US1032114A - Method of pumping liquids. - Google Patents

Description

H. M. & T. M. CHANGE.

METHOD OF PUMPING LIQUIDS.

APPLIOATION FILED 111111.22, 1911.

Patented July 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO .\VASHINGTON, D. c.

H. M. & T. M. CHANGE.

METHOD OF PUMPING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED 14,113.22, 1911.

Patented July 9, 1912.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

m, M MM m? COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH 50., WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED @AI HENRY M. CHANGE AND THOMAS M. CHANCE, OF IHILADELIHIA, YENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF IPUMPING LIQUIDS.

Application filed March 22, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY M. CHANGE and THOMAS M. CHANCE, 01": the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and Improved Method of Pumping Liquids, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which show forms of apparatus adapted for carrying out our method.

By the term liquids we mean to include not only simply liquids, but also mixtures of liquids, mixtures of liquids and gases, and such mixtures of liquids and solids as are capable of being pumped.

Our invention relates particularly to the pumping ofliquids by means of the energy derived from a prime medium having expansive force, such for instance, as the charge of an internal combustion engine, steam, compressed air, etc., and it is especially adapted to secure high etliciency in pumping by internal combustion engines,

. when the power piston is directly connected with the pump piston or plunger. It is, however, also applicable to those types of pumping apparatus in which a power piston is dispensed with, and an expanding medium is employed in direct contact with the liquid to be pumped.

The characteristics of our invention are that the energy from the prime medium, which is to be directly utilized in pumping, is first used to impart velocity to a body of liquid having considerable inertia (being thus converted from potential energy to kinetic energy), that it is then utilized to discharge a port-ion of the body of liquid, and to draw in a fresh increment of liquid thereto, and that the energy which is not thus directly employed for pumping or drawing in liquid, is transformed into potential energy and stored for use in a subsequent cycle of operations. To these ends, the pressure attained by the body of liquid under the effect of the prime mover is transmitted to a piston or plunger, (which we term the accumulator piston which is capable of a reciprocating motion of limited amplitude, and which in turn transmits the power it has received from the moving body of liquid to an accumulator. The travel or stroke of the accumulator piston just referredto is definitely limited, and the power thus stored by each stroke is determined Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Serial No. 616,080.

by factors, which include the amplitude of the stroke, the area of the piston and the accumulator pressure against which the piston works. The body of liquid, which has relatively large inertia, continues in motion after the accumulator piston has reached the limit of its travel, and thereby produces an increase of pressure in the region immediately behind the accumulator piston, which increase of pressure efiects the pumping. The continued travel of the mass of liquid, while the pumping discharge is taking place, creates an area of decreased pressure in the vicinity of the intake, which permits a new increment of liquid to be drawn into the apparatus, so as to take the place of that which is discharged.

In the accompanying drawings, we have illustrated several types of apparatus adapted to carry out our method.

Figure I, represents in vertical longitudinal section an elementary form of such apparatus. Figs. II and III, respectively represent, in similar longitudinal section, two different modifications of such elementary form of apparatus. Fig. IV, illustrates in vertical longitudinal section another modified form of apparatus. Fig. V, illustrates a horizontal section thereof on the line V, V, of Fig. IV.

In each of said figures, a plunger or piston is shown as the actuating device, whereby pressure is applied to the body of liquid. For convenience of distinction we shall employ the term actuator plunger to denote said device, and the term accumulator piston to designate the element to which the pressure is transmitted and which in turn transmits it to the accumulator. We have not in any of these figures indicated the engine, or other prime mover by means of which the actuator plunger is driven, since this may be of any type of the class above mentioned, and we have not deemed it necessary to illustrate any of those forms of apparatus before mentioned, in which the actuator plunger would be dispensed with, and the liquid pumped by direct contact with the expanding medium.

Referring to Fig. I, 1 indicates the actuator plunger driven by means of a rod 2, from any suitable prime mover as before stated. Said plunger is adapted to operate within a cylindrical chamber 3, which co nmunicates, by means of an inlet pipe 4, with a source of supply 5, of liquid, communication being controlled by means of a valve 6. The chamber 3, is prolonged into a conduit 7 of any desired length sufficient to contain a body or liquid of considerable inertia, and preferably horizontal. Said conduit communicates through a valve 8, with an air chamber 9, which may be termed the high pressure air chamber, from which the discharge pipe 10, for the pumping of liquid, leads. Beyond the point of communication at 8, the conduit has a cylindrical prolongation 11, which terminates in a closed air chamber 12, which is to be taken as typical of any accumulator, or other apparatus adapted to store energy, and permit its return for the purpose of doing work. Within the cylindrical prolongation 11, of the conduit is located the accumulator piston 13, which fits snugly, but so as to be moved freely therein by the preponderance of pressure of the liquid upon either of its ends. The movement of said piston is limited in its outstroke, or movement toward the accumulator 12, by stops 14, or in any convenient manner.

Our method, as carried out by the use of the apparatus just described, is as follows: The out-stroke of the actuator plunger 1, imparts velocity to the body of water contained within the chamber 3, conduit 7, and prolonged conduit 11, thus forcing the accumulator piston 13, toward the accumulator 12. The accumulator piston in turn trans mits movement to the body of liquid beyond it within the conduit 11, forcing said liquid up into the air chamber 12, against the pres sure thus occasioned. hen the accumulator piston 13, reaches the stops 1a, its

movement is arrested, but the continued.

pressure of the moving body of liquid behind it, lifts the valve at 8, and pumps liquid out into thehigh pressure air chamber 9, and thence through the discharge pipe 10. This movement of the liquid in effecting the discharge, however, occasions a condition of reduced pressure at the vicinity of the valve 6, which controls the communication with the inlet. Said valve 6, thereupon opens and a new increment of liquid is drawn in from the source of supply 5. When the pressure in the chamber 9, and discharge pipe 10, equals the maximum pressure of the moving .body of liquid within the conduit 7, the

body of liquid comes to rest and the valves 8, and 6, close. Thereupon the back pressure from the air chamber 12, reacts upon thev accumulator piston 13, and forces. it backward in a return stroke until the pressure on each sideof it is substantially equal. This-back stroke of the accumulator piston impart-s movement to the body of liquid within the conduits 11, and 7, and chamber 3, and this movement is transmitted to the actuator lunger 1, forcing it to return it to its initia position in preparation for the next out-stroke. The return movement of the actuator plunger 1, may of course be attended by the compression of that portion of the prime medium which is intended to develop the power for the next out-stroke of the actuator plunger. The operations above described will have restored all the working parts to their initial positions, and the cycle of movements then recurs.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 11, differs from that of Fig. I, simply in the fact that in place of a closed air chamber, as shown at 12 in Fig. I, we employ an open column of liquid, as indicated at 15 in Fig. TI. Since the other parts are identical to those just described, it is not deemed necessary to re peat in detail the description thereof.

If the area of the accumulator piston be equal to that of the actuator plunger, it is evident that the out-stroke and return stroke of the two will be equal in extent, and that they will move in unison throughout both strokes. It is, therefore, feasible to physically connect the two elements together, and such an, organization is shown in Fig. III. In this instance 20, represents the actuator plunger; 21, the chamber into which the same operates; 22, the inlet for liquid; 23, the conduit extending from the chamber 21; 24, the valve outlet to the high pressure air chamber 25, and discharge pipe 26. The cylindrical prolongation of the conduit 23, is indicated at 27, and the accumulator piston at 28. The plunger 20, is connected to the piston 28, by means of a rigid rod 29, and the method of pumping which takes place under these circumstances is similar to that before described, with the further feature that the rod 29, participates in the transmission of movement from the plunger to the piston and vice versa.

The feature of thus connecting together the two elements permits the apparatus itself to be substantially modified in the arrangement of certain of the parts, and in Figs. IV and V, we have illustrated such a further modification. In said drawings 30, represents the actuator plunger operating in the chamber 31, which is connected with the supply of liquid by the pipe 32, having a valve 33. As will be seen by the horizontal sectional View of Fig. V, said chamber is in communication with a conduit 36, which, after being prolonged to any desired extent, is returned upon itself to a point in front of the chamber 31, and there communicates with a relatively short cylindrical conduit 37, in which the accumulator piston 38, is located. Said piston is connected to, the actuator plunger by means of the rod 39. The cylindrical conduit 37 is located within a chamber 40, which is subdivided by means of an annular partition 41. That portion of the chamber 40, which is to the left-hand side of the partition 11, communicates with the high pressure air chamber 12, and discharge pipe 13, the communication being controlled by a valve 4 1. That portion of the chamber 4L0, which is at the right-hand side of the partition communicates with the accumulator air chamber 45. In this instance no stops are shown to limit the movementof the accumulator piston 38, and such limitation of its movement may be effected by cushioning within the cylinder of the prime mover, which drives the actuator plunger 30, or by any convenient means.

A characteristic of the arrangement of apparatus shown in Figs. IV and V, is that the high pressure air chamber and its discharge main may be located in close proximity to the actuator element, instead of being at a point relatively remote therefrom (as in Figs. I, II and III), since the necessary prolongation of the conduit 36, is attained by the return of said conduit upon itself, a sufiicient body of liquid being thus afforded to develop the action which characterizes our method.

It will be understood that all these various forms of apparatus are in a certain sense elementary, and that adjunctive devices of various kinds may be employed in connect-ion therewith, particularly for such purposes as relates to the cushioning of the movement of the accumulator piston, which may be effected by any form of spring, hydraulic device or air-cushion, designed to prevent destructive jar or shock. It will also be understood that while the use of a high pressure air-chamber (such as the elements indicated respectively at 9, in Fig. I, 25 in Fig. III and 412 in Fig. IV) is desirable for the purposes characteristic of such devices, it is not essential to our method.

Having thus described our invention, we deem it proper to call attention to Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,020,965, granted to us under date of March 26th, 1912, in which certain improvements in the method of pumping liquids are set forth. It is of course, to be understood that none of the claims in the present case is to be construed as coextensive with any of the claims contained in said patent, since the subject matter of the present invention, while related to, is wholly distinct from, the subject matter of said former case.

We claim:

1. The hereinbefore described method of pumping liquids, which consists in imparting pressure and relatively high velocity from a prime medium to a confined body of liquid which is in operative contact with an accumulator piston whichl has a limited movement and which is arranged in operative relation to an accumulator; storing in said accumulator a portion of the energy represented by the travel of the first mentioned body of liquid during the movement of the accumulator piston; and permitting the continued travel of said first mentioned body of liquid after cessation of the movement of the accumulator piston to discharge a portion of the liquid.

2. The hereinbefore described method of pumping liquids, which consists in imparting pressure and relatively high velocity from a prime medium to a confined body of liquid which is in operative contact with an accumulator piston which has a limited movement and which is arranged in operative relation to an accumulator; storing in said accumulator a portion of the energy represented by the travel of the first mentioned body of liquid during the movement of the accumulator piston; permitting the continued travel of said first mentioned body of liquid after the cessation of the movement of the accumulator piston to discharge a portion of the liquid; and permitting said continued travel and discharge to produce a region of low pressure, and thereby draw in a new increment of liquid.

3. The hereinbefore described method of pumping liquids, which consists in imparting pressure and relatively high velocity from a power impulse of a prime medium to a confined body of liquid which is in operative contact with an accumulator piston which has a limited movement; and which is arranged in operative relation to an accumulator; storing in said accumulator a portion of the energy represented by the travel of the first mentioned body of liquid during the movement of the accumulator piston; permitting the continued travel of said first mentioned body of liquid after the cessation of the movement of the accumulator piston to discharge a portion of the liquid; permitting the power stored in the accumulator to react upon the accumulator piston to effect a return stroke thereof and transmitting power from said return stroke to compress the prime medium in preparation for the next power impulse thereof.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this twentieth day of March 1911.

lVitnesses:

JAMES H. BELL, E. L. FULLERTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

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