AN IMPROVED A PUMP FOR OIL AND OTHER LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE ALSO AS A SYPHON
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
A
PUMP FOR OIL AND OTHER LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE ALSO AS A SYPHON."
communication from abroad by the Acid Pump and Siphon Company
(Incorporated), of New London, in the County of New London, State of
Connecticut, United States of America.
Sealed the 12th December 1879, and dated the 8th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th July 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"AN IMPROVED PUMP FOR OIL AND OTHER LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE
ALSO AS A SYPHON." [A communication from abroad by the Acid Pump and
Siphon Company (Incorporated), of New London, in the County of New London,
State of Connecticut, United States of America.]
These improvements relate to that class of pumps in which pump action is
produced by the compression and rarefaction of air in a chamber between the valves,
the air being compressed by a hollow collapsible bulb, and rarefied by expansion of
such bulb.
The apparatus can be also converted into a syphon, and may be used as a con-
venient means for drawing oil or liquids from any vessel.
The pump consists of an outer metallic vessel, generally of cylindrical form, and
which for ordinary uses need not be more than three or four inches in diameter, and
four or five inches high, in the lower end of which is formed a valve seat upon
which drops or rests a puppet valve, such valve opening upwards, and being
prevented from rising too high by a stem which extends down through the seat,
and has an enlarged head upon it. To the bottom of such vessel below the valve is
connected the suction pipe which enters the vessel containing the oil or liquid to be
drawn; and to the top of the vessel is attached an elastic collapsible bulb, the neck
of which enters a nipple on the vessel, thereby permitting an easy removal of the
bulb when desired. Within the vessel is a smaller vessel which is also provided

page_text: with a valve seat in the lower part thereof, and a puppet valve opening upward in
-the-same manner as the valve in the onter vessel, and which is also prevented by
means of a stem from rising too high. This-inner--vessel is so fixed within the
upper part of the enclosing vessel that there will be air or liquid space above and
around it, and it extends downward within said vessel some distance, generally
about one half or two thirds the depth of such enclosing vessel.
Connecting with the inner vessel near its upper part, and opening from one side
thereof, passing by a tight-collar or thimble through the outer vessel, is an eduction
or discharge tube which may be made of such a length as to convert-the-apparatus
into a syphon, and in the lower end of which is a faucet or stop cock.
The operation is as follows:-When the bulb is compressed by the hand a portion
of the air in the outer chamber is forced into the inner chamber through the
puppet valve therein, and out through the eduction pipe, the faucet being left open.
As the bulb is allowed to expand the air in the outer chamber is expanded or rarefied,
and the oil or fluid rises in the suction tube and enters said chamber. As the bulb
is further compressed and allowed to expand the oil or liquid will rise in both
chambers and be discharged from the discharge tube, and if this tube is lengthened
so as to form the long leg of a syphon the oil or liquid after it has commenced to
flow will continue to do so unless stopped by the stop cock, or by the removal of
the bulb.
The pump, by the combination with the discharge tube of the stop cock, is thus
converted into a convenient apparatus for drawing in small quontities oil or liquid
from a barrel or other vessel.
The bulb is placed about centrally in the top of the outer vessel; this position is
found the most desirable as securing the most effectual and uniform operation of
the apparatus, the air being thus distributed upon the surface of the fluid in the
vessel, and all swashing or back flow of the liquid when the bulb expands
being substantially prevented. If the bulb be placed on the vessel near one side
when the bulb is compressed the air strikes with greatest force upon only part of
the fluid, or at one side of the vessel, and then when the bulb expands the liquid
surges or flows back, and frequently to such an extent as to enter the bulb. This,
particularly if the fluid is oil, soon so injures or destroys the bulb that it is frequently
necessary to replace it. When however the bulb is so placed that the air is so
delivered that it acts equally, or substantially so, upon all parts of the surface of
the oil or liquid, such surging or flow is entirely prevented, and the fluid cannot
enter the bulb to injure or destroy it.
To secure a more uniform delivery of the air upon the surface of the fluid the
top of the inner vessel is best made arched or rounded, but if the top of such vessel
is made flat or nearly so the same effect, substantially, will be secured by means of
a perforated plate placed just below the top of the outer vessel, or by radiating
tubes placed-on-the-innor.surface of the top of said vessel.
The upper side of the thimble or collar is preferably-made-curved or arched for
securing a more equable action of the air upon the fluid in the vessel..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th January 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED PUMP FOR OIL AND OTHER LIQUIDS, APPLICABLE
ALSO AS A SYPHON." A communication from abroad by The Acid Pump and
Siphon Company (Incorporated), of New London, in the County of New London,
State of Connecticut, United States of America.
These improvements relate to that class of pumps in which pump action is
produced by the compression and rarefaction of air in a chamber between the
valves, the air being compressed by a hollow collapsible bulb and rarefied by
expansion of such bulb.
The apparotus can also be converted into a siphon, and may be used as a con-
venient means for drawing oil or liquids from any vessel..
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a view of the pump complete ;
Figure 2 is a vertical section of Figure 1 through the centre thereof; Figures 3
and 4 show variations in the form of the top of the outer vessel or cylinder of the
pump. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. A represents a
metallic vessel, generally cylindrical, and which for ordinary uses need not be more
than three or four inches in diameter, and four or five inches high; it can however
be made of any size desired. In the lower end of this vessel formed a valve seat
a upon which drops or rests a puppet valve a¹, such valve opening upwards and
being prevented from rising too high by a stem a² which extends down through the
seat, and has an enlarged head a³ upon it. To the bottom of such vessel below, the
valve a¹ connects the suction pipe B which enters the vessel containing the oil or
liquid to be drawn: To the top of this vessel A is attached an elastic collapsible
.bulb C, the neck of which enters the nipple c, thereby permitting an easy removal
of the bulb whenever desired:
Within this vessel A is a smaller vessel D which has in the lower part thereof a.
valve seat d and puppet valve d' opening upward in the same manner as does the
valve a¹, and which is prevented from rising too high by the headed stem d². This
inner vessel D is fixed within the upper part of the enclosing vessel A, but so that
there will be air or liquid space above and around it, and extends downwards within
the vessel A some distance, generally about one half or two thirds the depth of such
enclosing vessel. Connecting with the inner vessel D near its upper part, and
opening from one side thereof, passing by a tight collar or thimble E through the
vessel A, is an eduction or discharge tube E which may be made of such a length as
to convert the apparatus into a syphon, and in the lower end of which is a faucet or
stop cock F.
The operation is as follows:-When the bulb C is compressed by the hand a
portion of the air in the chamber A is forced through the valve d' into the chamber
D, and out through the eduction pipe E, the faucet being left open. As the bulb is
allowed to expand the air in A is expanded or rarefied, and the oil or fluid rises in
the tube B'and enters the chamber A. As the bulb is further compressed and
allowed to expand the oil or liquid will rise in both chambers A and D and be
discharged from the tube E, and if this tube is lengthened so as to form the long
leg of a syphon the oil or liquid after it has commenced to flow will continue to do
so unless stopped by the stop cock F, or by the removal of the bulb C. The pump,
by the combination with the tube E of the stop cock F, is thus converted into a
convenient apparatus for drawing in small quantities oil or liquid from a barrel or
other vessel.
The bulb C is placed, as will be seen from the Drawings, about centrally in the
top of the vessel A. This disposition is found from experiment and trial the most
desirable as securing the most effectual and uniform operation of the apparatus, the
>
.

page_text: air being thus distributed most equally upon the surface of the fluid in the vessel A,
and all swashing or back flow of the liquid when the bulb expands being substantially
prevented. If the bulb C be placed on the vessel A. near one side, as at C¹, Figure 2,
when the bulb is compressed the air strikes with greatest force-upon-only part of
the fluid, or at one side of the vessel, and then when the bulb expands the liquid
_surges.or flows back, and frequently to such an extent as to enter the bulb. This
particularly if the fluid is oil, soon so injures or destroys the bulb that it is frequently
-necessary-to-replace-it.-When-however-the-bulb-is-so-placed-that-the-air-is-so-
delivered that it acts equally, or substantially so, upon all parts of the surface of
-the-oil or liquid, snch surging or flow is entirely prevented, and the fluid-cannot
enter the bulb to injure or destroy it.
To secure a more uniform delivery of the air upon the surface of the fluid, the
top of the inner vessel D is best made arched or rounded, as shown in Figure 2, but
if the top of such vessel is made flat or nearly so the same effect, substantially, will
be secured by means of a perforated plate, such as shown in Figure 3, placed just
bolow the top of the vessel A, or by radiating tubes, as shown in Figure 4, placed
on the inner surface of the top of the vessel A.
The upper side of the thimble or collar E¹ is preferably made curved or arched
for securing a more equable action of the air upon the fluid in the vessel A.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. An oil or liquid pump having an outer chamber A provided with a puppet
valve between it and its connecting induction pipe, and fitted with an exhausting
or collapsible bulb, and an inner chamber D connecting with the outer chamber by
a similar valve, and fitted with an eduction pipe, the several parts constructed sub-
stantially as described.
2nd. The arrangement of the inner chamber D within the chamber A, substantially
as described, so that there shall be air or liquid space above and around the inner
chamber for the purposes set forth.
3rd. The arrangement of the eduction pipe E in the side of the chamber D and
near its upper end, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4tb. The construction and arrangement of the collar or thimble E¹ between the
outer and inner vessels A and D so as not only to form a part of the eduction tube
E, but also be a means of support for the inner vessel D.
5th. The arrangement of the compression and exhaust bulb C in the top of the
chamber A, and at or near the centre thereof, for the purposes set forth.
6th. The construction of the inner chamber with a curved or arched top for the
purpose of distributing the air on all sides of such chamber and facilitating the flow
of any liquid from off it.
7th. The
arrangement-within-and-under-the-top-of-the-chamber- or vessel.A.of.
the perforated plate, Figure 3, or radiating tubes, Figure 4, for the purposes set
forth.
8th. In an oil or liquid pump constructed substantially as described the com-
bination with the eduction tube E of the stop cock F for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)