1851 Great Exhibition: Official Catalogue: Class V.: Henry Bessemer
421. BESSEMER, HENRY, Baxter House, St. Pancras Road — Patentee and Manufacturer.
1. A centrifugal disc pump for land and sewer drainage, which is said to be capable of discharging 20 tons of water per minute, and will drain one acre of land per hour, if covered with one foot depth of water. The distinguishing features of this apparatus, are, its combination with the steam-engine (the disc and shaft of the pump serving also the purpose of fly-wheel and shaft to the engine), and the absence of all intermediate gearing, or any form of piston, slider, valve, stuffing-box, or rubbing surface of any kind whatever in the pump; its great power in proportion to its weight, the small space it occupies, and the cheap rate at which, from its simplicity, it can be manufactured in comparison with other descriptions of pump.
2. Model of a pump for steam-ships, being a precise copy of the exhibitor's original patent for the centrifugal disc, dated 5th December, 1845. The model will lift one ton per minute 20 feet high. The pump-case is divided into two compartments, in one of which is a centrifugal disc, and in the other a pair of emissive steam-arms, fixed on the axis of the pump, whereby a rotary motion is given to the disc, whenever steam is admitted to the arms. It therefore contains its own steam power, and may be used at any time to pump the ship, even though her engines may be disabled. The full-sized pump, with a case of 3 feet 6 inches in diameter and 20 inches wide, will discharge from the ship 10 tons of water per minute.
3. A centrifugal disc pump for locomotive engines; it is self-acting, and will therefore supply water to the boiler while the engine is at rest. It consists of only one moving piece; has no valve, piston, slider, or stuffing-box; therefore neither steam nor water can leak from it. It is intended to run the vertical axis on a mineral bearing, which requires no oil or lubricating matter: all heat from friction of the axis is prevented, by the axis being situated in the cold water supply-pipe; the action of the stone upon the axis gives it brilliant polish, but does not wear it away; and as there are no other rubbing surfaces, its stoppage or derangement is almost impossible, particularly as there are moving parts exterior to the case. The only material used is an alloy of copper, tin, and nickel. This pump is applicable to marine and stationary boilers, as it will supply them with water when the ordinary pump may be out of repair, or when the engine is stopping. The one exhibited will supply 900 gallons per how-, equal to a boiler of 130 horse-power.
4. A small model worked by hand to illustrate the principle of the centrifugal disc.