Improvements in Steam Engine Air Pumps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1894
ද
Complete Specification Left, 12th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 9th Mar.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Engine Air Pumps.
I, FREDERICK EDWARDS 62 Bishopsgate Street Within London E.C. do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Many pumps in use at the present time lift both the water and vapour, for this
purpose they are fitted with foot valves and bucket valves, and pressure is required
in the condenser to drive the air and vapour through the water into the pump, (that
is to say) the water in the pump, and at its base forms a resistance to the air and
vapour, and so increases the pressure, which consequently reduces the vacuum ;
pressure is also required to raise the water up to the necessary height in the pump
barrel; whereas in my invention no pressure is required in the condenser to raise
the water in the barrel and the air and vapour do not pass through the water;
consequently the pressure to make them do so is not required.
The water and air, or vapour, can both flow into the barrel of the pump at the
same time, separately or mixed; and, if the water has any effect at all on the
vapour,
it has a tendency to take the vapour in with it.
The area through the valve seatings in many pumps of the present day is
comparatively very much contracted, thereby reducing the efficiency of the pump;
in my pump, I convert the bucket into a piston-valve; consequently no foot-valves
or bucket-valves are required; while the inlet area can be enormously increased,
and can be made any desired size.
The forms of the inlet-openings can be made as shown in the plan, or diagonal.
Referring to the plan.
In this method of applying my invention, the bucket is used as a piston valve ;
the water and vapour are lifted, and pressure is not required in the condenser to
lift the water, it being forced up and lifted by mechanical means and not by
pressure.
The bottom of the pump and of the bucket are so formed that the bottom of the
bucket tends to force the water at considerable velocity through the openings on
to the top of the bucket.
'
The water in travelling through the openings into the barrel tends to take the
vapour
and air in with it.
The
top
of the bucket is flat, the underside of the head-valve-seating being also
flat, so that the bucket may work up as closely to the head-valve-seat as is
practically possible, in fact almost touching it, in order that as much air, vapour
and water may be expelled as can be.
Or the top of the bucket can be made of such a form as may be found most
suitable.
It may be so made that it may scoop up the necessary amount of water per
stroke.
In any case, the under-side of the head-valve-seat must be made to correspond
in form with the upper side of the bucket, so that the bucket may work up to the
under-side of the head-valve or bead-valve-seat as closely as is practically possible,
in fact almost touching it.
Dated this 12th day of March 1894.
TAD
DDA

page_text: Improvements in Steam Engine Air Pumps.
I, FREDERICK EDWARDS, of 62 Bishopsgate Street Within, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention has reference to the improved construction of steam engine air
pumps hereinafter described with reference to the drawings in which construction
the air and vapour are admitted to the pump barrel without having to be forced
through the water in the barrel or in the chamber which supplies the barrel, and
less pressure is required in the condenser than is necessary to cause the air and
vapour to enter the barrel of an ordinary air pump.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings,
Fig. 1 shows in central vertical section so much of a steam engine air pump
constructed according to my invention as is needful to an understanding of my
improvements, and
Fig. 2 is a half horizontal section, partly on line W X and partly on line Y Z
of Fig. 1.
The construction, as will be seen, is such that the water air and vapour cau flow
into the barrel a of the pump at the same time through inlet openings 6 formed in
the wall of the barrel (and which may be of the shape shewn or of other convenient
form for example, diagonal); the bucket c acts as a piston valve, foot valves are
dispensed with, so that the inlet area can be very considerable, instead of being
contracted as is the area through the valve seatings in ordinary steam engine
pumps such as I have above referred to (and whose efficiency is thereby impaired);
bucket valves are also dispensed with; the bottom d, d' d' of the pump and of the
bucket c are so formed that water displaced by the descending bucket is caused at
a velocity depending on the speed at which the pump is worked to flow into the
barrel through the openings b above the bucket c; and the water in travelling
through the openings 6 into the barrel a tends to assist the flow of the vapour and
air into the barrel.
In the example the bottom of the bucket c is of conical form (to prevent or
reduce shock) and the bottom d, d', of the pump is a casing whose internal
configuration at its lower part d corresponds to the external formation of the lower
part of the bucket c, the base of the hollow cone d being succeeded by a curved
part adapted to guide the water towards the inlet openings 6 when it is driven
forward or displaced by the action of the descending bucket on the surface of the
water within the lower part of the barrel a. The upper part d' is made sufficiently
large to afford ample space for the air and vapour, and is shewn so arranged that
water cannot lodge in it and that air and vapour can flow through it to all the inlet
openings 6 of the barrel; in the example the curved form is such that the air and
vapour will be guided towards the openings & the flow through which will in some
cases be to some extent aided by the action of the streams of water passing to and
through the said openings. The top of the bucket may be made flat as shewn, in
which case the under sides of the seatings of the head valves of which one is shewn
at e, are also made flat. The form of the top of the bucket can however be varied;
for example it may be concave, in which case I consider it desirable that the
underside of the head valve seat be made to correspond in form with the upper side
of the bucket, so that the bucket may work up to the underside of the head valve
or head valve seat as closely as is practically desirable.
In some cases I interpose between my pump and the condenser the arrangement
illustrated for conducting water air and vapour to my pump. N is a separate inlet
for air and vapour. Any air and vapour entering with the water at I may (when

page_text: This enables air anu
valve B is open) pass into the upper part A' of the conduit.
vapour to be drawn from separate parts of a condenser, respectively through I and
through N and the supply through either to be regulated.
My pump may be varied in form; thus it can be constructed as represented in
the drawing filed with my Provisional Specification, but I consider the modification
represented in Figs. 1 and 2 hereto annexed preferable, especially for higher
speeds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A steam engine air pump comprising a barrel a with valveless inlet openings b
near its lower part a valveless bucket adapted to serve as a piston valve and a
bottom that constitutes around and below the lower part of the barrel a a chamber
into which water air and vapour can flow the arrangement being such that water
displaced by the descent of the bucket is caused to pass directly into the barrel
above the bucket through the openings b, as set forth.
2. A steam engine air pump comprising a barrel a with valveless inlet openings b
near its lower part, a valveless bucket adapted to serve as a piston valve, and a
bottom that constitutes around and below the lower part of the barrel a a chamber
into which water air and vapour can flow this chamber being so formed that when
the bucket strikes the water below it water thereby displaced and guided by the
wall of the chamber will be caused to enter by the openings b into the barrel a
above the bucket and to assist air and vapour to also enter the barrel through those
openings.
3. In a steam engine air pump the hereinabove described combination and
arrangement of the barrel with valveless openings and bottom or casing d, d¹ d²
substantially as in Figs. 1 and 2 hereto annexed or as in plan No. 2 left with my
Provisional Specification.
4. My improved steam engine air pump as described and illustrated.
Dated this 12th day of Decembe
FRED. EDWARDS.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.