A PORTABLE FIRE ENGINE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wells Cross, of Hunslet, in the
Parish of Leeds, in the County of York, Pail Manufacturer,
for the Invention of "A PORTABLE FIRE ENGINE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wells
Cross at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th March 1853.
I, THOMAS WELLS CROSS, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A PORTABLE FIRE ENGINE" to be as follows:-
The portable fire engine, which forms the subject of the present
Invention, consists in a novel or improved arrangement of the parts of
a fire engine, and in a simpler or less complicated mode of working the
pumps than in ordinary fire engines. By means of the improved
arrangement of the pumps, air vessel, lever or pumping arms, and
box or cistern, connected therewith, in a portable shape, water can be
drawn from a well or reservoir, or the box or cistern can be supplied
with water by buckets alone, in a more convenient manner than here-
tofore.
The engine may be supplied with water either by suction from a
well, tank, or river, by means of a flexible hose, by pouring water from

page_text: buckets into a reservoir or receptacle in which the pumping apparatus
is placed.
The apparatus consists principally of a double-action pumping
engine, mounted upon a flat hollow chamber, firmly secured to the
bottom of a portable tank, which, if required, may be filled with water
by means of buckets. The flat hollow water chamber has holes made
in its sides for the purpose of allowing water to run in from the port-
able trunk or reservoir, when the engine is to be supplied by buckets;
but these holes are closed and covered up by a bar or rod when the
engine is to be supplied by suction.
A piston, connected by a rod to a double lever, is made to move up
and down in each cylinder, both of which are furnished with valves as
usual, and are made to communicate, by means of branch pipes, with
a vessel which is common to both, and to any convenient part of which
is connected the hose through which the water may be ejected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters l'atent,
filed by the said Thomas Wells Cross, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 5th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOLI THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1,
THOMAS WELLS CROSS, of IIunslet, in the Parish of Leeds, in the
County of York, Pail Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Ter heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas Wells Cross, Her special licence that I, the
said Thomas Wells Cross, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Thomas Wells Cross, my exccutors,
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 Isle of Man, an Invention for "A PORT-

page_text: ABLE FIRE ENGINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Thomas Wells Cross, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 I, the said Thomas Wells Cross, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
My Invention consists, first, in the new combination and arrange-
ment of apparatus of an ordinary fire engine, whereby I construct, in a
portable shape, and at about half the expense of ordinary fire engines,
an engine that will perform as much work as an ordinary engine, with
less labour, and which, from its compactness, is in many cases con-
siderably better adapted for the duties of a fire engine than the ordi-
nary cumbersome and expensive machine. My Invention relates,
secondly, to an improved mode of supplying the engine when water
has to be brought in buckets. I have also adapted thereto an improved
cock or valve, herein-after described.
The first part of my Invention relates to the arrangement of the
parts of which the engine is composed, various views of which are
shewn in the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1, is a longitudinal vertical
section of the engine; Fig. 2, is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, is
a transverse vertical section taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, is
a section of the passage leading from the cylinders to the air vessel;
F, F, is a double lever, with handles G, G, at each end for the pur-
pose of working the engine; E, is a standard fixed to the foundation
plate U, U, (Fig. 1,) and acts as a fulcrum for the double lever; and
0, 0, are upright piston rods, attached to and which work the pistons
N, N, inside the cylinders K, K. These cylinders are connected by a
curved tube S, shewn detached and in section, at Fig. 4, with the air
vessel X, and has a stop or division T, in the centre. The discharging

page_text: or delivery pipe W, (best seen in the plan view Fig. 2) is fixed to the
back of this air vessel, and the ordinary hose is screwed upon it.
The cylinders K, K, are screwed upon a plate U, U, (Fig. 1,)
which acts as a seat or foundation plate, and under this plate there
is a pipe V, V, connected with the pipe A. which supplies water to
both vessels, either through the suction pipe A, A, Fig. 2, or the
perforated mouth X, X. When water is supplied from a river, reser-
voir, or well, the suction pipe A, Aº, is screwed upon a fitting screw
at the end of the feed pipe A, near the valve Y, Y; but if water be
supplied by buckets to the engine, the water is poured into the box B,
and the end of this feed pipe is secured and stopped by screwing on
the cap piece d, instead of attaching the suction pipe to the same
place; the water then enters through the perforated mouth X, X,
below.
The several parts above described are fixed in the oblong box B,
which is open at the top. This box is for the purpose of supplying
the fire engine with water, by means of the perforated mouth X, X, in
case there is no reservoir or river into which the suction pipe may be
thrown. The buckets, hose, ladder, hatchets, and other appendages or
accessory parts connected with the engine, may also be placed in this
box or chamber. The water may be poured into the box by buckets;
and for this purpose I claim the right of supplying Cross or the
American bucket. Any waste water may be let out of the box by
means of a plug hole and plug c, Fig. 1. The perforated mouth is
closed by the screw lever or lift valve Y, Y, whenever the suction pipe
A", is used. These parts are best shewn in the transverse sectional
view, Fig. 3.
The valve Y, consists simply of a plate faced with leather, and con-
nected by the screwed rod c, with the wheel handle b. As this handle
is turned round, it will lower or raise the plate or valve Y. When
water is supplied by the suction pipe A*, the plate Y, is lowered into
the recess at the bottom, and thus closes the mouth or opening ✗; and
if both the suction pipe and the opening are required together, the
plate can be raised into the recess on the upper side.
The portable fire engine can either be drawn by the handle H, H,
or by horses or men, when necessary, by means of the ropes L, L.

page_text: In Sheet II, I have shewn two views of a similar fire engine, but
which is not mounted on wheels, but is intended to be carried by hand,
and the engine fed with water by buckets. The difference in the
arrangement, it will be seen, consists in having the cylinder K, K,
fitted on perforated seats or foundation plates to the bottom of the box,
and having a communication with the water by means of such per-
forated seats. Chest-handles h, h, are affixed to the ends of the box
for the purpose of carrying it.
Having now described my Invention, and the best means with which
I am at present acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I claim,
in conclusion, the general arrangement of parts herein shewn and
described, or any mere modification thereof, for constructing portable
fire engines in a cheap and light form, and which may be made to
work effectively, and be supplied with water either by hose or by
buckets, as may be most convenient. I claim particularly the use of
a screw lever or lift valve Y, Y, instead of a cock, as in the ordinary
fire engine, and also of a perforated mouth or opening attached to
the same.
I likewise claim the right of mounting a fire engine in a plain
shallow oblong box, open at the top, and arranged to hold all the ma-
chinery and apparatus connected with a powerful fire engine, including
buckets, hose, ladder, &c., complete.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wells Cross, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Second day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
THOMAS WELLS CROSS. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said
Thomas Wells Cross, in the presence of
JNO. H. B. CHAMBERS,
Clerk to J. & H. Richardson & Gaunt,
Sol, Leeds.