IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR PUMPING AND FORCING AIR AND OTHER FLUIDS, AND WHICH APPAratus IS PECULIARLY APPLICABLE TO DESICCATING, THE VENTILATION OF MINES, BUILDINGS, SHIPS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES, AND FOR BLAST AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cowley, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR
PUMPING AND FORCING AIR AND OTHER FLUIDS, AND WHICH APPAratus
IS PECULIARLY APPLICABLE TO DESICCATING, THE VENTILATION OF MINES,
BUILDINGS, SHIPS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES, AND FOR BLAST AND OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 11th January 1871, and dated the 13th July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cowley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th July 1870.
I, WILLIAM COWLEY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE APPARATUS FOR PUMPING AND FORCING AIR AND OTHER FLUIDS, AND WHICH
APPARATUS IS PECULIARLY APPLICABLE TO DESICCATING, THE VENTILATION OF
MINES, BUILDINGS, SHIPS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES, AND FOR BLAST AND OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows (that is to say) :-

page_text: buildings, and other structures, and for drawing and forcing air and
other fluids for agricultural purposes, blast furnaces, and other uses.
.
An apparatus for desiccation or ventilation constructed according to
this Invention may consist of a pair of cylinders, each of which are by
preference formed in two parts, with annular external flanges at each
end for joining the two parts together, and for attaching the covers
thereto by screw bolts and nuts, or in any other convenient way. Each
cylinder is fitted with a [cylindrical and slightly conical bag, the sides of
which are formed of india-rubber, leather, or other suitable flexible
material, or combination of materials, and the bottom by a rigid annular
piston of somewhat less diameter than that of the interior of the
cylinder. These bags, which when in position are of slightly less
depth than the length of one of the sections of the cylinders into
which they are introduced, and are securely held by their upper edges
between the flanges by which the two portions of the cylinders are
connected. The pistons forming the bottoms of the bags are fitted
with hollow piston rods, which slide on fixed bars projecting from the
eylinder covers on the reverse ends, and work through glans on the
opposite covers. Each of the cylinder covers are constructed with an
inlet valve and an outlet valve of considerable capacity. The two
cylinders are fixed to a bed frame, by preference in an horizontal
position in line or nearly in line with each other, the piston rods
being opposite to each other and connected to a common crank on a
transverse driving shaft. On the driving shaft being set in motion the
disc forming the bottoms of the flexible sided bags are caused to reci-
procate within their cylinders, drawing in the air or other fluid through
the inlet valves from which they are receding, and ejecting it through
the outlet valves towards which they are advancing, and visa versa on
the return stroke, the flexible sides of the air-tight diaphragm being
turned at every stroke, and so on, as long as the machine is in motion.
In some cases it is preferred to place the discs of both cylinders on
one rod, and apply a steam cylinder or cylinders of an engine or engines
for driving the same between the cylinders and in line therewith, or the
steam cylinder may be placed on one end of one of the working barrels,
or a cylinder may be fitted at each end of the bed frame. In these
arrangements the power may be applied direct or through a crank or
cranks.

page_text: And it is preferred in some instances to substitute for true cylinders
forming the working barrels described to construct them each with a
pair of hollow truncated cones with external annular flanges on both
ends, those on the base or major ends being used to attach them
together and hold the open edge of the air-tight flexible diaphragm in
position, and those on the outer and smaller ends for attaching the
covers in which the inlet and outlet valves are formed, and through
which the piston rod of the working barrels travel. In many cases
only a single cylinder or double truncated conical working barrel will be
requisite, as will be readily understood. For the ventilation of ships
either one or two working barrels may be used, and which could be
conveniently placed within cavities of the ordinary steel or iron masts
now generally used, and actuated by hand or other power from the deck
of the vessel. As many working barrels may be used as may be deemed
expedient according to the work to be performed. The best form of
steam engine for operating the apparatus it is believed will be found to
be that known as the tappit or click engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Cowley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
COWLEY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Cowley, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Cowley, 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 APPARATUS FOR PUMPING AND FORCING AIR AND OTHER
FLUIDS, AND WHICH APPARATUS IS PECULIARLY APPLICABLE TO DESICCATING, THE

page_text: VENTILATION OF MINES, BUILDINGS, SHIPS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES, AND FOR BLAST
AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Cowley, 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 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 William Cowley, 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 (that is to say) :-
This my said Invention has for its object an effective, simple, and
inexpensive apparatus for the purposes of dessication, the ventilation
of mines, ships, buildings, and other structures, and for drawing and
forcing air and other fluids for agricultural purposes, blast furnaces, and
other uses.
An apparatus for dessication or ventilation constructed according
to this my said Invention may consist of a pair of cylinders, cach of
which are by preference formed in two parts, with annular external
flanges at each end for joining the two parts together, and for attach-
ing the covers thereto by screw bolts and nuts, or in any other convenient
way. Each cylinder is fitted with a circular and slightly conically
tapered bag, the sides of which are formed of india-rubber, leather, or
other suitable flexible material, or combination of materials, and the
bottom by a rigid annular piston of somewhat less diameter than that
of the interior of the cylinder. These bags, which when in position are
of slightly less depth than the length of one of the sections of the
cylinder into which they are introduced, and are securely held by thier
upper edges between the flanges by which the two portions of the
cylinders are connected. The pistons forming the bottoms of the bags
are in some cases fitted with hollow piston rods, which slide on fixed
bars projecting from the cylinder covers on the reverse ends, and working
through glands on the opposite covers. Each of the cylinder covers are
constructed with an inlet valve and an outlet valve of considerable
capacity. The two cylinders are fixed to a bed frame, by preference in a
horizontal position in line or very nearly in line with each other, the piston
rods being opposite to each other and connected to a common crank

page_text: on a transverse driving shaft. On the driving shaft being set in motion
the disks forming the bottoms of the flexible sided bags are caused to
reciprocate within thier cylinders, drawing in the air or other fluid
through the inlet valves from which they are receding, and ejecting it
through the outlet valves towards which they are advancing, and vice
versa on the return stroke, the flexible sides of the air-tight diaphragm
being turned at every stroke, and so on, as long as the machine is in
motion.
In some cases I prefer to place the disks of both cylinders on one
rod, and apply a steam cylinders or cylinders of an engine or engines for
driving the same between the cylinders or in line therewith, or the
steam cylinder may be placed on one end of one of the working barrels,
or a cylinder may be fitted at each end of the bed frame. In bothe these
arrangements the power may be applied direct or through a crank or
cranks.
And I prefer in some instances to substitute for true cylinders forming
the working barrels described to construct them each with a pair of
hollow truncated cones with external annular flanges on both ends,
those on the base or major ends being used to attach them together
and hold the open edge of the air-tight flexible diaphragm in position,
and those on the outer and smaller ends for attaching the covers in
which the inlet and outlet valves are formed, and through which the
piston rod of the working barrels travels. In many cases only a single
cylinder or double truncated conical working barrel will be requisite,
as will be readily understood. For the ventilation of ships cither one
or two working barrels may be used, and which could be conveniently
placed within the cavaties of the ordinary steel or iron masts now
generally used, and actuated by hand or other power from the deck of
the vessel. As many working barrels may be used as may be deemed
The best form of
expedient according to the work to be performed.
steam engine for operating the apparatus I believe will be found to be
that known as the "tappit" or "click" engine.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and
understood I have hereunto annexed Drawings of so much of two
modifications of the same as will be necessary to illustrate its practical
application as a machine for drawing foul air from mines, and other
purposes, and a suitable apparatus of smaller dimensions for exhausting

page_text: nous gases mom the mous 01 Vessels.
are used to denote similar parts.
LIke letters marked thereon
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of a single action apparatus,
and Figure 2 is a partial sectional elevation of a two cylinder compound
action machine seen with one of the cylinders and a portion of the bed
plate broken off for convenience of space.
A is the deck of a vessel or other foundation, to the under side of
which is attached B and B³, two metal annular cylinders, which are
bolted together through, C flanges which are used to hold one edge
of D, an annular flexible bag of india-rubber or other suitable material,
the smaller end of which is secured to E, a piston or disk forming the
bottom of the flexible-sided bag, and fitted with F and F, two ordinary
flap valves which open upwards; G, bottom of the cylinder, which is
provided with H and H¹, flap valves; I, a fixed rod on which works J, a
hollow piston rod, to which is jointed K, connecting rod, which is coupled
to L, crank shaft, which has its bearing through M, a cylindrical dome
topped chamber, fitted at the apex with N, an outlet valve; P, fly wheel,
to which is attached Q, crank handle, by turning which the apparatus is
operated upon; the up-stroke of the air or other fluid being drawn into
the cylinder below the piston through the valve N, which closes on the
down stroke when the valves on the piston open, and those on the
bottom of the cylinder close, but which again open on the up-stroke,
when the piston valves close and the outlet valve on the top of the
apparatus opens, and so on.
R and R (Figure 2) are two cylinders, the sides of each of which
are formed in two parts, and the circumferences of which are largest in
the centre, R is seen broken off, and R' is shown in vertical section.
S, flexible side of the diaphragm, one edge of which is secured between
the flanges of the centre joint of the cylinder and the other to Ta
solid disc or piston to which is fitted U a solid piston rod which
extends through a motive power steam cylinder, and the cylinder R
being in one piece from end to end. V, suction pipes; W, suction
valves; Y, steam engine cylinder by which the apparatus is driven.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my
said Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with for carrying
the same into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise detail, relative proportions, or dimensions,

page_text: as it is obvious that the same may be considerably varied without
departing from the Invention, but what I claim is,―
First. The flexible-sided diaphragm arranged and operated substantially
in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set
forth.
And, second. The peculiar form of compound cylinder having a larger
diameter in the centre of its length, constructed substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
And, lastly. The general combinations and forms of the several parts
of the apparatus arranged and operated substantially in the manner and
for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cowley, have hereunto set
my hand and affixed my seal, this Twelfth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
WILLIAM (L.S.) COWLEY.