US530659A

US530659A - Rosa schaeffer

Info

Publication number: US530659A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1894-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 1911-12-11

Description

(No Model.)

B. SCHAEFPER. AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF MECHANISM FOR WATER TANKS. No. 530,659.

Patented Dec. 11,1894.

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W T/VESSES J m: Nmms vz'rzns ca. PHOTO-LIT UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSA SCHAEFFER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF MECHANISM FOR WATER-TANKS.

SPEQIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,659, dated December 11, .1894.

A Application filed March 26,1894. Serial No, 505,081. (No model.)

, zen of the United States, residing in the city,

county, and State of New York, have invented certain: new and useful Improvements in Automatic. Shut-Off Mechanism for Water- ?anks, of which the following is a specifica- This invention has reference to an improved shut-off mechanism for water-tanks, by which the supply of water to the tank is automatically interrupted by shutting down the pump and by which also the level of the water in the tank is indicated in a reliable and eifective manner, so as to prevent the overflow and waste of water and thereby enable a considerable saving in the expense of running the pump; and also the invention relates to means in connection with the mechanical indicator whereby the lowness of the water in the tank is electrically announced.

My invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafterdescribed and then specifically claimed.

In the the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a front elevation, partly in section, showing only those parts which are necessary to a full and clear understanding of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section on line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures.

Referring to the drawings, letter A represents a suitable water-tank which is located on the roof or other elevated point, and which is supplied with water by means of a pump B, said pump being located preferably in the cellar or basement of the building and being operated by gas, coal or other fuel. The pump shown is combined with an engine, and is of a well-known type, the same being run by gas. A pipe 0 connects the discharge end of the pump with the tank, said pipe being preferably conducted through one of the airshafts of the building to the upper part of the tank.

A suitable frame or shelf D supports most of the main working parts of the apparatus,

and on the same is arranged a suitableguideway (I which receives and guides a slide E.

Chains or cables 6 are connected at one end with one end of the slide E, and are guided around pulleys e on the frame D, while the other ends of the chains are attached to the trip=levers F, F, &GG., said trip levers being fnlcrumed on suitable brackets or other supports. The ends of the trip-levers F, F, &c., are adapted to engage the outer ends of arms f, f, 620., which are applied to the spindles of the stop-cocks s, s, 850., arranged respectively in the difierent supply-pipes of the pump and engine, the air-chamber of the same and in the water-supply-pipe O of the tank.

All of the arms f,f', 850., are provided with weights so that as soon as the trip-levers F, F, &c., are released from the same they are moved through an angle of ninety degrees moreor less, and place the stop-cocks into an open or closed position, as required by the pipes or other parts to which they are applied. To the end of the slide E opposite the chains e is attached a chain or cord 9 which passes over a pulley g on the frame D and supports at its lower end a weight G, which exerts a pull on the slide in the direction of the arrow. hen the parts of the apparatus are set in working order the shoulder or lug E on the slide engages a transverse latch H which is pivoted at one end between lugs h and supports at its other end a pendent weight it whereby the latch is held down against the slide. Attached by one end to the latch H is a chain or cableI which passes upwardly over an elevated pulley I and then downwardly over a pulley t at one end of the frame D, the opposite end of said chain being attached to a bucket or other receptacle J provided with minute perforations j in its bottom. An overflow pipe K leads from a point of the tank ashort distance from its top and has at its lower end a suitable discharge nozzle extending into the open top of the receptacle J.

The weight on the latch H is sufticient to overcome the weight of the receptacle J, but after the pump begins to work and water is forced into the tank, the water will rise in the latter until it reaches the inlet opening of the overflow pipe K, and, as it cannot rise above said opening the over-supply will flow down through said pipe and into said receptacle, and when sufficient water accumulates therein to overcome the weight of the latch and the weight suspended thereby, the latch is raised and the slide E released. Upon the releasing of the slide the weight G attached thereto exerts a pull on the same and the chains or cables 6 also attached thereto, so that the trip-levers F, F, &c., are disengaged from the arms fif, &c., and the weights of the latter permitted to lower them, whereby the stop-cocks are opened or closed, as re quired by the openings which they control. In this manner the supply of water to the tank is immediately and automatically interrupted and the operation of the engine and pump arrested. When the water is again lowered in the tank, it is necessary to draw back the slide by means of a suitable pullchain or rope S and reset the different valves by placing their arms into engagement-with the trip-levers, so as to re-establish thereby the working point of the engine and pump and enable the tank to be filled and the working of the parts to be continued in the same manner as before. Said perforations in the receptacle J permit the water which flows thereinto to be finally discharged from the same, after the working of the apparatus has stopped, so that the freezing of any water in the receptacle is prevented, and as the receptacle is empty the weight supported by the latch is permitted to return the latter and the bucket to their original position.

For the the purpose of indicating the level of the water in the tank, a float L is located in the same, said float being connected by a chain or rope L with a counter-balancing weight Z located, in the basement or cellar. Said chain L passes over guide-pulley Z above the tank, and as the float rises with the water, the weight Zis lowered. A vertical stationary scale M is arranged near the supporting-frame D, said scale being graduated in feet corresponding to the depth of the tank, the graduations increasing from the lower end toward the top. A metallic pointer N is suspended from one end of a chain or wire cord N, which passes over pulleys n, n, and the other end of which is connected to the lower end of the float-chain L so that as the weight Z decends or ascends, the pointer N is moved up or down along the scale M and the level of the water in the tank indicated.

In connection with the pointer N I prefer to arrange an electric alarm device, so that when the pointer arrives at the lower art of the scale an audible signal is given at some distant point of the building, warning the attendant of the low level of the water in the tank.

0 indicates a conducting wire of an electric circuit, which also comprises a battery 0 and a bell 0 located in another portion of the building. One end of wire 0 is electrically connected with the metallic base on which pulley n is mounted and the other end is electrically connected with a metallic contact bar or piece P which is pivoted at about its midlength on a pin 1). An insulating piece pis set into the lower forward corner of the contact bar P, and the latter is retained in normal horizontal position by means of a fallbar Q which is pivoted at one end on apin q and engages the rear end of said contact bar, a stop-pin 1 being located under the fall-bar so as to prevent its falling below horizontal position. The bell is rung as soon as the pointer N impinges against the contact bar P, the electric circuit being established through the conducting wire, the pulley n, the chain N, the pointer, and the contact bar. As the pointeris further lowered it raises the rear end of the contact-bar, overcoming the weight of the fall-bar Q, until pressing past the forward end of the contact-bar the circuit is broken, the bell stops ringing and the contact-bar and fall-bar assume their original position. When the pointer is rising during the filling of the tank it strikes the forward insulated portion of the contact-bar and raises and passes by said end without again ringing the bell and giving a false alarm.

By the automatic action of the shut-oft mechanism, the waste of water caused by the overflow of the tank is prevented, and a considerable saving in the expense of working the pump, in the time of the attendant, 850., is obtained.

It is to be understood that when the word chain is used in the claims equivalent parts, such as wire-rope, 850., are comprehended.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, of a water-tank, a pump, a supply-pipe-leading from the pump to the tank, supply pipes for the pump, stopcocks in all of said pipes, an overflow-pipe leading from the tank and provided with a discharge-nozzle, a suspended receptacle located below said discharge-nozzle, a slide provided with a shoulder, means for operating the slide, a latch extending transversely of said slide and adapted to engage said shoulder, a connection between the receptacle and latch, and means interposed between the slide and the stop-cocks whereby the same may be operated when the latch is disengaged from the slide, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, of a water-tank, a pump, a supply-pipe leading from the pump to the tank, supply-pipes for the pump, stopcocks in all of said pipes, an overflow-pipe leading from the tank and provided with a discharge-nozzle, a suspended receptacle located below said discharge-nozzle, a slide, a weight, a chain connecting the latter to the slide, a pulley over which the chain passes, a latch adapted to engage said slide, a connection between the receptacle and latch, means interposed between the slide and the stopcocks, whereby the same may be operated when the latch is disengaged from the slide, and a pull-chain connected with the slide, for resetting the same, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a water tank, a pump, a supply-pipe leading from the pump to the tank, supply-pipes for the pump, stopcocks in all of said pipes, an overflow-pipe leading from the tank and provided with a discharge-nozzle, a perforated receptacle located below said discharge-nozzle, a chain for suspending said receptacle, a pulley over which said chain passes, a pivoted latch connected with said chain, means for depressing the latch, a slide provided with a shoulder adapted to be engaged by said latch, means i 5 ROSA SCHAEFFER.

Witnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, K. R. BRENNAN.