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June 17, 2005

Early motorised pump

The Interschutz exposition included a number of displays by museums and preservation groups. This early converted manual pump has a small two-cylinder "Diesel" engine fitted which employs a lever mounted to a fixed point on the flywheel to operate the pump handle.

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The engine mounted on this converted manual pump from the late 19th Century.

It is a two-cylinder positive displacement pump with the usual air vessel stabiliser between the cylinders. The original handles have been removed and a link created from the end of the swinging handle to the flywheel of the engine. As the engine turns, the handles operate the pump pistons, and the water flows. A creative conversion of old equipment to "modernise" it.

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The motor linked to the handles. Note the swing limiter device!

As there was no placard that I could find to give any details of its date of build, capacity, or the power rating of the small motor, this is all I can give on it. The whole was still horse-drawn going by the front axle and drawing assembly, so I would put it as being in use from sometime in the late 1880's to around 1935.

If anyone can give a more accurate estimate - or a factual dating - I would be very interested to know. A closer inspection showed that it has been very well restored and maintained, evidently is still run for demonstrations, and was extremely well engineered to begin with.

Definitely an anorak's dream show!

Posted by The Gray Monk at June 17, 2005 07:30 AM