AN IMPROVEMENT IN PUMPS AND PUMP- ING, WHEREBY THE EFFECT AND BENEFIT OF PUMPS WILL BE GREATLY INCREASED AND EXTENDED
Year: 1787

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BARBER BRYANT, of Great Yarmouth, in the County of Norfolk, and of
Dunbar, in the County of East Lothian, in Scotland, Sail Cloth and Rope
Maker; send greeting.
WHEREAS in and by certain Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great
Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirtieth day of November last,
His most Gracious Majesty King George the Third did give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Barber Bryant, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, to use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my discovery and Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PUMPS AND PUMP-
ING, WHEREBY THE EFFECT AND BENEFIT OF PUMPS WILL BE GREATLY INCREASED
AND EXTENDED;" and in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso.
that if I, the said Thomas Barber Bryant, should not particularly describe
5. and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and
cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
one month next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent,
that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages what-
soever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and become void,
anything therein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, as in and by the
said Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had, will more fully appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Barber Bryant, do hereby describe my said improvement as follows;
for the more certainty and evidence of this describing I annex Drawings, to
shew by view the principle of this my improvement, and also the more
obvious and ready parts and uses:-
Plate 1. A, A, represents two pumps, cylinders, or bores. B, B, represents
two levers, one to each cylinder or bore (levers of the first kind). C represents
a worker, with his feet placed one on each of these levers, I say, as in the act of
working. The pumps here drawn are so far those of the common sucking kind.
The parts added in this Drawing are a frame with its wheel, chain, and
standards. D, D, D, D, is the frame. the wheel. G, the chain or rope.
H, H, the standards.
The uses of the frame are, with respect to the worker, by its upper part,
since he works with the feet, to give him steadiness by the hold thereon of his
hands; with respect to the levers, by its standards, to keep the levers in due
directions from the pumps; and to the feet of the worker, to prevent their
ranging about.
The use of the wheel is to spread to a due distance the ends of the chain;
and the use of the wheel and chain together is this: The, chain going over and
on the wheel, in the grove thereof, and being at its ends respectively fastened
to the levers, that when one lever being pressed down shall draw with it its end
of the chain, the other end of the chain shall assist in raising the other lever,
and that by means of this wheel this effect should be had with ease.
Plate 2.-The plate first represents my improvement as wrought by one
worker, but since more may be applied, A, in this Plate, represents the frame
with another head. It will be seen that this head, by the parts which come
backwards, and the frame being placed more forward to the pumps, or the
levers made longer, will give hand-hold to, and thereby allow more workers
than one; and since, when there are more workers at work than one, more
water is required to be raised, and also that when there are more workers at
work than one, the increase of power would require less length in the long arm
of the lever, (that is to say) that the pin of motion may be placed, more
towards, the end of the long arm;" B represents, for these purposes, an alteration
of the common ears of pumps. It will be perceived that the intention of thus
shortening the long arm and lengthening the short arm of the lever is to give
a greater range or dip of the bucket or upper box. C represents two sorts of
counterpoisés which, to raise the lever when depressed and its bucket emptied,
may be used in place of the wheel. D represents an upper box, with friction
rollers on its outer circle, because, on account of the increased diameter of

page_text: bore which this my improvement allows, such can thereby be used. E represents
á shape of pin or bolt different from those now in use, and having less friction.
F represents a manner of adapting the spear of the upper box to receive in
and let out this shape of pin: Gare friction rollers to be fixed on the heads
of the pumps, to keep the play of the spear more perpendicular, and to save
the expence and greater inconvenience of loggerheads to the levers.
chosen
Platë 3, for 'the more perspicuity, represents a common pump at work; and
since, although this my improvement is useful on land also, yet I have e
the sea pump, because our sea concerns; are of so great national moment to us,
and because this my improvement will be very greatly useful there,. by its
much greater délivery of water, and not only by that, but at the same time.
by its
very great release of the people there to the other work of the ship
or to rest, by both or, either of which circumstances they will be the better able
to preserve the ships, the cargoes, and themselves; and with respect to my
desire for this use of them, I shall not by any rates of sale of my privileges
thereto hinder these desirable objects, but on the contrary I shall fix them
by opinions among those who may become purchasors.
I trust I have now.described: this' my, improvement so as to ascertain
particularly the nature of it, and how it may be made to go into use.
and performance; and since to describe all the uses, and modes, and circum-
stances, and alterations of parts, however at present in the contemplation of
an Inventor, would exceedingly and without farther benefit multiply 'both
Drawings and verbal description, and since, as I am advised, and understand
that clause of my said Patent which assures for me the most beneficial con-.
struction of this my explanation, although it should not contain all the possible
uses or parts, or accurate exact' adjustments or proportions of them, it ap-
pears to me that to describe the principles, and nature of my said improvement
so that they can shew their own purposes and direct to their applications, is
the nature and extent of desire of explanations. from me; at least, that it is
enough to establish my right "against all alterations of parts or ways of using
the principle, except those which are of solid, improvements thereon, and are
notable and really great farther benefit. I trust also that to sett done, as next
is done, the following farther particulars will be sufficient for the fulness in
respect of them of this my Specification, and also at the same time serve to
the end that no. person may imagine that my claim and right under these
Letters Patent to the full enjoyment of the principle and its beneficial conse
quences of this my improvement on pumps and pumping may be eluded by
divers variations which may be made from the foregoing mentioned uses or
ways of using my principles without notable or really great improvement

page_text: thereon, or by my not having, with the uses and ways above stated, mentioned
also the other pumps or uses to which this my improvement may be adapted
or be used with. For these reasons and ends I subjoin, in the manner fol-
lowing, these following particulars of this my said improvement:-The pumps
I have here spoken of, and shewn in the Drawing No. 1, are those which are
called the common or sucking kind. To these the lever of the first kind is
best applicable, but levers of the other kinds may, when chosen, be applied, for
this doing will not alter the principle of the power by the weight of the body..
This principle of mine, together with its application, as afore shewn, to the
sucking pump, applies also to those of the forceing sorts or kinds, and the
other kinds. In this applying it, any of the levers possible to be applied may
be used, for this doing also alters not the principle of the power by the weight
of the body. Any shape of the levers is not very material; they may be either
strait or a little curved, as in the Drawing. Any workman will understand to:
make them sufficient in strength. Their whole length must depend on the
situation of using, or the other reasons of the user. Their points of power,
resistance, and motion will depend on the sum of the power to be applied; and
the bows of the pipes or cylinders they are to work; practice, and the
understanding of a workman in pumps, will adjust these. The levers may
have loggerheads, I mean in shape, and with chains, such as the levers of
steam engines have. The boxes may be either of wood, of leather, or other
such substance proper, or of metal proper. The frame for the resting of the
man or men, and the direction of the levers, may be either of wood or iron,
and may be fixed to one place of the floor or deck, to be removeable at
pleasure. The wheel may either be of wood or metal, and in place of a chain
may be substituted a rope or cord. The standards in this frame, for the direc-
tion of the levers, may have on their sides next the levers upright bars or rods
of iron, whereon like bars placed upon the sides of the levers next to the
standards to touch and pass, thereby to prevent so much friction as is from
wood working on wood, or the levers in place of these bars may have friction
rollers to pass on the standard bars. The heads of the pumps may be of cast iron.
I have shewn in the explanation of the Drawing No. 2 that more workers
than one may be applied in this my way of working pumps, and also the ap-
paratus generally proper to allow them and their effect. My mentioning these
particulars will shew that I include them in this my improvement, and thereby
in my right under this my Patent, and as depending upon this my principle of
the power of the weight of the body.
And now trusting as aforesaid that in all that can be useful to the public
herein described I have discharged my duty in this my description farther

page_text: to secure to me my just right and claim to the principles and their dependencies
of this improvement and Letters Patent, for the reasons that Inventions of this
nature are not, such as a man can assuredly perfect in his closet contemplations,
or experiment fully enough in his house, or in private, or among his select
friends, that a very great part of the use of this my improvement is to our great
national concerns at sea, of ships' cargoes, and seamen, whereon full experi-
ments to adjust or ascertain parts or appurtenances of working, could not and
cannot be made without much time, and that in the absolute publicity of an
Invention among people who cannot by any tye be supposed bound to the
interest of an Inventor, for that my receiving these Letters Patent has hap-
pened to be now that the time of specifying is limitted to thirty days from the
date of the grant, that those days are, from circumstances of obtaining this
grant, fallen into this month of the shortest days and worst weather, and also
that of these thirty days I have been some part indisposed in health, and there
have been of them also ten holidays of no business; that is to say, that since,
by all these reasons, I have not had sufficient, because not protected and thereby
open, time for those experiments which might have taught to better forms or
parts or adjustments than is above laid down, and for that, as I have above
said, I shall not otherwise than moderately charge the public for uses, I
venture to claim and expect that whatever of better forms, or parts, or
adjustments shall, in the uses of this my improvement, be learned or made,
and are proper to this my principle, shall and be considered to belong to me in
this my Invention; always, however, as in justice agreeing and acknowledging
that the principle leading of this my improvement is that of my using the
weight of the whole body of a worker at pumps or pumping in place of the
force of the arms, which is the present way of working pumps with these
levers; and having to make out that, all else being equal, this my way of
working is more beneficial to the purpose of raising or delivering water, or
with less labour than the present way of working, of course that it is an
advantage to the public at large who shall use it.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Barber Bryant, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven.
35 Sealed and delivered, being first duly
stampt, in the presence of
THO MENDIAM.
THO PARKES.
THO. B. BRYANT. (L.S.)

page_text: BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-ninth day of December
instant, the said Thomas Barber Bryant 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 last above mentioned.
And also that the Specification aforesaid was duly stampt according to the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled this Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year last men-
tioned.