IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Canham, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS."
Sealed the 4th January 1878 and dated the 20th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Canham at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th July 1877.
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WILLIAM CANHAM, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PUMPS."
This Invention relates mainly to pumps for use on board ship, and has for its
object to produce a simple, durable, and efficient pump capable of being used either
as a main and bilge pump, or as a force pump and fire engine.
For this purpose I cast or form the pump with two barrels; one of such barrels
contains the piston, and is used as the working barrel, and the other contains four
valves, two for each end of the cylinder, one above the other, with a dividing piece
or blind flange between. By this arrangement the valves can be easily got at and
removed when necessary, and the interior of the pump inspected.
Passages for suction and delivery are arranged in the usual manner, as also a
cover and stuffing box for the working barrel or cylinder.
The valves are of any ordinary or desired construction, and the piston is operated
in any convenient manner.
When it is desired to use the above-described pump as a force pump or fire engine,
I construct a third chamber or barrel leading to the suction pipe, and connected to
the valve barrel or chamber by a grating so as to prevent any dirt, grit, or other
undesirable or objectionable substance or objects from passing to the valves.
Connection may be made from the last-mentioned chamber so that water may be
drawn from over the ship's side or from any available source.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Canham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th January
1878.
"
WILLIAM CANHAM, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PUMPS."
This Invention relates mainly to pumps for use on board ship, and has for its
object to produce a simple, durable, and efficient pump capable of being used either
as a main and bilge pump, or as a force pump and fire engine.
For this purpose I cast or form the pump with two barrels; one of such barrels
contains the piston, and is used as the working barrel, and the other contains four
valves, two for each end of the cylinder, one above the other, with a dividing piece
or blind flange between. By this arrangement the valves can be easily got at and
removed when necessary, and the interior of the pump inspected.
Passages for suction and delivery are arranged in the usual manner, as also a
cover and stuffing box for the working barrel or cylinder.
The valves are of any ordinary or desired construction, and the piston is operated
in any convenient manner.
When it is desired to use the above-described pump as a force pump or fire engine,
I construct a third chamber or barrel leading to the suction pipe, and connected to
the valve barrel or chamber by a grating so as to prevent any dirt, grit, or other
undesirable or objectionable substance or objects from passing to the valves.
Connections may be made from the last-mentioned chamber so that water may be
drawn from over the ship's side or from any available source.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 plan view of a pump constructed under
my Invention. 1 is the pump barrel; 2 is the valve chamber or barrel; 3 is the
suction pipe; 4, 5, 6, and 7 are boxes containing valves, as shown at Fig. 3; 8 is
the dividing piece or flange between the valves in 4, 5, and 6, 7; 9 is the valve
chamber cover; 10 is the delivery pipe or nozzle; 11 is the piston and rod operated
by any convenient power; 12 is the cylinder cover and stuffing box.
The action of the pump is as follows:-On the up stroke of the piston, as shown
by the arrow, water or liquid is drawn through the valve in the box 4 and the
passage 13 so as to fill the space below the piston 11, whilst at the same time water
or liquid is expelled from above the said piston through the passage 14 and valve
box 7 to the delivery pipe or nozzle 10. On the down stroke of the piston the
water or liquid beneath the said piston is expelled through the passage 13 and valve
box 5 into the space 15 beneath the dividing piece or flange 8, and passes thence by
the passage 16, as seen at Fig. 3, to the delivery pipe or nozzle 10; at the same
time water or liquid is drawn through the passage 17, seen in Fig. 3, and valve
box 6 to fill the space above the piston.
In the Drawings each valve is shown in a separate box fitting into the chamber 2,
one above the other, with the dividing piece or flange between the two upper and
lower valves. By this arrangement when the cover 9 is removed the valves and
dividing piece or flange 8 may be easily taken out.
Fixed seatings may be used for the valves and dividing piece or flange if desired,
each seating diminishing in size, so that the lower valves and dividing piece or
flange may be withdrawn through the upper valve seats.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 4 a plan view showing my improved pump
constructed with a chamber 18 connected to the suction pipe 3 through the
opening 19, and to the valve chamber 2 through the grating 21. The action of this
pump is the same as that described under Figs. 1 and 2, except that the water or
liquid passes to the valve chamber 2 through the chamber 18, which may draw

page_text: water or liquid either from the suction pipe 3 or by the hose 22. When it is desired
to draw water from the suction pipe 3 the opening 23 is closed and the cover 24
removed. When it is desired to draw water through the hose from over the ship's
side, bilge, or any other desired point, the suction pipe is closed by the covering
piece 24, and the opening to the hose 22 is left free.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention so that others will be
enabled to carry my improvements into effect, I claim,―
First. Constructing or forming a pump with a piston barrel and valve barrel, in
which two sets of suction and delivery valves are placed one above the other.
Second. Constructing or forming a pump with a piston barrel and valve barrel, in
which two sets of suction and delivery valves, placed one above the other, are
separated by a dividing piece or flange.
Third. Constructing or fitting a pump having a piston and valve barrel arranged
as herein described, with a chamber through which water or liquid may be drawn
from any desired point.
Fourth. In a pump constructed as herein described, the grating 21 between the
valve chamber or barrel 2 and the suction chamber 18.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Canham, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
J. JOHNSON,
Patent Office,
Clayton Square,
L'pool.
WILLIAM CANHAM. (L.S.)