IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND FORCING FLUIDS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
READ, of Regent's Circus, Piccadilly, Mechanist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Read, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Read, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Read, my
exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
CERTAIN
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND FORCING FLUIDS;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John
Read, 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 Her
said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
66

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Read, have ascertained and set forth the nature of my Invention, and
the manner in which it is to be carred into effect, in and by the following
description thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
observing that the same letters are used to denote the same parts in all the
Figures:-
My first improvement relates to spherical valves employed in or applicable
to various machines for raising or forcing fluids, as syringes, stomach pumps,
fire and garden engines, &c., and has for its object the prevention of the
lateral or rotatory motion of the ball, and the causing the valve to return
more quickly to its seat. For this purpose I cause the valve to move between
guides touching the valve in three or more points, with a bridle or cross piece
at top to prevent the ball flying out of the guides (and in cases where precision
is required), with a regulating screw or stop in the bridle or cross piece
to limit the extent to which the valve may rise, and as the guides are not in
such close contact with the valve as to impede the vertical motion of the ball,
and the lateral openings or spaces between the guides are large enough to
allow a free passage for the water, when the valve is raised, the rotary motion
and consequent wear of the valve is prevented and the valve returns quickly
to its seat.
Figures 1 to 7 represent the improvement applied to a garden engine or
chamber fire engine, Figure 1 being a vertical section of the engine, Figure 2
a horizontal section upon the line z, z, and Figures 3 to 7 representing. some
of the parts detached. a is the induction valve, and the eduction valve.
c, a flat ring screwed on to the valve seat and having an aperture sufficiently
large to allow the valve to pass freely through the same. d, d, are vertical
stems or guides inserted in the ring c, and as nearly in contact with the valve
as may be without retarding its vertical motion. Two or more of these guides
are united at the upper ends by a bridle or cross piece, carrying (when
deemed requisite) a regulating screw e to limit the rise of the valve.
Figure 8 shews a guide of another construction applied to the induction
valve of a stomach pump, and Figure 9 shews the guide detached. Instead
of a number of stems inserted in a ring this guide is formed of a cylinder w,
of a bore just sufficient to allow the ball to rise freely, and perforated with
lateral apertures x, x, for the free passage of the water when the valve is
raised. The cylinder is screwed down to the valve seat, and, like the guide
3

page_text: before described, has a cross piece or bridle at top, with a regulating screw or
stop when requisite.
Figures 10 and 11 shew a guide upon this construction, upon a scale.
adapted to veterinary purposes.
I claim under this head of my Invention the application to spherical valves,
first, of guides consisting of three or more stems inserted in a ring screwed.
down to the valve seat, the stems being so placed as to prevent the valve.
from moving laterally, but allowing it to rise vertically, and with ample space
between and around the stems for the free passage of the water when the
valve is raised. Second, of a cylinder of such a bore as to allow the valve to
rise vertically but without moving laterally, such cylinder being screwed down
to the valve scat and having lateral apertures for the free passage of the water
when the valve is raised, and the guides of both kinds having a cross piece
furnished or not with a regulating screw or stop.........
My second improvement relates to pumps constructed with the working,
barrel surrounded by an air vessel, as described in the Specification of a
Patent granted unto me by His late Majesty, and bearing date at Westminster,
August the Nineteenth, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three. The
object of the improvement is to connect the body of the pump to the valve.
chest in such manner as to afford a more ready access to the valves. For
this purpose the pump and valve chest are not connected by flanges bolted
together, but by what is termed a "union joint," as represented in Figure 1,
in which is a ring working against a collar on the valve chest, and having
an internal screw fitting an external screw cut on the lower part of the
air vessel at g.
I claim under this head of my Invention the connecting of pumps (con-
structed as above described) with the valve chest by means of a "union
joint."
My third improvement consists of a compact and economical arrangement
for a fire engine, and is represented in Figures 12 and 13, Figure 12 being a
side elevation, and Figure 13 a plan. i is a lift and force pump of the kind
described in the Specification of my Patent of Nineteenth August, One thou-
sand eight hundred and thirty-three, before referred to, that is to say, having
the working barrel surrounded by an air vessel. This pump, which
may be
either single acting or double acting, is fixed to a platform j, which is mounted
upon wheels. k, k, are the side frames which support the fulcrum m of the side
levers n, n, which fulcrum is placed in a position across the bed of the
platform or parallel to the axle of the hind wheels. o is the nozzle of the
suction pipe; p, an air vessel; and q, the nozzle to which the delivery hose is

page_text: connected. r, r, are leading blocks fixed to each end of the platforın, through
which are passed ropes s, s, attached at one end to the levers, for the purpose
of applying additional hands to work the pumps when necessary.
I claim under this head of my Invention the placing the pumps of fire
engines, of the kind last described, upon a platform without a cistern, and
placing the fulcrum of the levers across the platform or parallel to the axle of
the hind wheels, and also the employment of ropes to admit of additional hands
to work the pumps when requisite.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Read, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord