IM- PROVEMENTS IN PISTONS FOR PUMPS, STEAM ENGINES, OR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Birkbeck, of the Firm of Tongue and
Birkbeck, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County.
of Middlesex, Patent Agents and Engineers, for. the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PISTONS FOR PUMPS, STEAM ENGINES, OR OTHER PURPOSES."-
A communication from abroad by Narcisse Ponche, Manufacturer, Joseph
Scellier, Locksmith, and Marie Pierre André Brasseur, Merchant, all of
Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 9th August 1861, and dated the 5th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. George Henry Birkbeck
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on-
the 5th March 1861.
I, GEORGE HENRY BIRKBECK, of the Firm of Tongue and-Birkbeck, of 34,.
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agents and Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTONS FOR PUMPS, STEAM ENGINES, OR OTHER PURPOSES,"
to be as follows:
This Invention relates to the construction of pistons suitable for steam or
other engines, or for the pistons, buckets, or plungers of water, 'air, or other
pumps, by which a tight joint is obtained between the piston and the interior
of the cylinder or body of the pump in which it is to work. For this purpose,.
when the piston or plunger is required to be single-acting a series of narrow,
plates, formed with bevil edges, are combined and fitted together so as to form.
4

page_text: a slightly conical ring, one end of each plate being attached to an internal
ring; forming the body of the piston or plunger, and to which the piston rod is
connected. The other ends of the plates are capable of being expanded by
means of a circular plate (fitting the interior cone of the piston,) which is
capable of being "set" up by screws, so as to cause the outer circumference of
the conical piston to expand, and thus accurately fit the interior of the cylinder
in which it is to work. Pistons of this description may be made with two
conical cylinders, as above described, placed with the two internal rings or
bodies against one another, so as to expand at each end, and thus make a
tight joint at both ends when the piston or plunger is required to work with a
double action, and they may be made of metal, wood, or other suitable material,
or of metal, wood, or other materials combined.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Henry Birkbeck in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HENRY BIRKBECK, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, of 34, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents and
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Henry Birkbeck, Her special licence that I, the said George Henry
Birkbeck, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
the said George Henry Birkbeck, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PISTONS FOR PUMPS, STEAM ENGINES, OR OTHER PURPOSES," a
communication to me from abroad by Narcisse Ponche, Manufacturer, Joseph
Scellier, Locksmith, and Marie Pierre André Brasseur, Merchant, all of
Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Henry Birkbeck, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,.

page_text: 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'imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Henry Birkbeck, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the construction of pistons suitable for steam or:
other engines, or for the pistons, buckets, or plungers of water, air, or other.
pumps, by which a tight joint is obtained between the piston and the interior.
of the cylinder or body of the pump in which it is to work. For this purpose,
when the piston or plunger is required to be single-acting, a series of narrow
plates formed with bevil edges are combined and fitted together, so as to form
a slightly conical ring, one end of each plate being attached to an internal ring,
forming the body of the piston or plunger, and to which the piston rod is con-
nected. The other ends of the plates are capable of being expanded by means
of a circular plate (fitting the interior cone of the piston), which is capable of
being "set" up by screws, so as to cause the outer circumference of the conical
piston to expand, and thus accurately fit the interior of the cylinder in which
it is to work. Pistons of this description may be made with two conical
cylinders, as above described, placed with the two internal rings or bodies
against one another, so as to expand at each end, and thus make a tight joint
at both ends when the piston or plunger is required to work with a double
action, and they may be made of metal, wood, or other suitable material, or
of metal, wood, or other materials combined.
:
And in order that the Invention may be most fully understood I will
proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews an external view, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 is a vertical
section of a metallic piston constructed according to this Invention suitable for
working in a double-action pump. This piston is formed by the two cones A
and B connected together, as shewn, between which a washer C of lead or
other suitable material is inserted. The cones A and B are composed of a
series of metal plates I, the edges of which are bevilled and put together in
such manner as to form a conical cylinder, which is fixed upon the piston rod
by keying or otherwise. E and E' are metal discs or plates, which are made.
of such diameter as to fit in, at, or near the larger end of the cones; they are

page_text: capable of adjustment by drawing together or "setting up" by means of the
bolts and nuts e, e, which draw together the plates down the inner conical
sides of the piston, so as to 'cause, a sufficient enlargement or expansion of the
outer circumference of each end of the piston; to form a perfectly tight joint
with the internal surface of the cylinder in which it is required to work.
From the foregoing description, it will be readily understood how to con-
struct a piston on the same principle suitable for a single-acting pump, one of
the cones only in this case being required.: Pistons, of this construction possess
sufficient elasticity to cause the exterior circumference of the plates which form
the piston to fit the inner circumference of the cylinders accurately, thus
forming a perfectly tight joint whilst travelling to and fro therein.
By dispensing altogether with leather,, hemp, india-rubber, and other,
packings, these pistons are rendered; much more simple in construction than
pistons in general, where segments, packing rings, and springs are required,
which frequently get out of order, whereas pistons of, this improved construction
seldom require attention, except to set up or expand the parts a little as they
become worn by continued use..
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the, manner, of
putting the same into practice, it should be clearly understood that the arrange-
ment and construction of the parts may be greatly varied without departing
from the principle of the Invention; which consists in arranging and com-
bining a series of narrow plates with. .bevilled' edges into a circle, to form
a piston, such plates being capable of being expanded so as to fit the interior.
circumference of the pump' barrels or cylinders in which they work, as herein
described.
::
In witness whereof, I, the said George Henry Birkbeck, have hereunto
set my hand. and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one:
GEORGE HENRY BIRKBECK. (L.S.)