Figs. 220, 221.

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In this improved pumping motion, which is shown in [Figs. 220, 221], the two bell-crank levers H and K, working the pump buckets, are centred one above the other, the upper one being inverted; the vertical arms are slotted, and are both actuated by the same crank-pin working in the slots, the revolution of the crank thus giving an oscillating movement to the two levers through the extent of the arcs shown by the dotted lines in [Fig. 220]. The solid pump-rod E suspending the bottom bucket D is attached to the upper bell-crank lever K, and the hollow rod G of the top bucket is suspended from the lower lever H; the crank-shaft J working the levers is made to revolve in the direction shown by the arrow in [Fig. 220], by means of gearing driven by the horizontal steam-engine P.

The result of this arrangement is, that in the revolution of the crank the dead point of one of the levers is passed before that of the other is reached; so that the bucket which first comes to rest at the end of its stroke is started into motion again before the second bucket comes to rest. Thus in the lifting stroke of the bottom bucket worked by the upper lever K, the bucket in ascending has only reached the position shown at D in [Fig. 220], at the moment when the top bucket worked by the lower lever H arrives at the bottom extremity of its stroke, and the bottom bucket D, which is still rising, continues to lift until it reaches its highest position, by which time the top bucket has got well into motion in its up stroke, and is in its turn lifting the water.

[CHAPTER VII.]
EXAMPLES OF WELLS EXECUTED, AND OF DISTRICTS SUPPLIED BY WELLS.