IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS AND STOPS USED FOR WORKING HYDRAULIC PRESSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Downs, of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the
County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS
AND STOPS USED FOR WORKING HYDRAULIC PRESSES."
Sealed the 21st January 1862, and dated the 10th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Downs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th October 1861.
I, JAMES DOWNS, of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the County of York, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PUMPS AND STOPS USED FOR WORKING HYDRAULIC PRESSES," to be as follows:-
I cast two pumps of unequal bore in one casting so as to form a double
pump, two such pumps are fixed at opposite ends of a cistern. Four sets of
stops (each set cast together in the same box)' are arranged on the cistern,
two sets on each side, connected to the said pumps by means of pipes, and
also to each other by the same means. The waterways in the said pumps
and stops are so arranged as to cause all the four pumps to work through
each set of stops singly, or to work through all four at once, or any portion of
them. The said pumps are worked by a lever in the usual manner; the two
rams (working the same pump) are fixed into one crosshead, which has only
one shank, and is worked from the lever by one pair of side links' in the usual.
way. Each set of stops is connected by pipes to what is commonly called a
double press, consequently by my said arrangements of pumps and stops four

page_text: double presses can be worked at the same time. When it is required to work
three double presses I use the same pumps, but only two sets of stops on one
side of the cistern, and one set on the other; or, if only two double presses are
worked, I use the same pumps, and place one set of stops on each side of the
cistern, which will permit the pressure to be given much more rapidly than
heretofore. I place a valve beneath or at one side, or behind one or both of
the stops in the centre of the stop box, so as to prevent the oil or water
returning when the opposite stop is raised. When only one double press is
worked from one set of pumps, only one stop need be furnished with a valve ;
but if more than one double press is worked from one set of pumps, each of
the two centre stops must be provided with a valve. The said stops arranged
according to my said Invention may be adapted and applied to hydraulic
pumps as at present constructed, so as to permit more than one pump to work
into the same press when required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Downs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
March 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
Downs, of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the County of York, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, 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 James Downs, Her special licence that I, the said James Downs, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Downs, 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 PUMPS AND STOPS
USED FOR WORKING HYDRAULIC PRESSES," upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said James Downs, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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

page_text: in the Great Seal Patent Office within six. calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Downs, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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:
The nature of my said Invention, as I have heretofore intimated in and by
the Provisional Specification left and recorded on application for the said Letters
Patent, is this, I cast two pumps of unequal bore in one casting so as to
form a double pump, two such pumps are fixed at opposite ends of a cistern..
Four sets of stops (each set work together in the same box) are arranged on
the cistern, two sets on each side, or at any other convenient place, and are
connected to the said pumps by means of pipes, and also to each other by the
same means. The waterways in the said pumps and stops are- só-arranged as
to cause all the four pumps to work through each set of stops singly, or to
work through all four at once, or any portion of them. The said pumps are
worked by a. lever in the usual manner, the two rams (working the same
pumps) are fixed into one crosshead, which has only one shank, and is
worked from the lever by one pair of side links in the usual way; or, I cast two
pumps of a small bore and two pumps of a large bore, and place one of each sort
at one end of a cistern, and one of cach sort at another end thereof, and work;
all the four from one lever by one pair of side links to each pump in the
usual way; or, by a double.ram with one crosshead, having one. shank, as.
described, and connect them to the stops in the same way as the double pump.
Each set of stops is connected by pipes to what is commonly called a double
press, consequently by my said arrangements of pumps and stops, one, two,
three, or-four double presses can be worked from one set of pumps at the same
time. When it is required to work three double presses only, I use the same
pumps with three sets of stops, and I place these stops either on the cistern
or any other convenient place; or, if only two. double presses are worked,
I use the same pumps, and place one set of stops on each side of the cistern,
or other convenient place. When only one double press is worked. from
one set of these pumps, the stops will be placed on the cistern.in. the
usual way. These arrangements will permit the pressure to be given in each
press much more rapidly than heretofore.. I place a valve beneath or at one.
side, or behind one or both of the stops in the centre of the stop box, so as to
prevent the oil or water returning when the opposite stop is raised. When
more than one double press is worked from one set of pumps, each of the two
centre stops will be provided with a valve. If only one press is worked - from

page_text: one set of pumps, then only one valve is required behind one of the centre
stops. The said stops, arranged according to my said Invention, may be
adapted and applied to hydraulic pumps as at present constructed, so as to
permit more than one set of pumps to work into each press when required.
This Invention may be applied to pumps at present in use by making
two sets of stops, placing one set on one old cistern, and another set on
another old cistern, and connecting them together by pipes to each other, and
to each of four old pumps: By this arrangement all the four pumps would
work when required into each press at the same time, and would consequently
give the pressure in each in half of the time that it is given at present.
. When two old pumps are connected, these two pumps are capable of work-
ing as described, and also of working three or four double presses by simply
connecting either one or two sets of stops to them, and placing them'at any
convenient place. My Invention could, I consider, be applied to hydraulic
presses generally when more than one press is worked from one set of pumps,
but is specially applicable to hydraulic presses for expressing oil from seeds.
By the term old I mean things on the plans heretofore adopted.
I can as before described make all the four pumps separately, and work
each separately from the lever by side links.
Any of the pumps or of the stops may be disconnected, and the remaining
pumps will be still left in working order, and may be worked without the
pumps which are disconnected. When stops are disconnected the presses
to which they are applied only will be stopped off.
Having thus far described the nature of the said Invention, I will now
in further exemplification thereof and for the description of what manner
the same is to be performed, refer to the Drawings accompanying this Spe-
cification by the words, figures, and letters following, that is to say:-
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
In the several Sheets of Drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 denotes side

page_text: pairs of links for working the two sets of double pumps, B and B are brass
pumps with double barrels and differential rams or plungers, worked from
crossheads at the ends of the links C and C¹; D, are the pipes which con-
nect the force pumps with the four sets of stop valves E. The stop valves are
also connected by intermediate pipes; E, a set of stop valves, four in number,
and of annular form; F, the pipes leading to the double presses. These pumps
are placed upon an entablature forming a cistern for the supply of the pres-
sure or force pumps. Let it be assumed that the four double. .presses are
to be worked. The valves H, K, in each set are depressed whilst I, J, in'
each set are raised; the pumps are then worked; the oil or water is forced
through the valves I, J in each set to the presses; then supposing that any one
press is not worked, the valve K is raised whilst J is depressed, and in like
manner for all the other presses.
As the stop valve E consists of four vertical annular or mitre stops and two-
conical valves behind the two centre ones contained in one case, to work
the presses the stops I and J are raised, whilst the stops H and K. are de-
pressed by means of four small cog wheels and handles; the valves or clacks
L, N, are for preventing the oil or water that has passed through them from
returning when the pressure is taken off the press; the stops I and J are de-
pressed whilst H and K are raised, and the oil flows back through y into the
pump cistern beneath.
The pressure or force pumps consist of two pumps of differential diameters,
cast together of brass or gun metal, each communicating with each other,
through the passages W, X, to the four sets of stop valves; P and Q are
delivery valves, or as used in common force pumps, as are the two suction
valves T, U; there are also two annular or mitre safety valves V, used to
regulate the pressure on the hydraulic presses by means of a weight and
lever. The self-acting arrangement for actuating the safety valves (E, as
shewn in Fig. 2) as applied to the large pumps only, in each case a is a
spring made of steel or any other suitable material, fixed on a bracket by
means of a set screw (9); c, a rod or bar working on a fulcrum with a notch
to receive the spring when pulled back; d is the lever of large pump;
E is a pin to allow the lever D to rise a certain distance before taking effect
on rod or bar e. Then to work this arrangement the spring (a) is pulled back
till the rod or bar (c) falls, and is held in that position by the notch f; the pumps
are then worked up to a certain pressure, when the lever D rises, and the pin
E lifts the rod or bar (c).out of the notch f when the spring moves back to
the position shewn in Drawing and keeps the lever raised, which allows the
valve (R) to open, and the oil or fluid to pass into the cistern through the

page_text: orifice (r) it being assumed that the valve is so fitted as to allow à sufficient
quantity of air entering the barrel to prevent the plunger working in vacuo..
At Figure 13, h is an upright support with handle forged thereon; i, con-
necting rod; j, another handle, kept in its place by the spring (k); is a bracket
.with fulcrum for handle (1), with a guide for the aforesaid handle. To work this.
apparatus the upright support with handle is moved towards the right or left, as
the case may be, and the lever (d) being attached to the upright support (h) by:
. means of a pin, causes it to drop into the notch in the pumps, which are then
worked up to a certain pressure, when the lever (d) rises, and with it the sup
port (h), which is forced to assume a vertical position, and secured there by
means of the spring k, pressing against the handle (5), which pressure is commu-
nicated by the connecting rod (i), and ultimately keeps the lever (d) raised, so
that the oil or fluid may pass through the passage r into the cistern. The way
in which the pumps are worked separately is this,-I.cast two large pumps and
two small ones, all independent of each other; I place the two larger pumps one
each side of the cistern, the same distance from the centre pedestal as those.
shewn in Figure 1. The two small pumps are placed between the large pumps
and the pedestal, one on each side, and each pump is worked from the lever by
a pair of links, one ram or plunger and one shank; the waterways connecting
between the pumps and the stops is made in the same way as shewn in Figure 1,
except that the pipes from the small pumps to the stops require to be curved,
on account of the large pump and the small one not being placed in a line
transverse to the pump lever; one set of pumps work one, two, three, or four
sets of stops, as herein-before described.. In case one set of pumps require
repairing, they are removed together with the pipes (D), the nuts are removed
from the pipes (at the stop end) and. replaced with a washer of brass or any
other suitable material at pleasure, the remaining pumps to be worked in the:
usual way.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I claim,-
First, the general arrangements of the hydraulic pumps, stops, and pipes,
whereby I am enabled to work one, two, three, or four double presses from one
set of pumps (that is, two double pumps on one and the same cistern, and still
give the pressure on each press in half the time that it has been given in
previously.
f
:
Secondly, the double pumps themselves and their arrangements..
Thirdly, the valve under or behind the stops, as used in combination with
the said stops..
Fourthly, the arrangements of pipes and stops, whereby I am enabled. to

page_text: work one, two, three, or four double presses with two sets of old pumps, that
is, pumps as ordinarily constructed.
Fifthly, the arrangements for working four different pumps with differential
rams from one lever when placed on one cistern, and the arrangements whereby
I am enabled to work one, two, three, or four double presses by these pumps;
but I wish it to be understood that I do not claim any of the constituent
parts of the mechanism taken per se, and apart from the purposes hereof, as
before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Downs, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness to the signature of said.
James Downs,
JACOB CHARLES HEWITT, Clerk,
Old Foundry, Hull.
JAMES DOWNS. (L.S.)