IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joshua Nickerson Rowc, of Rockland, in the
State of Maine, United States of America, but at present of 15,
Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joshua Nickerson
Rowe at the, Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th September 1875.
I,. JOSHUA NICKERSON ROWE, of Rockland, in the State of Maine,
United States of America, but at present of 15, Water Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS," to be as follows:-.
My Invention relates to certain improvements in pumps for use as
ships' pumps, land pumps, mine pumps, fire engines, or for any purpose
for which a lift or force pump is applicable, and has for its object.
simplicity of construction and compactness of parts, and the com-

page_text: A pump constructed according to my Invention consists of a box or
casting, from which leads the suction pipe or pipes. The top of the box.
is formed by preference of two inclined planes, having on their surface
clack india-rubber or other suitable-foot-valves,-being-the-suction_valves_
of the pump-proper and the delivery-valves_from_thebox... Bolted.or...
otherwise attached to this box is a cylindrical box of cast iron-or other
suitable material: This cylindrical-box-forms-the-pump proper-and-is-
set on the foot or suction box with its axis in a horizontal position. The
lower half of the pump proper is divided into two chambers by a
diaphragm, which diaphragm extends from the centre of the pump to
the apex of the inclined sides of the foot box. Within the pump there
is an oscillating or rocking plate, which has its axis coinciding with the
centre of the pump, and is held in position and is oscillated by a shaft
or king bolt," which has its bearings on each side of the pump, and is
worked by suitable levers or handles. The oscillating or rocking plate
is provided with a 'valve on each side, which valves communicate with
the suction chambers of the pump and act as delivery or discharge
valves to the pump. The plate is also provided with a suitable leather
or packing ring to form a packing between the plate and the sides and
ends of the pump. The upper part of the pump is provided with a
suitable delivery or discharge outlet, which when the pump is required
for lift purposes only is left open, but when the pump is required as as a
force pump or fire engine this discharge outlet is closed.
$6
The pump becomes a force pump or fire engine by the addition of a
plate or flange, which cuts off the upper portion of the pump and con-
stitutes an air vessel of said upper portion. There is also a diaphragm
dividing the portion of the pump between the rocking plate and the
said upper plate or flange into two chambers. The upper plate or a
Hange is provided with two delivery valves opening from the said
chambers into the top of the pump, being the air vessel. The said air
vessel or upper portion of the pump is provided with a suitable nozzle or
flange, to which a discharge pipe may be attached.
By this construction. of pump it will be seen that I obtain a double-
action lift pump or a double-action force pump or fire engine, all
combined in and nin

page_text: By preference in construction the pump is made in two pieces, bolted
or otherwise attached together. The parts can be formed in one piece
with the foot box, or bolted thereto as circumstances may require.
In the case of a ship's pump the pipes leading from the foot box to
the port and starboard sides of the vessel are arranged so that one pipe
can be plugged if necessary, that is if the vessel has a list to port or
starboard, so that the pump has always perfect action.
The advantages of a pump constructed according to my Invention are
that a better clearance of water and foreign substances is obtained,
that the parts are always of casy access, and the pump can be cleared
by any unskilled person. Also the pump can be adapted as an ordinary
lift pump or as a force pump and fire engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joshua Nickerson Rowe in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Joshua
NICKERSON ROWE, of Rockland, in the State of Maine, United States of
America, but at present of 15, Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date. the Twentieth day of September; in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Joshua Nickerson Rowe, Her
special licence, that I, the said Joshua Nickerson Rowe, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joshua
Nickerson Rowe, 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 Joshua Nickerson Rowe, my ëxécutors or admini-

page_text: strators, 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next.and.immediately after-the-date-
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joshua Nickerson Rowe, 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 :-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in pumps for use as
ships' pumps, land pumps, mine pumps, fire-engines, or for any purpose
for which a lift or force pump is applicable, and has for its object
simplicity of construction and compactness of parts, and the com-
bination of a lift pump and a force pump for fire-engine and other
purposes.
.A pump constructed according to my Invention consists of a box or
casting from which leads the suction pipe or pipes. The top of the box
is fitted with two clack india-rubber or other suitable foot valves, being
the suction valves of the pump proper and the delivery valves from the
box. Bolted or otherwise attached to this box is a cylindrical box of
cast iron or other suitable material. This cylindrical box forms the pump
proper, and is set on the foot or suction box, with its axis in a horizontal
position. The lower half of the pump proper is divided into two
chambers by a diaphragm, which diaphragm extends from the centre of
the pump to the foot box. Within the pump-there-is-an-oscillating-or-
rocking plate which has its axis coinciding with the centre of the pump,
and is held in position and is oscillated by a shaft or "king bolt,” which
has its bearings on each side of the pump, and is worked by suitable
levers or handles. The oscillating or rocking plate is provided with a
valve on each side, which valves communicate with the chambers of
the pump and act as delivery or discharge valves to the pump. The
plate is also provided with a suitable leather or other packing ring to
form a packing between the plate and the sides and ends of the pump.
The upper part of the pump is provided with a suitable delivery or
discharge outlet, which when the pump is required for lift purposes only.
is left open, but when the pump is required as a force pump or fire-
engine this discharge outlet is closed.

page_text: •
The pump becomes a force pump or fire-engine by constituting an air
vessel of the upper portion of the pump. There is also a diaphragm
dividing the portion of the pump between the rocking plate and the
said upper portion into two chambers. The said air vessel or upper
portion of the pump is provided with a suitable nozzle or flange to
which a discharge pipe may be attached.
By this construction of pump it will be seen that I obtain a double.
action lift pump, or a double action force pump or fire-engine, all
combined in one machine.
By preference in construction the pump is made in two pieces bolted
or otherwise attached together. The parts can be formed in one piece
with the foot box or bolted thereto, as circumstances may require.
In the case of a ship's pump the pipes leading from the foot box.to
the port and starboard sides of the vessel are arranged so that one pipe
can be plugged if necessary, that is if the vessel has a list to port or
starboard, so that the pump has always perfect action.
For mining and other similar purposes I construct my pump of a
cylindrical chamber, having a solid rocking plate suitably packed
working on a. king bolt or shaft, and rocking on each side of a
diaphragm which divides the chamber into two portions. On each side
of the chamber there are fitted valve boxes, being respectively suction
and discharge valve boxes. These boxes are so arranged that there are
two suction and two discharge valves on each side of the pump, thus
giving quadruple action to the pump.
Pumps constructed according to my Invention are best described by
the aid of the accompanying Drawings, which are drawn to the scale of
inch and a-half to the foot, and like letters and figures marked thereon
are used to denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a pump constructed according to
my Invention for use as a ship's pump or fire-engine; Figure 2 is an
end view of Figure 1 also in section.
Figure 3 is an outside view of pump; Figure 4 is an end view of
Figure 3.
Figures 5 6 7 8 and 9 represent a numn according to my Invention

page_text: Upon reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, A is a box or casting from
which leads the suction pipe or pipes A, A³. The top-of-the-box-A-is-
fitted with foot valves 6, 6. These-valves are the suction-valves-of-the-
pump and the delivery valves from the box A. Bolted or otherwise
.attached to the box A is a cylindrical_box B. This forms. .the_pump
proper, and is set in the box A with its axis C in a horizontal position.
The lower half of the pump is divided into two chambers D, D¹, by a
diaphragm G, which diaphragm extends from the axis C of the pump
to the top of the box A. The pump B is fitted with an oscillating or
rocking plate E, which has its axis coinciding with the centre C of the
pump. This rocking plate is held in position and is oscillated by a shaft
or king bolt 0¹, which has its bearing on each side of the pump B and is
worked by suitable gear, such as F. The oscillating or rocking plate E
is provided with valves d, d', which valves communicate with the
chambers D, D¹, of the pump B, and act as delivery or discharge
valves to the pump. The rocking plate E is provided with a suitable
leather or other packing ring to form a packing between the plate E
and the sides of the pump B at e.
The upper portion of the pump B may be left open or provided with a
suitable delivery or dischargo outlet when used for lift purposes only,
but when the pump is required as a force pump or fire-engine, the
discharge outlet is closed and the pump becomes a force pump or fire-
engine. On the top of the pump there is fitted a suitable air vessel I
provided with a nozzle or flange to which a discharge pipe may be
attached.
The box Aris provided with two shut-off valves K, K', and a nozzle K
The valves K, K', are used to shut off the suction pipes A, A¹, and the
nozzle K² is for the purpose of attaching a suction hose to, so that
the pump can obtain its supply from other source than through the
pipes A, A¹.
Referring to Figures 5 to 9 inclusive, Figure 5 is a sectional elevation
of a pump constructed according to my Invention for mining purposes;
Figure 6 is an outside view of same; Figure 7 is a section through
A, B, Figure 5; Figure 8 is a section through C, D, Figure 7; Figure 9
is a section through E, F, Figure 7.
Upon reference it will be seen that the pump B is divided into two
chambers by the diaphragm L. Each chamber is provided with a

page_text: suction and discharge valve at m, m², m³, m³. The suction valves are
shown at O, O¹, 0%, 0%, Figure 9, and the discharge valves at P, P¹,
P³, P³, Figure 8; S, Figure 7, is the suction pipe, and T, the discharge
pipe; V, Figure 7, is the suction valve box; and W, the discharge
valve box; X is an additional discharge branch which may be used if
necessary.
suction and discharge valve at m, m², m³, m³. The suction valves are
shown at 0, 0¹, O³, O³, Figure 9, and the discharge valves at P, P¹,
P, P, Figure 8; S, Figure 7, is the suction pipe, and T, the discharge
pipe; V, Figure 7, is the suction valve box; and W, the discharge
valve box; X is an additional discharge branch which may be used if
necessary.
The shaft
may be worked by any suitable means so as to rock or
oscillate the plate E. .
By the construction of pumps as before described it will be seen that I
obtain a double-action lift pump, or a double-action force pump or a
fire-engine all combined in one machine.
In the case of a ship's pump the pipes leading from the foot box to
the port and starboard sides of the vessel may be arranged, so that one
pipe can be plugged if necessary, that is, if the vessel has a list to port
or starboard, the respective suction pipes may be plugged as required...
The advantages of a pump constructed according to my Invention are
that a better clearance of water and foreign substances is obtained, that
the parts are always of easy access, and the pump can be cleared by any
unskilled person; also the pump can be adapted as an ordinary lift
pump, or as a force pump and fire engine.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature, object, and
purposes of this my Invention, and shown how the same may be carried
out into practice, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the particular dimensions or precise arrangement of parts as
shown in the accompanying Drawings, as the same may be considerably
altered without departing from my Invention, but what I claim as my
Invention and secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is,-
Firstly. In a lift or force pump the construction, application, and use
of a rocking or oscillating plate (with or without valves) such as E,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes described in the before-
going Specification.
Secondly. The rocking or oscillating plate E. and numn R. and sole

page_text: вресшей.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joshua Nickerson Rowe, have here- 1
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
JOSHUA NICKERSON (L.s.) ROWE.