IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUMPS FOR RAISING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Easton, of Gateshead, in the County of
Durham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
PUMPS FOR RAISING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 11th May 1866, and dated the 15th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Easton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th November 1865.
I, WILLIAM EASTON, of Gateshead, in the County of Durham, do hereby
s declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
OF PUMPS FOR RAISING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of pumps
for raising water and other liquids, the Invention being applicable to all
pumps where engine power is required to raise large quantities of water, as in
the case of collieries. Let me assume, as an example, an instance in which
tho water to be raised from a colliery by pumping requires an engine that will

page_text: lift fifty gallons at each stroke of the pump, then the application of this
Invention to the pump so raises the water that the engine power is only
required to be equal to twenty-five gallons per stroke, and yet the whole fifty
gallons are actually raised by that reduced power and in exactly the same
time as by the ordinary pump; or in a colliery where an engine is capable of
lifting one hundred gallons per stroke of the engine and pump, then by the
application of a pump of sufficient capacity with the improvement herein-after
described the same engine shall raise by this improved pump exactly double
that quantity of water, viz., two hundred gallons per stroke, and in the same
time. The difference in the working of an ordinary pump and this improved
pump is, that whereas an ordinary pump lifts all the water per stroke in the
up stroke of the bucket, and requires motive power equal to the lifting of the
whole of the water in its up stroke, and does not discharge any water by
the back or down stroke of the bucket, this improved pump lifts one-half,
or thereabouts, only of the quantity of water which an ordinary pump of the
same capacity of barrel would do in its lifting or up stroke of the bucket, and
only requires motive power for lifting one-half the quantity of water; it then,
from its improved construction, discharges the remaining half or similar
quantity of water by its back or down stroke of the bucket, requiring the
same amount of motive power for its back or down stroke as its up stroke.
The improvement takes place in that part of the pump which in large colliery
pumps is called the spears, or the column on which the bucket hangs and
works. These spears in the pumps referred to are mostly heavy solid timber
columns, and in this Invention these spears are abolished, and we substitute
in their stead an apparatus which in appearance is a long hollow tube, or
closed and hollow ram; its length is equal to the length of the ordinary
spears; its breadth will be regulated by the breadth of the pump barrel ;
generally it will be required of sufficient diameter to displace one-half of the
water which the pump barrel will contain. It requires to be fixed at both
ends, just as the ordinary spears are fixed. The bottom end is attached to
and immediately over the bucket, the other end is attached to the engine
apparatus overhead in the ordinary way that spears are so attached. This
hollow tube or ram is required to be water-tight and made of light material,
so as not to exceed the weight of an ordinary spear; the lighter it is made
the greater the advantage over the spears. The motive power of the engine
is required in the same amount for both up stroke and down stroke of the
pump, being a great improvement on the present mode of working colliery
engines in relation to those pumps. This improved pump, thus described,
when in action, makes a continuous discharge of water; equal quantities are

page_text: discharged by both up and down stroke. The discharge of the up stroke
arises from ordinary pump action, but in this case, as only half the quantity
of water is raised, it only requires a corresponding amount of motive power,
but in the down stroke the discharge is caused by the hollow tube or ram
displacing or forcing out the water as it (the tube) descends the barrel. The
action of the up stroke is greatly relieved by the buoyancy of the hollow tube
being lighter than the water which it displaces, or if it is only a similar weight
to the water it displaces it relieves the motive power of its weight. In the
down stroke, as the quantity of water in the barrel and to be discharged is the
same in quantity as was lifted in the up stroke, exactly the same amount of
motive power will produce the down stroke, the water being as rapidly
discharged by the tube or ram going down into the barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said William Easton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th.
May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EASTON, of Gateshead, in the County of Durham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,'
the said William Easton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Easton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said. William Easton, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUMPS FOR RAISING WATER AND OTHER
LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Easton, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Easton, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
:. This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of pumps
for raising water and other liquids, the Invention being applicable to all
pumps where engine power is required to raise large quantities of water, as
in the case of collieries. Let me assume, as an example, an instance in which
the water to be raised from a colliery by pumping requires an engine that
will lift fifty gallons at each stroke of the pump, then the application of this
Invention to the pump so raises: the water that the engine power is only:
required to be equal. to twenty-five gallons per stroke, and yet the whole fifty,
gallons are actually raised by that reduced power and in exactly the same
time as by the ordinary pump; or in a colliery where an engine is capable
of lifting one hundred gallons per stroke of engine and pump, then by the
application of a pump of sufficient capacity with the improvement herein-
after described the same engine shall raise by this improved pump exactly
double that quantity of water, viz., two hundred gallons per stroke, and in the
same time. The difference in the working of an ordinary pump and this
improved pump is, that whereas an ordinary pump lifts all the water per stroke.
in the up stroke of the bucket, and requires motive power equal to the lifting
of the whole of the water in its up stroke, and does not discharge any water
by the back or down stroke of the bucket, this improved pump lifts one-half,
or thereabouts, only of the quantity of water which an ordinary pump of same
capacity of barrel would do in its lifting or up stroke of the bucket, and.
only requires motive for lifting one-half quantity of water; it then, from
its improved construction, discharges the remaining half or similar quantity of
water by its back or down stroke of the bucket, requiring the same amount of
motive power for its back or down stroke as its up stroke. The improvement
takes place in that part of the pump which in large colliery pumps is called
the spears, or the column on which the bucket hangs and works. These
spears in the pumps referred to are mostly heavy solid timber columns, and
in this Invention the spears are abolished, and we substitute in their stead an
apparatus which in appearance is a long hollow tube or closed and hollow
ram; its length is equal to the length of the ordinary spears; its breadth
will be regulated by the breadth of the pump barrel; generally it will be
required of sufficient diameter to displace one-half of the water which the
pump barrel will contain. It requires to be fixed at both ends just as the
ordinary spears are fixed. The bottom end is attached to and immediately

page_text: over the bucket, the other end is attached to the engine apparatus overhead
in the ordinary way that spears are so attached. This hollow tube or ram
is required to be water-tight and made of light material, so as not to exceed
the weight of an ordinary spears; the lighter it is made the greater the
advantage over the spears. The motive power of the engine is required in
the same amount for both. up stroke and down stroke of the pump, being a
great improvement on the present mode of working colliery engines in relation
to those pumps. This improved pump, thus described, when in action, makes
a continuous discharge of water; equal quantities are discharged by both
up and down stroke. The discharge of the up-stroke arises from ordinary
pump action, but in this case, as only half the quantity of water is raised, it
only requires a corresponding amount of motive power; but in the down
stroke the discharge is caused by the hollow tube or ram displacing or forcing
out the water as it (the tube) descends the barrel. The action of the up
stroke is greatly relieved by the buoyancy of the hollow tube, being lighter
than the water which it displaces it relieves the motive power of its weight.
In the down stroke, as the quantity of water in the barrel and to be discharged
is the same in quantity as was lifted in the up stroke, exactly the same
amount of motive power will produce the down stroke, the water being as
rapidly discharged by the tube or ram going down into the barrel.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Drawings represents a sectional elevation of the
plunger and bucket, a being the plunger, and 6 the bucket. The arrows
denote the return or upward action of the water caused by the down stroke
of the plunger. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bucket; and Fig. 3 an elevation
and plan of the valve.
By these illustrations the operation of the Invention will at once be
comprehended. It is evident that by constructing the hollow plunger of an
area proportionate to that of the barrel, one-half, or thereabouts, of water
raised by one revolution of the engine may be raised by the up and down
stroke in turn, instead of by the up stroke alone.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion that I
do not limit myself to the precise details and configuration of parts I have
expressed and shewn, as the same may obviously be modified without departing
from the principles of the Invention; but what I claim and desire to be
secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent is, the general
arrangement and construction of parts constituting an improved pump,
whereby I am enabled to raise at each stroke of the engine an equal quantity
of water in the same time as twice the quantity is ordinarily raised by one

page_text: stroke, thus effecting the same result with half the engine power, substantially
as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Easton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
EDMUND ALFRED HURST,
Gateshead-on-Tyne.
WILLIAM EASTON. (L.s.)