On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
In the accompanying engraving we illustrate a new form of pump or water elevator adapted to be used in connection with windmills in place of the ordinary reciprocating pump. The elevator is so designed that the motion is purely a rotary one, thus avoiding the jerking motion that is so destructive in the ordinary pump. The water elevator can with safety be run at the highest speed at which the windmill can oper ate, enabling all possible advantage to be taken of strong winds. It will be observed that the elevator comprises a tubular body A. in which a double screw elevator ? is fitted. The tubular body and the spiral elevator are made up of sections, which are bolted or riveted together. The body A and screw ? are adapted to turn as one piece, and hence are fastened together by screws F. The lower end of the tube A is screwed into a bearing terminal C, which is formed with a pin that enters a socket piece E. To prevent swaying when the elevator is in motion, the socket piece is guyed to the sides of the well. The spiral elevator ? projects into the bearing terminal O, and is formed with scoops D adapted to lift the water into the screw when the latter is rotated. At the upper end the tube A is threaded into a U-shaped member H, which rests on a ball bearing J. The U-shaped member ? is threaded into the end of a shaft M, which is flattened at its upper end and provided with a serrated surface adapted to engage a similar serrated surface on the shaft O. The shafts M and 0, after being properly adjusted with respect to each other, are fastened together by means of a U bolt. The power of the windmill is conducted to the shaft 0 by means of gearing P, and serves to rotate the elevator, which raises water on the principle of Archimedes's screw. The water rises to the top of the screw, whence it pours through the U-shaped member H into the reser voir K, and thence through the outlet L to the desired point of application. A fly-wheel ? serves to balance the motion of the elevator. A patent on this water elevator has been granted to Mr. Albert Haas, of 4 State Street, Flushing, N. Y.
