IMPROVEMENTS IN Pumps
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Brookes, of Birkenhead, in the
County of Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN Pumps.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Brookes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th January 1874.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BROOKES, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PUMPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of pumps known
as plunger or ram pumps for lifting or forcing water or other liquids,
and consists in dispensing with the ordinary suction valve (as fitted to
pumps generally), and constructing the suction valve within the plunger
or ram, the discharge valve being placed at the bottom or foot of the
pump.
In constructing a plunger or ram pump according to this Invention
the ram or plunger is made hollow, and fitted with a valve and guard at

page_text: its foot. This valve opens out from the interior of the ram or plunger,
and forms the suction valve of the pump. A suitable distance up the
hollow ram there is a through slot of length corresponding with or rather
more than the stroke of the pump, and of width corresponding with the
diameter of the suction pipe, which enters the barrel of the pump
opposite the slot and a suitable distance up the pump. The plunger or
ram is fitted below the through slot with spring packing rings, which are
placed round the plunger or ram, and between the valve at the foot of
the plunger or ram and the through slot. The delivery or discharge
valve of the pump is fitted at the foot of the pump, and may be of any
The pump is provided with a suitable packing gland for
the ram if found necessary, also with connecting rod and suitable
working gear.
suitable form.
The action of the pump is :-The water or other liquid-is sucked up
through the suction pipe through the slot into the hollow plunger, and
from thence through the valve at the foot of the plunger or ram to the
barrel of the pump, and discharged through the valve at the foot of the
pump.
The advantages attendant upon this construction of pump are, sim-
plicity of parts, as the suction valve is self contained, and being in the
plunger or ram can be immediately cleaned or got at by merely with-
drawing the plunger or ram. The pump also is specially compact and
of cheap construction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Brookes in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office on the 6th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY BROOKES, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and

page_text: successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Henry Brookes,
Her special licence that I, the said William Henry Brookes, my.exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Henry Brookes, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Henry Brookes, my executors.
or administrators, 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 William Henry Brookes, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of pumps known
as plunger or ram pumps for lifting and forcing water or other liquids,
and consists in dispensing with the ordinary suction valve as fitted to
pumps generally, and constructing the suction valve within the plunger
or ram, the discharge valve being placed at the bottom or foot of the
pump.
In constructing a plunger or ram pump according to this Invention
the ram or plunger is made hollow, and fitted with a valve and guard at
its foot. This valve opens out from the interior of the ram or plunger,
and forms the suction valve of the pump. A suitable distance up the
hollow ram there is a through slot of length corresponding with or rather
more than the stroke of the pump, and of width corresponding with the '
diameter of the suction pipe, which enters the barrel of the pump
opposite the slot and a suitable distance up the pump. The plunger or
ram is fitted below the through slot with spring packing rings, which are
placed round the plunger or ram; and between the valve at the foot of

page_text: the plunger or ram and the through slot. The delivery or discharge
valve of the pump is fitted at the foot of the pump, and may be of any
suitable form. The pump is provided with a suitable packing gland
for the ram if found necessary, also with connecting rod and suitable
working gear.
The action of the pump is:-,
-The water or other liquid is sucked up
through the suction pipe through the slot into the hollow plunger, and
from thence through the valve at the foot of the plunger or ram to the
barrel of the pump, and discharged through the valve at the foot of the
pump.
The advantages attendant upon this construction of pump are, sim-
plicity of parts, as the suction valve is self contained, and being in the
plunger or ram can be immediately cleaned or got at by merely with-
drawing the plunger or ram. The pump also is specially compact, and
of cheap construction.
The pump
is fitted with a pipe leading from the bottom thereof to the
suction pipe. This pipe is fitted with a suitable cock, so that when the
pump is working, and it is not required to force the liquid it can derive
its suction from its discharge.
When it is required to make the pump double acting this can be done
by duplicating the suction valves, and placing one at each end of the
ram, which is hollow throughout, and also duplicating the discharge
valve and box, as will be understood. The pump in this case can be
worked from a slot in the side thereof, or by a rod passing through a
stuffing box at one end of the pump, and attached to the hollow ram by
a fork or other suitable means.
The beforegoing being the nature, object, and purposes of this my
Invention I will now proceed to describe more in detail how the same
may be carried out into practical effect, and for that purpose I have
hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings illustrating a single-action pump
constructed according to my Invention, and drawn half size. Like
letters on the various views denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is a sectional plan of a horizontal pump constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of ram; Figure 3 is a side elevation
of ram; Figure 4 is a section through a, b, Figure 1; Figure 5 is an

page_text: Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is, the improve-
ments in plunger or ram pumps consisting of making the plunger or
ram hollow, and fitting the suction valve or valves at the end or ends
thereof, and drawing the suction through the ram by means of a slot
proportionate to the stroke of the pump, the whole substantially in the 5
manner as herein-before described, set forth, and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Brookes, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
WILLIAM HENRY (L.S.) BROOKES.