AN IMPROVED METHOD OF RAISING AND LIFTING WATER FROM THE BILGE OR HOLDS OF SHIPS AND OTHER. VESSELS, AND IN A PECULIAR CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT FOR EFFECTING" THE SAME
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Riley, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
RAISING AND LIFTING WATER FROM THE BILGE OR HOLDS OF SHIPS AND OTHER.
VESSELS, AND IN A PECULIAR CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT FOR EFFECTING"
THE SAME."
Sealed the 14th August 1858, and dated the 19th February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Riley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
February 1858.
I, WILLIAM RILEY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,.
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF RAISING AND LIFTING WATER FROM THE BILGE OR HOLDS OF SHIPS AND OTHER
VESSELS, AND IN A PECULIAR CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT FOR EFFECTING THE,
SAME," to be as follows:-
I construct one or more water-tight compartments, near the bulkheads, of a;
suitable width; these contain a number of inclined planes in a zig-zag position,
in each of which I place a valve (opening upwards only) so that any water.
flowing into or upon the spaces so formed by the motion or rolling of the ship

page_text: cannot return, but will by each successive heave or roll be elevated in pro-
portion, until finally it will flow overboard at any desired point. By this
arrangement also I am enabled, in case of only one water-tight compartment
of a ship filling, to cause the water to flow to any part of the vessel where the
pumps may be situated without opening any other direct communication. In
case of a calm, or other circumstances where the vessel has little or no motion,
the apparatus being suspended on an axis may be disconnected and allowed to
oscillate; I then by means of a lever and gearing work it by hand, or by steam
power when it is available, and by another arrangement I work it by the back
water of the paddles in a steam vessel, or the headway the ship is making
under sail.
This system of lifting water may be applied either athwart ships or length-
wise, as may be found most desirable. I also apply indicators or tell-tales,
consisting of a ball floating in a chamber, and acting upon an index which
may be placed in any conspicuous place on board, so as to be seen by the
officers of the ship, which will register the depth of water in the hold.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Riley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
RILEY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Riley, Her special licence that I, the said William Riley,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Riley, 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 "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF RAISING AND LIFTING WATER FROM THE BILGE OR HOLDS OF SHIPS AND
OTHER VESSELS, AND IN A PECULIAR CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT FOR EFFECT-
ING THE SAME;" upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William

page_text: Riley, 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 Riley, 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 state-
ment (that is to say):-
This arrangement and construction for raising and lifting water has for its
object, very great economy, for raising and lifting bilge water in ships, to which
purpose it is more particularly applicable. After the water has been led into
wells (any number of which may be placed in a vessel) by an arrangement of
valves opening one way, it flows into the apparatus which I purpose calling
"Riley's pump," which consists of a water-tight framing balanced on a centre
having a number of inclined planes in a zig-zag position; in each of these
inclined planes is a valve opening upwards only, so that when a vessel is rolling
and the "pump" kept stationary the rolling motion will raise the water from
one inclined plane to another, until it reaches above the water line or on deck,
when it can be allowed to flow into the sea. Again, when a vessel is quite
steady, by oscillating the "pump" it will raise the water from the wells in the
manner.described; hand or other power may be used, very little being required.
The quantity of water which can be raised by this method would in many
cases be very useful in the event of fire in any part of a vessel; by opening a
tap which might be placed convenient to the wells in the bottom of the vessel
a very large quantity of water.could be. raised and might save "scuttling."
Where water power is used and water scarce, by using my "pump," the
oscillating motion being given from the wheel shaft, a large quantity of the
same water could be used again; but these my said improvements will be more
clearly understood by referring to the accompanying Sheet of. Drawings, and to.
the letters of reference thereon.
Fig. 1. is a plan view of an arrangement for bringing the water to the wells;
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of my "pump" arrangement; Fig 3 is a bird's-
eye view of my "pump;" and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a "tell-tale" or
indicator for shewing the depth of water in the wells.. a represents boards or
plates of iron or wood placed under the keelson at the bow and stern, and at
the bilge amidships in an angular position between the beams or ribs 6; c, the

page_text: valves in the boards or plates a; d the wells, when a vessel rolls the water
being thrown to the one side will open the valves c, and flow to the other side,
and so on from side to side until it empties itself into the wells; this arrange-
ment may be carried through any of the bulkheads if considered necessary.
e, the framing of the "pump;" f, the centre on which it is suspended; .9, the
inclined planes; h, flat valves in the same; I, the valves for allowing the water
to enter the pump; j, supposed hull or shell of a vessel; k, partition or ceiling
of the same radius as the "pump;" l, valves to allow the water in the bilge
being forced into or through the ceiling or partitión k; any water in the bilge
space m will therefore, by each successive roll of the ship, be forced through
the valves 1, l, into or through the ceiling or partition k, thence through the
valves I, into the "pump," where each roll will carry it up the inclined planes
g, until it reaches the top, where it empties itself into a pipe by the nozzle n,
this pipe may be either on deck or above the water line. When the pump is
made to oscillate to raise the water it is made to flow from the bilge and else-
where to the wells in the same way, thence through the valves 1, into the
ceiling or vessel k, the scoops or boats o on each side of the pump then lift it'
each oscillation; the water thus lifted passes into the pump by the valves p, p,
thence to the deck or above the water line, where it flows into the sea from
the pipe q, which is made of the proper curve, and has a groove in it to keep
the nozzle n in its place.
In Fig. 4, a' represents the float, which I make air-tight of copper or other
metal fastened to a rod and chain 6', sliding in a tube c', the chain 6. passes
over a pulley d¹, and has attached a number of weights, on each of which is a
lever or catch e¹, which press against the hammer f¹ as it rises, and causes it
to strike the bell or gong every inch or more as arranged. This arrangement
would shew at all times the depth of water in the hold, and could be placed
convenient to the officers' berths.
Having now fully described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the
details herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing
from the principle of the same; but what I claim as my Invention, and which
to the best of my knowledge and belief has not been hitherto used within the
realm is,
Firstly, the angular. or zig-zag arrangement with valves for leading or
bringing the bilge water from any part of a vessel to wells by the motion of
the said vessels.
..And secondly, the "pump" hung on its axis, consisting of an arrangement

page_text: of inclined planes also in a zig-zag manner, with valves for raising and lifting
water, either by the rolling motion of a ship, or by the oscillation of the
pump by hand or other power, all as described, and for the purposes set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Riley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
In the presence of
JOHN I. KING, Patent Agent,
WILLIAM RILEY. (L.S.)
4, Clayton Square, Liverpool.