IM- PROVED MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES APPLICABLE TO SYPHONS, ALSO ADAPTABLE IN THE PRODUCTION OF PUMPS OF IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ambrose Coffey, of 32, Great Saint Helen's,
in the City of London, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVED MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES APPLICABLE TO SYPHONS, ALSO ADAPTABLE
IN THE PRODUCTION OF PUMPS OF IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION."
Sealed the 2nd April 1867, and dated the 4th October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ambrose Coffey* at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th October 1866.
I, JOHN AMBROSE COFFEY, of 32, Great Saint Helen's, in the City of
London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES APPLICABLE TO SYPHONS, ALSO
ADAPTABLE IN THE PRODUCTION OF PUMPS OF IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION," to be as
follows:-
The Invention has relation to drawing off liquids from reservoirs, tanks,
and receptacles for water or liquids, whether on the same level, elevated
above, or situated beneath the point of required discharge, and is particularly
applicable to all kinds of syphons, whether used for hot liquids, acids, or
otherwise. For the above purposes I make use of a flexible tube (vulcanized
india-rubber, for instance), outside of which I have a travelling frame con-
taining a pair of rollers or other pressers, whereby I squeeze or press out the
air from the tube, beginning near the point where the one end of the tube is
inserted, or to be inserted if the pressing operation is is performed previous to
placing the tube in the water or liquid in the reservoir, tank, or vessel
containing the same. The pressure is to be continued up and close to the

page_text: exit end. This travelling frame is provided with a regulator screw for
keeping the rollers or pressers well pressed together, so as not to allow any
liquid to pass till the unscrewing action is resorted to, whereby a cock or
tap is obtained for the purpose of drawing off only when and as much as
required.
When I wish to adapt my Invention to ordinary syphons made of metal or
rigid material I have a small branch tube constructed, to which the end of
the flexible tube is to be secured, and this flexible tube is to be used with the
rollers or pressers as before described, so as to exhaust the syphon and cause
the water or liquid to flow over the bend, the end not in the water or liquid
during exhaustion being stopped by shutting a cock or tap attached to the
syphon; and this flexible tube may be secured to the rigid syhon as found
desirable. Instead of one branch tube and flexible tube I can use several
branches and flexible tubes.
When I use my Invention for elevating liquids by pumping, if for a suction
pump, I use a number of flexible tubes, connected by means of hollow nipples
with a tube of any sufficiently rigid material, such tube opening into a flexible
or other tube, one end whereof is placed in the tank or reservoir of water or
liquid; the number of tubes aforesaid being all connected with a tube or
cock for drawing off the water drawn up by means of applying pressure upon
such tubes, and then allowing them to resume their proper shape.
For suction or force pumps I use the arrangement just described, com-
bining therewith a tube or another set of tubes communicating with the
former with another pressure arrangement by which the water or liquid is
forced up to its destination.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ambrose Coffey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
AMBROSE COFFEY, of 32, Great St. Helen's, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the
year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Ambrose Coffey, Her special licence that I, the said John

page_text: Ambrose Coffey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Ambrose Coffey, my 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 "IM-
PROVED MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES APPLICABLE TO SYPHONS, ALSO ADAPTABLE IN THE
PRODUCTION OF PUMPS OF IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Ambrose Coffey, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 John Ambrose Coffey, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, as follows:-
My Invention relates to drawing off liquors from reservoirs, tanks, and
receptacles for water or liquids, whether on the same level as or elevated
above or situated beneath the point of required discharge, and is particularly
applicable to all kinds of syphons, whether used for hot liquids, acids, or
otherwise. For the above purposes I make use of a flexible tube (vulcanised
india-rubber, for instance), outside of which I have a travelling frame con-
taining a pair of rollers or other pressers, whereby I squeeze or press out the
air from the tube, beginning near the point where one end of the tube is
inserted (or to be inserted if the pressing operation is performed previous to
placing the tube in the water or liquid) in the reservoir, tank, or vessel con-
taining the same. The pressure is to be continued up and closet to the exit
end, and the said travelling frame is provided with a regulator screw for
keeping the rollers or pressers well pressed together, so as not to allow any
liquid to pass until the unscrewing action is resorted to, whereby the action
of a drawing-off cock or tap may be obtained.
When I wish to adapt my Invention to ordinary syphons made of metal or
rigid material I have a small branch tube constructed, to which the end of
the flexible tube is to be secured, and this flexible tube is to be used with the
rollers or pressers as before described, so as to exhaust the syphon and cause
the water or liquid to flow over the bend, the end not in the water or liquid

page_text: during exhaustion being stopped by shutting a cock or tap attached to the
syphon; and this flexible tube may be secured to the rigid syphon as found
desirable. Instead of one branch tube and flexible tube I can use several
branches and flexible tubes.
When I adapt my Invention for elevating liquids by pumping I use one
or a number of flexible tubes communicating with a flexible or other tube,
one end whereof is placed in the tank or reservoir of water or liquid; the
tube or number of tubes aforesaid being in communication with a tube or
cock for drawing off the water, elevated by means of applying pressure upon
such tubes, and then allowing them to resume their proper shape.
For suction and force pumps I can also use the arrangement just described,
and combine therewith a tube or another set of tubes communicating with
the former, with a pressure arrangement, by which the water or liquid is.
forced up to its destination.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, in further com-
pliance with the said condition in the said Letters Patents contained, I proceed
to particularize in what manner the same is to be performed or carried
into practical effect, which I shall do by reference to the Drawings accom-
panying this Specification, and forming part thereof, that is to say :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1. is a view of a flexible tube to be used as a syphon, or it may be
used as a pump, shewing the above-mentioned presser frame applied, and the
stop-cock and rigid tube attached.
Fig. II. view of a syphon made of metal or other rigid material, provided
with the branch tube, with its flexible tube thereto secured.
Fig. III. shews an arrangement of presser rollers combined with a reel
frame, upon which the flexible tube is to be wound and unwound when being
put in operation, and whereby as the frame is mounted on wheels the same
may be transported from place to place as convenience may require.
Fig. IV. is a vertical section; and Fig. V. a plan view of a pump constructed
according to my Invention.
In Figs. I., II., and A denotes the flexible tube; B, the travelling
presser frame, which is provided with two rollers x, x, (shewn at Figures
I. and II. by dotted lines); C, the handle for giving motion to the presser
rollers (shewn only at Fig. II.); D, the regulator screw for adjusting the.position
of the presser rollers, so as to cause them to close together or to increase the
distance between them according as more or less pressure is required. The
end of this screw works against the spindle of the top roller close to the

page_text: bearing. E denotes a roller arrangement (shewn only at Fig. II.), serving
as a guide for the flexible tube and rollers when in action; F is the rigid or
metal syphon tube (see Fig. II.); G is a three-way stop-cock; H is the
branch tube by means of which the flexible tube A is connected to the supple-
mental tube F.
In Figs. IV. and V. the pumping arrangements are illustrated, and here
a marks a circular supporting plate of metal or other suitable material;
b, roller spindles, each having a travelling wheel having flanged sides
a*, a*, for the purpose of forming a guide for the traversing wheels 6* at the
end nearest the circumference of the circular plate (a), and at the other end
a bevil wheel d, which gears with a horizontal bevil wheel e keyed on an upright
shaft, the top or end of which may be provided with a lever or other means of
communicating rotatory motion to the said upright shaft. f denotes the hollow
pressure rollers rotating in their spindles 6; g, main tube of pump made of
flexible material, which acts one way for and the other way for force ducts
or passage; h, tubes proceeding from the main tube, and serving to increaso
the suction or forcing pump as may be necessary. Upon motion being com-
municated to the upright spindle, by the intervention of the bevil gear,
the
spindles 6 will be caused to revolve, and will carry with them the presser
roller fover the last-mentioned tubes (h), such rollers (f) also rotating on the
said spindles. This suction will take place from one end of the main tube, that
is the end which on the onward progress of the presser roller remains behind,
and force action will take place in that part of the main tube which is in
front of the rollers. The above is an arrangement for a pump with a circular
revolving action; but it will be obvious to the practical man that the action of
the presser rollers may be as simple as the backward and forward movement.
Having now particularly described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I claim the
Invention the nature and character whereof is set forth in the inset of this
Specification, Having thus described the said Invention, (it being understood
that I do not claim the constituent parts herein-before described per se and
apart from the purposes of my said Invention as above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ambrose Coffey, bave hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourth April, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-seven.
JOHN AMBROSE COFFEY. (L.S.)