WATER. 



cumulation of air in the matrafi ; and when the afpiration 

 of the recoil takes place, a fmall quantity of this air pafles 

 from the annular fpace, and proceeds along the pipe till it 

 arrives beneath the flap-valve, and lodging in the fmall fpace 

 beneath thefe valves, it will be forced into the air-veffel at 

 the next ftroke, by vrhich means the air-veffel is always kept 

 filled vpith air. 



The following are the dimenfions of a machine which is 

 calculated to raife water up the tube to loo feet above the 

 f urface of the water in the refervoir, when the fall by which 

 it is worked is five feet, that is, where the level of the water 

 in the refervoir is five feet above the lower level ; and the 

 length of the pipe from the open end to where the water is 

 difcharged is to be twenty feet long, ajid fix inches in 

 diameter. 



Such a machine may be expefted to expend about feventy 

 cubic feet per minute to work it, and to raife up about two 

 and one-third cubic feet per minute ; but thefe quantities 

 cannot be exactly ftated, becaufe they depend upon the care 

 and accuracy with which the machine is conftrufted. 

 Under different circumftances, having a greater or lefs 

 fall or quantity or water, the dimenfion of the machine 

 muft be calculated accordingly. 



The improvements in this lad form of the hydraulic ram 

 are, 



Firft, that by conftrufting the head of the ram with the 

 upper fide of the pipe flat, and applying the flap-valves im- 

 mediately upon the top, there is very little fpace to contain 

 dead water, that is, water which will be motionlefs when the 

 current takes place in the pipe ; and by dividing the fingle 

 valve of the original machine into feveral fmall and narrow 

 valves, they open and fliut more fuddenly, and with lefs lofs 

 of water. 



Secondly, in making the bafon on each fide of the pipe, 

 which bafon is on a lower level than the flap-valves. 

 By this means the water will flow off from the flap-valve on 

 each fide, and at the inflant when the machine performs its 

 ftroke, and forces water through the faid valves into the air- 

 veffel, the valves will not be covered, or at lead very flightly 

 covered by water ; confequently, when thofe valves open, and 

 the water is forced into the air-veffel, it has only the com- 

 preffed air to oppofe it, which from its elafticity allows the 

 water to enter with more facility than if it was refiiled by a 

 column of water refting upon the valves ; not that there is any 

 lefs hydroflatic preffure upon the valves, becaufe it is the air 

 which bears upon them, inftead of the water, but there is a 

 lefs mafs of matter to be put in motion by the water which 

 enters into the air-veflel : for it has only the matter con- 

 tained in the valves themfelves to put in motion. 



Thirdly, in applying the external ftop-valve, the ufe of 

 which is to prevent the water returning into the ram when 

 the recoil takes place, and having this provifion, a greater 

 quantity of air can be employed in the matrafs than could 

 otherwife conveniently be done ; this renders the fhock 

 which takes place when the flop-valve is (hut lefs fudden. 

 We have examined feveral of thefe machines made in France 

 by the inventor, and can with confidence recommend them 

 to engineers as the very bell machine, and the motl fimple 

 for raifing water when there is a natural fall. The laft im- 

 provements, as they enable us to fhorten the length of the 

 body of the ram to nearly one-third, without reducing the 

 performance, are very important. 



The hydrauhc ram is adapted to give motion to the hy- 

 droflatic prefles, which are in common ufe under the name 

 of Bramah's preffes. For this purpofe, it is only neceffary 

 to apply the afcending-pipe to the cylinder of the hydraulic 

 prefs, and at each ftroke of the ram a fmall quantity of 



water will be forced or injedled into the cylinder of the 

 prefs, and will thus produce the afcent of the pifton of the 

 prefs in- the fame manner as is now performed by the fmall 

 inje£lion-pump worked by the force of men. But by the 

 application of the hydraulic ram to that purpofe, the prefs 

 can be worked in any fituation where there is a fmall fall of 

 water, and the ram may be fet in motion whenever the prefs 

 is wanted. 



An Hydraulic Ram, or Momentum Machine aSing hy SuSion, 

 is fhewn axjig!. 2 and 3. Plate Water-iuorhs. This is appli- 

 cable in cafes where the water to be raifed is below the level 

 of the main-pipe, and is to be difcharged at that level ; a cafe 

 which frequently occurs in the drainage of marfhy lands, 

 where the aftion of the current of water, in an embanked 

 river, or other ftream or fource of water on a higher level, 

 can be employed ; or this method can be applied in raifing 

 water out of the holds of fhips by the motion of the veffel 

 through the water ; alfo to raife water out of a well of mo- 

 derate depth. 



C reprefents a portion of the main-pipe ; Y>,f.g. 2. is 

 the ftop-valve fituated at the entrance of the pipe, and open- 

 ing outwards fo as to ftop the paffage of the pipe when it is 

 fhut ; D, the afcending or fucking-pipe, communicating 

 with the well at the bottom an^l with the main-pipe at the 

 top ; J is the air-veffel ; and E the weight of the ftop-valve 

 of the main-pipe. There is likewife a valve A opening 

 from the air-veffel into the main-pipe. 



The water in the main-pipe having acquired a proper ve- 

 locity by the current, as in the former cafes, the ftop-valve 

 B (huts, and the water in the main-pipe continuing its mo- 

 tion for a time, draws air out of the air-veffel J, through the 

 valve A. The momentum of the water in the main-pipe 

 being foon expended it recoils, the receiving-valve A fhuts 

 to prevent the return of the water into the air-veffel, and the 

 ftop-valve B opens by the aftion of the weight E, the water 

 thus regains its paffage, and foon acquires fufficient ve- 

 locity to clofe the ftop-valve again, and the operation is 

 repeated. 



Thus in a few ftrokes the exhauftion is increafed till the 

 air-veffel fucks up water from below, through the afcending- 

 pipe D, or rather the preffure of the atmofphere on the fur- 

 face of the valve below forces it up, when the preffure on 

 the furface within the air-veffel is removed by the ex- 

 hauftion. This aftion being continued, the afcending-pipe 

 fills by degrees to the top, after which, at every fucceflive 

 ftroke, a portion of the water from below paffes into the 

 main-pipe, and is carried off into the pipe C, where it mixes 

 with the upper water. 



In cafes where the water of the tide or other alternating 

 current is employed as the motive power, the apparatus may 

 be conftnifted in two ways, either by applying a ftop- 

 valve, air-veffel, and afcending-pipe, fuch as is fhewn at one 

 end in_^^. 4. to each end of the main-pipe C, to be ufed al- 

 ternately, according as the tide fets in the one direftion or 

 the other ; or otherwife by applying two main pipes to one 

 air-veffel, their mouths being placed in oppofite direftions 

 and to be ufed alternately, and apphed to the raifing of water, 

 for the ufe of falt-works, or for other ufes, fuch as the fup- 

 ply of a country-houfe. 



The firft machine above defcribed may be employed to 

 raife water to fmall heights by the motion of the waves of 

 the fea, or of any large pieces of water ; in which cafe the 

 mouth or receiving end of the main-pipe fhould be formed 

 like a fpeaking-trumpet, as fhewn injif^. 4. and placed op- 

 pofite to the direction in which the waves beat upon the 

 fhore at the place where the machine is. The water of the 

 waves will enter the main-pipe, and rufh through it until 



the 



