US1096291A - Pressure-accumulator. - Google Patents

Description

G. W. DOOLITTLE. PRESSURE AGUUMULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 00112, 1912.

1,096,291. PatentedMay12,19-14- 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

G. W. DOOLITTLE.

PRESSURE AOCUMULATOR.

. APPLICATION FILED 00112, 1912.

1,096,291 Patented M y 121% 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\.OLUI\\HIA VLANOGRAPH co. WASHINGTON. D c.

FIQ.

GEORGE W. DOOLITTLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PRESSURE-ACCUIVIULATOR.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. DOOLITTLE,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressure- Accumulators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numbers of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. In pumping systems and in water mains pressure may vary with the different hours of the day, dependent upon the service required, so that at certain hours of the day pressure is insuflicient to supply the requirements of the service. This is true also where water is stored in tanks or receptacles. When the tank or receptacle is full, or at its maximum level, pressure is materially greater than when a quantity of the water has been drawn therefrom, lowering the level, and in consequence, should pressure be required when the tank was but partly full, maximum pressure could not be obtained therefrom.

The object of this invention is to afford an accumulator whereby the pressure may be maintained approximately constant at all times during the discharge of a liquid from a tank or receptacle, and to afiord means whereby fluid may be stored or accumulated in a fluid distribution system when the system is operating at maximum pressure, for use when the system otherwise would be operating at less than maximum pressure.

It is also an object of the invention to af ford an economical pumping and pressure accumulating system whereby the supply of liquid may be had at any time-at a standard pressure, independentof the quantity of liquid in the tank or receptacle.

For convenience of illustration I have shown a well and an electrically operated pump in connection with my invention, although it is to be understood that this is merely conventional and that any suitable pump may be used and that in lieu thereof main pressure may be used.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 12, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914;. Serial No. 725,424. 1

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings: Figurel is a central vertical section of a device embodying my invention, showing the pressure tank or accumulator in elevation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the pump motor and drive. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the accumulator, showing the piston in elevation and at its highest position. Fig. 4: is a similar view, showing the piston at its lowest position and in section. Fig. 5' is a fragmentary view in elevation of the power shifting lever. Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6 of Fig. 4:. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the accumulator.

As shown in the drawings: 1, indicates a well into which the suction pipe 2, of a pump extends, the pump rod 3, of which extends upwardly through the top of the well and is connected by means of a pitman 4, with a wheel 5, to the shaft of which is fixed a bevel gear 5 driven by a worm 6, from a motor 7 shown as an electric motor. A discharge pipe 8 is connected with the pump and is provided with a check valve 9, beyond which said discharge pipe delivers into a receptacle or tank'lO, which, as shown, is buried in the ground, although obviously it may be located in any position or at any height, and is provided with a conical or concave bottom, and'is open at its upper end. Within said tank is a close fitting piston l1, provided with any suitable packing ring 12, or hydraulic packing if preferred, and mounted on said piston is a casing or receptacle 13, adapted to receive therein, sand or gravel or heavy weights of any kind to hold the piston to the pressure desired. An eye bolt 14, is connected centrally in said pistonand extends above said receptacle. Pivotally mounted by means of a pin 21, on the open top of said tank is a lever 15, the inner end of which is engaged by means of a chain or cable 16, with said eye bolt, and the outer end of which affords a bell crank with arms 22 and 25, respectively. A lever 15*, is also pivoted on the pin 21, and at its end engages a shifting rod 17, the upper end of which is pivotally connected with a switch bar 18. When the outer end of said lever 15 is thrown upwardly, as shown in Fig. 4c, the switch bar 18 is also thrown upwardly, thereby completing the motor circuit and starting the pump, as the tank is then nearly empty. When said tank is full, the upper end of the eye bolt 1 1, strikes the inner end of said lever 15, throwing the lever 15 down as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, breaking the circuit and stopping the pump. Mechanism connecting levers 15 and 15 is provided for affording quick make and break of the circuit. For this purpose the bell crank is provided at the outer extremity of the arm with a broad head, extending above and below said lever 15, and is provided with transverse pins 23 and 24, one below and one above said lever, but spaced at some distance therefrom normally. The other arm 25, of said lever extends upwardly and en gaged at its upper end is a spiral pulling spring 26, the other end of which is engaged on the outer side of the tank and which normally draws nearly in alinement with said arm 25, but slightly off center therefrom, so that the tension of said spring may be on either side or center of the pivot, dependent upon the adjustment of the lever 15, said spring acting to snap the lever 15, from one of its adjusted positions to the other by the swing of the head of the bell crank, bringing the pin 23 or 24, previously out of engagement with said lever, into sharp engagement therewith.

A pipe 27 leads from the bottom of the tank, coming, as shown, through a T 28, in alinement with the inlet pipe and leads to a hydrant 29, or any desired point of dis charge. As shown in Fig. 1, a controlling valve 30 is connected in said discharge pipe at any convenient point to control the discharge therefrom.

The operation is as follows: When the tank 10 is empty, as shown in Fig. 4;, the pump is started in operation automatically by the action of the lever 15, and this, of course, may as well be true whether an electrically driven pump or one driven by a windmill or any other source of power be used. lVhile pumping the valve 30 is of course closed, and the liquid is pumped into said tank or receptacle through the check valve 9, the pressure raising the piston and weight until said tank is full, when the power is automatically shut off, as before described, and the device is ready for use when required. The liquid may now be discharged from the tank through the pipe 27, a main or hydrant 29, and valve 30, controlling the same, and with very slight decrease of pressure until the tank is again empty. \Vhen connected in a water main the operation is of course the same. The

tank is filled from the main pressure when acting at normal pressure and the piston and loaded weight is raised until the tank is full, when the lever or tripping device operates to shut off the valve to stop the motor or to perform any other function necessary to cut off the pressure from the main or pump. When the tank is empty, the said levers again open the valve or start the pump, as before described. At any time, whether the accumulator be in condition for delivering its maximum pressure or not, the direct pressure from the pump or the main may be discharged through the main or hydrant 29, by merely opening the valve 30, although, of course, if the main or surface pressure be greatly less than that afforded by the accumulator, the check valve 9 would not open if the accumulator were in operation until after the discharge of the contents of the accumulator, thereby relieving the check valve. In other words the construction enables normal pressure to be attained at any time when the accumulator is not in operation, and affords means for obtaining a much higher pressure than would otherwise be possible during those times when the pressure from the inain is subnormal.

Of course it is to be understood that very many details of construction and arrangement may be varied. I have shown but a preferred form of my invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted on this application otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a source of liquid pressure, a discharge pipe leading therefrom, a pressure tank with which the same communicates, a check valve in the discharge pipe, a weighted piston movable in the pressure tank on the liquid therein, a lever pivoted on the tank and operatively connected with said piston, means for controlling the flow from the source of liquid pressure, a connecting rod engaged with said piston lever and operating said controlling means to permit the flow of liquid when the piston is at its lowest point and to stop the flow when said piston is at its highest point, and a spring connected with said piston lever to afiord a snap shift of said connecting rod.

2. In a device of the class described, an electrically driven pump, a controlling switch therefor, a discharge pipe leading from the pump, a pressure tank with which the same communicates, a check valve in the discharge pipe, a weighted piston movable in the pressure tank on the liquid therein, a lever pivoted on the tank and operatively connected with the piston, a connecting rod engaging said lever with the switch, and acting to make the motor eirsubscribed my name in the presence of two Quiti to start the pump When the piston ii at subscribing Witnesses. its owest point and to stop the pump W en the piston is at its highest point, and a GEORGE DOOLITTLE' 5 spring connected to afiord a snap make and WVitnesses:

break for the circuit. CHARLES W. HILLS, Jr., In testimony whereof I have hereunto LAWRENCE REILESTEM.

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

Washington, I). G.

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