Improvements in or relating to Lift and other Pumps.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1890-Accepted, 13th Sept., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Lift and other Pumps.
I, PLÁCIDO TARDÁ, of Barcelona, in the Kingdom of Spain, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to lift and other pumps and the improvements consist:
1. In the use of a suction pipe curved so that from the base of the cylinder of the
pump it rises parallel thereto or otherwise to a certain height before proceeding
downward and ending in the well or reservoir of the liquid to be raised. It results
from this arrangement that in case the suction valve flap does not shut hermetically,
there remains in the lower part of the cylinder always a certain quantity of liquid
detained in the knee of the suction pipe and in this manner the pump always ready
for working.
2. In connecting the cylinder with the upper knee in the suction pipe arranged as
mentioned above by means of a small tube, so that if the valves fit well air is
withdrawn from the suction pipe, so that the knee does not become completely empty,
i.e. so that there remains always a certain quantity of water in the lower knee formed
in the suction pipe.
3. In the arrangement above the metal valves with conical seats of a leather or
rubber plate fastened to the valve and connected with the flat part of the seat to
obtain a double closing ensuring the correct working of the pump in case the ordinary
single closing of the valve should be imperfect.
4. In the use or combination of two cylinders with a piston without a valve located
in one of the cylinders this cylinder serving to produce the suction and the delivery
and the second cylinder serving to provide a passage for the water driven back, the
second cylinder being provided with a check valve.
5. In providing the pumps worked by hand with an adjustable crank-handle said
crank-handle having at its baso a bar of some length having a longitudinal hole
through which it is connected to the fly-wheel or to the shaft by means of a set-screw
or screws. In this fashion the distance of the crank-arm from the centre of the shaft
is made adjustable by fixing the latter with its handle conveniently with regard to the
fly-wheel or shaft, so that the crank handle follows a more or less large circular course
depending upon the height etc., of the person using the pump.
6. In arranging besides all such pumps by whatever motive power they are driven
in such a way that the pivot which holds the head of the rod can be adjusted at option
to allow a regulating of the travel of the piston.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing shows a longitudinal section of the
improved pump, the mechanism from which it receives the motion is shown in front
elevation.
Figure 2 is a section through the axis of the fly-wheel showing the arrangement of
the crank of adjustable travel."
Figure 3 represents the improved valves.
The first improvement consists in arranging the suction-pipe A curved or bent in
the shape of a siphon for this purpose in starting from the cylinder it forms a
knee A, it then rises and is bent at the top forming the knee A descending at A³ to
extend into the well or reservoir of the liquid to be raised. At the base of this pipe
is the check valve C and the filter or strainer D; the former serves to prevent the
pipe A from becoming completely empty and the strainer D serves to keep out dirt,
straw or other matter which might be detrimental to the working of the valves.
I have given to the pipe A the shape shown so that a complete emptying thereof is
avoided even in case the valves E and C do not work properly, for if this should

page_text: happen, the pipe A would only become empty as far as the knee A¹ and as the
piston F is of a smaller diameter than the cylinder, there remains between the latter
and the piston an annular space through which the air will pass downward to rise
through the liquid in the branch between the knees A¹ and A2 and it will fill up
the knee A therefore only the branch A³ will be emptied whilst the water in the
branch A will afterwards descend to fill the valve-box-E to the same level with the
branch A.
By this means the pump is always primed and ready to work.
The purpose of the second improvement is to connect the knee A direct with the
cylinder, so that the pipe A and the cylinder may be completely filled with water.
This improvement consists in a small tube G between the cylinder and the top of the
upper knee A2 of the suction pipe.
In this manner if the valves E and C do not act properly, the water column will
descend only until it lays open the mouth of the small tube G when the air will enter
into the knee A². This direct entry of air prevents backward pressure of the air in
the water column in the branch between the knees A1 and A2 and only allows the
water in A³ to descend. The branch A as well as the cylinder thus remain full of
water at the same level.
In this manner the pump is always primed and ready for working.
In the third improvement above the metal valve H, C and E (Fig. 2) I place a
plate Hof rubber, leather or other elastic substance, so that when the valve rests
within its seat, the plate H¹ rests upon the upper flat part of the seat of said valve.
In this manner the effect of a double valve is obtained and the loss of liquid prevented,
even should the valves not fit properly. The rib K is intended to limit the travel of
the valve. The valve is closed in within a box provided with a movable plate which
is fastened by means of screws; by taking off the said plate access may be had to the
valves.
My fourth improvement consists in the construction of a pump with two cylinders
and one single piston without a valve, the cylinder I is intended to hold the piston
and I is for the passage of the water driven back.
When the piston Frises, as shown on Fig. 1 it lifts the water which filled up the
upper part of the cylinder I whilst it sucks up the water at the lower part, forcing
the valves E and C to open to allow the sucked up water to travel through.
When the piston F descends, it drives back the water which was at the bottom of
the cylinder I causing the valve H to open to allow it to pass into the cylinder I¹ and
thence towards the outflow opening.
My fifth improvement consists in the construction of the crank serving to operate
the pump in order that its radius may be regulated at option, so that it may be adapted
to the operator who has to work it.
For this purpose the crank-handle o has attached to or made with it the bar P
provided with a longitudinal slot-hole into which passes the bolt N which connects it
to the arm or lever Q₁ of the fly-wheel Q. This bolt N serves also as wrist pin for
the head R of the rod M which operates the rod S transmitting its motion to the rod T
of the piston F.
The bolt N is fastened to the arm Q¹ by passing, through a slot made therein and it
is fastened by means of a nut screwed on the end.
According to the point of the groove where the bolt N is fastened the radius of
the motion of the head R of the rod M will be more or less, and consequently the
travel of the piston will vary therewith. At the same time according to the point of
the groove of the bar P where the bolt N is fastened, the working radius of the crank
will also vary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination with a pump of a suction pipe constructed so that from the box

page_text: of the suction valve it rises above the level of said valve previous to descending into
the well or the like.
2. The combination with the pump and suction pipe arranged as set forth, of a
small tube connecting the cylinder with the upper knee formed by the suction pipe so
that should the valves not fit properly, it allows the entry of air from the cylinder
direct to the suction pipe.
3. The combination with the metal-valves with conical seat, of a leather or rubber-
plate fastened to the valve so that it fits to the upper flat surface of the seat of the
valve substantially as set forth.
4. The combination of two cylinders in connection at the two ends, one of the
cylinders containing the piston without valves whilst the other cylinder is provided
with a check valve.
5. On the fly-wheel or equivalent the arrangement of the pivot which receives the
head of the connecting rod so that said pivot may be fixed at a convenient point of
greater or less radius, and the arrangement of the crank-handle with slotted bar P so
that it may also be adjusted on said pivot substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
Dated this 20th day of July 1900
HERBERT & Ou.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.