1853] 



REPORT ON J. L. GATCHELL'S HYDRAULIC RAM. 



13 



Report on J. L. Gatcln ll's Hydraulic Ram. 



The Committee on Science and the Arts, constituted by the 

 Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania, for the 

 promotion of the Mechanic Arts, to whom was referred for 

 examination, " an Improvement in Hydraulic Rams? invent- 

 ed by Mr. J. L. Gatchell, of Elhton, Maryland — Report: 



That the improvements submitted for examination consist, first, 

 in the use of a chamber between the body of the ram and the 

 air vessel, in which chamber is placed a flexible diaphragm, de- 

 pressed by a spring, but capable of elevation by the recoil, thus 

 communicating the momentum of the water passing through the 

 body of the instrument to that contained in the air vessel. The 

 principal advantage of this mode of construction is, the making 

 the ram " double acting," as it is called, that is, keeping the water 

 in the air vessel separate from that driving the instrument; so 

 that in this way the water of any flowing stream, although unfit 

 for domestic or manufacturing use, may be made available for 

 raising the whole supply of a good spring. The Committee are 

 aware that this effect has been before more or less perfectly pro- 

 duced, both by sliding pistons and by interposed columns of air; 

 but the use of the flexible diaphragm, by its tendency to produce 

 a vacuum in the chamber above it when depressed by its spring, 

 enables the water to be lifted into this chamber by atmospheric 

 pressure or friction, and this feature the Committee regard as a 

 novelty. It moreover appears probable that the mechanical ac- 

 tion of this diaphragm will react upon the discharge valve, and 

 thus have a tendency to prevent the stoppages which '"have so 

 often been a cause of annoyance in the use of hydraulic rams. 



The second improvement presented is a method of further pre- 

 venting these stoppages by placing a spring upon the head of the 

 ram, so that it shail be slightly lifted at every rise of the valve, 

 and then by its reaction force the valve down again and re-open 

 the passage for the water, to be again stopped when the -water 

 has acquired the requisite velocity. The Committee satisfied 

 themselves that when this spring is in action the ram cannot be 

 stopped by holding the valve shut for a short time, which can be 

 done in other rams ; so that if while in action an)' fortuitous cir- 

 cumstance prevents the instant falling of the valve, the action of 

 an ordinary ram ceases, while the one under consideration will 

 recommence by the action of the spring. 



The third improvement is in the method of regulating the dis- 

 charge of the water from the head valve. It is allowed to pass 

 through a series of orifices around the circumference of a disk, 

 which orifices may be more or less closed by a second moveable 

 disk which slides over the first. This method is simple and 

 delicate, but might be so arranged as to allow the readjustment 

 to be made without taking off the valve, which could not be 

 done in the one seen by the Committee. 



Finally, the patentee claims the method of putting together his 

 ram by keys instead of screws, which arrangement renders it 

 much more easy to take the instrument apart and re-set it, and 

 avoids the difficulties arising from the rusting of the screws 

 generally used. 



The Committee having examined the model exhibited, and 

 seen it in operation, report that, in their opinion, the peculiar 

 features which Mr. Gatchell claims to have introduced into hy- 

 draulic rams, are very decided improvements, and recommend 

 them to the attention of persons about to use these convenient 

 and advantageous instruments. 



By order of the Committee, 



Wm. Hamilton, Actuary. 

 Philadelphia, May 12, 1853. 



DESCRIPTION BY THE INVENTOR. 



A, the air vessel; b, the diaphragm or piston chamber; c c, 

 the impetus or stop valve ; d d, the body of the ram ; e, a small 

 section of the feeding pipe; r f f, the pipe supplying the dia- 

 phragm chamber with spring or well water; g, the pipe through 

 which the water is carried to the desired elevation ; h h, a flexi- 

 ble diaphragm separating the two kinds of water ; k, a weight or 



spring attached to the diaphragm ; m, the spring or well valve; 

 n, the compressed air in the air vessel ; o, the sliding plate on 

 the bottom of the impetus valve, and p, the sniffing valve, to 

 admit air into the air chamber, r, a spring screwed to the im- 

 petus valve c c, which effectually prevents the ram from stop- 

 ping, from dirt, sand, <fec. 



Now, it is thought any ordinary person can readily understand 

 the operation of this ram. When the water in the "feeding pipe 

 e, is put in motion, its momentum soon closes the impetus valve 

 c c, and exerts an influence on the diaphragm h h, (in the posi- 

 tion of the dotted lines i i,) driving it into the position h h, at 

 the same time the spring well valve l is forced open, rMving a 

 portion of water into the air vessel a, the compressed air in which 

 gradually forces the water up the rising pipe a, to the desired 

 point. It will be very easily perceived that by using a suitable 

 weight or spring k, on the diapragm h h, at the time of the re- 

 action of the water in the body of the ram d d, the falling of the 

 diaphragm into the position of the dotted lines i i, will produce 

 a vacuum in the diaphragm chamber b, admitting a portion of 

 water up the pipe f f, through the valve m, from a well, spring, 

 or reservoir below the level of the ram. And by introducing the 

 spring water into the diaphragm chamber through the pipe re- 

 presented bp the dotted lines f, or by its natural flow or gravity, 

 it will supersede the necessity of the weight or spring k, bein"- at 

 all used. 



By means of the sliding plate o, on the underside of impetus 

 or stop valve c c, it can be very easily regulated to suit the quan- 

 tity of water afforded by the spring or stream. It is also so con- 

 structed that the water passing through it has a tendency to give 

 it a partial revolution, by which means it will assume a new po- 

 sition on its seat at every stroke, and will be made to wear equally 

 and always to bed itself correctly. 



Experience has shown that the use of screw bolts in putting 

 the rams together, is attended with a great inconvenience on ac- 

 count of the threads of the screws becoming corroded, and gene- 

 rally in less than a year, it is with considerable difficulty that the 

 rams can be taken apart even with a wrench of the best kind ; 

 but the above rams are fastened together by means of small keys, 

 which any farmer or common mechanic can with an ordinary 



