300 Hydraulics for Farmers. [June, 



As the ascending column of water communicates with the air 

 in the reservoir D, this would soon be exhausted, if a fresh supply 

 or portion of air were not introduced at each stroke of the ram. 

 Thus when the flow of the water through B is suddenly stopped 

 by valve E, a partial vacuum is produced immediately below the 

 air-chamber, by the recoil of the water, at which instant the small 

 valve at B, in Fig. 3, opens, and a portion of air enters, and sup- 

 plies that which the water absorbs. In small rams, a sufficient 

 supply is found to enter at the valve E. 



Air-vessels are indispensable to the permanent operation of 

 these machines. Without them the pipes would soon be ruptured 

 by the violent concussion consequent on the sudden stoppage of 

 the current of the motive column. The air being elastic, breaks 

 the force of the blows. 



This beautiful machine may be adapted to numerous loca- 

 tions in the country. When the perpendicular fall from A to 

 the valve E, is but a few feet, and the water is required to be 

 raised to a considerable height through F, then the length of the 

 driving pipe B must be increased, and to such an extent that the 

 water in it is not forced back into the spring, when the valve in 

 E closes, which will always be the case, if the pipe B is not of 

 sufficient length. 



The first water ram erected in this country was imported a few 

 years since from England, at an expense of one hundred dollars, 

 and put in successful operation at Fairy-Knowe, the residence of 

 J. H. Latrobe, esq., near Baltimore, Md. 



Within a few years, some of our ingenious mechanics have 

 taken hold of the subject, and they are now made for a very 

 trifling expense, in comparison to the one imported by Mr. La- 

 trobe. Among the earliest to improve the machine, I would name 

 B. S. Benson, near Baltimore, Md., by which pure spring w'ater 

 may be forced up by a stream of brook on impure water. 



The following is a representation of Benson's Patent Water-ram, 

 for raising spring or other water for supplying farms, towns, or 

 villages. l?y means of this ram, persons having a small branch 

 or spring, that will afford one gallon per minute, with a small 

 stream of impure water, can have a portion of the spring or any 

 other water, raised to his house or barn, through a small leaden 

 tube. This ram, says the inventor, will raise twice the w-ater 

 that any forcing pump will, with the same water power, there 

 being only three valves to keep it in motion, in place of the heavy 

 water-wheel and piston. This ram can be driven by branch wa- 

 ter, and raise spring or branch water to the house at ]^leasure, by 

 simply turning a cock, without any derangement of the ram, and 

 is very simple, and easy to keep in order — the valves being faced 



