A NEW KIND OF PISTON
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of 16, Castle
Street, Holborn (City), London, and now of 29, Boulevart St. Martin,
Paris, in the Empire of France, for the Invention of "A NEW KIND OF
PISTON." A communication.
PISTON." A communication.
Sealed the 12th September 1854, and dated the 18th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tlie said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th July 1854.
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street, Holborn
(City), London, and now of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, in the Empire
of France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW
KIND OF PISTON" to be as follows, viz. :-
This Invention consists of a prismatic, cylindrical, or other shaped piston or
embolus, which is fixed to or to which is secured a bag or diaphragm of any
suitable flexible material.
The said diaphragm is secured in any convenient way to the inside of
cylinder or prismatic tube or pipe, in which the abovesaid piston or embolus
is capable of performing a reciprocating motion, the same as ordinary
pistons.
One way of securing the diaphragm in the pipe or cylinder is by means of a
projecting rim on it, the same being held fast between flanges on the pipe or
cylinder, which latter is formed in two parts. The piston may be attached or
secured steam-tight to the diaphragm in any suitable way; for instance, the

page_text: diaphragm may be open at one end and have a bottom at the other, the same
as a sack or bag, the said bottom being fixed or made to adhere to the top of
the cylinder; or the cylinder may be fixed higher up in the bag at any suitable
point, according to the moving liquid or fluid used. The same remark holds
good with regard to the length or size of the piston and of the working length
or stroke of the bag, of the substances used, for botli, all these varying according
to circumstances, as this new kind of piston is intended to be applied wherever
common pistons are now or may be employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTE
EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street, Holborn (City), London,
and now of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, in the Empire of France, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, Her special liceuce that I, the said
Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "A NEW KIND OF PISTON," a communication, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-

page_text: This new kind of piston, which I desire to be called diaphragm piston, is
intended to be applied in all cases where pistons are used in machinery of any
description. The new kind of piston consists of a prismatic, cylindrical, or other
shaped piston or embolus, which is fixed to or to which is secured a bag or
diaphragm of any suitable flexible material. The said diaphragm is secured in
any convenient way to the inside of a cylinder or prismatic tube or pipe, in
which the abovesaid piston or embolus is capable of performing a reciprocating
motion, the same as ordinary pistons.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are perspective views intended to illustrate three different
ways in which the diaphragm is attached to the piston. P is the cylinder or
prism, of wood, metal, or other suitable material, and having a rod in the same
way as the common piston rods. D is a diaphragm, of flexible and impervious
material, fixed on the cylinder in the manner described. This piston or embolus
P acts like the ordinary pistons, having to perform a reciprocating motion' in
a tube or hollow prism or cylinder, such as C, Fig. 2. at the same time dividing
the cylinder into two portions, whose capacities are alternately diminished and
increased by the solidity of the piston, the diaphragm preventing the com-
munication of any fluid or liquid between the two portions of the cylinder.
The flexible diaphragm D has at its upper end a rim or flange v, and is closed
up at the lower end by a bottom N, Fig. 1. This bottom is permanently fixed
to the top surface M of the piston P, which fits loosely into the tube or
cylinder C. The cylinder is thus divided into two separate portions, as seen
by Fig. 2, the rim or flange v being held tight by the flanges H of the tubes.
The diaphragm may be applied to the piston in a variety of ways; thus, an
external diaphragm may be used, wrapping up two hollow pistons which fit
into each other and have a contrary motion. The diaphragm may be fixed at
the top or any other part of the piston; thus, as represented by Fig. 1, the
piston is fixed on the bottom of the diaphragm. Fig. 2 represents the piston
as being fixed inside the diaphragm; and Fig. 3 shews a piston with tho
diaphragm fixed at half height, the length of stroke being always equal to twice
the distance between the flange H and the point of attachment of the diaphragm
on the piston. Which of these arrangement is to be adopted depends on the
direction in which the fluid acts or has to be acted upon, or on different
circumstances which occur in practice; but it is to be understood that none of
these modifications will affect the principle of this Invention, which consists in
substituting to common pistons the diaphragm piston, as above defined, what-
ever form or dimensions may be given to the piston, and in whatever way the
diaphragm may be fixed on it. This system is intended to facilitate and
simplify the construction of all kinds of machinery, and especially hydraulic

page_text: and pneumatic pumps, steam and water engines, &. The following will
suffice to shew the advantage resulting from the use of these diaphragm pistons,
both as regards economy in the working and in the first cost. Any machinery,
whereof the common tight-fitting piston constitutes an essential part, is of a
difficult and expensive construction, being besides, subject to getting easily out
of order, & therefore requiring frequent repairs. If the cylinder and piston
be not bored and turned perfectly true, and if they do not fit tight, the liquids
or gases pass from one side of the piston to the other and cause an obnoxious
back pressure.
If the piston bears too much on one side and too little on the
other, the cylinder both and the piston wear out unequally. It is evident that
as these pistons fit but loosely, and need not bear at all on the sides, these
inconveniences are not met with in them; besides, owing to the absence of any
stiff friction, a great saving of power is effected with the diaphragm pistons.
With the diaphragm piston the common water pumps may have any length of
stroke given to them, whilst the ordinary pistons are limited to about one foot
stroke; also, the suction pipe may have the same diameter as the pump barrel,
whilst in common pumps it has to be made less, so as to lift a sufficient
quantity of water; also, as at each stroke of the piston there is as much water
discharged as there is under the valve in the piston when it descends, supposing
therefore the ordinary pumps to lose at each stroke one tenth of the water
pumped, since with this piston a length of stroke may be obtained up to ten
times as long, the loss experienced in common pumps by leakage is obviated,
besides diminishing the loss of power and time, as resulting from the change
of direction. In order to produce with the piston described a more or less
perfect vacuum, the surface of contact between the shell or cylinder and the
embolus or piston need not be bored true and smooth; hence, a very good
pump may by means of said piston be constructed of wood or stone in places
where iron or one or the other of these materials is dear, or in localities where
the construction of machinery is not easily effected.. By the proper moving
machinery, pumps simplified as above may be used for elevating water to any
height with a great reduction of moving power and expense; towns may thus
be supplied with water abundantly, and even canals for irrigation or navigation
may be formed and fed by the aid of these pumps. Pumps fitted with the
diaphragm piston may be made to act as a powerful means of salvage for
merchant vessels or men-of-war in case of a leak springing. I also mention
the useful application which this improved piston may find in the reaction
engines that have at different times been proposed for the propulsion of vessels,
and which have hitherto not been successfully applied, for want of simple and
powerful machinery for raising the water to a suitable height. This new piston

page_text: is also eminently calculated to simplify the construction of hydraulic presses,
the diaphragm being for that purpose made sufficiently strong to resist tho
greatest pressure of liquid that may come on. The press cylinder may be
made of wooden staves encircled in strong iron hoops. With this improved
piston, hydraulic presses may not only be made to replace the cranes for lifting
heavy weights, but they may also be used for dragging sea ports in localities
where a powerful column of water may be disposed of. For this purpose, the
dragging machine is set in motion by two pistons, in the manner of a hydraulic
engine, the column of water being divided into two branches that are directed
on the two cylinders, which are made to act alternately, so as to lose no time.
The improved piston may also be usefully employed in the manufacture of
alimentary substances, such as vermicelli; also a very exact and sensitive
hydrostatic balance is constructed with this piston. For this purpose, a tolerably
stout pipe, according to the mass of the bodies to be weighed, must be taken;
into this pipe a diaphragm piston is fitted, and along the big pipe a thin
graduated tube is fixed that rises to a certain height above the big pipe. The
whole apparatus is then filled with water, which sinks to the same level in
both tubes; and in order to ascertain the exact weight of a body, it is only
necessary to put it on the piston, or on a scale or pan fixed to the same, when
the water will rise in the thin tube, and indicate by the divisions on the tube
the weight of the body.
When the diaphragm piston is applied to steam engines, the use of india-
rubber cloth or web is suggested, this material not being corroded by the
steam.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I claim the use and application of the
diaphragm piston, above described, to all cases where pistons now are or
may be employed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augusto Edouard Loradoux Bellford,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 10th day of January, in
the year of our Lord 1855.
A. E. LORADOUX BELLFORD. (L.S.)