(E2019.003.001)
These valves are made out of brass, leather and steal. The working pipe is a brass pipe located in the bottom of an oil well the valves are inside and can be taken out of the pipe to be viewed and handled.
The lower valve would remain in the bottom of the oil well and would serve as a check valve when pumping oil. The lower and upper valves can be screwed together but normally they would be separated within the actual working pump.
The upper valve would travel with the pump as it moved up and down. The brass ball bearings would move within their cages to help lift the oil out of the ground. Leather cups were used as seals within the valves to prevent the air from getting into the pump which would interfere with the suction action within the pump to draw up oil or water. This mechanical device would have needed to been manufactured in one of the local machine shops in Lambton County since it requires specialized lathes and engineering beyond the capabilities of the local blacksmith. Today the leather cups are still hand made in Bain's machine shop in Petrolia ON
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