AN IMPROVED METHOD OF CON- STRUCTING PUMPS AND ENGINES FOR EVACUATING WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS, EXTIN- GUISHING OF FIRES, AND PRODUCING POWER
Year: 1797

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANTHONY
GEORGE ECKHARDT, of Queen's Row, Brompton, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, Member of the Society of Haarlem, and Fellow of the Royal
Society in England, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty in and by His certain Letters Patent,
under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the Seven-
teenth day of August, in the thirty-seventh year of His reign, did, of His
especial grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, for Himself, His heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Anthony George Eckhardt,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Anthony George Eckhardt, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and
themselves, or by me, or by my and their deputy or deputies, servants, or
agents, or such others as I, my executors, administrators, or assigns should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term of years therein expresed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF CON-
STRUCTING PUMPS AND ENGINES FOR EVACUATING WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS, EXTIN-
GUISHING OF FIRES, AND PRODUCING POWER," within that part of Great Britain
called England, the Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, in such manner as to me, the said Anthony George Eckhardt, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or any of them, should seem meet; and
that I, the said Anthony George Eckhardt, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit,
commodity, and advantage, from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and
arising by reason of the said Invention for and during the term of years
therein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said license, powers,
privileges, and advantages therein-before granted, or mentioned to be granted,
unto me, the said Anthony George Eckhardt, my executors, administrators,
and assigns for and during and unto the full end and term of fourteen years
from the date of the said Letters Patent next and immediately ensuing and
full, to be compleat and ended according to the Statute in such case made
and provided; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that the
same should be void unless I, the said Anthony George Eckhardt, should parti-
cularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, by an Instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in the Iligh Court of Chancery
within four calendar. months next immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Anthony George Eckhardt, in pursuance
of the said proviso, in the said Letters Patent, do hereby describe or ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, as following
-
My object of this Invention, with respect to the improved method of con-
structing pumps and engines for evacuating water or other fluids, and extin-
guishing of fires,-my plan is, in the first place, to facilitate the access of the
water to the pistern of pumps in general, and also the discharge of the same;
second, to improve the pistern so as to diminish the friction; third, to
diminish the expence of machinery to work them, and to obtain an application
of a greater number of pumps in general without much increase of mechanical
power, or much room; and lastly, the fourth, to obtain a new application
of a steam pump to steam engines, so as to obtain a power through the means
of this Invention.
With respect to the first point, to obtain a more abundant and easy supply
of water to pestons, my Invention consists of having constructed a channel all
round the barrel or barrels of my pump, be it either horizontal or vertical; the
first position I prefer; which channel, in some cases, I intend to make also
horizontal, and in some cases vertical although the barrel horizontal.
Figure 1 and 2 represents the horizontal pump with the horizontal channel.
A, B, represents the barrel of the pump. C, C, the peston. D, D, E, the peston
rod. F, G, H, I, represents the horizontal channel. M, M, or L, L, Figure 2,
suction pipes or channels, which suction pipes may in some cases be vertical;

page_text: as represented by M, M, or horizontal, as is represented by L, L, Figure 1 and 2,
particularly when the barrel is under the surface of the water, and when a
great quantity of water must be raised to a small heighth, as is the case in fenns
to drain the land. K, K, represents the evacuation pipe or channel, which in
the same case, when water is to be raised to a small heighth, must also be horizon-
tal; then in all other cases may be erected to what heighth is required, as is repre-
sented in Figure 2 by N, N. The valves in this pump are represented as flood
gates, to shew more conspicuously the movement of them when open or shut.
I have made use of this mode where the water to be raised to a small heighth
is abundant, because floodgates, in my opinion, will in that case be preferable; but
I do not confine myself to those floodgates, but intend to make use of all sorts of
valves, according to circumstances. The blue valves or floodgates f, g, Figure 1,
describe one mode or position for the suction pipes or channel, and the blue
valves or floodgates h, i, those of the discharging channel; the rod, valves or
floodgates a, b, describe those in the suction pipes for another mode; c, d, those
of the discharging channel for that case, so that when the peston C, C, from
B to A is moved from B to A, and a vacuum or rarification of air between the
valves b and d and the peston is produced, it shuts the valve or floodgate d, and
opens of the suction channel, by which the air and water must run into the
barrel, and by the return of the peston from A to B, it forces the water back
and shuts the floodgate b, and opens the valve or floodgate d, and forces its
way through the evacuation channel K, K; the peston rod D, E, is to run
through stuffing boxes S, S, and S, S. As the effect of the peston on the
other side is exactly the same, it may be easily understood that by the move-
ment on one way the water must come in at the one end of the peston at the
same time that the peston discharges the water at the other, and through the
evacuation pipe. I have represented in Figures 1 and 2 two brick walls
P, P, Q, Q, the one P, P, as the border of a low channel or reservoir of water,
in which I have inserted the suction pipe L, L, and have represented by the
wall Q, Q, the border of a channel or reservoir higher situated, into which the
water from the lower channel is to be discharged. I have in that wall also
closely inserted the evacuation pipe or channel K, K, by which means, although
the suction channel L, L, and evacuation one K, K, are both horizontal and
in the same direction and heighth, the water, by the movement of the peston
backwards and forwards from under the surface of the water of the low channel,
must be forced through the suction pipe K, K, under the surface of the water
in the upper channel, so that the alteration in the heighth of the water in the
upper or lower channel will not interfere with the effect of the pump, provided
the power to move or work the peston or pump is properly proportioned, by

page_text: which this application will be particularly useful to drain fenns. With respect
to the mode of working this pump it shall be described hereafter. With re-
spect to the valves before mentioned, a valve could also be put at the upper
extremity on each side of the barrel at k, k, and 7, 1, for the suction pipe, and
one under on each side of the extremity of the said barrel at m, m, and n, n,
for the evacuation pipe, by which this pump would act the same as by
the other valves; then in that case a seperation y, y, and y, y, must
be contrived to take off the communication of the suction channels F, G, L, L,
from the evacuation channels G, I, K, K; I would have placed them in this
Drawing, then as it comes for the second case more advantageous, I did not
put them, to prevent confusion. With respect to the second case in which the
channel round the barrel of my horizontal pump may be placed vertical,
Figure 3 and 4 describe that position. A, B, the horizontal barrel; C, C, the
peston; D, E, the rod by which the peston is moved; F, G, H, I, the vertical
channel all round the barrel L and L the suction pipe that lets the low water
into the channel, horizontal, vertical, or winding, according to circumstances;
K, K, K, the evacuation pipe horizontal, vertical, or winding, according to cir-
cumstances; the horizontal direction of both the suction and evacuation pipe
being not so advantageous in this case as in the first case (S, S, and S, S, stuffing
boxes through which peston rods works air tight); the green valves a, a, the rod
d, d, the blue c, c, the orange b, b, are the valves of the evacuation channel, and
the green valves e, e, the red f, f, the blue 9,9, the orange h, h, represents
those of the suction pipes or channels, the various colours shew the different
applications. N, N, is an air vessel, as is made use of in ordinary engines to
raise water to extinguish fires, the four first Figures representing a plan of the
two different cases in which I want to construct pumps or engines to raise
water; it will also be proper to describe the construction how to make engines
or pumps on that plan, so as to be the most solid and least liable to get out of
order, as also to render the access to the inside easy in case of accident to the
valves or peston. Figure 5 represents a horizontal section of the pumps, of
which Figure 8 represents another section taken at A, B, and Figure 9 taken
at C, D, and Figure 10 taken at E, F.
Description of the said Construction.-This pump is constructed by two
square plates I, K, and I, K, Figures 5 and 8, of cast iron, or any other
metal, parrellel to each other and in a vertical position, between which is
inserted a barrel G, H, of the pump, and two square or round cillenders L, L
and M, M, all three parrellel to each other and in a horizontal direction,
and on each side; so well inserted in the above mentioned plates by
either screws with leather or sodder as to be perfectly air-tight at the

page_text: outside. On the outside of these plates two covers of metal I, P, P, K,
are made to fit, and fixed by screws and leather, or any other substances
on these plates, so as to be also air-tight, and by which is formed the
horizontal channel L, L, P, P, M, M, P, P, of the first case. In the
horizontal barrel G, H, is adapted a peston Q, Q, to move horizontally
by two rods R, R, and R, R, which rods run through a stuffing box S, S,
fixed on the said covers I, P, P, K, and which rod has at each extremity
an eye for the hand to pull it, or for a cord to pull it with, so as to move
it backwards and forwards. In some cases one rod will do to work the
same peston. With respect to the valves, Figure 9 shews those of the evacua-
tion channel L, L, and by Figure 10 those of the suction channel M, M ;
Figures 11, 12, and 13 shew the mode how those valves are fixt at the
extremity of those channels, which Drawings being sufficiently conspicuous, no
further explanation is necessary. Figure 6 represents a pump on the same plan
as Figure 5, with this difference, the barrel is of larger dimensions, and instead
of a peston it has a round body Q, Q, which round body is to be made perfectly
cylindrical and of a smooth surface, which cylindrical body is to be put on the
same rodd R, R, as are made use of for the peston, that is to say, to slide
air-tight through stuffing boxes S, S, and to apply it in the middle of the
cyllinder or body of the pump G, II, without touching it, and which barrel
on that account is constructed somewhat larger in diameter than the cyllin-
drical body. In the middle of the barrel is to placed a circular rim of felt or
leather Z, Z, which rim is to fit so close round the cylindrical body Q, Q, as
to render it air-tight, by which means it is evident that by moving the said
body from one side to the other the air must be rarified as much as the circular
body Q, Q, occupied room before its movement. The cylindrical body Q, Q,
is to be made as light as possible, of such substance as is the least liable to
alteration, and to make the extremity round.
My second mode of improvement in the peston, Figure 7, represents a
pump, the barrel, suction, evacuation pipe, and channels, &c., &c., of which
are constructed on the same plan as Figure 5, with this difference,―the
barrel is of a much larger diameter, square instead of round, and of much
larger dimensions, although a cylinder or any paralel tube might be used
instead of a square. My plan is to make use of a square body Q. Q, made of
metal, or any other substance the least liable to alteration, which square body
is to slide in the barrel as neat and perfect as is possible, which box is to slide
with the same peston rod as other pumps, that is to say, to work them
through the stuffing boxes S, S, fixed in the middle of the covers
I, P, P, K. The extremity of this square body is to be made round,

page_text: as is shewn by the Drawing, by which construction is easy to compre-
hend that when moving this body from one extremity to the other in the
barrel the air and water will alternately rush in, in proportion to the room
occupied by that square body, and be deplaced or evacuated. This mode of
peston is of particular use for low evacuations, when a large quantity of water
is to be discharged, and particularly of great use in fenns.
Description of Figures 14 and 15.-The first represents a horizontal pump,
the evacuation of which is to be in two straightforward channels on each
extremity of the barrel, A, B. C, C, the peston; D, D, the peston rod,
moved by a frame of iron or wood, D, E, F, D; which horizontal movement is
produced by a crank H, H, working a long rod I, I, up and down, which, by the
application of teeth near the lower extremity, moves round a small. wheel K,
to which a large part of a larger wheel L is fixt, and puts in motion the rod
E, F, through means of coggs on this large wheel and the rod. The body
of the barrel B, B, of this pump is divided at each extremity by two tubes
or channels B, M, and B, M, Figure 15, at which extremitys are two straight
channels M, N, and M, N; the evacuation valves are fixt at a, b, and a, b,
for which valves I recommend those in Figures 11 and 13. With respect to
the suction pipes, I have placed them. upright, two under each extremity of
the barrel under the evacuation pipes B, M, and B, M, Figuro 15, which
upright suction pipes, either square or round, are represented by P, Q, and
P, Q, Figure 14, and the suction valves at c, d, and c, d, so that by this con-
struction the barrel of the pump is supplied with water by four suction pipes,
and discharges its water by four evacuation channels. V, V, represents a
square low cistern, in which the four suction pipes stand in the water, and
S, S, and S, S, represents channels higher than the cistern into which the
water from this low cistern is to be discharged.
Description of Figure 16.-This pump is on the construction of the second
case, with a vertical channel for the suction pipe and a vertical channel for the
evacuation pipe, with an improved peston, as described in Figure 7. The green
valves are made use of for the suction pipe, and the orange ones for the evacua-
tion channel. G, H, the square body of the pump; Q, Q, the square body of the
peston; R, R, the rod to move the square peston or body backwards and forwards;
M, M, the suction channel; V, V, the suction pipe; E and E, the suction
valve; L, L, the evacuation channel, of which A and A are the evacuation
valves; and T, T, the evacuation pipe, through which the water is to be
raised to the heighth required; N, the air vessel as commonly used in
ordinary forcing pumps. On each side of the square body Q, Q, I intend
to adapt a leather or felt to render this piston more air-tight.

page_text: Figure 17 represents a pump for ship's usc. A, B, is a pump in every re-
spect as is represented in Figures 5, 8, 9 and 10, the peston of which may be
constructed as represented by Figures 6 and 7. On each extremity of the rod.
which is to work the peston is fixt a large trough X and X, each supported by
wheels or rollers Y, Y, which pumps, with those troughs, is supposed to be on
deck of a ship on a flat floor adapted for that purpose. Those troughs being.
loaded with heavy ballast, and moveable upon those rollers, and the body of this
pump fixt to the deck by bolts, the piston of it must, by the least motion of the
ship, with the assistance of these moving troughs, be moved towards the lower
parts, and move back when the ship moves in. the contrary direction, so that
the ship at every wave will make two strokes of the peston and evacuate that
water out of the ship.
.
7
Figure 18 represents a fire engine upon the same construction as is repre-
sented by Figures 8, 9, and 10, with this difference, that under a suction pipe.
pipe C, E, is placed an additional suction valve C and two leather pipes
I, K, L, M, to supply the pump with water by suction pipes, and a trough B, B,
which trough is fixt on the ground by two small piles N and N, and which
trough may be kept supplied with water by buckets. The working of this pump
is performed by a double row of men pulling two and two by a long cord H, H,
and G, G, that is fixt at the extremity of the rod.
Figures 19 and 20 represent the application of the capsterns to work
my new.
pumps. A and B are the two capsons, which, by a large wheel C, C, fixt on
its axletree, works by its coggs four wheels D, D, D, D, and moves by a pinion
on the axletree of those small wheels a frame under those wheels, which pinion
having only half a row of coggs or teeth, moves the horizontal frame G, G,
backwards and forwards, which, by having fixt on each extremity a horizontal
pump L and E of my construction, moves both those pumps, so that by four
of those wheels D are made to work the evacuation pipe H, H, H, H, H.
Figure 21 represents a horse-wheel A, A, with a double row of coggs so`
divided as to render the pitch half the size, which wheel puts in motion two
small double trundle wheels; at the upper extremity of their axis an iron fly
wheel F, F, is adapted; at the axletree of one of those small wheels is adapted
a crank G, G, under the floor, which, by a long iron rod K, K, works the rod.
L, L, of my horizontal pump. M that is fixt by bolts under the floor. At the
other side of the crank is represented the horizontal pump at a great distance
from the crank worked by the means of a rope I, I, I, then in which last.
case a counterpoise P, and pulley Q to pull back the peston of the pump,
will be necessary.
Figure 22 represents the ground plan of this application, and will prove that

page_text: one single crank properly regulated may work a great number of those lori-
zontal pumps, as by this Drawing one crank works six pumps by iron rods, and
four at a great distance with cords.
Now, with respect to the power I want to obtain by my Invention:-
Figure 23 represents a steam engine, to which I have adapted my horizontal
pump for steam F, F, instead of the verticle pumps that have been made use
of. I claim the right by this application to construct steam engines upon this
plan, exclusive of others. The horizontal pump I, I, and I, I, represents how
easy the new steam pump may work them. The horizontal pump V, V,
situated under the steam engines, and moves by the large lever or beam M, M,
through the cords and wheels; T, T, and T, T, shews an easy mode to work.
those horizontal pumps to a great depth under ground, and to force up the
water to a great heighth. K, K, K, K, the vertical wheels on each side of
the steam pump, shews the easy mode of working the beam to advantage.
Figure 24 represents a steam engine on an improvement of the first, as
having placed the horizontal steam pump in the boiler, which may produce a
considerable improvement. The motion of this steam pump to work horizontal
pumps, and to make use of the large beam, is done in the same manner as
described in the other; then being situated in the boiler and surrounded with
hot steam will produce a greater effect, especially if made use of with the
improvements made by Mr. Watt and Boulton, by their consent during their
Patent.
crounto cot me hand and cool this Sixteenth