Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Field, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi,
in the City of Westminster, Consulting Engineer, and Richard
Moses Merryweather, of the Firm of Merryweather and Sons,
Engineers and Fire Engine Makers, of Long Acre, in the County
of Middlesex, and Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, for the
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Field and
Richard Moses Merryweather at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 27th October 1870.
We, EDWARD FIELD, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the City of
5 Westminster, Consulting Engineer, and RICHARD MOSES MERRY-
WEATHER, of the Firm of Merryweather and Sons, Engineers and Fire
Engine Makers, of Long Acre, in the County of Middlesex, and
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of

page_text: the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM FIRE ENGINES," to be as
follows:-
The first part of our Invention has reference to the adaptation for the
purposes of a steam fire engine of the rotary engine for which Letters
Patent No. 584, dated the 28th day of February 1870, were granted to
Abraham Ripley. We couple two of his rotary engines together, so
that the one engine may serve as a motór and the other as a pump, for
which purpose in order to make the latter engine suitable for pumping
we make the axis of its eccentric cylinder self-adjusting, so that it may
accommodate itself to the passage of any obstructive matter that may
enter it, and where necessary we cause the water before entering the
pumping engine to pass thro' depositing chambers for preventing the
entry of foreign matters into the pump, and in some cases we apply
elastic packing to some of the bearing surfaces of the moving parts of
the pumping engine to make good joints at their points of contact.
Another part of our Invention has reference to the air vessels of
portable fire engines of the foregoing and other kinds, to which air
vessels we supply air under pressure, so as to keep them filled or nearly
filled with air at or about the same pressure as the water in the pumps.
In some cases we provide for the retention of the pressure of air in the
air vessels when the engines are at rest.
Our Invention also relates to the application for pumping purposes of
engines working on the principle of the oelipile. We combine centri-
fugal pumps with such engines, so that the water is by the operation of
the apparatus drawn up into the hollow discs, arms, or equivalent parts
of the pumps, and is by them projected into air chambers, within which
the discs, arms, or equivalent parts are caused to revolve by the motion
of the engines, steam being supplied to the latter from suitable steam
generators, preferring the kind well known as the "Field" boiler. We
partially charge the air chambers with water at starting to assist in
producing the necessary vacuum.
Lastly our Invention has reference to an improved method of creating
a vacuum or partial vacuum in the suction pipes of steam fire engines.
According to this part of our Invention, we admit steam to and con-
dense it in the air vessels of the pumps or other vessels provided for the
purpose, and in some cases also in the suction pipes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Field, and Richard Moses Merryweather
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th April 1871..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
FIELD, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the City of Westminster,
Consulting Engineer, and RICHARD MOSES MERRYWEATHER, of the
Firm of Merryweather and Sons, Engineers and Fire Engine Makers, of
Long Acre, in the County of Middlesex, and Lambeth, in the County
of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Edward Field and Richard Moses
Merryweather, Her special licence that we, the said Edward Field
and Richard Moses Merryweather, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward Field. and Richard
Moses Merryweather, 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, 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 STEAM FIRE ENGINES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Edward Field and Richard
Moses Merryweather, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us or them, 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 Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Field, on behalf of myself
and the said Richard Moses Merryweather, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Sheets of
Drawings which form portions of this Specification.

page_text: One part of our Invention has reference to the air vessels of portable
fire engines, to which air vessels we supply air under pressure so as to
keep them filled or nearly filled with air at or about the same pressure
as the water in the pumps. In some cases we provide for the retention
of the pressure of air in the air vessels when the engines are at rest.
Our Invention also relates to the application for pumping purposes
of engines working on the principle of the oelipile. We combine
centrifugal pumps with such engines, so that the water is by the
operation of the apparatus drawn up into the hollow discs, arms, or
equivalent parts of the pumps, and is by them projected into air
chambers, within which the discs, arms, or equivalent parts are caused
to revolve by the motion of the engines, steam being supplied to the
latter from suitable steam generators, preferring the kind well known as
the "Field" boiler. We partially charge the air chambers with water
at starting to assist in producing the necessary vacuum.
Lastly, our Invention has reference to an improved method of creating
a vacuum or partial vacuum in the suction pipes of steam fire engines.
According to this part of our Invention we admit steam to and condense
it in the air vessels of the pumps or other vessels provided for the
purpose and in some cases also in the suction pipes.
On Sheet 1 we have illustrated as applied to a portable steam fire
engine whose pump has a reciprocating piston the manner in which we
prefer in such engines to carry out that part of our Invention which consists
in supplying air under pressure to the air vessels of portable fire engines,
so as to keep such air vessels filled or nearly filled with air at or about
the same pressure as the water in the pumps. Fig. 1 is an end elevation
partly in section of a portion of the engine; Fig. 2 is a view taken at
right angles to Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the air
feeder and end of the pump barrel. The air vessel a is of the ordinary
construction, and is bolted on to the branch 6 leading from the delivery
valve chamber as usual in steam fire engines of this kind. The body c
of the air feeder is in the present instance of cylindrical transverse
section, but we do not confine ourselves to this shape, although we
prefer it. At its lower part the air feeder is connected as shewn with
the upper part of the end d of the main pump barrel of the engine, a
cock e being provided for the purpose of closing the communication
when necessary. The upper part of the air feeder is made with a bend c¹
fitted with two ordinary spindle valves f,f', both opening upwards and

page_text: this bend is connected by a connecting pipe g with the interior of
the top of the air vessel a. The operation of this arrangement is as
follows: As the pump piston approaches the end d of the pump
barrel the pressure of the water in the end d is caused to somewhat
exceed the pressure in the air vessel a, and the cock e being open water
from the end d of the barrel is forced up into the feeder c, thereby
compressing the air contained therein, so as to force it through the
valve f¹ and pipe g into the air vessel a. On the return stroke of the
piston da partial vacuum is formed in the end d of the pump barrel,
and consequently also in the feeder c, the effect of which is that the
pressure of the external atmosphere lifts the valve f, whereby a fresh
supply of air is admitted into the feeder c, and the water contained
therein flows down into the pump barrel. It will be obvious that the
arrangement for compressing the air by means of water beneath it to a
slightly higher pressure within a suitable feeder c than the pressure of the
air contained in the air vessel a may as well as the form and arrange-
ment of the feeder itself be more or less varied. without departing from
the distinctive character of this part of our Invention, whereby we ·
supply air under pressure to the air vessels a of portable steam fire
engines as and for the purpose specified. The pressure of air may be
retained in the air vessel a when the engine is at rest by closing the
delivery valve or valves just before stopping the engine.
The manner in which we prefer to carry out that part of our Invention
for improvements in steam fire engines which relates to the application"
for such pumping purposes of engines working on the principle of the
oelipile is, illustrated on Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings, in
which Fig. 4 represents in vertical section (through the line A, B, of
Fig. 5), a centrifugal pump combined with an oelipile engine according
to our Invention, the apparatus for feeding the air chamber with air
and for producing a vacuum when necessary in the said chamber being
shewn in elevation. Fig. 5 is a plan of the same; Fig. 6 is a section
through the line C, D, of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a section through the
line E, F, of Fig. 5. h is the boss or centre piece of the centrifugal
pump; it is made of gun metal and is formed with two sockets h',
which are situated exactly opposite to each other, and project tan-
gentially from the boss, as shewn in Fig. 5. Into these sockets are
fixed the two hollow tapered volute arms i made by preference of copper.
The boss his at its upper part truly bored, turned, and accurately fixed

page_text: '
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on to the steel spindle k, and at its lower part is in like manner truly
bored, turned; and accurately fixed on to the perfectly true cylindrical
brass pipe 1. The spindle k at its upper end k¹ is pivotted into the
gun metal bush or bearing m which is fixed as shewn into the cast-iron
cross piece n provided for the purpose. The lower part of the spindle k
is made larger in diameter than its upper end and is bored nearly as
far as the shoulder, thus forming a tube, as shewn, which tube is fitted
at the bottom with a steel plug ³, whose lower part is turned hemi-
spherically and rests upon a correspondingly formed screwed steel step k
'fitted into the lower part of the exhaust steam casing, as shewn. The rod k
is truly turned parallel throughout each of its respective diameters, the
shoulder excepted, and its hollow lower end 2 which serves as a passage
for steam to the oelipile, as herein-after described is formed with apertures
or holes and kº. The oelipile is composed of a gun metal boss or
'centre piece o truly bored, turned, and fixed on to the hollow end 2 of
the spindle k, the inner part of the boss being made with a groove or
recess o¹, thus forming an annular space or channel around the spindle k
which annular space or channel communicates through the apertures a
'with the interior of the hollow end of the spindle. The boss o is
formed opposite the two apertures with two corresponding sockets o²,
which are situated exactly opposite to each other, and project tangen-
tially from the boss, as shewn in Fig. 5. Into these sockets o³ are fixed
the two hollow tapered volute arms p, made by preference of copper and
formed with contracted nozzles or outlets p¹ formed preferably by the
insertion into the ends of the tubes of small pieces of gun metal, each
having bored through its centre a hole conically countersunk at each of
its ends. Within the lower part of the tube 7 are fixed two small
segmental screw blades l', as shewn to an enlarged scale at Fig. 8, for
the purpose of facilitating the lifting of the water on starting the engine.
The spindle k, tube l, and bosses h and o, with their respective arms
'as described should be very carefully tested before the whole of the
'engine as herein-after described, is finally put together for use. For the
purpose of so testing the above mentioned parts, we by preference put
them together in the manner already specified apart from the other
portions of the engine, and then lay the respective ends of the spindle k
upon suitable antifriction bearings, as well understood by engineers, in
order to ascertain that the whole is perfectly balanced. The hollow
tapered volute arms i of the pump are situated within the air chamber q,
which is formed with lugs bolted to an ordinary portable steam fire

page_text: "
engine frame 1. The air chamber q is made by preference of cast iron,
and provided with a well fitted cover q¹ secured by bolts, as shewn.
Within the air chamber is formed a faced flange q² with turned edge,
which flange supports the four ends of the cast-iron cross piece n. The
flanged lower part of the air chamber is truly faced and accurately bored
for a short distance from its lower end. It is provided with a bottom q³
formed in one piece with the suction chamber S, suction passage S¹,
delivery passage S2 of the pump, and the cover of the exhaust steam
chamber t, within which the oelipile engine revolves. The bottom q³
is very accurately fitted and bolted to the lower flange of the air
chamber. A cock u is provided as shewn for opening a communication
when necessary between the lower part of the air chamber q, and the
suction chamber S. The casing of the exhaust steam chamber t is
formed with a central boss t², this boss and the cover t¹ of the chamber t
and the bottom q³ of the air chamber q are truly and concentrically bored
to receive with perfectly true but easy fits the lower end k² of the
spindle and the lower end of the pipe 7, as shewn. The interior of the
boss is made with a groove or recess t³, thus forming an annular space
or channel around the spindle , which annular space or channel com-
municates through the apertures with the interior of the hollow end k²
of the spindle k, and by means of the steam pipe v with the steam
boiler. ¹is a pipe which conducts the exhaust steam away from the
chamber to the chimney of the boiler to create a draught in the
ordinary way. The air chamber q is furnished with an ordinary water
gauge at q, and is also provided with a modification of our improved
apparatus for feeding air, as herein-before described with reference to
Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, and which apparatus when
constructed as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, serves also for creating a vacuum
or partial vacuum in the air chamber according to the last part of our
Invention, and is applicable for that purpose to steam fire engines whose
pumps have reciprocating pistons or are otherwise constructed. The
lower part of the air feeder c is connected by the pipe C with the water
space in the lower part of the air chamber q, a cock e- being provided
for the purpose of closing the communication when necessary, and the
upper part of the feeder c with the interior of the top of the air chamber q
by a pipe provided with a cock f¹, which pipe 9 also communicates
through a cock f' with the steam boiler. The feeder c is furnished a
cock for admitting air, and another cock f³ for letting out water, air,

page_text: or steam. A suitable valve is provided in the suction pipe to prevent
the return of the water after the vacuum has been produced.
The operation of the above described steam fire engine is as follows:-
Steam is admitted by the pipe and issues from the nozzles at p¹ of
the oelipile, which thereupon revolves with great rapidity, carrying with
it the spindle K, tube l, and pump arms i. A certain quantity of water
having been left in the lower part of the air chamber of say up to line <
and the cock u being opened it passes into the suction chamber and pipe S¹,
from whence it is drawn up through the pipe 7 by the centrifugal action
of the arms i assisted by the screw blades and is ejected from the ends
of the arms i, from whence it falls to the bottom of q and again passes
through the cock u into the chamber S. The air drawn up with the water
is ejected through the delivery passage S, or through a suitable valve
provided for the purpose. If the lift be short the solid water will by the
above action be drawn up through the suction pipe S¹, but if the lift be
too deep the engine is stopped and a vacuum is produced, for which purpose
the cocks and f³ are opened, thereby filling the chamber c with steam,
whereupon the said cocks f2 and f³ are closed, thus producing a vacuum
by condensation in c. The cock e is then opened so as to form a partial
vacuum in q, whereupon (the delivery valve having been previously shut)
water is drawn up through the suction pipe S¹. The engine is then again
started, the delivery valve opened, and the pressure in the air chamber q
increases. Should, however, the water rise too high in 7, so as to reach
the pump arms i and cause extra resistance, air must be admitted by the
chamber c as follows:-Open the cocks f; f³, so as to fill c with air, then
close them and open cock e. The water will then be forced by the pump
into c from q, and will compress the air in c to a slightly higher pressure
than the air in 9, the cock f¹ is then to be opened, and the air will be
forced into q, thereby reducing the water level to the required height.
The operation is repeated as often as necessary. Sometimes we open a
small cock in the suction pipe so as to allow the air to accumulate in q.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we do not confine ourselves to the
precise details shewn in the accompanying Drawings, as the same may
obviously be modified without departing from the distinctive character
of our Invention. In our Provisional Specification we contemplated the
adaptation for the purposes of a steam fire engine of the rotary engine
'

page_text: for which Letters Patent No. 584, dated the Twenty-eighth day of
February 1870, were granted to Abraham Ripley, but as we entertain
some doubt whether the arrangement referred to would possess all the
advantages we anticipated from its use we do not lay any claim to it,
neither do we lay any claim to the separate use of any of the individual
pieces composing the apparatus constructed according to our Invention
as herein before described; what we do claim as new and desire to have
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. Supplying air under pressure to the air vessels of portable
steam fire engines as and for the purposes specified.
Secondly. The use or employment for portable steam fire engine
purposes of engines working on the principle of the oelipile as described.
Thirdly. The improved method of creating a vacuum or partial vacuum
in the suction pipes of portable steam fire engines as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Field, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
W. LLOYD WISE,
Adelphi.
EDWARD FIELD. (L.S.)