64 



IMPROVED PUMP. 



Improved 

 pump for 

 •inking of 

 wells, mine- 

 shafts, Sec. 



XV. 



Description of an improved Pump for raising the Water from 

 Wells or Mines, while sinking o? making. By Mr. William 

 B run ton, of Butter ley Iron Works, in Derbyshire*. Ex- 

 traded from the Transactions of the Society of Arts, pub' 

 lished in the Year 1812. 



THE contriver of this pump, previous to entering upon a 

 description of his drawings, gives the following statement 

 of the inconveniences he proposes to obviate. 



First, as it is necessary for the pumps, whilst sinking, to be 

 always working upon air, that the water may be kept very 

 low in the pit, the engine of course frequently goes too fast, 

 and carries up, by the violence of the current, small pieces of 

 stone, coal, of* other substances, and lodges them abofe the 

 bucket, which must considerably retard the working of the 

 pump, and wear the leather, 



Secondly, When the engine is set to work, (after having been 

 stopt whilst working upon air, and consequently a quantity of 

 air remaining in the suction-pipe, with the small stones, &c. 

 deposited on the valves of the bucket) it often happens, that 

 the compression of the air, by the descent of the bucket, is 

 not sufficient to overcome the weight of the bucket valves so 

 loaded with rubbish, and the column of water in the stand 

 pipes, the pump is hereby prevented from catching its water > 

 the usual remedy for which is, to draw the bucket oui of the 

 working barrel, until a quantity of water has escaped by its 

 sides, and displaced the air. Observe here, that tint oiten hap- 

 pens from the unnecessary magnitude of the space between the 

 bucket and clack. 



Thirdly, The pumps are suspended in the pit by capstan 

 ropes, for the purpose of being readily lowered as the pit is 

 sunk j the stretching of the ropes, (especially when . sinking 

 in soft strata,) occasions much trouble, by suffering the pumps 

 to choke j but the most serious evil is, that the sinkers, in 

 shifting the pumps from one place to another, throw them very 

 far out of perpendicular, thereby causing immense friction, 



• For which the »ilver medal was voted. 



and 





