IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORCING OR COMPRESSING FLUIDS OR LIQUIDS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Brotherhood, of No. 25, Ladbroke Gardens,
Notting Hill, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORCING OR COMPRESSING FLUIDS OR
LIQUIDS."
Scaled the 31st August 1875, and dated the 18th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Brotherhood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th March 1875.
I, PETER BROTHERHOOD, of No. 25, Ladbroke Gardens, Notting Hill,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORCING OR COMPRESSING
FLUIDS OR LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists mainly in causing a piston or plunger to travel
backwards and forwards in a cylinder or other vessel so as to force or
compress fluids or liquids therein by means of a screw spindle extending
from end to end of the cylinder, rotated alternately in reverse directions.
by a steam engine or other motor, and passing through a screwed bushi

page_text: in the piston or plunger, so that by the rotation of the screw spindle
alternately in reverse directions the piston is screwed alternately from
one end of the cylinder to the other. Such apparatus may be arranged
in a variety of ways.
The arrangement which I prefer to employ when using the apparatus
as a blowing engine or air compressor is as follows:-At each end of the
cylinder is a central valve opening outwards for the admission of air into
the cylinder. The before-mentioned screw spindle passes through bushes
in both valves, having suitable collars to take the thrust. The screw
spindle is connected to the steam engine or other motor by which it is
rotated by means of a coupling so arranged that according as the spindle
is rotated in one direction or the other it is free to slide longitudinally in
the coupling to such a distance as to cause the one inlet valve to open to
its full extent while the other valve is closed, the screw spindle being for
this purpose of a length greater than that of the cylinder to an extent
equal to the lift of the valves. Suitable delivery valves are provided at
each end of the cylinder opening outwards for the exit of the compressed
fluid.
The motor I prefer to use is the arrangement of three-cylinder engine
for which Letters Patent have been granted to me bearing date the 5th
June 1873, No. 2003, the engine shaft being coupled directly to the
screw spindle in the manner previously described.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Assuming the piston or
plunger to be at the one end of its stroke and the inlet valve nearest to
it on its seat, then on the screw spindle being rotated in order to cause
the piston to travel to the other end of the cylinder the said valve is
opened while at the same time the other inlet valve is closed, the piston
remaining stationary while this operation is performed.
The screw
spindle, now taking a thrust against the outer collar of the closed valve,
it will in rotating propel the piston to the other end of the cylinder,
thereby forcing the fluid previously admitted through the inlet valve
out through suitable delivery valves. At the same time the fluid enters
the cylinder on the other side of the piston through the open inlet
valve.
In order to prevent the piston from rotating in tho cylinder a spindle
is provided passing through a bush in the piston and through stuffing
boxes at each end of the cylinder, and this spindle also serves to effec

page_text: the reversing of the motor engine in order to reverse the motion of the
screw spindle in the following way :-A. projection or collar is provided
at each end of the spindle at such an adjustable distance from the end of
the cylinder that the piston on approaching its end stroke presses against
such collar, and thereby causes the spindle to slide longitudinally to a
certain extent.
Outside the cylinder a connection is made by suitable rods and levers
to a valve which admits pressure to one side or the other of a piston in a
cylinder connected with the reversing spindle of the motor engine, so
that as the sliding spindle is forced in or out the reversing of the engine
is effected. The said sliding spindle is also connected to a double-acting
force pump, whereby when air or other gaseous fluid is compressed water
is forced through pipes in the form of spray into the cylinder towards
the end of cach stroke in order to cool the compressed fluid.
Although I prefer to employ the before-described arrangement of the
apparatus, yet it may be variously modified, such as by using the ordinary
form of valves, either sliding, lift, or otherwise, in place of the arrange-
ment of valves described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Peter Brotherhood in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 17th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
BROTHERHOOD, of No. 25, Ladbroke Gardens, Notting Hill, in the County
of Middlesex, 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 seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Peter Brotherhood, Her special license that
I, the said Peter Brotherhood, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Peter Brotherhood, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein

page_text: 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 APPARATUS
FOR FORCING OR COMPRESSING FLUIDS OR LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Peter Brotherhood, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 Peter Brotherhood, 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 accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention consists mainly in causing a piston or plunger to travel
backwards and forwards in a cylinder or other vessel so as to force or
compress fluids or liquids therein by means of a screw spindle extending
from end to end of the cylinder, rotated alternately in reverse directions
by a steam engine or other motor, and passing through a screwed bush
in the piston or plunger, so that by the rotation of the screw spindle
alternately in reverse directions the piston is screwed alternately from
one end of the cylinder to the other. Such apparatus may be arranged
in a variety of ways.
The arrangement which I prefer to employ when using the apparatus
as a blowing engine or air compresser is as follows:-At each end of the
cylinder is a central valve opening outwards for the admission of air into
the cylinder. The before-mentioned screw spindle passes through bushes
in both valves, having suitable collars to take the thrust. The screw
spindle is connected to the steam engine or other motor by which it is
rotated by means of a coupling so arranged that according as the spindle
is rotated in one direction or the other, it is free to slide longitudinally in
the coupling to such a distance as to cause the one inlet valve to open to
its full extent while the other valve is closed, the screw spindle being for
this purpose of a length greater than that of the cylinder to an extent

page_text: equal to the lift of the valves. Suitable delivery valves are provided
at each end of the cylinder opening outwards for the exit of the com-
pressed fluid.
The motor I prefer to use is the arrangement of three-cylinder engine
for which Letters Patent have been granted to me bearing date the 5th
June 1873, No. 2003, the engine shaft being coupled directly to the screw
spindle in the manner previously described.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Assuming the piston or
plunger to be at the one end of its stroke and the inlet valve nearest to
it on its seat, then on the screw spindle being rotated in order to cause
the piston to travel to the other end of the cylinder the said valve is
opened while at the same time the other inlet valve is closed, the piston
remaining stationary while this operation is performed. The screw
spindle now taking a thrust against the outer collar of the closed valve
will in rotating propel the piston to the other end of the cylinder, thereby
forcing the fluid previously admitted through the inlet valve out through
suitable delivery valves. At the same time the fluid enters the cylinder
on the other side of the piston through the open inlet valve.
In order to prevent the piston from rotating in the cylinder a spindle
is provided, passing through a bush in the piston and through stuffing
boxes at each end of the cylinder, and this spindle also serves to effect
the reversing of the motor engine in order to reverse the motion of tho
screw spindle in the following way:-A projection or collar is provided
at each end of the spindle at such an adjustable distance from the end
of the cylinder that the piston on approaching its end stroke presses
against such collar, and thereby causes the spindle to slide longitudinally
to a certain extent.
Outside the cylinder a connection is made by suitable rods and levers
to a valve which admits pressure to one side or the other of a piston in a
cylinder connected with the reversing spindle of the motor engine, so
that as the sliding spindle is forced in or out the reversing of the engine
is effected. The said sliding spindle is also connected to a double-acting
force pump, whereby when air or other gaseous fluid is compressed water
is forced through pipes in the form of spray into the cylinder towards the
end of each stroke in order to cool the compressed fluid.
Although I prefer to employ the before-described arrangement of the
apparatus, yet it may be variously modified, such as by using the ordinary

page_text: UF One Drawings shows a longitudmal section of one arrange
ment of my before-described improved apparatus for forcing fluids o
liquids, more particularly intended for forcing or compressing air; Figs. 2
and 3 shew the two end views of the same; and Fig. 3 shows a transverse
section on line X, X, Fig. 1.
The cylinder A carried by the bed plate B has within it a piston C
through a screwed central bush, in which passes the screw spindle D.
This screw spindle projects beyond the cylinder, and is at the one end
carried in a bearing on the bracket E, while at the other end it is con
nected to the shaft of the triple cylinder engine F, which may be of the
construction described in my former Patent above referred to. The
piston being prevented from turning in the cylinder by means of two
spindles G, G, passing through packed bushes in the piston and extending
from end to end of the cylinder to the covers of which they aro fixed, it
will be seen that on the rotation of the screw spindle D by the engine in
one direction or the other it will cause the piston to travel from one end
of the cylinder to the other so as to compress and force out air or other
fluid or liquid contained therein in front of it, and at the same time to
draw in air or other fluid or liquid behind it. The ends of the cylinder
are closed by covers H, in which are formed chambers H', having
apertures communicating with the interior of the cylinder and closed
by valves ', and having also a side opening h³ communicating with a
pipe I for conducting the fluid away. The covers H have central
openings H³ closed by valves K, through which the screw spindle D
passes, the spindle being provided with collars d which abut against the
ends of the valves through intervening rings of antifriction rollers d.
The piston C on arriving at or near the end of the cylinder meets a pro-
jecting pin L passing through a stuffing box in the cylinder cover and
connected to a rod L', which is connected by a lever M to the slide
valve N of the small steam cylinder O that actuates the reversing gear
of the engine F, so that the piston C in striking against the pin L moves
the rod I so as to cause the motion of the engine to be reversed. On
such reversal of the motion of the engine the motion of the screw
spindle D will also be changed to the other direction, whereupon the

page_text: screw would first receive an end motion to the extent of the lift of the
valves K, thereby closing the valve at the end of the cylinder farthest
from the piston and opening the one nearest to it. The piston will then
begin to travel along the cylinder to the other end, where the before-
described action for the reversal of the engine and the closing and
opening of the valves will take place again.
Fig. 5 shows a transverse section, and Fig. 6 a part longitudinal section
of a modified form of the cylinder A, it being made of a square section
instead of a circular, in which case the guide bars G may be dispensed
with.
Figs. 7 and 8 shew respectively a transverse and part longitudinal
section of a modified form of the ends of the cylinder wherein the exit
passage for the fluid or liquid is made to pass downwards and com-
municates with a passage I for the fluid formed in the base plate B.
Fig. 9 shews a longitudinal section of a modification of the arrange-
ment shewn in Figs. 1 to 4 adapted for pumping water or other liquids,
the piston C having a hollow trunk C' extending through the cylinder
and working backwards and forwards on the screw spindle D, which in
this case is outside the cylinder and provided with thrust bearings at D¹.
On the back stroke of the piston the liquid is drawn into the cylinder
through the valve P, while at the same time liquid is discharged from
behind the piston through the passage Q into the box R. At the forward
stroke the liquid is forced out of the cylinder through the valve P¹, liquid
being at the same time drawn in through the passage Q to the back of
the piston.
Fig. 10 shews an arrangement of the apparatus adapted for working
pumps in mines, the screw spindle C being placed at the top of the pit
and carrying a screwed sleeve S sliding on guides S¹, and connected by
links T and bell-crank lever U to the pump rods.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim,-
First. The use of apparatus for forcing or compressing fluids or liquids
wherein a screw spindle rotated alternately in contrary directions is
caused to move a piston backwards and forwards in a cylinder so as to
force or compress the fluid or liquid therein, substantially as herein
described with reference to Figs. 1 to 9 of the Drawings.

page_text: Second. The use in apparatus of the kind referred to in the first claim
of inlet valves to the cylinder through which the screw spindle passes,
and so arranged in combination therewith that on the reversal of the
motion of the screw spindle it has an end motion imparted to it whereby
the one inlet valve is closed while the other is opened, substantially as
herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Brotherhood, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
PETER BROTHERHOOD. (L.S.)