US1517594A - Pneumatic pump - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 1924- 1,517,594

w. G. SMYTHE PNEUMATIC PUMP Filed Aug. 1923 INVENTOR.

- 11 mism iz H. BY W WWW A ORNEY.

Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILLARD G. SMYTHE, OF GRAND RAFIID-S, MICHIGAN.

PNEUMATIC PUMP Application filed August 29, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD G. SMYTHE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Pumps, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to pneumatic pumps, and particularly to that class of pneumatic pumps wherein there is a chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port and wherein the water Within the chamber is forced out through the discharge pipe by air pressure in one position of a controlling valve and then the controlling valve shifts to permit the air within the chamber to exhaust and permit the inlet of water.

The object of the present invention is to provide a pump of this character which is very simple and will, therefore, not readily get out of order, which has no floats to leak and thereby put the pump out of commission, which is particularly adapted to be used in cisterns, lakes and shallow wells but can be used in deep wells where casings are small, and which is so constructed as to be more powerful than pumps of this character using floats and in which a leakage of air will not render the pump inoperative.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a pump constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the arm 62 and lever 54, the arm 60 being shown in elevation.

Referring to these drawings, A designates a well, cistern, pool or like body of water and 10 the casing thereof. Mounted upon the casing is a head 11 shown as having two downwardly extending tubular guides 12. These tubular guides attheir lower ends support a head 13 which is disposed beneath the level of water in the well, this head 13 having the shape in plan of the cross section of the well and performing a function which will be later stated.

Extending through each of the guides 12 is a vertically reciprocatable pipe 14. This pipe at its lower end is engaged by means of the union 15 with the head 16 of a cylinder Serial No. 660,003.

17, this cylinder at its lower end being closed by a head 18 having a water inlet opening 19 therein controlled by an inlet check valve 20. The head 16 is provided with an outlet opening 21 having therein a check valve 22 operating within the union 15 which constitutes a valve cage. Depending from the head 16 is the pipe 23 which is concentric to the cylinder 17 and extends nearly to the lower end thereof.

Fitting within the other guide 12 is a like pipe 14 which is connected to a cylinder 17 in the same manner as heretofore described. In other words, there are two cylinders 17 and two pipes 14 and inasmuch as both these cylinders and the connected pipes are alike, the same reference numerals are used. The pipes 14 at their upper ends terminate in solid portions 24 carrying rollers 25, and mounted upon the head 11 is an upstanding bracket 26 which is slotted at 27 for the accommodation of a lever 28, this lever being double armed and each arm at its extremity being recessed at 29 to 1% beneath the corresponding roller 25.

One of the tubular members 14 has double branches '30 extending in opposite directions, while the other pipe 14 has a single branch 31 extending toward one of the branches and connected thereto by a flexible pipe section 32. From the opposite branch 30 ex.-

tends a flexible pipe section 33, which in turn is connected to an outlet pipe 34 shown as mounted upon a support 35 of any suitable construction. This pipe 34 is operatively connected to an air chamber 36.

Mounted upon the upper end of the I bracket 26 are the two cylinders 37, these cylinders correspondingto the cylinders 17. Each of these cylinders 37 has an integral head 38 at its lower end and is closed by a plug 39 at its upper end. This plug has an air passage 40 extending through it and is connected by a pipe 4]. to a source of air under pressure. The head 38 is provided with the oppositely disposed exhaust outlets. 42. Operating in each of the cylinders 37 is a valve head 43 carrying a conical valve'44 which, when the head is raised, extends into the opening 40 to close the same, this head 43 having the ports 45. Extending downward from the head 43 is a stem 46 which carries a valve 47 in its lower end adapted to close against the bottom of the valve chamber 48, and extending below this valve 47 is a stem 49 which for a portion of its length is smzfler than the bore 5-0 in head 38. This stem carries upon it the two spaced stops 51 and and mounted in a recess 53 in the upstanding bracket 26 is a lever 54: having globular or circular heads 55 at its extremities, these circular heads operating between the stops or collars 51 and 52.

It will be obvious now that when one end of the lever is moved downward it will retract one set of valves, while the other end of the lever o-i moving upward will shift the other set of valves upwarc. Entering each casing 23! and. opening into the middle of the air chamber l8 pipe 56 which is connected by a flexihle pipe 57 to a pipe 59 which extends down through the head 11 and through the head 13 and into the corresponding cylinder 17, the flexible section 57 permitting the chamber 17 to rise and tall. Mounted on the lever .is an arm 60 provided with roller 61, and mounted upon the center of the lever 5a is a. tuhula r hollow arm 62 having therein a spindle 63 carrying a roller 64L its lower end, the spindle having' a shoulder against which a coiled compression spring 65 bears to urge the spindle and the roller 65 downward so that this:

' roller will bear againstthe roller 61.

The operation of this mechanism is as tollows: In order to distinguish the cylinders 17 from. each other, I have designated one of the cylinders B and the other C and the corresponding valve casings b and As illustrated in Figure l, the cylinder B is connected through. its pipe 59 to the valve casing 7) and is receiving compressed air which, comes in through the compressed air pipe 41, passes through the ports out through the pipe sections 56, 57 and 59, into the cylinder 13. This causes the water in the cylinder 13 to be discharged upwarl through the pipe 23, past the check valve 21, up the and out the branch 30, section $33, charge pipe 3%. lVhile the water is being discharged from the cylinder 3, the cyl' inder (lis filling with water for the reason that the upper end of the cylinder is connected through pipe sections 59, 57 and 56 with the valve casing c and at that time the valve therein is so shifted that the air passing from the pipe '56 into the valvecasino will. be discharged through the ports 50 and 4.-2 thus permitting the cylinder C to fill with water. "When the cylinder 13 is in its pipe and ClJS- lowest position and discharging water, it is held in this lowered position and against the buoyancy of the air in the upper portion of the cylinder by means of the latch roller 6& bearing against the coactin i latch roller 61 which prevents the lever 28 from oscillating. l l hen, however, the water has been discharged from the cylinder 13, its buoyancy becomes so great that the rol er 6i will act to wedge upward on the roller 64 against- 65- the action or the spring 62 and the armv 60 and the roller 61 suddenly snap over, giving a sudden rise to the cylinder 17 and a sudden descent to the cylinder C, which at this time has become full of water. It is to lie under stood, of course, that the buoyancy o'l cylinder B is assisted by the weight of the cyl' inder C, though not the weight oi the water therein inasmuch as the cylinder is surrounded hy water. As the lever 28 oscillates and snaps over it will also act to snap over the lever 54. one end of this lever will rise and strike the collar 51 on the stem of the valves in casing a, while the head on the op posite end of the lever will snap downward and strike the collar 52 on the lower end ol' the stem. T his action will shift the stem "to oi? the valve in casing Z) upward to its full extent and draw the valves oi? the cylinder downward to their full extent, this action openingthe air outlet ports for cylinder 7), permitting cylinder 7) to lill and closing the air outlet ports for cylinder 0 and GSllilldhll inn communication between the compre air pipe -t'or cylinder 0 and the cylinder t to as to permit the water within the cylinder to be discharged.

Thus it will be seen that as water is being: used from pipe 34, the cylinders Z) and will alternately rise and fall and that this rise and fall of the cylinder 0 will cause an oscilliilIlUll ol" the lovers 98 and 54: and the recip- 1 ,-,'Il()i1 oil? the controlling valves l'or the two cylinders. It is to be particularly noted t t the rollers 61 and 64 hearing against other will hold one end of the lever Ell it against the collar 5L and at its other end bearing; tight against the collar 5:. of the outer valve casing, thus keepiup the valves tight to their seats until the roller 61 reaches the middle pointoi its movement. Then roller 61 will suddenly shoot lo the opposite side with a snap, :lorcing the lmer to change position, which rover air valves to the opposite position. lhe :lir chamber 36 arts to keep up a steady [low olwater.

It is to be particularly understood that while prefer to use two cylinders 17 and two sets of valves, that this pump can also be operated with only one oi the cylir'ulers shown in Figure l, the air tank 36 action to keep up a steady stream while the cyliu der is refilling. Of course. under thes cu' cumstanc'es a counterweight is preferably used on the opposite end of the lever 28 from the cylinder. It will be seen that in this construction, assuming that only one ovliuder is used, when the cylinder rises it will tilt the lever 28, this in turn acting): to tilt the lever 64: and thus acting to sliiil'l: the valves of the corresponding!" valve casing to thereby open exhaust from the cylinder and permit the inlet of water. When the water has entirely entered the cylinder, the weight will act to shift the cylinder downllt) ward, which will again shift the lever 28 and the lever 54- to reverse positions, thus connecting the cylinder to a source of com pressed air and forcing out the water. It is during the period that the cylinder is refilling that the air chamber 86 acts to keep up a steady stream.

It will be understood, of course, that when water is not flowing out through the pipe 37 as, for instance, upon the closure of a faucet, the pump will stop, as the water cannot pass out and thus the air cannot pass in, but immediately a faucet is turned to allow the flow of water the pump will start work.

In deep wells where casings are sn'iall only one cylinder will be used. The head 13 which is supported by the guides 12 and which acts to guide and support the pipes 59 projects outward slightly beyond the outer limits of the cylinders B and C so as to protect the cylinders from the wall of the casing. Inasmuch as these cylinders may be made relatively large in diameter, they will be much more powerful than ordinary floats, and if they do leak this leakage would only be a waste of air and would not put the pump out of commission.

While I have illustrated a certain definite form of my invention which I believe to be particularly advantageous, I do not wish to be limited thereto as it is obvious that many changes might be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim 1. A pneumatic pump including a submerged vertically reciprocatable chamber having an inlet opening in its lower end with an inwardly opening check valve, an outlet pipe extending from the top of the chamber nearly to the lower end thereof and having a check valve, a valve mechanism coacting with the chamber and adapted in one position to connect the upper end of the chamber to an air outlet and in another position to close the air out-let and con nect the upper end of the chamber to a source of air under pressure, means for operating said valve comprising a lever operatively connected to the valve, a lever operatively connected to the chamber to beoscillated as the chamber is reciprocat-ed, and means operating as the chamber is raised and the lever tilted in one direction to suddenly shift the valve mechanism to connect the upper end of the chamber to an air outlet port and acting when the chamber is lowered to suddenly shift the valve mechanism to connect the upper end of the chamber to a source of air under pressure and close said air port.

2. A pneumatic pump including a submerged vertically reciprocatable chamber having a water inlet in its lower end and an inwardly opening check valve and having an outlet pipe extending downward through its upper end and having a check valve, a valve casing disposed above the chamber and having an exhaust port and an inlet port connected to a source of air under pressure, said casing being connected to the upper end of the chamber, valve mechanism disposed within said casing and in one position connecting the valve casing with atmospheric air and in another position connecting the valve casing to a source of air under pressure, and means for automatically operating said valve comprising a lever operatively conn cted to the valve and having an arm, a spring actuated roller carried by the arm, a second lever operatively connected to the chamber and adapted to be oscillated as the chamber is reciprocated and having a roller engaging with the first named roller and acting as the lever is oscillated to force the first named roller inward and then act ing to move past the first named roller and shift the first named lever.

25. A pneumatic pump including a submerged vertically reciprocatable chamber having an inlet port at its lower end and an inwardly opening check valve therefor and l121Vl11Q a vertically reciprocatable outlet pipe extending through the top of the chamber nearly to the lower end thereof and having a check valve in its length, a. fixed outlet pipe flexibly connected to the vertically reciprocatable pipe and having in its length an air chamber, a valve casing disposed above and coacting with the chamber and having a port communicating with the outside air and a port communicating with air under pressure, a pipe connection between said valve casing and the top of said chamber, a valve mechanism disposed within the chamber and adapted in one position to close said atmospheric air port and in another position to close said connection to the air under pressure, means acting to shift the valve to the first named position when the chamber rises and to the second named position when the chamber falls in cluding a lever operatively connected to the vertically reciprocatable pipe, a lever 0peratively connected to the valve, and means causing the first named lever to tilt the sec- 0nd named lever when the chamber has risen to its full height and to tilt the second named lever in the opposite direction when the chamber has filled with water and lowered to its full extent.

t. A pneumatic pump including a pair of submerged vertically reciprocatable chambers, each having an inlet opening and a check valve, an outlet pipe, a vertically reciprocatable discharge pipe extending to the top of each chamber and then to the bot-tom thereof and having therein an upwardly opening check valve, a flexible tubular conice nection between the upper ends of both pipes, a flexible outlet connection from the upper end of one pipe, an outlet pipe with which the last named flexible outlet c0nnection is engaged and having an air chamber in its length, a lever pivotally engaged with the upper ends oi"? both outlet pipes, a pair of valve casings, one for each chamher, and disposed above the same, each valve casing having an exhaust port opening to the outside air, an air inlet port opening to a source of air under pressure, a pipe cOnnection to the top of the corresponding chamber, a valve mechanism disposed in each valve casing and adapted in one position to close the exhaust port and open the air inlet and in another position to close the air inlet and open the exhaust port, and means for operating said valves comprising a lever pivotally supported at its middle and .operatively engaged at its ends with said valves, and means on the first named lever for suddenly tiltlng the second named lever in one direction when the chamber on one side is full of air and has risen to its full extentand suddenly tilting the lever in the other direction when the chamber on the other side is full of air and has risen to its full extent.

5. A pneumatic pump including a pair of submerged vertically reciprocatable chambers, each having an inlet opening and a check valve, an outlet pipe, a vertically reciprocatable discharge pipe extending to the top of each chamber and then to the bottom thereof and having therein an upwardly opening check valve, a flexible tubular connection between the upper ends of both pipes, a flexible outlet connection from the upper end of one pipe, an outlet pipe with which the last named flexible outlet connection is engaged and having an air chamber in its length, a lever pivotally engaged with the upper ends of both outlet pipes, a pair of valve casings, one for each chamber, and disposed above the same, each valve casing having an exhaust port opening to the out side air, an air inlet port opening to a source of air under pressure, a pipe connection to the top of the corresponding chamber, a valve mechanism disposed in each valve casing and adapted in one position to close the exhaust port and open the air inlet and in another position to close the air inlet and open the exhaust port, means for operating said valves comprising a lever pivotally supported at its middle and operatively engaged at its ends with said valves, means on'the first named lever for suddenly tilting the second named lever in one direction when thechamber on one side is full of air and has risen to its full extent and suddenly tilting the lever in the other direc 'tion when thechamber on the other side is full'of air and has risen to its full extent including a hollow arm projecting from the second named lever, a roller mounted upon said arm for movement toward or from the lever, a spring urging said roller outward, and an arm mounted on the second named lever and having a roller engaging and coacting with the first named roller.

A pneumatic pump including a pair oi submerged vertically rcciprocatable chamhers, each having an iret opening and a checl; valve, an outlet L ,ie :1 vertically rcciprocatable discharge pipe cxieniiling to the top oz each -zj-haniber and then to the bottom ther and having therein an upwardly opening check valve, a flexible tubular connection between the upper ends of both pipes, a flexible outlet coi'inection from the upper end of one pipe. an outlet pipe with which the last named "ible outlet connection is eng en and having a air chamber its iengh, a lover pivotally engaged with upper ends of both, outlet pipes, a pair valve rasing, one For each chamber, and di posed above the same, each valve casing having an air inlet ort connected to a source of air under pressure and a pipe leading from the middle of each valve casing to the top of the ci'irresponding chamber, a re cipri'icatable stein disposed in each valve casing and having at one end a valve adapted to close the air inlet port and at the other end valve adapted. to close the exhaust port, eacl' stem extending downward lower end of the valve casing through the and having spaced stops, a lever fulcrunied at its middle and having heads disposed between the spaced stops of the respective valve stems, the heads lieing smaller than the distance between said stops, a second lever iulcrun'ied at its middle and having opcrative engagement at its ends with the vertical pipes of the cl'iainbcrs and oscillated by the rise and fall of said chambers, and means carried by the last named. lever for suddenly tilting the first named lever when the second named lever has passed the point where it is horizontal.

7. A pneumatic pump including a pair of submerged vertically rcciprocatablc chain hers, each having an inlet opening and a check valve, an outlet pipe, a vertically reciprocatable c'scharge pipe extending to the top of each chamber and then to the bottom thereof and having therein an u iiwardly opening check valve, a flexible tubular connection between the upper ends of both pipes, flexible outlet connection from the upper end. of one pipe, an outlet pipe with which the last named flexible outlet connection is engaged. and having an air chamber in its length, a lever pivotally engaged with the upper cues of both outlet pipes, a pair of valve casings, one for each chamber. and disposed above the same, each valve 4 i u' a I casing having an air inlet port connected to a source of air under pressure and a pipe leading from the middle of each valve casing to the top 01'? the corresponding chamber, a reciprocatable stem disposed in each valve casing and having at one end a valve adapted to close the air inlet port and at the other end a valve adapted to close the exhaust port each stem extending downward through the lower end of the valve casing and having spaced stops, a lever fulcrumed at its middle and having heads disposed between the spaced stops or the respective valve stems, the heads being smaller than the 1 distance between said stops, a second lever fulcrurned at its middle and having operative engagement at its ends with the vertical pipes of the chambers and oscillated by the rise and fall of said chambers, an arm mounted upon the last named lever and upwardly projecting therefrom and carrying a roller, a hollow arm mounted upon the first named lever a stem carrying a roller disposed in said hollow arm, and a spring in' said hollow arm acting to urge the last named roller toward the first named roller.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLARD G. SMYTHE.

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