IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP AND OTHER PUMPS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Mills, of the Town of Greenock; in the
County of Renfrew, North Britain, Ship Smith, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP AND OTHER PUMPS."
*PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Mills at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th January 1871.
I, ROBERT MILLS, of the Town of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Ship Smith, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP AND OTHER PUMPS," to be as follows,
that is to say :-
This said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction
and arrangement of the parts of a double-acting pump, which lifts and
forces at both sides and strokes of the solid piston or plunger, which is
more simple in construction and action, and more easy of access to and
for repairing the valves than most pumps for ship use, for which it is
specially designed and suited, although also intended for the raising and

page_text: '
forcing of water for general purposes and for fire engines, as other
double-acting force pumps frequently are.
The nature of this said Invention, or the new and improved con-
structon and arrangement of the parts of this said pump substantially
consist in a central working cylindrical barrel closed in at both ends,
having the reciprocating rod or spear of any ordinary packed or double
cupped leather solid pump plunger working fluid-tight out through the
one end. Each extreme end of the working chamber or barrel opens
direct without lid or other valve by a lateral port into a lifting and
forcing chamber formed or placed parallel to and on opposite sides of
the working barrel. Each of these chambers open at one end by an end
suction port and valve into one side of the same suction chamber or well
connected and opening direct on the other side into the main lifting or
drawing pipe, while the other ends of these chambers open and discharge
through like ports and valves into a similarly disposed discharge or it
may be forcing chamber formed or secured across the other ends. Both
of these chambers are by preference formed separately from and bolted
to end flanges formed on and across each opposite end of the working
barrel and its opposite parallel suction and discharge chambers, which
are by preference all cast in one piece. The valves are of the simplest
flap construction, made of a flat plate of metal with a thin face of sheet
india-rubber or leather, either hinged or allowed to lift as india-rubber
disc valves and attached over each other to the end flanges of their
respective chambers, s
so that the suction valves are easily accessable for
examination or repair down through the discharge ports, while the main
suction or lifting branch is placed directly in a line with one of the
lifting and discharge chambers, so that it can also be examined or cleared
down through the valve ports.
When this pump is made for a ship pump the barrel and chambers
are secured vertically by a strong flange to the deck, having the well
below and its suction pipe leading right down to the "main" with a
branch from it leading to the " bilge," and in the usual manner con-
trolled by cocks or valves, the top discharge chamber being either open
or close, with a lateral discharge branch pipe or nozzle to discharge the
water on deck, or by a pipe direct to the " scupper holes." The pump
rod or rods, when two or more of these pumps. are. arranged as one set
side by side, are attached to connecting rods, in preference of the forked
construction, to a crank or cranks on the main actuating shaft, which

page_text: cranks would be set at different angles equally divided according to
their number, all respectively to equalize the action and force on the
shaft, which may have a fly wheel to further assist its steady action.
The crank shaft may either be driven by manual power and overhanging
winch handles, or be actuated by small direct-acting steam engines for
the purpose, attached to the portable frame carrying the actuating shaft,
all otherwise as the shafts of steam hoists and of other sets of steam
pumps are frequently actuated and well understood by engineers and
machinists.
When used as a forcing pump the barrels may be set horizontally or
at an angle, and have the discharge chamber closed in with the discharge
pipe therefrom carried up to the height at which the water or other
liquid is desired to be discharged, and when a constant stream is desired,
as for fire engines, an air vessel or dome might be secured to the discharge
chamber, as in other pumps for the like purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MILLS, of the Town of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain; Ship Smith, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one; in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Mills, Her special
licence that I, the said Robert Mills, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Mills, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHIP AND OTHER PUMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,'
the said Robert Mills, my executors or administrators, by an instru..
-

page_text: ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 Robert Mills, 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 accompany-
ing Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
My said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction
and arrangement of the parts of a pump of the double-acting class, or
which lifts and forces at both ends of the cylinder, and both the forward
and back strokes of a solid piston or plunger, all which, I believe are
more simple in construction and action, and more easy of access to and
for clearing or cleaning the passages and repairing the valves than other
pumps heretofore used in ships, and for which purpose I specially
designed it, although I consider it equally suitable and intend it for
many other and general purposes where the raising, and forcing of water
or other liquids is required, and for fire engines, as other double-acting
force pumps frequently are applicable, slight modifications of a few of
the minor parts enabling this pump to suit these various purposes.
And in order that the nature and novelty of my said Invention, and
the manner of putting the same into effect or practice, may be properly
understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the
Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of
showing or illustrating the same more clearly, the same reference
letters and numerals indicating the same or like parts in all the
Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively longitudinal and transverse vertical
sections, and Figure 3 a plan of a single simple portable or self-contained
pump constructed in accordance with and illustrative of my said
Invention as applied to ships for pumping the water from the "main"
or "main" and "bilge" when the latter also is desired. The new and
improved construction and arrangement of the parts of my said pump

page_text: consist substantially all as follows in a central working cylindrical
barrel A, closed in at both the bottom and top ends by the solid end A'
and loose bolted cover A" respectively, out through the latter (A"). of
which the rod or spear a¹ (of an ordinary solid pump plunger a of the
usual packed hemp, or single or double cupped leather class) is recipro-
cated, nearly fluid tight, by the action of its connecting rod a² attached
to the crank of the flywheel shafts 61, 62, revolving in bearings d¹ at
the top of the carrying standards d secured below to the main casting
of the pump.A, B, B¹, E, all forming the actual framing to the working
parts. The shaft 6' may be driven by the ordinary winch handles 6" in
the flywheel, or by motive power by a motive crank and engine, or by
a pulley and belt therefrom. The ends of the working barrel A open
direct (without lid or valve) by lateral ports A² into lifting and forcing
chambers B, B¹, respectively formed and placed parallel to and on
opposite sides of the working barrel A, and by preference all' cast in one
piece. These chambers B, B', open at one end by the suction ports C"
and valve C into the opposite ends, and one side of the same suction
chamber or well D which is connected and opens direct on the other
side into the main lifting or drawing pipe D¹. The other ends of these
chambers B, B', open and discharge through like ports C¹ and valves C³
into a similarly disposed discharge or it may be forcing chamber E
formed on or secured across the other or top end of the barrel A
and chambers B, B'. The inlet chamber D is by preference formed
separately from the main casting A, B, B¹, E, and bolted to it by the
end flanges B, D, formed on and across the well D and end of the
working barrel A, and its opposite parallel suction and discharge
chambers B, B', which are by preference all cast in one piece with each
other and with the discharge chamber E, and may when desired be cast
in one with the inlet chamber D, especially when the branch pipe or
pipes D', D, are made shorter as indicated at D2 in red lines. The inlet
and discharge openings C, C', in the vessels B, B¹, are placed exactly
over each other, and their valves C", C², may be made of any of the
usual well known simple forms of "flat" faced flap or lifting lid class,
by preference of a D shape, so as to give the greatest possible area of
opening within the D-shaped chambers B, B', as shown in Figures 4 to 7.
But for simplicity of construction and boring and facing of the seats C, C¹,
and ease of inserting and withdrawing the same for clearing out the
chambers B, B', or repairing the valves, they may also be formed of the
round or disc shaped class, shown in side elevation and plan, Figures 8
.

page_text: and 9, or in that shown in vertical section, Figure 10, also plan and face
view of the seats in Figures 11 and 12.
Referring to these valves, Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a side
clevation and a horizontal under face view or plan of one of the lifting
discharge valves C² detached from its seat C¹, and Figures 6 and 7 are
respectively a side elevation and plan of the lowest suction or inlet
valve C in the chamber B', also detached from its seat C, both drawn to
a larger scale than in Figures 1 to 3 to show their details of construction
more clearly. The construction of these forms of valves which I prefer
are so simple that they will be understood simply on reference to the
Figures 1 to 12. The inlet valves C", Figures 6 and 7, are of the most
simple "flap" construction, made of a flat metal plate c on top, with a
thin face or thickness of sheet india-rubber or leather c¹ secured between
it and a lower flat plate c² by the lifting and stop screw pin c¹¹, and
attached by the plate and thumbscrew's c¹¹ to the scat C, so as to hinge
and fit liquid tight thereon in a line with and below the discharge
valve C², which might be of the same construction although both these
and the inlet valve C" in the yessel B are shown of the lifting class with
guiding feathers ³ formed on the lower plate c², as shown in Figures 4
and 5, the stops c¹¹ on the valves C", C2, or that cº in the chamber B',
preventing the valves being lifted too high. The valve, shown in
Figures 8 and 9, is substantially of the same construction as that shown
and described in reference to Figures 4 and 5, except that it is made
round instead of D shaped, to allow of these valves being turned, and
their seats C, C¹, being bored and faced with a boring bar and cutters.
The form and construction of the valve shown in Figures 10 to 12 is
also of a common type and well suited for the lifting and discharge
valves of my improved pump, especially when used for land purposes, or
lifting and forcing liquids generally. This valve is composed of a portable
seat e screwed and turned with a face and collar e¹, so as to be screwed
(by notches e³ or other equivalents) liquid tight into the apertures and
seats C, C', in the vessels B, B', all so bored, screwed, and faced as to
suit them, the valve seat e having radiating openings round the face e¹
covered by a thick india-rubber disc or valve lid e² secured to the scat c
by the central screw stud e", which also carries a segmental curved or
domed guard e¹¹, so that the valve e² rises on the stud e¹¹ and bends up
at the edges round the guard by the force of the entering or discharge
water, and closes immediately on the reversing of the motion and force
of the plunger a.

page_text: It will be understood and evident that any of these valves are appli-
cable to either or both the lifting and discharge valves C", C², and that
the former are made a little smaller in size than the latter so that they
can easily be got at and removed through the seats of the latter, and being
immediately over each other they are easily accessible for examination
or repair through the discharge ports C¹. The main suction or supply
branch D¹ is placed directly in a line with one of the lifting and discharge
chambers B or B', so that it can as well as these chambers be examined
or cleared of any obstruction (which may come up with the water from
the main) out through the valve seats and ports C, C₁.
When this pump
is made for a ship pump the barrel and chambers are preferred to be
secured vertically by screw bolts and a strong flange or snugs, as shown
at B3, Figure 2, to the deck Z of the ship, having the well D below, and
its suction pipe D' leading right down to the "main", with a lateral
branch below the flange D from it leading to the "bilge," both this
branch and the pipe D' being controlled in the usual manner by cocks or
valves; or, as I prefer, a separate straight "bilge" branch D², shown in
red lines in Figure 1, may be cast on the well D below and in a line with
one of the chambers B, B¹, and led to the bilge, when the pipes D¹, D',
could either be controlled by cocks or valves fitted to their flanges D¹¹¹, D³,
or plugs fitted into the upper ends D' down through the chambers B, B',
as it is desired to draw the water from the main or bilge of the ship.
The discharge chamber E being either made open at the top, as shown in
Figures 1 to 3, with an open lateral discharge branch pipe or nozzle F to
discharge the water on deck or have a coupling or hose pipe attached to
this discharge branch so as to let off the water at the "scupper holes" or
side of the ship. The pump rods as a¹ (when two or more of these
pumps are arranged side by side as a set) are attached to their corre-
sponding short connecting rods a³, as shown and described in reference
to Figures 1 to 3, but when a long "stroked" pump is desired it is
preferred to have the connecting rods of the forked construction, with a
guide and guide rod placed and working within the forked end; the
upper ends of the connecting rods in either case being attached and
worked by a corresponding number of cranks, as b, on the main actuating
shaft ', carried in bearing standards d, d¹, all otherwise substantially as
herein shown and described in reference to Figures 1 to 3, the cranks
being set at different positions making equal angles round the shaft
corresponding to the number of cranks respectively, so as to equalize the

page_text: action and strain` on it, which may have a fly wheel b² to further insure
its steady and regular action. The crank shaft b¹ may either be driven
by manual power and overhanging winch handles, or be actuated by
small windmills, or by direct-acting steam engines for the purpose,
attached to the main portable casting A, B, D, E, and standing frames d
carrying the actuating shaft, and which standards may be stronger and
more numerous for pumps driven by engine power, all otherwise sub-
stantially as the main shafts of steam winches and of other sets of steam
pumps are frequently.actuated and well understood by engineers and
machinists, so that I make no claim to this arrangement or mode of
actuating the main shaft of sets of pumps by sets of cranks as described,
and therfore have not considered it necessary to show this arrangement
in the Drawings.
When this improved pump is used as a forcing pump the barrels may
be set horizontally or at an angle, and have the discharge chamber E
closed in by a strong liquid-tight cover having the rods a¹ passing out
through a stuffing box in it, with a close discharge pipe leading therefrom
and carried up to the height at which the water or other liquid is desired
to be forced and discharged, and when a constant stream is desired, as
for fire engines, an air vessel or dome would be secured to the discharge
chamber E as in other constructions of fire-engines or pumps and having
the hose coupled or attached to a discharge branch as F.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is or may be performed, I would
observe that what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as
the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
First. The construction and arrangement of the parts of a double-
acting pump (lifting and forcing at both ends and "strokes") for ships
and other purposes, all substantially in the new or improved manner
hercin described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The construction of a double-acting pump for ships and other
purposes with its two inlet and discharge vessels cast in one therewith
and having the inlet and discharge wells formed across the opposite ends
of the said pump and vessels, and having the inlet and discharge openings
and valves in a vertical line over cach other, and over the main entrance

page_text: or supply pipe or pipes, all substantially in the new or improved manner
herein described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Mills, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of July One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
JOHN THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
20, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
ROBERT MILLS. (L.S.)