IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY OR CENTRIFUGAL Pumps
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 20, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY OR CENTRIFUGAL
Pumps."—A communication from abroad by George Webster Heald,
William Frederick Morris, and Emily Sisco, all of Baldwinsville,
Onondaga, State of New York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 26th April 1872, and dated the 24th November 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 24th November 1871.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY
OR CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist, firstly, in constructing rotary or centri-
fugal pumps with a piston wheel revolving in a scroll cylinder or casing
of ordinary construction, such piston wheel having hollow curved arms

page_text: extending from a central chamber (into which the water or other fluid
to be raised enters) to a circular rim forming the periphery of the piston
wheel; secondly, in combining with such centrifugal pumps an auxilliary
force or suction pump for priming or filling the pump when this is
required for use as a suction pump.
When the elevation of the fluid is to be accomplished entirely by
forcing the
pump is situated below the level of the fluid to be raised, and
when so used the pump may be arranged vertically or horizontally at
pleasure. The "vertical" pump with a horizontal case and perpendicular
driving shaft is immersed in the fluid, the "horizontal
pump with a
vertical case and horizontal driving shaft is placed outside the tank or
other receptacle for the fluid and in communication therewith, and below
the level of the fluid to be raised.
The said improvements are shewn on the accompanying. Sheet of
Drawings, in which Figure 1 shews a vertical section of the pump with
priming apparatus combined therewith; Figure 2 shews a section on
line X, X, Figure 1, of the piston wheel and casing; and Figure 3
shews a perspective view of the piston wheel.
The Drawings represent the "horizontal" arrangement of pump more
particularly. As there shewn A is the casing or scroll, the periphery of
which gradually enlarges as it approaches the point of discharge. It is
made in two or more parts, which are united together by means of bolts
passing through the bolt holes a. This casing or scroll does not differ
essentially from other devices already in use for like purposes. That
part of the expanding periphery having the longest radius terminates in
a discharge aperture or pipe B, from which the fluid is discharged
directly or indirectly through joints or lengths of pipes affixed thereto.
The novelty of this pump consists in part in the construction of the
revolving piston C. This piston is cast in a hollow shell form, as
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, with an outer concentric rim c of a radius
equal or about equal to the shortest inside radius of the scroll A. In
this shell is cast a series of hollow arms 6 in any desired number, each
of which is open at both ends, and extends from a central chamber D to
the periphery of the wheel. Each arm however as it extends out is
curved or bent backwards, that is to say, in a direction the opposite to
that in which the wheel is designed to revolve with any desired radius of
curvature. The wheel or piston is provided around its axis or around its

page_text: hub d with an inductive chamber D, which is open on one side or end
for the ingress of water. An annular flange & extends out from the
outer periphery of this chamber so as to fit neatly in a corresponding
opening made in that side or half of the case or scroll, by which means a
suitable water inflow passage is secured from the trunk E to the pump.
But in connection with the wheel described other suitable known form
of joint may be adopted if preferred. The water supply pipe or trunk E
opens at one end into this induction chamber D, and thence into the
tank or other receptacle whence the water is to be "forced," or to a
water supply pipe F when "suction" is to be employed. The piston C
is made fast to a driving shaft G, which at one end is supported by a
bridge tree g, and at its other end by plummer blocks g¹. Motion is
communicated through a band wheel g³, or in any other known way.
allowed
A rapid
Figure 3 shews the rotating wheel or piston in a slightly different
form. As there represented it has the central hub d, the induction
chamber D, and the flange d', already described, from which the hollow
arms 6 curve outwards, as already set forth, to the outer rim c. In the
use of this pump for "forcing" the water or other fluid this is
to flow into the piston through the trunk E and chamber D.
rotary motion is imparted to the wheel or piston, which has the effect by
centrifugal action to expel the water from the outer ends of the hollow
arms 6 into the space between the periphery or rim c of the piston and
the periphery of the scroll or casing, and to force it thence along the
passage a into and out of the discharge pipe B. At the same time the
supply is kept up by the inflow from the trunk E through the chamber D
into the inner open ends of the hollow arms b.
By this construction, among other desirable ends, the following are
attained :-
First. The through-going body of water passes through the piston
and around between it and the scroll or case without coming in frictional
contact with the central part of the scroll case. And as the friction
of fluids under pressure is considerable the saving is correspondingly
great.
1
11
1 L

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Denton Abel, Her special
licence that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Denton
Abel, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY OR CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS," a communication to me
from abroad by George Webster Heald, William Frederick Morris, and
Emily Sisco, all of Baldwinsville, Onondaga, State of New York, in the
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Charles Denton Abel, 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 Charles Denton Abel, 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 Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-

page_text: centrifugal pumps with a piston wheel revolving in a scroll cylinder or
casing of ordinary construction, such piston wheel having hollow curved
arms extending from a central chamber (into which the water or other
fluid to be raised enters) to a circular rim forming the periphery of the
piston wheel; secondly, in combining with such centrifugal pumps an
auxiliary force or suction pump for priming or filling the pumps when
this is requred for use as a suction pump.
When the elevation of the fluid is to be accomplished entirely by
forcing the pump is situated below the level of the fluid to be raised,
and when so used the pump may be arranged vertically or horizontally
at pleasure. The "vertical" pump with a horizontal case and perpen-
dicular driving shaft is immersed in the fluid; the "horizontal" pump
with a vertical case and horizontal driving shaft is placed outside the
tank or other receptacle for the fluid and in communication therewith,
and below the level of the fluid to be raised.
The said improvements are shewn on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, in which Fig. shews a vertical section of the pump with
priming apparatus combined therewith; Fig. 2 shews a section on
line X, X, Fig. 1, of the piston wheel and casing; and Fig. 3 shews
a perspective view of the piston wheel.
The Drawings represent the " horizontal"
arrangement of pump more
particularly. As there shewn A is the casing or scroll, the periphery
of which gradually enlarges as it approaches the point of discharge. It
is made in two or more parts, which are united together by means of
bolts passing through the bolt holes a. This casing or scroll does not
differ essentially from other devices already in use for like purposes. That
part of the expanding periphery having the longest radius terminates in a
discharge aperture or pipe B, from which the fluid is discharged directly
or indirectly through joints or lengths of pipes affixed thereto. The
novelty of this pump consists in part in the construction of the revolving
piston C. This piston is cast in a hollow shell form, as illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2, with an outer concentric rim c of a radius equal or
about equal to the shortest inside radius of the scroll A. In this shell
is cast a series of hollow arms b in any desired number, each of which
is open at both ends and extends from a central chamber D to the
periphery of the wheel. Each arm however as it extends out is curved
or bent backwards, that is to say, in a direction the opposite to that

page_text: in which the wheel is designed to revolve with any desired radius of
curvature. The wheel or piston is provided around its axis or around its
hub d with an inductive chamber D, which is open on one side or end
for the ingress of water. An annular flange d' extends out from the
outer periphery of this chamber so as to fit neatly in a corresponding
opening made in that side or half of the case or scroll, by which means
a suitable water inflow passage is secured from the trunk E to the
pump. But in connection with the wheel described other suitable
known form of joint may be adopted if preferred. The water supply
pipe or trunk E opens at one end into this induction chamber D and
thence into the tank or other receptacle whence the water is to be
"forced" or to a water supply pipe F when "suction" is to be employed.
The piston C is made fast to a driving shaft G, which at one end is
supported by a bridge tree g and at its other end by plummer blocks g¹.
Motion is communicated through a band wheel g³ or in any other
known way.
Figure 3 shews the rotating wheel or piston in a slightly different form.
As there represented it has the central hub d, the induction chamber D,
and the flange d' already described, from which the hollow arms 6 curve
outwards, as already set forth, to the outer rim c. In the use of this
pump for "forcing " the water or other fluid this is allowed to flow into
the piston through the trunk E and chamber D. A rapid rotary motion
is imparted to the wheel or piston, which has the effect by centrifugal
action to expel the water from the outer ends of the hollow arms 6 into
the space between the periphery or rim c of the piston and the periphery
of the scroll or casing, and to force it thence along the passage a³ into
and out of the discharge pipe B. At the same time the supply is kept
up by the inflow from the trunk E through the chamber D into the
inner open ends of the hollow arms b. By this construction, among
other desirable ends, the following are attained :-
First. The through-going body of water passes through the piston and
around between it and the scroll or case without coming in frictional
contact with the central part of the scroll case. And as the friction of
fluids under pressure is considerable the saving is correspondingly
great.

page_text: piston. To this end the edges of the rim c should fit with considerable
nicety the sides of the scroll case.
"
To elevate water by "suction a common force or lifting pump is
combined with the pump described. As illustrated in Fig. 1 the
discharge barrel F opens into the trunk E and is suitably fitted with
valves through which, by means of the pump barrel and piston H, the
fluid can be pumped up from below (through the pipe h) till the rotating
piston C is "primed" or charged, when the latter being put in operation
the elevation and discharge of the fluid may go on continuously. The
priming pump or "primer" may be operated by hand. By its use a
difficulty is overcome which has always previous to the date of this
Invention been experienced in starting rotary suction pumps. Water
has had to be introduced by hand, a port valve was required, and a
considerable trouble and delay was often experienced before the rotary
pump could be got fairly under way. But by means of the "primer"
described or other like pumping device of known construction the rotary
pump is immediately put in full operation, as a stroke or two of the
pump is sufficient for that purpose.
It is well known that a device has been employed in which the water
is drawn into a hollow piston to prevent friction on the sides of the
casing, but in that Invention the rim c was not used to retain the water
in the discharge passage of the scroll when once there.
Simple arms or wings to the piston have also been employed, having
projections at the periphery corresponding to a certain degree with the
rim c, but in that case the arms were not hollow, and therefore the water
was not enclosed in the piston but came in contact with the outer
casing at all points. As an improvement over such devices the con-
struction described secures a new and improved result, vizt., the receiving
of the water in and passing it through a hollow piston in such a way
as to prevent undue friction on the casing, and also the discharge of the
water directly from the spiral shaped space a³ without its returning to
the centre of the wheel or seriously impeding the continuity of the
outward flow.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what
manner the same is be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I claim,-
First. The use for rotary or centrifugal pumps of a wheel or revolving

page_text: piston with passages within it curved backwards, constructed sub-
stantially for the purpose and in the manner herein described.
Second. The combination of a charging pump with a rotary or
centrifugal pump, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.