Water Supply for Houses.

Progress, Volume I, Issue 8, 1 June 1906, Page 213

Water Supply for Houses.

In localities where a high-pressure water service is not obtainable, the miniature pumping plant recently patented by Messrs. Bradley Bros., of Christchurch. should be very useful. A simple hot-air engine, the heat for which may be obtained from a gas jet or kerosene lamp, is connected by a driving band with a fly wheel, which in turn is connected by a rod with a pump delivering water to a tank upon the top of a house, or in any other convenient place. The apparatus is so constructed, that when the tank is filled with water, an electrical circuit is established through the water contacting with a plate to which one wire of a battery circuit is connected. Upon the establishment of the electrical circuit m this way an electro magnet becomes magnetised, whereby a permanent magnet, opposed to it and secured upon the end of a lever, is thrown down, the tap regulating the supply of gas to the motor being thereby closed and the motor stopped. The fact of the gas tap turning oft breaks the electric circuit, thereby throwing the battery out of action. The electrical portion of the apparatus is extremely simple, being driven by ordinary Leclanche cells, such as are used for electric bells. It is, how-

ever, quite possible to use only the stopping part of the electric apparatus, so that the pump, when once started, continues in action until the tank is full ; or the electric action may be dispensed with entirely, the pump being started and stopped by hand. Hot-air engines of the type used m this invention are extremely cheap, useful and economical little motors, and it occurs to us that the motors might be easily made to disconnect from the pump, so as to be usable for driving a small machine, such as a lathe or sewing machine. Messrs. Bradley Bros, have installed a great many of the pumping arrangements described, and we learn from them that to pump ioo gallons per hour, 15 feet high, involves a consumption of only 8 cubic feet of gas, so that the working cost is but nominal.