IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Kerr Miller and Abraham Burbery
Herbert, both of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS,"
Scaled the 6th May 1870, and dated the 19th November 1869
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Keri Miller
and Abraham Burbery Herbert at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 19th November 1869.
We, RICHARD KERR MILLER and ABRAHAM BURBERY HERBERT,
both of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian; North Britain, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PUMPS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention which relates to certain improvements in pumps
is specially adapted for such pumps as are used for lifting or forcing'
paper pulp and other thick or viscous liquids or fluids, but the improve-
ments may be applied to other pumps.

page_text: The present improvements consist in employing india-rubber balls in
substitution of the ordinary valves, the balls resting on either rough
or smooth seats of cast iron or other metal in place of using india-rubber
balls as the valves. The balls may be made of cast iron or other
suitable material, in which case the seats are made of india-rubber.
Stops or boxes are provided to regulate the lift of the valves, and the
valves in whichever way arranged are applicable to single or double-
acting pumps.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Kerr Miller and Abraham Burbery
Herbert in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
KERR MILLER & ABRAHAM BURBERY HERBERT, both of Edinburgh,
in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
33rd year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs. and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Richard Kerr Miller and Abraham
Burbery Herbert, Her special license that we, the said Richard Kerr
Miller and Abraham Burbery Herbert, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, tho said Richard Kerr Miller and
Abraham Burbery. Herbert, our executors, administrators, or 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 Islo
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Richard Kerr Miller and Abraham
Burbery Herbert, by an instrument in writing under our 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 we, the said Richard Kerr Miller and Abraham
Burbery Herbert, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention which relates to certain improvements in pumps
is specially adapted for such pumps as are used for lifting or forcing
paper pulp and other thick or viscous liquids or fluids, but the
improvements may be applied to other pumps.
The present improvements consist in employing india-rubber balls
in substitution of the ordinary valves, the balls resting on either rough.
or smooth seats of cast iron or other metal. In place of using india-
rubber balls as the valves the balls may be made of cast iron or other
suitablo material, in which case the seats are made of india-rubber.
Stops or boxes are provided to regulate the lift of the valves, and the.
valves in whichever way arranged are applicable to single or double-
acting pumps:
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood
we now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or
manner in or under which the same is or may be used, or practically,
carried into effect, that is to say:-
On the appended Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of
a double-acting lifting and forcing pump constructed in accordance
with our Invention; Figure 2, a vertical section at right angles to
Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a part plan and part horizontal section of>
the same to which our improved valves are applied, as more particularly
shown at Figure 2. On these various Figures corresponding parts are
indicated by the same letters of reference.
The valves consist of india-rubber balls A, A, A, A, (and which may
be either solid or hollow) resting on scats in the necks or. throats of thic
various passages of the pump,, and these valves. are actuated by the
alternate drawing and forcing of the piston or. plunger.B.in the manner
herein-after more particularly set forth. At each side the pumps are.
provided with steam cylinders C, as shown at Figure 1, the piston of
which cylinders actuate the crank shaft D through the intervention of
he connecting rods E and crank discs F. To the crank G are attached
one of the ends of other connecting rods H, the other ends of these

page_text: rods being connected to the rod I of the piston or plunger B, as shown
more particularly at Figure 2. On the piston or plunger B being
raised by means of the mechanism above set forth the ball valve A is.
lifted and a portion of the liquid or stuff required to be pumped up.
is drawn into the pump through the duct or passage J. At the same
time the ball valve A' is lifted up, and that portion of the stuff which
has been drawn into the pump through the opening shown closed
by the ball valve A on the previous downward stroke of the piston
or plunger B is discharged into the pipes K, from whence-it is con-
ducted through a branch pipe and discharged through the opening L,
as shown at Figures 1 and 3. The piston or plunger B is then caused
to descend and by the pressure on the under side the valve A³ is opened
and that portion of the material which has been drawn into the pumps
through the passage J is discharged into the pipe K. Meanwhile the
descent of the piston or plunger B has by the drawing or suction on
its upper side caused the valve A³ to open and a portion of the liquid or
stuff to be drawn into the pump through the passage M. In order
to regulate the lift of the valves stops or covers are provided, as
shown at Figure 2, which stops or covers are held in position by means
of screws a, tapped through the tops or covers of the valve chambers,
or they may be retained in position by any other suitable means.
lieu of forming the valves of india-rubber, as herein-before set forth,
they may be made of cast iron or other suitable material, and the valve
scat formed of india-rubber.
In
It must be understood that we do not confine ourselves to any
particular arrangement or construction of pump to which our improved
valves and seats may be applied, as the pump forms no part of our
Invention, as these valves and seats may be used in conjunction with
various arrangements of pumps, such, for example, as pumps for lifting
paper pulp, bilge pumps for ships, or pumps for coal mines, the soft
and elastic nature of the valve balls or seats rendering them particularly
applicable for such purposes, as it allows small pieces of hard materials
to sink into the surface of the valve, which pieces are released at the next
stroke of the pump, thereby preventing stoppage or choking of the valve
taking place.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the
system, mode, ar manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that

page_text: what we consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
use and employment in pumps of spherical valves of india-rubber
working in metallic seats, or of spherical valves of metal working on
india-rubber seats, as herein-before set forth and shown on the appended
Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Kerr Miller and Abraham
Burbery Herbert, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Thirteenth day of May One thousand eight hundred and seventy.