Improvements in or relating to Liquid-raising Apparatus of the Air-lift Type.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1900-Accepted, 8th Sept., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Liquid-raising Apparatus of the
Air-lift Type.
I, JOSEPH PRICE, A.M.I.C.E., of 125, Bunhill Row, in the County of London,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type, that
is to say of the type in which the raising of liquid in the rising main is con-
sequent upon the delivery of a supply of air or aeriform fluid into it to mingle
with and entrain the liquid.
Apparatus of this kind, as hitherto usually constructed possesses but a low
commercial efficiency, owing mainly to the fact that it imparts an unnecessarily
high velocity to the liquid, thereby wasting energy given to the moving masses
of liquid and also lost by excessive friction within the apparatus. The principal
object of the present invention is to so construct such apparatus that the velocity
of the liquid therein and of its efflux are reducible to the desired minimum.
Another object of this invention is the construction of the apparatus in such
a manner that the inductive action of the air issuing to the rising main is
utilised to exert a lifting effect upon the water below the point of issue of
the air.
Other objects of this invention are the construction of improved details applic-
able with particular advantage to the improved liquid-raiser, and applicable also
to existing apparatus of the same general type; these details comprise a starting
device, guide blades within the rising main, a duplex arrangement of air valves,
and an improved construction of air valve.
The velocity of efflux in the earlier types of apparatus above referred to
would be unnecessarily high if it were calculated in relation only to the total
volume of water delivered in a given time through an orifice of given dimen-
sions, but as in addition to the water the air delivered in its company has to be
considered, the real velocity of efflux of the water is much greater. The air
delivered into the rising main increases in volume as it ascends with the water;
consequently, in high lifts involving the employment of air at high pressure,
the increase in the velocity of efflux of the water is very considerable because
of the correspondingly high expansion in the volume of air as it ascends the
rising main. According to the present invention I employ a rising main, the
cross-sectional area of which, available for the rising liquid and air column,
increases as the top is approached. The diameter of the air tube is preferably
increased as its lower end is approached, in cases of which it passes down the
centre of the rising main. The cross-sectional area of the rising main increases
in proportion to the increasing volume of the ascending air.
The construction of the device through which the air issues into the liquid
in the rising main, and the form of the latter in the proximity to that device

page_text: should be such that an injector or induction device is constituted which will
induce an upward movement of the water below it in the rising main. Con-
veniently for this purpose the air supply tube may terminate in a downwardly
extended cone which enters the mouth of the cylindrical bell below it capable
of moving endwise in the axial line of the cone, whilst prevented from having
rotation. The bell may be engaged with a portion of the cone by means of a
screw on the former, the air pipe being rotatable from the surface level; rotation
of the air pipe and cone (or of the latter alone) in such a case would cause the
bell to move up or down upon the cone so as to vary the area of an annulus
left between the cone and the lip of the bell for the escape of air, the
issuing air being capable of regulation by this means, so that its volume and
pressure may be suited to the work to be done. Guide vanes conveniently spiral,
may be formed on the exterior of the cone for the interior of the bell to bear
upon and for the purpose of causing the ascending air to issue spirally; this
is the improved construction of air valve referred to in the earlier portion of this
specification.
In liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type a greater pressure of air is
needed to start the apparatus than is required to maintain it in action after-
wards; in order to avoid using in this manner different pressures at different
times a
starting device may be employed capable of delivering an air jet at
a point higher in the rising main than that at which the main air jet issues;
the normal pressure of air used in this auxiliary device will start the apparatus
by acting upon the. water above it, and after it has thus started, the same
pressure of air. delivered through the lower jet will keep the water going.
A convenient duplex arrangement of air valve according to this invention is
one in which the improved construction of air valve previously described is
placed in the rising main, whilst higher up in the main on the air supply pipe
which extends to the lower valve is an auxiliary valve; the air supply pipe is
provided at the place of this auxiliary valve with a cone encircled by a sleeve
so as to afford an annular air delivery orifice, and is provided also with a closed
end forming a valve capable of fitting a seating on the interior of the sleeve,
and having lateral air delivery orifices. The sleeve is upon the upper end of a
.continuation of the air supply pipe, and on the lower end of this continuation
is the cone of the lower valve. In operation, the cone of the upper valve is
lowered from above so that the auxiliary jet of air issuing past the upper edge
of the sleeve starts the movement of the water; when this has been satisfactorily
effected the upper valve is raised so as to come against the seating in the sleeve
and shut off the auxiliary jet, after which rotation of the upper valve and the
sleeve in company will effect rotation of the lower portion of the air supply
pipe and result in opening the lower valve to maintain the action of the apparatus;
the upper valve like the lower valve may have spiral vanes upon it.
To lessen any tendency which may exist in liquid-raising apparatus of the
air-lift type to separation of the water from the air with which it is mingled
helical guide-blades may be arranged in the rising main the pitch of these
helical blades may decrease as the upper end of the rising main is approached.
The helical blades may be secured round the air pipe or upon the interior of
the rising main, say by galvanising the whole after the guide-blades have been
fixed in position.
Doted this 941 day af
1800
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Liquid-raising Apparatus of the
Air-lift Type.
I, JOSEPH PRICE, A.M.I.C.E., of 125, Bunhill Row, in the County of London,
Civil 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:---
This invention relates to liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type, that
is to say of the type in which the raising of liquid in the rising main is con-
sequent upon the delivery of a supply of air or aeriform fluid into it to mingle
with and entrain the liquid.
Apparatus of this kind as hitherto usually constructed possesses a low
commercial efficiency, owing mainly to the fact that it imparts an unnecessarily
high velocity to the liquid, thereby wasting energy given to the moving masses
of liquid, and lost by excessive friction within the apparatus. The principal
object of the present invention is to so construct such apparatus that the velocity
of the liquid therein and of its efflux are reducible to the desired minimum.
Another object of this invention is the construction of the apparatus in such
a manner that the inductive action of the air issuing to the rising main is
utilised to exert a lifting effect upon the water below the point of issue of
the air.
Other objects of this invention are the construction of improved details applic-
able with particular advantage to the improved liquid-raiser, and applicable also
to existing apparatus of the same general type; these details comprise a starting
device spiral guide blades within the rising main a duplex arrangement of air valves
and an improved construction of air valve.
The velocity of efflux in the earlier types of apparatus above referred to
would be necessarily high if it were calculated in relation only to the total
volume of water delivered in a given time through an orifice of given dimen-
sions, but as in addition to the water the air delivered in its company has to be
considered, the real velocity of efflux of the water is much greater. The air
delivered into the rising main increases in volume as it ascends with the water:
consequently, in high lifts involving the employment of air at high pressure,
the increase in the velocity of efflux of the water is very considerable because
of the correspondingly high expansion in the volume of air as it ascends the
rising main.
According to the present invention I employ a rising main, the cross sectional
area of which available for the rising liquid and air column increases from the
bottom to the top. This may be accomplished in various ways; for instance
by making the rising main in lengths which increase in diameter as they
approach the ground level or by making the rising main cylindrical and placing
within it an air-supply pipe, the cross sectional area of which gradually decreases
from the bottom to the top or again the effect may be produced by making both
the rising main and the air-supply pipe within it taper, the diameter of the
one decreasing towards the bottom of the well, while the diameter of the other
increases. In any case the dimensions should be such that the cross sectional
area of the rising main increases in proportion to the increasing volume of the
ascending air. It is of course to be understood that in practice the dimensions
of the rising main may for convenience in construction differ to some extent
from the true theoretical shape, without departing from the spirit of this inven-
tion, for instance in a very deep well, the lowest part of the rising-main might

page_text: be made of uniform diameter without materially affecting the operation of the
device.
The air valves according to this invention are so constructed that the air
issuing from them can act after the fashion of an injector, upon the water in the
rising main, this effect being obtained by providing an adjustable annular orifice
for the issuing air.
To lessen any tendency which may exist in liquid-raising apparatus of the
air-lift type to separation of the water from the air with which it is mingled, guide
blades preferably helical or spiral in shape may be arranged in the rising main,
Conveniently these helical blades are secured to the outside of the air-supply
pipe and their pitch is made to decrease as the upper end is approached.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing portions of the one
construction of apparatus according to this invention, with a tapered rising
main.
Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating rising mains according to this
invention having varying cross sectional areas;
Figure 4 is a side elevation partly in section showing details of a portion of
the apparatus drawn to a larger scale;
Figure 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction
of the arrow;
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively a side elevation partly in section and a
central vertical section of another portion of the apparatus also to a larger
scale; and,
Figure 8 is a cross section on the line S-8 of Figure 6.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figure 1 A is an artesian well or other reservoir in
communication with the liquid to be raised. Within the well A is a rising
main B communicating with the liquid at its lower end and having an outflow
opening B for the discharge of the liquid. The cross sectional area of the
rising main B increases as the top is approached, such increase being proportional
to the increasing volume of the ascending air.
Figures 2 and 3 show diagrammatically two forms of rising main with increas-
ing cross sectional areas. In Figure the air-supply pipe C within the rising
main B is of uniform bore. In Figure 3 both the rising main B and the inner
air-supply pipe C are tapered, the one decreasing and the other increasing in
cross sectional area towards the bottom. In practice it is sometimes convenient
to approximate to the true curve by building the rising main or the air-supply
pipe or both in alternate tapered and parallel sections. Such a construction is
illustrated by way of example in Figure 3.
At the bottom end of the air supply pipe C (Figure 1) is a downwardly extended
hollow cone I), which enters the mouth of a cylindric bell E below it. The bell
is weighted as at E and is intended to rest upon a stop 3 fixed within the
rising main. A bolt Et attached to the bell E serves to connect it to the cone ])
but at the same time allows of axial movement between the cone and the bell.
Details of this portion of the apparatus are shown in Figures 4 and 5. The
lower portion of the cone is faced as at 101 (Figure 4) to form a valve member
which has its seating at E2 within the cylindrical bell E. Spiral guide vanes D
are provided upon the outside of the cone D and form a bearing for the interior
of the bell E and also cause the air which passes down the supply pipe C and
issues between the valve member D₁ and its seating 2 to flow out at the mouth
of the bell E in a spiral fashion. It will be seen that the endwise motion of
the cone D in relation to the hell E varies the area of the annulus between the
cone and the lip of the bell and thus affords means of regulating the volume and
pressure of the issuing air according to the work to be done.
In order to start the apparatus working without the employment of a greater
pressure than that required for its normal operation an auxiliary outlet valve

page_text: is provided in the air-supply pipe at a point higher in the rising main than that
at which the air normally issues. Figures 6, 7 and 8 illustrate an improved con-
struction of auxiliary outlet valve according to this invention. A cone Fattached
to the air-supply pipe C is surrounded by a sleeve or casing G fitted to the upper
end of a continuation of the air-supply pipe and having an internal cone as at G¹
which forms a seating for the cone F. By raising or lowering the cone Fan
annular orifice G2 of variable area is provided between it and its seating G¹.
Figure 6 shows the auxiliary valve closed while in Figure 7 the valve is open.
Spiral guides G³ are formed within the sleeve G and serve to keep the two
members forming the valve in axial alignment, and also serve to impart a spiral
motion to the issuing air. In operation the upper section of the air-supply
pipe C is lowered so that the cone F drops from its seating G¹ and allows air to
issue from the annular orifice G. The air lifts the water above it in the rising
main B and also acts as an injector and tends to raise the water below its point
of issue. Before the column of water above the air issuing from the auxiliary
valve has made its exit by the outflow opening B the upper part of the air-
supply pipe C is raised so as to close the auxiliary outlet valve and a further
raising of the air-supply pipe C lifts the cone D of the bottom outlet valve and
maintains the action of the apparatus.
In order to impart a spiral motion to the air in the rising main or to assist
in the continuation of such motion, spiral guide vanes H are secured to the
exterior of the air-supply pipe C. These vanes are preferably made with gaps
here and there throughout their length so that a broken spiral is formed.
The lifting of the air-supply pipe necessary for operating the valves may be
accomplished in any convenient way; for instance by attaching a screwed rod
to the top of the pipe C and arranging a hand wheel as a nut upon the rod
so that it can be raised or lowered by rotating the wheel. Preferably however
the device illustrated in Figure 1 is employed. The upper extremity of the air-
supply pipe C is perforated as at C¹ and provided with a piston C2 which works
in a closed cylinder C, air from an air pump or other source of pressure being
admitted to the underside of the piston as at C. To the upper side of the piston
is secured a screwed rod C which passes through a cover C and is provided with
a hand wheel C7 threaded to receive the rod. Encircling the rod between
the hand wheel C and the cover C is a collar C8 to which is attached a lever C
pivotted as at C and provided with a balance weight C".
The weight C balances or partially balances the weight of the piston (2
and the air-supply pipe C, and the compressed air when admitted to the cylinder C
assists the weight C. The weighted lever C is used for quickly raising and
lowering the air-supply pipe when either or both of those operations are necessary
for starting or stopping the pump. By means of a pin the lever C may be
retained in anyone of three positions, the pin passing through a hole C¹³ in the
lever and entering one of three holes C in a plate C4 over which the lever
moves. The middle position of the lever as illustrated in Figure 1 is intended
to be that in which the apparatus is left when not at work. If now it be desired
to start the pump working the lever is raised by hand and consequently the air-
supply pipe C is lowered and the auxiliary valve F G opened. The air passing
out of the auxiliary valve raises the top portion of the column of water in the
rising main B and by induction also starts the upward motion of the water in
the rising main below the auxiliary valve. As soon as the outflow commences
the lever is quickly brought into its lowest position and fastened there, this
motion having the effect of first closing the auxiliary outlet valve and then
opening the bottom outlet valve D E. By turning the hand wheel C upon the
screw rod C an adjustment of the amount of opening of the outlet valve may
be effected.
Although in the construction illustrated the outlet valve comprises a down-
wardly tapering cone working in a cylindrical bell, it is to be understood
that a valve similar to that described as the auxiliary valve might be used as

page_text: .
the bottom outlet valve, the essential feature of valves according to this invention
being that there shall be an annular orifice for the issuing air capable of adjust-
ment by axial relative movement of the two valve members.
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. In liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type a rising main the cross
sectional area of which increases from the bottom to the top substantially as
described.
2. In liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type the combination with an
internal air-supply pipe of a rising main the cross sectional area of which
increases from the bottom to the top substantially as described.
3. In liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type the combination with an
air-supply pipe of an adjustable injector air outlet valve substantially as described.
4. In liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type an air-outlet valve having
an annular orifice capable of. adjustment by relative movement of co-axial
tubular valve members substantially as described.
5. In liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type the combination with an
air-supply pipe having an adjustable injector air outlet valve of a rising main
the cross sectional area of which increases from the bottom to the top sub-
stantially as described.
6. In liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type the combination of a rising
main the cross sectional area of which increases from the bottom to the top
an air supply pipe, an adjustable injector air-outlet valve at the lower end of
the air-supply pipe, and an auxiliary adjustable injector valve between the outlet
valve and an outflow opening in the rising main with or without a device for
imparting spiral motion to the contents of the rising main substantially as
described.
7. In liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type an air-outlet valve comprising
a conical member F and a casing such as G GG substantially as described.
8. In liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type the complete air-outlet
valve substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 or in Figures 6,
7, and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
9. In liquid-raising apparatus of the air-lift type the complete liquid-raising
apparatus substantially as described or illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 96th day of June 1900.