IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Simpson, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Civil and Mining Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS."
Sealed the 19th April 1861, and dated the 8th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Simpson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th November 1860.
I; GEORGE SIMPSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Civil and Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for object the construction of pumps in an improved and
simplified manner, whereby they are rendered more efficient and in many cases
more easily and conveniently applied.
In a pump constructed according to this Invention what answers to the
common rod of ordinary pumps is made tubular for the ascension through it of
the liquid being raised. This tubular rod acts as bucket or piston, and is
provided with valves to admit the liquid on the downward or outward stroke,
and to retain it on the lifting or inward stroke. In the simplest modification
the bottom end of the tubular rod works as a hollow plunger in the pump.
barrel, which last is provided with the ordinary foot or inlet valve. In another
modification the valve in the tubular rod is placed a short distance from the
bottom, the projecting portion working as an annular plunger over the main
barrel, and between it and an outer shell or barrel. On the lift taking place,
the liquid enters both the annular and the central spaces, whilst on the down-

page_text: ward stroke the liquid is forced from the annular space through suitable valves
into the central space and up the tubular rod. In this way in the case of
mining pumps worked in the ordinary way, work is provided for the descending
weight of the tubular rod, and concussion is avoided.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Simpson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SIMPSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lauark, North Britain, Civil and
Mining Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Simpson, Her special licence that I, the said George Simpson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Simpson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
HENTS IN PUMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Simpson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, 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 I, the said George Simpson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for object the constructing of pumps in an improved
and simplified manner, whereby they are rendered more efficient, and in many
cases more easily and conveniently applied.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood and

page_text: carried into effect, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings
representing various examples of the application of my improvements. The
same reference letters mark the same or like parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a modification of pump suitable
for draining mines. Whilst this modification (and the others to be described)
may be actuated by means of various arrangements of machinery or apparatus,
I have represented it as worked by an inverted direct-acting steam cylinder A,
placed immediately over the pump B. Instead of the ordinary bucket there
is substituted a hollow plunger C, which works in the pump barrel B, and
through a stuffing box 6 in the upper end of it. The hollow plunger C
is at the lower end of a long tube or tubular rod D, which answers both as
ascension pipe and as pump rod, being attached to the piston rod crosshead E
by means of a lower crosshead F and side rods G. The upper open end of
the tubular rod is enclosed in a delivery box H, and works through a stuffing
box in the bottom thereof, whilst the water escapes by the duct I. A valve J
is placed in the tubular rod D, this valve consisting of a disc guided by a
cylindrical flange, which on the descent of the plunger lifts and allows the
water to pass up round it, and through holes into the tube length immediately
above. The suction pipe K is made with two passages, each with a separate
foot valve M, and a sluice door or valve N is arranged in such a way above
the valves M that either of them can be shut off from the pump, whilst doors >
are provided for getting at one valve without interfering with the other. Thus
when a foot valve is, out of order it can be got at and repaired without stopping
the pump, as the other foot valve can be put in communication, and the one-
wanting repairs be shut off from it. The action of the pump is as follows:-
The plunger C in descending displaces in the pump barrel a quantity of water.
equal to its solid contents, and this displaced water having no. other escape.
passes up the tubular rod D.. On the ascent of the rod and plunger a quantity
of water measured by the internal cross sectional area of the rod, multiplied by
the length of stroke, is lifted and delivered above. The parts are. so pro-
portioned that the quantities delivered on the down and up strokes are equal,
which result is obtained by making the cross sectional area of the solid part of
the plunger C equal to that of the central hollow space thereof. It will be
obvious that so long as a similar proportion is obtained between the effective
solid or displacing part and the hollow. or lifting part of the plunger (or
plunger and rod), the plunger may be made of various forms, and the
hollow part may consist of one or more passages, whilst by varying the pro-
portions of the cross sectional areas the quantities delivered on the down and
up strokes respectively may be made to differ..

page_text: Tho modification of pump represented in longitudinal vertical section in
In this example,
Figure 2 is shown as actuated by a beam engine.
although a tubular rod D' is represented for working the plunger C, the water
does not pass up this rod, but up a stationary ascension pipe d. The rod D'
works through a stuffing box 6 in the upper extension of the pump barrel B,
and if preferred there may be substituted for the tubular rod lengths above
this joint solid rods of the ordinary kind. The pumping action forces the
water up the central hollow of the plunger C, and the water escapes to tho
ascension pipe d by openings above the plunger, its return through these being
sprevented by an internal valve plug J, which bas a lower seat just below the
apertures, whilst it is prevented rising higher than necessary by a stop above.
In this example thero are two distinct branch suction pipes K, each fitted
with a stop valve N, and with foot valves M, the suction passages and valves
being provided in duplicate for the reason already explained. The plunger:C
is shown as fitted with rings to work water-tight (or as nearly so as obtainable
without excessive friction) in the barrel B, but instead of this arrangement a
stuffing box (6) may be introduced for the plunger to work through.
In the modification represented in vertical section in Figure 8; the barrel B,
plunger C, and the lower part of the rod D are arranged much as in Figure 1,
á pair of simple flap valves J being substituted for that shown in Figure 1.
The tubular combined rod and ascension pipe D is only carried up sufficiently
far to permit of its conveniently working through a stuffing box in tho lower
enlarged end of the ascension pipe d. A solid rod P of the ordinary kind is
passed down this ascension pipe d, and is jointed to the tubular portion D³.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of a modification of my improved
pump of a smaller size, and as arranged to be worked by hand. The arrange-
ment of the pumping parts is the same as that represented in Figure 3, and
the description already given is applicable to both. The hand lever Qis
contrived to act directly upon the moving part, namely, the plunger C, with
its upper tubular part D³..
It will be obvious that my improved hollow plunger or tubular rod, or the
two combined, may be arranged with numerous other modifications of the
mountings and actuating details besides those described, and that, in fact, the
improvements are applicable to almost all classes of pumps. It will further
be obvious that since the pumping action is due to the relative motions of the
parts, the same action will be obtained if the positions and motions of the parts
are inverted. Thus, the part corresponding to the plunger (C) may be made
stationary, whilst the part corresponding to the barrel (B) may be attached to
the moving rod, so as to work over or upon the stationary part. There may

page_text: be a stuffing box to prevent leakage either in the lower end of the moving
barrel or in an external shell in which the barrel works.
In Figures 5, 6, and 7 are represented three modes of jointing lengths of
tubes to form my improved combined ascension tube and rod for mine and
similar pumps. For lightness and strength I propose making such tubular
rods of comparatively thin malleable iron, in lengths of convenient dimensions.
According to one plan the tube ends R have rivetted to them cast or malleable
iron flanged ferrules S (Figure 5), and the adjoining transverse faces of the
flanges are made with counterpart locking steps. to insure a concentric fit.
The junction is effected by bolting together the flanges of the ferrules S.
According to another plan the ends R have rivetted upon them ferrules T
(Figure 6), on which external screw threads are formed, and the junction is
effected by means of an internally screwed collar or nut U. According to a
third plan the ends R have rivetted to them flanged ferrules V (Figure 7)
placed so that the ends project slightly beyond the flanges. These projecting
ends are entered into an intermediate flanged ferrule W, and the junction is
effected by bolting together the two pairs of flanges.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I have to state that I
do not restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, and
that I do not claim to have invented every separate detail herein described and
delineated; but that what I consider to be novel and original, and claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the constructing or arranging of pumps gênerally as herein-before
described.
Second, the adapting, using, or applying of a hollow plunger or its equivalent,
in place of the ordinary pump bucket or piston, substantially as herein-before
described.
Third, the adapting, using, or applying of a hollow or tubular pump rod,
and the effecting of the discharge through it, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Simpson, have hereunto set my
haud and seal, this Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
GEORGE SIMPSON. (L.B.)