Improvements in Apparatus for Pumping or Circulating Air, Water, or other Fluids, "Applicable in an especial manner in the Circu- lating Apparatus of Ice-making Machinery.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Pumping or Circulating Air, Water,
or other Fluids, "Applicable in an especial manner in the Circu-
lating Apparatus of Ice-making Machinery.
I, MAUNSEL CASSWELL BANNISTER, of 7, Bradford Terrace, Seacombe in the
County of Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
--:
In the manufacture of circulating apparatus for ice tanks, I experienced some
difficulty in designing a pump or circulating apparatus that would not freeze solid in
the tank.
I found that woody matter or non-conducting material was preferable for this
purpose, but the difficulty was to make a cheap wooden barrel, that would perform the
work satisfactorily. All kinds of wood, when turned out in the dry, and then exposed
to the water, expanded unequally, while built up barrels were very costly.
I now find I can attain my desired object, by the use of the large Indian bamboos,
some of which are about eight inches in internal diameter, and very stout and strong.
The joints make an excellent cylinder bottom, and the central hole is usually preferably
cylindrical, and continues cylindrical even after long exposure to moisture. The
bamboo is also an excellent non-conductor of heat, and very tough and strong. It is
therefore applicable for pump barrels of almost any description, and cheap pumps can
thus be made, by simply cutting away the centro part of the joints, and placing a
bucket packed with an absorbent material inside the same. In carrying out my
apparatus for circulating apparatus for ice tanks, I prefer to suspend the bamboos in
the tank, by means of reciprocating machinery, and attach the buckets to rods at any
stationary point. The bamboo is then reciprocated on its axis, and thus drives out
the water alternately in each direction. A tube can be brought, if desired, from the
blind end of bamboo, deep in the water to be frozen, and if desirable, a considerable
number of bamboo cylinders can be fixed to the same reciprocating apparatus.
Dated this 10th day of March 1889
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Pumping or Circulating Air, Water,
or other Fluids, Applicable in an especial manner in the Circu-
lating Apparatus of Ice-making Machinery.
I, MAUNSEL CASSWELL BANNISTER, of 7, Bradford Terrace, Seacombe in the
County of Chester, 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 :-
In the manufacture of circulating apparatus for ice tanks, I experienced some
difficulty in designing a pump or circulating apparatus that would not freeze solid in
the tank.
I found that woody matter or non-conducting material was preferable for this
purpose, but the difficulty was to make a cheap wooden barrel that would perform the
work satisfactorily. All kinds of wood when turned out in the dry and then exposed
to the water, expanded unequally, while built up barrels were very costly.
I now find I can attain my desired object by the use of the large Indian bamboos,
some of which are about eight inches in internal diameter, and very stout and strong.
The joints or nodes make an excellent cylinder bottom, and the central hollow of the

page_text: internode is usually perfectly cylindrical, and continues cylindrical even after long
exposure to moisture. The bamboo is also an excellent non-conductor of heat, and
very tough and strong. It is therefore applicable for pump barrels of almost any
description, and cheap pumps can thus be made by simply cutting away the centre
part of the joint, (as shown in dotted lines at a² on the drawing) to permit the ingress
and egress of the fluid, and by placing a bucket packed with an absorbent material
inside the internode.
Referring to the drawing, which is a section of a pump constructed in accordance
with my invention and attached to an ice tank, the cylinder or barrel A is formed, as
above stated, of a section of bamboo, the latter being cut through at such a point that
one of the nodes forms the cylinder bottom a. A water tube a¹ descends, from the
cylinder A, a short distance into the water in the tank D. The piston or bucket of
the pump is composed of three or more wooden discs B or rings, the spaces between
which are filled with sponge or other suitable absorbent material b. The pump rod C
is preferably attached to the piston by means of a flexible or loose joint such as is
shown at b¹.
The pump barrel A is attached by means of a collar E, or in other suitable manner,
to a reciprocating part of some suitable driving device, while the rod C is attached to
a suitable stationary part, such as one of the handles d on the side of the tank D.
The pump may be stationary and the piston rod reciprocate, if desirable.
The mode of action of this arrangement is as follows:-
The cylinder A is reciprocated longitudinally on its axis, the piston being stationary.
This has the effect of causing water from the tank D to be alternately sucked in and
forced out by the pipe a', and thus a good circulation of the water in the tank is
obtained, such circulation being necessary to the production of clear ice. Also the
pump barrel and bucket being both bad conductors of heat, there is little risk of their
becoming frozen up, as is the case when metallic pumps are employed.
If preferred, a double pump may be employed, and in that case the node of the
bamboo will be about the centre of the double cylinder. Two pipes a¹ and two pistons
and rods are employed, the latter being fastened to opposite sides of the tank 1).
The bamboo is then reciprocated as before, and thus drives out the water alternately
in each direction. A tube can be brought, if desired, from the blind end of the
bamboo, deep into the water to be frozen, but this is hardly necessary in ordinary
circumstances. If desirable, a considerable number of bamboo cylinders can be fixed
to the same reciprocating apparatus.
It will be obvious that only the intornode of the bamboo may be employed, the end
of the barrel being forined of a separate piece of wood or other suitable material.
This kind of pump is applicable for pumping air, water, or many other fluids. In
fact, the invention is capable of a wide application, especially in cases where a cheap
pump is required of moderate size and of a bad heat-conducting material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
As a new article of manufacture a pump cylinder or barrel formed of the internode
of a bamboo, one end of said barrel being formed either of the adjacent node, or of a
separate piece of material, substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of December 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, and London, Patent Agents.