Hydraulic Rams, Their Principles And Construction

HYDRAULIC RAMS; THEIR PRINCIPLES AND CONSTRUCTION. INCLUDING SOME EXPERIMENTS CARRIED OUT BY THE AUTHOR AT THE REGENT STREET POLYTECHNIC AND VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY - PREFACE - THE Author, when a boy, was fascinated by the working of a hydraulic ram, which he had frequent opportunities of seeing, near his home in the country since then he . . has had to do with a great many, both old and new. The experience he has gained in practice, and from a large number of experiments with a ram especially fitted for the Regent Street Polytechnic, has been of great value to him for both practical and lecturing purposes. Thinking the subject matter of this little book would be of interest to his fellow-workers it was published in the Plzcmber and Decorator, and, as it has been asked for, it is now issued in its present handy form. No claim is made to literary merit, but the Author hopes this may be found useful, and meet with the same kind reception that has been accorded his other books. J. WRIGHT CLARKE. Novenzber, 1899. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. No. I-Diagram illustrating momentum of water in pipes ... ... 2-Transverse cracks in lead pipes ... g-Hydraulic ram and feed tank ... 4-Plan. Collection of spring waters 5-Drop valve in feed tank ... ... 6-Grated inlet end of drive pipe .,. 7-Side view of sluice valve ... ... S-Section of caulked lead joint on cast iron pipe ... ... g-Glass model of hydraulic ram ... 10-Working model of ram ... ... I I- 9 9 9 ,, made by students ... . . . . .. 12-Proper radius for bends ... . . I 3-14-Illustrating power of falling water I 5-Experimental ram .. . . . . . . . 16-Diagram of air compression in airchamber ... . . ... 17-Sketch of method for reducing excessive shock on ram . . . 18-Philosophers hammer .. . ... 19-View of a patented ram ... ... 20.2 I - 22-23-Various kinds of dash valves ... 24-25-26-27-,, ,, delivery valves 28-Sniffle valve ... ... . . . 29-Air ,, . . . ... ... 30-Section of double action ram ... 31 - 32-33-, pumping rams ... 34-Crudely constructed automatic feed ... . . . ... .... 35-Patented constructed automatic feed ... ... . . . ... Page. 36-Plan of ram supplying three tanks at different levels .... ... A HYDRAULIC ram is a machine with no moving parts, excepting two working valves and sometimes one air valve, and is used for raising a portion of the water which works it to a height, such as from a valley to a cistern in a house, or a reservoir, or water tower, in some elevated position. Before describing the ram and its capabilities it will be advisable to explain certain principles in hydro-mechanics and thus help to make the action more clearly understood. In earlier lectures the principles of what is commonly known as water-hammerJ in pipes were explained, and also the appliances used by plumbers for preventing the objectionable noises made when the flow of water in pipes is suddenly arrested. In those lectures the action of air vessels was explained and also their object, which is to slowly arrest the impetus, or momentum, of the water moving in a pipe when a cock attached to it is suddenly closed. If, instead of fixing an air-vessel to the service-pipe, and near the bib-cock, the end of the pipe was continued upwards above the level of the cistern, or reservoir, as shown by diagram, Fig I, and water allowed to flow out of the cock, on quickly closing the latter the water will rush up the pipe A, to a considerable height above the level of that in the cistern, and then subside again to the level line. As another illustration, it has been found in 8 HYDRAULIC RAMS...