IMPROVE- MENTS IN PUMPS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of Essex
Street, Strand, London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PUMPS."-A communication from John Hoyes McGowan,
junior, of Cincinnati, United States.
Sealed the 9th October 1855, and dated the 9th April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux.
Bellford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th April 1855.
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of Essex Street, Strand,
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS," a communication, to be as follows; and consists
in the combination of an air chamber communicating with the pump above all
the valves, with a vacuum chamber communicating with the pump below
all the valves.
The cylinder (in which works the piston) is surrounded by an outer cylinder.
The larger portion of the annular space between the two constitutes an air
chamber, from which proceeds the delivery pipe; the other portion of the
annular space contains the pipe for conducting water to & from that part of
the cylinder which is above the piston and the vacuum chamber, which com-
municates with the supply pipe below the lowest valve, but not with the parts

page_text: of the pump above the lower valve. Beneath the cylinders is placed the valve
box, divided into compartments to seperate the two delivery valves from the
supply valves. The suction pipe terminates in the compartment fitted with
valves, to communicate with the upper & lower ends of the cylinder alter-
nately, to supply it with water at one end while the piston is discharging
it from the other end. Other compartments are fitted with valves, which
communicate with the upper & lower ends of the cylinder alternately, to
conduct the water discharged by the piston into the air chamber. The vacuum
chamber is closed at the top and sides, but at its lower end communicates
with the suction pipe below all the valves by a passage constantly open.
When this pump is first set in operation the air will be extracted from the
vacuum chamber and the suction pipe by the action of the piston, thus causing
the water to rise in the suction pipe, & fill or nearly fill the vacuum chamber,
except when the effect of the atmospheric pressure on the source of supply is
neutralized by the action of the piston above, which, when working fast, often
has a tendency to break the column of water below the induction valve, by
drawing it out of the valve box faster than it can be supplied through the
suction pipe. In such case the water in the vacuum chamber descends &
prevents the breaking of the supply column, & the suction of. air at the joints
of the valve chamber, which the heavy shock and strain produced by the break
of the supply column causes. After the water has descended from the vacuum
chamber to compensate the deficient supply by the suction pipe at the com-
mencement of the stroke of the piston, & while the column of water in the
suction pipe is being put in motion, the further supply of water is readily
furnished by the suction pipe, not only to fill the cylinder, but also to return to
the vacuum chamber the water drawn therefrom.
The principle of this Invention can also be arranged for application to pumps
of large size, so as to permit getting at the valves without disturbing the
cylinders.
.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most, Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto me,
the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, Her special licence that I, the
said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, my executors, administrators; and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, my
executors, administrátors, and assigns, should at any time agree! witli, and
no others, from time to time and at all times:.thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exerciso, 'and' vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for: "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS,"a
.comimunication from John Hoyes McGowan, junior, of Cincinnati, United
States, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Auguste Edouard
Loradoux Bellford, 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 "Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, 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, that is to say:**
J
This Invention consists in the combination of antair chamber communicating
with the pump above all the valves, with a vacuum chamber communicating
with the pump below all the valves, whereby the elevation of water is rendered
more equable, and effected with a saying of power.
The accompanying Drawings illustrate the Invention, representing "two
methods of applying it to double-acting force pumps; one of which is illus-
trated in Figs. 1; 2, 3, and 4, and the other in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. That
first named 'is described as follows:-
.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the pump; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the
valve box, and valves detached from the pump, showing also in red lines the
lower margin of the upper chambers of the pump, and showing by a dotted
line X, X, where the section Fig. 1 is taken; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the
valve box to Fig. 2, but with the valves detached, to exhibit the several
openings for the ingress and egress of the water; Fig. 4 is a perspective view
of the pump inverted, and with the valve chamber removed. Similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts in all the above Figures.

page_text: A is the cylinder, and B a piston working therein, and having a piston rod
passing through a stuffing box in the head of the cylinder. The cylinder A is
surrounded by an outer cylinder D, and the larger portion D' of the annular
space between the two cylinders constitutes an air chamber, to render the issue
of the water from the discharge pipe more equable. From this chamber
proceeds the delivery pipe E. The other portion of the aforesaid annular space
contains the side pipe M, for conducting water to and from that part of the
cylinder which is above the piston and the vacuum chamber N, which commu-
nicates with the supply or suction pipe G below the lowest valve, but not with
the parts of the pump above the lower valve. The important office which the
vacuum chamber has to perform will be herein-after explained. Immediately
beneath the cylinders A, D, the valve box F is placed. This box is divided
into compartments to separate the two delivery valves from the supply valves.
The suction pipe G terminates in the compartment I, which is fitted with valve
openings g, g', to communicate with the upper and lower ends of the cylinder
alternately to supply it with water at one end while the piston is discharging
it from the other end. The compartments J, J¹, are fitted with valve openings
.e, e¹, which communicate with the upper and lower ends of the cylinder alter-
nately, to conduct the water discharged by the piston into the air chamber
through the passages b, b'. It will be seen that the air chamber D¹ is above
all the valves. It will also be seen that the vacuum chamber N is below
them all, that is to say, it is only in communication with the parts below them,
though it may be placed higher than the valves, as it is in the present instance.
It will further be seen, from the direction of the currents to and from the pump,
as indicated by the arrows, that one half of the valves are closed and the other
half open; viz., when the supply valve g, which permits the water to be drawn
into the lower end of the cylinder, is open, the valve e¹, which permits the water
to be discharged from the upper end of the cylinder, is also open, and when
these valves are closed the others are open. The vacuum chamber is closed at
the top and sides, but at its lower end communicates with the suction or supply
pipe G below all the valves by a passage S, which remains constantly open.
When this pump is first set in operation the air will be extracted by the
action of the piston from the vacuum chamber N and the suction pipe; from
the vacuum chamber first, because it is above the highest part of the suction
pipe. As the air is extracted the water will rise in the suction pipe, and when
all the air is extracted will be caused by the atmospheric pressure acting on
the water in the well or source of supply to fill or nearly fill the vacuum
chamber, except at such times as the effect of the atmospheric pressure is
neutralized by the action of the piston above, which, when working fast, often

page_text: has a tendency to break the column of water below the induction valve, by
drawing it out of the valve box faster than it can be supplied through the
suction pipe. When the above state of things would exist in other pumps,
and the tendency to it exists in this pump, the water in the vacuum chamber
descends and prevents the breaking of the supply column, and the suction of
.air at the joints of the valve chamber, which the heavy shock and strain pro-
duced by the break of the supply column causes. After the water has descended
from the vacuum chamber to compensate the deficient supply by the suction
pipe at the commencement of the stroke of the piston, and while the column
of water in the suction pipe is being put in motion, the further supply of water
is readily furnished by the suction pipe, not only to fill the cylinder, but also to
return to the vacuum chamber the water drawn therefrom at the commencement
of the stroke. In this way the excess of water supplied by the suction pipe
after the current is fairly established at one stroke, is held in store to supply the
deficiency at the commencement of the next stroke, by which the force employed
to give momentum to the water is not lost, as in other piston pumps. The
employment of the vacuum chamber also saves much of the wear and tear of
the lower valves which take place in the ordinary pump, and it furnishes a
more equable supply of water than has been before obtained. In connection
with the air vessel above, the vacuum chamber enables the pump to which it
is applied to elevate more water with a given amount of power that can be
done by any other piston pump known.
The pump represented in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 only differs from that
already described in the arrangement of the parts for the purpose of getting
at the valves without disturbing the cylinders, which arrangement is more
particularly intended for pumps of large size, and is described as follows:-
Fig. 5 exhibits a horizontal section of the cylinder A, air chamber D', and
vacuum chamber N, and a plan of the valve box with the bonnets removed, to
show the suction valves g, g¹, and delivery valves e, e¹; Fig. 6 is a vertical
section in the line v, v, of Fig. 5, taken through the suction and delivery
valves g and e, and the passage which communicates with the cylinder below
the piston; Fig. 7 is a vertical section in the line w, w, of Fig. 5, taken
through the suction pipe G, the air chamber D', the vacuum chamber N, the
passage a, connecting the vacuum chamber with the suction pipe, and through
the delivery pipe E, and showing the delivery valve e', which communicates
with the cylinder above the piston; Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the valve box
in the line x, x, of Fig. 5, taken through the delivery valves e, e¹, and showing
the passages C, C', which lead therefrom to the air chamber, which they enter
by the openings 6 and b, shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the

page_text: valve box in the line y, y, of Fig. 5; taken through the suction pipe and the
passage m below the suction valves, showing the:: under sides of the suction
valve,openings g, g, and also. the passage. a, leading from the suction pipe to
the vacuum chamber. To illustrate the operation of this pump,, it will be first
supposed that, the piston is on its up-stroke. The water flows up the suction
pipe G, along the passage in, through the valve g, into the passage.'B', and
into the bottom of the cylinder; the water above the piston at the same time
discharging down the passage'M, along the passage. B", through the.valve.et,
along c, and out at discharge pipe E.When the down-stroke of the piston
takes place, the water comes from: the suction G, along the passage m, through
the valve-g', into B", up the passage. M, into the top of the cylinder; the water
below the piston discharging through the passage B'; the valve:e; the passage:c,
and the opening b, into the air chamber D, and out through 6,- into the
discharge pipe E. The suction pipe G. has communication with the vacuum
chamber, N by the passage a; as is well illustrated in Figs: 5 and 7 and the
effect of this vacuum chamber. is precisely the same as that in the pump,
'illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the. Drawing; and herein-before.described.
Having thus fully, described the particulars and nature of my Invention, it
must be particularly understood that what claim is, the combination of an
air chamber communicating with the pump above: all sthe. valves, with a
vacuum chamber communicating with the pump. below all the valves, substan
tially as herein described, whereby the elevation. of water is rendered more
equable, and effected with a saving of power; as herein set forth..
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, have
hereunto set 'my 'hand and seal, this 12th day of September, in the
"Fear of our Lord" One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.