IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUMPS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Kirkland, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF PUMPS."
Sealed the 14th August 1868, and dated the 19th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Kirkland at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th February 1868.
I, JOHN KIRKLAND, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUMPS," to be as follows:-
My improvements have reference to pumps suitable for lifting and
forcing purposes generally and adaptable for single or double action,
and consist,―
First. In placing the suction and discharge valves on the same spindle
or rod, the distance between corresponding to the distance between their
respective seatings. The said seatings are formed in a valve chamber
communicating with the suction pipe or pipes and the working barrel.
The suction valve is made smaller than the discharge valve, or part of

page_text: the discharge valve seating is moveable, so that the spindle and both
of the valves can be easily withdrawn in one piece.
And, second. In the employment of a chamber in communication with
the working barrel, from which two or more suction pipes are led away
to any desired places or place. In a ship's pump five suctions could be
conveniently led away, one to each side of the keelson, one to the
starboard, and another to the port bilge, and a fifth to the sea. The
said chamber or the upper ends of the suction pipes is or are fitted
with valves or plugs attached to stems or otherwise, so that communi-
cation can be established or cut off between any place or places at
pleasure; these valves or plugs are rendered easily accessible by
providing removable covers or otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Kirkland in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 18th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL. COME, I, JOHN
KIRKLAND, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Kirkland, Her special license,
that I, the said John Kirkland, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Kirkland, my executors,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Kirkland, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and

page_text: First. In placing the suction and discharge valves on the same
spindle or rod, the distance between them corresponding to the distance
between their respective seatings. The said seatings are formed in a valve
chamber communicating with the suction pipe or pipes and the working
barrel. The suction valve is made smaller than the discharge valve,
or part of the discharge valve seating is moveable, so that the spindle
and both of the valves can be easily withdrawn in one piece.
And, second. In the employment of a chamber in communication with
the working barrel, from which two or more suction pipes are led away to
any desired places or place. In a ship's pump five suctions could be con-
veniently led away, one to each side of the keelson, one to the starboard,
and another to the port bilge, and a fifth to the sea. The said chamber
or the upper ends of the suction pipes is or are fitted with valves or
plugs attached to stems or otherwise, so that communication can be
established or cut off between any place or places at pleasure; these
valves or plugs are rendered easily accessible by providing the said
chamber with a removeable or lifting cover.
On the Sheet of Drawings' herewith two modifications of double-action
pumps constructed according to my Invention are represented. These
pumps are adapted or arranged for use on board ship, and they have
been delineated by me because from them machinists and others will
be enabled at a glance to understand how single-action pumps with
my improvements are made, and also how the parts of double and
single action pumps for other than ships' use are arranged. And further
because pumps fitted with part or made with the whole of my improve-
ments are especially suitable for ships' use.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
First Modification.--Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a longitudinal
section, Fig. 3 an end elevation, part in vertical section, and Fig. 4,
a plan view, the cover of the suction chamber being removed, all of a
double-action pump with five suctions. In these views like letters
denote the same parts.
a is the working barrel or chamber; b, the bucket or plunger; c, the
rod, this is operated by the connecting rod d or by any other ordinary
or convenient mechanism; e, e¹, valve chambers and pump .heads;
ff, valve spindles or rods on which the suction or lower valves g, g¹,
and the discharge or upper valves h, h, are secured. These valves are
of the ordinary kind, they are kept apart by the ferules i, , and kept
down by the weights j,j'; they operate as shewn in the Drawings, g
and ¹ being open at the same time, that is, during the upstroke of b, and
gand hopen during the down stroke; g and g¹ are smaller than / and
, the object thereof being to allow the rods and valves to be taken out
in a piece and any chip, oakum, or other obstructing material to be
easily removed. When the upper valves are made of the same size
as the lower, then a portion, say, in the form of a ring, of each of the
upper valve seats is made removeable; are the valve seatings; k is the
suction passage leading to the valves; and waterway connecting both
pump heads; %, the suction or vacuum chamber formed with con-
nections m for five suction pipes and fitted with a hinged lid n and
binding screw o; the said lid n is fitted as shewn or fitted in any
equivalent manner so that it can be easily and speedily closed and
opened, the object being to allow the plugs p or any of them to be moved
with facility, and the pumps thereby made to draw through the required
suction pipe or pipes, the suction pipes can be led away to any desired
place. In Fig. 3, the said plugs p are shewn closing the suction pipes m,
the lid 12 being caused to press against them; by inverting the said
plugs or removing them the suctions are opened. As the pumps would
usually be made to draw through only one suction at a time the sixth
circle shewn within 7, which is a blank, serves to hold the removed plug
and prevent it being lost; it will be obvious, however, the pump.can be
made to draw at the same time through more than one suction pipe m.
When necessary I place a trap grating in at r. To convert the above
pump into a fire-engine, it is only necessary to fit covers air-tight over e

page_text: and e¹; a convenient mode of accomplishing this is shewn in Fig. 3,
where s is a cover hinged at t, and is a tightening and binding screw.
It will be obvious the chamber and the parts therewith could he com-
bined with pumps variously constructed, and I would have it understood
that this is of my Invention.
Second Modification.-Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 6 a
transverse section, and Fig. 7 a plan all of a ship's pump with five
suctions. In these views like letters also denote the same parts.
a*, the working barrel; b*, the bucket; cx, the rod; d*, the valve
chambers; e*, the valves and valve rod; f*, perforated grids or strainers
to intercept chips and other foreign matter, these being attached to e* are
removeable and replaceable therewith; g*, g**, suction pipes led directly
downwards from d*; h*, **, are plugs or valves for closing off com-
munication with these suction pipes at pleasure, ** is in position for
working, and * is on its seating closing *; *, the upper terminations
of three suction pipes connected with the working barrel by the
passage j , more than one passage can be adopted if desired. The
upper terminations of each of these suction pipes is provided with
seatings for the valves k*, see Fig. 6, and a moveable bar * hinged
at m* and fitted with a tightening screw n* is employed to screw
down these valves and close off communication at pleasure. The
end of 1* passes into a horizontal opening in the securing piece o*; ?*
is a waterway connecting both pump heads; q*, the discharge nozzles.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and par-
ticularized the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to every detail herein set forth and delineated on the Drawings,
what I claim is,-
First. Placing the suction and discharge valves on the same spindle
or rod.
Second. The employment of a chamber, constructed substantially as
described and shewn on the Drawings, in communication with the
working barrel of a pump.
Third. The combination in pumps of valves fitted on the same spindle
or rod, and a suction or vacuum chamber with two or more suction pipes
led therefrom

page_text: Fourth. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the
pump exhibited by Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawings and herein
described.
And, fifth. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the
pump illustrated on the Drawings by Figs. 5, 6, and 7, and herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Kirkland, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-eight.
In the presence of
JOHN T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
JOHN KIRKLAND. (L.S.)