IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, IN PUMPS, AND IN SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DE BERGUE, No. 9, Arthur Street West, in the City of London, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at' Westminster,
the Twenty-third day of January, in the twelfth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles
De Bergue, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Charles de Bergue, my exors, admors,' and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Charles De Bergue, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, ex-
ercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, IN PUMPS, AND IN
SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso that I, the said Charles De Bergue, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles de Bergue, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, which letters denote corresponding parts in all the Figures; that is
to say:-
My Invention for Improvements in Steam Engines, in Pumps, and in
Springs for Railway and other Purposes, consists, first, in a peculiar mode of
constructing stationary beam engines, whereby I dispense with the parallel
motion.
Secondly, in a peculiar mode of constructing pumps for raising water or
other fluids.
And, thirdly, in a peculiar mode of constructing atmospheric springs and
steel springs, for railway carriages and other purposes.
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
My improvements which have reference to stationary beam engines are
represented at Figure 1, Sheet A, and consist of attaching the piston rod c to
the piston by means of a ball and socket joint, whereby I am enabled to dispense
with the parallel motion, and the strain sometimes occasioned by the cylinder
or parallel motion giving way or getting out of truth. The manner in which
I effect this will be clearly understood on referring to the Drawing, in which
a, a, represents a hollow tube, attached at its lower end to the piston, and
moving through a stuffing box on the cylinder cover, the internal diameter of
the tube being such as to admit of the oscillating motion of the piston or con-
necting rod c, caused by the motion of the beam, moving through that arc of
the circle the cord of which is equal to the stroke of the piston. The novelty
of this part of my Invention, therefore, consists of attaching the piston rod c
to the piston by means of a ball and socket joint, which will be clearly
understood on referring to the Drawing.
My improvements in pumps will be understood by the following description,
reference being had to Sheet B, in which Figure 1 represents an elevation of
my improved pump, which is similar in appearance to an ordinary pump;
Figure 2. represents a sectional elevation; and Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, parts
of the pump, hereafter to be explained. a, a, represents the pump barrel,
made of cast iron, earthenware, glass, or other suitable material; b, the pump
handle; c, the pump rod; and d; the bucket, the peculiar mode of construct-
ing and applying which forms one of the principal features of my Invention,

page_text: and is as follows; that is to say:-The bucket, which is made somewhat less
in diameter than the bore of the pump barrel, is surrounded by a flexible mate-
rial, consisting of two pieces of vulcanized india rubber, with a piece of cloth
betwixt them, which renders the material capable of extending in one direc-
tion, but not in the other. This material, which I make somewhat in the
form of the frustrum of a cone (shewn in section at Figure 4), taking care that
that direction of the material which is inflexible shall be in the direction of the
length of the cone, and, consequently, the flexible direction of such material in
the direction of the circumference of the frustrum of the cone. This flexible
material, having been made of the form shewn at Figure 4 (which may be
obtained from the manufacturers of such material without joint or seam), and
in the manner above stated, is then attached by that end which is the smallest
in diameter to the pump bucket by means of copper wire, as represented at
Figure 6, or the same may be attached by some adhesive cement or other
suitable means. The lower end of this flexible material is then turned over
or doubled-back, so as to form a kind of pocket, as shown at Figure 8. The
bucket having been prepared in the manner described, with the pump rod and
valve attached, is then ready for inserting in its place in the pump barrel,
when the larger or outer end of the flexible material must be firmly secured
to the pump barrel, which may be done by making the pump barrel of two
parts, and casting or otherwise making the lower part of the pump barrel of
the form shewn at e (Figure 2). The bucket having been inserted in the
barrel, with its flexible material doubled up, as shewn at Figure 3, a round
ring of metal is then inserted, so as to press the upper edge of the flexible
material into the hollowed recess shewn at e, which may be previously coated
with marine glue or other adhesive cement impervious to water. The upper
part of the pump is then bolted down upon the ring, so as to secure the outer
edge of the material to the pump barrel, as shewn at Figure 2. Note.―The
valve and valve seating of the pump bucket may be similar in construction to
the foot valve or clack hereafter to be described, as is shewn in the Drawing.
Another part of my improvements in pumps relates to the mode of con-
structing the valves. Let f represent the seating for the foot valve, which is
shewn in plan at Figure 5. On the top of the valve seating is placed a cir-
cular piece of leather or vulcanized india rubber g, and on the top of the india
rubber is placed a circular plate of metal h, which acts as a weight for keeping
the valve upon its seat. i is a guide pin which passes through a hole in the
centre of the two discs 9 and h, for the purpose of keeping them in their
proper place, the guide pin being screwed or riveted into the centre of the
valve seating, which latter is fixed into the pump barrel by means of iron or
g

page_text: 2
•
other suitable cement; or the same may be cast along with the pump barrel ;
or the pump barrel may be bored out, and the valve turned to fit tlie recess,
and driven into its place. I would remark, with regard to this kind of valve,
that when the seating is a good and clean casting, it may not in some cases be
necessary to turn or face the valve, which will considerably reduce the expence
of construction for common pumps.
Figure 7 represents an external view of my improved atmospheric spring
for railway or other purposes; Figure 8 represents a longitudinal section,
shewing the manner in which the same is constructed, which may be prin-
i, i, is a cover
cipally of cast iron. k, "k, is a cylinder, open at each end;
made of the form shewn at Figure 8; and m, m, is a kind of piston, cast with
a projecting piece m² in the centre, which fits into a recess formed in the cover,
and serves as a guide for the part 'm, to keep it perfectly concentric with the
cylinder k, k. n, n, is a piece of flexible material, similar to that already
described with regard to the pump, made in the same way, and from the same
or any other suitable flexible material, rendered air-tight by the application of
vulcanized india rubber, gutta percha, oils, or other materials, or a combination
of other materials. One end of this flexible material, which is shewn 'sepa-
rately at Figures 9 and 10, is-firmly attached to the part m at the point m", m",
'by a solution of india rubber, Jeffry's marine glue, or other suitable adhesive
cement, and afterwards bound with copper wire or other suitable material.
The other end of the flexible material is firmly attached to the upper end of
the outer cylinder k, k, by being cemented to or between such part of the
outer cylinder and the projecting flange i, t, on the under side of the cover i, i,
which cover is then bolted to the cylinder, as shewn at Figure 7. This spring,
which is intended to act by the elasticity of compressed air, is filled with that
fluid by means of a compressing pump, the end of which is screwed into a hole
in the edge of the cover, as shewn by dotted lines at . On the under side of
the cover there is a small valve j, and spring, to prevent the air returning
through the opening by which it has been forced into the apparatus, forming'
the atmospheric spring herein-before described. Note.-I would remark
that in some cases it will be necessary, in constructing this form of spring, to
immerse the several parts (if made of cast iron) in a weak solution of sal
amoniac, for the purpose of rusting, and thereby stopping up the pores of the
iron; or the same may be effected by coating the inside of the parts com-
posing the spring with any suitable varnish. I would observe, with regard to
this, mode of constructing a spring, that the flexible material being inelastic
in a direction of its length, it is capable of withstanding a considerable amount
of strain without extending, at least to any degree which is objectionable.

page_text: Again, the material just described, being elastic in a direction of it's 'circum-
'ference, has the property of adhering, as it were, to the sides of the piston and
cylinder, so that the motion of the elastic material during the motion of the
piston will be that of a rolling motion against the sides of the piston and
inside of the cylinder. This principle, it will be observed, will be the same
with regard to the pump; and it is in this particular that my improved pump
differs so materially from 'those previously constructed by Chetsebes, 'Gosset,
Shalders, and others. Again, presuming 'the pressure of 'air within the
spring to be one hundred pounds upon the square inch, and the annular space
at p, p, between the two surfaces of the flexible material, to be one tenth of an
inch, the pressure of air upon one inch in length of the material, that is, inta
direction of the circumference, will be ten pounds, or five pounds upon each
side or portion of flexible material one inch in length.
My improvements in steel spring's consist in a mode of combining a series
of steel springs so as to form 'one compound spring suitable for railway car-
riages and other purposes. The mode of carrying out this part of my Inven-
tion will be understood by the following description, reference being had to the
Drawings and Figures from 2 to 11, on Sheet 'A, Figure 2 representing a side
view, and Figure 3 an edge view, of one of the springs when finished. Figure 4
represents a side view of a circular plate, which may be of cast iron. This
plate, which is shewn in edge view at Figure 5, is cast with a series of inclined
planes a', a', as shewn at Figures 4 and 5, and also with a boss in the centre.
Figures 6 and 7 represent a side and edge view of one of the steel springs or
blades, which are to be attached to each side of the plate a by means of rivets,
as clearly shewn at Figure 2. The springs having been-riveted to the plate
in the order indicated by the letters b, 61, 62, 63; and those corresponding to
them on the opposite side of the plate, until we come to the last, which, in
consequence of its not being convenient to rivet the whole breadth of the
plate forming the spring; owing to its coming under those which have been pre-
viously riveted, is to be attached to the plate as follows:-The two springs are to
be attached to the plate as follows:-The two springs are to be riveted togetlier,
as shewn at Figures 8 and 9, with a piece of iron c betwixt them. At c',
Figures 4 and 5, there is a slot c¹ cut into the plate, which receives the piece
of iron c, which is riveted between the plates. The plates so attached, having
been slided into their place, may be finally secured by a single rivet d, put
through both springs and the plate; or the springs may be made as shewn at
Figure 10, and afterwards bent of the form shewn at Figure 11, which plan
is intended to dispense with the strain which would otherwise fall upon the
rivets during the action of the spring, hy making the two springs that act

page_text: together on opposite sides of the plate a of one and the same piece of steel, as de-
scribed with regard to Figures 10 and 11. In order to attach this form of spring
to the plate, such plate is made with slots, as shewn at c', and the springs fixed
to the plate in the same manner as described with regard to Figures 8 and 9,
the only difference being that those at Figure 11 are forged together in place
of being riveted together, and are held to their place by a single rivet. The
mode of applying these springs is to place them upon a rod which passes
through the centre of the plate a, and serves as a guide for them. The
number of springs to be put upon such rod will depend upon the amount of
action required, observing that a separating, plate a, as shewn at Figure 3,
should be applied betwixt each compound spring.
...Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein mentioned, so long as the peculiar
character of my said Invention bé retained. I. would also have it understood.
that it has been proposed to construct engines with a hollow tube in con-
nection. with the piston; so as to allow space for the motion of the piston rod
when used without the parallel motion. I therefore do not claim the use of this
hollow separately. But that which I do claim is,
First, the ball and socket joint for connecting the piston and piston rod
when used in conjunction with the tube above described.
With regard to the pumps and springs, secondly, the general arrangement
and combination of parts to and for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles De Bergue, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
Enrolled the Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.