New Improvement on the Hydraulic Ram

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William Fields, Jr., of Wilmington, Delaware, has lately invented four improvements in addition to a patent he has already received on the Hydraulic Ram. The improvements are as follows : " a valve and valve-box at or near the end of the drive pipe, next to the spring or dam, opening upwardly and inwardly, which valve keeps in the back action, and prevents the water from escaping in the spring;" these are already patented by said Fields, but he has now invented an air chamber similar to the drive pipe, and nicely attached to this valve-box; this gives great efficiency to the ram, and works with such regularity that it is impossible for the ram to stop as long as it is supplied with water. Ths next improvement is a brass puppet valve under the air chamber, which rises and falls a certain distance this vajve has circular holes all around it, so as to let the water in the air chamber, and excels the hinge valve in durability, and no gravel can prevent it from closing. The third improvement is a horizontal waste-water valve with a piston ; this valve is constantly kept open, except when the momentum ot the water closes it, then, when the water re-acts, a spiral spring forces it open, which is a very simple and durable plan. The valve is so arranged that not anything can stop its action. The fourth improvement is precisely the same kind of a valve as the waste-water valve and box, but is placed immediately in the rear of the air chamber, attached to a bianch pipe suitable Jor one, two, or more valves of the same kind. Those valves are to take up a good portion of the waste water after it has escaped from the waste-water valve. This waste-water valve and the rear valves, being two or three inches under the water, more or less, when the water is escaping from the waste water valve, the powerful suction of the water into the ram from the others takes the greater part of the waste water in, and the greater the Jail and length of the driver pipe, the more is taken in.

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