AN IMPROVED PUMP
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eugène Alexandre Rouvière, ainé, of 51, Rue de
Malte, Paris, in the Empire of France, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED PUMP."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eugène Alexandre Rou-
vière at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd November 1861..
I, EUGÈNE ALEXANDRE ROUVIÈRE, ainé, of 51, Rue de Malte, Paris, in the
Empire of France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED PUMP," to be as follows:-
The barrel of my improved pump is composed of two cylinders of different
diameters; its capacity is variable, and it is furnished with two pistons of
different diameters firmly connected to each other, so that they move together.
The arrangement is such that when this double piston is depressed the capa-
city of the pump barrel becomes increased, and the water is drawn in; and
when the double piston rises the capacity of the barrel becomes reduced and
the 'water contained therein is expelled. Instead of actuating the piston by a
rod, motion is communicated to the piston by pressure exerted on the column
of water in the ascension pipe.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Eugène, Alexandre Rouvière, ainé, Her special licence that I, the
said Eugène Alexandre Rouvière, ainé, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Eugène Alexandre Rouvière, ainé, my
executors, 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 " AN IMPROVED PUMP," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Eugène Alexandre Rouvière, ainé, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 Eugène Alexandre Rouvière, ainé, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is.to be performed, to be. particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to. the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-.
. The two known descriptions of pumps heretofore ordinarily used for raising
water from a considerable depth are lifting and force pumps. A serious
objection to, these pumps consists in their requiring large and heavy piston
_ rods, which when water is to be raised, say a thousand to fifteen hundred feet
for example, must be furnished with very expensive working gear and absorb
a large amount of power to set them in motion, independently of the working
-power-expended-in-lifting-the-water-Now, according-to-my-Invention,-I
construct an improved pump, in which I employ differential pistons, that is to
say, two pistons of different diameters, connected together and working in a
pump barrel composed of two barrels or portions of different diameters, and
in this improved arrangement the heavy and inconvenient piston rods before
referred to are dispensed with, and all that need be fitted in the well or place
whence the water is to be lifted is the pump (with its air chamber (when one is
used) and the ascension pipe through which the water rises; the water contained
in this pipe transmits motion to the pump pistons from a motor or driving appa-
ratus, and hence the fitting up of the pump and the method of setting it to work

page_text: .
"
are much more simple than in the- case of pumps of the old construction
before referred to.
The principle of my improved pump consists in the employment of two
pistons of different diameters, which are firmly secured to each other, and
work together in a pump barrel composed of two barrels or portions of different
diameters, so that as the pistons move or travel in their respective "barrels,"
the capacity of the space comprised between them, that is to say, the space or
portion of the pump bounded by the pistons and the sides of the pump barrels
shall be continually undergoing variation, being either increased or reduced
according to the direction in which the pistons travel; that is to say, when
the direction of the pistons' motion is such that the larger piston is moving
towards the smaller barrel, and the smaller piston is receding from the larger
barrel, the capacity of the said space is contracted or reduced, and when the
piston's move in the reverse direction the capacity of the said space is increased
or enlarged, by which means the forcing and suction of the water or liquid,
that is to say; the pumping action, is effected.
In order that the nature of my Invention and the mode of performing it
-may be fully understood I proceed to describe the same more particularly,
with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
The Drawings are on a scale of one-tenth of the real working size of a
serviceable pump, but this is only an example as regards dimensions; for of
course I do not restrict myself to any particular size of pump.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a pump constructed according to my Inven-
tion; Figure 2 is a front view of an arrangement in which two of my pumps
are combined and the air chamber dispensed with.
For convenience of description I suppose the pump as fitted in a well, but it
may be applied to other places from which water or liquid is to be raised.
It should be fixed in such well or place a little above the level of the water
contained therein...
P; P, is the barrel of my improved pump. It consists of two cylinders,
portions, or barrels P and P!, of different diameters, bored or formed smooth,
and true on the inside, and firmly secured together or formed in one piece;
they communicate or open into each other as shewn. A, B, are two pistons;
the smaller A works in the barrel or portion P, and the larger B in the
barrel or portion P¹. These pistons are attached to each other by a pipe C,
so that they work up and down together and constitute a compound or double
piston, and they are packed with leather packings a, b, to keep them tight in
their travel. The barrels P, P¹, being of different diameters, it is obvious that
when the pistons: move up and down the capacity-of the-space within-the-pump

page_text: comprised between them (as they travel) is continually undergoing variation,
the said capacity being increased or reduced according to the direction in
which the pistons are travelling, that is to say, being larger when the pistons
are moving downward and smaller when they are travelling upward. The
piston A is hollow and furnished with a valve s opening upward. The piston B
is solid. The pipe C which is preferably of iron is rivetted, soldered,. or
otherwise united to the pistons, and is perforated at intervals with holes c¹, c².
D is an ascension pipe (or pipe through which the water ascends from the
pump barrel P, P¹,) firmly fixed at bottom to the top cover of the pump
barrel P; and its upper end d, which is at or near the top of the well, is fixed
to and communicates with the lower part of another pump H herein-after
called the driving pump. E is a suction pipe which descends nearly to the
bottom of the well, and is attached at top to a nozzle or mouth-piece p, opening
at the top of the barrel P¹; the pipe E should be of the ordinary length of a
suction pipe. e is a conical valve which opens when a partial vacuum is pro-
duced in the space between the pistons, and closes when the water in that
space is compressed by the ascent of the pistons; x is an opening in the top
edge of the barrel P¹; y, y', are two small orifices intended for the passage of
water from the pipe D to start the pump, and so situated that when the
piston A reaches the bottom of its stroke it clears and opens the orifice Y, and
when the piston B reaches the top of its stroke it clears and opens the orifice y¹,
whereby the barrel P, P¹, is first filled to set the pump in action; G is an air
chamber or air vessel consisting of a tightly closed metallic vessel communi-
cating with the barrel P¹ by a pipe g, which reaches down to nearly the bottom
of the chamber G; the lower half of the chamber is full of water and the upper
half full of air. The chamber G is supplied with air when required by a small
metallic vessel F, furnished with a cock f, which opens and closes the passage
between the vessels F and G, and it is also fitted with a cock fi, which, when
open, empties the chamber F (of water) and fills it with air.
The action of the pump is as follows:-Reciprocating motion is communi-
cated-to-the-pistons A, B, which pistons, by way of distinction, I call the
pumping pistons; when these pistons. A and B are caused-to-descend, -the-
capacity of the portion of the pump comprised between them being increased,
a partial vacuum or suction action will be produced, whereupon the valve e will
open and the water from the well will rush up to fill the vacuum through the
pipe E, and will pass through the opening a into the portion of the pump
barrel comprised between the pistons; but when the pistons rise and the space
between them is consequently contracted; the water contained therein will be
compressed, and the valve s will be forced up, and water will rise through

page_text: the openings c', c', into the pipe C, and through the piston A to the top of the
barrel P, and thence up the pipe D to the top of the well. When the pistons
A, B, have completed their upstroke the weight of the valve's will cause it to
drop and close the piston A. The pistons then descend afresb, and the suction
action before described again takes place, and so on; thus at each down stroke
of the pistons water is drawn up into the space between the pistons, and at
each up stroke a portion of the water is expelled through the pipe D.
I now proceed to describe the means I adopt for imparting the aforesaid
up and down travel to the pumping pistons A, B. The downward motion I
effect by means of a pump H, which I call a driving pump, and which is fixed
outside the well at any convenient distance therefrom. It may be observed
that no piston rod is employed to connect the pumping pistons to this driving
apparatus. In the barrel H of this pump works a solid piston I, which, by
way of distinction I call the driving piston, and which is tightly packed with
leather or metallic packing i, and furnished with a rod l, jointed to a link or
connecting rod L, and worked up and down by a brake or lever K, (or to
a crank on the end of a shaft) actuated manual or other power so as
to communicate reciprocating motion to the piston I. In a socket at the
bottom of the barrel H (or in a part of the pipe D, which, as before stated,
opens into the barrel H), is fixed a valve box Q, containing a valve Q', which
opens upward, and has attached to it at top an iron plate M of nearly the
same diameter as the pump barrel; on the under side of this plate is a leather
washer or sucker q. The plate M is perforated with holes v, v, which the
sucker closes and opens; T, T, is the outlet or delivery pipe for discharging
the pumped up water. When the driving piston I is depressed by the brake K;
(or other. driving appliance used) it compresses the water beneath it,
whereby the valve Q.is closed and the sucker q will bend at its edges and
opens the holes v, v, so that the water will escape through those.holes and pass
into and down the pipe D to the pump P, P¹, and will press on the top surface
of the piston A and force the pistous A and B to descend, and as water is
practically incompressible the whole amount of pressure exerted on the water
by the driving piston I will be transmitted to the pumping pistons A and B;
whatever the distance between the pumps H and P, P. When the piston I
ascends the valve Q will be immediately forced open by the suction exerted
5 on the plate M, and as the pressure is taken off the water in the pump H
and pipe D, the downward motion of the pistons A, B, will be stopped, and
the pressure of the air contained in the chamber G acting like a spring will force
the water through the pipe 9 into the pump P, P¹, and cause it to press on the
under surface of the piston B-and-force-the-pistons A, B, upward. The

page_text: pumping pistons in rising will expel a portion of the water contained in the
barrel P, P¹, and the whole column of water in the pipe D will be forced
upward and discharged through the delivery pipes T, T', during the whole
time the pistons I and A, B, are performing their upward travel.
Figure 4 shews a nozzle or appliance V, with valve U, which, when the
pump is used as an irrigator or in a fire engine, may be fixed on the pipe T to
force in a jet of compressed air and expel the water in a continuous stream
through the outlet Y.
The driving pump H may be modified as shewn in Figure 3. Here the
driving piston I is hollow instead of solid, and is opened and closed by a valve m
jointed to an arm J, and worked up and down by a brake or driving lever K.
When the brake or lever K draws up the arm J the valve m at once opens
(and interrupts the descent of the pistons A, B, and at the next moment
draws the piston I up with it, thereby causing the pistons A, B, to rise and
force the water from the pump P, P, into the pipe D and pump H, whence it
escapes through the piston I and the top of the pump H. When the arm J
descends the valve m at first closes and at the next moment forces the piston I
to descend, thereby depressing the pistons A, B, and forcing up the water as
before described.
When large quantities of water are to be raised two pumps may be combined
together and placed in the well as shewn in Figure 2; these pumps are similar
to those in Figure 1, except that they have no air chambers G, but are
connected together by a pipe R leading into both at bottom, and as by this
arrangement the water contained in the pumps under the lower pistons of each
cannot be compressed, it follows that when the two united pistons (or com-
pound piston) A, B, of one pump descend the two similar pistons A¹, B', of the
other pump are forced upward, and vice versâ; thus, when the compound
piston of one pump descends the compound piston of the other will rise to the
same height; each pump is driven by a separate driving pump H and has.a
-separate ascension or force pipe D, each pump being complete in itself, and its
gear like the pump P, P', except in having no air-chamber. Or the two
driving pumps H may be connected at bottom, in which case. only one
discharge or delivery pipe T will be required for both.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the employment of two pistons of different diameters connected
together and having a reciprocating or alternating motion in a barrel composed
of two barrels or portions of different diameters, so that as the pistons travel in
their respective barrels or portions of the barrel, they shall thereby vary, that

page_text: is to say, enlarge and reduce the capacity of the space or portion of the barrel
or barrels comprised between them (the said pistons), and shall by that means
effect the suction of water or liquid into such said space or comprised portion,
and the expulsion of water or liquid therefrom alternately.
Second, communicating reciprocating motion to the double piston (or
pumping pistons) by a driving piston exerting pressure on the water or liquid,
and by compressed air acting like a spring.
Third, transmitting motion from the driving piston to the double piston
(or pumping pistons) by means of the column of water in the ascension
pipe.
Fourth, the mode of discharging the liquid when lifted or pumped up
through the valve box fitted in the foot or bottom of the driving pump.
Fifth, the combination of two of my improved pumps communicating at
bottom in such manner that air chambers are dispensed with, the pressure of
the water or liquid at the lower part of the two pump barrels being substituted
for the same.
Sixth, the general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
improved pump herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eugène Alexandre Rouvière, ainé,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
two.
Witness,
5
BRESSON, F,
Ingénieur Civil,
Rue de Malte, 51,
à Paris.
E. A. ROUVIÈRE, AINÉ. (L.S.)