US1456013A - Pneumatic pump - Google Patents

Description

May '2-2, 1923. A n A1,456,013

T. E7 sMYTHE l PNEUMATIC PUMB @pz/Ag 2 Sheets-Sheet'l Ma'y22,1923. n 1,456,013 T.- E. SMYTHE PNEUMATIC PUMP Filed July so, 1921 2 sheets-sheet- 2 Y azz/f? fia-- Ill Patented May 22, 1923 'rar 'ri-iones SMYT'HE, or GRAND Karine', MICHIGAN.

.minut/tarro PMP.

Appi'icaiionnied ilyso, 1921.v serial no. 488,593.

To all ii/1cm t may concern." y l y Be it'known thatI, -Ti-ioMAs SMYTH'E, a citizen or' the United States, residing at Grandlapids, inthe county oli' Kent and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain lject of the invention is to simplify pumping mechanisms of this" character by doing away witha plurality ot controlling floats and like parts.

A further object is to provide a construction oi this character ywherein a constant discharge ot'water is secured when a faucet is turned on and wherein a great saving' in compressed air is secured.1 and in this connection to provide a single controlling float having therein air which. is'compr'essed by the rise ot water in the float, this 'float acting to control the 'compressed air valve and the air in the float also acting as the means whereby water from the upper container or receptacle is discharged.

Other objects have to do' with the 'details of construction and arrangement of parts as will appear more vfully hereinafter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein e Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view ot my pneumatic. pump showing the parts inl position wherev water is beingdischargedfrom the lower tank;

AFigure 2 is a like view to Figure ll'but showingr the'position of the parts when the lower tank is filling and water is being Cischarged from the float.

Referring to the drawings, 10" designates a. well, cistern. or like water collectingreservoir, and ldisposed within this well 10 is the lowertank 11 having` the heads 12 and'13 andfthese. heads are connected by tie rods 14. and the lower head is provided vith an inlet opening 15 controlled by a check valye 16 which is held closed ih v pressure within the tank `and is opened by pressure exterior to the tank. Theunper head 12 1s formed with a valve seat- 17 of a check valve 18, thestem of this valve being crucitorm in cross section and operatingwithin a pipe 19 which extends `downward yfrom the head 12 almost to the check valve 16. y

Disposed above'the tank 11 is the upper tank 20. which may be disposed in any suitable location above the well and at any desired distance from the tank 11.. This tank 2O is closed at its lower end but at its upper end is provided with the small clentrally disposed opening- 21. The head 22v forming the top of this tank is held in place by s crews to the side wall of the tank. `The water in `this tank 2O 'is not discharged and simply' constitutes the water of liet-ation for a more or less buoyant combined float and tank 23. This tank 23 at its lower end has a'guide spindle 24 which operates within a centrally disposed guide recess A25 in the bottom ot the tank 2O and the upper end of the floating,vr tank 23 is formed with an aper-l ture 26. Passingloosely through the aperture 21 and passing into the Boatingtank 23 bymeans oit the aperture 26 and connected to move with this floating` tank 23 is a rod 27 which' is tubular from its lower end toa point above the tank 20. Above this 'tubular duft'28 the rod 2T is solid and is provided with'the two `spaced stop Acollars 29 andv 3 0 held in place by set screws. The tubular portionA of the rod 2T is termedA vwith an angularly disposed outlet 31, to which a flexible pipe section 32 is connected. the outer end of vthis 'flexible pipe section 32 communicating'with a vertically disposed branclipipe extending to and opening 1nto the water discharge pipe 3e. The iri-` nei' end of' thisflvater discharge pipe is formed as a "l" to support the tank 2() at its upper'end and at its lower end to engage with the head 30 above the valve 18. LThe discharge end ot thewater discharge pipe 33 may be provided with a faucet 35'. This faucet is merely shown to illustrate the tact that any suitable valve may be provided on the discharge pipe line 34 and vat any suitable point along this linev ln 'other words, the pipe line 34 may be the house system and have a plurality ol faucets.

Mounted upon a bracket 36 extendingj upward from the Abead 22 and forked or bi- :turcated at its upper end is a bell-crank lever 37, the horizontal armor" which is provided with a bulbous head 38 bored to lit loosely @roundthe red 2? and 'disposel'bg-'.

y tween the stops 29 and 30. The depending arm oi? this bell crank lever is also apern tnred, as 39, and at its lower end is notched for 'the reception of the upper end of an til-shaped spring 4:0, the lower end of which is supported in a nick 4l formed in the bracket 25. Extending upward Jfrom the head 12 is an air line pipe l2 which discharges at its `lower end into the tank ll yand which ventends upward exteriorly of `the tank 20 and is connected at its upper end to a valve casing; 43. This valvecasing is formed with an inlet port and valve seatI IA connecting with an air .inlet pipe 4:5, in

'turn connectec kto any source of compressed air.

Disposed within the valve casingv .is an air inlet valve t6 carried by a body et?, the rear end 48 onf-,which constitutes an exhaust valve. The rear end ot' this valve body is formed with al cruciform stem 4:9 extendingoutward through an exhaust aperture 50 in the rear end of the valve casing, and this stein rearward ol. the Vcruci'form portion extends loosely through the aperture 39 in the depending` arm of the bell crank lever and is provided with two adjustable stops 51 disposed on each side ot the depending); arm of lever 37.

The valve 4:6 urged to its seat by a spring;4

52 disposed around the valvev body lil-7. When the valve 46 is seated, it closes the inlet opening le for the air and thus cuts oli cornmunication between the lowerv tank l1 and the air but opens communication between the lower tank and the exhaust port 50. When the valve is retracted, however, it .openscommunication between the air inlet pipe t5 and the lower tank and closes communication f between this lower talk andthe exhaust port,

The operation of this mechanism is as follows: Assume that the mechanism is in the position illustrated in. Figure l and the lower tank 11 is more or less filled with water and `this water is being'iorced out through the pipe i9 by means of the compressed ir passingz downward through the air line 42 into the upper end of the chamber or tank ll.. The water -is thus being forced out through the water line pipe and a portion of this water will be forced up the pipe 4:3 and into the duct' 28 and so into the lower portion ot the floatingr tank 23. This tank at this time is more or less filled with air so that it has risen to vits highest position. .fils water Flows into the floating;r tank 23, however, the level on, water will `rise in the tank 23 and the air in the upper portion of the tank will be compressed. lNhen the water rises to a predetermined height in the tank 23, it will increase the weight of this tank sulliciently so that the tank will move downward, carrying with it the rod 27. At this time the waterin tank l1 has been discharged. is the rod 27 movesr downward under the weight of the floating tank `.23, the stop 29 will engage the head 38 and cause the bell crank lever 3i' to snap over into contact with. one4 ot the stops 5l and shiflt the valve formed of the parts 4:7 and t6 to a closed position, cutting off the Vtank is exhausting, water is `tlowing into the lower tank, while in the upper tank the pres-v sure of the air compressed in the upper portion of the tank 23 is forcing' the water out of this tank upward through the duct `2S and through the pipe branches 32 and into the piper 34e and so out past the `faucet 35, provided this faucet is open. Obxiously when the faucet 35 is closed the. action ol the apparatus is stopped.

At `the time that the Heating tank 2?) falls, it will snap the bellv crank lever 37 over, as heretofore described, to the position. shown in Figure 2. When a sufficient quantity ot watervhas been discharged from the tank 23 by the Atorce ci theair compressedwithin this tank, the weight of the floating; tank is sufficiently,lessened so that its buoyancy' n bell crank lever' until the axial line of thev depending arm ofthe bell crank lever'is'central with respect to the notch Zl-l and then this spring` l0 acts to urge the depending arm 39 over against the innermost 'stop 51.k This movement of the bell crank lever of the spring is assisted by the spring- 52 and by the weight ot the float 28 and it is necessary to use the spring 52 hecauseot therlfact that the valve 5G has to close against the` pressure of .air entering` the port del. @n the reverse movement, however, the pressure oit air ontering` through the port ifi assists in shittingv the valve body 47 to the postion'shown, in Figure 'l against the action of spring` 52. y, While l havel illustrated an embodiment of: my invention which is thoroughly positive in its action and cllective,` ,l do not wish to be limited thereto, as it obvious that the principle of." the invention might he einbodied in `other Iforms. l have illustrated thc ioo construction diagrammatieally to a certain ated means for yieldinglr holding the valve in either of its positions.

'8. A vpneumaticpump comprising a lower chamber having an inlet port and a discharge pipe, check valves controlling passage therethrough, an upper liquid containing tank, a hollow, air-tight 'lioat disposed therein, a tubular rod to which the float is attached and lextending' out through the` upper end of the -tank,vthe rod discharging at the lower end of the float, a tubular connection leading from the discharge pipe to the interior oi' said hollow rod exteriorly or the upper tank, a valve casing having an inlet port communicating with a source oi compressed air, an exhaust port, a port communicating with the upper end ot the lower tank, a valve therein in one position permitting the entrance of compressed air to the valve casing and lin another position closing the inlet port of the valve casing but opening the exhaust port, bell crank lever operatively connected to the valve and with which the float rod has sliding engagement, and stops on the float rod adapted to engage said bell crank lever to shift it as the rod nears its fully raised position or its fully lowered position.

9. A pneumatic pump comprising a lower chamber khaving` an inlet port and a Vdischarge pipe, check valves controlling the passage of liquid therethrough, an upper liquid containing tank, a hollow, air-tight float disposed therein, a tubular rod to which the. float is attached and extending out through the upper end of the tank, the rod discharging at'the lower end of the float, a tubular connection leading from the discharge pipe to the interior of said hollow rod exteriorly of the upper tank, a valve casing having an inlet port communicating with a source of compressed air, an exhaust port, a port communicating with the upper end ofthe lower tank, a valve therein in one position permitting the entrance of compressed air to the valve casing and in anothei' position closing the inlet port oit the valve casing but opening the exhaust port, a bell crank lever operatively connected to the valve and with which the float rod has sliding engagement, stops on the float rod adaptedv to engage said bell crank lever to shift it as the rod'nears its 'fullyraised position or its 'fully lowered position, and resilient'means yieldingly resisting` the initial movement 'ot the bell crank lever but assisting the-final movement oit the bell crank lever to either of its operative positions.

10. A pneumatic pump comprising a lower chamber having an inlet port` and a dischargejpipe, check valves controlling passage therethrough, an upper liquid containing tank, a hollow, air-tight float disposed therein, a tubular rod to which the float is attaclried and extending out through the upper end of the tank, the rod discharging at the inlet port of the valve casing but opening the exhaust port, a bell crank lever operatively connected'to the valve and with which the float rod has sliding engagement, stopsr on the float rod adapted to engage said bell crank lever to shift it as the rod nears its tully raised position or its fully lowered position, a spring` urging the valve to a position to close the air inlet, and a spring lvieldingly resisting the initial movement ot' the bell crank lever from either oi its positions but assisting movement of the f bell crank lever` from one position tothe other after it has passed a median line intersecting its center 'of motion.

ll. A pneumatic pump comprising a lower chamber' having an inlet port at its lower end and an outlet pipe extending from its upper end', checkvalves in saidport and pipe, an upper-liquid filled chamber, a hollow, air-tight float disposedthe'rein for vertical movement, a rod attached to said float and extending out through the upper end of thechamber, said vrod being hollow to provide a educt opening at its lower end adjacent the bottom ofthe float and at its upper v end above said chamber, a flexibleconnection extending from said duct, apipe leading 'trom the iiexible connection tothe discharge pipe of the lower chamber, a valve` casing having a compressed air inlet port, an exhaust port, an outlet port leading .trom the valve casing to the upper end of the lower chamber, a valve inthe casing in one position closing` the exhaust port and opening the inlet port and in the other position closing the inlet port and opening the exhaust port, and means for shitting said valve comprising spaced stops mounted on the rod, a lever having its end disposed between said stops and through which the rod slides, a stem on the valve having spaced stops, the otherend oi said lever having sliding engagement with said stem and between said stops, an'd resilient means yieldingly resisting an initial movement of said lever to either ot its positions but` assisting the i'inal movement of the lever.

l2. A pneumatic pump comprising alower chamber having an inlet port at its lower end and an outlet pipe extending from its upper end, check valves in said port and pipe, an upper `liquid lilled chamber, a hollow, air-tight float disposed therein for vertical movement, a rod attached to said float and extending out through the upper end of the chamber, said rod being hollow to provide a duct opening at its lower end adjacent the bottom of the float and at its upper end above said chamber, a iexible connection extending from said duct, a pipe leading from the flexible connection to the discharge pipe of the lower chamber, a valve casing having a compressed air inlet port, an exhaust port, an outlet port leading from the valve casing to the upper end of the lower chamber, a valve in the casing in one position closing the exhaust port and opening the inlet port and in the other vposition closing the inlet port and opening the exhaust port, means for shifting said valve comprising spaced stops mounted on the rod, a bell crank lever having one end disposed between said stops, this end of the lever having sliding engagement with the rod, a stem on the valve, spaced stops on the stem, the other end of the lever having sliding engagement with said stem between said stops, and an fa-shaped spring supported at its lower end and having its upper end engaging one arm of the bell crank lever, said spring resist-ing an initial movement oi' the bell crank lever from either of its positions but assisting iinal movement thereof.

13. A pneumatic pump comprising a lower chamber having an inlet port and a discharge pipe, check valves therein, an upper liquid lled tank, a float therein, means for establishing communication between the source of compressed air and the upper portion of the lower tank or between the upper portion of said lower tank and an exhaust port, including a valve operatively connected to and shifted in one direction by the rise of said float and in the other direction by the fall thereof, and means acting automatically for alternately increasing or decreasing the weight oi' the float to cause it to alternately descend or ascend.

14. In a pneumatic pump, a lower chamber having an inlet port, a discharge pipe, check valves therein, an upper liquidfcontaining tank, a hollow, air-tight float therein, means for discharging compressed air into the upper portion of the lower chamber or exhausting compressed air therefrom including a valve, means operatively connecting the valve to the float to shift the valve by the rise and fall of the float, and means for causing a discharge ot' a portion of the liquid discharged from the lower chamber into said float to thereby increase the weight of the lioat to cause its descent, the compressed air trapped in the upper portion of the float then acting to discharge the liquid from the float to thereby cause the rise ol the float.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto aiiX my signature.

THOMAS E. SMYTHE.

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