Improvements in Pumps.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1893-Accepted, 8th July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pumps.
We ROBERT ORLANDO GRAHAM, Doctor of Philosophy and FRED CLINTON
SMITH, Oil Manufacturer both of Bloomington in the County of McLean and
State of Illinois, United States of America do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in pumps to be used in connection with
the ordinary portable oil cans or other vessels for filling or supplying oil or other
liquids to lamps or other vessels.
The ordinary manner of filling coal oil lamps by bodily lifting and tilting the
can containing the oil, so that the contents thereof will flow through the nozzle
into the lamp, is not only a dirty; disagreeable and laborious operation, but is also
very dangerous owing to the liability of the lamp to overflow, and the oil to be
spilled, which frequently results in serious fires, destructive to life and property.
The object of our invention is to provide a pump which can be readily placed
within an oil can and removed therefrom when desired, and by which a lamp can
be filled in a rapid and efficient manner without any liability of overflowing the
lamp, and without the disadvantages resulting from the ordinary manner of filling.
lamps.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts,
hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawing
:
Figure 1, is a perspective view of an oil can, partly broken away, showing a
pump constructed in accordance with our invention, located within the same;
Figure 2, is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the center of what we
term the supply barrel and pipes by which the oil is supplied to the lamp;
Figure 3, is a similar view of the return barrel and pipes by which any surplus
oil supplied to the lamp is conducted back to the can, thus preventing overflow of
the lamp;
Figure 4, is a detail perspective view of the nozzle for the supply and return.
pipes.
In the said drawing, the reference numeral 1 designates a vertical barrel or
tube, of any suitable size, provided at its lower end with an upwardly opening
valve 2; and with a piston or plunger 3, with which is connected a rod 4, by which
the same is operated. Near its upper end, the barrel 1 is provided with an
opening 5, through which any oil which may accumulate above the piston's is
forced into the can. At a short distance above the valve 2, is a lateral pipe 6,
connected and communicating with a small barrel or tube 7, provided with an
upwardly opening valve 8, just above the said pipe 6. Connected with this tube 7,
is a vertical pipe 9; over the upper end of which telescopes a pipe 10, adapted to
extend above the top of the can, and soldered into the funnel of the nozzle shown
in Figure 4.
The object of telescoping the pipe 10 upon the pipe 9, is to enable it to be
moved vertically, so as to allow it to be adjusted to suit lamps of different heights,
which rest upon the top of the can, during the operation of filling.
The numeral 12 designates what we term the return barrel or tube, closed at
each end and provided with a piston or plunger 13, and an upwardly opening
valve 12ª. This plunger or piston is provided with a valve 14, so constructed as
o cause the liquid when it has reached the nozzle tip to be siphoned back or
irawn back into the can through the return barrel 12 and is provided with an
operating rod 15 passing through an opening in the end of the barrel, connected

page_text: with rod 4, by means of a yoke 16, so that both rods will move in unison. Near
its upper end, barrel 12, is formed with an opening 17, for the escape of the oil
into the can, and near its lower end is provided with an upwardly-extending pipe 18,
over which telescopes a pipe 19, having its upper end soldered into the funnel of
the nozzle.
The barrel 12, while entirely separate and independent of barrel 1, with respect
to its operation, is preferably cast or formed integral therewith, for the purpose of
economizing in cost and in the space occupied in the can.
The operation will be readily understood: The pump is inserted in a can
through a suitable opening in the top thereof, with the piston rods, and the
pipes 10 and 19, projecting up above said top. The lamp to be filled is placed
upon the top of the can, as seen in Figure 1, and the pipes 10 and 19 vertically
adjusted so that the nozzle shown in Figure 4 will extend into the filling aperture
therein. By now reciprocating or moving the connected rods 4 and 15 up and
down, the pistons or plungers thereof, will be correspondingly operated and the
piston 3 will cause the valve 2 to open upon its upstroke, causing the oil from the
can to be admitted into the barrel. Upon the down-stroke the valve 2 will close
and valve 8 will open, and the oil be forced into the lamp, as will be well under-
stood. When the oil in the lamp shall have reached the proper level in the lamp,
which is determined by the depth to which the nozzle shown in Figure 4 extends
thereinto, any excess of oil will be drawn through said pipe into barrel 12, and
through the medium of the piston 13, and its valve 14, be drawn out or siphoned
out through the nozzle into the can.
This invention will be found especially valuable in filling metal lamps or smaller
cans in which it is impossible to see the oil contained therein.
While the invention is more particularly intended for filling lamps, it is obvious
that it can be used with advantage for other purposes and with other liquids than
oil, in which any excess of liquid pumped thereby is automatically returned to the
source of supply without overflowing the receiving receptacle.
In Figure 4 we have shown a nozzle which is employed at the upper ends of
the return and supply pipes, consisting of a single bent tube widened at one end
into a flattened funnel shape, and soldered over the ends of the supply and return
telescope tubes, in such a manner as to conduct the liquid from the supply tube to
the vessel, and from the vessel to the return tube.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In a pump of the character described, the combination with the supply
barrel having an upwardly opening valve in its lower end, the solid piston or
plunger and its operating rod, the lateral pipe above said valve, the barrel con-
nected with said pipe provided with upwardly opening valves, and the supply pipe
adapted to be inserted into a lamp, of the return barrel closed at its lower end,
and having an escape opening near its upper end, a piston or plunger provided with
an upwardly opening valve of such construction as to allow of the siphoning or
drawing back of the liquid through the return barrel, the operating rod connected
with the operating rod of the supply barrel, and the upwardly extending pipe
connected with the lower end of the said return barrel, and adapted to be inserted
in the filling aperture of a lamp, substantially as set forth.
2. In a pump of the character described, the combination with the supply. barrel
having au upwardly opening valve in its lower end, the solid piston or plunger and
its operating rod, the lateral pipe connected with the barrel above said valve, the
barrel also connected with said pipe provided with an upwardly opening valve, the
vertical pipe connected with the barrel and the adjustable pipe fitting upon said
vertical pipe having its upper end soldered into the funnel of the supply and
return nozzle adapted to be inserted into the filling aperture of a lamp, of the
return barrel closed at its lower end and having an escape opening near its upper

page_text: end, and an upwardly opening valve near its lower end, a piston or plunger having
an upwardly opening valve, allowing of the siphoning or drawing of the liquid
from the lamp back into the can through the return barrel, an operating rod con-
nected with said piston and with the operating rod of the piston in the supply
barrel, the upwardly extending pipe connected with the lower end of said return
barrel, and the adjustable pipe fitting upon said vertical pipe, and having its upper
end soldered into the funnel of the supply and return nozzle adapted to be inserted
in the filling aperture of opening of a lamp, substantially as specified.
Dated this 16th day of May 1893.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.