System for replacing environmental fluid in boreholes and other fluid-confining means

Claim 1

A system for replacing environmental fluids disposed within boreholes comprising: A. a substantially sealed cylinder having opposite ends; B. a displaceable piston seated within said cylinder adjacent to one end thereof continuously urged in displacement toward the other end of the cylinder, including a pair of coaxially related faces oppositely spaced from the ends of the cylinder and defining therewithin a first and a second coaxially related chamber; C. a transparent fluid at a first pressure substantially filling said first chamber; D. a fluid discharge conduit communicating with said said first chamber for conducting fluid from said cylinder; E. an environmental fluid at a second pressure substantially filling said second chamber; F. displacement initiating means for initiating displacement of the piston comprising a selectively operable flow control valve seated in said discharge conduit adapted to be opened for accommodating a discharge of said fluid from said cylinder; and G. a substantially unobstructed fluid intake conduit for extending from a body of environmental fluid to the second chamber for continuously maintaining the second chamber in direct communication with the body of environmenTal fluid for thus maintaining the pressure of the environmental fluid substantially filling the second chamber substantially equal to the pressure of the body of environmental fluid, whereby the transparent fluid is discharged through said discharge opening and the environmental fluid is delivered to the second chamber as the piston is displaced within the cylinder.

Claim 2

A system for replacing environmental fluids disposed within boreholes comprising: A. a substantially sealed cylinder having opposite ends; B. a displaceable piston seated within said cylinder adjacent to one end thereof continuously urged in displacement toward the other end of the cylinder, including a pair of coaxially related faces oppositely spaced from the ends of the cylinder and defining therewithin a first and a second coaxially related chamber; C. a transparent fluid at a first pressure substantially filling said first chamber; D. a fluid discharge conduit communicating with said said first chamber for conducting fluid from said cylinder; E. an environmental fluid at a second pressure substantially filling said second chamber; F. displacement initiating means for initiating displacement of the piston comprising a selectively operable flow control valve seated in said discharge conduit adapted to be opened for accommodating a discharge of said fluid from said cylinder; and G. a substantially unobstructed fluid intake conduit for extending from a body of environmental fluid to the second chamber for continuously maintaining the second chamber in direct communication with the body of environmenTal fluid for thus maintaining the pressure of the environmental fluid substantially filling the second chamber substantially equal to the pressure of the body of environmental fluid, whereby the transparent fluid is discharged through said discharge opening and the environmental fluid is delivered to the second chamber as the piston is displaced within the cylinder.

Claim 4

A system for replacing environmental fluid in boreholes and the like comprising an elongated cylinder having an upper and a lower end, a weighted piston mounted in the cylinder for reciprocal movement between the ends, whereby the cylinder is divided into an upper and a lower chamber each having an axial dimension dictated by the position of the piston relative to said ends, a substantially transparent fluid substantially filling the lower chamber of the cylinder, releasable means restraining said piston adjacent to the upper end of the cylinder, an outlet conduit connected to the lower chamber having an open end externally of the cylinder beneath the lower end thereof for accommodating a discharge of the substantially transparent fluid from the cylinder, and a substantially unobstructed intake conduit in direct communication with the upper chamber and having an open end externally of the cylinder to be immersed within a pressurized body of environmental fluid whereby said upper chamber is brought into direct communication with said body of environmental fluid for conducting environmental fluid to the upper chamber for replacing the substantially transparent fluid as it is discharged from the cylinder.

Claim 5

A system for replacing environmental fluid in boreholes and the like comprising an elongated cylinder having an upper and a lower end, a weighted piston mounted in the cylinder for reciprocal movement between the ends, whereby the cylinder is divided into an upper and a lower chamber each having an axial dimension dictated by the position of the piston relative to said ends, a substantially transparent fluid substantially filling the lower chamber of the cylinder, releasable means restraining said piston adjacent to the upper end of the cylinder, an outlet conduit connected to the lower chamber having an open end externally of the cylinder beneath the lower end thereof for accommodating a discharge of the substantially transparent fluid from the cylinder, and a substantially unobstructed intake conduit in direct communication with the upper chamber and having an open end externally of the cylinder to be immersed within a pressurized body of environmental fluid whereby said upper chamber is brought into direct communication with said body of environmental fluid for conducting environmental fluid to the upper chamber for replacing the substantially transparent fluid as it is discharged from the cylinder.

Claim 10

A system for replacing environmental fluid in boreholes and the like comprising: A a housing adapted to be immersed in a pressurized body of environmental fluid including an elongated cylinder having an upper and a lower end; B. a weighted piston mounted in the cylinder for reciprocal fluid-discharging movement between the ends thereof, whereby the cylinder is divided into an upper and a lower chamber each having a variable axial dimension dictated by the position of the piston relative to said ends; C. a substantially transparent fluid substantially filling the lower chamber of the cylinder; D. releasable means restraining said piston adjacent to the upper end of the cylinder; E. an outlet conduit connected to the lower chamber having an open end externally of the cylinder beneath the lower end thereof for accommodating a discharge of the substantially transparent fluid from the cylinder as the piston is moved toward the lower end of the cylinder; and F. means establishing a substantially direct communication between the upper chamber and said body of environmental fluid for accommodating a passage of environmental fluid from said pressurized body to the upper chamber for replacing the substantially transparent fluid in the cylinder as the piston is moved toward the lower end of the cylinder.

Claim 11

A system for replacing environmental fluid in boreholes and the like comprising: A a housing adapted to be immersed in a pressurized body of environmental fluid including an elongated cylinder having an upper and a lower end; B. a weighted piston mounted in the cylinder for reciprocal fluid-discharging movement between the ends thereof, whereby the cylinder is divided into an upper and a lower chamber each having a variable axial dimension dictated by the position of the piston relative to said ends; C. a substantially transparent fluid substantially filling the lower chamber of the cylinder; D. releasable means restraining said piston adjacent to the upper end of the cylinder; E. an outlet conduit connected to the lower chamber having an open end externally of the cylinder beneath the lower end thereof for accommodating a discharge of the substantially transparent fluid from the cylinder as the piston is moved toward the lower end of the cylinder; and F. means establishing a substantially direct communication between the upper chamber and said body of environmental fluid for accommodating a passage of environmental fluid from said pressurized body to the upper chamber for replacing the substantially transparent fluid in the cylinder as the piston is moved toward the lower end of the cylinder.