Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
purposes.
I, WILLIAM EVANS, of the Forrester's Arms, 94, George Street, Hulme,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Publican, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to an improved air pump adapted to be actuated by the
foot of the operator.
My improved foot pump, although applicable for various purposes, is principally
intended for use in forcing up or raising beer, porter and the like beverages from
a cellar or other situation to a restaurant or hotel bar or the like.
In a foot pump constructed in accordance with my invention I provide a cylinder
of suitable capacity and which may be secured to the floor by any convenient ineans.
Working within the interior of the cylinder is a piston carried by a suitable plunger
or rod the upper end of the plunger being provided with a foot plate. The piston is
conveniently packed so that on its descent it shall work fluid tight within the
cylinder, but on its ascending stroke will allow air to pass around its edges to the
uuder side of the piston so as to charge the cylinder with air for the next downward
stroke. This may be conveniently effected in the following manner. I secure to
the under side of the piston an annular ring of leather or other suitable resilient
material formed with a downwardly curving projecting edge. On the downward
stroke of the piston, the compressed air within the cylinder will tend to force
outwards the curved edge of leather against the wall of the cylinder and thus prevent
leakage. On the up stroke of the piston, the air can freely pass between the curved
packing ring and the wall of the cylinder, the air pressure tending to force the
packing ring away from contact with the interior wall of the cylinder.
The bottom of the cylinder is provided with an annular recess to accommodate the
packing ring, so that the piston may be traversed to the bottom of the cylinder and
thus increase the length of stroke to the utmost capacity of the cylinder.
To the bottom of the cylinder I secure a metallic tube or auxiliary cylinder of
smaller diameter and the plunger, projecting below the piston, is adapted to work
within this tube.
The diameter of the tube is slightly greater than the plunger and the lower end
of the plunger is provided with a packing ring similar in construction to the packing
ring of the piston. The tube is in connection with the air pipe leading to the cask
or other receptacle containing the beer to be raised.
At the commencement of its stroke both the piston and the packing ring on the
end of the plunger are at the top of their respective cylinders. By operating the
plunger downwards by means of the foot the air below the piston in the main
cylinder is compressed and forced downwards into the tube or auxiliary cylinder
beyond the packing ring carried by the foot of the plunger, into the air tube. The
back pressure of the air thus forced within the air pipe, acting upon the lower part
of the plunger, causes the plunger to be automatically raised ready for the next
downward stroke.

page_text: Thus by a slight consumption or reduction of the air pressure forced by the
downward stroke of the piston into the air pipe, the plunger is always automatically
raised and the pump is thus in position to be operated without any attention on the
part of the operator.
The improved pump may be varied in construction without departing from the
spirit of my invention.
For instance the plunger may be made hollow the upper end of it being closed by
a foot plate. The hollow plunger instead of projecting below the pistou as before
terminates at the point where it is secured to the piston. The bottom of the cylinder
is provided with a tubular extension to which is connected the air pipe. This tubular
extension passes within the tubular plunger, an annular space being left between the
two. The piston is provided as before with a packing ring and a packing ring is
secured either to the plunger or piston so as to engage with the outer wall of the
tubular extension. On the downward stroke of the piston the air is allowed to pass
the packing ring surrounding the tubular extension, entering within the hollow
plunger and passing down the open top of the tubular extension to the air pipe. The
air pressure thus raised within the air pipe acting on the closed top of the hollow
plunger automatically raises the same when released from the pressure of the
operator's foot.
Dated this ɔth of November 1897.
An Improved Air Pump for Raising Liquids and for other
purposes.
I, WILLIAM EVANS, of 5, Clifford Street, Eccles New Road, Salford, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, late of the Forrester's Arms, 94, George Street, Hulme,
Manchester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
inanner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following stateinent and accompanying drawings
:-
My said invention relates to an improved air pump adapted to be actuated by the
foot of the operator.
My improved foot pump, although applicable for various purposes, is principally
intended for use in forcing up or raising beer, porter and the like beverages from a
cellar or other situation to a restaurant or hotel bar or the like.
The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates my invention more clearly.
Fig. 1 of the drawings is a sectional elevation of my improved pump broken in
length for want of space.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a modified form of pump.
Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a method of operating the pump.
In a foot pump constructed in accordance with my invention I provide a cylinder a
of suitable capacity.
The cylinder a is screwed or otherwise suitably secured to a cover b which may be
secured to the floor by screws or bolts passing through the holes in the cover b or
by other convenient means. Working within the interior of the cylinder is a piston c
carried by a suitable plunger d the upper end of the plunger being provided with a
foot plate do. The piston c is conveniently packed so that on its descent it shall

page_text: work fluid tight within the cylinder a but on its ascending stroke will allow air to pass
around its edges to the under side of the piston c so as to charge the cylinder with
air for the next downward stroke. This is effected in the following manner.
Upon the hollow plunger d I braze or otherwise secure a screwed ring d¹. A piston
ringe is screwed upon the ring d¹ and upon this ring e is disposed an annular ring of
leather for other suitable resilient material formed with a downwardly curving pro-
jecting edge f. A washer 2 is placed upon the leather ring f and a lock nut f³
binds the whole to the ring d upon the hollow plunger d. On the downward stroke
of the piston, the compressed air within the cylinder will tend to force outwards the
curved edge of the leather f against the wall of the cylinder and thus prevent
leakage.
On the up stroke of the piston, the air which enters the cylinder a through the
passages 62 can freely pass between the curved edge of the packing ring f and the
wall of the cylinder a the air pressure tending to force the edge fl of the packing
ring away from contact with the interior wall of the cylinder.
The bottom of the cylinder is in the form of a screwed cap or cover g provided
with a packing ring g¹ to form a fluid tight connection between the cylinder and the
cap g. The cap g is provided with an annular recess g¹ to accommodate the curved
edge of the packing ring so that the piston may be traversed to the bottom of the
cylinder and thus increase the length of stroke to the utmost capacity of the
cylinder.
To the bottom cover g of the cylinder a I secure by brazing or other convenient
means a metallic tube h or auxiliary cylinder of smaller diameter and the plunger d
projecting below the piston of the cylinder a is adapted to work within this tube.
The diameter of the tube is slightly greater than the plunger d and the lower
end of the plunger is provided with a packing ring similar in construction to the
packing ring f of the piston c in the larger cylinder a.
A
The packing ring i is secured to the closed end of the plunger by means of a
screw. The tube h is connected with the air pipe j leading to the cask or other
receptacle containing the beer to be raised by a union or other suitable means.
fluid tight connection between the tube h and the air pipe j is provided for by the
packing ring j against which the end of the air pipe jis jambed by the union k.
At the commencement of its stroke both the piston c and the packing ring i on
the end of the plunger d are at the top of their respective cylinders. By operating
the plunger downwards by means of the foot the air below the piston c in the main
cylinder & is compressed and forced downwards into the tube or auxiliary cylinder h
beyond the packing ring carried by the foot of the plunger d into the air tube j,
Fig. 1 shows the piston c and packing ring i at the lower end of their stroke. The
back pressure of the air thus forced within the air pipe ; acting upon the packing
ring carried on the lower part of the plunger d causes the plunger to be auto-
matically raised ready for the next downward stroke.
Thus by a slight consumption or reduction of the air pressure forced by the down-
ward stroke of the piston c into the air pipe j, the plunger is always automatically
raised and the pump is thus always in position to be operated without any attention
on the part of the operator.
The improved pump may be varied in construction as shown in Fig. 3.
For instance the auxiliary cylinder or tube h may be carried within the cylinder a.
The hollow plunger & instead of projecting below the piston c as before terminates
at the point where it is secured to the piston. The tube is disposed within the
plunger and is in connection with the air pipe ; secured to the bottom of the
cylinder a.
An annular space is left between the plunger d and tube h. The piston is
provided as before with a packing ring f secured to the piston c by screws and
a nut f³.
The packing ring his provided as before with a downwardly curved edge f¹ and in
addition an upwardly curved edge f surrounding the tube h. On the downward
stroke of the piston the air is forced passed the curved lip f* surrounding the tube h,

page_text: entering within the hollow plunger & and passing down the open top of the tube
to the air pipe j. The air pressure thus raised within the air pipe j acting on the
closed top d* of the hollow plunger d automatically raises the same when released
from the pressure of the operator's foot, the curved lip ft preventing the escape of
air. The piston c is shown in its lowest position within the cylinder a.
In Figs. 1 to 3 the pump is operated directly by the foot of the operator. In
Fig. 4 I show a modified method of operating the pump.
The floor of the bar or other refreshment room is provided in any suitable situation
with a hinged flap / maintained in its raised position shown in full line by means of a
spring. To the centre of the hinged flap is hinged a link m pivotted at its lower
end to a lever n which is pivotted at n' on a fixed stud. The other end of the lever
is slotted and within the slot works the end of the pump plunger o. On the
operator depressing the flap by means of his foot the link m is depressed raising
the end of the pivotted lever n as shown in dotted lines and thus actuating the
pump A.
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 improved air pump constructed arranged and acting substantially as
described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
2) As means for raising liquids and the like a foot actuated pump consisting of a
main cylinder acting in conjunction with a smaller or auxiliary cylinder, the air
pressure obtained by the piston of the main cylinder re-acting on the piston of the
auxiliary cylinder so as to return the plunger of the pump automatically to its
initial starting point in the manner by the means and substantially as described and
illustrated.
3) The general arrangement and combination of parts comprising the modified
construction of air pump substantially as described and illustrated in Fig. 3 of the
drawings.