IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ENGINES AND PUMPS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Shand, of the firm of Shand and Mason, of
Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey, Fire Engine Manufacturers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ENGINES AND PUMPS."
Sealed the 31st December 1858, and dated the 20th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Shand at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th July 1858.
I, JAMES SHAND, of the firm of Shand and Mason, of Blackfriars Road, in
the County of Surrey, Fire Engine Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ENGINES AND PUMPS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of steam
fire engine or pump whereby great efficiency and compactness is obtained.
According to this Invention the steam cylinder which actuates the pumps is
inverted and situate over the air vessel of the pump, which is made double
acting, one barrel being placed above the other in the same axial line, and a
double crank is placed between them. Each of the pistons or plungers of the
pumps is fitted with a valve, and the piston rod of the steam cylinder is con-
nected direct to the piston of the upper pump barrel, which latter acts as a
guide to the piston rod of the steam cylinder. A connecting rod from the
upper pump piston connects it with the crank, and a second connecting rod,
also attached to the crank and to the piston of the lower pump barrel, serves
to impart motion thereto. The slide valve of the steam cylinder is worked

page_text: from eccentrics on the crank shaft outside the pumps, and the lower pump
barrel is enclosed in a suction air vessel fitted with a separate valve. The
whole is supported on a carriage consisting of a suitable framing running on
travelling wheels, and fitted with springs and locking carriage. In the centre
of the hind axle is placed an upright boiler, and the steam pump is situate
vertically over the centre of the front axle, and beneath the seat of the driver.
Between the boiler and the engine is placed the hose reel, and a fly wheel and
feed pump are disposed close to the boiler.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Shand in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SHAND, of the firm of Shand and Mason, of Blackfriars Road, in the County
of Surrey, Fire Engine Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Shand, Her special license that I, the said
James Shand, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said James Shand, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE ENGINES AND PUMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said James Shand, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 James Shand, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing and to the letters
and figure marked thereon, that is to say :-

page_text: My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
steam fire engine or pump, whereby great efficiency and compactness is
obtained, combined with all the requisites of the present hand-worked London
brigade engine, namely, facility of rapid transport by horses, and capability
of carrying the hose and suction pipes, and all the requisite implements.
According to this Invention, the steam cylinder which actuates the pump is
inverted, and situate over the air vessel of the pump, which made double-
acting, one barrel being placed above the other, and a double or two-throw
crank is placed between them. One or both of the pistons or plungers of the
pumps is fitted with a valve, and the piston rod of the steam cylinder is
connected directly with the piston of the upper pump barrel, which latter
serves as a guide to the piston rod of the steam cylinder. A connecting rod
from the upper pump piston connects it with the crank, whilst a second
connecting rod connects the piston of the lower pump barrel with its throw of
the crank. The slide valve of the steam cylinder is worked from eccentrics
on the crank shaft outside the pumps, and the lower pump barrel is enclosed
in a suction air vessel fitted with a separate valve, if necessary. A fly wheel
on the crank shaft and a feed pump are placed near to the boiler. The whole
is supported on a carriage consisting of a suitable framing running on
travelling wheels, and furnished with springs and locking carriage. In the
centre of the hind axle is placed an upright boiler, the steam pump being
situate vertically between the front and hind axles, and behind the driver's
seat. Beneath the seat is placed the hose reel or a box for containing the
hose and implements.
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 1 shall
refer to the Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
The annexed Drawing represents a side elevation of my improved steam fire
engine, with the pumps and details connected therewith shewn in section for
the purpose of more clearly illustrating their construction and arrangement.
A is the main framing of the engine, composed of wood and wrought iron
combined, and supporting a vertical, tubular, or other suitably formed boiler B.
This frame is suspended on suitable bearing springs C on the hind axle D,
which is made to surround, but without being in actual contact with the
lower portion of the boiler, suitable arms projecting from each side of this
annular part of the axle serving to carry the large hind wheels E. F is a
wrought-iron fore locking carriage, furnished with bearing springs C', wheels E',
and pole or shaft G for horses; above this front portion of the framing is
fixed the driver's seat II and footboard T, a box K beneath the seat serving

page_text: to contain the hose and implements, or, if preferred, a hose reel. The suction
pipes are carried on each side of the framing. The combined steam and fire
engine is fixed to the framing A between the front and hind axles in such
a position as to admit of the front wheels locking round freely on a
centre. The steam cylinder L is cast in one piece with or is bolted
on to the top of the air vessel M in an inverted position, and the piston rod
after passing downwards through the double stuffing box N has keyed or
otherwise secured on to it the piston O of the upper pump P, the barrel of
which is placed immediately beneath the steam cylinder; the piston O and
pump P thus serve as effectual guides to the piston rod of the steam cylinder.
A connecting rod Q, jointed to the under side of the pump piston O, connects
that piston and the piston rod of the steam cylinder with the crank R on the
engine shaft S, fitted with a fly wheel at T. This shaft works fluid-tight by
the aid of the stuffing boxes t, t, in the casing c. The lower pump piston or
bucket U, working in the barrel V, is connected by the rod W with the crank
at R', set diametrically opposite to the crank R of the upper pump and cylinder,
by which means the two pumps will be kept in constant or continuous action.
The slide valves of the engine are worked from an eccentric at X; another
cccentric, not shewn in the Drawing, serving to work the boiler feed pump;
another feed pump to be worked by hand being also provided. Steam is
admitted to the steam cylinder from the boiler by the steam pipe Y, and when
the pumps are thereby set simultaneously to work, water is drawn in by means
of ordinary flexible suction pipes through one of two inlets Z (one of which only
is shewn in the Drawing, the other one being cut away) into the suction air
vessel a into the lower pump barrel, through the valve b in the piston or
bucket thereof into the-air-tight casing c, and into the upper pump barrel, the
piston of which forces it through a valve or valves d into the air vessel M, and
thence through the outlets e in the bottom of the air vessel into the hose pipe.
In order that the water may be allowed to flow in one direction only, through
the pumps, in place of being driven back through the valve d by the descent
of the upper pump piston O, this latter piston may be furnished with a valve
or valves similar to those in the lower piston U, and the valve d dispensed
with, by which arrangement the water will be lifted in one unvarying direction
into the air vessel.
The crank may be readily got at for repairs by simply removing the side
cover of the casing c. The boiler B is supported on the framing A by
short arms or girders g, g, (shewn in dotted lines) rivetted to the boiler sides
and let into the framing on the inner sides, and a bracket piece h is also
rivetted to the boiler on each side, which rests upon the top edge of the framing;

page_text: i is a foot board for the stoker to stand upon, the boiler being stoked from the
back end of the engine. A suitable damper is provided at j for the purpose of
regulating the draught.
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 I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as variations may be made therefrom, without deviating
from the principles or main features of the said Invention; nor do I claim
any of the mechanical elements of which the said apparatus and parts of
apparatus are respectively composed, as being separately or apart from the
use or application of such elements to form the combination containing such
apparatus and parts of apparatus respectively, as being any part of my said
Invention; but 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,
First the general combination and arrangement of apparatus and parts of
apparatus for forming a steam fire engine, as herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawing.
Second, the peculiar combination and arrangement in a fire engine of a
steam cylinder, air vessel, and pump barrels, with the actuating crank placed
between such barrels, as herein-before described.
Third, the passing of the piston rod of the steam cylinder in steam fire
engines through the air vessel of the pumps, and guiding it by means of the
upper pump piston and barrel, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the application and use of valves in the pistons or buckets of steam
fire engine pumps when such pumps are worked from a crank or cranks
placed between them, and driven by a steam cylinder in the manner herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Shand, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
JAMES SHAND. (L.S.)