AN IMPROVED PORTABLE SELF- A Dunnossa-ACTING WATER ENGINE, FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Tongue, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Wholesale Ironmonger, and John Greer, of the same Place
Tin Plate Worker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PORTABLE SELF-
A Dunnossa "
Sealed the 14th March 1862, and dated the 19th September 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Tongue
and John Greer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 19th September 1861.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS TONGUE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Wholesale Ironmonger, and JOHN GREER, of the same Place, Tin Plate
Worker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
PORTABLE SELF-ACTING WATER ENGINE, FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES AND OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows (that is to say):-
An apparatus constructed according to this Invention may consist of a
cylindrical or other suitably shaped air-tight vessel, which is by preference
formed with a dome-shaped top, having a pipe passing through the centre
thereof, and extending down nearly to the bottom of the vessel. The head of
this vertical pipe, above the top of the vessel, is fitted with a stop-cock and a
suitable screwed collar for attaching thereto the nozzle pipe, or the end of an air

page_text: pipe of an air pump by means of a union nut. The side of the vessel at, say,
two-thirds or three-fourths from the bottom is fitted with a small tap or scrowed
vent for allowing the escape of air during the time of charging the vessel with
water. The vessel is charged with water through the vertical pipe, the
air in the vessel being allowed to escapo through tho tap, or screwed vent in
the side of the vessel. When the water has risen to about, say, two-thirds or
three-fourths of the height of the vessel, the tap or screwed vent on the side of
the vessel is closed, and to the head of the vertical pipe is attached by a union
joint, the end of an air pipe connected with an air pump, which pump may be
temporarily attached or fixed to the side of the vessel. By means of the air
pump, the required quantity of compressed air is forced into the vessel, after
which, the tap on the head of the vertical pipe is closed, and the pipe of the
.air pump removed, and replaced by a short flexible pipe fitted with a suitablo
nozzle-piece, when the apparatus is ready for use, all that is required being to
turn on the stop-cock and direct the nozzle in the direction the stream of water
is desired to take. Any number of vessels that may be required can be kept
ready charged with water and compressed air, only one air pump being
required to charge any number of vessels with compressed air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Tongue and John Greer in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th March 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
THOMAS TONGUE, of Liverpool, in tho County of Lancaster, Wholesale Iron-
monger, and JOHN GREER, of the same Place, Tin Plate Worker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of September, 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
us, the said William Thomas Tongue and John Greer, Her special, licence
that we, the said William Thomas Tongue and John Greer, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Thomas
Tongue and John Greer, our 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,

page_text: usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
PORTABLE SELF-ACTING WATER ENGINE, FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES AND OTHER
PURPOSES;" upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Thomas Tongue and John Greer, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 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 we, the said William Thomas Tongue and John.
Greer, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say):
An apparatus constructed according to this our said Invention may consist
of a cylindrical or other suitably shaped air-tight vessel; which is, by pre-
ference, formed with a dome-shaped top, having a pipe passing through the
centre thereof, and extending down nearly to the bottom of the interior of the
vessel. The head of this vertical pipe above the top of the vessel we fit with.
a stop-cock and a suitable screwed collar for attaching thereto the nozzle pipe,
or the end of an air pipe of an air pump, by means of a union nut. Tho
side of the vessel at, say, a point about two-thirds or three-fourths from the
bottom, we fit with a small tap or screwed vent for allowing the escape of air
during the time of charging the vessel with water. The vessel we charge
with water through the vertical pipe, the air in the vessel being allowed to
escape as the water rises through the tap or screwed vent in the side of the
vessel. When the water has risen to about two-thirds or three-fourths of
the height of the vessel, the tap or screwed vent we close, and to the head
of the vertical pipe we attach, by a union joint, the end of an air pipe con-
nected with an air pump, which pump may be temporally attached or fixed
to the side of the vessel. By means of the air pump we force into the
cylinder the required quantity of compressed air, after which we close the
tap on the head of the vertical pipe, and then remove the pipe of the air pump,
and replace it by a flexable pipe fitted with a suitable nozzle-piece, when the
apparatus is ready for use, all that is required being to turn on the stop-cock
and direct the nozzle in the direction the stream of water is desired to take.
Any number of vessels that may be required can be kept ready charged with.
water and compressed air, only one air pump being required to charge any

page_text: number of the vessels with compressed air. The air pump, can, if preferred,
be worked with a lever or crank handle, and fitted with a fly wheel.
In some cases we prefer to charge the cylinders with water through the
screwed vents in the sides of the vessel, in place of through the vertical pipe,
and in some cases we carry the vertical pipe right down to the bottom of the
interior of the cylinder, and attach it thereto by flanches at top and bottom,
perforating the lower end of the side of the pipe with a number of small
holes for the passage of the water.
In most cases we prefer fitting the dome of a cylinder with a spring or
other convenient form of safety valve, opening outwards to prevent an over
amount of internal pressure being used.
That this our said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
we have hereunto annexed Drawings in illustration of one of our improved
portable self-acting engines for throwing a jet of water in any required
direction, like letters marked thereon being used to denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one modification of our improved apparatus
filled with water up to the plug B, seen with the air pump attached, for
forcing in the compressed air; Figure 2 is also a side elevation of the same;
showing the air pump removed, and the flexable hose pipe and nozzlo pipo
screwed on to the head of the vertical pipe, through which the water is forced
by the action of the compressed air on the surface of the water within the
vessel.
Dis a cylindrical vessel made of iron, copper, or other suitable material,
which is fitted with A, a vertical pipe, which passes through the top and down
the interior of the vessel to near the bottom; B, a screwed vent plug
in the side of the cylinder by which the air is allowed to escape during
the time of charging the vessel with water, and, if preferred, can bo used
to introduce the water into the vessel in place of passing it through the
vertical pipe; C, (Figure 1), an air pump connected to the pipe A by E, an
air pipe; F, straps on the side of the cylinder for holding the air pump;
G, a spring safety valve, opening outwards to prevent undue pressure being
applied to the interior of the vessel; II, a flexable hose pipe and nozzle,
through which is dischargod I, a jet of water; 1, handles for convenience of
moving the apparatus.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this our said
Invention, and how we believe the same may be most conveniently put in
practico, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise details, dimensions, or relativo proportions of the several parts, as it

page_text: will be readily seen that the same may be considerably varied without
departing from the Invention; but what we do claim is, the general arrange-
ment and combination of the various parts of the apparatus substantially and
in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth, or
any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Tongue, have herë-
unto set my. hand and affixed my seal, this Seventeenth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
WILLIAM THOMAS (L.B.) TONGUE.
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.