1798. | 
paratus I am about to defcribe, in the 
jeveral methods hereatter {pecified, (ex- 
cepting the féveral cales of the fixth me- 
thod hereinatter mentioned,) continue 
their own action when once -fet a going, 
unle{s fome accident fhould ftop or de- 
range them; and are capable of railing » 
water in great quantities, and to great 
heights, except as to great heights in fome 
tew of the cafes hereinafter {pecified and 
explained; and alfo differ, in other re- 
f{peéts, from any thing which has been 
executed hitherto. 
The nature of the faid improved in- 
vention confifts in ufing valves, of vari- 
ous conftructions, inftead of cocks, to 
open or fhutthe esd, or ends,:of a main 
pipe, as herein after defcribed, and in the 
application of mechanifm, or contrivances 
to aflift inopening and fhutting the valves 
at proper times; wuereby, and by the 
methods hereinafter f{pecified, water is 
raifed, independently of any power othe 
than a current of water through the main 
pipe, and the mechamifm aforefaid, ex- 
cept the fixth method as aforefaid ; 1n 
which latter method fome power is necef- 
fary to put the water in the main pipe in 
motion, (abiolutely or relatively,) as 
hereinafter deferibed; and alfo in ufing 
proper materials for conftru€ling the 
pipes, (as hereafter mentioned,) in order, 
to prevent the fhock arifing from the re- 
fiftance aforefaid, from caufing the prpes 
to burit; which latter circumftance is ef- 
fentially neceflary to be attended to. 
The manner in which the faid invention is 
to be performed, and the faid improved ap- 
paratus and methods carried into effeét, is as 
follows, viz: 
The firff and mof fimple method is 
fhewn in figure 1, in which CC is the 
main pipe. D.D the afcending pipe. A 
the valve of exit for the water to be raifed. 
B the ftop-valve; and E a weight, which, 
by the lever F, attached to the axis G of 
the ftop-valve B, opens it at the proper 
time. he faid apparatus a¢ts in the fol- 
Jowing manner. The main pipe being 
fituated or fixed in a current or ftream of 
water, either produced by the natural 
current or declivity of a river, or other 
ftream, or (which is preferable) by pen- 
ning up water by a dam, weir, or bank, 
and by inferting the end of the main pipe 
through the faid dam, weir, or bank, fo 
as to obtain the greateft head or current 
of water the natural circumfances admit 
of, the ftop-valve being opened to the 
, pofition fhewn in the. figures, the water 
“willrun through the main pipe, imitil, 
by its ation upon the ftop-valve, in its 
Mr. Boulton’s Patent for raifing Water. 
° 
125 
« 
reclined pofition, it raifes the weight, and 
fhuts the itop-valve, and the water, by 
its impetus or momentum, opens the 
exit-valve, and a portion of it rifesin the 
aicending pipe;) after which, the lait 
mentioned valve fhuts, the water in the 
main pipe recoils, the weight defecnds 
and opens the ftop-valve, and the water 
in the main pipe regains its velocity. The 
like operations are repeated, and the 
water gradually rifes im the afcending 
pipe, until it reaches its fymmit, anda 
quantity iffues thence every ftroke; which 
quantity is more orlefs, according as the 
height to which it is raifed-is lefs or 
greater. 
This firft method is not eligible where 
the water 1s to be raifetl to any confider- 
able height; for the natural fragility, or 
imperfection, of even the beft materials 
that can be procured for forming the 
pipes, caufes a great danger of the 
rupture of the pipes, in this form of 
conftruGtion, unleis the raifing of the 
water be limited to the height of a few 
feet, or unlefs the pipes be made of an 
extraordinary thickneis, difregarding ex- 
pence. 
This danger of burfting the pipes is to 
be regardec, in every cafe of applying 
this invention to practice. 
The fecozd method is fhewn at Figure 2, 
and is adapted to the railing of water te 
great heights as weil as fmall. It differs 
trom.the former, in having an air-vefiel 
or refervoir of air J, whereby the burit- 
ing of the pipes is prevented, or the dan- 
ger thereof mach diminifhed. . Into this 
air-veffel, the water from the main pipe 
_enters through the exit-valve, and com- 
preffes the air in the veflel ; which again, 
by its expantion or elaftrcity, a¢ts upon 
the water, (the regrefs of which is pre- 
vented by the fhutiing of the exit-valve,) ~ 
and the water rifes through the afcending 
pipe, and, by repeated ftrokes, acquires 
the defired height. 
The dimentions of the air-vefiel, as 
well as its form and pofition, whether 
above, or latcrally afiixed to the main 
pipe, are in great meafure arbitrary; but 
its contents of air ought not to be much 
Jefs than ten times the quantity of water 
to be raifed through the afcending pipe 
each ftroke, and if much larger ftillthe bet- 
ter, the principal boundary being expence. 
‘The ftop-valve may be opened and fhut, 
as has heen defcribed in the firft method, 
by the mechanifm fhewn in the fecond 
figure, or by any of the mechani‘m here- 
inafter de{cribed as adapted to the open- 
ing of valves. 
The 
