IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH APPARATUS FOR DRIVING OR WORKING SHIPS' PUMPS, PART OF WHICH APPARATUS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Lawrence Garrick at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd November 1877.
LAWRENCE GARRICK, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Ship's Captain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH APPARATUS FOR
DRIVING OR WORKING SHIPS' PUMPS, PART OF WHICH APPARATUS IS APPLICABLE
TO OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to apparatus to be used principally for driving or working
ships' pumps, and has for its object the construction and arrangement of such
apparatus in a simple and improved manner, and so as to be very efficient in its
action, whilst being readily adapted for the employment of manual and other motive
power in combination or separately.
The apparatus is also designed so that when there are several pumps worked
together, one or more of them may be easily disengaged without interfering with
the action of the others.
The improved apparatus comprises, according to one modification, a short vertical
shaft resting in a footstep bearing on the ship's deck, and placed between the
pumps within the framework of the "fife rail" surrounding the main mast of the
vessel. On this shaft, near its lower end, there is fixed a flat disc or cam wheel,
which is set obliquely to its axis so as to rotate in a plane slightly inclined to the
horizontal, and the outer edge or rim of this disc in its rotation passes between
friction wheels fitted near the middle of the pump rods or "spears," and alternately
raises and lowers the pump plungers during each revolution.
The upper end of each pump rod passes through a boss or eye formed on the end
of a dayit which acts as a guide, and when it is desired to disengage any pump for
repairs or for any other purpose, the davit, which is centered on the pipe rail
frame, can be slewed round so as to move the pump rod with its friction wheels
clear of the oblique disc.
The main vertical shaft passes up through a bearing in a cross beam forming
part of the framework, and may be driven by a belt and pulley directly from any
convenient source of power, but is also provided with suitable gearing mounted
across the framing to be driven by the hand.

page_text: The motor, which I prefer to employ for driving the pumping apparatus, is a
windmill of novel construction, which in appearance somewhat resembles a water
wheel, and consists of a central boss or nave, fitting on a vertical, inclined; or
horizontal shaft, and having four, six, eight, or other number of radial arms or
spokes projecting from it. The outer ends of these arms are provided with bushes
or sleeves, in which are held or hinged light rectangular frames carrying sails, and
these sail frames are free to rock or turn on their axes through angles of about 90
degrees in such a manner as to automatically present their full surfaces to the wind
on one side of the mill or wheel, and their edges only on the other or return side.
When the force of the wind is very great some of the arms and sail frames may be
removed or the sails may be reefed, and, the power of the mill may be otherwise
diminished or increased if necessary by making the sail frames adjustable nearer or
farther from the central nave.
The windmill may be fixed directly on the first motion shaft of the pumping
apparatus, or may be fitted on a shaft held in suitable framing, and used for driving
additional pumps, in the manner herein-before described, at any other part of the
ship's deck, its motion being in that case transmitted by means of a belt, rope, or
chain to the pumping apparatus at the fife rail.
The speed of the apparatus may be regulated by the interposition of bevil or
spur gearing at any suitable point, and it may be used to work a single pump or
any number of pumps disposed round the inclined disc, the stroke or throw of the
pumps depending partly on the diameter and partly on the obliquity of the disc.
The improved windmill may be used for driving other machinery on board ship
or on land, or for any other purposes to. which ordinary windmills are or may be
applied.