IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ellis Marsden and John Marsden, of the firm of
Marsden Brothers, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers
D
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ellis Marsden and John
Marsden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Peti-
tion, on the 28th February 1854.
We, ELLIS MARSDEN and JOHN MARSDEN, of the firm of Marsden Brothers,
of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and Brass Founders, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS "
to be as follows:-
This Invention belongs to or is applicable to the class of pumps generally
used as fire engines, and is more particularly adapted for use on shipboard,
and consists of two single action force pumps with an air vessel placed between
them. The pumps are fitted with solid plungers (or pistons) with rods attached
thereto. The tops of the pumps cylinders have covers with suitable glans,
through which the plunger (or piston) rod works. The working beam or lever
is supported upon the head of the air vessel, and the plunger rods are attached
by connecting rods jointed thereto.
By this arrangement an engine can be made, occupying but little space,
having the advantage of an air vessel of ample dimensions, and in the event
of any derangement of the valves they can be readily got at. To accomplish
which, it is only requisite to disconnect the plunger rod from the working
beam, loosen the cover from the top of the pump barrel, and then draw out the
plunger.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ellis Marsden and John Marsden in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, ELLIS
MARSDEN and JOHN MARSDEN, of the firm of Marsden Brothers, of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and Brass Founders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Ellis Marsden and John Marsden, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Ellis Marsden and John Marsden, our execu-
tors, administrators, and 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 the Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS," 'upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Ellis Marsden and John Marsden, by an instru-
ment in writing under our hands and scals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Ellis Marsden and John Marsden,
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 the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
of
This Invention is designed for, or is more particularly applicable to the class
pumps generally used as fire engines, and is more especially adapted for use
on shipboard, but will also be found equally useful as a lift or force pump for
general purposes.
To construct an engine according to this Invention we make use of two
single action force pumps which are placed in an upright or vertical position,
between which we place an air vessel having an outlet on one side near the
bottom thereof for the ejection pipe: The pumps cylinders are fitted with
solid plungers or pistons, with suitable rods attached thereto; the tops of the
pump cylinders have covers constructed with suitable glans (which act as

page_text: guides), and through which the rods of the plungers (or pistons) work. The
working beam or lever is supported and has its fulcrum upon the top (or
head) of the air vessel (which is placed between the cylinders of the two
pumps). The plunger rods are attached to the working beam by means of
connecting rods jointed thereto.
The pump cylinders and air vessel are mounted upon a metal box or base of
a parallelogramical form, but with the ends slightly rounded (by preference).
Internally passages are formed to carry the water from the suction pipe to
the valve ports of the pumps, and from the pumps to the valve ports of the
air vessel; upon the top of the base upon which the air vessel and pump
cylinders are mounted, there are two openings for each pump; one of which
extends from the suction pipe, and is covered by a hinged valve, and the
other (upon which there is no valve) communicates with a valve port of the
air vessel. The air vessel is provided with a double valve covering the ports
through which the water is forced by the alternate action of the pumps.
That this Invention may be the more readily seen and understood both in
its construction and working, we have hereunto annexed Drawings illustrative
of the general arrangement and action of a machine constructed according
to our Invention. Like letters marked upon the Drawings relate to similar
parts.
Figure 1 is an external view of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a vertical
sectional elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a view of the top of the base,
which is the bed plate upon which the pump cylinders and air vessel are
mounted, and showing the position of the valves and openings of the pas-
sages for the water to pass from the cylinders of the pumps to the air vessel.
A1 and A2 are two single action force pumps; B is an air vessel placed
between A¹ and A²; C, the working beam or lever, having its fulcrum upon
the top of the air vessel at C; D, opening in the air vessel for the ejection
pipe; E, base containing the pipes or passages to conduct the water from
the suction pipe to the pumps and from the pumps to the air vessel; F¹, inlet
valve of pump A' (shown open, as it is during the upward motion of the
piston); F, inlet valve of pump A²; G¹, air vessel valve covering water
passage from pump A¹; G³, air vessel valve covering water passage from
pump A; H (Figure 3), opening or passages through which the water from
the pumps is forced into the air vessel through the valves G¹ and G²; I, small
valves or vents, to allow the escape of the air or any water that might
accidentally get above the pistons; K, the dotted lines, showing a convenient
form of dividing plates to form the water passages in the interior of the hollow
base.

page_text: Having now described our Invention, and in what manner the same may be
performed, what we claim is, the combination of the various parts as herein-
before described, to form an improved pump or engine for raising and forcing
water or other fluids.
In witness whereof, we, the said Ellis Marsden and John Marsden, have 5
hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-fourth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER.
ELLIS (L.S.) MARSDEN.
JOHN (L.S.) MARSDEN.