AN IMPROVED PUMP OR PUMPING APPARATUS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gilbert, of the Engine Works, Boston Street,
Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED PUMP OR PUMPING APPARATUS."
Scaled the 4th September 1855, and dated the 12th March 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gilbert at tn
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
March 1855.
I, JOHN GILBERT, of the Engine Works, Boston Street, Hackney, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED PUMP OR PUMPING APPARATUS " to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in certain arrangements of machinery whereby a
flexible diaphragm is made alternately to create and fill a vacuum or partial
vacuum in a chamber connected at one side to an inflow pipe, and at the other
to an exit pipe, whereby liquids and other matters requiring to be pumped will
be drawn into and forced out from the chamber.
To give one exemplification of the manner in which my Invention may be
performed, I take a square chamber closed at bottom and nearly so at the sides,
to one of which I connect an inflow pipe which leads into a case fitted with a
valve, and into which a supply pipe enters. At the other side I connect a pipe
leading to another case fitted also with a valve opening into the delivery
pipe. The top of the square chamber has a flange or rim, to the sides of
which is fitted a leather diaphragm lined with metal both at top and bottom.

page_text: The plates of metal are so, connected to the leather as to allow of its being
drawn up from and forced, down into the square chamber. This diaphragm
and the flange or rim quite close the top of the chamber. I connect links
from a cross head to lugs on the metal plates, and give the cross head an up
and down motion from a steam engine or other source of power. It will be
understood that on the diaphragm being raised or drawn up from the chamber
a partial vacuum will be formed therein, whereupon water, clay, or other
liquid or substance requiring to be raised will be drawn into the chamber,
which on the down-stroke of the cross. head and diaphragm will be forced out
of the chamber into the delivery pipe.
I have not thought it necessary now to explain the various forms of
diaphragms which may be used. Many may be found to answer the required
purpose, and will be more fully alluded to in my final Specification.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Gilbert in the Great Seal Patent, Office on the
12th September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GILBERT, of the Engine Works, Boston Street, Hackney, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Gilbert, Her special licence that I, the said John Gilbert, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,. the, said John Gilbert, 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." AN IMPROVED PUMP OR PUMPING. APPARATUS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Gilbert, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I; the said John Gilbert; 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 bad to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say-
My Invention consists in certain arrangements of machinery whereby a
flexible diaphragm is made alternately to create and fill a vacuum or partial
vacuum in a chamber connected at one side to an inflow pipe and at the other
to an exit pipe, whereby liquids and other matters requiring to be pumped will
bé drawn into and forced 'out from the chamber.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have given an exemplification, of the
manner in which I carry, my Invention into effect..
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a pump constructed according to my
improvements; Figure 2, a plan of the chamber and diaphragm; and
Figure 3, an elevation of a pair of pumps connected to the same main
shaft, but with the excentrics in opposite positions so as to obtain a constant
delivery. The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in these threc
Figures.
A, A, is a square chamber closed at bottom, and nearly so at the sides, to
one of which I connect an inflow pipe B, which leads into a valve case C, fitted
with a ball valve D; E is a supply pipe which enters the valve case C, the
other and open end of which communicates with the liquids or substances to
be pumped up.
At the other and opposite side I connect a pipe F leading
to another case Ġ, fitted also with a valve opening into the delivery pipe H.
The top of the square chamber A has a flange or rim a, a, between which and
the flange of the box I is fitted a diaphragm J,.formed of leather, vulcanized
india-rubber, or other suitable material, lined on both the upper and under sides
with plates of metal K; K In practice I have found it more advantageous
to use a diaphragm composed of one thickness of leather and one thickness of
vulcanised india-rubber. The upper plates K are formed with circular ends
c, c, which fit into the sockets d, d, bolted to the sides of the box which act as
a hinge to the plates which are so connected, to the diaphragm, as to allow of
its, being drawn up from and forced down into the square chamber A. The
diaphragm J quite closes up the top of the chamber, and is further rendered
air-tight and lubricated or made pliable by partially filling the box I with
water, oil, or other suitable substance in a liquid or semi-liquid state. L is a
lid or cover to the box I to prevent the entrance of dirt; M, M, are links
connected to the cross head N, and to lugs O, O,, on the plates K, K; P is a
connecting rod, the lower. end of which is keyed. into the boss of the cross.

page_text: head N. The upper end of the rod P is jointed to the fork of the excentric
R, keyed upon the main shaft S driven by a steam engine or other prime
mover; T is the framework for supporting the main shaft and excentrics, and
U guides to the connecting rods P. Upon motion being given to the shaft S
and excentrics, the diaphragm is raised or drawn up from the chamber, a partial
vacuum will be formed therein, whereupon water, clay, or other liquid or
substance requiring to be raised will be drawn into the chamber A, which on
the down stroke of the cross head and diaphragm will be forced out of the
chamber into the delivery pipe.
Although I have shewn in Figure 1 four sets of plates as being adapted to
the diaphragm, I do not confine myself to this precise arrangement, as it is
obvious the chamber A may be made oblong or hexagonal or any other sided
figure, or circular, in which case the diaphragm must be of a similar shape, and
the plates so connected to the diaphragm and hinged to the sides of the box
as not to interfere with its upward and downward motion. In some cases I
use a circular diaphragm and circular hoops on the top and bottom to take
the pressure, as shewn in the section Figure 4, and connect the hoops with
four cross bars A, A, two only of which are seen in the Figure, by a series of
short links B, the cross bars being hinged at one end to the box C, and
fastened at the other end to the upright driving rod D; or I take a sheet
of copper and form a series of circular corrugations therein, and attach the
driving or pump rod directly to the centre of the diaphragm or copper. In
this case no plates or cross bars are required.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my
improved pump or pumping apparatus is, the arrangement of machinery herein-
before described and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed, whereby a
flexible diaphragm is made alternately to create and fill a vacuum or partial
vacuum in a chamber fitted with inflow and exit pipes and valves, whereby
liquids and other matters requiring to be pumped will be drawn into and forced
out from the chamber.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gilbert, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
JNO. GILBERT. (L.S.)