IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THROWING LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE TO WATERING CANS, GARDEN ENGINES, FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, FOUNTAINS, AND OTHER SIMILAB APPARATUS, ALSO FOR COMPRESSING AIR OR OTHER FLUIDS, AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John James Royle, of 71, Market Street, in the City of
Manchester, Mechanical Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR THROWING LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE TO WATERING CANS,
GARDEN ENGINES, FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, FOUNTAINS, AND OTHER SIMILAB
APPARATUS, ALSO FOR COMPRESSING AIR OR OTHER FLUIDS, AND FOR OTHER
ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John James Royle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th April 1880.
JOHN JAMES ROYLE, of 71, Narket Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THROWING LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE
TO WATERING CANS, GARDEN ENGINES, FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, FOUNTAINS, AND
OTHER SIMILAR APPARATUS, ALSO FOR COMPRESSING AIR OR OTHER FLUIDS, AND
FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
"
As applied to watering cans, garden engines, and fire extinguishers, I employ a
cylindrical or other suitably shaped metallic vessel closed at the top and bottom and
made perfectly air-tight. One end of a flexible pipe communicates with the interior of
this vessel at the bottom, and the other end of such flexible tube is provided with
a suitable union or connection for attaching the said pipe temporarily to the
bib of any ordinary house tap or other water supply affording the requisite
pressure.
I prefer to use my Patent tap union, for which Letters Patent, No. 2350, and
dated June 13th, 1879, were granted to me, as being the most convenient in
practise, although other forms of unions may be employed, and in any case a back
pressure valve or its equivalent should be applied.
To a separate flexible pipe or in combination with the first mentioned pipe and
union, I arrange a suitable regulating spreader or jet controlled by a suitable
stop-cock.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-To charge the vessel with water
the union is attached to the ordinary house tap or other water supply, when the
water being turned on enters such vessel compressing the air in the same
0.17

page_text: until it reaches the same density as the pressure in the main, when the vessel may
be disconnected from the water supply, the back pressure valve preventing the
escape of the contents.
By means of a handle or wheels this apparatus can be transported to any desired
place, whilst the compressed air contained in such vessel affords a means of throwing
or forcing the contents through the spreader or jet, and thus to form an efficient
watering can, garden engine, or fire extinguisher.
For fountains the jet would be arranged in connection with a suitable basin.
It will be obvious that this apparatus could be used for storing and throwing
other liquids besides water, and also for compressing air or other fluids, and for
other analogous purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John James Royle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
October 1880.
JOHN JAMES ROYLE, of 71, Market Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THROWING LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE
TO WATERING CANS, GARDEN ENGINES, FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, FOUNTAINS, AND
OTHER SIMILAR APPARATUS, ALSO FOR COMPRESSING AIR OR OTHER FLUIDS, AND
FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
As applied to watering cans, garden engines, and fire extinguishers, I employ a
cylindrical or other suitably shaped metallic vessel, closed at the top and bottom
and made perfectly air-tight. One end of a flexible pipe communicates with the
interior of this vessel at the bottom and the other end of such flexible tube is
provided with a suitable union or connection for attaching the said pipe temporarily
to the bib of any ordinary house tap or other water supply affording the requisite
pressure.
I prefer to use my Patent tap union, for which Letters Patent, No. 2350, and
dated June 13th, 1879, were granted to me, as being the most convenient in practise,
although other forms of unions may be employed, and in any case a back pressure
valve or its equivalent should be applied.
To a separate flexible pipe, or in combination with the first mentioned pipe and
union, I arrange a suitable regulating spreader or jet controlled by a suitable
stop cock.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-To charge the vessel with water
the union is attached to the ordinary house tap or other water supply, when the
water being turned on enters such vessel compressing the air in the same until it
reaches the same density as the pressure in the main, when the vessel may be
disconnected from the water supply, the back pressure valve preventing the escape
of the contents. By means of a handle or wheels this apparatus can be transported
to any desired place, whilst the compressed air contained in such vessel affords a
means of throwing or forcing the contents through the spreader or jet, and thus to

page_text: form an efficient watering can, garden engine, or fire extinguisher. For fountains the
jet would be arranged in connection with a suitable basin. It will be obvious that
this apparatus could be used for storing and throwing other liquids besides water,
and also for compressing air or other fluids, and for other analogous purposes.
And in order that this my said Invention may be more thoroughly understood
and more readily carried into effect, I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings,
and will now proceed to describe the same by referenco to the letters marked
thereon. Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my improved garden engine; Fig. 2, a
partial section and vertical elevation of my improved fire engine; and Fig. 3, a
section of my improved tap union for which Letters Patent were granted to me as
aforesaid.
In Fig. 1 A is a cylindrical shaped metallic vessel preferably made of strong
galvanised iron; B is a flexible tube which communicates with the interior of the
vessel A as near the bottom thereof as practicable; C is a compound hand pipe or
jet consisting of my Patent tap union C¹ (seen full size in Fig. 3, but which, in
this case, is provided with a back pressure ball or valve C³) a branch C which is
connected to the flexible tube B, and which hand pipe C carries at its extremity a
regulating cock and rose C³. The construction of the regulating cock and rose C
forming no part of this Invention it will suffice to say it may be of any of the
ordinary well known patterns capable of throwing a jet or spray at pleasure, and
perfectly under control by the tap. D is a relief or safety valve to prevent the engine
being injured or burst by over pressure. In using this my improved garden engine
the tap union end C¹ of the compound hand pipe C is pushed on to the bib of any
ordinary house tap or water pressure supply, such as a force pump. The pressure
of water forces the back pressure ball C open and flows down the flexible pipe B
into the cylindrical vessel A, pressing the air up into the higher part of the vessel
and compressing the same therein until it attains the same density as the water
supply, or until the valve D opens when the engine is charged and the house tap
closed. The union C¹ is then drawn off the tap, in the act of which the ball C
closes and prevents the water returning. The engine thus charged may then be
carried either by the handle E or transported on wheels to any desired place when
the water will be selfactingly discharged by opening the cock of the rose or jet C³,
the compressed air affording the selfacting means of forcing out the water. Instead
of using my improved tap union C, which in itself forms no part of the present
Invention, it will be apparent than an ordinary screw union might be used, but this
would obviously be only a less convenient way of arriving at the same result. Also
it will be apparent that instead of using the compound fitting C a separate flexible
pipe and tap union might be used to fill the engine, and a separate pipe for delivery
with an ordinary rose and jet, but this I should regard as a modification of my
Invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical elevation and partial section of a modification of
my Invention for fire extinguishing purposes. The cylindrical vessel F is of
similar construction to the proceding modification, only I prefer to make it larger
and provide it with straps or other means whereby it may be easily carried on the
back, or the same may be transported by handles, on wheels, or in any other
convenient manner. The cylinder F is further provided with an inside metallic
lining G extending nearly to the bottom where it opens into the main cylinder.
The object of this lining, which itself should be perfectly airtight, is to isolate the
compressed air in the upper part of the cylinder from the outside casing so that
should there be any slight leakage in the main cylinder the water would rise in the
annular cavity thus formed and show itself by a visible leakage, whilst it would be
very difficult otherwise to detect slight leakage of air through the metal, and which
would in time destroy the efficiency of the engine by allowing the compressed air
to escape. This lining is equally applicable for the same purpose to the apparatus
herein before described. H is the charging pipe provided with the tap union I and
back pressure valve J, in this case by preference fixed inside the main cylinder.
K is a suitable tap or cock, the outlet of which is provided with a branch L carrying
a vessel M with tight fitting screw plug N; O is a small pipe descending through

page_text: the branch as shewn, and having its other extremity turned in the direction of the
issuing current; P is a flexible discharge pipe having an ordinary hand pipe and
jet Qat its extremity; R is a tight fitting plug or cap through which any fire
extinguishing liquid may be introduced into the engine. In this my improved
fire engine either ordinary water may be used alone or in combination with any fire
extinguishing liquid or solids capable of being dissolved by the water when being
used. For ordinary water it would be filled by the tap union I, as in the previous
modification, and after charging it should be put aside in a convenient position for
prompt transportation, as herein after mentioned. The engine should be firmly held
on the back of the operator, the left hand controlling the tap K whilst the right
directs the jet of water upon the fire. When it is desired to use any of the well
known fire annihilating compounds in a solid state they may (after the engine is
charged with ordinary water) be put into the vessel M and the plug N screwed
tightly down. When in action as the water flows past the small pipe O it induces
a current through the vessel M in the direction of the arrows, dissolving the solids
and mingling the solution with the issuing water, so forming a most efficient fire
engine. If it is desired to use a fire extinguishing liquid I prefer to introduce a
suitable quantity of it in as concentrated a state as possible through the plug R
before charging the engine. In this case, and also in the case of using water only,
the vessel M could be dispensed with, and instead of employing a separate pipe for
charging the engine the same pipe may be used for charging and discharging, as in
the case of the garden engine. In Fig. 1 1 shew a fountain jet for the supply of
which my improved engine is very suitable. In this case I prefer to use a separate
filling tube, as in the fire engine, and a small tap or cock should be fitted between
the cylinder and union of the discharging pipe so that the engine can be readily
coupled and uncoupled from the fountain for recharging. It will be obvious that
this convenient method of attaching a cylinder to any water supply may be used
for compressing air or other fluids for various useful purposes, such, for instance, as
supplying blow pipes, scenting and deodorising apartments, spray producing, and
other analogous operations.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying
the same into practical effect, 1 wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details, relative proportions, or dimensions of the
apparatus herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing, as
the same may be considerably varied without departing from the Invention, but
what I do claim is,-
1st. The improved combination and arrangement of apparatus substantially as
and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawing.
"
2nd. The employment of an enclosed air tight vessel as a means of storing up
water or other liquids or fluids under pressure, charged and operating in the manner
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawing.
3rd. Constructing apparatus with an inside lining whereby leakage is visibly
indicated, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John James Royle, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
JOHN J. ROYLE. (L.S.)