CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michel Ovide Bernard Lesage, of Paris, in
the Empire of France, and of 16, Castle Street, Holborn, (City,)
London, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC
Sealed the 18th March 1854, and dated the 28th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michel Ovide
Bernard Lesage at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 28th September 1853.
I, MICHEL OVIDE BERNARD LESAGE, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, and of 16, Castle Street, Holborn, (City,) London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
HYDRAULIC ENGINES" to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in a new arrangement of pumps ap-
plicable to hydraulic machines, and to all purposes for which these
machines are employed, especially for draining mines. The annexed
Drawings represent the new system of pump.
Fig. 1, is a vertical section of a double action pump. A, is the body
of the upper double action pump, and B, that of the lower pump; they

page_text: are exactly similar.
C, is the suction pipe. D, D', are intermediat
pipes. E, pipe, into which the water is forced. E, E, E", E", pipe
communicating between the barrels of the pumps and the intermediate
pipes D, D¹. G, G, pistons, serving to produce the elevation of the
water by the thick part at the centre, while the two extreme parts pro
duce the to and fro motion. 9, g¹, valves.
Fig. 2, represents a double action pump, arranged nearly in the same
manner as that represented, Fig. 1. It only differs by the form of the
piston, which has its two extremities enlarged, in place of having them
of a diameter smaller than the middle. The same letters indicate the
same objects upon Fig. 1.
Figure 3: This Figure represents another arrangement of double
action pump. A, A, the body of double action pump. B, B, piston
working in the body of pump A. C, piston which serves to move
the piston C¹, which is joined to the piston B. D, D¹, pipes esta-
blishing the communication between the body of the pump in which
the piston C moves, and that in which the piston C¹ moves. E, E,
valves. F, suction pipe. G, pipe through which the water is forced.
The following is the mode in which the pump shown in Fig. 1,
works. The apparatus being supposed filled, the piston G is put in
motion by any means whatever. If it is caused to move in the direc-
tion indicated by the arrow, the valve g', on the right will be raised, and
that on the left will be closed; this will be the reverse for the valves
g; g; that of the left will be opened, and that on the right will be shut.
The piston G, in. advancing compresses the water in the compart-
ment on the right.of the body of the pump A, and makes it empty. In
the compartment on the left the quantity of water raised at each blow
of the piston is equal to the difference which exists between the sur-
face of the enlarged section of the piston and that which is not en-
larged, multiplied by the length of the stroke. The liquid forced escapes
by the pipe E. This pump might work with the body of the pump A
only, but then it would be necessary that the pipes D, D', should
plunge into the water, and that the body of the pump A, should not be
raised above the point where the atmospheric pressure may make the
water rise; but if it is desired to raise the water to great heights, the s

page_text: body of the pump B, becomes indispensible. In such case the follow-
ing is the method of working:-The piston G, being put in motion,
as has been said above, will compress the water (in passing from left
to right) in the tube D'; this compression will be transmitted to the
piston G', and will make it move from right to left; there will con-
sequently be suction in the right compartment of the body of the
pump B, and compression in the left compartment; the water displaced
by the left extremity of the piston G¹, and that compressed in the left
compartment of the body of the pump B, will be raised by the pipe D,
and will go to fill the space produced by the displacement of the
piston G. The quantity of water raised by the body of the pump B, is
the same as that raised by the body of the pump A; and, as is evident
by the preceding description, there is no occasion for putting the piston
G', in movement, as it is moved in consequence of the movement of the
piston G.
This arrangement of pump is especially applicable to the drainage
of mines, or of any other place situated at a great depth. It offers the
advantage of being able to place the pump upon the ground, and
at any distance from the opening of the pits. It allows besides of
doing away with shafts and other apparati which are now employed.
The friction of the water in the pipes is all that has to be overcome,
and this is not very considerable, and existed in the old plan.
Fig. 2, represents another arrangement, which only differs from the
former in the form of the piston, which is enlarged at its extremities, and
made smaller in the middle part, only in this arrangement the tubes e, e,
ought to cross each other, as is shown in the Drawing. This pump
works exactly in the same manner as the preceding. The two arrange-
ments which have been just described are furnished with safety valves
H', to let the water escape, which would be found in excess in one of
the intermediate tubes D, D¹, for it may be easily understood that it
is of the greatest importanco that the upper and lower pistons should
arrive at the same time at the end of their stroke, for if it should be
otherwise (the water being incompressible), one of the pistons having
reached the end of its stroke, the other would be forced to stop, and
there would be a portion of the stroke lost, and even it might happen,

page_text: if the position of the pistons should be reversed altogether, that the
machine would be stopped, and that it would be impossible to make it
move. By means of safety valves, when one of the pistons has reached
the end of its stroke, and the other can advance no more, the valve is
opened; it pours out a certain quantity of water, the piston perfects its
stroke, and the machine becomes again ready to work with the greatest
possible effect.
Fig. 3, is a vertical section of another arrangement of pump, in
which the water is also employed to transmit the motive force, and
which is based upon the same principle as the former; the pump being
supposed full of water, the piston C is put in motion; if it is moved in
the direction indicated by the arrow the water will be compressed in
the pipe D; at the same time as the space is made at the top of the
tube D', the piston C¹ and the piston B which is joined to it, will be
moved in the direction shown by the arrow, and in consequence of the
difference of the diameter of the two parts of the piston B, the water
will be alternately drawn and forced into the bodies of the side pump.
This pump presents the same advantages as the former. The number
of valves is still less, only it necessitates the use of three ascensional.
pipes in place of two. The two pistons C, C¹, and the intermediate
pipes D, D', may be employed to transmit a motive power to any dis-
tance whatever
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Michel Ovide Bernard Lesage in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
MICHEL OVIDE BERNARD LESAGE, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
and of 16, Castle Street, Holborn, (City,) London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent; bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of September, in
the year of our Lord. One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said. Michel Ovide Bernard.

page_text: Lesage, Her special licence that I, the said Michel Ovide Bernard
Lesage, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Michel Ovide Bernard Lesage, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC
ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Michel
Ovide Bernard Lesage, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Michel Ovide Bernard Lesage,
do hereby declare the nature of my 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:
My improvements in hydraulic engines consist of certain new
arrangements of pumps, which arrangements are applicable to all
purposes which pumps can be used for, viz.:
Firstly, transmitting power at any distance and in any direction by
means of a double acting force pump, which is worked by any motive
power. For this purpose, another double acting force pump is esta-
blished at the point where the power has to be transmitted, and each
barrel of the driving force pump is connected with a barrel of the force
pump driven or transmitting force pump. Thus, if the space in each
duct between the two plungers be filled with water or any other motive
fluid the motion of the driving plunger will be obeyed by the transmit-
ting plunger, and a reciprocating motion will be created available for
any purpose, such as for pumping mines, connecting machinery on
opposite banks of a river, &c.
The second part of my improvements relates to a safety valve and
filling apparatus for allowing the water to escape, which might leak
from one duct into the other through the joints between the two barrels

page_text: of the driving and transmitting force pump, and to prevent accidents.
The filling apparatus is for filling up any water that has been lost
through leakage at any of the joints by means of a feed valve; and a
resérvoir, safety valve, and filling apparatus is attached to each of the
barrels of the driving force pump.
The third part of my Invention relates to a method of changing
longitudinal pushing, strain, on long pump rods into a tensional strain,
thus allowing to use lighter pump rods. This is obtained by means of
a pulley placed at each end of the system of rods; the rods are moved
by the ends of short straps passing over and fixed on the driving and
transmitting pulley. An oscillating motion being given to the driving
pulley is communicated to the transmitting pulley, to the strap of which
are fixed two short and strong pump rods, which thus receive a
rectilinear reciprocating motion.
In order to make the nature of my Invention better understood I
give hereafter a description of the way in which the same may be
carried into effect. All the Figures of Sheet 1, and Figure 6, of
Sheet 2, relate to the first part of my improvements.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of the application of my Invention to
transmitting motive power. A, is the driving double acting force pump.
B, the transmitting force pump. The plunger A, is driven by a
connecting rod D, from the fly wheel shaft G, and by forcing the
moving fluid alternately through the pipes E, and H, drives the trans-
mitting plunger B. The plunger B drives, by means of the connecting
rod C, the shaft F, or the power transmitted is applied in any other
suitable way.
Fig. 3, represents a sectional elevation of an application of the
transmission of power to a lifting pump. A, A, is a double acting
force pump; B, B, plunger and plunger rod of this pump. C, is
the driving plunger by which the transmitting plunger C³, and hence
pumping plunger B, is driven. D, D¹, are the transmitting pipes for
connecting the upper and lower driving barrels with the upper and
lower transmitting barrels respectively. E, E, are valves opening
upwards, through which the water rises from the pipe F, into the
chambers A, communicating by similar valves E, with the exit pipe G.
The water to be pumped rises into the chambers A, by atmospheric

page_text: pressure. Ine working or the nrting pump will be easily understood
from the direction of the rows.
Fig. 2, represents a modification of the pumping engine last de-
scribed, and differs from it only by the forcing pump barrels being
separated from the transmitting pump, and the rod of the two plungers
being connected by a frame H, and cross heads K, to which the rods
of B and C, are attached.
Fig. 4, is a vertical section of a double acting pumping engine, in
which the plungers and plunger barrels are at right angles to the piping.
A, is the upper double acting force pump; B, the lower one, which
is exactly like A. C, is the suction pipe, into which the water rises by
the pressure of the atmosphere and lifts the valves g, g.
D, are
forked pipes which serve at the same time for forcing the water up,
as will be seen hereafter. E, is the forcing pipe through which the
water is forced up. e, e, e', e, are pipes for connecting the forcing
pump barrels A, and B, with the pipes D, D. G, plunger with thin
ends for producing the reciprocating motion, and a thick part in the
middle for forcing the water through the valves g', g', into the pipe E.
The rods of this plunger pass through stuffing boxes at each end of the
barrel. G', is the transmitting and forcing plunger which works in
the lower pump barrels; it is formed like the upper one G, with the
exception that it has no rods, but is left free to the impulse of the
transmitting liquid. As the arrows are placed in the Figure, it will
be seen that, owing to the thick part in the middle of G, the water is
forced up through one of the valves g', into the pipe E; at the sam
time, by the pressure of the water, the valve y is kept shut. The thin
end of the plunger G, thus forces the transmitting liquid through
the right-hand pipe D, so as to shut the lower valve g¹, and force
the plunger G', in the direction of the arrow. The thick part of this
plunger therefore forces the water contained in the left-hand barrel of
B, whilst the right-hand barrel fills through the valve g. The water
thus forced through the valve g', into the left-hand pipe D, passes
through the pipe e, and valve g, into the left-hand barrel of A, so as
to be forced up into the pipe E, by the back stroke of the plunger G.
All these notions are simultaneous, and, as they can be reversed, a
continuous reciprocating motion is transmitted to the forcing pumps G,

page_text: & G', and thus water may be raised to any height to which it is
thought proper, the quantity of water raised at each stroke being
equal to the difference of volume between the thick and thin parts
of G, or G. p, p, are safety valves to let out any surplus water. This
arrangement of pumping engine might also be made to work with the
barrels A only, but in that case the transmitting pipes D, would have
to dip in the water, and the pumping engine could only raise to the
height to which water rises by atmospheric pressure; for greater
heights the lower apparatus B, is indispensable.
Fig. 5, represents another arrangement of pumping or hydraulic
engine, similar to that of Fig. 4, from which it differs only by the
middle part of the plungers G, & G', being thin & the ends thick.
Fig. 10, Sheet 2, shews another modification of an hydraulic pumping
engine. A; is the driving pump; A', the transmitting pump. The latter
is connected by a rigid frame or any other suitable contrivance to an ex-
haustion pump, which is not shewn in the Figure. In this arrangement
only one transmitting pipe F, is used, through which a continuous cur-
rent is sent in one direction, as will be seen hereafter, for if the piston
descends the water enters through the pipe B, and valve E, into the
straight pipe F, shutting the valve D; & similarly, D is opened,
and E shut, if the piston ascends. This continuous current is taken
up by the transmitting plunger A¹, in the following manner :-The
pipe F, opens into a water chamber B¹, which communicates by means
of valves f, & g, with the transmitting barrel A'. These valves are
fast on a plug frame h, Fig. 11, and are moved by a rod passing
through a stuffing box on the chamber B'. To the rod of the valves f,
& g, is attached by cross bars b, c, a valve rod of another couple of
valves d, e, working in the water chamber C¹. The whole of the two
plug frames h, h, is moved by the collar a, on the plunger rod knocking
alternately against b, or c. The plugs d and f, and those e and g, are
turned in opposite directions respectively; those f and g, opening out
of the ports and those d and e, inwards. Moreover, the plugs d
and e, & fand g, are placed in such manner that d is open, and e
shut, whilst is shut, and 7 open. The motion of the plunger is
communicated by means of a connecting rod g, to a fly wheel H, which
has to overcome the resistance opposed by the valves at the dead

page_text: points of the stroke. Let us suppose the plunger A', to perform its
up stroke; then the valves will be in the position shown; f shut, and g
open; e shut, and d open. The water entering the chamber B, will
thus enter through the port g, and press on the under side of the
plunger A', whilst the water on the upper side is forced out through
the port and valve d, into the chamber C, and exits through the pipe D¹:
Upon the collar a striking the cross bar b, the position of the valves,
and hence the motion of the plunger A', is reversed, and so on. This
reversing motion is carried on with a very small amount of force, since
the valves d, e, f, g, are in equilibrium. The water which thus escapes
at each stroke of the plunger is not lost, as its pressure assists the
plunger A, in driving the plunger A¹.
D, which opens when the
working of the hydraulic
Fig. 7, Sheet 2, relates to the second part of my improvements..
A, is a reservoir filled with water for replacing any water lost by:
leakage, as set forth in the preamble. B, is a bent pipe leading
through the valve C, to the safety valve
pressure exceeds that necessary for the
engines. E, is the transmitting pipe. The valve C, shuts when the
plunger forces up the barrel, but it is capable of opening if, during
the back stroke of the plunger, a vacuum should arise in the barrel,
from leakage; for this purpose a slight head of water is given to the
reservoir A. This safety valve and filling apparatus is applied by a
pipe N, to each barrel of the driving pump of all hereto before described
hydraulic engines, especially to that described in Fig. 10.
however, the transmitting barrels occupy a higher position than the
driving barrels the apparatus is applied to the former instead of the
latter. When the hydraulic engines above described, except that in
Fig. 10, have to be started, I fill the empty spaces between the
driving and transmitting plunger by hand, viz. by means of a pipe
which is fixed in those barrels that occupy the lowest position. By
thus filling the hydraulic engine from below all the air contained
in the apparatus and in the water is allowed to rise up and escape.
In case,
Figs. 6, 8, and 9, relate to the third part of my improvements.
Fig. 6, is a sectional elevation of a lifting pump constructed according
to the third part of my improvements. A, is the driving pulley, keyed

page_text: on a shaft A, and moved by a crank band rod c, shewn in Fig. 8
A', is a similar transmitting pulley. On the pulleys A, A', I wrap
straps S, S', which are held fast by the prongs or teeth e, e, on the
circumference of the pulleys. The rods B, B, D, D', pass through
slits in these straps to which they are fastened. The reciprocating
motion given to the rods B, B', is transmitted to those D, D', by
coupled rods C, C. The pulleys A, A', have a circular groove don
their circumference for the rods B, B, D, D¹. Supposing the pulley
B,
Supposing
C, D, will be drawn
A, to turn in the direction of the arrow, the rods
up, and the pulley A', turned in the opposite way. The strap s¹, acts
on the head of the rod D, so as to force the plunger F down, the rod
D' being guided in its down stroke by the circular groove d. The force
pumps E, E, are thus worked alternately, the pushing strain on the
rod D', being produced by a tensional strain along the rods C, and
similarly for D, and C.
Fig. 9, represents two double acting force pumps E, and E', with
four water-ways worked upon the same plan as Fig. 6.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, and the
means by which the same may be carried into effect, I wish it to be
distinctly understood that what I claim is, transmitting power at any
distance, and in any direction, by two oscillating columns, or a continu-
ous current of water, substantially as set forth; and the application of
this transmission of power to pumps for greater depths than that
corresponding to the atmospheric pressure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michel Ovide Bernard Lesage,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day
of March, in the year of our Lord (1854) One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
M. O. B. LESAGE. (L.8.)