through the discharge orifice to the drive pipe of the ram or to the drain or other
pipe to be flushed or supplied, and the ball or float gradually sinks until on reaching
a level below which the outflowing water would be inoperative, an arm on the ball
lever which is in the form of a bell crank and bears on the back of the weighted arm
of the valve lever tilis the arm forward till it falls over its centre to the original
position and again instantaneously closes the outlet valve keeping it closed without
vibration.
When the automatic valve gear is used for regulating the working of hydraulic
rams a light spring is fixed on the ram to bear gently on the top of the spindle of the
dash valve of the ram when it rises and shuts. This enables the dash valve to fall
when the automatic valve gear closes thus allowing the ram to start right away

page_text: without hindrance when the valve gear in the tank again opens whilst without such a
device the dash valve in the rain would be apt to seat itself when the valve gear shuts
off the action.
Dated this Seventh day of March 1890.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Valve-gear for Controlling the Discharge
of Water from Tanks or Reservoirs for Supplying Hydraulic
Rams, Flushing Drains and the like.
I, JAMES KEITH, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E. of 57 Holborn Viaduct, in the City of
London, Gas, Hydraulic, Heating and Ventilating 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:―
The improved automatic valve gear constituting this invention has for its object to
so regulate or control the discharge from tanks or reservoirs for supplying water to
operate hydraulic rams or to flush drains, urinals and the like, that in cases where the
water supply is insufficient to fill the bore of the drive pipe or discharge outlet or
where it amounts only to a tiny stream or is intermittent the water will be stored or
accumulated and periodically discharged to intermittently work the ram or flush the
drains instead of constantly running through the discharge orifice to waste or in so
weak a stream as to be inoperative.
As represented in the accompanying drawings in elevation at Figure-1-and-in plan
at Figure 2 and in a modified form in elevation-at-Figure 3 the improved apparatus
comprises a rubber or other faced valve A which is held normally closed against a
seat formed by or upon the discharge orifice B in the side end or bottom of the tank
or reservoir C into which water from the source of supply is being stored. This
valve A is pivotted or otherwise secured to the end of a lever D centred on a
bracket B close to the discharge orifice and is opened and closed by the movement of
a weighted arm E which is knuckle-jointed to the other end of said lever D, the
normal position of said arm E being at an inclination to the lever when its weight
keeps the valve on its seat and from vibrating when shut by the recoil action of the
ram or other appliance when ceasing working; whilst when it is tilted to throw it
over the centre or joint pin d it falls some distance and therefore with considerable
force, and acting through the knuckle joint or a shoulder d¹ on the valve lever throws
out the lever as indicated by the dotted lines and instantaneously opens the valve A
against the pressure of the water in the tank on the outer face of the valve and
against the suction due to the fall of the column of water held in the drive pipe F
leading from the tank. This movement of the arm E the weight E' on which may
be adjustable to compensate for variations of pressure and suction in different cases is
effected by an adjustable arm G on a lever H pivotted on the same centre a as the
valvo lever and which has fitted to it a ball or float I acted on by the water which
accumulates in the tank or reservoir C when the outlet valve A is closed.
In the operation of the apparatus the accumulation of water in the tank or
reservoir at the smallest conceivable rate raises the ball or float I and with it the
ball lever H whereby the arm G on the latter gradually raises the weighted arm E of
the valve lever until its centre of gravity is over the joint d when it suddenly drops
on the farther side and instantaneously throws fully open the outlet valve A. There-
upon the water flows through the discharge orifice B to the drive pipe F of the 'ram
or to the drain or other pipe to be flushed or supplied, and the ball or float I gradually
sinks until on reaching a level fixed on by regulation below which it is not desirable
the outflowing water should fall, an arm H on the ball lever H which is in the form
of a bell crank and bears on the back of the weighted arm E of the valve lever tilts

page_text: the arm E forward till it falls over its centre to the original position and again
instantaneously closes the outlet valve keeping it closed without vibration.
The modification of the apparatus shewn at Figure 3 differs only from that shewn
at Figure 1 in so far that the weighted arm E is pivotted on the centre a of the valve
lever D instead of on the other end of said lever."
When the automatic valve gear is used for regulating the working of hydraulic
rams a light spring S is fixed on the ram R as indicated at Figure 4.to bear gently
on the top of the spindle of the dash valve of the ram when it rises and shuts.
This enables the dash valve to fall when the automatic valve gear closes thus allowing
the ram to start right away without hindrance when the valve gear in the tank C
again opens whilst without such a device the dash valve in the ram would be apt to
seat itself and not again drop when the valve gear shuts off the action.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved automatic valve gear for
controlling the discharge of water from tanks or reservoirs for supplying hydraulic
rams, flushing drains and the like substantially as herein before described.
2. In conjunction with the use of automatic valve gear of the class herein
described the employment of a spring, as S, arranged to hear lightly on the dash
valve spindle of the ram substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this Sixth day of December 1890.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.