IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Wilson Hobbs, of Market Harborough, in the
County of Leicester, Plumber, and House Decorator, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS."
Sealed the 5th April 1878, and dated the 31st January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wilson Hobbs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1878.
GEORGE WILSON HOBBS, of Market Harborough, in the County of Leicester,
Plumber and House Decorator. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS."
My Invention relates chiefly to improvements in the ordinary suction pump,
whereby the liability to the obstruction of the valve which frequently takes place
in pumps of that construction is obviated, and facility is afforded for obtaining
access to the barrel for the removal of any extraneous bodies which may have been
introduced with the water.
In carrying out my Invention, I form on or attach to the barrel a horizontal
tubular branch provided with a flange, to which the flanged end of the supply pipe
or an attachment thereto is secured by three or any other suitable number of
screws, a washer of leather or other suitable material being interposed in order to
effect and maintain a tight joint. To the said flanged end or attachment is hinged,
or otherwise fitted, the valve, the face of which according to my arrangement is
normally perpendicular or nearly so, any extraneous matters carried along with
the water are thus prevented from accumulating above the valve, and are allowed
to settle at the bottom of the barrel, whence they may be readily withdrawn by
unscrewing the attaching screws, and removing the pipe and the valve.
The Invention is applicable to pumps of various descriptions with but slight
modifications in the details of its arrangement.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Wilson Hobbs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd July 1878.
GEORGE WILSON HOBBS, of Market Harborough in the County of Leicester,
Plumber and House Decorator. IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS."
"
My said Invention relates chiefly to improvements in the ordinary suction pump,
whereby the liability to the obstruction of the foot valve which frequently takes
place in pumps of that construction is obviated, and facility is afforded for
obtaining access to the barrel for the removal of any extraneous bodies which may
have been introduced with the water or other liquid.
In carrying out my said Invention, I form on or attach to the barrel a horizontal
tubular branch provided with a flange, to which the flanged end of the suction pipe
or an attachment thereto is secured by screws or bolts, a washer of leather or other
suitable material, being interposed in order to effect and maintain a tight joint. To
the said flanged end or attachment is hinged, or otherwise fitted, the foot valve, the
face of which according to my arrangement is normally perpendicular, or nearly so,
any extraneous matters carried along with the water are thus prevented from
accumulating above the valve, and are allowed to settle at the bottom of the barrel,
whence they may be readily withdrawn by unscrewing the attaching screws and
removing the pipe and the valve.
The Invention is applicable to pumps of various descriptions with but slight
modifications in the details of its arrangement.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in both the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a longitudinal section of a
portion of a suction or lift pump, having my said Invention applied thereto; and
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same taken along the line 1-2 in Figure 1.
A is the lower portion of the barrel of the pump, and B is a portion of the suction
pipe, which latter is provided with a flange 6 secured by screws a to the flange c
of a horizontal tubular branch C formed on or attached to the barrel A, a washer d
of leather, india-rubber, or other suitable material being interposed between the
flanges b, c, in order to effect and maintain a tight joint to the flange b of the
suction pipe B is hinged at e, the foot valve D, the face of which is normally
perpendicular, as shewn clearly by the full in Figure 1, the dotted lines in that
figure representing the valve in a partially open position.
It will be seen that by this arrangement all liability is obviated of extraneous
matters carried along by the water accumulating above the valve and thus
impeding its action, any extraneous matters thus introduced into the pump being
conducted past the valve into the bottom of the barrel at f, where they are allowed
to settle and whence they may be withdrawn by unscrewing the screws a and
removing the section B of the suction pipe and the valve D.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is,-The employment in pumps of a foot valve arranged so
that its face shall be normally perpendicular, or nearly so, in combination with

page_text: means for facilitating the settlement, and subsequent removal of any extraneous
matters which may be carried along with the water or other liquid raised by the
pump, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Wilson Hobbs, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of July One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
2 TIT HANDG
G. W. HOBBS. (L.S.)