IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Josephi Félix Manent, of Villefranche,
Département de la Haute Garonne, in the Republic of France, now
in Paris, No. 60, Boulevart de Strasbourg, Civil Engineer, for the
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Joseph Félix.
Manent at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 2nd April 1872..
:
I, JEAN. JOSEPH FÉLIX MANENT, of Villefranche, Département de la
Haute Garonne, in the Republic of. France, now in Paris, No. 60,
Boulevart de Strasbourg, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS," to be as follows:
In pumps according to this Invention there are no buckets, valves,
or other parts made, constructed, or formed of leather; but by the novel.
mechanical. arrangement and the disposition of the acting parts and.
passages of these pumps I. am. enabled to employ india-rubber for the
valvular portions, and to use in conjunction therewith spherical valves';

page_text: these I prefer, for many purposes, to make in metal and hollow. In
like manner the buckets or pistons of pumps are formed of hollow frames
or shells having spherical valves resting on india-rubber seatings. Thus
pumps so constructed, whilst they are applicable to every purpose for
which ordinary pumps are used, they are specially applicable as ships'
pumps and for the movement of acids and for chemical and manu-
facturing purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jean Joseph Félix Manent in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
JOSEPH FÉLIX MANENT, of Villefranche, Département de la Haute
Garonne, in the Republic of France, now in Paris, No. 60, Boulevard
de Strasbourg, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
'
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of April in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Jean Joseph Félix Manent, Her
special licence that I, the said Jean Joseph Félix Manent, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jean Joseph
Felix Manent, 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, excroise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Jean Joseph Félix Manent, 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
sail 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jean Joseph Félix Manent, 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, and Drawings hereunto annexed:
My improvements in the principal organs of pumps allow of their
being applied with a considerable advantage for general, industrial,
agricultural, and marine purposes, and moreover, my improved system
can be applied to either single or double action pumps, and they may
be employed to raise liquids at very high temperature.
Substances mixed with water, such as sand, gravel, pebbles, chips,
coals, cinders, and such like matters, may pass through the pump without
disturbing its regular action. They are also ready at any moment for
work, without being obliged to pour water into them as in ordinary
pumps.
The pumps now in use are unsuited for raising hot liquid, and above
all liquids containing hard or material substances, and when numerous
fragments of material substances are mixed with the water to be raised
up, then the valves become unfit to work; the pumps must be cleaned
out, the seats, of valves readjusted, and the cylinders sometimes bored
anew.
In the navy the inconveniences are still greater, if an important leak
springs in, and if the pumps become choked. The hurtful hindrance to
the working of the valves is not the only inconvenience to be dreaded
on board of ships, the hold pumps may be emptied when they remain
sometimes without working, then the leather of the principal organs is
dried up and unfit for work, especially on board of steamers where the
temperature is higher than on board of sailing ships; then to make them
fit to work water must be poured in, and often a long while may elapse
before the leather is sufficiently softened to be capable of acting. I need
not mention the fire pumps which are subject to the same inconveniences,
my system as above stated may be applied to all sorts of
pumps.
My Invention consists partly in the total exclusion of leather for
making the organs where it is generally employed, as in pumps con-
structed according to my system the leather is superseded by india-rubber
(either vulcanised or metallised), but it also consists partly in the
particular construction and arrangement of the lifting valves and
pistons.

page_text: On the two annexed Sheets of Drawings I have shown some views of
pumps constructed according to my improved system; the figures are
general views, sections, and separate pieces, which would convey to the.
mind a sufficient idea of the said pumps without further description.
On Sheet 1 the Figure 1 is the sectional front view, and Figure 2 the
plan of a fire pump of the lift and force system, with two cylinders which
are disposed as usual, both figures are drawn to the scale of one fifth; the
cylinders and driving organs having been removed in Figure 2. This
pump here is entirely made with copper, it is placed in a trough M, N,
of the same metal. The cylinders A in which the pistons are working
are fixed by means of bolts on the square boxes B provided with valves,
the seats of which are about in the middle part of said square boxes,
betwixt the openings of the sucking and forcing pipes C and D. Tho
sucking pipe C is bifurcated within the trough M, N, so as to enter
each valve box, and the forcing pipes D open in the air chamber E, each 1
one of them under a lift valve I, the shooting pipe F opens in the
bottom of the chamber E. Opposite to cach lift valve there is an
aperture L or K which may be fitted in the best way to allow the valves
to be quickly examined and cleaned out when required.
It would be useless to describe the performance of the pistons and a
valves of my improved pumps, whereas they are the same as in pumps
in general use; but what is most important to describe and convey to
the mind is the particular nature and arrangement of the valves and
pistons of my improved pumps.
The valves rest on a vulcanized or metallized india-rubber seat which
is screwed fast over a metallic frame, the said frame being attached to
the side of the valve box B or the bottom of the air chamber E. The
valves I and J are hollow metallic spheres or balls of brass or any other
suitable metal or compound sufficiently thick to fall by their own weight
through the liquid when they are no longer lifted up from their seat,
as the valves I by the sucking action of the ascending piston, or the
valves J by the forcing action of the same descending piston. A curved
cage c, d, is attached to the seat of cach valve for regulating the travel
of the ball valve, and compelling the said valve to fall back on its seat.
Now it is evident that these seats being springy and compressible,
and the valves heavy enough to compress them, any hard substance
having been carried up by the liquid and falling down over the seat

page_text: will be forcibly laid in the seat by the valve which will produce a water-
tight shutting..
•
.
I will now proceed to describe the piston, which with the valve are
the two most important organs of the pump. This piston P has a
double fitting as shewn, Figure 1, in the right hand cylinder which is'
represented in section, and in Figure 3, which is the section of a piston
drawn on a larger scale, it is composed of an intermedial piece P made
of brass or any other suitable metal, and two india-rubber fittings, cups,
or collars R; each of the latter is provided with an internal metallic
frame in their centre, the particular shape thereof is shewn half size,
Figures 4, 5, and 6; Figure 4 is the unfolded plan of it, it has a circular
hole bored in the centre for the passage of the rod T, and surrounded
with radiated stems which are folded by stamping to the shape shewn
in Figure 5. The said frame is then placed in a suitable mould and a
double coating of india-rubber is poured over it so as to wrap it up, as.
shewn in Figure 6; this forms one of the fittings of the piston; similar.
fittings are placed on each side of the central plate P and between the.
plates S; the rod T of the piston is then introduced in the centre,
as shewn Figure 3, and the several parts are screwed up tight by.
screw nuts and the piston is then completed ready for insertion into the
pump barrel. It will be readily understood that from the nature of the
material composing the fitting of the piston, the latter will at any
time be ready to work and cannot be dried up as leather or hemp
packings are.
On Sheet 2 I have represented two other models of pumps into which
similar organs are designed by corresponding letters of reference as to
those employed in the 1st Sheet. Figure 7 is the front view partially.
in section of an exhausting pump, either for use in mines or in ships'
holds, it has also two cylinders. Figure 8 is the plan, the cylinders and
driving organs having been removed. This pump has no air chamber.
The liquid raised up by the pistons and flowing through the aperture F
is intermittent, viz., it stops during a very short while or flows rather
slowly, because it is produced only by the up motion of each piston.
The outlet F communicates with the upper part of each cylinder, the
said cylinders being fixed on valve chambers B arranged as in the
preceding case. The suction pipe C is bifureated, and each one of its
branches opens into a valve chamber, the said chambers being arranged
as in Figure 1, Sheet 1. The difference of this pump from the first one

page_text: consists only in the suppression of the air chamber and in the particular
arrangement of the pistons which are provided with spherical or ball
valves; they are constructed in the same manner as the pistons of the
pump, Figure 1, but with a single fitting or cup of india-rubber-attached
on a plate P by means of four bolts a, a, forming two bifurcated arms of
the rod, they are attached under the plate P. by screw nuts c, c, and the
valve I is guided betwixt the said arms which at the same time serve
to squeeze together and secure the brass plate S on the india-rubber seat
of the valve. This piston is represented on a larger scale at. Figure 9 in
section, and by Figure 10 in plan; Figure 11. being.a side view of the
forked connecting sling of the piston rod.
Figure 12 is a vertical longitudinal section of a pump disposed as
Figure 1. Figure 13 is the sectional plan of Figure 12, the cylinders.
having been removed; the said cylinders, may be made of copper, gun
metal, or brass, and the valve boxes as well as the inlet and outlet pipes 1
C and D may be of cast iron, as may also be the under part of the air
chamber E.
As I have mentioned in describing my Invention, pumps constructed
in the first instance upon my system, or pumps which may be altered by
being provided with my improved piston plunger and valves, that is to 2
say, with seats lightly compressible and pistons with a centre plate and
a double india-rubber fitting or cups will be ready to perform any work
to which the best pumps in actual use may be applied, but they,
besides, may be applied to perform works for which other ordinary or
existing forms of pumps would be utterly unfit, such as for raising and 2
discharging hot liquids. As fire pumps they are ever ready to work,
and will not cause delay when required for use. As exhaust pumps for
mines, for forming the foundations of buildings, or in ships" holds they
can never be stopped by the passage of solid materials mixed with
water; the ball valves on their compressible seats will always form 3
water-tight joints, and the pistons will not shrivel in the cylinders, but
at all times fit them.
Having now described my Invention and illustrated it in the annexed
two Sheets of Drawings, I claim,--
First. The application to all kinds of pumps of the improved organs of 3
my Invention, videlicit, solid or hollow metallic spherical valves, accord-

page_text: scats made either of metallized india-rubber or other suitable compressible
material.
Second. Pistons composed of an internal metallic frame or radiated body
covered with fittings of a cup form, made of permanently elastic india-
rubber or other suitable material, the pistons thus constructed adapting
themselves with precision to the cylinder or barrel.
Third. The construction of fire pumps, as represented on Sheet 2, Figure
12, composed partly with cast iron, enamelled inwardly, and coated with
copper outside, and partly with copper, for the purpose of preserving the
metal from oxidation, especially when used for pumping sea water.
And lastly. The combination of the parts of, and the employment of,
the materials herein-before specified for equivalently useful materials,
for the essential organs of my pumps, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Joseph Félix Manent have,
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of September.
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Signed and sealed in the presence
of
L. D'AUBREVILLE, C.E.
FELIX MANENT. (L.S.)