IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PUMPING ELASTIC FLUIDS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Henry George Wells, of 2, Sandhurst Villas,
Binfield Road, Stockwell, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
PUMPING ELASTIC FLUIDS."
Sealed the 13th June 1862, and dated the 19th December 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Henry George
Wells at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th December 1861.
I, JOSEPH HENRY GEORGE WELLS, of 2, Sandhurst Villas, Binfield Road,
Stockwell, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
APPARATUS FOR PUMPING ELASTIC FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
In describing the nature of this Invention I shall confine the description to
the pumping of gas from the retort to the gasholder, but the principle is also
applicable to the pumping of every elastic fluid. The accompanying Drawing,
which is a vertical section of the pump, will explain the method of conducting
the gas from the retort to the gasholder.
A is a cylinder, divided into two chambers A¹ and A", A¹ being the inlet
chamber, and filled with water, and A" the outlet chamber partly filled with
water, as shewn. In this cylinder are three tubes B, C, and D, B being the
inlet tube bent at the top, so that the mouth of same shall be in the water in the

page_text: chamber A¹; C is a tube connecting the two chambers A' and A", the lower
part of this tube also being inserted in the water, as shewn ; D is the outlet
tube; E is another cylinder of a larger diameter than the cylinder A, but con-
nected to the latter, so as to contain water in the space between them; F is a
piston or iron vessel open at the bottom, and inverted into the said water
between the two cylinders, having perfect freedom to rise and fall, and guided
by upright rods G, G, fixed to the said outer cylinder E; H is a rod con-
necting the piston to a motive power. To put the pump into operation, water
is first placed in both chambers, and between the outer and inner cylinders.
The piston F, having been put in motion to make its upward stroke, a
vacuum is created above the water in the chamber A', which is immediately
filled with gas from the inlet pipe B, and on the downward stroke of the piston
the gas which is above the water in the said chamber A¹ not being able to
make its escape is necessarily forced through the pipe C, and rising through
the water into the chamber A" is conducted by the pipe D into the gasholder.
Indicators to shew the height of water or other fluids in the different chambers
or otherwise would have to be used, but are not shewn on the accompanying
Drawing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Henry George Wells in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
HENRY GEORGE WELLS, of 2, Sandhurst Villas, Binfield Road, Stockwell, in
the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Henry George Wells, Her special licence that I, the said
Joseph Henry George Wells, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Joseph Henry George Wells, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PUMPING

page_text: .
ELASTIC FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Henry George Wells, 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 Joseph Henry George Wells, 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:
In describing the nature of this Invention, I shall confine the description
to the pumping of gas from the retort to the gasholder, but the principle is
also applicable to the pumping of every elastic fluid.
The accompanying Drawing illustrates my Invention, in which Fig. 1 is a
vertical section of the pump; Fig. 2 is a transverse section at A, B, Fig. 1;
and Fig. 3 is also a transverse section at C, D, Fig. 1.
E is a cylinder divided into two chambers E¹ and E"; E' is the inlet
chamber, and is partly filled with water, and E" is the outlet chamber, also
partly filled with water. In this cylinder are four tubes F, G, H, and J;
F and Gare-the inlet tubes, and H, J, the outlet tubes. The tube F is con-
nected to the retort & the other end of the tube enters the inlet chamber E¹,
so that the mouth of the tube shall be in the water, as shewn. The tube G
is also connected to the inlet chamber, and extends above the cylinder E, as
shewn. The tube H, which is one of the outlet tubes, must also enter the
water, as shewn, and the mouth of the tube J must be above the water in the
chamber E; the other end of the tube leading to the retort or otherwise;
K is another cylinder of a larger diameter than the cylinder E, but connected
to the latter, so as to contain water in the space between them; L is a piston
or iron vessel (which may be made of other material), open at the bottom, and
inverted into the water between the 2 cylinders E and K, having perfect
freedom to rise and fall, and guided by upright rods M, M, fixed to the said
outer cylinder K; N is a rod connecting the piston to a motive power. To
put the pump into operation water is first placed in both chambers, as shewn,
and between the outer and inner cylinders. The piston L having been put in
motion to make its upward stroke, a vacuum is created above the water in
the chamber E', which is immediately filled with gas from the inlet tube F,
& the gas passing up the tube G fills the piston or iron vessel L, and on the
downward stroke of the piston or iron vessel the gas which is in same not

page_text: being able to make its escape through the inlet tube F by reason of the water,
which forms a valve, is necessarily forced through the tube H, and rising
through the water into the chamber E" is, conducted by the pipe J into the
gasholder. The water in the chamber E" also serves as a valve to prevent
the return of the gas on the upward stroke of the piston. Indicators to shew
the height of water or any other non-elastic fluids in the different chambers,
or otherwise would have to be used, but are not shewn on the accompanying
Drawing.
Having thus described the particulars and nature of my said Invention, I
wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the position of the
chambers E' and E", nor to the position of the various tubes; but what I
claim is the method of pumping elastic fluids, as herein shewn and described,
using for valves water or any other non-elastic fluid.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Henry George Wells, have here-
. unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
J. H. G. WELLS. (L.S.)