INTERMITTENT SIPHON APPARATUS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOSEPH ALFRED BEAN of No 63 Vincent Square, Westminster, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby-declare the nature of my invention invention
for INTERMITTENT SIPHON APPARATUS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
My invention relates to apparatus for starting into action siphons so that they
act for a time discharging a tank or reservoir, and thereafter cease to act until the
tank or reservoir is again charged with liquid to a certain level.
The great
difficulty attending arrangements for this purpose is, that when the tank or
reservoir is supplied at a slow rate, the overflow only passes away by the siphon,
there not being sufficient volume of liquid to start the siphon action. I overcome
this difficulty by employing, in addition to the main siphon, a small subsidiary
siphon which is started into action by a slight overflow of liquid, and I so arrange
this subsidiary siphon in connection with the main siphon that the latter is started
by the creation of a partial vacuum at its summit, due to the action of the
subsidiary siphon. The apparatus may be arranged in various ways, all depending
on the same principles of action, as I will describe referring to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic section shewing an arrangement according to my
invention of a main siphon A B in connection with a subsidiary starting siphon F.
This siphon is enclosed within a chamber C the upper part of which communicates
by a passage D with the summit of the main siphon A B. A small passage E
admits to Ĉ liquid from the lower part of the tank or reservoir that has to be
discharged. The long limb B of the siphon A B is sealed by liquid at its mouth.
The action is as follows. When the liquid in the tank rises to the top of E it
begins to charge the chamber C expelling the air through the main siphon and out
at the mouth of B.. When the liquid rises to the level of the crown of the small
siphon F, this siphon is started into action creating a partial vacuum in C, the
passage E being too small to supply liquid as fast as the siphon F discharges it.
The vacuous condition communicated through D to the crown of A, causes liquid
to rise in A until it overflows into B thus starting the main siphon which goes on
rapidly discharging the contents of the tank.
According to the arrangement shewn in Fig. 2, the chamber C is of annular form
surrounding A, and is supplied by the aperture E from the interior of A.

page_text: In the arrangement shewn in Fig. 3 the chamber C is of annular form
surrounding B within A. The subsidiary siphon F may be as shewn in full lines
or arranged as indicated by the dotted lines F¹.
Although I have shewn only one main siphon started by the subsidiary siphon F,
obviously a number of main siphons might be started by a single subsidiary siphon
by putting the spaces in their crowns in air communication with the top of the
chamber C.
Instead of starting the subsidiary siphon by the gradual inflow of liquid into the
tank, it might be started when required by hand, by moving a piston in a cylinder
or a cylinder on a piston or by compressing a collapsible bag or vessel or otherwise.
For example in Fig. 4 the pulling down of the cylinder H over the piston mouth
piece G starts the siphon F which then draws liquid from C by lateral holes J and
finally by sufficient exhaustion of C, starts the main siphon A B. Again the
subsidiary siphon F, as shewn in Fig. 5, might be started by pushing up the piston
in the cylinder K, or by compressing the collapsible vessel M Fig. 6.
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
In combination with a main intermittent siphon a small subsidiary siphon
drawing from a chamber having air communication with the crown of the main
siphon, substantially as. and for the purpose herein set forth.
Dated this 17th day of February 1885.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.