CERTAIN NEW OR IM- PROVED PUMPING MACHINERY."
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Arrowsmith, of Bilston, in the County
of Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN NEW OR IM-
PROVED PUMPING MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Arrowsmith.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,.
on the 15th January 1853.
I, JOHN ARROWSMITH, of Bilston, in the County of Stafford, Engineer,.
do liereby declare the nature of the said Invention for. "CERTAIN NEW
OR IMPROVED PUMPING MACHINERY" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of two steam cylinders placed side by side, and
immediately over the well or pit from which the water is to be pumped.
The piston rods of the cylinders are connected together by a chain or.
chains passing over a pulley or pullies situated over the cylinder, and..
the ascending stroke of one of the pistons corresponds with the de-..
scending stroke of the other. The said piston rods are prolonged
through the bottoms of the said cylinders, and are connected with the
pump rods, the. said -pump. rods being but a prolongation of the said..

page_text: piston rods. The valves by which steam is alternately admitted into
the cylinders may be worked from the lower end of the piston rods or
otherwise, and when it is thought desirable a crank on the axis of the
said pulley or pullies may be connected with a connecting rod, and the
other end of the said connecting rod may be connected with another
crank on the shaft of a fly wheel. The whole is supported on four
columns of either wood or iron, the said columns being immediately
over the pit or well. By this arrangement I dispense with engine
house, beam, and parallel motions, necessary in pumping engines as
ordinarily constructed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Arrowsmith in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN ARROWSMITH, of Bilston, in the County of Stafford, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and, grant unto me, the said John Arrowsmith, Her
special licence that I, 'the said John Arrowsmith, my executors, admi,
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Arrowsmith,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and rio. others,. from time to time and at all times thereafter;
during the term, therçin 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
"CERTAIN, NEW OR IMPROVED PUMPING MACHINERY," upon the condition
(amongst others), that I, the said John Arrowsmith, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 John Arrowsmith, 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 thereof (that is to say): "
My said Invention is represented in elevation in Figure 1, and in
vertical section 'in Figure 2. It consists of two steam cylinders
marked A, A, properly fitted with stuffing boxes at each end, and placed
side by side, immediately over the well or pit B, B, from which the
water is to be pumped. The piston rods of these cylinders marked C, C,
are connected together by a chain or chains marked D, D, passing over
a pulley of pullies, marked E, E, situated above the cylinders, 'the
ascending stroke of one cylinder.corresponding with. the descending
stroke of the other; or, instead of connecting the said piston rods, by
a chain or chains passing over a pulley or pullies, I sometimes make a
rack on the top of each of the said piston rods, which said racks engage
in à pinion, situated between them. The said piston rods C, C, are
prolonged through the bottoms of the said 'cylinders at F, F, and are
connected to the pump rods at G, G, the said pump rods being but a
prolongation of the said piston rods. The valves by which the steam is
admitted into the said cylinders may be worked from the lower end of
the piston rods, or from a crank or eccentric on the shaft H, or in any
other suitable manner. Where it is thought desirable a crank fixed on
the axis H, H, of the pulley or pullies may be connected to a con-
necting rod, the other end of which connecting rod inay be connected
to another crank on a fly wheel shaft. The whole of my improved
pumping machinery is supported upon columns or frames of wood or
iron, and fixed immediately over the pit or well; as shown. The pulley
marked M, with the chain L, L, passing round it, and attached to two
cross bars G, G, is a provision made in case a bucket should stick.in
its descent, the ascent of the other piston by this means immediately

page_text: easing the same without any stoppage of the engine. When I use racks
and a pinion in place of the pulley E, and chain D, this provision is
unnecessary. Between the two steam cylinders A, A, I place a small
air pump N, the piston rod of which is connected with a crank on the
pulley E, as represented. By the alternating motion of the said pulley
the air pump N, maintains a more or less perfect vacuum on the upper
sides of the steam pistons. As the said air pump has only to remove
whatever air may enter the steam cylinders. by leakage, it may be of
small size. The vacuum on the top of each piston is desirable when the
.steam is cut off at part stroke, or used expansively. I sometimes
modify my Invention in the following manner, that is to say:-I do
not fix lids on the tops of the cylinders A, A, but leave the upper
'surface of the pistons exposed to the atmosphere. I cast the upper
flanges on the cylinders to receive the carriages or bearings for the
axis of the pulley or pullies, and connect the pistons immediately to the
chain or chains. I dispense with the upper portion of the piston rod
C, C, and also with the columns and frame on which the pullies are
represented in the Drawing as supported. By the arrangement de-
scribed the pump rods balance each other, and I thereby get rid of the
dead weight of the said rods, so much objected to in ordinary engines.
I also dispense with engine house, beam, and parallel motion, which
.are necessary in engines of the ordinary construction; and having
the pump rods in equilibrium, my engine has only the column of water
to lift, and performs as much work as any ordinary engine of the like
size, with less expenditure of fuel, and is less costly in construction.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
⚫manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the precise method of carrying my In-
.vention into effect herein described, and represented in the accompanying
Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of my said Invention; but I claim as my Invention constructing
pumping machinery by connecting together the pistons of two or
more steam cylinders by means of chains and pullies, or racks and
pinions, so that the pump rods shall balance one another; the said

page_text: cylinders being situated immediately over the pit or well from which
the water is to be drawn; the piston rods from the said cylinders being
prolonged so as to form the pump rods of the said pumping machinery,
as herein described, and illustrated by the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Arrowsmith, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN ARROWSMITH. (L.S.)