CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON SHIP AND OTHER PUMPS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE, BY CERTAIN ALTERATIONS, TO TURNING LATHES AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEWIS
ROPER FITZMAURICE, of Jamaica Place, Commercial Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Master in the Royal Navy, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Eleventh day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-eight, in the ninth year of His reign, give and grant
unto me, the said Lewis Roper Fitzmaurice, His especial licence, that I, the
said Lewis Roper Fitzmaurice, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said Lewis Roper Fitzmaurice, my exors, adññiors,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
ON SHIP AND OTHER PUMPS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE, BY
CERTAIN ALTERATIONS, TO TURNING LATHES AND OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said Lewis Roper
Fitzmaurice, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with tho said proviso, I, the said Lewis
Roper Fitzmaurice, do hereby describe the manner in which my said Invention
is to be performed, by the following description thereof (reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):
References, viz,-Fig. 1st is a plan of a brass wheel, with 12 radii or
spokes. a, a, a, a, are revolving vanes turning on their spindles or axes c, c, c;
these spindles pass through holes in the outer rim of the wheel, and step in
others which are countersunk in the edge of the inner or centre circle d; they
are prevented from quitting their places by a ring and forelock at the inner
part of the rim. Round each spindle is a helix spring, one end of which is
fast to the spindle, and the other to the wheel, to throw the vanes at right
angles to the position in which they are here represented, to insure which, and
that they may not go beyond that angle, small pins are fixed in the outer edge
of the wheel, which stops the vanes when in a proper position. d is a solid
circle of brass, through which the axis e passes; this axis is squared at the end
for shipping a winch handle; f is a ring of brass, going over the axis, and
screwed down to the center to steady the wheel when in motion.
Fig. 2 is a plan of one side of the wheel case, wherein a, b, c, d, is a water
channel sunk to a little more than half the breadth of the vanes, and of the
same shape, to admit of their just passing without friction; e, f, g, h, is also a
water channel of the same dimensions, and is that through which the water
enters the machine, c, d, being that where it is delivered; a, b, i, k, l, m, is a
plane surface sunk one half the thickness of the wheel; n is a countersunk
o is the hole thro' which the
circle to receive the ring f of the wheel, Fig. 1st.
axis works; k, p, q, r, & s, t, u, v, are two inclined planes, commencing at r, q,
& s, t, from nothing, and terminating at k, p, & u, v, flush with the surface
plane a, b, i, k, l, m; these inclined planes are intended to arrest one side of
the vanes as they are passing at right angles to the plane of the machine thro'
the water channel, and to throw them gradually down on their sides, by which
means, they pass edgeways through a narrow channel of the breadth of the
wheels thickness, thereby preventing a rotatory motion of the water; they
thus pass on until the hinder edge has passed the line a, b, when the helix again
throws them athwart the water channel and fills it up; they are then ready to
take hold of the water coming through e, f, g, h, and force it along through the
channel out at c, d; w, a, y, z, as far as the water channel and passage, through
which the vanes pass edgeways, is plane, and is the part by which the machine
is screwed together. Any kind of luting interposed between these surfaces will
make them water-tight. A composition of equal parts of tallow and bees wax
have found generally best.

page_text: Fig. 3d is in every respect, except wanting the two inclined planes, the
same as the last, and is the other half of the wheel case; the wheel is inclosed
between these cases, with the axle through the holes, when both sides are
firmly screwed together with the above luting between.
Fig. 4th is a section of the machine when put together. a, b, c, d, is the
water channel thro' which the vanes pass; i, b, k, h, & f, e, g, d, the inclined
planes; l, m, n, and o, p, q, r, the holes in which the axis of the wheel works;
and s, t, o, l, p, n, v, i, the passage for the wheel. This Figure will also present
an edge view of the wheel itself; a, b, c, d, being the vanes; s, t, & v, i, is
wheel; 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7,
the thickness, and s, v, or t, i, the diameter of the
are the holes in its edge, thro' which the spindles work; r, m, q, its axle,
and o, p, & l, m, the rings for steadying it; in the section 1, w, y, 2, 2, c, a, v, p,
q, r, o, s, c, a, 1, is one side of the case, and 2, z, x, 1, 1, b, d, t, l, m, n, i, b, k,
e, d, g, 2, the other.
:
Fig. 5th is an elevation of the machine when all put together and fitted to
its place.
A, A, A, A, are two stanchions or pillars to which it is fixed;
B, B, B, is a semicircular pipe, connected by flanges a & b to the pipes C & D,
and form the head or bend of a syphon; c is a tube at its vertex, to which is
fitted a screw or other cover d; C is the suction pipe which goes down into
the well; and D, a pipe soldered or braized into the frame e, f, which is
screwed down to the pump case by four screws, three of which are seen in the
view, thus forming a continued channel from the machine to the well. g, h, is
another brass frame fixed to the pump, as the former, in which the cock E
is soldered; F is a ratchet wheel, with its pawl and spring G & H, to prevent
the machine being turned the wrong way, and thereby sustaining injury; I is
the handle to give motion to the wheel, and at the lower extremity of the
suction pipe C, within a few inches, is fixed a perfectly water-tight valve of the
button kind, which I have deemed unnecessary to exhibit. The blue lines
in this Figure represents the wheel, &c., as contained between the cases, and
are here drawn with a view to explain the method of operation:-1st, take off
the screw cap or other cover d, and by means of the pipe c fill the machine and
tubes with water; when they are nearly so, turn the handle slowly round to
insure the water pervading every part, and wholly expelling the atmosphere;
when this is ascertained by air bubbles ceasing to rise, secure
the cover d,
which should be perfectly air-tight, then turn the handle I, and open the cock E,
when the water will issue in a continuous and uniform stream. This operation
will be easily understood by referring to the Figure, for so soon as the hinder
side of the vane No. 1 passes the line i, k, it then turns by the force of the
helix and flies at right angles to the plane of the wheel, thus filling up the

page_text: whole area of the water channel, as 2, 3, 4, and 5 are supposed to do; it is
also then in a proper position to take hold of the water rushing in between
and m, and so continues to force it along until its side is arrested by the
inclined planes n, o, and p, q, at n and p, when it is thrown into the positions
6, 7, and ultimately 8, in which latter it remains till it again passes i, k; the
passage through which the vanes thus pass edgewise being only the breadth
of the wheel's thickness, s, t, or v, u, Fig. 4, prevents the water rotating with
the wheel, and the vanes following in constant succession, and forcing the water
along, it naturally flows through the channel o, g, r, s, t, u, v, and issues from
the cock E where it meets least resistance. Objections having been raised to
the use of springs of any description, rendered it necessary to adopt a construc-
tion of the machine in which these objectionable parts may be dispensed with,
which is represented by Fig. 6. This construction, in point of durability and
cheapness, is perhaps preferable to the other, but is certainly subject to much
greater friction.
Fig. 6 is a plan of one case with the wheel in its place, as it would appear
when the machine was put together. a, a, a, &c., is a flange for securing the
cases together by nuts and screws; b, b, b, &c. the water channel, sunk to the
same depth as in Figures 2 and 3, b, c, d; e, b, is a part of the same, but not
sunk quite so deep, leaving the rising edge e, d, c, to intercept the corners
of the vanes in their passage and throw them gradually down, as represented
at f, for passing through the narrow channel c, d, which is only sufficiently
wide to admit of their passing without friction; g, h, c, b, is flush with the
flange, the circle round the periphery of which the vanes appear fixed, and
only represents the circumference of the wheel, but the circular plane on
which it runs, and, as in Figures 2 and 3, is sunk half the thickness of the
wheel, but, in this construction, preserves the channel all round, except
in that space enclosed between g, h, c, b. On the side of these circular planes,
next the wheel, a groove i, k, l, m, n, is sunk, of the thickness of the knee or
support of the vanes, to allow them to retire inward when acted on by the
rising curved edge c, d, c, b, in the act of throwing them down. In this
method of construction both sides of the case are alike, one Drawing will
therefore serve for each. The wheel differs from the former only in the
number and manner of fixing the vanes. The shape of the latter should
be as represented in the Drawing, to permit their laying close to the edge of
the wheel and side of the circular plane on which the latter runs, thereby
requiring the least possible breadth in the narrow channel c, b, through which
they must pass. Each vane is furnished with two such knees as are repre-
sented at f, which are more clearly shewn in Fig. 7, one on each side of the

page_text: joint o; this is let into grooves or mortice cut in the edge of the wheel, and
there secured by a pin. The operation is as follows:-The filling with water
and freeing from the contained air in the same as before, when, on turning
the handle, the vane A on arriving at e is arrested by the curved inclined
plane e, d, the knew retiring inward at n; it thus passes on, taking alternately
the positions B and C, until it arrives at D, when the semicircular projection k
takes hold of the knee, and by impeding its progress throws the vane out
along the parabolic curve b, g; it ultimately gains the positions E and F, at
which latter situation, the groove for the knee being terminated, it runs along
and is supported by the side of the circular rising plane, thereby keeping the
vane erect and completely filling up the channel, until again arriving at n,
when the process is repeated, the same thing occurring with each vane
in succession.
In conformity with the title of my Patent, the machine as represented,
Fig. 5, may be converted into a turning lathe, where a small power only is
required, by having a reservoir of water on the house top, and a pipe leading
from it, and connected with the flange of the pipe D. A mandril should be
fixed on the axis of the water wheel, which, by means of a band or cog wheels;
would give motion to the lathe; the cock E, being wholly or only in part
turned, would, according to the height of the descending column, impart any
degree of velocity required.
It may also be used as a water or hydrometer in waterworks, from which
manufactories, &c. requiring a large quantity of water are supplied; and where
the quantity to be charged for is difficult to be ascertained, it may be effected
thus The pipe D by its flange should be connected with the main pipe
supplying such places, and by a series of wheels connected with the axis, any
number of revolutions of the water wheel may be marked by proper indices or
registers; and by knowing the diameter of the wheel and area of the vanes,
tables may be readily calculated for different sized machines, showing at sight
the quantity of water delivered by any number of revolutions of the wheel.
The wheel, on either construction, may advantageously be used for propelling
steam vessels, thereby avoiding that shock so generally complained of on the
paddles striking the water, but more particularly that effect so inimical
to speed produced by the paddles having to lift a large quantity of water on
rising out of the fluid; both of which objects, it is presumed, will be effected by
the vanes entering and quitting the water obliquely, instead of presenting their
entire surface. A bare inspection of the Figures will shew the possibility of
these very desirable ends being in this manner attained, provided a sufficient
degree of strength can be given them.

page_text: And, lastly, it may be used as a means of propelling canal boats or other
small craft, either by the issuing stream of water falling on an overshot
wheel, or by the said stream passing through an elevated pipe, and striking
with force against the water in which the craft is floating. Thus, let a,
Fig. 8, represent a pump fitted on this principle on board a canal boat
or other small craft; b, a stage on which the men stand to work it, the suction
pipe passing through the bottom, and cased round by a bulkhead c, as a fishing
boat's well; d, a high tube with funnell mouth, and supported by an iron
frame and stanchions e; this tube passes through the vessel's counter bencath
the surface of the water, as at f. Now, in proportion to the height of the
tube d, the issuing stream will strike against the fluid in which the vessel is
moving with a greater or less force, and impart a proportionate velocity. This
plan, it is presumed, would be found highly useful in propelling craft through
a tunnel in which there is not a towing path.
One of the chief merits of this Invention is the avoiding of friction, which
cannot exist where contact does not take place; now, as absolute contact takes
place in the machine only on the axis on its steadying ring, and very lightly on
the inclined planes, it must be much less liable to friction than any method of
raising water that I have any knowledge of.
As the plan is believed to be wholly new, I claim the entire merit of the
Invention, together with its resulting advantages; nor do I confine myself
to size, proportion of parts, nor material, in its structure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lewis Roper Fitzmaurice, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine.
LEWIS ROPER (L.s.) FITZMAURICE.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of February, in
the year of our Lord 1829, the aforesaid Lewis Roper Fitzmaurice came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute-made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine.