US600703A - andrews - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. D. ANDREWS.

MEANS FOR USING COMPRESSED AIR FOR RAISING WATER. No. 600,703. Patented Mar. 15,1898.

Ilnrrnn STATES P TENT FFICE.

WILLIAM D. ANDREWS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO MARY AUGUSTA ANDREWS, OF SAME PLACE.

MEANS FOR USING COMPRESSED AIR FOR RAISING WATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,703, dated Mar h 1898- Application filed October 13, 1896. Serial No. 608,769. (No model.)

earth water, oil, or other liquids through tubes or other conduits sunk into water-bearing, oil-bearing, or other liquid-bearing strata. It is also applicable to raising water or other liquid from lakes, ponds, or other collections and for dredging.

The invention is based upon the well-known principle that if compressed air or other aeri-v form fluid be forced down through a tube into a body of water and its pressure be sufficiently in excess of the pressure due to the head of water above the lower end of the said tube the pressure and impetus of the said air or fluid will carry it to such a distance vertically be low the bottom of the said tube that it reaches a depth wherethe static pressure of the head of water is equal to that of the said air or fluid, which then rises and carries upward with it the compact body of water above it to. a suitable point of discharge.

In making application of the above-mentioned method of raising liquids by compressed air it is desirable to provide for the injection of the compressed air into the water or other liquid at different depths below the surface of the latter or below the mouth of the well or of the head of the tube or conduit through which the water or liquid is to be raised.

The object of this invention is to provide for the introduction of the air into the water or liquid at such different depths and its introduction otherwise in such manner as to be most effective.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a water-raising apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding with Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section in the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: represents a central vertical section of a well-tube and a portion of the appliances which constitute my invention, illustrating a slight modification of what is shown in Fig. 1.

A designates a tube, (hereinafter referred to as the F well-tube,) which may be the lining tube or casing of a tube-well or a tube inserted to a suitable depth in an ordinary open well or other source of or receptacle for the liquid to be raised. Within this tube A there are inclosed several small tubes B B B B (herefornl fluid received from the compressor (not shown) through the main horizontal air-supply pipe O. The connections between the said supply-pipe and the several distributing-tubes is made by branch pipes E E E E one for each tube, in which are suitable bends, the

connections between the said distributingtubes and branch pipes being made in the head of the well-tube, as will be hereinafter described.

The air-tubes, of which there may be any 7 5 number, but of which four are represented, are of different lengths for the purpose of distributing the air into the water in the tube A at varying depths and under different pressures, which may be regulated in each by independent hand-valves F F F F in their several branch pipes, according to the indications of pressuregages G G G G in the respective branch pipes.

To the lower ends of the several air-tubes are attached deflecting or spreading deliveryshoes I) b b b, projecting laterally from opposite sides of their respective tubes in the form of segments of circles, (see Fig. 3,) the outer surfaces of which coincide with the in- Q ner circumferences of the well-tube with which they are in contact or in close proximity. These deflecting-shoes, one of which is shown in section in Fig. 1, are hollow, and

each has a narrow horizontal slit-like air-dis- 5 charge opening 0 extending the entire'length of its inner face, the area of such opening somewhat exceeding that of its connected tube. These openings are preferably sligthly wider at their ends than at their centers to equalize the escape of air throughout their entire length. Below their openings 0 the inner faces of said shoes are sloped downward to sharp edges that they may present the least possible obstruction to the water rising in the well-tube.

In Figs. 1 and 3 the air-tubes are represented as arranged opposite each other in pairs or couples, those of one couple being midway between those of the other couple, the two of each couple being of the same length and having their delivery-shoes at the same level, the said shoes being each of a horizontal length a little less than the inner circumference of the well-tube A.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the airtubes are of different lengths and their deflecting-shoes at different depths, which arrangement secures a larger area of clear passageway through the well-tube than when two of the deflecting-shoes discharge 011 the same plane directly opposite each other. In practice for small or shallow wells one couple of tubes on the same horizontal plane may be sufficiently effective; but in very deep and large wells additional tubes, either in couples or single, of varying lengths may be used to good advantage with a decreased pressure and increased volume of air. When a plurality of air-tubes have their lower termini at different depths, a separate hand-valve and pressure-gage will be required for each airtube, but air-tubes discharging at the same depthwill only requireasin glehandvalve and pressure-gage.

The well-tube A is fitted at its upper end with a head A, provided with an air-tight cap A through which the air-tubes B B B B are connected with their respective branch pipes E E E E From the tube-head A there is a lateral outlet, with which is connected by a bend and a valve-box II a delivery-pipe A which is practically a continuation of the well-tube, constituting an upward extension of the said tube, through and from which the discharged liquid may be conveyed in any direction and to any desired height. In the valve-box H there is an upwardly-openterfly-valve. trance of the air-tubes into the well-tube through an air-tight cap and the lateral delivery of the water below said cap and through the self-acting valve secures the following effects:

First. Upon the stoppage of the air-pressure eitheraccidentally or bydesign the automatic closing of the valve I retains thewater above it and prevents any downfiow into and through the well-tube A, thereby obviating the disturbance and consequent raising of earthly material from a well when again starting the water column, which results unfavorably when clear or potable water is desired. Such an arrangement is very effective and convenient, besides effecting a saving of time and power. The confining of the air-tubes to a straight vertical portion of the well-tube or well casing A has several advantages.

Among them are: the air-distributing tubes and the well-tubes are considerably shortened, lightened, and made more easily accessible, it being only necessary to place their upper ends and their supporting cap-plate g above the normal surface of the water to be raised for convenience of access, and the liquid may be discharged at any reasonable height above the point of air-delivery into the well tube or casing A. The delivery-pipe or upward extension A of the well-tube A above the free-acting butterfly-valve may be extended to any required height or distance without disturbing either the air-tubes, the well-tube A, the connecting-bends, or the butterfly-valve, through all of which free passage is secured for the liquid from the lower vertical tube or wel1-casing A to the required point of delivery above the valve.

Secondly. If it be required to open the vertical well-tube A for change or repairs of the inclosed air-tubes B B B" E the opening of a small air-cock 6, provided in the tube-head A, admits a graduated quantity of air into the well-tube, which insures the subsidence of the water in the tube, but with such limited velocity as not to disturb the earth about the lower end of the well-tube. If it be desired to remove the liquid in the tube above the self-acting valve I, the opening of an escape-cock d, provided on the valve-box I-I just above the valve-seat, affords a ready means of so doing without disturbing any connections or parts of the apparatus.

By reason of the fact that a certain proportionate depth of water above and below the points of entrance of air into the water column is necessary to produce economical results and secure the greatest amount of water in a given time in wells where the distance to the water from the surface and the depth of water in the well are such that the depth required for the best head of the delivery are not readily obtainable I, for the purpose of increasing the total depth of the water, at-

tach to the delivery-pipe A an adequate ading self-acting valve I, represented as a but- 1 The arrangement for the en ditional length of pipe to secure the required depth, thereby carrying the delivery-pipe to a height that shall insure suificient depth of water in the coinbin ed well and delivery pipes to insure the best results. As the discharge may be above the otherwise necessary point of delivery required for using the liquid so raised, a loss of power results, to compensate for which I make the discharge-pipe a siphon with its outer descending leg of any desired length. Thus when once the siphon is filled and a delivery established it continues to balance and relieve the extra head at the cost only of once filling the descending portion of the siphon so long as the elevator is in continuous action. To retain the fullbenefit of the siphon when stopping the pneumatic pressure, I may attach a quick-closing hand-valve to the lower open end ofthe siphon-tube, closing it while the liquid is in-full motion, relieving temporarily the increased pressure by means of a safety-valve J, attached to the main air-supply tube 0, as shown, or at any convenient point of the air-passage until the pressure can be shut off.

I have hereinbefore mentioned that the connections between the air-tubes B B B B and the branch pipes of the main air-supply pipe are through the cap A on the head A of the well-tube. These connections are illustrated in Fig. 1 and will now be explained. \Vithin the head A, not far below the cap A there is an annular shoulder f, on which rests a plate g, in which there are holes for the passage of. the airtubes, which are connected with their respective branches of the air-supply tube between the said plate and the cap by means of screw-couplings IL. The said holes in the plate 9 are large enough for the passage through them of the ordinary couplings 6 of the several lengths of tubing of which each of the air-tubes is composed, but the couplings h are made so much larger than the holes in the plate that they form shoulders which bear on the plate 9 around the holes and so serve as supports from which theair-tubes are suspended. Thebranch pipes are screwed into and through tapped holes in the capplate A as well as into the couplings h, which are of such length or depth that the said plate, while it is made air-tight with the head A, also bears upon gaskets applied around the tops of the couplings, and so makes an airtight joint around each of the branch airpipes. On disconnecting the branch air-pipes E E E E from the cap-plate and removing the latter the plate 9 may be taken hold of by a ring-bolt (not shown) and hoisted up to take all the air-tubes with it from the well.

This apparatus is applicable with great advantage in dredging operations in which sand, gravel, and other solid matters have to be raised, for it insures a rapid downfiow to loosen the earthy material to be removed.

What I claim as my invention is l. The combination with a well-tube and an air-tube inserted thereinto in proximity to the walls thereof for discharging compressed air in to the water therein, of a delivery-shoe attached to the said air-tube projecting laterally therefrom around the walls of the welltube and having an approximately horizontal slit-like discharge-opening below which it is sloped downward toward the said walls, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The combination with a well-tube and an air-tube for discharging compressed air into the water therein, of a spreading delivery-shoe attached to the said air-tube, located in proximity to the inner wall of the well-tube, conforming to and closed toward said wall and having its delivery-opening toward the center of the well-tube, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination with a well-tube having a head fitted with a removable air-tight cap, of a plurality of air-tubes arranged within the well-tube for discharging compressed air into the water therein'and a removable plate supported on a shoulder within said head for suspending the several air-tubes from the said head in such manner that they may all be withdrawn simultaneously from the well-tube, substantially as herein described.

4. The combination with a well-tube having a head fitted with a removable air-tight cap and a plurality of air-tubes located within the well-tube for discharging compressed air into the water therein, of an air-supply pipe having branch pipes for the several tubes entering through openings in the said cap, a removable plate supported on a shoulder within the said head, and couplings connecting the

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