IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS
Year: 1884

page_text: "
I, ROBERT MILLS, of Dock Breast Greenock, in the county of Renfrew, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of improvements in pumps of the kind described in the
Specification of Letters Patent No 88 granted to me and dated 13th January 1871,
the main object of the improvements being to adapt such pumps for forcing water
or to serve as fire engines, as well as for simply raising water, and to render them
interchangeable from lifting pumps to force pumps or vice-versa.
For this purpose I form the improved pumps with a central barrel and plunger,
on each side of which is formed a valve chamber directly over. the suction pipe
as described in the aforementioned Specification, but I provide for closing down
temporarily the upper valves through which the water passes to the open discharge
well, and I connect to each valve chamber below such valves, a branch pipe
projecting laterally from the side of each valve chamber of the pump and kneed or
bent upwards to communicate with a valve chamber provided with a valve for each
branch which valves form the discharge valves of the pump when used as a force
pump. Over each valve in this valve chamber a movable cover is secured, and
through it passes a screw spindle or similar device by means of which the valve
below may be fixed down and prevented from rising when the pump is to be used
as a lift pump, the ordinary discharge valves in the main valve chambers being
then free to rise.
A coupling nozzle of ordinary form is formed on the additional valve chamber,
to which a flexible or other hose pipe may be coupled and an air vessel is also fitted
in connection with this valve chamber. The discharge valves in the open well of
the pump may be fixed down temporarily by means of screws passing through
bridges formed over them in the well, or by cross bars retained by snugs cast on
the sides of the well or by devices of a similar kind which permit of ready removal
to free the valves.
When the pump is to be used as a lift pump the valves in the covered valve
chamber are fastened down, or a screw cap is fitted over the coupling nozzle to
D
227

page_text: prevent the passage of the water and the discharge valves in the open pump well
are left free to rise, so that the water is discharged therethrough to the ordinary
outlet; and when the pump is to be used as a force pump or fire engine, the
ordinary discharge valves in the well are fastened down, and the valves in the
covered valve chamber freed, or the cap unscrewed so that the water is discharged
through the covered valve chamber under pressure.
The pump may be made to serve both as a force pump and as a lift pump at
the same time by leaving the discharge valve in one of the valve chambers free
to rise while the corresponding valve in the covered valve chamber is fastened
down.
DL::-11-
1004

page_text: "
I ROBERT MILLS of Dock Breast Greenock in the county of Renfrew Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPS
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention consists of improvements in pumps of the kind described in
the Specification of Letters Patent No 88 granted to me and dated 13th January
1871 the main object of the improvements being to adapt such pumps for forcing
water or to serve as fire engines as well as for simply raising water and to render
them interchangeable from lifting pumps to force pumps or vice versa.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention figure 1 is a
sectional end elevation figure 2 is a side elevation figure 3 is a plan and figure 4 is
a section at right angles to the view shown in figure 1 of a modification of my
improved pump.
I form the improved pump with a central barrel A and plunger B on each side
of which is formed a valve chamber C and C¹ directly over the suction pipe or
pipes D D' from the main and bilge as described in the aforementioned
Specification but I provide for closing down temporarily the upper valves E E¹
through which the water passes to the open dischargo well F and I connect to each
valve chamber C and C below such valves branch pipes G and G¹ projecting
laterally from the side of each valve chamber of the pump and kneed or bent
upwards to communicate with a valve chamber H provided with a valve I for each
branch which valves form the discharge valves of the pump when used as a forco
pump. Over each valve in this valvo chamber H a moveable cover H' is secured
and through it passes a screw spindle or similar device h by means of which the
valve I below may be fixed down and prevented from rising when the pump is to
be used as a lift pump the ordinary discharge valves E E' in the main valve
chambers C C¹ being then free to rise. This arrangement of the valves is indicated
by the drawings.
A coupling nozzle J of ordinary form is formed on the additional valve
chamber H to which a flexible or other hose pipe may be coupled and an air
vessel K is also fitted in connection with this valvo chamber. The discharge
valves E E in the open well of the pump may be fixed down temporarily by
means of screws passing through bridges formed over them in the well or by cross
bars L retained by snugs L' cast on the sides of the well or by devices of a similar
kind which permit of ready removal to free the valves.
l
When the pump is to be used as a lift pump the valves I in the covered valve
chamber H are fastened down or a screw cap M is fitted over the coupling nozzle J
to prevent the passage of the water and the discharge valves E El in the open
pump well are left free to rise so that the water is discharged there through to the
ordinary outlet F F and when the pump is to be used as a force pump or fire
engine the ordinary discharge valves E E¹ in the well are fastened down and the
valves I in the covered valve chamber H freed or the cap M unscrewed so that the
water is discharged through the covered valve chamber under pressure,

page_text: The pump may be made to serve both as a force pump and as a lift pump at the
same time by leaving the discharge valve E in one of the valve chambers Û free to
rise while the corresponding valve I in the covered valve chamber H is fastened
down.
When the pump is used as a ship's pump and is employed for lifting water from
the sea a separate pipe N is formed on the pump having a coupling and cap N¹ for
attaching a hose or other pipe leading from the side of the vessel; and the
connection with the main and bilge pipes D D' is cut off by fitting plugs n n¹ in
them so that the pump draws from the sea.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The combination of parts forming the improved lifting and force pump
substantially as herein described and illustrated.