Identifier: conquestofnature00will (find matches)
Title: The conquest of nature
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Williams, Henry Smith, 1863- Williams, Edward Huntington, 1868-1944, joint author
Subjects: Industrial arts Machinery
Publisher: New York and London, The Goodhue company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
essure exerted will be measured in tons,but the distance through which it is exerted will be almostinfinitesimal. The range of utility of the hydrostaticpress is, therefore, limited, but within its sphere, it isan incomparable transmitter of energy. Moreover, it is possible to reverse the action of thehydraulic apparatus so as to gain motion at the expenseof power. A familiar type of elevator is a case in point.The essential feature of the hydraulic elevator consistsof a ram attached to the bottom of the elevator andextending down into a cylinder, slightly longer than theheight to which the elevator is to rise. The ram isfitting into a cylinder with water-tight packing, or acut leather valve. Water imder high pressure is ad-mitted to the cylinder through the valve at the bottom,and the pressure thus supplied pushes up the ram,carrying the elevator with it, of course. Another valveallows the water to escape, so that ram and elevatormay descend, too rapid descent being prevented by (76)
Text Appearing After Image:
HYDRAULIC PRESS AND HYDRAULIC CAPSTAN. The upper figure shows Bramahs original hydraulic pump and press, now pre-served in the South Kensington Museum, London. The machine was constructedin 1796 by Joseph Bramah to demonstrate the principle of his hydraulic press.The discrepancy in size between the small lever worked by hand and the enormouslever carrving a heavy weight gives a vivid impression of the gain in power throughthe use of the apparatus. The lower figure shows the hydrauhc capstan usedon many modern ships, in which the same principle is utilized. THE WORK OF AIR AND WATER the partial balancing of ram and elevator with weightsacting over pulleys. The ram, to the end of whichpressure is thus applied, need be but a few inches indiameter. Water pressure is secured by bringing waterfrom an elevation. Such an elevator acts slowly, butis a very safe and in many ways satisfactory mechanism.Such elevators are still used extensively in Europe,but have been almost altogether displaced

Note About Images