US709212A - Pneumatic pump. - Google Patents

Description

N0.709,2|2. Patented Sept. I6,` V|9l02.

R. w. ELLIOTT. PNEUMATIC PUMP.

(Applctio'n filed Feb. 19, 1902.)

(No Model.)

WWA/5555:

UNITED STATES RALPH W." ELLIOTT, OF OAKLEY, CALIFORNIA.

PN EU NIATIC PUMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,212, dated September 16, 1902.

Application filed February 19, 1902. Serial No. 94,784. (No model.)

A useful Improvementsin Pneumatic Pumps,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic pumps,

. the object of my invention being to provide an apparatus of this character which shall be cheap and simple in construction, in which the working parts shall be readily accessible, in which the cylinder itself used in connection with such pump shall be void of such working or movable parts, and in which such movable parts shall be located at a sufficient height above the cylinder that they may stand out of the water when in use.

A further object of the invention is to reduce to aminimum the friction of the moving parts. t

My invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts for the above ends hereinafter fully specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims. i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, the cylinder being shown in section, of my improved pneumatic pump in the position in which the cylinder is filled with Water. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the parts in theposition in which the cylinder is empty of water. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the valve-operative mechanism. Fig. 4 is a section on the line A A of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a section showing the construction of the three-way valve.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the pipe for conveying compressed air tothe cylinder 2 to discharge the water upward therefrom. i Said pipe is connected, by means of a flexible tube 3, with the top of the cylinder, so as to discharge the compressed air'into the upper end thereof.

4 represents the discharge-pipe by which the Water is delivered or forced from the cylinder, and it is connected with the cylinder by means of a iiexible tube 5, connected with a T-joint 6, one member of which is connected with a pipe 7, whichruns down through the top of the cylinder to a point sufficiently above the bottom thereof to permit the automatic valve 8 in the bottom of the cylinder to rise. Said discharge-pipe 4 terminates in a checkvalve 29, which supports the column of water forced into said discharge-pipe.

The com pressed-air-feed pipe 1 and the water-discharge pipe 4 are connected together by braces 9 10, which are apertured to form guides for a squared valve-actuating rod 12, which forms a vertical extension of the upper member of the Tjoint. The function of this rod l2 is to acruate the valve 13, which controls the passage of air to and from the cylinder. I employ the movement of the cylinder itself to actu ate and control said valve. Thus supposing that the cylinder is full of Water and at its greatest depth, as shown in Fig. l, and compressed air then enters by the pipe 1, the valve 13 being open for that purpose, the air entering into the top of the cylinder Will by its pressure force the Water up through the Water-discharge pipe 4 and will gradually empty the cylinder of water. The cylinder is so Weighted that its Weight will overbal ance the buoyancy of the cylinder, due toits immersion in the water and the air discharged thereinto in increasing volume until the level of the water has reached a predetermined level not far from the bottom of the cylinder. During this period the cylinder will be suspended from the upper brace9 by means of a collar 14, secured on the valve-actuating rod, which collar rests upon the top of said brace. By the continued increase in the volume of air the buoyancy of the cylinder would eventually overbalance its Weight and would be sufficient to raise said cylinder; but this is prevented by means of the engagement with the upper edge of the collar 14 of a spring-actuated pin 15 in a recess 16 of an arm 17, pivoted to an arm 1S,

'xedly mounted upon the compressed-air pipe 1. The arms 17 18 have their meeting edges cut away, as shown at 19, above their pivot to letthe arm 17 swing upward,while said meeting edges below the pivot abut singly to prevent downward movement of the arm 17. A coiled spring 2O normally holds the pivoted arm downward with sufficient force to hold said cylinder down until the buoyancy thereof has increased to such a degree as to overcome the pressure of the spring. When that is the case, the upward pressure of the collar IOO 14 ou the under side of said pin 15 swings said arm A17 upward out of the way and the collar moves past the same, so that the cylinder and the .valve-actuating rod move upward in a single quick motion, carrying them through the entire extent of the movement of the cylinder. A second collar 2l, secured on the valve-actuating rod at a lower point thereof, will then abut against the underside of the upper brace 9 and will limit the upward movement of the cylinder. At the same time a hook 22 on the upper end ofthe valveactuating rod l2 will pass a spring-actuated pin 23, having a lower beveled surface 24, so that the pointI of said hook will pass to the upper side of said pin and will engage the same. The flexible tubes 3 5 permit the cylinder to rise freely underits buoyancy. When rising, the valve-actuating rod will actuate the valve 13 by means of a lever 25, the end ot' which passes through a vertical slot 26 in the rod, so that upon the upward movement of said rod said lever 25 is rocked. The valve 13 is shown in detail in Fig. 5 and is such that as the lever 25 is rocked the compressed air is shut off from passage to the cylinder, and at the same time the compressed air in the cylinderis opened to exhaust. As the air is exhausted from the cylinder, so that the pressure in the cylinder is below the Water-pressure, the valve 8 in the bottom of the cylinder is automatically raised by the pressure` of the water below the same, thereby admitting water into said cylinder to displace the air therein. The water then rises in the cylinder until it has been filled; but the cylinder is prevented from sinking gradually, which it would otherwise do underits own weight, its buoyancy being gradually reduced by the displacement of the air therein. This is etij'ected by means of a spring 27, which drop suddenly into its original position.

holds up an arm 28, pivoted upon a fixed arm 29, secured upon the compressed -air pipe. Said arm 28 carries the pin 23 which engaged the hook 22, and thus the cylinder is held up. The tension of the spring 27 is so regulated as to hold up said arm 28, and thereby hold up the cylinder until the water has completely filled the cylinder. The loss of buoyancy of the cylinder will then have become so great that the weight will haveovercome the tensionvof the spring. The arm 28 will then swing downward, thereby releasing the hook 22 and permitting the cylinder to The drop of the cylinder will close the valve to exhaust and will open it to the passage of compressed air to the cylinder. The operation will then be repeated as before.

In order to prevent friction between the sides of the cylinder and the wall 29 of a well or casing in which the cylinder worksI provide antifriction-rollers 30, mounted on the exterior wall of said cylinder.

The following are important and novel features of my invention: The air-inlet and water-outlet pipes are rigid and support the guides for the rod which extends upward from the cylinder, thereby permitting the cylinder to be guided in its vertical movement by devices attached only to said pipes. This enables the device to be lowered in the water in any place, narrow or broad, without any previous preparation or letting down of a frame to support the cylinder in its vertical movement. The cylinder is guided and supported by the pipes which conduct the air to the cylinder and discharge the water therefrom. A second important feature is that the valve and the parts actuating the same can be maintained entirely above the water. A third feature is that all the parts are arranged within a small horizontal area, so that the cylinder and the parts can be lowered into a well of diameter very small, very little greater than the cylinder itself.

I claim- 1. The combination of vertical rigid air-inlet and water-outlet pipes, upper and lower horizontal guides extending between the said pipes and connected thereto at their ends, a tank, a rod extending vertically from said tank and slidably guided by said guides, a three-way valve in the air-inlet pipe communicating in one of its positions with the at- 9 mosphere, means actuated by said rod for operating the three-way valve, a rigid waterdelivery pipe extending to the interior of the cylinder near the bot-tom thereof, a flexible pipe connection between said latter pipe and the vertical rigid water-outlet pipe, a iexible pipe connection between the air-inlet pipe and the upper end of the tank, and a checkvalve in the water-delivery pipe, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tank having a valve-controlled opening in the bottom thereof to admit water thereinto, inflexible vertical compressed-air-inlet and Water-outlet pipes, a rod attached to the tank, a guide for said rod flexibly carried upon said pipes, a pipe leading upward from the bottom of the cylinder for delivering the water to the wateroutlet pipe, a flexible pipe connection between the two latter pipes, a flexible pipe connection between the top of the cylinder and the compressed-air-inlet pipe,and athree- Way valve in said latter pipe opening in one position to the atmosphere and actuated by said rod in its vertical movement, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

R. w. ELLIoTT.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, B. GORFINKEL.

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