IMPROVE- MENTS IN PUMPS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes and Son,
Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PUMPS." A communication from abroad by Heinrich Berg, of
Meinhardt. Germany.
Sealed the 29th April 1878, and dated the 30th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th October 1877.
EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS." A communication from
abroad by Heinrich Berg, of Meinhardt, Germany.
This Invention has for its object the construction of a pump without valves, the
suction and delivery of the water or other fluid being effected by alternately opening
and closing the suction and delivery pipes by means of two pistons in lieu of the
ordinary valves.
It consists of two pistons placed one above the other in the pump cylinder, and
working tight within the same by steel or other spring rings. The suction and
delivery pipes are provided with air vessels (though not absolutely necessary in the
former case).
The upper piston rod is hollow, and works freely up and down over the lower
piston rod; it is provided with a key or stop working in an elongated slot formed
through the lower piston rod.
The two pistons are formed at their meeting surfaces with narrow projecting
circular rims or edges, by which arrangement any shock of concussion is kept from
the piston spring rings. Small openings are cut through these projecting edges' to
allow of the escape of the water or other fluid, as herein-after described.
The lower piston is formed with openings for the free thoroughfare of the water.
Réciprocating motion being given to the upper piston rod, and the upper piston
begining to ascend from its lowest position (in contact with the lower piston),"

page_text: the water will follow it from the suction pipe by atmospheric pressure until the
upper piston reaches a certain height, when the key or stop in its rod will come in
contact with the upper end of the slot on the lower piston rod, and continuing its
upward motion will cause the lower piston to ascend and close the entrance to the
suction pipe. The upper piston now descends, and forces the water through the
holes in the lower piston and through the delivery pipe, leaving the lower piston
stationary until the projecting rims or edges of the pistons come in contact, when
the upper piston, continuing its motion, carries the lower piston downwards until
the latter closes the opening to the delivery pipe. Any water which has not been
forced through the latter now escapes upwards through the openings in the pro-
jecting rims or edges before described, and the whole operation is repeated.
4
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th April 1878.
EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS." A communication from
abroad by Heinrich Berg, of Meinhardt, Germany.
This Invention has for its object the construction of a pump without valves, the
suction and delivery of the water or other fluid being effected by alternately opening
and closing the suction and delivery pipes by means of two pistons in lieu of the
ordinary valves.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a section of my improved pump on line
1, 2, in Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a section thereof on line 1, 2, in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, section on
line 3, 4, in Fig. 2, without the pistons; Fig. 4, section on line 3, 4, in Fig. 2, with
the pistons in their highest position; Figs. 5. a, b, c, d, e, are details of the upper
piston; and Figs. 6 a, b, c, d, e, details of the lower piston, like letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
The Invention consists of two pistons h and i placed one above the other in the
pump cylinder a, and working tight within the same by steel or other spring rings
p and p¹. The suction pipe b and delivery pipe c are provided with air vessels d
and e (though the air vessel d to the suction pipe b is not absolutely necessary).
The rod f of the upper piston h is hollow, and works freely.up and down over the
lower piston rod g; it is provided with a key or stop m working in an elongated
slot formed through the lower piston rod g, as shewn.
The two pistons h and i are formed at their meeting surfaces with narrow pro-
jecting circular rims or edges, by which arrangement any shock of concussion is kept
from the piston spring rings p, p¹. Small openings o, o, (see Fig. 5 c) are cut through
these projecting edges to allow of the escape of the water or other fluid, as hereafter
described.
The lower piston i is formed with openings ; for the free thoroughfare of the
water.

page_text: Reciprocating motion being given by any available power to the upper piston
rod f, and the upper piston h beginning to ascend from its lowest position (in con-
tact with the lower piston i), the water will follow it from the suction pipe b by
atmospheric pressure until the upper piston h reaches the height shewn by dotted
lines in Fig. 4, when the key or stop m in its rod f will come in contact with the
upper end of the slot 7 on the lower piston rod i, and continuing its upward motion
will cause the lower piston i to ascend and close the entrance to the suction pipe b.
The upper piston h then descends, and forces the water through the holes j in the
lower piston i and through the delivery pipe c, the lower piston i meanwhile
remaining stationary until the projecting rims or edges of the pistons h and i come
in contact, when the upper piston h, continuing its motion, carries the lower piston i
downwards until the latter closes the opening to the delivery pipe c. Any water
which has not been forced through the latter now escapes upwards through the
openings o, o, in the projecting rims or edges of the pistons h and i, and the whole
operation is repeated.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and original, and there-
fore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the construction and use of a pump in which the suction and
delivery pipes are alternately opened and closed by pistons in lieu of the ordinary
valves, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.