3^4 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
"The Hydraulic Ram Explained. 
From frequent inquiries and conversations 
with different persons on the subject, we are con¬ 
vinced that this very useful, and we may say beau¬ 
tiful apparatus, is not generally understood, and, 
therefore, not appreciated. It may be used with de¬ 
cided advantage by a large class of farmers, and 
others, where a spring or running stream or 
brook is some distance below the level of their 
premises, or place where water is required for 
use, as by means of it a portion can be raised to 
almost any elevation with a very small head 
or fall. A plain description of its peculiar mode 
of operation will be interesting to all, even to 
those who have not the facilities for using one. 
We will therefore introduce some simple sketches 
and explanations, which will, we hope, be under¬ 
stood by even our youngest reader. 
When any body is in motion, it acquires what 
is called a momentum, or force, which can never 
be instantaneously overcome. The amount of 
this momentum depends upon the rapidity of mo¬ 
tion. Thus: a musket ball, though but a small 
thiug, has sufficient momentum when in rapid 
motion to drive it through a thick, strong oak 
plank. So light a body as air, when mov¬ 
ing with great rapidity—as in winds or hurri¬ 
canes—has so much momentum that it will bend 
and break the largest tree which stands in its 
way, 
Remark —No body at rest can. be instantaneously 
set into rapid motion, and no moving body can be in¬ 
stantaneously stopped. 
Water, when once in motion, can not be sud¬ 
denly stopped. Suppose, for example, we have a 
lead pipe carrying water into a building. If we 
place a stop-cock exactly in the end of it, and 
when the water is flowing out rapidly, we sudden- 
Fig. 1. 
ly turn the stop-cock, the water, being in motion, 
will rush forward with such momentum as often 
to burst open the strongest lead pipe. To pre¬ 
vent such an occurrence, it is customary to let 
the pipe extend above the stop-cock, and keep 
the projecting part filled with air, which acts as a 
spring or cushion to gradually check the momen¬ 
tum of the water. If there be but little air above 
the stop-cock, the water will strike against the 
upper end with a chug, as it is often heard to do. 
Figs. 1 v&j help to understand what we 
are aimingTfalliB K rewto-. 1 we have water flowing 
from the spring, orpond, S,. through the pipe, and 
out at the lower end. V is a valve held closed 
by. a strong steel spring. When the water begins 
to flow rapidly, let the weight heldjn the hand be 
suddenly closed down over the open end of the 
pipe, .^The moving wfcter being thus 
instantaneously chefcl$llnn its course, its momen¬ 
tum will force up the sprrogjimive, V, and shoot 
out with great velocity for an instant, but the 
spring will gradually close down and stop the flow. 
The operatfon may be repeated by again raising 
and lowering the weight. 
In fig. 3, we^iave a similar arrangement, but 
here we have a heavy metal impetus-valve,», 
upon the lower end of a rod which plays loosely 
through a ring above. When the water is at rest, 
this valve will fall down by its own weight, but 
as soon as the water flows out fast enough to car¬ 
ry up this heavy valve, it suddenly closes the open¬ 
ing above it, as seen in fig. 4. As in the former 
case, the water will now, by means of its mo¬ 
mentum, drive open the spring-valve, V, with 
Fig. 4. 
great force. But as soon as the velocity of the 
water has been slackened, or suddenly stopped, 
the valve, i, will fall of its own weight, and the 
water will rush out around it, until its velocity 
again lifts i to close the opening. It will readily 
be seen, then, that the floating valve, i, will con¬ 
tinually rise and fall, the spring-valve, V, being 
forced open at every sudden checking of the cur¬ 
rent along the pipe. 
Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the same operation, 
with the addition of a receiving vessel, A, to 
catch the water forced out at V. When i, in fig . 
5, is suddenly closed, as seen in fig. 6, the water 
is forced into the receiving chamber, and out 
through the small pipe extending upward from it. 
The great power or momentum acquired by the 
water in the large pipe, though it falls but two or 
three feet, is sufficient, when suddenly checked, 
to drive a portion of it through the valve V to a 
great hight. The greater the fall in the large, or 
driving pipe, the greater will be the velocity, and, 
consequently, the greater the momentum or the 
power with which the water will be forced through 
the valve, V. 
But suppose the smaller upright discharge-pipe 
were made to fit directly over the valve, V. In 
this case (see remark above), the rest momentum 
of the water in the discharge-pipe would over¬ 
come the moving momentum of the water in the 
drive-pipe, and some portion of the pipe, say near 
V, would be bursted, or at least only a small 
quantity would be forced out of the discharge-pipe, 
ami that only in spirts, corresponding with the ris¬ 
ing and falling of the movable valve, V. Thisdif- 
eultv is completely and beautifully overcome by 
taking advantage of the elastic property of com¬ 
mon air. Thus, the space, A, above the water, is 
filled with air. Every injection of water at V 
compresses this air; but owing to its elasticity 
it exerts a constant pressure upon the water, 
and forces a continuous stream out through the 
discharge-pipe. 
In a single second the water of the large pipe 
may be started into motion by the falling of the 
movable valve, i —be stopped by its closing— 
and again set in motion. 
The rapidity of this alternate opening and clos¬ 
ing of the valve, i. will depend in part upon the 
amount of fall in the drive pipe, and in part upon 
the distance i moves up and down. This distance 
may be varied or adjusted at will, by a screw and 
nut upon the rod attached to i, which is turned 
up or down to allow it to rise a less or greater 
distance. We have omitted this part of the ap¬ 
paratus, and simplified its construction, in order 
to better show the principle of the implement. 
These rams are usually made of iron, except 
the valves, which are made of brass; so-that we 
cannot see the internal arrangement. When in 
action, there is a short flow of water out at i< 
then a sudden cessation, and a slight noise made 
by the closing of the valve, i, and an instant af¬ 
ter, the falling of this valve, and a sudden flow 
of water;' then a cessation again, and so on—at 
each stoppage of the water a portion of it being 
forced into .4, as when a wave dashes against a 
rock, a portion of it is thrown higher than the 
crest of the rock. 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS 
It will be seen that a slight fall of water in the 
drive-pipe, sufficient to give some degree of mo¬ 
tion is all that is needed to render the Hydraulic 
ram available. Two feet fall, or even less will 
drive one of them, if the moving valve, i, be well 
constructed and adjusted, the latter being an easy 
matter. 
The drive-pipe should be from 25 to 50 feet in 
length that it may contain a sufficient body of 
moving water to produce the required momen¬ 
tum. 
The drive-pipe needs to be larger than the dis¬ 
charge pipe, as the former conveys not only tho 
water discharged above, but also that wasted at 
i The relative amount of water wasted and car¬ 
Fig. 5. 
ried into the discharge pipe will depend upon the 
hight it is to be carried, the fall and consequent 
velocity of the driving steam. The greater the 
velocity, the quicker will i be raised, and the 
greater will be the momentum force exerted 
through the valve V. The length of the discharge 
pipe also affects the amount of water forced 
through it, as there is more or less friction against 
its sides to be overcome. This friction would of 
Fig. 6. 
course be less in pipe carried directly up 30 feet, 
than if the pipe extended 1,000 or 1,500 feet in 
rising to that hight. 
Example. —If the discharge pipe he 800 to 1,000 
feet long, about one-seventh of the water will be 
carried five times as high as it descends in the 
drive-pipe. Thus: 7 gallons of water falling 3 
feet in the drive-pipe, would carry up 1 gallon 5 ’ 
times 3 feet, or 15 feet high ; the othpr 6 gallons 
being wasted. If the fall be 12 feet, 7 gallons will 
carry 1 gallon 5 times 12 feet, or 60 feet high. 
And so for any amount of fall, multiplying the fall 
