IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS, ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SHIPS' PURPOSES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Suffield, of Bermondsey, in the County of
Surrey, Brassfounder and Plumber, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PUMPS, ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SHIPS' PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Suffield at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
March 1858.
I, THOMAS SUFFIELD, of Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, Brassfounder
and Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN PUMPS, ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SHIPS' PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists of certain new arrangements of pumps as hereafter
described, whereby all liability to choke is avoided, and whereby a pump or
two pumps, either single or double acting, of my improved construction, is or
are applicable as fire engines.
I form the suction pipe or channel through a passage apart and separate
from the barrel in which the plunger works; the passage from the suction
pipe to the barrel is fitted with a valve, opening inwards towards the barrel,
and I prefer to use throughout those valves known as "Perreaux's patent
valves," but other valves may be substituted for them, and even after a pump
has been fitted with Perreaux's valves they may be removed, and may be
replaced by valves suitable for pumping purposes. The delivery from the
barrel takes place through a port fitted with another valve, opening outwards
and into a nozzle. I prefer, for single pumps, to form a globe or air vessel
on the nozzle, with an aperture in the dome. I close the top of the suction'

page_text: pipe or passage by a hinged cover, in order to obtain ready access thereto
without at all interfering with the plunger or barrel or valves. Now, in order
to convert a single pump into a fire engine on board ship where there is no
sea connection, I close up the suction pipe to the hold, and connect a suction
hose to a threaded collar made on the cover of the suction pipe, and throw the
end of the hose into the water, close up the delivery end of the nozzle by a
screw cap, and screw on to a threaded collar in the lower part of the nozzle,
previously closed by a screw cap, a delivery hose; the space between the last
named collar and the extreme end of the nozzle, forms an air vessel.
When two pumps are used, I then connect the delivery ports from the two
barrels by a pipe common to both, fitted with a dome globe or air vessel, and
with two screwed collars.
When for pumping purposes, the under collar is closed by a screw cap, and
the delivery takes place through the upper collar. On the contrary, when to
be used as a fire engine, the upper collar is closed and the hose screwed on to
the under collar, the upper part of the vessel forming an air chamber. My
Invention also consists in providing suction pipes or passages leading to
various parts of a ship or other structure, and in causing the upper ends of
these pipes to terminate in a casting connected with or near to the ordinary or
main suction pipe leading to the hold, or otherwise. All the suction pipes are
closed by suitable screw caps, and by means of a goose neck, or other suitable
coupling or connecting piece, the pump may be made to communicate and
draw liquid from any desired part of the ship or structure. The improved
pumps herein-before described are applicable as portable pumps and fire
engines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Suffield in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SUFFIELD, of Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, Brassfounder and Plumber,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
ne, the said Thomas Suffield, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Suffield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the

page_text: said Thomas Suffield, 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 "Im
PROVEMENTS IN PUMPS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SHIPS' PURPOSES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Suffield, 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 Thomas Suffield, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in certain new arrangements of pumps as hereafter
described, whereby all liability to choke is avoided, and whereby a pump or
two pumps, either single or double acting, of my improved construction is or
are applicable as fire engines.
Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of one of my improved single
pumps constructed with a deck plate for use on board ship, the suction pipe
not being shewn; Figure 2 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a single
pump without a deck plate; and Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same;
Figure 4 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a pair of pumps; Figure 5
is a side elevation, partly in section, of the pumps shown at Figure 4. I form
the suction pipe or channel A apart and separate from the barrel B, in which
the plunger C works; the passage A from the suction pipe D to the barrel B
is fitted with a valve E opening inwards towards the barrel, and I prefer to use
throughout those valves known as "Perreaux's patent valves." But other
valves, such as those shewn at F and G, Figures 6 and 7, may be substituted for
them, and even after a pump has been fitted with Perreaux's valves, they may be
removed and may be replaced by other valves suitable for pumping purposes.
a is a casting or feather, and b a wedge, for the purpose of keeping the valve
in its place. The delivery from the barrel takes place through a port H fitted
with another valve E¹ opening outwards and into a nozzle. I prefer, for
single pumps, to form a globe or air vessel K on the nozzle L with an aperture
M in the dome. I close the top of the suction pipo D or passago by a hinged

page_text: cover N, in order to obtain ready access thereto without at all interfering with
the plunger or barrel or valves. Now, in order to convert a single pump into
a fire engine on board ship when there is no sea connection, I close up the
suction pipe D to the hold, and connect a suction hose to a threaded collar O
made on the cover N of the suction pipe D, and throw the end of the hose
into the water, close up the delivery end of the nozzle by a screw cap P, and
screw on to a threaded collar J in the lower part of the nozzle, previously
closed by the screw cap P, a delivery hose; the space between the last named
collar J and the extreme end of the nozzle, forms an air vessel.
When two pumps are used, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5, I then connect
the delivery ports H, H, from the two barrels B, B, by a pipe common to both
fitted with a dome globe or air vessel Q, and with two screwed collars. When
for pumping purposes, the under collar J is closed by a screw cap P, and the
delivery takes place through the upper collar I. On the contrary, when to be
used as a fire engine, the upper collar I is closed, and the hose screwed on to
the under collar J, the upper part of the vessel forming an air chamber.
Another part of my Invention is shewn in side elevation in section at
Figure 8, and in plan at Figure 9. This part of my Invention consists in
providing suction pipes or passages R, R, R, leading to various parts of a ship
or other structure, and in causing the upper ends of these pipes R, R, R, to
terminate in a casting S connected with or near to the ordinary or main
suction pipe T leading to the hold of a ship, or otherwise. All the suction
pipes are closed by suitable screw caps, and by means of a goose neck, or
other suitable coupling or connecting picce U, the pump may be made to
communicate and draw liquid from any desired part of the ship or structure.
The improved pumps herein-before described are applicable as portable
pumps and fire engines.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the several
arrangements and general combination of parts of pumps in manner and
for the purposes herein-before described and represented in the Drawings
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Suffield, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
T. SUFFIELD. (L.S.)